The Wishes of the Fish King (Douglas McKelvey)

The Wishes of the Fish King is a children's picture book celebrating the wonder of the world. The goal is conveyed through a quote on the inside cover: 

"Fairy tales say that apples were golden only to refresh the forgotten moment when we found that they were green. They make rivers run with wine only to make us remember, for one wild moment, that they run with water." --G.K. Chesteron, Orthodoxy

The verse is okay; the art is outstanding. It reminded me of the 'magic in the mundane'; how the world around us is beautiful, amazing, and astounding, but we often lose sight of it. I've heard that reading it out loud to children makes it better.

Rating: B+

TMNT 2: The Secret of the Ooze

Shortly after last time . . . New York is safe and enjoying it pizza, for the turtles defeated Shredder and his Foot Clan. Or did they? Both are back, and worse, they have a vial of the same ooze that created the turtles. What dastardly creatures will they create with it . . . and have the turtles met their match? And what will they learn of their own origins?

I was disappointed in this 1991 sequel. The tone is sillier and clearly geared towards kids (not inherently bad, but a departure from the original, which the entire family could enjoy). The messages were sparse and undeveloped, relegated to a line here or there that hinted at something greater but never delivered. The best quote brimmed with potential but was left hanging:

Do not confuse the specter of your origin with your present worth.

The movie was rife with nineties pop culture (including Vanilla Ice), which I got but would be lost on today's audience. It was funny in places (though often juvenile humor). Ultimately, this was an action spectacle for kids that did more to revisit the past movie than develop the story or characters.

Rating: C-

A friend in need

"A friend in need is a friend indeed." Most of us know this saying; I never really thought about it until now. A curious expression, when you think about it, because often the opposite happens: we hide our needs from friends (and everyone), or we run from those who are needy. This has me thinking: what does it mean to be a friend? What does friendship look like?

The Bible talks a lot about friendship, looking at both the blessing it can be and also the reality of how our fallen state can affect such relationships. I'll start with the latter.

How Sin Affects Friendship

Job talks a lot about how his friends deserted him during this trials, and Proverbs talks about how people can be drawn to the rich as friends and ignore the poor. These are both pictures of what can happen because of our sinfulness, but are not upheld as being right. 

Job (and Psalms) talk about how people can react when we fall on hard times:

My relatives have failed me, my close friends have forgotten me. (Job 19:14)
All my intimate friends abhor me, and those whom I loved have turned against me. (Job 19:19)

My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague, and my nearest kin stand far off. (Psalm 38:11)

Proverbs talks about wealth and friendship:

Wealth brings many new friends, but a poor man is deserted by his friend. (Proverbs 19:4)

The poor is disliked even by his neighbor, but the rich has many friends. (Proverbs 14:20)

All a poor man's brothers hate him; how much more do his friends go far from him! He pursues them with words, but does not have them. (Proverbs 19:7)

In both cases, the selfishness of man is revealed. We tend to be drawn to the successful and prosperous, and want to hang out with people from whom we can get something: some social or material benefit through our association. And yet, this is not how it should be, and such things do not profit or satisfy. Look at celebrities, who can be flush with cash and surrounded by 'friends' yet miserable—such people must wonder "are these people here because they love me, or because they love my wealth and status?" 

Things are not the way they are supposed to be, and the Bible recognizes this. It also shows the right way; true friendship is a great blessing.

True Friendship and its Blessings

Looking across the Scriptures, I would characterize friends as those who do three things: bear burdens, rejoice together, and challenge each other.

Bear burdens (help each other): 

Friends help each other, in good times and bad. "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2) There is a self-sacrificial component to this: "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) And it is regardless of circumstances: "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." (Proverbs 17:17)

Helping each other entails meeting both physical and spiritual needs. In Acts, we read that Paul was reliant upon friends for his physical needs: "The next day we put in at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for." (Acts 27:3)

Friends can help us when we fall (either physically or spiritually). "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken." (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12) This includes confessing sin to each other (see James 5:16).

Rejoice together:

Friends share joys, too. See Luke 15:3-10; friends celebrate good things that happen to each other:

So he told them this parable: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Challenge each other:

This is where modern friendships (in America, anyway) can be glaringly deficient. Too often, we want to support our friends by agreeing with them, even when they may be on a dangerous path. We all need to be rebuked sometimes, and a true friend is one who does that. Consider these verses:

Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)

Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy. (Proverbs 27:6)

Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel. (Proverbs 27:9)

We should not (necessarily) go to friends for affirmation of all we are feeling, but for honest counsel and rebuke where needed. 

