Episode 57 - Michael Jackson's Controversial New Album, Plus Jonathan Franzen

Michelle Rhee Announcement
Though she opens telling us that we'll be hearing mostly about Michael Jackson today, Oprah tells us that she has a breaking news announcement from Michelle Rhee. Remember her from the waiting for Superman episodes (part 1, part 2)? She was the controversial, hard-nosed, get-things-done-even-if-we-have-to-take-drastic-measures chancellor of schools in Washington, D.C. After many accused her of costing the mayor his bid for re-election, Rhee stepped down from her job. Despite offers from all over to come work on education, Michelle Rhee has decided to turn them all down and, "start a revolution... a movement on behalf of our children."

Michelle says that our education system is broken, that she can look at a child's zip code and tell you with an alarming degree of accuracy what that child's academic achievements. Oprah makes clear that the problem is bad teachers. She doesn't need to hear from good teachers, because they aren't the problem, and she simply doesn't want to hear from the bad teachers. Michelle has started an organization called Students First, and Oprah loves that because it's about the children. Michelle wants a million members, so you can go sign up at StudentsFirst.org. She's also seeking to raise $1 billion to put into classrooms and partner with communities to transform schools.

Oprah ends the segment by saying this: "Hear me, America. This is a seminal moment for us, where we as a country, as the citizens of this country, choose to be an educated people or not, where we will choose to move ourselves to the top of the list*... so we're either gonna fall further behind or choose to move forward. It's really in our hands as the citizens."

*Oprah clarifies with Michelle that out of 30 developed nations, the USA ranks 23 & 25 in reading and math.

The Cascio Family & Michael Jackson
Dominic Cascio met Michael while working at a hotel where Michael stayed. Michael inquired about Dominic's family and wanted to meet them. His wife Connie says that Michael was like a part of the family, and Dominic tells us that Michael called them his second family, the "family of love." The sons, Donnie and Frank, grew up with him since they were 3 and 5 years old (they're at least in their 20s now). The family all laugh talking about their candy counter because of Michael's sweet tooth. We learn things like he loved Thanksgiving dinner every day, made sure they all said their prayers before meals, and would try to clean the house for them. We see many pictures and home videos of Michael with the family, so there's ample proof that these people aren't making stuff up!

The Child Abuse Allegations
Being that they had two young boys, plus other children, Oprah asks about the "bad times", the child abuse allegations. Dominic says that as a father, he did ask his children about any impropriety, but they had no idea what he even meant. The family is certain that Michael would never have harmed a child and they stood by him without qualms throughout the various times he was accused.

Michael and Eddie's Music
Eddie shows us the family's basement where he and Michael worked on music. Michael mentored Eddie from a young age, helping him work on his music. Eddie says the family had a wooden dance floor put in and that Michael would come and work on his dance moves before tours for countless hours a day. Together Michael and Eddie recorded music in the basement studio, 12 songs locked that have until today been locked away in a vault, though clips are being played on the Oprah show today.

Gift Giving
Oprah asks if Michael showered lavish gifts upon them, and they all say no. They celebrated Christmas and Michael LOVED Christmas, so he'd give presents, but their family also gave presents to him. They all say how much Michael loved giving and receiving gifts. Oprah clarifies that she thought he was a Jehovah's Witness and didn't celebrate holidays, but they say he still chose to celebrate Christmas. Oprah asks what he liked, and Dominic says Michael loved books and art, particularly by Michaelangelo.

Drug Addiction
The family spoke to Michael only 3 days before his death. Oprah asks if they were aware or saw the signs of drug addiction. Dominic says no, they didn't see them, but that Michael was a normal person. Eddie says he didn't see it and it was hard to find out about it. Oprah asks about the chronic insomnia, and Connie says that Michael really did relax and sleep at their house, and that when he stayed over he actually slept. Connie says they did a lot to get his mind off of the "superstar" things, doing family things to be normal. They say they still miss him every day.

Teddy Riley
Oprah has one of Michael Jackson's long time producers, Teddy Riley, on the show. There is controversy surrounding the new album, Michael, which features 10 previously unreleased tracks. Some claim that it's not Michael's voice, but as someone who worked closely with Michael for well over a decade, Teddy says it's definitely him. Oprah quotes people like Will.I.Am who say Michael was a perfectionist and wouldn't have wanted this album released since he wasn't around to perfect it. Eddie says that Michael recorded for his fans, that Michael would have wanted his fans to hear his last work. Teddy says this continues Michael's legacy. Oprah asks if Michael would have liked the heat and controversy, and Teddy says Michael is smiling on them right now saying, "This is what I want you to do!", that Michael lived for the controversy.

