C.J. Sears's Blog, page 9

3-Day 99 Cent Sale Has Begun

[image error]

So today’s the day. It’s the start of the 3-Day Halloween 99 Cent Sale for my two horror-thriller novels The Shadow Over Lone Oak and The Smiling Man Conspiracy. From now until midnight November 2nd, you’ll be able to grab digital copies of both books for the lowest price of admission.

If you need a good spook or you’re looking for something to fill that X-Files void, then you’ve come to the right place. But don’t take my word for it. Listen to what reviewers have said about the first book in the series:

Kyla Stone, Author of Beneath the Skin (4 Star Review) – “This is a well-written mix of hardboiled detective story meets the X-Files…a dark, gritty read with some good (and scary!) twists and turns in the case.”

Victoria Palmer (5 Star Review) – “Suspenseful. An adrenaline laced terror filled fun ride you can’t put down.”

Carol (4 Star Review) – “A dark horror suspense mystery with good characters and an x-file type of story line.”

Kristen Heyl (3 Star Review) – “This is not the typical type of book I would read but the description made it sound good I had to read it. The detective characters were well-written and came alive in my mind as I read it.”

Cooper (3 Star Review) – “Paranormal and mystery combined. Reminds me of the X Files and the strange things that would happen in some of the creepier episodes. A worthwhile read for those who like a bit of the unreal mixed in their mysteries.”

John L. (5 Star Review) – “Taut suspenseful reading…very entertaining and engrossing…the story expands at an ever increasing suspenseful pace, right up to the final act, or is it? The characters were definitely believable, and I absolutely loved the intense and dark and extremely detailed story-line, while at the same time, throwing in just a few touches of humor to keep the reader from falling into a deep dark depression.”

Derek Williams (5 Star Review) – “This the first time I have had opportunity to read anything by C.J. Sears and I thoroughly enjoyed it. A seeming mix of a detective and sci-fi read, the book will keep you guessing all the way until the end. Kept me glued to my seat as I read. Great story and wonderful characters make this a must read.”

Grady Murray (5 Star Review) – “Thought it has horror aspects in the book it reads like a thriller. Great female main character. The plot was full of twists to keep you guessing.”

Shannon G. (5 Star Review) – “If you liked the X Files then you really should read this book.”

Now, if you feel so inclined to pick up a copy or two of these e-books, then you have my thanks. And if you’d be so kind as to leave a review (because I need criticism to improve and understand my audience better), then I’ll be even more grateful.

I’m not going to run my mouth any longer, so take a look at this limited time offer and click the links to see and purchase these 99 cent goodies for yourself:

A Prayer of Peace

Lord,

Let me not run. I want to abide in Christ.

Let me not turn. I wish to be rooted firmly in the Word.

Let me not fall. I can only rise on the winds of the Holy Spirit.

I have seen things I wish I never knew. I have known things I wish I’d never seen.

But You are there. You have always been there – a light in the shadows.

I am a lowly sheep. I am prone to wandering. But You herd me, keep after me, love me, and do not neglect the flock.

I am a miserable sinner in the hands of a loving God. Though my trespasses were great, you called to me, and here I am among the remnant.

I have such provocative and painful memories, Lord. I don’t want to return to that life. I know I will not, for Your grace is good and Your mercy is everlasting.

Though my mind is a snare, a deceitful disharmony, yet still I trust in You, God Almighty, Prince of Peace.

On the precipice of eternity, I stand. In the arms of my Savior, I rest. Though I will die, yet shall I live, for I believe on You.

Thoughts are not binding. Those which are errant and unwanted do not have power. Through You, I laugh in their metaphorical faces. They are but silly sausages, fried and greased in rampant disorder, obsession, and the distortion of a past life.

I am no longer that person. I am not good. But I am forgiven. I am loved. I am a child of God, a coheir with Christ. Although my mind wishes to war, to indulge irrational belief contrary to true faith, I know the ultimate victor is You. No illness will overcome me because You have loved me since before time began, predestined me to become conformed to the image of Your Son, that Your name be glorified and I be lifted up as a man born again in Christ Jesus.

Thanks and praise belong to You, heavenly Father, for You have shown me the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and I pray that no matter how dark things get for myself, my family, the church, or even the nation, we will hold steadfast onto that faith in the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Amen.

HALLOWEEN 99 CENTS SALE

The impossible crevice yawned wide and deep. An omnipresent haze, a swollen mist, pervaded the scene. Like a babe in the womb, the fog encased the area around him, a smoky barrier which prevented him from seeing ahead more than a few feet at a time. He couldn’t measure the distance to the ground beneath the chasm or catalogue what was on the other side of the gap.

He breathed and looked again. What he was seeing was impossible. Cosmic. Unknowable.

The words and numbers materialized from the void. It couldn’t be, but it was.

HALLOWEEN SALESTACULAR: 99 CENT THRILLS

That’s right. In time for the spookiest time of the year, I’m having a discount sale on both novels in the “Evils of this World” series! Starting October 30th, you’ll be able to grab The Shadow Over Lone Oak and The Smiling Man Conspiracy E-BOOKS for only 99 cents apiece. Whether you’re hankering for a dose of horror or looking to satisfy those thrills, my fiction has you covered.

Llewyn Finch is a maelstrom of youthful enthusiasm, a supernatural gift, and a haunted past. Working for BOPAC (Biological, Occult, Paranormal, and Anomalous Crime), this federal agent is on the case when a young girl is found dead with her body displayed in a ritualistic manner. Partnering with Sheriff Willow Donahue, he seeks to uncover the sinister secrets which plague her once peaceful town.

Whatever’s going on in Lone Oak, it’s sure to get under the skin. And when you’ve finished reading the tragedy and terror unfold in that sordid center of small town charisma, look no further than The Smiling Man Conspiracy to discover monstrous truths and hidden agendas that’d make any spooky agent want to believe.

This offer will be available on both Amazon and Amazon.co.uk so don’t worry about being stranded alone when the blood runs cold and the dark beckons this Halloween. Grab yourself a couple digital copies, warm yourself by the fire, and dream deep of this pair of nightmares.

