Star Wars: A New Dawn

I’m a relatively new Star Wars fan. I saw the movies for the first time three years ago, when I was 19. It’s sad, I know. But as soon as I saw the Star Wars movies, I was hooked, and I wanted to know more. I got online and researched all the questions I had about the characters, the worlds, and the story of the Star Wars. I wanted to know everything there was to know about the amazing universe George Lucas created. I wanted to read every book, to play every game, to subscribe to every comic. But there was just too much. The Expanded Universe was too big, and I knew I could never take it all in.

And then the Lucas Story Group made the announcement that they were resetting the canon. Now, the canon includes only the six movies, the Clone Wars TV series, and all future books, movies, shows, etc. I was ecstatic because now I have an opportunity to experience the whole story with no ambiguity or conflicting plot lines. And I fully intend to experience all of it. The first book to officially fit into the Star Wars canon came out last month. It’s called A New Dawn, and it’s the subject of my Stuff Devon Likes post today.

A New Dawn actually serves a prequel to the brand new animated Star Wars TV series, Star Wars Rebels. The book acts as an introduction to two of the main characters in the show: Kanan, a wandering loner who has forsaken his Jedi past, and Hera, a young pilot seeking to start a resistance movement against the Empire. A New Dawn tells the story of how these two characters meet and sets up the show. Seeing as the show (which takes place between the two movie trilogies) is considered the origin story of the Rebel Alliance, A New Dawn could be considered the very beginning (or dawn, rather) of the rebellion.

A New Dawn takes place on a planet called Gorse and its moon Cynda. Kanan, who is working as a miner on Cynda while living on Gorse, meets Hera, and they discover a plot by the evil Empire mogul Count Vidian to destroy the moon (and subsequently Gorse) for his own gain and that of the Empire. Along with their friends Skelly and Zaluna, Kanan and Hera attempt to stop Vidian’s evil plan and save the people of Gorse.

One thing I like about A New Dawn is that it really establishes the feel of the galaxy under the Empire. By the time this book takes place, the Empire has been running for a while. It seems to permeate the lives of its citizens, and resistance isn’t even an option for most of them. That’s what makes characters like Kanan and Hera so special. In their own small ways, they work to combat the oppressive system of the Empire and ultimately, we know that this will turn into a full-fledged rebellion in the form of the Rebel Alliance. But for now, this is just a story of a couple of brave souls who are willing to stand up in their daily lives against the evil Empire while also trying to avoid going too far and getting into trouble.

There are also some references to other aspects of the Star Wars universe that really establish the fact that this story is a part of the great arc of the Star Wars. While Darth Vader himself doesn’t appear, he is mentioned. Stormtroopers are all over this book. And the technology and terminology used in the book are borrowed from other Star Wars sources.

While Star Wars Rebels is geared towards kids, A New Dawn is definitely for adults. This isn’t a children’s chapter book. It’s intense, honest, and subtle at points. The themes of resistance, rebellion, oppression, and loss are clear throughout the story. And they make for a very interesting and compelling story.

If you’re into Star Wars and want to know more about the story between Episodes III and IV, I would highly suggest checking out A New Dawn. It’s very cool to be able to experience the Star Wars universe in written form as well as in movie form. Star Wars is a huge undertaking, and it has a lot of stories to tell. A New Dawn is one of those stories, and it’s worth a read. Thanks for checking out my blog post, friends! Have a great Saturday, and I’ll see you next week.

Baby Steps

Lately, I’ve been putting a lot of effort into being more healthy. And it’s been awesome. I feel better, I look better, and (as cheesy as it sounds) I actually enjoy life a little more. I think that is a direct result of shedding the “crappy” feeling one gets after eating junk food and keeping an inconsistent sleep schedule for four years. I wouldn’t go so far as to say I am living a completely healthy lifestyle just yet, but I’m a lot better than I was, and I’m happy with that.

But my healthier lifestyle didn’t happen all at once. I didn’t wake up one day and say, “I’m going to exercise my body every day, eat foods that are good for me, and regularly get plenty of sleep,” and then just do it. Those were obviously the goals I set, and I feel like I’m doing pretty well in each of them now, but it was a process that took some time. I started off by cutting out soda from my diet. I know it sounds crazy, but I haven’t had a Mello Yello in almost five months. Then I started jogging a little bit in the mornings, and along with that, I started keeping a strict, consistent sleep schedule. Gradually, I started adding to my exercise regimen and switching out unhealthy foods I was eating for healthy ones. I got to where I am now by taking small steps and making seemingly insignificant changes that eventually added up to something huge: a healthier lifestyle. To put it another way, I took baby steps.