***

Jonathan Franzen
Considered one of the best writers in the world, Franzen "dazzled the critics and readers alike" with his novel The Corrections 9 years ago. His next novel, Freedom, was an instant hit and Oprah chose it for her book club pick. Oprah welcomes Franzen, saying he's someone she has wanted to meet for a very long time. Right off the bat, Oprah asks Franzen about his invite to the White House, and he says he was able to spend 20 minutes with President Obama. Upon being asked what they talked about, Franzen says he simply told President Obama, "You're my hero," joking that it left 19 minutes and 45 seconds to fill.

Their Controversy
When Oprah picked Franzen's novel The Corrections for her book club in 2001, he voiced some concerns about it. Oprah says that as she remembers it, she didn't want to make him uncomfortable so it remained a pick and she didn't do the typical book club dinner in order to not draw more attention to it. Franzen says the way he remembers it was speaking in very long sentences; very small parts were taken from those sentences that sounded bad and likely, and rightly, hurt Oprah's feelings. Oprah says the impression at the time was that Franzen was being a snob, and she asks Franzen if that was how he felt. He says he tries to write novels that everyone can connect to, and that in the "accelerated media scape" if you say you don't want to scare away male readers then that is misconstrued as you saying you can't stand women readers. Ultimately, Oprah says she's happy to have Franzen here now and he says he's happy to be here.

On Success and Process
Oprah says she thinks Freedom is the book of the year, if not the decade. She tells Franzen he has a wonderful craft of using words to open up our hearts and minds, and asks what it means to him to get all of the attention he currently is. He says he's still getting used to it, but that it's interesting to have people think he's somebody. Oprah asks about his process, how he does his writing, and that she's heard he isolates himself when he writes. He says the goal is to write a book that sucks people in and gets them away from their daily life. In order to write, then, he goes to an office with no internet, phone, etc, where it's dark, cold, and away from those same distractions he wants his reader to get away from. Franzen says he thinks about the things that make him the most uncomfortable, those things which he least wants to deal with, and then he puts those things into his novels.

On Real Freedom
Oprah asks Franzen about his current novel and he says that what he finds fascinating is that we are the richest country in the world, with so more possessions than ever and in many ways more freedom than ever, able to travel and correspond at will, and yet it seems that everyone is so angry and discontent all of the time. The time that the book was really coming together was a very angry time politically so he wanted to explore that. He says he happened on the voice of the main female character, Patty, while working on another projects that didn't work out. He was also interested in writing about his parents' marriage, but wanted to write about now and not the 1940s. Ultimately, the idea is that wealth doesn't actually bring happiness being that we are the richest country in the history of the world yet more depressed and more discontent than ever. So then what is real freedom? Ergo, the novel.

The New Book Club Pick
Oprah's new book club pick (two in one!) for the holidays is a special deluxe version of Charles Dickens' great novels A Tale of Two Cities and Great Expectations. Oprah says she normally only picks books she's read, but she's never read Dickens yet always wanted to read him over the holidays and so she is. Also, the whole audience get's a Kindle 3G from Amazon.com. Ah, happiness. I must say, I have the Kindle app on my iPhone and LOVE it! But that's neither here nor there--let's talk about Jesus!

***
Gospel Filter Review (GFR)
I've written at length about both education and  Michael Jackson (in the episode with his family and the one with Lisa Marie), so I encourage you to read those. Nothing new hit me to say about those subjects but feel free to check out the GFR's on those posts! 


I was struck by the concept of money and happiness and freedom that Oprah and Jonathan Franzen talked about. It IS fascinating that we are the wealthiest country in the history of the world, and we have far more than any generation before us, and yet the rates of anti-depressant prescriptions and discontent and general complaining and frustration and even pure anger are higher than ever. All it takes is reading the comments on your local newspaper's articles to prove that. 


What does Jesus say? He says that our hearts are evil. 

For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. 

            Matthew 15:19-20b

Evil comes out of our hearts. We think evil things, and even if you've never killed someone, have you ever given a person the silent treatment? Maybe a sibling, roommate, spouse, best friend; the person closest to you that you love more than anyone, or maybe someone you just couldn't stand? The silent treatment is basically telling a person, "You are dead to me. I will pretend you do not exist." And as Jesus said, even if you never touch another person or even talk to them, to lust after someone that is not your spouse is adultery. On and on, the many ugly things we see all around us come from the desires of our perpetually-bent-toward-sin evil hearts.