US – STARTS 12:00 AM PDT OCTOBER 30TH – ENDS 12:00 AM PDT NOVEMBER 2ND

UK – STARTS 12:00 AM GMT OCTOBER 30TH – ENDS 12:00 AM GMT NOVEMBER 2ND

Mental Illness & the Christian

“As a deer longs for streams of water, so I long for You, God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, while all day long people say to me, ‘Where is your God?’” (Psalm 42:1-3)

Mental illness is a struggle that Christians all too often dismiss in their brethren. Many are misguided and see this is as a sin issue. “Search for unrepentant sin in your life,” they’ll say. Or our brothers and sisters will claim that it’s a deficiency of faith. “If you only believed better and prayed more, you’d get over it.” Such statements are hurtful, dismissive, and dubious in their ability to comfort those who wrestle with these powerful mental ailments.

I don’t have a diagnosed disorder, but I definitely contend with unwanted, horrifying, vulgar, and obsessive intrusive thoughts. I’ve had them since at least college. Some of these are no doubt born from my depraved past (which I’ve been forgiven). I remember the things I don’t want to remember and forget the things I wish to take hold of. But that’s not sin in itself. That’s a broken and fallen mind that won’t be properly mended until we see heaven and the end of all things.

You wouldn’t tell a person diagnosed with cancer to just pray more and they’ll be better. You wouldn’t send them to an exorcist. So why are those of us bonded together in Christ so lacking and ignorant when it comes to the treatment and care of mental illness? We’d rather ignore it or shun it, perhaps out of fear that to acknowledge it as a genuine health issue is somehow at odds with the real nature of the spiritual realm. So we don’t love our neighbor as we should.

I am most certainly not the worst case imaginable. I know there are a great many children of God whom fight against schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, chronic depression, etc. and don’t receive the proper nurturing and clinical care from their friends, family, pastor, and physicians.

“Why am I so depressed? Why this turmoil within me? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise Him, my Savior and my God.” (Psalm 42:11)

Yet throughout all of this I haven’t forgotten my great Healer. He may not take this pain away – perhaps I’m meant to deal with this imbalance as a thorn in my side – but His presence, His stewardship of my life and my soul, enlightens and empowers me to hope in Him and His love for me. I am an adopted child of God and no man or power or misery can take that away from me.

“No, in all these things we are more than victorious through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that not even death or life, angels or rulers, things present or things to come, hostile powers, height or depth, or any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!” (Romans 8:37-39)

Listen: no matter how dark things get, regardless of the weights on your mind, irrespective of the daily pain you may feel, remember that nothing can forever drive a wedge between you and your Savior. He is there, He is loving, and He knows your struggle. Though your mental illness may never leave you, know that this is not because your faith is low, your character insufficient, nor your sin great. You are a dearly beloved child of the Father, a co-heir with Christ, and you have been sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. In Him, all things will be made well and every tear will be wiped away. His promises are never broken. Amen.

Thanks and praise belong to Him. I don’t usually post these on Saturdays, but I felt this needed to be said. I hope it’s been of use to you as a fellow Christian and potential sufferer of mental illness and disorder who isn’t quite getting what he/she needs from his/her brethren. A lot has been said on the web about our faith and mental illness. It’s a topic worth exploring. Thank you for reading, God bless, and peace be with you.

God is Good: Small Miracles

Each generation looks for signs and wonders. We seek out meaning and symbolism and motive for the lives we experience. We shine lights into the darkness hoping to catch a glimpse of the truth. Our search takes us in many disparate directions and we’re never content in ourselves.

A man thinks if the stars align, he’ll know his place. The visionary prophesizes a potential future and grows cold when it doesn’t come to fruition. Men dream their dreams and when nothing comes to pass, they lose heart. They miss the small miracles – although no miracle can be said to be small by definition.

One shouldn’t get their theology from Bruce Almighty, but I think there’s something to be said about its miracle message. “When a teenager says no to drugs and yes to an education, that’s a miracle,” quips the representation of God played by Morgan Freeman. And he’s right. It’s not walking on water, healing the lame, or raising the dead, but it’s a miracle, the working of the grace of God.

People take their lives for granted. A tire goes flat and the world ends. All is unwell, but the fact that you and I are on this planet right now, living and breathing, that’s a miracle. When we wake up in the morning and we’re ready to do whatever it is we’ve been called to do on that day, that’s a miracle. When we’re unwilling, when our bodies won’t move, when we’re stuck in the same tired routine, but a voice pops up and says that we can persevere in spite of our pain, that’s a miracle.

I had a dream. I wanted to be an author. It wasn’t the first time I’d wanted to go big and become something more than I believed I could be, but it’s what stuck with me. Almost two years ago, I fulfilled that dream when I published The Shadow Over Lone Oak. It’s had a great critical response from those who’ve read it. Am I the next name among names in the writing world? No, but I never thought I’d get this far. And I couldn’t have done it without Him.

Don’t let the simple joys pass you by. Every scrap of happiness and contentment the Lord blesses you with is worth it. Maybe you’ve never met Him, but He loves you. Maybe you were unfortunate enough to have a poor excuse for an earthly father. But I tell you – because Scripture informs me – that you have a wonderful and good Father in heaven, that by His Word, the Son of God and our Lord Jesus Christ, you can be saved unto eternal life.

Don’t grasp at blood moons, prophecies, political megalomania, and all sorts of eye-catching rhetoric which bewitches the mind and clouds the truth. The greatest of all miracles has already been done. Anyone who believes on Jesus Christ as their Savior has passed from death to life. It is finished. By His blood, His sacrifice, we have inherited the promise of all promises and been cleansed of our sins. By His Spirit, we can know His love, grace, and mercy.

Our God is good. Don’t miss the small miracles He works each and every day. There’s no need to look for the cloud on the horizon when you’re surrounded with silver linings.

“What is truth?” Pilate asked just before the crucifixion of Christ (John 18:38).

