The Sparrows and the Subatomic Particles

   

 I’ll be honest: My life is good. I’m not trying to boast or anything. I’m just saying that not very many terrible things have happened to me. (And I am glad of that).

    Here’s some proof. I’ve been in several small Bible study groups. In some of them, the time I dreaded most was prayer request time. After the rest of the group members had told their legitimately sad stories about break-ups, family troubles, or friends with cancer, I felt a little awkward bringing up the conviction I felt reading the book of Leviticus last week. In short. I felt my problems were too small for God to care about. Maybe I’m the only one who has ever felt this way. But I assume I’m not.

     In my research, I’ve come across two passages that I feel speak to my feelings of self-pity over having nothing worth pitying. (Oh, my illogical human emotions.)  The first one is in a passage where Jesus is addressing the sin of worry. He says: “ Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ” (Matthew 6:26, NKJV). This tells us how foolish it is to worry when our God is so great. It also reveals to us another aspect of the character of God. He cares for the smallest things. Birds are nice and all, but in the grand scheme of the history of the universe, they don’t seem all that important. You would think that God would leave them to take care of themselves, but that’s not what the Bible says. The Bible says that He sees to it that they are taken care of. It’s a bit mind-boggling. But I’m not done with mind-bogglingness yet. I haven’t even got into particle physics!

    The second passage that applies to my non-issue issue is a verse I’ve come to claim as a sort of life verse. It is Colossians 1:17, “ And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.” (NKJV). It is short and sweet and simple, and yet immensely and ineffably deep and meaningful. It starts me thinking on the makeup of all matter. God is the originator of the atoms that make up everything and the subatomic particles that make those up. He holds all things together, even the smallest, most basic and fundamental units of the universe. The ingredients of matter that we can’t even begin to see, over half of which we probably haven’t discovered yet.

    I’m guessing that none of our prayer requests are so small that physicists can only theorize over their existence. Even if they did, God would still take interest in them. Now, I’m not saying we should throw ourselves a pity-party for our small problems; I’m saying that God wants us to bring those problems to Him. We’re not supposed to go through lives relying on our own strength. We have to rely on Him. In everything.

 

    So, if you find yourself feeling that God doesn’t have time for something you are bringing before Him in prayer, remember that He has time for the sparrows.

    And the subatomic particles.

Keep on glowing in the dark,
Elora

Top 10...Thursday? Awesome Things at the EMP Museum in Seattle

     So, here's what's going on. I've decided to change the schedule for my blog since the previous schedule was getting impossible to keep up with. Instead of posting on Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday every week, I'm going to do a Wednesday post one week, then a Top 5 Tuesday the next. I'll post on Saturdays as often as possible.

     This week I had the pleasure of visiting the EMP (a music, sci-fi, and pop culture museum) in Seattle. I was going to post this list Tuesday, but I was busy returning from my trip that day. Then I was going to post it on Wednesday, until I realized that 'Top 10' sounded better with 'Thursday', than "Wednesday'. Welcome to my thought process. So here is my list of 10 awesome things I found in the sci-fi and fantasy exhibits at the EMP. Basically, it will just be me geeking out. Enjoy.

     Come through the portal of coolness to a world of sci-fi  and fantasy icons.....

10. Original Princess Bride Costumes 

     This beloved fantasy parody definitely belongs among the classics. Can anyone name the three characters  to whom this costumes belonged?

9. Original Princess Bride Blades

     Even if you haven't seen The Princess Bride, (which would be very sad for you),  you've probably heard the line swashbuckling Spaniard Inigo Montoya uses to challenge his elusive rival, the six-fingered man: "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." Here we have the props from their final confrontation: two very nice blades, and the six-fingered man's glove.

8. The Science Fiction Hall of Fame

     A futuristic-looking gallery of photographs and bios of some of the most influential creative minds in sci-fi.

7. Ralph McQuarie Design Sketches




     Ralph McQuarie was the concept artist for Star Wars. Talk about someone who shaped pop culture. Even non-fans recognize Darth Vader's mask, R2-D2, lightsabers and the like. Here are some early sketches of one of the most infamous villains of our time.

6. Lt. Data's uniform from Star Trek: The Next Generation



     Data, the android longing for humanity is probably the most endearing crew member in Star Trek's first spin-off.

5. A Classic Doctor Who Cyberman

     This metallic menace appeared in the 1983 Doctor Who episode "The Five Doctors", in which the first five incarnations of television's favorite Time Lord shared screen time.