So how does this connect to wealth and misery? Think about it--the "American dream" is, essentially, financial security with a varying modicum of comfort. We all basically want to have enough money to never worry that we won't be able to do something we really want to do or get something we really want /replace it if it gets old, breaks, is stolen, etc. We live in a country where, generally speaking, the message is that if you work really hard then you have the opportunity to get that security. As the world changes, we keep adding into what it looks like--maybe for my grandparents it was a house, reliable transportation, well-fed and clothed children, and money to retire on. For my generation it's those things plus money to travel and see the world and all sorts of "necessary" technological gadgets. I won't lie--to my husband and I, smart phones are a necessity, not a luxury. How the standards have changed!

So why then aren't we all happy? I propose that it's because it's all a lie. Our hearts tell us that if we only get ____ then we'll be happy. But that's simply not true, because even if we get it we worry that we'll lose it and/or it's not enough to satisfy us. Our hearts always want more. Remember earlier this season with Oprah and JK Rowling, and their conversation about how no matter how much money they have it's never quite enough to feel secure and safe? That seems preposterous to those of us whom a billion dollars is an imaginary number, yet they clearly both really felt one another on the topic.

The same is true with political freedom. We live in a nation where we all laud our freedom as this wonderful thing, but more often than not it simply brings out the ugliness in our hearts, the murdering, slandering tendency to think that our methods and ideas and systems are good / right / (even) holy, and the "other team" is bad / wrong / (even) evil. You can find someone to whom President Obama is his hero and then to the next guy Obama is basically the anti-Christ. And then, with President Bush, both men flip positions, typically harboring anger against the other guy and his position. Why is that?

Once again, our hearts are always at work, desiring satisfaction, and our political anger reveals our discontent with what is. We can't control life to be perfect but we can blame the imperfection of life on generally dubious and totally-out-of-our-control issues like the nebulous cloud that is modern-American politics. How many times have you or someone you know said something to the effect of, "Let me tell you, there are a million different ways I could put my $X to use that would be better than what the government is doing with it," upon seeing just how many X dollars were taken from your most recent paycheck? Really, our heart feels entitled to those $X and it's pretty easy to scapegoat the rotten government for taking it, especially when you don't have to think for more than 2 seconds to list 50 ways the government is doing a suck job. You have your freedom to vote, sure, and maybe it's your guy/gal in office, but at the very least you can angrily blame the other team who is the Congressional majority for messing everything up. Republicans did it when Bush was president and Democrats ruled congress and Democrats are already doing it now with Obama in office and the Republicans ruling the roost of the House. People get mostly what they want, sometimes everything they want, and it's never enough. Our hearts are never satisfied.

Though he goes in many other directions, that's the basic premise of Franzen's Freedom, and honestly, the book left me feeling kind of ick and hopeless. I won't recap the book, but if you read it, know that it's not a fun read. Compelling, yes. But you will not feel good about the vast majority of events. It's just... depressing. People do seem to get things they want and hope for and none of it ever fulfills and much of it leads to misery.  But here is the good news--Franzen is right on. We get everything that we'd say we want and we're still angry. He just can't rectify that with the only thing that does satisfy.

Jesus satisfies. He told a woman who came to a well, seeking to get some water to drink, that he would satisfy her and everyone else with water that will satisfy them eternally.

Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 

              John 4:13-14

When we know and love Jesus, it's enough! The best part is that when we want more of Him, He gives us more. Even better, though it takes time and maturity and isn't magical, He even teaches us to be content in what we have. We don't need more money, a better this, a new that, or even this-guy in office to replace that-guy who is "bad." Praise God! We can reject the hopelessness and emptiness that linger after reading Freedom and we can embrace the real joy and peace that comes with reading the Bible and seeing that Jesus is our freedom!

Up Next
As best I can tell, the next new episode is Oprah interviewing Dr. William Petit, the man whose wife and daughters were tragically tortured and murdered in his home. That will be Thursday, and then we'll see if there are new episodes next week, as Friday is a rerun. See ya Thursday (possibly Friday, depending on workload and life!)

Tough Decision

I made a tough decision today. I really want to honor God by doing well on this blog! I'm also having to take into consideration the fact that I am about to enter my third trimester of pregnancy, my husband is basically working from midnight to 7 pm, including commute, for the rest of this month, and my own workload is quadrupled! I felt stressed about getting caught up, and through reflection and prayer my heart was pretty clear.

