The Seahawks' Magical Ride to the Super Bowl 2: Nothing is Impossible

To think this almost didn't happen

It's been a long time (almost a year) since I last posted on my blog. I kept on forgetting to update my blog and now will try to effort posts more frequently. 

After what happened in the game between the Seahawks and Packers, I just had to write about it; although it's going to be difficult to express the madness that occurred in the game and how I felt from all that exactly into words. And I'm gonna write a bit so feel free to take your time reading this. The first portion of the post will be a recap (entitled: /RECAP/) of the incredible game from my perspective. But if you want to skip that and read just my overall reactions (entitled: /REFLECTION/) after watching the game instead, scroll down to that section accordingly.

It’s not easy to watch football games here in Korea. Granted, it’s on a Monday so it doesn’t conflict with church…But I often had to wake up in the middle of the night just to watch a Seahawks game and go to class an hour or so later. The joy of winning greatly alleviates the fatigue...

But when your team loses, it devastates the entire rest of your day.

And that’s what nearly happened this game for Seahawks fans everywhere.

We Ready for this Game

/RECAP/

So the NFC Championship was on at noon PST…or 5AM in South Korea. But I woke up pumped up for the game. I know I wasn’t alone in being confident that Seattle was going to win this game. The Seahawks only lost at CenturyLink Field twice with Russell Wilson at QB, they have a defense playing at a history-making level, and they just beat a Carolina team handily the week before…SURELY the Seahawks weren’t going to lose this game, right? As long as this team doesn’t make mistakes, no team can beat them. The only team that can are the Seahawks themselves.

And my Lord, did they want to prove that in the beginning of the game. Forget a pistol, they used an AK-47 to shoot themselves in the foot.

One of the biggest storylines heading into this game was if Aaron Rodgers, the probable MVP of the NFL (I think JJ Watt should get it…) was going to throw to Richard Sherman after throwing zero passes to him in the season opener. And well, we got that answer during the Packers’ first drive which resulted in this:

"Oh they’re playing with fire, and #25 just burned."

Boom. This is what happens when you test Sherman. After this moment, I knew the game was ours…NOPE.

The drive that ensued: 3^rd & 7, Wilson takes the snap, throws it to Kearse…
and bounces off his hands to get picked off by a guy named Ha-Ha.
A sigh of disappointment at the missed opportunity to capitalize on a mistake.
Thankfully the Seahawks make an awesome goal-line stand to prevent Green Bay from getting into the end zone. The Packers don’t go for it. Ok cool, it’s a 3-0 game.

We get the ball back, Doug Baldwin returns the ball, I’m yelling that he should take a knee, and sure enough, he fumbles the ball. Seriously bro?

But THANKFULLY, the defense (AGAIN) bails them out with another stand (I don’t know why Green Bay didn’t go for it THAT time).

No Doug...No...

Yet it all went downhill from there. By the end of the 1^st quarter, Green Bay was up 13-0. It’s all good, plenty of football to play. Actually…

Almost every single freaking offensive drive ended in a 3-and-out, riddled with penalties, sacks, interceptions, you name it. As time progressed, I was sinking lower, and lower into my chair with gloom and frustration.

“What the (bleep) is going on here?” I constantly said to myself. That and a whole lot of other things I shouldn’t write here. I mean, this was the best team in the NFL. This was a team that was invincible at home. To say the Seahawks weren’t playing their best is an understatement. I don’t have to give you guys the stats to validate that the Seahawks were just playing like garbage. Thank goodness this team was only down 16-0 at halftime.

Fast forward to the 3^rd quarter, this team still down by the same score. Another 3-and-out but in field goal range. Seattle sends the field goal unit to finally get some points on the board. The play happens, the holder/punter, Jon Ryan runs with the ball. I flip out thinking they messed up the snap.

Jon Ryan, the Ninja from Regina activating Stealth Mode

Oh shoot, no wait it’s a fake! Jon Ryan, the most beautiful (?) Canadian player in the NFL, then lobs the ball in Gary Payton-to-Shawn Kemp fashion, to an undrafted rookie offensive tackle named Garry Gilliam. Say what? And somehow, after all that turmoil, the Seahawks are instantly back in the game.

First of all, that play took serious, Marshawn Lynch-groin-grabbing-stones to do. How devastating would that have been if that play didn’t work? And yet it did. Life was restored into CenturyLink Field.

Fast forward to the 4^th. 5 minutes left, Seattle has the ball down 19-7. Russell looks, fires to Kearse, off his hands AGAIN and picked off by Green Bay FOR THE FOURTH TIME (I don’t know why Burnett didn’t run with it. He could’ve gone house). Excuse me? 4 Interceptions?! This was what blasted my mind. The man who people lauded as the “game manager.” The guy who doesn’t make mistakes, who models his game after a point guard like Tony Parker. In his career he NEVER had such a bad game as this. I know some of the picks were Kearse’s fault, but man, why not throw to someone else? At this point I’m like, welp, it was fun while it lasted. At least our guys that were injured this year will be back next year and we’ll be better. I mean, how in the world was this team gonna score twice with 5 minutes left? Then you got Marshawn on the sidelines chillin' out maxin' relaxin' all cool and all shootin some b-ball outside of the school. 