4. Lt. Uhura's uniform from Star Trek

     Nichelle Nichols played a unique and revolutionary character in Uhura during the 1960's. Her uniform and communications earpiece are displayed at the museum.

3. A Dalek from classic Doctor Who

     One of the Doctor's arch enemies, this Dalek from 1982 has had its share of action. You probably can't see it from this picture, but one of his gold nodules is missing on the left side. That would be enough to 'In-fur-i-ate' anyone.

2. Darth Vader's Original Lightsaber

     Remember earlier when I talked about how iconic Darth Vader and lightsabers are? Well here is Darth Vader's lightsaber! The original prop from the famous scene where the villain revealed his true identity to young Jedi Knight, Luke Skywalker!


1.

 

     Yes, this is that chair. Captain Kirk's command chair from the groundbreaking 1966-69 sci-fi series Star Trek. Ever heard of it? Being a bit biased toward Star Trek, this was probably one of my favorite things at the museum. Plus, it was surrounded by tribbles.

     This was a fantastic trip. I am so glad I was finally able to peek inside EMP. If you are around the Seattle area, it is definitely something to check out. 

     I would like to especially recommend the Icons of Science Fiction exhibit, (which is where most of these pictures came from). Aside from having fantastic mementos from the history of the genre, it also explores many of the deep questions and themes central to sci-fi.

I hope you had fun taking a virtual tour of the EMP Sci-fi and fantasy exhibits with me. I sure had fun putting it together. I'll be back Wednesday with a new post. Until then,

Keep on glowing in the dark,

Elora

How To Train You Dragon 2 Review

    

How to Train Your Dragon is a funny set of movies. I went and saw it with family friends for a seven-year-old’s birthday. However, I have some friends who recently graduated high school that dressed up for the midnight showing. This is a fantasy series with wide appeal, and what’s not to like about a family-friendly adventure featuring steampunk vikings riding dragons. So, here’s my spoiler-free review of How to Train Your Dragon 2.

(Note: I haven’t read the books yet- I know, shame on me- so I won’t be able to give any commentary about how the books and the movies line up.)

   

  

 This movie has a fairly simple plot that relies in many places on the events of the last movie. You don’t have to have seen How to Train Your Dragon to watch this, but it would help. Personally, I expected the movie to end on a cliffhanger, but I was pleasantly surprised at the ending I got.

 

    The main character, Hiccup, still retains some of his quirky awkwardness from the first movie, despite his personal growth. If you liked the fact that he wasn’t the super-cool action hero type, you will still enjoy him here. Hiccup’s relationships with other characters are the driving force of this story. His relationship with his dragon is entertaining and touching. His relationship with his father is realistic and develops throughout the film. It is also a central part of the plot. Hiccup’s relationship with a newly introduced character,(the identity of whom is a spoiler, so I will not reveal it), is also very interesting and important. As for the rest of the cast, the love-interest, Astrid is a cliche tough-girl. You know, the kind who is better than the male lead at almost everything? If you enjoy that trope, you will like her. I was turned off to that character, but not to the movie as a whole. The villain is definitely bad, but he seems facelessly evil and rather bland. The supporting cast was goofy. I found myself able to overlook flaws with these characters, because the movie isn’t about them. It’s about Hiccup. That is where the focus is most of the time.

   

     How to Train Your Dragon 2 is a beautifully animated fantasy. The dragon-flight scenes are captivating and exciting. The dragon design is fun, and the human characters are cartoon and quirky, but still believable as people. The film seemed to deviate from classic fantasy style and slip into an almost sci-fi realm in some places, (which I don’t mind at all). One example is Hiccup’s rather steampunk inventions. Another is the introduction of the alpha species of dragon, from which all the other dragons came.

    Overall, this is a coming-of-age story. The theme is discovering one’s self. Hiccup has to wade through the influences in his life, and determine what truly makes him who he is. This theme seemed a bit clunky when it was conveyed in the character dialogue, but it was downright touching when conveyed in the character relationships. You might even cry. I did.

    If you enjoyed the first How to Train Your Dragon Movie, I would recommend seeing this one as well. If you’re interested in seeing exciting and entertaining, family friendly fantasy, then this is a good film for you. I don’t regret adding this to the list of summer movies I have seen.

Least Favorite Part: Astrid, the love-interest, interrogating a dragon-catcher on her way to rescue her hapless boyfriend, Hiccup. For me, her attempts to be tough and sweet at the same time fall flat.