1: I don't like missing any episodes because there's a secret desire to have this published as a book in some form and I think not missing any eps increases my chances (I didn't like seeing that there, but it was).

2: I fear that people will see me miss an ep here and there, or even 4 in a row like last week/Monday, and think that I'm lazy or don't love Jesus and don't honor commitments and take them seriously.

Neither of those are reasons to stress myself out to do every. single. episode! I'm not sure how it will look going forward, but upon review, the ones I missed were about Garth Brooks, remembering JFK Jr, being thankful, and Keith Urban / Nicole Kidman. In other words, there may be some good stuff in there (I'd love to redeem whatever Oprah says about being thankful and pointing to Jesus!) but mostly it's kind of lighter, fluffier stuff. Now, I think those are important, too! The heavy eps weigh me down and the lighter ones are a nice reprieve! But I feel peace about not doing those. As with any missed episode, they are saved on my DVR and if one day I have the time, drive, motivation, and leading from Jesus to do them them I will!

With regards to moving forward, I will still have the intention of doing every episode and not getting behind. However, if I'm getting stressed out and neglecting those things I'm first called to (personal time with Jesus, taking care of my husband and spending time with him, plus various duties in our home, my job, and spending time with people I'm in community with / my various roles in my church) then they have to take precedent and I have to suck up my pride, submit to Jesus, and be honest when I need to skip an ep or two!

Overall, I still just want people to see Jesus. I realize that the guilty feeling of, "What if that episode you missed was the one thing that would have led someone to your blog and they'd read about Jesus for the first time? Now they'll never know the truth you were supposed to write and you missed an opportunity and their remaining in darkness is your fault," isn't from Jesus. I don't know if it's the enemy or my own sinful desires, but either way, it's not Jesus. He's calling me to trust Him, to rest in Him, and to serve Him such that my work is worship. Even if I do get lazy and miss an opportunity He loves me, forgives me, and allows me to be made clean and repent. How I love Him!

So, presuming we're back to new shows next week, I should be back on Monday! Until then, feel free to peruse old posts or ask questions or what have you!

Checking In

Hello all! Due to some crazy health issues, I took a much needed break over Thanksgiving with my husband. That means I am a few episodes behind! But it looks like after today, this week's shows are reruns. Praise Jesus! Just what I needed! So I will work on getting last week's Wednesday - Friday episodes up this week.

Tonight I need the night off--way too much going on today! Sad to report that our apartment building was purchased and the new owners are being heartless and cruel and giving people whose lease's are up one day's notice to move--just before Christmas. It's horrible. So my husband and I are helping by doing research into legal options for those people; praise Jesus, we are protected by our lease until the end of May, so we are planning to move since we are seeing the first hand that these new owners are not honorable people to rent from. Still, it's a bummer of a situation and has hijacked our night. Hopefully I'll have a new episode up tomorrow, but if not then I will Wednesday!

EDIT: Okay, it's 11:30 on Wednesday night and I am EXHAUSTED. I just got done working for nearly 11 hours straight, save for a small nap. I'm a week away from my third trimester, but I'm suddenly getting hit with major exhaustion. Plus, my work load is heavy this week. But I will try to determine what episodes are most important to catch up on and do my best to be on the ball by next week!

Episode 52 - The Mom Who Married A Killer Behind Bars and Astonishing Weddings

Tracy's Upbringing
Tracy is 47 and says she had a very happy, middle-class upbringing by loving parents in San Jose, CA. She has a son in his early teens named Ryan from her second marriage, and when that marriage ended she took a spiritual journey to discover why she had two failed marriages. She's a self-described "free spirit."

Joseph's Upbringing 
Joseph grew up only having seen his father maybe two or three times; he says that his mother went to prison when he was six years old. She killed his "brother's daddy." He was so scared that he cried himself to sleep every night; they lived in a foster home Oakland with rats and roaches. Then, while living with relatives, Mel, his older brother, says he and Joseph were sexually abused. As a teen, Joseph was homeless and started selling drugs around 12 or 13. He says his heart just grew colder and colder, and that he never had a chance at a normal life; he just wanted his mother and father.

Joseph's Crime
On January 30, 1997, at age 19, Joseph and two other men broke into the home of a rival drug dealer with five people inside. Oprah tells us in a voice over that Joseph forced them all to lie face down on the ground while holding them at gunpoint. Though witnesses (the two men with him?) say the victims begged for their lives, Joseph shot all five of them, one at a time, execution style. Two were dead, two shot multiple times but survived, and the last young woman was severely beaten and barely escaped.