Baby steps often seem frustrating at first. It can be discouraging when you make a change but don’t see the results immediately. I’m not going to lie, I really wanted to see myself slim up a bit when I started running in the morning. But the truth is that the steps I was taking at first weren’t really steps toward weight loss. They were steps towards other steps that would eventually lead me into habits that would, in time, lead to weight loss and to me having a healthier shape. But even shaping up is a process that involves small steps. If I had given up when the first step I took didn’t have immediate, recognizable results, I would have never made it to the next step. Now, I’m starting to see some more tangible results of my work, and I’m extremely glad I stuck with it and took the small steps that led to other small steps that eventually led to my goal.

While taking baby steps can be frustrating, it also protects us from other dangers, like overloading ourselves. If I had set out on the first day and said, “I’m going to run five miles, have nothing but salad, and sleep nine hours a day,” I would have failed miserably and probably given up thinking that I was incapable of living a healthy lifestyle. But choosing to take small steps to improve my health actually helped me avoid trying to push myself too hard, and it kept me from giving in to burnout.

I’ve been using the example of my health, but the baby step approach applies to many areas of life. Another big area where I apply the baby step approach is in my spiritual walk. I believe in something called progressive sanctification. This is the belief that once a person becomes a Christian, he or she begins a process of gradually becoming more and more like God (and thus more and more like the person God is calling him or her to be) as his or her spiritual walk goes on. I believe that as I walk with God each day, he draws me closer to him and illuminates areas of my life where I need to improve. And if I’m open to his grace, he will come into that area of my life and make me more like him. This is progressive sanctification, or, if you prefer, spiritual baby steps.

I hope you haven’t read this post as me trying to brag about my health. I’m still far from where I want to be in that area, and I’m trying to take the steps to get closer to my goal. I was just contemplating my health journey this week and thought that it might helpful to you. I hope we are each being intentional and trying to take baby steps toward some kind of goal each day, whether it be improving your health, growing closer to God, or getting a promotion at your job. The thing to remember is that each baby step is getting you gradually closer to where you want to be, and that’s worth investing in and celebrating. So tomorrow, I’m going to try to eat some hearty, vegetarian soup instead of my regular meat at dinner, and I hope you’ll try to take some sort of baby step in your life, too. God bless, friends, and I’ll see you next week!

Believe Me

When someone says the term “Christian film,” you probably have an idea in your head of what they mean by that. They probably mean some kind of cheesy movie about a broken person who, through some strange series of events, realizes that Jesus is the solution to his or her problems. Most Christian films end in some kind of altar call where a character, along with the members of the audience, is invited to become a Christian. While I think there is a place for movies like this, they can also be seen as gimmicky. They rarely live up to the same standards of quality, acting, and storytelling of secular films, and therefore, their appeal is usually limited mostly to people who are already Christians.

And then there’s Believe Me. If Believe Me can be considered a Christian film (and I’m sure that is something that will be debated), it is certainly on the fringe, pushing the limit of what a Christian film can be. Believe Me isn’t about convincing people to come to know Christ. There is no altar call at the end. It’s a film, created by Christians, that seeks to positively criticize the Church by pointing out of some of the biggest issues within the Church today. And I love it.

Believe Me tells the story of Sam, a guy whose plans to graduate college and go to law school are crushed when he finds out he owes his school thousands of dollars. In order to pay off his debt, Sam enlists three of his friends to pretend to be Christians and create a fake charity in order to raise money. The ruse spins out of control when the four guys find themselves on a national Christian tour raising thousands upon thousands of dollars for a charity that doesn’t exist. Throughout the film, Sam has to come to terms with the implications of his actions and ultimate decide what he believes.

The film comes from Riot Studios, who some of you may know as the creators of the documentary Beware of Christians. Now they’re venturing into the narrative film genre led by writer and director Will Bakke, a Baylor alum. The fact that the film comes from Riot Studios is an indication of its Christian tendencies, and it’s also what got me initially interested in the film. I had seen the guys’ work before, and I was excited to see how they would do in transitioning from documentaries to fictional stories.