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How do your friendships rank on these matters? It is interesting to me that most of our friendships are those who are in the same life stage and have similar hobbies or interests: we are going through the same things and like the same things. These are not bad things, but the Bible doesn't speak to those. It discusses the above three categories, all of which imply 1) physical proximity and 2) spending time together. So you can be friends with someone who is much older or younger, and you may or may not have the same interests. 

Take stock of your life. Do you have people in it that bear your burdens, share your joys, and counsel you? Do you do these things for others? What can you do to be a true friend?

UNO Elite NFL Edition

Today's review is of the 2024 release, UNO Elite: NFL 2024 Edition. For 2-7 players, it takes 20 minutes.

Overview

UNO Elite takes the classic game UNO and mixes it with draftable cards featuring your favorite NFL players. Like regular UNO, you have a common draw pile, turn over the top card, and take turns playing cards from your hand that match the topmost card in any way (number, color, etc.). The first player to empty their regular hand wins! But here, you also have a separate UNO Elite pile unique to you, and the top four cards of that are turned over in front of you. These cards feature NFL players and have an UNO game ability. On your turn, whenever you play a card with a star from your regular hand, you can then also play an UNO Elite card of matching color from these four cards. That card is put in your specific discard pile, replaced, and not used again unless you can use an ability to get it back in that UNO Elite pile.

Example of game cards; image from here

Game modes exist where you can draft these UNO Elite cards, and you can even buy randomized 'booster packs' to expand your collection and possibilities.

Review

"Good grief, they've gentrified UNO." That was my first reaction to this game. The collectible aspect to this means you can 'pay to win' by purchasing more packs. That really irritated me, probably because UNO is a game I don't view as fitting well into the collectible model. It's just UNO . . . but I digress. The "Elite" pile aspect to this is fine; I don't feel it adds anything to the experience, but it's not terrible. The NFL players are completely unrelated to the game mechanics; this theme is just pasted on to encourage children (and/or football fans) to spend their money. I would avoid this if I were you, but my son enjoys it.

Rating: C

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990 film)

New York City is in the throes of a crime wave; a mysterious organization known as the Foot Clan is rumored to be behind it all. But hope is not lost . . . for a radioactive ooze twenty years earlier gifted a rat and four turtles with considerable growth and intellect. Combined with ninja skills gained from the rat's teachings, these heroes in a half shell will fight for justice as . . . the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Will they be enough to find and take down the Foot?

This 1990 film, based on the 1987 TV cartoon series (which was itself based on the 1984 comic series) was a huge hit in its day. And watching it again today with my kids . . . I still loved it. Yes, it is cheesy and dated. But it is light-hearted, the action holds up surprisingly well, the comedy is good, and the messages are mostly solid, looking at the importance of true family/community, right thinking, and repentance.

"TMNT" was a cultural force in the eighties and nineties—the original cartoon ran until 1996 (there have since been several others), the 1989 video game is a classic, the movie franchise got two more sequels and then a reboot in 2014. It is still in enough demand to warrant an upcoming Magic: the Gathering release. I'm not as familiar with the later offerings, but the original stuff is still just great by me.

Rating: A-

Daredevil: The Man Without Fear

Blinded as a boy and orphaned shortly thereafter, Matt Murdock has had more than his share of tragedy. But all is not lost . . .for the accident that wounded him granted him nigh-supernatural powers. His father's life taught him much about tenacity and sacrifice despite repeated failures. And the bullying he received daily awakened a sense for law and order. 

Matt is also not alone; the mysterious Stick will take Matt under his wing to sharpen and hone his abilities. His college friend, Foggy Nelson, will prove a good friend. And the charming Elektra will intrigue him in many ways . . .

Time goes on. Matt is a lawyer now, in Boston. Called back to New York, he makes a new friend and finds a decayed city run by criminals. When his friend is kidnapped, he can bear it no longer—he will become Daredevil, the man without fear, and seek to right what he can. 