At the trial, the prosecution claimed that it was the "super bowl of crimes" and wanted the death penalty, while Joseph's defense claimed that his traumatic upbringing groomed Joseph for a life of crime almost with out any other option. The jury deadlocked at six to six and Joseph was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.

How They Met
Tracy is in the studio, and Oprah tells us that Tracy and Joseph married four days ago. Tracy is part of an African dance troupe, and once a year there is a celebration for the men (a group of men meet with the prisoners who are willing to talk through and deal with their issues of rage, processing their emotions) where her troupe performed at the prison. Tracy met Joseph and they were just chatting and there was a strong connection right away. Oprah asked if Tracy was attracted to him, and she says he was an attractive man but she wasn't "going to go there" with a man in prison. When she left, though, Joesph took her hands and told Tracy he was giving her his heart. Tracy says this touched her deeply, and she thought about Joseph quite a bit before her mind said, "What are you doing... you're not gonna go there."

Before the Wedding
Cameras are in Tracy's home the night before the wedding. She has her outfit--a super colorful skirt and shirt combination--laid out. The prison has strict rules for weddings and Joseph's ring has to cost under $100. Tracy even has to provide the prison with a receipt to prove the cost of the ring, because if it's too valuable then it might be stolen. We learn that Joseph is allowed to call up to twice a day, and Tracy never knows when those calls may come. This time he calls at 7:55 pm and tells Tracy that he's starting to get nervous; it's cute, in the typical "night before getting married jitters" kind of way.

The next morning we see Tracy, excited about her wedding day. Her son Ryan is "excited and maybe a little nervous", saying he's never been to a wedding before and only to the prison once before the wedding day. At the prison, Tracy puts a clunky white sweater on top of her tight purple top, because the prison has strict rules about how tight clothing is allowed to be. Tracy, Ryan, and a couple others go in. Cameras are not allowed to follow, but onscreen text tells us that the ceremony last 20 minutes and Tracy stayed inside for four hours. We see her and Ryan walk out and she cheerfully exclaims, "I'm a married woman! Yay!" and shows off her ring and "beautiful pictures." She's literally giddy.

Support 
In the studio, Oprah asks about Ryan, and Tracy says Ryan supports her decisions just as she supports his. Oprah asks about Tracy's parents, and Tracy says her mother doesn't support the decision and wanted her to change her mind and not marry Joseph. Oprah asks why it wasn't satisfactory to love and care and respect Joseph without marriage, and why was marriage necessary. Tracy says that they are working toward the same goal of their path on a spiritual journey, her on the "outside" and him on the "inside". Oprah asks if they've had a conversation about Joseph murdering people execution style and Tracy says that they both feel as though that person, the man who did those things doesn't exist anymore.

How the Actual Relationship Started
Joseph is on the phone, and Oprah asks him about that first time they met. Joseph says he just knew she was "the one." Oprah asks him about that concept, since he's in prison without parole, if he considered the thought of a life beyond the prison walls. Joseph says that never entered his mind; he just knew he wanted to be with her. Tracy said it took her an entire of considering it, without contact. Another performance a year later at another performance led to another connection that left Tracy considering a relationship, and she told Joseph she was ready to start writing letters and see where the relationship went.

Oprah says it's the "weirdest ass thing" and asks Tracy what it was for her to consider a relationship with a man in prison for murder. Tracy says that, first of all, she knew the prison was very secure and she was personally safe. Secondly, though, she saw Joseph for who he was and gave him the chance for her to simply know him. Joseph reiterates this, saying that Tracy changed him because she gave him "the space to just be [himself]." Tracy taught him what love was, something he'd never known before, with her open heart, which gave him the strength to grow.

Deserving Life After Committing Murder
Oprah bluntly tells Joseph that he murdered two people, took two lives, and "what people want to know" is why he deserves to be happy. Joseph replies that, first of all, he's still alive so if he didn't have a mission left to fulfill on earth then he wouldn't be here. Secondly, he doesn't think he deserves anything. He says that God or a spirit or whatever is very forgiving. He then says that he deserves it because he went through the process of changing himself. He says he chose to be happy, to forgive himself for all he had done. Oprah asks if he owned up to what he has done, and he says that yes he has. He read books on meditation and did work on himself. He says he's not in a guilt place and can't live there, but he has remorse and takes full responsibility for what he has done.