Then the unthinkable happens. Shame on me for giving up on this team so early.

Seattle gets the ball back with 3:52 left. Lynch carries the team on his back like a man possessed. Eventually Wilson runs in for the TD. 19-14.

Then comes THE DECISION. Do you onside kick or nah? Onside kick = high risk, high reward. But kicking off to GB also has a risk in that your defense MUST stop them from scoring. This is why I’ll never be able to coach in the NFL as you have to make tough decisions like this one. Pete Carroll elects to go for the onside. 

Another gutsy call. If the Seahawks didn’t get this one, I think they lose this game. The Packers would have had good field position, they probably would have taken a huge chunk out of the clock, and Seattle would have had to drive down the field with minimal time. But man, is getting onside kicks so rare. I mean check this out:

“The last time they recovered an onside kick successfully was Oct. 4, 2009 at Indianapolis” (The News Tribune).

The fate of Seattle’s season depended on the success of a difficult play. Hauschka kicks off. It’s in the hands of Brandon Bostick…NO! THE SEAHAWKS GOT IT! THE SEAHAWKS GOT IT! Say what? Unbelievable. If you look, Bostick apparently was supposed to block so Jordy Nelson would get it, and Nelson would have gotten it if Bostick didn’t try to go into hero mode. But man, you have to feel so bad for the guy. Especially seeing his post-game interviews.

~There can be miracles when you believe~

At that point, the momentum was tsunami-ing towards Seattle’s way. They were going to win this game.

After the Seahawks drive down the field guided by Wilson, with 1:33 left, Lynch goes “eff-this” and runs 24 yards for the score. Handshakes with the Beast all around. Then came the 2-point conversion, which was so crucial in that almost everyone knew Rodgers was going to drive down the field for at least a field goal because he’s too good. Russell “Houdini” Wilson takes the snap, runs away from Packer defenders, and throws a ball of desperation that floats in the air for what seemed like an eternity. 

And somehow, Luke Willson, another beautiful Canadian man, bobbles the ball, but secures it.

Is this real life?

All the previous garbage and dreck for the Seahawks forgotten in an instant. Seattle overcame the impossible and was in the lead.

Then Rodgers does what we all thought he would. Drive down the field for the field goal to tie this just to make things more interesting. But come on D, why couldn’t you stop him?

Overtime! Tarvaris Jackson, the Seahawks backup QB (aka the Zen master) goes out for the coin toss. T-Jack going to destroy this coin toss. Green Bay calls the toss, but Seattle wins. Seahawks get the ball. At that point, the game was already Seattle’s.

3^rd and 7, ball at the Seattle 30-yard-line. If they don’t convert, it’s likely they lose the game as GB would only need a field goal to win. Then he throws to “Angry” Doug Baldwin deep right for 35 yards. Clutch.

1^st and 10 at the GB 35. Russell takes the snap, fires downfield 35 yards…surely not to Kearse after all his throws to him resulted in picks?

GAME. OVER. Bedlam in Seattle. Seahawks going to the Super Bowl.
Say what???

And the rest, is history.

/REFLECTION/

This is why football is the best sport in the world. Out of the 10 years that I’ve followed football, I thought prior to this game, the best game I’ve seen was Super Bowl XLII between the New York Giants and the undefeated New England Patriots. That game was one of the biggest upsets in football history and had the craziest play in the David Tyree helmet catch (go YouTube that if you haven’t seen it). Number 2 would probably be last year’s NFC Championship game with Sherman’s Tip.

To think that a game would top those two…This was truly the best game I have ever seen.

Consider all of the things the Seahawks had to overcome to win. I mean, at halftime, here’s what ESPN wrote:

“ESPN's win probability data gave the Packers a 94.4 percent chance of winning at halftime (when leading 16-0) and a 96.1 percent chance of winning with 5:04 left in the fourth quarter (leading 19-7).”

See that?! 5.6% and 3.9% respectively. Almost impossible the Seahawks were going to come back and win.

Just some of the mountains that Seattle had to overcome: Russell Wilson throwing 4 picks; penalties, sacks, and miscues leading to constant 3 & outs; Sherman and Thomas (two of your best players on defense) hobbled with injuries; down 16-0 at the half AND down 19-7 with 3:52 left on the clock. Russell Wilson also at the end of Q1 had a 0.0 QB rating (out of 100) and at the end of Q2 had 0.2. 
I'm not joking. But again, when it mattered the most, in Overtime, he has a rating of 99.9 (don't know what he had to do to get 100).
A movie needs to be made out of this game. 

After this game, I’m convinced these Seahawks can command mountains to move.