Favorite Part:  Hiccup and his dragon, Toothless, are the best of friends. The parts of the movie with just the two of them adventuring are always my favorite.


Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this review. As always, you can let me know what you think in the comments.
Keep on glowing in the dark,
Elora

Top 5 Tuesday: Sci-Fi Episode Titles

    Welcome to Top 5 Tuesday: the day of the week where I spout my opinion on geeky stuff in the form of a list! I hope you enjoy. Since my most recent post was about the silly little title of my blog, I thought I’d make a list of five actually amazing episode titles from science fiction television.

Let’s get started!

5. “Unending” (Stargate: SG-1)

It may seem an odd title for the last episode of a decade-long series, but it very well encapsulates the graceful and clever way the show-runners sent their characters off into the sunset. And the more I think about it, it’s probably a bit of a pun, too.

4. “Dinosaurs on a Spaceship” (Doctor Who)

The newest title on this list, “Dinosaurs on a Spaceship” tells you exactly what you’re going to get. No, the episode is not about unicorns in a submarine. The almost ridiculous name conveys the fun and eccentricity of the story, and is a charming throwback to classic Doctor Who titles such as…

3. “The Robots of Death” (Doctor Who)

“The Robots of Death”, you guys. What more can I say? Leave it to Classic Who to tell it like it is.

2. “Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?” (The Twilight Zone)

Really, The Twilight Zone should have far more titles on this list. However, I tried to mix it up, so that it wasn’t solely comprised of 1960s sci-fi titles (which are the best). I picked “Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?” as representative of this mind-blowing series because I think it’s one of the most memorable. It’s quirky. It’s jarring. It sparks curiosity and leaves you wondering who the real Martian is.

1.”For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky” (Star Trek)

Like The Twilight Zone, the original series of Star Trek should have more entries on this list. And of all the amazing TOS titles, this is the best. “For the World is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky”. That’s poetry. The title of the episode is a piece of art in and of itself. Nevermind that it was said by a crazy, dying old man in the story. This title is moving!

    

    What did you think of this list? What are some of your favorite titles? What would you like to see lists about in the future? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear from you. Thanks for reading!

Keep on glowing in the dark,

Elora

Bright Shining as the Sun

Hi all!

     I wasn't expecting to post today, but then I started poking around the geekier side of Pinterest and I came across this...

   Now I don't know about you all, but seeing the light of a star peeking up over a planet, while reading a passage about friendship and sacrifice calls to mind a story I once watched. (Once. Ha. That's a joke. I've watched The Wrath of Khan way more than once.)

    It also gets me thinking about how that story points back to the scripture. Laying our lives down for others isn't an instinct we're born with. In our humanity, we want to save ourselves. But God calls us to act differently. That's why so many good stories have elements of sacrifice

    They remind us that letting go of  ourselves, and our own interests is noble, and good. They stir something inside our souls that God built into us. And if we let them, stories of sacrifice can connect us to the atoning death of Jesus Christ on the cross.

    I wonder if the person who put this scripture art together was having similar thoughts. It would seem logical to me.

     Thank you for listening to my random ramblings. I hope they encourage you, (or amuse you, if nothing else).  If you have exciting thoughts on story and theme and Jesus, please comment! I'd love to hear from you. I'll be back tomorrow with a top five list- because who doesn't love a good list?

Keep on glowing in the dark,
Elora

Why Potassium?

  

Happy Saturday! If you've ever wondered why I would choose such a bizarre name for my blog, hopefully this short anecdote will answer all your questions.

It wasn’t a dark and stormy night or anything. Well, it may have been stormy, given this area of the country. And dark, due to the probable abundance of storm-clouds. It wasn’t night, however. It was day, in the middle of my sophomore year of high school.

  I was paying ever-so-much attention in my Physical Science class. Paying attention, that is, to the periodic table behind my teacher, (I’ve always had an ineffable affinity for the periodic table of the elements). Elements have the funniest symbols sometimes: Au for gold, Ag for silver, Fe for iron, K for Potassium…

    Potassium with a Capital K. Now wouldn’t that make a fabulous title for something? Originally, it was going to be the name of a story podcast, but when I changed the plot for that, its title remained, floating emptily around my mind. And how could I let such an excellent title go unused?

[The elemental symbol for Potassium, ‘K’, comes  from the neo-Latin word Kalium. Neo-Latin was used in formal writing from around A.D 1500-1900]

Keep on glowing in the dark,
Elora