Marital Faithfulness and Sex
Oprah asks Joseph if he expects Tracy to remain faithful; he says he expects her to do what she told him she would do. Oprah tells him he "did not answer the question, sir" with a light hearted tone and he laughs. He says he'll keep it real, and that yes he expects her to be faithful. Oprah asks about conjugal visits, and he says that they're hoping they'll change the rules but as of right now they cannot have a family visit. Oprah makes it clear that she meant sex and Tracy explains that they're called "family visits" now. Tracy says they expect the system to change.

Sustaining A Marriage
Oprah asks Tracy how she expects to sustain a "normal" marriage 5 years out from now. Tracy says that she was already sustaining that lifestyle before she met Joseph, that she had gone without sex for 1, 3, 5 years. She feels it "not anything dramatically life altering" to not have sex for that long. Oprah thanks Joseph and Tracy for their time and goes to break.

***

Nuns
Oprah tells us she had a fascinating time last year with nuns in a convent in Ann Arbor, MI. Through clips, we revisit that show. Of the more than 750,000 Catholic nuns in the world, 60,000 are here in the United States. The average age of the 113 she spoke with  in Ann Arbor, the average age is only 28. Oprah had a profound moment when one nun said, "If you don't believe in something greater than yourself then you'll never do anything greater than yourself."

Becoming Nuns
This year, cameras were allowed in the convent again and we see 22 young women enter to begin the process of becoming nuns; at this stage they are called "aspirants." Oprah tells us in a voice over that they will, "never have sex, will never own possessions, will never have their own money for the rest of their lives." We see a 27 year old woman who says she loved the idea of marriage but ended a relationship a year ago and she's ready to commit to Christ fully. One girl is just 16 years old, while another is fresh out of graduation from Harvard. Another girl, 18, likens becoming a nun to when you meet the person you're supposed to marry; for her, it's committing her life to God. That said, the process lasts one year and the women are allowed to leave at any time. The families and friends say good-bye; for the next year the girls are only allowed to write letters home, but there are no calls and it sounds like few visits allowed. The women aren't allowed any cell phones or computers in the convent at all.

Their "Wedding Day"
The day when a woman says her vows to become a nun and completes the sometimes 8-year-long process is called her "wedding day", to her groom, Jesus Christ. The vows are considered eternal, and their habit with a white veil is considered their wedding dress. The sisters are given a black veil; after five years in the black veil, the nuns say a final set of vows. There is even a reception, a party, replete with cake. We see the new nuns cut the take together. There are even young girls, early teens, who talk about how appealing it is to marry and spend their whole life with Jesus. One mom does say it's hard to not have her daughter marry a young man and raise a family, but one nun says that she is a full-fledged bride of Christ and her love is eternal.

Material vs. Eternal
One sister in the studio discusses with Oprah that for her, the decision to become a nun came at 31 when she sat in her apartment, which she had just finished decorating, and stared at her TV and stereo system and realized that she could give it all up and it wouldn't mean a "hill of beans." Oprah inquires about materialism, and the sister says that she believes that as humans we all look for what is beautiful, good, and true. For her, she sought those things in material possessions and simply never found them, but found them in her calling to be a bride of Christ.

Parental Support
Another sister describes to Oprah how, upon announcing her decision to become a nun, it was the first time she ever saw her father get angry. He didn't want her to do it. However, before she left for the convent, he told her, "If you get there and you hate it we will buy you a plane ticket and fly you home. However, if you get there and you love it, we will come and visit you." The sister is touched by how supportive and loving her parents were despite their initial opposition. She says her family changed and now they value their relationship so much more.

Age
Oprah asks how young is too young, and one of the head sisters tells Oprah that it's about maturity, not age. She says you would never accept someone who is 16 unless you're certain they are mature enough to make the informed decision. However, someone in their 40s can lack the maturity to make the decision with the maturity that a 15 year old can have.

The sisters tell Oprah they pray for her every day, still, and Oprah jokes about how everyone's skin looks so great. She thanks the sisters for their time and we're out!

Gospel Filter Review (GFR)
The major thing that stands out to me about Tracy and Joseph was simply a sadness that they spoke of a "spiritual" journey but never spoke of Jesus. Additionally, Joseph spoke of changing himself and meditation, and Tracy spoke of her spiritual journey of looking inside to assess why she had two failed marriages. I've written about it before, but the answers are not within us! I highly recommend that if you are new you read previous GFR's about the heart. The basic premise is that inside of us is wickedness and we just keep getting more and more wicked the deeper we dig; outside of us is Jesus. He loves us, he gives us himself, and He changes us!