But what really intrigued me about Believe Me was the combination of the Christian production company with the cast. The cast features some surprising additions considering the fact that it’s created by a Christian film company. I didn’t know much about Alex Russell, Sinqua Walls, or Miles Fisher when they were announced as cast members, but I knew that Johanna Braddy was a professing Christian, so that wasn’t too surprising to me (although I am glad she’s in it because I’m a big fan of hers). The fact that Lecrae agreed to appear in the film was really cool, but again, not unexpected for a Christian film. The two cast members that really surprised me were Max Adler and Nick Offerman. I had seen Max Adler on Glee, and his performance on there made me wonder how well he would fit into a Christian film. And then they announced the inclusion of Nick Offerman (of Parks and Recreation acclaim), who I know is not a Christian and also very critical of the Church. So it made me wonder, “What kind of Christian film would feature this kind of cast?”

All of this took place before I really knew anything about the plot of Believe Me. And then the first trailer came out, and it became very clear that this was not your typical Christian film. The story is something unheard of in the Christian film genre, featuring non-Christians pretending to be Christians for personal gain. The marketing of the movie was unlike any Christian film before it. T-shirts featuring slogans like “F Satan” and “I’ve been to Africa. Twice.” showed up on the Believe Me store, and I started to wonder if this was really a Christian film at all. And the fact that I couldn’t tell if Believe Me was a Christian movie or not actually got me really excited to see it.

After seeing Believe Me twice, I’m still convinced that it’s a Christian film. It’s got some inappropriate language and lots of drinking, it doesn’t offer an altar call, and it is highly critical of the Church, but I think the film is still trying to do and say something positive for the sake of the Christian message. It has a broader appeal than any Christian film before it, and it overtly challenges people (including Christians) to really think about what they believe and who it is they are putting their faith in. And to me, that sounds like a Christian film.

Despite the language, I think this is a film Christians, especially ministers, should see. It tackles so many issues that I see within the Church today that we need to be talking about, including Christians who are just mean people, Christian leaders who put their own ministries and programs before the cause of Christ, and “Christians” whose faith is really in their spiritual leaders and not in Christ. The movie is funny, it’s well-made, and it makes you think. I really enjoyed Believe Me, and I suggest you check it out.

Change Can Be Good (Or Bad)

If you’ve lived on this planet for very long, you’ve probably noticed that things never stay the same. Everything changes. Our bodies change. Our families change. Our communities change. Even the earth is changing at this very moment, though at a slow rate. One of the fundamental truths of life is that everything—and I mean everything—changes.

Everyone has an opinion on change. Some people really like change. They jump at it every chance they get. They like change just because it keeps things interesting and new. Other people hate change. They don’t care if the change is good or bad. They want things to stay the same no matter what. Of course, both of these are extreme reactions to change. The truth is that change can be good or bad, depending on what kind of change it is and the motive behind it. While contemplating change and its value, I’ve compiled a list of what I would consider good and bad kinds of change.

Changing for the Sake of the Change

Some people are thrill-seekers. They are attracted to new things simply because they’re different and they offer a rush. This may be acceptable when it comes to small things like the way you wear your hair or your computer background, but if you look for change simply for the sake of change on major things, you can get yourself into trouble. Not being able to stick with a job for long or maintain a healthy dating relationship for an extended period may be signs of seeking change for the sake of the change, and this kind of change is bad. The truth is that some of the less interesting things in life may be the greatest if you’re willing to invest time in them. You may just have to accept sameness for a bit first.

Changing to Fit Someone’s Expectations or Preferences

When it comes to dating, people always say, “You shouldn’t change for anyone.” I partially agree with this statement. If you’re changing things about yourself just to fit someone else’s preferences or what they expect of you, this is a bad kind of change. It is true that everyone changes, but in that process of changing, you have to stay true to yourself. Changing just to please someone else is unhealthy, and it could end in a serious identity crisis, which would be disastrous. We must each learn to be ourselves as we grow and change.

Changing for the Worse

I know terms like “better” and “worse” are subjective, and it’s up for debate what changes may be for the better and what changes may be for the worse, but I’d say there are some changes that are universally for the worse and that should be avoided. If you find yourself going against your own moral standards or acting in ways that are offensive and hurtful to others, these are probably changes for the worse. Most of these are temporary and due to out-of-the-ordinary circumstances, but one-time things can quickly become habits if we don’t stay on top of them.