It’s not in a newspaper headline. It’s not plastered across an LCD screen. It’s near and dear, in your heart and on your lips, it’s the message of faith we proclaim, and all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:8-13).

Thanks and praise belong to Him. Thank you for reading this post. God bless and peace be with you.

The Edge of Chaos – An Overview of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Dark waters pulse with the hum of beginnings. A two-man submersible penetrates the void and a widening gap parts the darkness with light. The gate of containment gives way to sudden, irrevocable change as the water is illuminated by the first steps of ignoble destiny. There is a shadow of death and decay. Few words are exchanged. At last we alight upon the truth behind this underwater voyage.

“There she is: the Indominus Rex.”

They have come to collect the remains of the famed creature. Using precision tools, they slice through bone and break off a piece of her rib, sending it to the surface where we see the ruins of a defunct theme park. Corporatism and control have given way to disarray.

A man in a yellow jacket keeps the gate unlocked for the men below water. His comrades in the chopper warn him that something approaches as rain and lightning paint the scene with broad wetness and bursts of white light. Then, as if from nightmare, the head of the tyrannosaur flashes in the dark jungle. Danger looms.

She advances. The man in yellow screams and she roars right back, drowning out his cry with a boisterous primeval bellow. He runs and the lithe tyrannosaur chases her mouse. Will he make it?

The ladder! The men in the helicopter have dropped him a lifeline. The man in yellow takes the leap, fearing certain death, and makes it in the nick of time as the great jaws of the tyrannosaur close inches behind him.

He breathes a sigh of relief. It’s over.

The ladder shakes and the man in yellow realizes the tyrannosaur has hold of it. She rips and tears at the apparatus, trying to bring her tasty morsel back to ground level. The men on the helicopter dread the worst. They’re going to cut the rope and leave their comrade to his grisly fate.

Wait. The ladder breaks. The tyrannosaur has lost her prey. The man in the yellow jacket celebrates his escape. The natural order has been foiled. Control returns to the hands of man.

But he never had control. That’s the illusion. The gargantuan Mosasaurus, having already killed the men in the submersible, breaches the surface of the water. Its leviathan jaws close around the man in yellow and she sinks into the deep with her meal.

The men in the helicopter are safe, but there’s no going back. They have their prize, the Indominus bone, and they must retreat. The park is closed. The world is open. The Mosasaurus escapes to the seas.

The ashes of an impossible dream meet the spark of a new beginning. Lava and bone coagulate. The burning logo is revealed.

Thus begins Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, the middle chapter of this new trilogy helmed by J. A. Bayona and written by Colin Trevorrow and Derek Connolly. This fifth installment of the historic franchise is a gothic fairytale wrapped in a horror movie mixed with a disaster flick and accentuated with biblical subtext and the rich adventure of an Indiana Jones film. Sounds like a lot of genre to cover, doesn’t it?

Fallen Kingdom transcends any rote pigeonholing as a “dinosaurs chasing people” popcorn film and vastly exceeds expectations in accomplishing this task. In this overview and analysis, I’ll spend some time summarizing the events of the film while providing (hopefully brisk) commentary on the themes and motifs at work. This is not a wholly original take on the film, but I believe it captures the breadth of the movie in vivid yet compact detail.

This post obviously contains hefty spoilers. You’ve been forewarned.

GOD CREATES DINOSAURS/GOD DESTROYS DINOSAURS

After the breathtaking prologue, we’re introduced to the central premise of our film. The dinosaurs on Isla Nublar are in danger of re-extinction because of an active volcano. A government subcommittee is considering what to do with these extinct animals. Are they entitled to live? Is this an act of God? Should they be left to their fate?

There are two opposing viewpoints. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) reiterates to the subcommittee what we’ve come to expect from the chaotician. We screwed with the natural order and brought extinct creatures back to life. This was never meant to be. The dinosaurs must die “as deeply sad as that would be.”

“Genetic power is the most awesome force the planet’s ever seen but you wield it like a kid that’s found his dad’s gun.” – Ian Malcolm, Jurassic Park

InGen and Masrani created these dinosaurs. They’ve been brought to life through tremendous and dangerous advances in gene splicing and DNA recovery from fossilized amber. Malcolm, the author surrogate for the late Michael Crichton, strongly feels that this path is beyond deadly and irresponsible. To court the usage of genetic power is to court our own extinction.

“I’m talking about manmade cataclysmic change. Change is like death. You don’t know what it looks like until you’re standing at the gates.” – Ian Malcolm, Fallen Kingdom

On the other side of this coin, Claire Dearing (Bryce Howard), Franklin Webb (Justice Smith), and Zia Rodriguez (Daniella Pineda) of the Dinosaur Protection Group fight to secure the rights of these animals. They believe that it’s our responsibility to nurture and care for these creatures.

But for Claire, this is more personal. She wants to right the wrongs she’s committed. Her tenure at the failed theme park weighs on her mind. Where once she sought to please focus groups and manage assets, she now seeks redemption for the sins she’s committed.

Benjamin Lockwood (James Cromwell) knows this and contacts her when the government subcommittee decides that inaction is their only path. The dinosaurs are doomed lest they make a new play.

THE CALL TO ACTION

Claire meets with his representative Eli Mills (Rafe Spall). Mills, ever-charming, tells her of Lockwood’s sanctuary island where there are no fences or manmade equipment, only natural boundaries. They’re going to save the dinosaurs, but they need Claire’s biometric signature to utilize the RFID tracking system.

It’s at this point we’re also told that Lockwood, an invalid, has a granddaughter under the care of Iris (Geraldine Chaplin), her nanny. Lockwood’s daughter died in an accident an unspecified number of years prior. He mourns her and deeply cherishes his granddaughter Maisie (Isabella Sermon).

Mills dispatches Claire to recruit Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) for the task of locating and securing Blue, the last living velociraptor with whom he has a close bond. He, of course, refuses.