As for the nuns, it's very tricky. First, I am a Protestant, but I am not here to bash on Catholics. I simply want to share what the Bible says. Biblically, Paul does say that it's best for someone who is able to focus 100% on Jesus, and forego a spouse and children, to do so, but that it's not a requirement. Marriage isn't sin, but Paul wished that all could be like him, focused only on Jesus.

Now as a concession, not a command, I say this. I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another. To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single as I am. But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion... 

If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed, if his passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes: let them marry—it is no sin. But whoever is firmly established in his heart, being under no necessity but having his desire under control, and has determined this in his heart, to keep her as his betrothed, he will do well. So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better. A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. Yet in my judgment she is happier if she remains as she is. And I think that I too have the Spirit of God.

I Corinthians 7:6-9, 36-40; ESV

Scripture makes it clear through Paul that living for Jesus only is a wonderful thing. The only hesitation I have about nuns is that, while they do so much good through their charity work and having schools, God's best in scripture does seem to be living in the world, amongst those who don't know Jesus, and allowing our lives to consistently and intentionally connect with people who aren't Christians. Living secluded and in a convent is not something that I can find in scripture. Jesus consistently traveled to people, going into their world and sharing himself with them. Paul, Peter, and the majority of the apostles are consistently seen going on missionary journeys to both build the fledgling churches and to spread the gospel into areas where people didn't know Christ.

The women all had such sweet spirits and seem totally dedicated and committed to Jesus; that's wonderful. I do need to say that while their dedication to Jesus is sweet, I am every bit as much the bride of Christ as they are despite their special ceremony. So is my husband and every brother or sister who is a Christian, including you if you are in relationship with Christ! Collectively, we are the church and the Bible tells us in Revelation (and elsewhere) that the church is the bride of Christ and will one day collectively celebrate a wedding ceremony in heaven.

So, as to the nuns, I do pray that their relationship with and devotion to Jesus is something that will flow out of them into the lives of many who don't know Jesus so that His glory and renown can be made even greater. I pray for all of us who love Jesus that are in the world, that we wouldn't be of the world per Jesus' prayer for all believers. I can't say outright that being a nun is sinful, but I do pray that all Christians would allow Jesus to maximize our impact in this world for His glory!

Up Tomorrow

The Hottest Tickets on Earth Plus Superstar Garth Brooks

Episode 51 - For the First Time Ever: Oprah's Ultimate Favorite Things, Part 2 of 2

Oprah's Ultimate Favorite Things, Part 2 of 2

So, I was actually really looking forward to this episode. I love seeing people have free stuff given to them. But, thanks to a November Snowmaggedon in Seattle (my favorite twitter hashtag, though I am not someone who ever says OMG, was #snOMG) the news decided they were going to cover the hellish commute and bump Oprah over to another channel. This does not a TiVo friendly move make when it's last minute, ergo... I got nada. I'm not going to lie to you--I'm supper annoyed to miss this episode, but the one about a lady marrying a man in prison for murder? That sure recorded. BOO!

If you want to see what she gave away, you can check out the Oprah Show's website. Sorry about this! I sure wish I would have known! It's intermixed with the items from Friday's show, but you can see what she gave away here:

http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Oprahs-Ultimate-Favorite-Things-2010

The biggie looks to have been a 2012 Volkswagen Beetle, which they weren't even allowed to see because it's not being released for sight until May 2011. Fun! Now, onto that previously whined about whacky marriages post :)

Up Tomorrow

The Mom Who Married A Killer Behind Bars and Astonishing Weddings

Episode 50 - Oprah's Ultimate Favorite Things, Part 1 of 2

Giving
We're promised that this is the "most fantastical favorite things ever", and a "two-day joy filled frenzy." Well, if that's just not exciting I don't know what is! Oprah opens by telling us that her audience is filled with ultimate viewers who have given back in some way to the people around them. She says giving is one of the most important things you can do, and she has two chairs so that people can come up and she can interview them about how they have given.

Oprah thinks the best way to prepare for giving is meditation, and we hear what I can only assume is a meditation gong? She asks how many people meditate and only a few people raise their hands; she cracks a joke about the lack of a "rousing" response but talks about how meditating allows you to clear a channel for giving to others. She says, "How about we meditate on this?" The sound of jingling bells start, Oprah removes the (weird) black and yellow outfit that was covering a red (Santa inspired?) dress, says something about "favorite things", and, as you might expect, pretty much euphoria breaks out. Grown men are jumping up and down in circles and other grown men are sobbing... and that's just the men, never mind the ladies. That tells you something! Not to mention the fact that Oprah has medics in the audience in case someone gets too, too excited.