But how did they do this? Call it luck all you want, but these guys just believe and trust in one another. One of their core values is “Leave No Doubt 24/7” and they proved just that. Heck, they proved me wrong for giving up on them after the 4^th interception. No matter how much their backs are against the wall, they don’t give up. They actually play their best when doubted.  The Seahawks showed exactly what persevering means.

This game shows perfectly that you can “never say never.” That you can be the worst team in the first 55 minutes of the game and still win when it matters most in the last 5 minutes of the game.

Having to go through just the worst fan experience for the first 3 & 1/2 quarters somehow built up so perfectly to the last moments of this crooked concerto. Despite all the bitterness and hopelessness stored up during those points, they just somehow made the miraculous comeback so much sweeter. This was why so many fans cried after the game in joy after the rollercoaster of emotions that had to be endured. Heck, I even cried. I felt HIGH after the game, man. High on I don’t even know…emotions I guess? Well then…

God is good all the time...Curse these onions...

And Russell Wilson, the robot who never shows emotions, who always talks in clichés, broke down in tears when he prayed after the game. Thankful towards God and thinking about his father that passed away.

God truly makes all things work together for people's good. Russell threw 4 picks and Jermaine Kearse who was the scapegoat of those interceptions makes the game-winning play.

Good Guy Russell: Throws to Kearse FTW so fans won't get mad @ him

Let this game be a lesson to those, including myself, to just never give up. Even though things seem impossible, you persevere and great things like this are bound to happen.

It’s funny, when the Seahawks got the ball back after the 4^th INT, I was praying to God like mad. Praying for God to give strength to the Seahawks, praying that they’ll pull the impossible off to teach people that nothing is impossible. Stuff like that. And I couldn’t help but feel a bit silly thinking about what I was praying for. I mean I was praying for something that was happening thousands of miles away and for football. A sport where people get paid millions to throw and catch a big brown egg. I mean during the game, I had my hands clutching my shirt and glued them to my face. I stood up frozen for most of the 4th quarter. Tensions were that high...

I've also read tweets/ posts by people saying stuff along the lines of: "I prayed during this game even though I don't believe" and "This game makes me think that there is a God." How crazy is that? Just shows how inspirational the game was. 

There aren't many times where a sequel is better than the first. The only two that I can think of from the top of my head are Godfather II and The Dark Knight. 
And this year's return to the Super Bowl, I think, provides a more compelling story than last year's.

Consider not just this game, but what the Seahawks had to endure the first weeks of the season. Starting 3-3, and the Percy Harvin trade. Everything seemed to be a disaster. So much so, I tweeted this out:

know it's early, but looking at the schedule, i say we go 9-7. 10-6 if we catch a break on the road. what say you @DavisHsuSeattle @antmay
— David H.K. (@HarmaniExchange) 2014년 10월 19일

Yeah, it was that bad. Then the team went 6-4. It seemed that even winning the division was wishful thinking. But suddenly, the Seahawks win six games straight and somehow get the #1 seed. Then they somehow beat Carolina…and well, you know where it goes from there.

I’m truly blessed to have shared this moment of just absolute greatness with millions of other people in the world. A legendary tale I’m going to be able to tell my kids and grandkids. Maybe the game will be changed so much, when I show them the game they’ll be like: “They were allowed to do that back then?” Maybe football will have degenerated to the point where it'll just be flag football because of safety concerns.

Truly a magical (albeit nauseating, heart-attack-inducing) carpet ride. That was awesome.

Actually don’t put us through that again in the Super Bowl, Seattle. Once a season is enough. Onward to Arizona for the Super Bowl! New England…we’re coming for you!

Michael Bennett (the Black Santa) Rides to the Super Bowl on a Magical Police Bike

photo/gif/vine/video creds: Seahawks.com//ESPN//Jason Romano//SB Nation//Fansided//@Jose8BS

Thoughts on Donald Sterling

If the TMZ reports are true, this man needs to go.

"Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops."

~Luke 12:3 ESV

One day in Korea, I was in the car with my uncle. I asked him if he would rather stay in Korea or America because he spent a significant amount of time in both countries. My uncle answered Korea because he has the comfort knowing he won't be discriminated by anyone there for his race.

I share this story in the wake of the alleged racist comments by Donald Sterling. Now, it's a TMZ report, so we're not 100% sure if it's right or not. They've released iffy reports before. Donald Sterling even came out saying he doesn't know if it's legit or not and it doesn't reflect his views towards blacks. It's certainly plausible that the voice could have been fabricated much like the whole Manti Te'o hoax. But then again, would he really come out publicly and admit the whole thing is true???

Suppose the whole exchange between Sterling and his girlfriend is fake. Then we move on and this blog post was a waste. Actually...either way, whether it's fake or not...

It doesn't change the fact that racism still exists in America

But if it's true, then as Ernie Johnson of Inside the NBA said perfectly, "If it's true and if it's him, there's no place in the league for Donald Sterling..."

When the initial reports came out. I just shook my head and said one word: Sad.
It's sad to see racism still alive in a country that is a blessing to live in. That promises its people equality.