As is typical of a hero’s journey, Owen initially rejects the call to adventure. He doesn’t want to face his past and return to the island. He doesn’t want to admit that there’s more to existence than drinking beer, playing pool, and building cabins. He just wants to settle in and enjoy life. He has become apathetic.

Claire, his ex, thinks there’s more to him. She argues for his better nature. Owen’s indifference is shocking to her. This can’t be the man she knew. But he’s always been a reclusive individual. He had his own little home tucked away in a small corner of the island when the park was up and running. He wants no part of his responsibility. Why should he change who he is?

Owen, in his own time, comes to terms with reality. He can’t neglect the foundations he’s built with either Claire or Blue. He reminiscences for the night. And in the morning, he’s the first one aboard that plane. Owen knows that he must chase his destiny.

THE END OF ISLA NUBLAR

Over the next half hour, our intrepid heroes are introduced to their first obstacle: rescuing the dinosaurs from an exploding volcano and getting off the island alive. There are harrowing escapes and close encounters. Environment and animal seem bent on creating death and destruction. Chaos reigns.

Owen tracks Blue to the old tyrannosaur paddock from the original park. As with any reunion involving a wild animal, the tension here is palpable. Owen is unsure of his place with Blue. She feels likewise. They circle one another, tentative of their relationship. They close the space between them. Light from the heavens shines down as Owen reaches out a hand to caress her muzzle.

Ken Wheatley (Ted Levine), leader of the expedition to save the animals, shows his true colors. Before Owen and Blue can properly reunite, the latter is shot by tranquilizer darts and by a close-quarters handgun round. Everything that Owen wanted to reclaim has been ripped out from under him. He’s left to die while the injured Blue is stolen by the traitorous mercenaries and Zia is held hostage.

Wheatley’s group trap Claire and Franklin in a bunker as the lava flows kick into overdrive. Our heroes fight valiantly against the tide rising against them. After several close shaves with carnivorous dinosaurs and rampant volcanic destruction, the trio plunges into the cool waters of the ocean.

The truth unravels. These men are poachers sent by Mills to capture the dinosaurs for ulterior purposes. Lockwood’s plan to save them was never going to happen.

In a daring escape, Owen, Claire, and Franklin board the ship known as the Arcadia alongside the last of the dinosaurs and Wheatley’s armed forces. The fires consume Isla Nublar. The vestiges of Jurassic Park and Jurassic World perish with the smoke and flames overtaking the relics of the past. A lone Brachiosaur is the last we’ll ever see of John Hammond’s imperfect dream.

The future is uncertain. The only world the dinosaurs and our heroes knew is effectively ash and dust. But a remnant has been preserved. The ark speeds through the water and the chosen await their fate.

THE KINGDOM OF MAN & HIS CREATION

Lockwood Manor. That’s where they’re taking the dinosaurs. Mills plans to sell them in a black auction with the help of Gunnar Eversol (Toby Jones). Below the high walls of this castle, a dungeon has been prepared for his new and valuable prisoners. They’ve refurbished an old lab that Hammond and Lockwood once used to create the first dinosaur. It ends where it began.

But Mills, the ignoble knight, doesn’t realize his secret isn’t safe. The princess (Maisie) has been spying on him and his crooked deceits. She plans to tell the king what his subject has been up to right underneath his nose.

Soon, the knight shows his hand. He’s been partnered with the sorcerer, that miracle man Dr. Henry Wu (B. D. Wong). Whereas God made man in His own image (Genesis 1:26) and that image was ultimately corrupted and banished from Eden (Genesis 3), Wu has created a new monstrosity in man’s own image, one born from the rib of the Indominus: the Indoraptor.

This, of course, calls to mind the creation of Eve. She, like the Indoraptor, was crafted from the rib of another being in Adam. But the Indoraptor was not bred to be man’s companion. He was designed to be a tool, a blunt object with which to hammer the nails of a variety of warfare scenarios.

Infused with the DNA of his predecessor and the velociraptor, this fierce prototype is the ultimate embodiment of human hubris. He’s the byproduct of our corrupted nature, our inherent sinfulness. The Indoraptor is an imperfect, twitchy, often deranged beast. He’s an arrogant being, a biological weapon, and a tortured soul wrapped in the scaly, damaged skin of a living creature.

God is good, so He made man to be good. But man chose for himself, was deceived by the serpent, and became his own miserable and implacable god. Man cannot and should not play God, but he does. God creates man. Man destroys God. Man creates dinosaurs.

Wu says that the Indoraptor prototype must be improved. Mills doesn’t understand or care why Blue must arrive in tact for the next iteration of the Indoraptor to succeed. He’d rather the operation be a sprint than a marathon. But Wu argues that his work is art, that in the gray area of genetic engineering and in the creation of a new animal, his work is magnified.

As a side note, Wu betrays his own high-minded intentions here. He claims to see the creation of the Indoraptor as showing his artistic merit, his reason for his dedication to science. But the truth is sinister and harkens back to the original novel written by Michael Crichton:

“The file Wu had brought, stamped ANIMAL DEVELOPMENT: VERSION 4.4, lay on the coffee table.”

“The dinosaurs we have now are real,” Wu said, pointing to the screens around the room, “but in certain ways they are unsatisfactory. Unconvincing. I could make them better.”

“Of course. But I’m just saying, why stop there? Why not push ahead to make exactly the kind of dinosaur that we’d like to see?”

“When you compared the DNA of man and the DNA of a lowly bacterium, you found that only about 10 percent of the strands were different. This innate conservatism of DNA emboldened Wu to use whatever DNA he wished. In making his dinosaurs, Wu had manipulated the DNA as a sculptor might clay or marble. He had created freely.”

Wu views the animals as software, something that he can improve on like the implementation of computer code. He is deluded with pride, arrogance, and a God complex. In this way, perhaps even more than the other antagonists, he reveals his intentions as most far gone.

The next Indoraptor needs Blue and her blood in order to form a bond with a closely-related genetic link. It needs a mother so that it might codify the corresponding behavioral traits exhibited by the velociraptor. Without Blue, the Indoraptor remains a dangerous, unpredictable, and psychopathic killing machine which cannot be reined in.