Progress

This is the argument that I use when talking with people who hate change just because it’s different. I tell them that change isn’t always good, but it can be good if it’s progress. Changes in technology and medicine that improve people’s lives are good changes. If a church decides the update the look of the sanctuary or incorporate some more modern worship songs in order to be more relevant, that’s progress. Change for no reason is bad, but it’s just as bad to resist change just because you don’t like change. If a change is a step in the right direction, then it’s a good change, even if it’s uncomfortable.

Self-Improvement

This is the flip-side of that “You should never change for anyone” argument. I think that sometimes changing for someone is good, if it’s done the right way and for the right reasons. I believe that God puts people in our lives who inspire and encourage us to be better, and I think that’s great. You can still be yourself while working to improve yourself. That’s really what the Christian life is all about: slowly but surely becoming more and more like Christ. We all have areas that we need to improve (or rather, change) in, and these self-improvements are the very best kind of change.

I don’t really have an overarching point in this blog post other than this: Embrace the good kinds of change and resist the bad ones. Change is both good and bad, depending on the circumstances and what kind of change it is. Don’t resist change just because it makes you uncomfortable, and don’t embrace change just because you’re looking for something different. Let’s take a reflective, middle-road approach to change so that we can improve and progress while keeping the things that don’t need to change. Thanks for reading, friends, and I hope you have a great week!

What I'm Watching - Fall 2014

Hey, friends! So Fall TV is officially back, and I couldn’t be more excited. There are some great shows coming on this season, some new and some returning. Now, there is a lot of garbage on TV these days, and sometimes it’s hard to separate the good from the bad. But if you take the time to do so, you can actually find some interesting, enjoyable programming.

On that note, I’ve decided to write up a list of some of the shows I’m most excited about watching this Fall. You may have heard me talk about some of these shows before, and you may see a Stuff Devon Likes post about one or two of them in the future, but I just wanted to right a quick blurb on some of the shows I’m watching in case any of you find them appealing. So here we go. This is my Fall 2014 “What I’m Watching” list.

Once Upon a Time

For those of you who didn’t read my Stuff Devon Likes article about Once Upon a Time, it’s pretty much Lost, but with fairy tale characters. Snow White, Prince Charming, the Evil Queen, and the like get trapped in our world and can’t find their way back to the Enchanted Forest. Throughout the show, they explore magical lands and face increasingly formidable foes. The show makes excellent use of flashbacks to give us information about the characters and even to move the plot forward. Although a show featuring fairy tale characters may sound a little odd, it actually works really well. This season, they’re including characters from Frozen, so if you enjoyed that movie, you might want to give Once a try. Once Upon a Time airs on ABC Sunday nights at 7:00 Central Time, and the season four premiere is this Sunday.

A to Z

This is a new one. I actually discovered A to Z because NBC was letting people stream the pilot for free for a while. I’m a big fan of Christin Milioti, so I decided to give it a shot. The show is actually really cute. It tells the story of Andrew and Zelda (thus the title), two star-crossed lovers. I really like the cast and the humor, but the most interesting thing to me about this show is that they tell you from the very start how long the relationship between the two main characters will last: around eight months. Is the show stating from the start that it’s only going to last a season? Do the two end up getting married after eight months? Do they break up? Or is this some kind of trick the writers are playing on us? I don’t know, but those questions alone are enough to keep me interested at least for one season. A to Z premieres on NBC October 2 at 8:30 Central Time.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Andy Samberg’s hilarious new show on FOX is back for another season. It’s a cop show with a lot of heart and even more laughs. I dedicated an entire Stuff Devon Likes article to this show simply because I think it’s that funny. The cast is perfect, and Andy Samberg leads with humor and very little tact. The show saw a lot of success in season one, so I’m excited to see what they have for us in season two. FOX moved Brooklyn Nine-Nine to Sunday nights this season, and it premieres September 28 (this Sunday) at 7:30 Central Time.

Gotham

This show has already premiered, and if you haven’t seen it, you should. It follows Detective Gordon (who we all know will later become Commissioner Gordon) as he starts off on the Gotham Police Force and learns just how corrupt the city is. The show isn’t about Batman, but it does feature a young Bruce Wayne interacting with Gordon during the investigation of his parents’ murder. Other familiar faces include the Penguin, Ivy, Catwoman, and mob boss Falcone. The show features the origins of many of the people who will go on to be Batman’s greatest enemies, and it explains how Gotham got to the point where it needed someone like Batman to set things right. Gotham airs Monday nights on FOX at 7:00 Central Time.