Racism in professional sports isn't a new development. Recently it's happened before with Riley Cooper and Richie Incognito. The former remained with the team while the latter was cut.
In terms of dealing with an owner, what can you really do? Dealing with players seems more simple as you can just get rid of them. But what do you do with an owner who has so much wealth and power? Who owns a multi-million dollar franchise like the Clippers?

I feel sorry for my friends Coach Doc Rivers and Chris Paul that they have to work for a man that feels that way about African Americans.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) April 26, 2014

This will be a big test to new NBA commissioner Adam Silver. Charles Barkley and ProBasketballTalk proposed suspending/banning him for a period of time. In my opinion, Silver and the other owners of the NBA should force Sterling to sell the team immediately. But I'm not sure if they have that kind of power.
If only it were that simple...

I can't believe the NBA would let a potential scumbag like this run a team in a league that predominantly has African-American athletes. This isn't the first time where Sterling appeared as a pig-headed fool. In the past, he was sued by Elgin Baylor who claimed he was fired based on his race. According to him, Sterling said:

“...Donald said something that was very shocking to me. He said, ‘Personally, I would like to have a white Southern coach coaching poor black players. And I was shocked. And he looked at me and said, ‘Do you think that’s a racist statement?’ I said, ‘Absolutely. That’s plantation mentality.”

Baron Davis, who formerly played for the Clippers, voiced his own opinion via Twitter. When he played, he claims he was heckled and taunted by Donald Sterling courtside. 

That's the way it is...He is honest about what he believes in..Been going on for a long time, Hats off 2 the Team.. 4 playin above it all.
— Baron Davis (@Baron_Davis) April 26, 2014

All these actions alone (before the racist allegations) should tell you Donald Sterling deserves to be called one of the worst, if not the worst, owners in the NBA. After all these developments, shouldn't he feel the need to get out of this mess and sell the team?

I know my views can't represent what black people are feeling about this. But if there were a league where most of the players were Asian, and one team's owner goes out and makes racist remarks towards Asians, I'd be furious. And I'd bet African-Americans everywhere are pissed at these remarks. But you don't have to take my word for it. Here's what Snoop Dogg had to say...

I can't imagine what it's like to be a Clipper fan right now. Many are calling for his head and are no longer supporting the Clippers. I also can't imagine what it's like to be a Clipper right now (especially one who's black) playing for an owner like this. How will they play through all of this "noise" in their title run?

DeAndre Jordan posted this poignant photo on his Instagram:

Apparently, that's the actual photo. Makes you think...

It's unfortunate that the foolishness of this man is affecting the many lives of other people in a negative way. Magic Johnson tweeted that Sterling's comments are "a black eye for the NBA." Not only that, but Sterling's comments puts the Clippers now in a negative spotlight as long as he's the owner. 

As Inside the NBA said, if you were a Clipper, would you re-sign with the team? Or if you're a free agent, would you want to sign with the Clippers?

In the middle of a playoff run, as the team is chasing for a championship, I hope the Clippers overcome this mess. We shouldn't be mad at the Clippers. We should be mad at Sterling. Chris Paul, Doc Rivers, Blake Griffin, and the other staff and athletes shouldn't be lumped together with this debacle. Unfortunately, people are doing so and don't want to root for the Clippers anymore. 

The Clippers have never won a championship in their 44 year-existence. Maybe it's partly because of Donald Sterling. The Clippers are now a relevant team and in the hunt for the Finals. Right when the Clippers are moving towards the right direction and starting to become something great, this occurrence might hold them back. It's sad. It's stupid. It's frustrating. It's unfair to the superstars of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. For me, I'm still rooting for the Clippers because they are a team that has suffered so much and must endure this additional problem. 

I'll say it again, if these reports are true, for the benefit of the Clippers organization...

Donald Sterling needs to go.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier Review

Captain America: The Winter Soldier 

Directed by: Anthony and Joe Russo

Ratings (as of 4/12): IMDB - 8.3/10 Rotten Tomatoes - 89%

WARNING: THIS REVIEW HAS SPOILERS

Before watching the film, I came in with relatively low expectations because I wasn't a huge fan of Captain America: The First Avenger (the first installment of the Captain's series). By the way, if you haven't seen both films (the first and second Cpt. Americas) then I recommend watching the first before the second. This is because much of the plot of this new film makes key references to the first.

But after watching it, out of all the Marvel movies I've seen, I think this one is pretty up there. 

The first aspect of why this film is great is because of its star-studded cast. I believe the first Captain America movie did not do as well because there weren't that many stars to carry the film. Other than Chris Evans, the first had notable actors such as Tommy Lee Jones and Hugo Weaving. And that's pretty much it (no disrespect to the other actors of that film). This second film? Yes, they used most of the same characters from The Avengers, but there's Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson (playing a more integral role than the 1st), Robert Redford, Anthony Mackie, and...ah yes... the beautiful Scarlett Johansson.