The princess reacts with shock and soon discovers this dragon in the dungeon. The Indoraptor is curious about Maisie, reaching out a tentative clawed hand as if to stroke her hair. But her feet cross the red line. She’s in danger. The dragon roars! The princess, scared for her life, screams and runs straight into the unwelcome arms of the corrupt knight.

Mills locks Maisie in her bedroom where she can’t report her findings to the king. He’s too close. Victory is at hand. He has a choice to make.

“I’m not the only guilty one here. Hammond was right. It was an unholy thing you did.”

Perhaps believing himself righteous, the knight usurps the king and murders him in cold blood. Blood on his hands, Mills crowns himself the new and sole proprietor of the Lockwood Estate and promptly fires Iris. The princess is alone.

ABOARD THE ARK(ADIA)

Blue’s life hangs in the balance. Owen, Claire, Zia, and Franklin work to save her from dying of blood loss. Their plan is a dangerous and chaotic measure; they must acquire blood from the tyrannosaur for a transfusion. It’s crazy. But it’s the only way.

The animals are contained in shipping crates. They’ve been catalogued and contained, boxed in as they were in the theme park. But as Malcolm said (and as we’ll soon see play out): life cannot be contained. Life breaks free. Life expands painfully, maybe even dangerously.

Owen and Claire succeed in their mission. As Maisie views video recordings of the raptors Owen once trained, Blue’s operation unfolds. She isn’t just any raptor. She’s empathetic, rational, and capable of forming close bonds with others. Owen is more than her trainer and her caretaker. He’s, in some respects, her father. He’s the only parental figure Blue has ever known and she has grown to love and respect him as any child should.

Blue exhibits what living beings are meant to be: compassionate, loyal, steadfast, holding to love. She shouldn’t be a prisoner or a slave. If the Indoraptor is a reflection of man’s worst qualities, then Blue is his mirror as well as a demonstration of the bond and companionship we can and do share with the animal world.

“Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.’” (Genesis 1:26)

Whereas InGen, Masrani, and Mills have chosen to live out this standard by subjecting the dinosaurs to corporate bylines, caged existence, and woeful misuse of their trust in their creators, our heroes believe we are called to love and steward them, wonderful creations that they are.

The bullet is removed. Blue lives.

POLLUTED BY AVARICE

“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil…” (1 Timothy 6:10)

Wheatley captures Owen and Claire en route to the Lockwood Estate and imprisons them alongside the dinosaurs. A back and forth ensues. Mills tells them an inconvenient truth; they are as much to blame for the current situation and their own predicament as he is. Claire authorized the creation of the Indominus Rex. She exploited a living thing in a cage for money. And Owen’s raptor behavioral research paved the way for the militaristic application of dinosaurs.

Our heroes must lay claim to their responsibilities and sins. They are as culpable as anyone involved in the de-extinction and exploitation of these animals. So they’re left to wonder how they’re going to fix their mistakes and make things right.

The bidding begins. Mills and Eversol display the animals as mere objects, assets to be won or lost by a group of megalomaniac and discerning buyers among the ultra-rich. One after another, the unassuming dinosaurs are auctioned off to the highest bidder to await whatever cruel and manipulative fate has been bestowed upon them. They’re still in cages. Freedom remains elusive.

Owen and Claire scheme their way out of the dungeon with the help of the Stygimoloch and encounter Maisie. The princess must trust these two strangers from the outside world. They share a common interest: love of dinosaurs. For her, that’s enough while she struggles with these new emotions of great and powerful loss.

Dollar bills are all Mills can see as the auction hits the halfway juncture. He and Eversol have only grown in their greed since the start. They decide to sell the Indoraptor against the wishes of Wu. Owen, Claire, and Maisie witness this and opt to stop this Frankenstein’s monster from ever breaching these castle walls.

With his Navy Seal training, Owen surprises and combats the guards Mills has posted. Meanwhile, the natural battering ram known as the Stygimoloch wreaks havoc on the auction proceedings. The Indoraptor watches with glee as the tables have turned. He’s locked in a cage, but it’s the humans who provide the spectacle. A shame he didn’t have popcorn to watch this amusing sport.

Owen prevents the Indoraptor’s cage from descending back to the dungeon. The dragon must wait for an opportune moment to break free. Wheatley wants his bonus. He decides that he needs the Indoraptor’s pretty teeth to complete his collection.

The Indoraptor baits him into his cage and smiles. Wheatley’s amateur dentistry is at an end. And Eversol shouldn’t have worked with amateurs. Their problems are over.

The monster that goes bump in the night, the reminder of our hubris, greed, and incapacity to temper our grasp so that we do not exceed it, is loose in the mansion.

UNHOLY THINGS

Mills and a handful of guards confront Owen, Claire, and Maisie. He demands his inheritance as the rightful ruler of the Lockwood Estate. The princess belongs to him. Our heroes refuse. They’re not going to let this traumatized little girl endure any more of what Mills’ corrupt and immovable mind conjures up.

But they don’t know what she is. Lockwood never had a granddaughter. He had the technology. He missed his daughter. He made her again. Like the dinosaurs, Maisie is a clone brought back from extinction.

This is the sin that drove Hammond and Lockwood apart. The idea of recreating a human being was too divisive and unholy for even the man who envisioned a dinosaur theme park to consider. Their friendship soured and died, but Lockwood held onto the hope that he might one day see his daughter again. And when his old friend passed, he began the steps into that most unethical of frontiers: human cloning.

It’s not enough for man to recreate an animal that no longer exists. No, he must break through barriers painfully and dangerously, ripping asunder the veil and exploiting the usage of genetic power to, in essence, create himself anew. Man, as he always does, has made himself a god.

Lockwood’s motives are understandable and sympathetic. We’ve all lost loved ones we’d like to reclaim and know again. But this was not the way and perhaps in death he learned this harsh lesson.

Mills knows the value of Maisie as a human clone. She is his prize, property, and trophy. And perhaps in his warped mind, he might care for her. But he’s too far gone.