Arrow

When I first heard that The CW was doing a DC Comics show, I was skeptical. But The CW isn’t just about gossip girls and vampires anymore. Arrow is their most successful show right now, and for good reason. It tells the story of Oliver Queen, a rich heir to his father’s billion-dollar company, who returns home from being shipwrecked on an island for five years and dawns a green hood to fight crime and right his father’s wrongs. The premise of the show actually sounds like a more twisted version of Batman’s origin, and there are some similarities at first, but as the show goes on it, it finds its own voice. The show has an interesting format in that most episodes feature flashbacks to Oliver’s time on the island that have some relevance to what’s going on in the present day. Arrow is definitely worth watching, and its season three premiere is Wednesday October 8 at 7:00 Central Time on The CW.

The Flash

After the success of Arrow, The CW decided to create another DC Comics superhero show, this one based around the superhero Flash. If you’ve seen season two of Arrow, then you’ve already met Barry Allen, the police consultant who gains superhuman speed after an accident involving a particle accelerator. The Flash picks up Barry’s story where Arrow left off, with Barry waking up from his lenghty coma induced by the accident and finding out about his new abilities. The Flash and Arrow will cross over early in the season this year, and there is potential for characters to cross back and forth between the two shows, which could lead to some interesting plot points. If you enjoy Arrow, The Flash is the logical next step in your TV-viewing experience. The Flash debuts Tuesday October 7 at 7:00 Central Time on The CW.

Agents of SHIELD

Agents of SHIELD had a rough start last year, but it really found its voice in the second half of the season. I won’t spoil anything, but something happens in the Marvel Cinematic Universe partway through the season that changes everything, and SHIELD handles it perfectly. This season is guaranteed to feature more of the fallout from last season, along with some fresh new faces from the Marvel world. If you like the Marvel movies and want to know more about what goes on in between them, Agents of SHIELD is for you. Plus, who doesn’t love to see more of Agent Coulson, right? Agents of SHIELD airs on ABC Tuesday nights at 8:00 Central Time.

Girl Meets World

These last two shows on the list are a little different from the rest, but I’m equally excited about them. The first is Girl Meets World, the highly-anticipated sequel series to the 90’s sitcom Boy Meets World. The original show capture the hearts of a generation, and now Girl Meets World hopes to do it again. The show is equally geared towards the Disney Channel target audience and fans of Boy Meets World who are now grown up but still want to know what’s going on in the lives of their favorite Boy Meets World characters. Girls Meets World has already aired nine episodes of their first season, and they’ve been picked up for a second. I know the fact that the show is on Disney Channel may cause some concern, but the show really is enjoyable, and it’s worth a watch. Girl Meets World airs on Disney Channel Friday nights at 7:30 Central Time.

Star Wars Rebels

And finally, I’ll be watching every episode of Star Wars Rebels this season. I had the opportunity to watch the premiere earlier this week thanks to Disney releasing it early on their Disney XD app, and this show is just good. It captures the feel of the original trilogy in an animated series that can be appreciated by Star Wars fans of all ages. Star Wars Rebels tells the story of the motley crew aboard the Ghost, the ship where the Rebel Alliance was started. These are the unknowing founders of what will later become the group that opposes the Empire under such leadership as Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Leia Organa. But Rebels isn’t about them. It’s about the original rebels, including a runaway Jedi named Kanan and his newly-discovered apprentice Ezra. I’m very interested to see how the Rebel Alliance goes from one crew to the giant, inter-system group that it becomes in the movies. I’m also excited to see how a Jedi and his apprentice interact and train in a world without the Jedi Order. Plus, it will be cool to learn more about how the Empire operates, and how it deals with the discovery of a rogue Jedi on the loose. Star Wars Rebels premieres on Disney Channel on Friday October 3 at 8:00 Central Time with a one-hour movie, and then it will air on Disney XD Monday nights at 8:00 starting October 13.

So that’s what I’m watching this season! I hope my suggestions are useful to you. I tried to suggest a variety of shows so that maybe at least one of them will interest you. I’d also like to add that all of these shows get my stamp of approval for appropriateness, but some of them may not be suitable for children. I’d love to hear what you guys are planning to watch this year, so contact me via social media and let me know! Thanks for reading, friends. I hope you have a great rest of the weekend.