How I Met Your Mother and Community fans, Cobie Smulders and Danny Pudi are in this movie too. It was pretty weird seeing them...because it doesn't matter, they'll always be Robin and Abed!

The Star Spangled Cast

Granted, just because a movie has a star-studded ensemble, it doesn't necessarily mean the film will be good. But the cast in this film was effective in that the audience empathized with the characters. For instance, when the mighty Nick Fury died, the audience became disheartened and Alexander Pierce was effectively a contemptuous antagonist throughout. Following Fury's death, I could not help but think "Man, of course the black guy has to be the first to die..." (I apologize for this stereotype, but that was honestly my thought). The other thought was, "Oh no...not Samuel L. Jackson! He's a Jedi and Coach Carter! He can't die!"

Samuel L. Jackson is a BAD dude.

The plot was very interesting as it contained many twists and turns. When the police were shooting at Nick Fury, I was very surprised. Then, you discover S.H.I.E.L.D. has been compromised. Afterwards, you discover that members of Hydra have been working behind the scenes of S.H.I.E.L.D. all along. Oh snap. And they were the ones who planted the seeds of chaos throughout history (since WWII) to coerce people to turn to S.H.I.E.L.D. for protection, giving up their liberty in the process. They portray stark images of dictators like Hitler and Kim Jong Un to emphasize this shocking point. They also were the ones who killed Tony Stark's (Iron Man) parents! Double snap. 

That means North Korea and other totalitarian governments were influenced by Hydra? I don't know why, but I thought it was a bit funny to imagining Kim Jong Un whisper, "Hail Hydra..." like the Senator did in the movie. (헤일 하이드라?) 

I totally forgot who Hydra was until I saw their skull-octopus emblem thing.  

Hail Hydra

Perhaps the greatest twist in the film was the reveal of The Winter Soldier's (the assassin hired by Hydra) identity. When I saw his face, I was like..."Umm....Who the heck is that?" And then they showed flashbacks and I was like "OHHHH." Like I said, watch the first movie if you haven't yet. So yeah, The Winter Soldier is Bucky, Captain America's best friend from the first film. But Bucky's memory was wiped so he doesn't remember Steve Rogers. Indeed, the best-friend-turned-enemy-development further supports the film's effective storyline.

Visually, the film was great. Michael Bay explosions everywhere. CGI was good like all other Marvel films. I wish I had a car like Nick Fury's. The film also contains many humorous jokes and makes multiple references to other Marvel characters. For instance, Bruce Banner's (The Hulk) serum saving Nick Fury or Pierce's request for Tony Stark to come to his niece's birthday party. I wish Iron Man would come to my birthday party.

Here are some random thoughts and comments I had on various things regarding this film: 

• Loved when Danny Pudi appeared as a security guard and basically acted how Abed does.
• I don't know how Captain America's face wasn't pancaked and deformed after getting punched by Bucky's metallic arm multiple times. If his arm could make a dent in freakin' concrete...
• Out of all things, my friend Eric Chung points out: "There's no way the spaceships can fly that fast." I'd have to agree.
• After the Captain saves his friend from being crushed, the first thing Bucky does? Tries to fight him. What an a...
• Bucky regains some bits and pieces in his memory regarding Steve Rogers, but Alexander Pierce? He wipes his memory again. The thing I don't get is why Bucky agrees to this and doesn't resist. "Oh, sure! I'd be glad to let you electrocute me!" What the heck Bucky.
• Is there something going on between Captain America and Black Widow? What was that conversation at the end of the film? That kiss on the cheek even though she tells him to pursue his neighbor? Foreshadowing? The two did have some sort of chemistry when they were together. What about Hawkeye, Black Widow?
• I liked Anthony Mackie's character. You can argue anybody can fly the Falcon jetpack and he's nothing without it. But I mean, Captain America isn't as great without his shield and Batman isn't as great without his money and weapons. I hope he's in future Marvel films. I wish he becomes a Captain so he can go by the name of Captain Falcon. That would be awesome. 
• Pulp Fiction is my all-time favorite movie. So you can say I loved the engraving on his tombstone of:  "The Path of a Righteous Man" ~Ezekiel 25:17. Clever of Marvel to do that.
• For the post-credits scenes: I first honestly thought the scepter was Loki's. 
• Don't know who the super-twins are, but I guess they're Quicksilver and Scarlett Witch? Girl was freaky-looking.
• The second post-credit scene: That's it?
• Wait...BUCKY EVENTUALLY BECOMES THE NEXT CAPTAIN AMERICA?!

I LOL'ed when I saw this

Overall, I enjoyed this film which is partly why I wanted to write a review for it. Yeah, my reasons for why it's good aren't that strong but...Go watch this film. This is especially a must-watch as its story will likely be integral for future Marvel films, especially the next Avengers film. 

Score: 8.5/10

Where is the Love?

I was going to write about the Jesus Culture concert. But that's going to have to wait. I just had to write about this. And I'd just want to preface this by saying I hope this blog post doesn't offend anyone somehow.