The Indoraptor, the other unholiest of abominations, interrupts this encounter and kills the two guards. Owen and Claire escape with Maisie. The princess cries. Her reality has been shattered. Is she even human? Can someone her age process such an idea that she’s not her own person, but a copy?

Our heroes have no time to ponder these things. The Indoraptor targets them. He’s a rabid dog and no one is in control. And like Maisie, he’s made from pieces of the past. He is her mirror image, realized quite brilliantly in a visual wherein his jaws and Maisie’s face are overlaid in see-through glass.

Zia and Franklin outwit Dr. Wu and release Blue. The guards fire at her, missing spectacularly, and shoot containers that will eventually flood the prison with deadly gas. But right now, as darkness encroaches, there is the scent of victory. Blue is alive and she’s almost free.

HOWLING AT THE MOON

The dragon pursues the princess to her locked tower bedroom. She cowers under the covers as the Indoraptor, freakish hybrid that he is, howls at the moon and descends to her outer door. He is eager, hungry, and yet tentative. He savors this hunt but there is uncertainty. There is a kinship between them. They are alike. And they are not.

Again, the Indoraptor reaches out a long-clawed finger to test his prey. His shadow stretches. He’s everywhere. The princess is doomed.

The door bursts open. A valiant knight unloads his firepower on the creature, downing the Indoraptor before he can achieve his goal. It’s over.

But it’s not. The dragon shrugs off Owen’s weapon. It’ll take more than that to dowse the flames.

Blue roars. The noble steed has returned to save her knight. Owen and Maisie retreat to the rooftops as Blue wars with her twisted descendant, the illegitimate progeny of man’s sin made manifest. Both are artificial creations. But only one may live.

Water pours and makes the rooftops slick and uneasy. There’s nowhere to run or hide. The Indoraptor eludes Blue and chases them to the edge. All is lost.

Claire appears. She’s got the gun. She points the targeting laser at Owen. There’s trust there. Growth. Love. She presses the trigger.

The Indoraptor leaps. He’s heavy, much too heavy, and he breaks the glass. It seems he’ll fall to his death.

He’s crafty. His design is imperfect but manageable. The dragon will not be outdone by simple tricks. The Indoraptor’s prey is in his grasp once again.

From the shadows, a smaller figure pounces and strikes at him. It’s Blue. They tumble through the air, kicking and clawing, and it’s unclear which of these creatures will survive the plunge into Lockwood’s personal museum.

Then, lightning flashes as if from heaven. The Indoraptor is judged and he is thrown from his lofty position. The dragon is dead, skewered by the horns of a Triceratops skeleton. With a victory cry, Blue jumps to the floor. Our heroes are safe. The princess is no longer in danger. The crumbling and fallen kingdom stabilizes for the moment.

ETHICS AND THE NEO-JURASSIC AGE

The journey is almost done. We haven’t answered the questions posed to us from the start of the film. Is it right to let the dinosaurs die? Or should they be saved? What is our responsibility to the things we create and the wrongs (if they are wrongs) we commit?

At the outset of this adventure, Claire Dearing wanted to rescue the dinosaurs at all costs. She believed wholly in their salvation and her personal redemption. The dinosaurs were not to be left to their deaths on Isla Nublar and she wanted to do everything in her power to accomplish that feat. Mills circumvented her choice, but things must come full circle. What lessons has she learned?

The gas leak is about to kill the last of the dinosaurs on the planet. Claire must decide. Owen warns that there is no going back if they unleash these animals on the mainland. Genetic power is an awesome force. Releasing the dinosaurs into northern California will only hasten its proliferation.

She lets them out of their cages, but opts to let them die. Claire cannot bring herself to endorse this radical and cataclysmic change. Against her heart, she makes the personal sacrifice not to free them from their fate.

It’s not her choice to make. Maisie presses the big red button. She empathizes with the animals because she is like them. They are her. They were not meant to be, but here they stand. The question of whether or not she or the dinosaurs should’ve been born is irrelevant. The fact is that they’re already here and because of that, they cannot be destroyed and cast aside like broken toys and petty amusements. They are living, breathing, fighting, and loving. Their birth was unnatural, against the established order, but their hearts beat all the same.

Malcolm was right; the exploitation of genetic power didn’t stop with the de-extinction of the dinosaurs. It won’t stop with clones like Maisie. This force is already in motion. Mills told the truth: genetic power cannot be put back in the proverbial Pandora’s box.

And Mills pays the price for his indulgence and usage of that power. The tyrannosaur snatches him up and rends him limb from limb. With a majestic roar and final stomp, the Indominus bone is shattered. No more hybrids. No more Frankenstein’s monsters. Only the dinosaurs and man remain.

Blue reconnects with Owen. Their bond is restored. He asks her to come with him. She refuses because she cannot return to her caged existence. That’s not living. In an inversion of their final moments at the doomed theme park, she departs from him of her own accord. Where their relationship goes from here is uncertain.

Man’s dominion is in question. The world has changed radically. The humans will be running to catch up. Dinosaurs and genetic power are all over the world. They stalk forests. They hunt modern animals. Some are being used and mistreated in the hands of unscrupulous men. But they’re alive, global, and active.

“We’re causing our own extinction,” says Malcolm. That remains to be seen. Our heroes will have to live with the consequences of Maisie’s decision. One thing is known as Blue skitters across the desert cliffs and spies a small town, calling out to unseen brethren as she perches atop the precipice at the edge of chaos.

Life finds a way.

God’s Grace to Me: Two Years Strong

Original Post -> https://impromptugameof52.wordpress.com/2016/09/26/a-public-confession/

About two years ago, the Lord God saved me from my sin. As the song goes, I was lost and then found. The Lord blessed me with ears to hear, eyes to see, and His grace through which I found faith in Christ. You who have read my blog already know this, but perhaps there’s no more intimate way to share the gospel as a witness than by reiterating one’s testimony.

