After doing my Turning Red review, a lot of other reviews came out about various issues people had with the movie. It made me want to address some of the things people – mainly Christians – are complaining about. It was such a long post, I decided to reboot my Read more…
Movie: Turning Red Studio: Disney Brief Description: A young girl, Mei, finds out she turns into a giant red panda when she gets big emotions – which is hard to manage at 13! Her mother, Ming, wants her to go through a ceremony to keep the panda caged…but Mei likes Read more…
I won’t lie, there’s a part of me that’s sad to write this post. Ariel inspired an entire generation of women to love and long for the mermaid life…even though, ironically, Ariel herself wanted nothing to do with it.
I loved the Little Mermaid growing up. But after reading of the poignant longing of Hans Christian Anderson’s Little Mermaid…well, I have to say I love Ariel less.
But she does fit into our story, in a very interesting way (even if it is a bit sad).
Last week, we talked of serpent women, and how they connected to Northern European sea women. We covered how these serpent women – and indeed, probably all sea-maiden tales – were ancient and warped memories of Eve and her part in the Fall in the Garden.
We talked of how Eve was the original mermaid, wild and free in Christ…and then when she reached for the forbidden fruit, that image became tarnished.
But we, like Eve, can still be wild and free in Christ.
“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.” ~ Genesis 50:20
And here we are, ending at the beginning. Once more, this post contains spoilers from Disney’s Maleficent – so proceed with care!
Maleficent is no longer the villain we love to fear from the animated classic. Her heart has shed its masks and been drawn to the call of its savior. She has remembered who she used to be, before tragedy struck: a warrior-lover, a battle-maiden intent upon protecting that which she loves…
“Therefore, behold, I will allure her, bring her into the wilderness and speak kindly to her. Then I will give her her vineyards from there, and the valley of Achor as a door of hope. And she will sing there as in the days of her youth, as in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt. ~ Hosea 2:14, 15
Once again, this post contains spoilers from Disney’s 2014 Maleficent…
Again, this post contains spoilers of Disney’s 2014 Maleficent.
Like in the animated film, the three good fairies raise Aurora as a peasant girl. Although well-meaning, they’re a rather incompetent bunch. They have no idea how to care for a baby, and the poor thing is constantly crying because of their neglect.
Even Maleficent cannot withstand the heart-wrenching cries of a babe in true distress…
“And she reveled in the sorrow her curse had brought…”[1]
“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good…” ~ Genesis 50:20
“But God will redeem my life from the power of Sheol…” ~ Psalm 49:15
“For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. ~ Romans 5:7-8
(Again, this post contains spoilers of Disney’s 2014 Maleficent.)
In my last post, Maleficent’s wings are brutally taken, but her heart is not yet hardened. That is about to change.
“Let us tell an old story anew, and let us see how well you know it…”[1]
This post contains spoilers…so if you don’t want Disney’s 2014 Maleficent ruined, you should stop reading and watch it before you continue. Otherwise, proceed.
I love this opening line from the movie. It evokes a timelessness as the disparate tales of the Sleeping Beloveds are woven together. And I don’t think man meant to weave it together, either…
“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.” ~ Genesis 50:20
And here we are, back at the beginning. This was the verse that introduced our very first Sleeping Beloved, and I find it highly appropriate to use it to introduce the last.
It’s been the same question down through the centuries: will your heart awaken to love?…
It’s written in our hearts to long for a Warrior-Lover. We long to be worth fighting for, to be worth the struggle. It’s also written in our hearts to be a warrior-lover for someone else – to fight passionately for our beloved, no matter the cost. We want to be both the beloved and the warrior-lover, and in God’s story, we get to be. He is our Warrior-Lover, who saw us as worth fighting for, even unto death. Likewise, after experiencing such lavish love, we are called to be warrior-lovers to those around us – to show them the same love shown to us.
And yet, we don’t always feel like we have a Warrior-Lover, and often we fail to be warrior-lovers ourselves…