I respect all other people for their religions and beliefs and wish that we'd all be unified and at peace instead of hating each other. I'm also going to write about my beliefs about God, so please don't be offended about that as well.

So as you UCLA students all know, there have been people holding signs at BruinWalk in the past couple of days. But these signs are filled with just insane things...

Hateful things

Hateful things that are condemning other people for who they are and what they advocate. Some examples have been condemning homosexuality or other religions. I'm pretty sure there are a lot more people like this across America. And because of these signs, they've been attracting huge crowds of people. But not only the signs but the people holding them that have been just spewing nonsense. For example, some woman was saying something like people would die/go to hell if they'd watch pornography (I guess that means nearly everyone is going to hell then).

Yesterday, there was a huge crowd on BruinWalk. And yes indeed, it was another sign holder. But this time it accused Muslims, particularly the prophet Muhammad, calling him things that I feel I shouldn't even write here. And the guy holding it was getting into some heated arguments with students. He was condemning Muslims and saying they'd all go to hell. Cops were standing by. It was just crazy. 

The thing that makes my blood just boil is that people like this guy are misrepresenting who God really is. The man was wearing a shirt that had Jesus Christ's name on it, yet he is making that name seem like a name filled with hate when it isn't. People will have negative views towards not only that sign holder but Christianity as a whole. Some will go on to assume that Christians are like those sign holders.

And I'm here to say we're not. Not even close.

So I was pretty pissed and felt I had to talk to this guy. I knew I wasn't going to get any message across, and I was right. It was like talking to a brick wall. A titanium wall.

From the beginning he proclaimed he was a saint and was made perfect because he believes and follows God. So...by that logic, all Christians are perfect and saints which is not true. Nobody's perfect except God. Romans 3:10 says: There is no one righteous, not even one. and verse 23 says: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. So he just lost all credibility right from the start.

I told him what he thought about the need for us to love others as Jesus told us to.
He said, "This is showing God's love by rebuking others".
I replied, "How is this loving others? This isn't showing that God loves everyone OR 'loving your neighbor as yourself'"
He argued, "Show me a passage where Jesus/God said 'I love people.'"

I said, "Uh, John 3:16???...for God so loved the world???"
He fired back, "Jesus said that to Nicodemus, show me a passage where Jesus said He loves people in public." Wait...what difference does that make whether he said it in public or not?!

At the time, I had no scripture ammo to fire back. I could have mentioned John 13:34: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." But I know he'd have argued back "Jesus said that to his disciples, not in public."

So I then say, "Well, show me a scripture that God hates people." He gives me a Bible and says, "Look up Psalms 5:5." He gives me a KJV bible, which writes: "The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity." I read it, and he goes, "See?! See?! thou HATEST all workers of iniquity! God hates all workers of iniquity! In the NIV, that translates to: "You hate all who do wrong; you destroy those who tell lies." I mentioned while this may be right, what about all the verses that say about love? Then he goes back to the: "Show me a passage where..." You get the idea. The argument was repeating itself. (Then again, that scripture he quoted was written as David's prayer to God so...whatever, he wasn't gonna listen anyway). 

Then other students chimed in. And they were rightfully pissed. To the non-Christians, he said pretty much "You're going to hell!" I told him I disagreed with him saying that. Then he told me to tell a Muslim standing next to me he is going to hell to his face. I obviously couldn't. He then calls me a "spineless little twerp with no backbone." Woah. Ok buddy. His face just looked so punch-able at that moment (sorry but it's true). He said we were all living in a fantasy...But pretty much everyone was disagreeing with him, even Christians. I guess the one that's living in a fantasy is him.

So yeah, these are just examples of this almost-pointless argument I had with this ignorant, pig-headed, immature man that wasn't even willing to listen to people. It was like Skip Bayless times a thousand. I'm pretty sure the man has said a lot of more dumb things if you asked other people.

I heard a student yell, "We don't want to be Christians!" Others were making fun of Christianity. I bet some were thinking "After seeing this, I don't even want to entertain the idea of being a Christian." There was even a guy dressed up as Jesus and smoking pot nearby. And to all this, I just shake my head.

What just makes me so angry, that makes me just clench my fists in anger, is that there is nothing we can do to change the opinions of people like him. And because of free speech, there's nothing we can do to stop them. I mean, they are right in some ways, but they're also very wrong too. Especially in the way they are taking something that's supposed to be good and spinning it in such a negative way.

 To me, the God I know is loving. Yes...I believe that if you don't believe that Jesus is your Lord and Savior and that he died on the cross, you won't go to heaven. BUT, even though you may not believe now, you always have the chance to go to heaven if you believe. This is different from saying to someone: "You're going to hell for not believing (or what you believe in)" which gives the impression that they can't be saved and that there is no option besides hell. The statement is also filled with just anger, condemnation, and vitriol. No one is going to take that well.

Also, I know this might be wrong to say, but do we really know as humans whether or not people go to hell? Only God knows that and has judgment over that. We don't.