I was brought up in the faith, but I was lukewarm at best. I sort of knew a few biblical accounts, but by and large I didn’t know my Lord and Savior nor did I understand the significance of creation, sin, and redemption through the Son of God. I was as miserable and wretched as any person on this earth. I still would be but for the mercy and grace of my Father in heaven, the sacrifice of my Lord Jesus Christ, and the work of the Holy Spirit.

I’m a sinner and a saint. The Lord has declared me righteous through Him, that I might be adopted as a child of God and become a coheir with Christ. He did this not because I was good, but because He loved me. For God so loved the world that He gave us His only begotten Son, that we might be redeemed through Him (John 3:16).

But let’s dig deeper. Of what sins am I guilty? All of them. I have murdered my neighbor by hating them. I have committed adultery and lust by coveting that which does not belong to me and objectifying them for my own pleasures. I have lied and stolen from both family and strangers. I have spread jealousy and strife among brethren. I have loathed my own self and blasphemed the name of God by not acknowledging Him as Lord and King of Kings.

Wretched man that I am; I would have no hope in my darkest days. Yet, there He was. Calling, beckoning, reaching out to me as a parent would soothe and comfort their child. I wanted the end, but I feared the end. I wanted no pain, but the pain kept me here. I saw no light, no tunnel, no glorious fate. Just worms, dirt, and the faint hope that the secular world might be misinformed.

And the Lord showed Himself to me. He didn’t come by a thunderclap, a pillar of fire, or a great wind. No, He laid His hand on my shoulder. He turned me around, wiped the tears from my eyes, and He embraced me.

There were no words exchanged. This was not a vision or a whisper in my ear. He didn’t come by a mystic encounter and I had no special knowledge or revelation of Him. He loved me and He wanted me to know that in spite of all my doubts.

So He compelled me. He willed me to listen. His Spirit filled me and although I didn’t know it, He’d decided to lead me down a dangerous path, the path to knowing His grace, love, and mercy through Jesus Christ. The only path, for He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6).

He opened me up to His Word. I read His Scripture. I learned that I belonged to Him and Him alone. He promised me that He would never leave nor forsake me (Hebrews 13:5). And I believed on Him and His Holy Name.

I’m not a perfect man. I’m not a sinless man (as no one is except Christ). But I have been loved by the Lord. I have been given boldness to declare Him from the rooftop. In my case, that rooftop is this blog and however else He leads me to share His truth. I don’t know that I’d call this a ministry, but I believe it’s where He wants me to be.

Thank You, Lord, for saving my life and my soul, for rescuing me from the pit of despair and the hellfire of damnation. Thank You for loving me, enriching my life, and granting me forgiveness and salvation in Christ. Thank You for my adoption as one of your beloved children.

And whomever you may be, thanks for taking the time out of your day to read this post. I really appreciate it. God bless and peace be with you. Amen.

God’s Love, Forgiveness, & Honesty

“Honesty is the best policy.”

I have no idea who said this, but it’s an ancient ideal rooted in biblical truth. Lies only beget more lies which lead to suffering, misery, and sometimes death. Trust should be immutable. When it isn’t, our sin takes us. We become petty, anxious, dangerous creatures dwelling in the flesh. Once we go down the wide road of harboring falsehoods, it’s difficult to turn back to the narrow path.

But we must. Not only for our sake, but for the love of those around us: our neighbors, friends, and family. If we break their confidence, we harm our relationship with them as well as breed hatred and strife. And when we don’t love our neighbor, we don’t love God.

“He said to him, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.’” (Matthew 22:37-40)

And as the Lord’s Prayer says:

“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12)

We petition the Lord to intercede on our behalf and forgive us our transgressions against Him and neighbor. In doing so, it is understood that we have chosen to forgive our fellow man their wrongdoing against us. But that’s difficult to accomplish when we’re feeling resentful and mistrustful of our brothers and sisters, isn’t it?

So what is a person to do in this situation? How are we to respond to our call to love our neighbor as ourselves in the wake of dishonesty, half-truths, and deception? When we’re feeling lonely, cast out, betrayed, at the end of our ropes, where is our faith? When we’ve severed every bond, burned all our bridges, and turned our backs on each other, to whom should we turn?

The answer is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow: our Lord Jesus Christ. He did not die for just people (there are none) but for sinners like you and me.

The Word says:

“For while we were still helpless, at the appointed moment, Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us! Much more then, since we have now been declared righteous by His blood, we will be saved through Him from wrath. For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by His life! And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have now received this reconciliation through Him.” (Romans 5:6-11)

I don’t have a lot of practical advice to share. This is not a self-help blog. But I will point you to the One who can truly get you out of your troubles. I’m showing you the way to the Way, the Lord and Savior by whom Scripture tells us we are beloved and forgiven by God. You don’t have to pray a fancy prayer or walk up to an altar. You don’t have to go to a revival meeting or attend a bootstraps boot-camp.

All you need to do is look to Him, to Jesus Christ the Son of God, and believe on His name. Confess Him as Lord, turn to Him for reconciliation, and you will be forgiven all your trespasses and be saved (Acts 16:31, Romans 10:8-13). Rest your weary head, relieve yourself of your many burdens, and be born again in Jesus Christ and sealed with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 11:28, Ephesians 1:13).

He’s forgiven a wretch like me. He’ll do the same for you if you’ll only believe on Him. Amen.

Thanks and praise belong to Him. This post took a different turn than I was expecting, but I hope you’ve enjoyed reading it. Thank you for your time and patience. God bless and peace be with you.

The Lord Rescues His People

“But Joshua told the people, ‘You will not be able to worship Yahweh, because He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not remove your transgressions and sins. If you abandon the Lord and worship foreign gods, He will turn against you, harm you, and completely destroy you, after He has been good to you.” (Joshua 24:19-20)

At first glance, this seems contradictory to the title of the blog post, but trust me when I say that all things make sense in Scriptural context.

When the Israelites finally inherited the land God had set before them, they were given a choice. The Holy Spirit spoke through Joshua son of Nun and told them to choose whether to worship the Lord or the foreign gods of the people they’d driven out by conquest. God recounted all that He had done for His people in accomplishing this task, reminding them of the greatness of His goodness and power and love.

