Movie Review

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Although it has been awhile since I have seen this movie, it is the first in the theaters for a LONG time, I have been pumped up about it for awhile before it came out and after seeing it. This movie is full of action and drama-if you don't keep your focus on the story line you may get lost, as you and Indy must keep all the clues in line to figure out the mystery of the Crystal Skull. For as old as Harrison Ford is he does an EXCELLENT job acting in the movie doing all of the stunts and keeping that aura of Indiana Jones. The story line is a bit far fetched, I don't know how believable it is or could actually happen, but does make the story interesting.

Into The Wild
I had been intrigued by this movie for a while since I got the soundtrack which is composed of songs from Pearl Jam leadman Eddie Vedder (Hard Sun, Society, Long Nights etc. (the soundtrack is great by itself, and with the movie it makes a great combination)). After watching this movie the other night, I couldn't help, but think of the book Wild at Heart by John Etheredge. While the book and movie are not exactly about the same context, they both capture and realize the importance of nature in our world. The movie written and directed by Sean Penn, focuses on the character Christopher McCandless's, played by Emile Hirsch, adventure out of society and "into the wild." Taking the name Alexander Supertramp, he gives up all material possessions surviving off the land and taking advantage of his strong will and intellect that takes him across America. After watching this I wanted to go and take my own adventure out into the wild and discover what nature has to offer. It has it's interesting turns and twists, but it shows what men have lost in today's society: man's ability to release from the material aspects of life and enjoy what life has given them, particularly in nature and God's Creation. The summer is a time to really enjoy this, go for a walk outside, camping, fishing, golfing, horseback riding, canoing, boating, etc. If you are looking for a movie with a good story (based off the non-fiction book Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer) about finding the meaning of life and exploring the great landscape of America and getting out of the world that people get wrapped up in and explore what is out there.

Pork and Beans

" Everyone likes to dance
To a happy song"

"One look in the mirror
And I'm tickled pink
I don't give a hoot
About what you think"

Iron Man Workout

I found this workout from Craig Ballantyne off of Men's Health (http://transform07trainer.menshealth.com/) and it is quite intense. It's "easy" because it is all bodyweight-your essentially using your body as the weight that is being pulled, pushed, jumped, lifted, etc., BUT it is not easy by no means because there are no breaks and pushes you to the limit.

Do this circuit and repeat as much as you can until your are ready to drop:
10 exercises 125 reps
5 pullups
10 Jumps
15 Close-Grip Push-Ups
10 Lunges (Each Leg)
5 Chinups
10 Mountain Climbers (Each Leg)
10 Inverted Rows
10 Single-Leg Deadlift (Each Leg)
25 Bike Crunches
15 Step-ups (Each Leg)
15 Decline Pushups

Try to not take any breaks when going through the circuit and then once you are done you keep going to be a true Iron Man. Another great thing about this workout is that it can be down on a playground that has the right equipment, which makes working out an event you can enjoy in the nice summer sun!

No Man is an Island

John Donne (1572-1631). It appears in Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions, Meditation XVII:

"All mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated...As therefore the bell that rings to a sermon, calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come: so this bell calls us all: but how much more me, who am brought so near the door by this sickness....No man is an island, entire of itself...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."

Thomas Merton No Man Is an Island

"To have a spiritual life is to have a life that is spiritual in all its wholeness-a life in which the actions of the body are holy because of the soul, and the soul is holy because of God dwelling and acting in it. When we live such a life, the actions of our body are directed to God by God himself and give Him glory, and at the same time they help to sanctify the soul (98-99)."

We give him the best we have, in order to declare that He is infinitely better. We give Him all that we prize, in order to assure Him that He is more to us than our "all." One of the chief tasks of Christian asceticism is to make our life and our body valuable enough to be offered to God in sacrifice (105)."

Romans 14:7-9

"None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself.

For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.

For this is why Christ died and came to life, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living."