When the guy said to the girl "You're going to hell!" He did nothing more. I thought we were supposed to "Make disciples of all nations" but after condemning them, he just let them go in a state of frustration and anger. How is this an effective way of spreading the gospel in any way??? He said, "I'm doing the job you Christians aren't doing." Well, you're making our "job" as Christians in making God's name known a lot harder. Because of people like you, some people are now completely turned off by Christianity. It makes me wonder how many people have been saved through their methods of rebuking and hate. 

I firmly believe in Numbers 14:18, which says: "The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion..." Sure, there may be scriptures about God's hate of certain individuals, but I think God is being more just than hating on people. I think God hates the sin vastly more than the individual. When God punishes people for their sins, it's not only because of his justice, but I think he punishes to correct people out of his ultimate love for them. 

Overall, I believe God's love is unconditional... no matter what you do, whether it's have sex constantly, do drugs, are homosexual, or murder people...no matter what you believe whether it's Buddhism, Islam, Atheism, WHATEVER IT IS....God loves you. We all make mistakes and aren't perfect. Even Christians have a checkered past. I've known pastors who've made mistakes in their life, but what their stories have revealed about God, again, I repeat...

God loves you no matter who you are or what you do

If God created and intended us humans to condemn and hate others for their actions...the world would be a scary place. And I don't think God wants that at all.

To my brothers and sisters out there, rather than talking to the people with the signs (seriously it's a waste of your time and will only give you stress), talk to the people watching. They are willing to talk. Who knows, there might be people who are taking their claims seriously or others who generalize and say the sign holders are speaking for Christians (which I really hope there aren't). 

So rather than hating on people and focusing on condemning others, those ignorant individuals should be showing more of what God's really all about which is his love. And NOT spewing out nonsense and bitterness which clouds people's perspectives on Christianity. To me, the whole thing is just sad. But I think God's using this tragedy as motivation for us to take a stand somehow. This certainly got me all riled up to write this post. But it's because of things like this there's hate and violence between people. I mean, the potential for that was why cops were there. Not to be cliche, but can't we all just get along?

Sorry for this post being very long, but I thank you for taking the time to read this. I know what I wrote was on such a controversial topic, but I hope I didn't write anything wrong or something that offended anyone. Also, my knowledge about God isn't a lot; I'm still learning. So feel free to chime in about anything I have said. And if you can, I hope you can teach me and others what to say to these sign holders and to the bystanders affected by these people. Hope this message gets across to people. God bless you all.

And to discriminate only generates hate 
And when you hate then you're bound to get irate, yeah
Madness is what you demonstrate
And that's exactly how anger works and operates
Man, you gotta have love just to set it straight
Take control of your mind and meditate
Let your soul gravitate to the love y'all

~Black Eyed Peas - "Where is the Love?"

The Lego Movie Review

When I first saw posters of this movie, I thought it was going to be a failure for some reason. I thought it'd be the next The Smurfs or Garfield or something, where the things we loved as children become disasters as movies.
Then I saw the reviews, and I was shocked. 96% on Rotten Tomatoes?! 8.5 on IMDB?! That's almost Dark Knight/Inception territory. Guess I had to watch this movie...I was pretty excited to see what the hype was all about and if this movie in fact deserved such high praise. So I watched it and...

For those of you who think this movie was horrible, I completely disagree with you.

From the beginning of the  movie, I was immediately captivated by the (as critics like to say) stunning visuals. From the animations of the flowing waters of the Lego ocean to the characters' frantic construction of spaceships and motorcycles, I was just truly amazed at how awesome the animation was. I wondered how in the world did the artists put this movie together? I was immersed in another dimension and felt like I was part of the Lego world. In my opinion, this is probably one of the greatest artistic films strictly in terms of animation I have seen.

How did they animate this stuff?

Sure there are some blemishes about this movie. The story could have been better and it seemed as if the emphasis was more on the art and humor of the film.
But keep in mind that the target audience of this movie is children. It doesn't necessarily have to cater to an adult audience. And I'd say that this is a pretty darn good kids movie. But the various jokes throughout the movie garnered laughter even from adult viewers so...

I'm trying as hard as I can NOT to be biased by the RT and IMDB scores. Yes, I agree that 96% is a bit too high for this movie. But to say this is an awful movie is inaccurate. The Hangover Part III and After Earth are bad movies. And I don't think this movie belongs in that lower echelon at all.

What also makes this movie awesome is the various voice actors of this film. If you told me Morgan Freeman AND Liam Neeson were voice actors for any film, I'd watch it in a heartbeat. Those two can read me bedtime stories every night. I found it funny to hear their charismatic, iconic voices saying cheesy/humorous lines, especially Liam Neeson when he takes the role of Good Cop/Bad Cop. But pile on top of that the voices of famous stars including: Will Ferrell, Charlie Day, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Alison Brie, Key from Key & Peele, Shaq, etc. A truly star-studded cast. Though I wish Batman was voiced by Christian Bale and Gandalf was voiced by Ian McKellen...
Oh yeah, you will see the ending is pretty cool too and will change the way you see the movie and the power of imagination.