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This classic origin story is a solid introduction (and good starting point) to the Daredevil character. The only thing that surprised me was the relative absence of the faith component; it is foreshadowed but not explored here, and is (to me) an important part of this hero that later titles will flesh out. Still, this is a good read.

Rating: A

Twenty Years Hitched

Last week, my wife and I celebrated our twentieth wedding anniversary. This posts reflects on marriage and some things I've learned along the way.

1) You'll learn more about yourself . . . and it ain't pretty.

When I got engaged, my friend congratulated me but added an intriguing message: "you're about to find out how selfish you are." He was right. Marriage shows you how selfish you are. Why?

The Bible makes it clear that no one is righteous; nobody seeks God (Romans 3:9-18). God ordained marriage and states that the two become one (Genesis 2:18-24); you will know (and be known by) your spouse better than anyone else on this Earth. Part of that is knowing their sin (and learning your own). Your true self comes to bear; any masks you might wear (consciously or otherwise) in front of others will come off over time. You will see deep ugliness in yourself and your spouse. You will see each other at your worst. 

2) Both spouses need forgiveness and grace.

You will fail in many ways (see point 1). Your spouse will, too. Thankfully, there is forgiveness and grace. We need to bear with and forgive each other (Colossians 3:12-14) early and often (Matthew 18:21-22), remembering we have been forgiven a much greater debt in Christ (Matthew 18:23-35). Similarly, we are to treat each other with grace (unmerited favor), as the Lord treats us (John 1:14-17).

3) Love is self-sacrificial, not transactional.

There are many passages on love in the Bible. I've looked at what it means to love others in recent posts (here, here, and here). From various Bible passages, I summarized love with this definition: "Love is the self-sacrificial and self-forgetful care for and building up of others demonstrated by action, affection, attitude, endurance, and optimism." One key aspect is the self-sacrificial/forgetful nature of love.

It is easy (for me) to be transactional. It can be especially so in marriage. "You do this for me, and I'll do that for you." There can be a time and a place for such things—like divvying up chores—but true love does not take into account their actions for you when choosing your actions for them. Loving my wife means doing the right thing for her even if/when she doesn't return the favor. That is tremendously hard, but it is ultimately freeing to care for others without thought of their care for you. 

As a counselor once told me, our job is to "trust and obey." For things in my control, obey (do the right thing). For things outside of my control, trust (that God will work). Ephesians shows how Christ's self-sacrificial love affects us, and relates it to marriage:

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,  that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. (Ephesians 5:25-28) 

There are no guarantees, but it is what we are called to do. 

4) Love is a choice. It takes work.

There are many emotions in love; not all are romantic or pleasant. In twenty years of marriage, there have been plenty of cases where good feelings weren't there. But going back to the definition of love, the main point is to care for and build up your spouse. That manifests itself in dozens of choices each day regardless of feeling. You can be mad at your spouse and love them. You can disagree and still care. You can be hurt and still choose to love. It's hard work. But worth it.

5) It is easy (but wrong) to put the kids first.

This is a common problem, in the church and culture. Once kids come along, they tend to take center stage, and life revolves around them and their activities. Years later, they move out, and the spouses can realize they don't even know each other anymore. This is not the way it should be. Take time to connect with your spouse—daily. They are your most important earthly relationship, bar none.

6) Marriage is sanctifying; one of the hardest (and best) things you will ever do.

It's been said that there is nothing better than a good marriage, and nothing worse than a bad one. It is constantly sanctifying; we die to self as we grow, forgive each other, and strive to put away our selfishness, looking to love the other before ourselves.

Most marriages I've witnessed have had elements of good and bad. If you strive to bear each other's burdens, share each other's joys, and walk in the same direction [living life in the Gospel and learning what God has for the two of you each step of the way], things will be good. If you don't (and there will be plenty of times when that happens), things will be rough. See point 2. 

7) Focus on God is key.

It is impossible to have a good marriage without God's strength. Your relationship with God precedes everything, and from that flows strength to love your spouse. Only through Jesus can you do so, for 'with men it is impossible, but with God all things are possible' (Matthew 19:26). In Jesus we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28), and without Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). 

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The above is not exhaustive, but it is a start. I'm glad I married my wife (I still question her decision). It's not always easy, but I'd rather walk a hard road with her than an easy road without. It is not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18); thank you, Lord, for marriage. And for forgiveness.