To which they replied that they would worship Him. But the Lord, knowing the hearts of men, spoke through Joshua, and said that this was a task they could not fulfill. They would try and fail. And Israel, not knowing the extent of their pride and fear, chose still to be placed under His law.

“Joshua then told the people, ‘You are witnesses against yourselves that you yourselves have chosen to worship Yahweh.’ ‘We are witnesses,’ they said. ‘Then get rid of the foreign gods that are among you and offer your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.’ So the people said to Joshua, ‘We will worship the Lord our God and obey Him.’” (Joshua 24:22-24)

So the people of Israel submitted themselves to the Lord, knowing that the consequences if they broke the covenant of the Lord would be dire. Time and again, as the Lord had said, the Israelites sinned against Him, breaking their promise, promoting sin, worshipping foreign idols, and engaging in generally despicable behavior.

And yet, the Lord did not leave them, for He is good. He rescued them from affliction from opposing nations. He granted them their earthly king (whilst warning them of the consequences) in spite of His Lordship. He punished evildoers and rewarded Israel with land and spoils.

Israel still disobeyed. He granted them their just due, surrendering them to Babylonian exile and submission to pagan authorities. Just as they’d desired in their darkened hearts. The Israelites mourned their lot, crying out to Him. He listened, as He always does.

He is great and gracious. He warned Israel that they could not keep His covenant, but they attempted to serve the law anyway. He told their failure would result in punishment, yet they sinned against Him. And He told them He would relent, that they would be rescued, and He did.

For the covenant He had made would not be broken by Him. Even when His subjects are faithless, He is faithful and cannot deny Himself (2 Timothy 2:13). The Lord told Eve her offspring would crush the serpent (Genesis 3:15). He promised Abraham his seed would bear a blessed nation as numerous as the stars (Genesis 22:15-18). God kept those promises and they were realized in the person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

“As He began His ministry, Jesus was about 30 years old, and was thought to be the son of Joseph…son of David…son of Abraham…son of Adam, son of God.” (Luke 3:23-38 [list cut down for brevity’s sake])

A new covenant was created, one in which our sins are taken away and we are uplifted in Christ to be born again of Him. Israel had been hardened, but they were not left behind. Paul quotes Scripture:

“And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written: The Liberator will come from Zion; He will turn away godlessness from Jacob. And this will by My covenant with them when I take away their sins.”

Indeed, God is most gracious above all that we could hope for. Though we deserve death and hell, He has granted us forgiveness and reconciliation through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and eternal life with Him (John 3:16-18).

For those who doubt His love, can you think of anyone so good that He would forgive the debts of those who transgressed against Him so relentlessly as the Israelites? Who but God would look on a wretched sinner and see not a pitiful waste, but a child in need of salvation and love? What manner of person is the Lord that He has taken it upon Himself to rescue His people from their own darkness, making them sons of the Most High God?

The Lord is not a liar (Titus 1:1-2). If you believe on Jesus Christ, you will be saved (Acts 16:31, Romans 10:13). If you haven’t yet come to know His grace, there’s still time. Know His love and be healed. Know His love and rest your weary head (Matthew 11:28-30).

Don’t let your heart grow callous. Be not like the unbelievers. Rejoice in Christ and see with open eyes the truth of the Lord’s salvation.

“…otherwise they might see with their eyes and hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn back—and I would cure them.” (Matthew 13:15)

Thanks and praise belong to Him. It’s been awhile since I’ve done one of these posts, so I hope I’m not rusty! Anyway, thanks for reading. God bless and peace be with you.

God’s Creation & the Amateur Shutterbug

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims the work of His hands. Day after day they pour out speech; night after night they communicate knowledge.” (Psalm 19:1-2)

I’m apparently an amateur photographer. You’ve probably seen my handiwork on here or on my Facebook timeline. There’s something about the natural beauty of God’s green earth and its visuals that appeals to me. Sometimes, I get the urge to be a shutterbug.

And I’m fond of sunsets:

[image error]

^Lake Ludwig (9-4-2018)

[image error]

^Offshore Key West (June 2017)

[image error]

^Madeira Beach (June 2015)

I don’t know anything about composition or lighting. I don’t make a fuss about shadows, colors, or any aspect you’d study in a photography major. I just grab the camera, frame the image, and take the shot. I capture what looks aesthetically pleasing to me.

God’s creation is remarkably pretty. Frankly, I don’t know how one can ignore the masterful hand at work in crafting the inspiring vistas which we take for granted.

[image error]

^Ripple in the Water Outside Home (February 2018)

[image error]

^Navarre Beach (June 2018)

Of course, God’s ever-present fingers aren’t only in nature. His own creations work with their hands, producing gorgeous imagery by which you can still see and feel His imprint. Take, for example, these shots captured in various manmade settings, including video games:

[image error]

^Resident Evil Revelations 2

[image error]

^Resident Evil 4

[image error]

^The Evil Within

[image error]

^Fountain in Key West (Actual Date: June 2017)

[image error]

^Entrance to Mr. Freeze Ride @ Six Flags Over Texas (July 2016)

[image error]

^Jurassic Park @ Islands of Adventure (June 2015)

No matter where I am or what I’m doing, I’m reminded of God’s glory in creation. Again, I don’t claim to be a professional. Some of these shots are a little blurry or otherwise inadequate at getting across what pleased me. But what’s funny is that even an imperfect shot of the world demonstrates how great our Lord is!

[image error]

Above is the final picture that I think represents what I’m trying to say. It’s dark, ominous, a little out of focus, but there’s a kind of serenity and peace. That’s what we need to remember in this fallen world of sin and corruption. No matter how bleak things get, there’s always light. He’s never left and never will. Praise be to Him.

Thank you for reading this post and taking in the sights. I hope these photos and screenshots have proven entertaining and not taxing on your data cap. Enjoy your week, God bless, and see you next time.