I wish I had his voice

But perhaps one striking aspect of this film was the character Emmet. He's a protagonist that has none of the qualities of a typical superhero. Throughout the film, people constantly give him crap for being useless and not being good at anything and not being special. They criticize him by saying he shouldn't have been the chosen one. Even Emmet has his moments of discouragement and feels like a burden to his team. To me, Emmet's character appealed to me because I could identify with him so much. I mean, we all could. I've often felt inadequate and discouraged when I do things and find that other people are significantly better at those things than I am. Like sports or music or whatever. I ask myself sometimes whether I am good or talented at anything. I found myself envying the skills of other people. And it certainly doesn't help that being the height that I am. Sorry I'm sounding pessimistic all of a sudden.

For me, I think the lesson to learn from this movie is no matter how average you feel, God created you in a unique way. You are not an accident. People might be better than you at certain things but they have weaknesses as well. Nobody's perfect. God doesn't want us to envy other people. He doesn't want us to feel useless and inadequate. He wants all of us to be like Emmet who stays positive and uses his strengths to help others. Despite all the criticisms, (hope this doesn't spoil) Emmet rises up as the hero of this movie. Rather than focusing on what he can't do, Emmet focuses on what he can do in order to help his friends. And he does it with a constant, goofy smile on his face.

So rather than being in a "woe-is-me" mentality, I need to be thankful for being created this way in God's image. Feeling insignificant will only discourage me from the things God wants me to do. And through Him, weaknesses can become strengths. Actually, it doesn't matter whether or not we are good at anything. The only thing that matters is what we can do to glorify God.

This is some pretty deep and heavy stuff to take from a kids movie. Sorry about that.

Anyways, if you haven't seen this movie, I highly recommend you watch it. This is a movie that is meant for the big screen and NOT to be watched on a computer. And I usually don't like watching movies in 3D because it makes my head hurt. But this movie is an exception. The 3D actually makes it a better viewing experience. So don't pass up this opportunity. Spend the extra money and go watch this movie in 3D before it's too late. If you played with Legos as a kid, you will be in for a real trip down memory lane. 

SCORE: 8.8 / 10

I'm Not a Businessman I'm a Busyness...Man

I've been so busy...Something I never would have expected before this winter quarter started. And I don't even have a job or an internship. Maybe it's because I'm taking 4 classes (18 credits) I don't know. Yesterday I spent Presidents' Day waking up at 5am in the morning to be a production assistant on a film shoot that lasted until 7pm.

I know, I know. You might say, "Oh that's nothing...I do this and that. Don't talk to me about busy." and I get that. But I recently am finding I have no time to do the things I usually do. I have no time to go to the gym, no time to work on my career development (resume/cover letter), no time to do homework, no time to Facebook or blog, no time to check ESPN, and no time to sleep. And I love sleep. I need at least 8-9 hours. Yeah, I'm pretty weak. I've just feel fatigued and exhausted throughout the day.

Yes, if I managed my time well, I would be able to do all these things, but this weekend I did NOTHING in terms of studying for school. And we all know those books we have to read and those assignments get piled up and eventually have to get done if we choose not to do them. Ugh, this is going to be a busy week.

But I also find I have no time to read the Bible, let alone communicate with God at a sincere level.

Sure, I pray to God, but it all feels rushed. Everything feels rushed in my life. Even as I am writing this post, I'm desperately trying to get this all over with. I'm pretty much feeling burdened and stressed out, thinking of the upcoming things I have to do, saying, "Ah crap, I have to finish that assignment or read that book." I've had hateful thoughts towards things and people who are wasting my time because for some reason, my biggest pet-peeve is unnecessarily wasting time.

It feels like the weight of the world is on my shoulders sometimes.

But is this what God wants? I don't think so. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus says: 

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

I know this is easier said than done...but I don't think I even tried to stop and really commit to surrendering everything that's on my plate to God. For me, God wants me to let it go and let Him do the work. 

Sorry...I couldn't resist.

I mean, He sent His one and only Son who took all the burdens of mankind. I would think He'd know what it's like to be in our situation but multiplied by a million. It's like He's telling me: "I got you." There's a story my high school teacher told me of how people hunted monkeys in the wild. They'd place a jar with a treat inside and a monkey would come and put its hand inside to get it. But no matter how hard they tried, they could not take it out. They could only take their hand out without the treat. But monkeys would be too stubborn to let the treat go, and they'd end up getting caught. Hope that made sense.

So I guess if there's one thing to do, it appears it's the one answer to all our problems: Trusting in Him.

I just need to surrender everything and let Him do His thing. I mean, God is infinitely more powerful, wiser, and loving than we are. We know this, yet it feels like we don't feel it or believe it sometimes. 

He has dominion over all the earth. He controls the tides of life. And I need to trust that even though things are overwhelming right now, this is all going to be ultimately overcome through God, for God is with us. PTL