After transforming the studio from black and dark into a sparkling winter wonderland, Oprah jokes to "hold onto yourself" because "it's a long hour." She can't even say "favorite things" without massive screaming breaking out. She's regiving some of her ultimate favorite things and then some new stuff as well.

The "favorite things" list:
(Retail prices are rounded up to nearest dollar)

1. Limited Edition 25th Anniversary "Oprah" Watch by Philip Stein (it's got 58 diamonds, people!)
      Retail price: $2,475

2. Flannel Tory Tote & Custom Made Reva Ballerina Flat by Tory Burch
      Retail price: $445

3.  Nikon D3100 Digital SLR Camera with HD Video (yeah, I'm jealous of this one!)
      Retail price: $700

4. Long Sleeve Open Placket Cashmere Sweater & Cashmere Cable Throw by Ralph Lauren
      Retail price: $498 (that's just for the sweater, not including the blanket!)

5. Judith Ripka Eclipse Earrings (made with canary crystal with white sapphires set in sterling silver)
      Retail price: $525

6.  Andre Walker Hair Care Products (the ONLY thing Oprah uses on her hair from her only hairstylist for 25 years)
      Retail price: $65

7.  Lafco House and Home Collection Candle Set (retail $55 each; all 18 scents to each person)
      Retail price: $990

8. Breville Panini Press (she loves it so much she bought 22 as personal gifts to give away to love ones!)
      Retail price: $100

9. Kyocera Ceramic Cutlery Set of 2 Knives, Santoku & Paring (the "only" knife Oprah uses!)
      Retail price: $75

10. Beecher's "World's Best" Handmade Mac & Cheese (comes frozen)

      Retail price: $29

11. Baker's Edge Lasagna & Brownie Pans with Ghiradelli Brownie Mix

      Retail price: $35 (but that's only for the brownie pan, so I estimate $80 for all three)

12. A Course in Weight Loss by Marianne Williamson (21 spiritual lessons to weight loss)

      Retail price: $25

13. Decoded by Jay-Z (gives context and "aha" moments about the culture of hip-hop)

      Retail price: $35

14. 5 Year Netflix Membership

      Retail price: $600 (my estimate of $10 per month for 5 years)

15. Sony Bravia 52" HD 3D Television + Sony BDP-5570 3D Blu-ray Disc Player

      Retail price: $3,600 (just for TV)

16. elfa Customizable Container System from the Container Store

      Retail price: up to $1,000

17. Season 25 V-neck T-shirt from the Oprah store

      Retail price: $38

18. Lululemon Relaxed Fit Exercise/Lounge Pants

     Retail price: $98

19. Nike Free Run + Shoes

     Retail price: $370 (4 pairs, for entire family, at $85 each)

20. Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas 7-day Cruise + United Airlines tickets to port

     Retail price: $4,000 (my total guesstimate, since they didn't say and it's not on the website)

Estimated total retail of gifts: $15,703 (not including extras that didn't list a price; does include my estimates)

 For the record, assuming her audience was its normal size of 300-ish, today's giveaways total almost $5 million. Crazy town. I do assume that most of the items are donated by the companies, because being on this show gets them CRAZY amounts of publicity, so they almost certainly make money despite their hefty donations of goods for the show. In other words, Oprah's not emptying out her personal coffers. Still, it's a lot of stuff being given away!

Extras
Oprah shares about Kiva.org, a site where for as little as $25 you can give a loan to impoverished entrepreneurs around the world. These small loans help people start small businesses with these small loans. Groupon supplied the entire audience with $100 gift cards to go to Kiva and choose whose loans to fund. Groupon is also matching what viewers give Kiva up to $500,000. If you're interested, you can go here to give and Groupon will give another $10:

http://www.kiva.org/

The Black Eyed Peas Perform
After sharing all of the favorite things, the Black Eyed Peas sing a mash-up of their latest hit, the remake of Time Of My Life (yes, that one from Dirty Dancing), with the Christmas classic Little Drummer Boy. Oprah says their her favorite group and she gives the entire audience a copy of The Beginning, the Black Eyed Peas' latest album. She thanks everyone, and tells the audience that they can go home and listen to Time Of My Life and think about how they had the time of their lives getting free stuff. And then we're out!

Gospel Filter Review (GFR)

I have written before about Oprah giving things away and her generosity, which you can read about in the GFR's of these posts.

One thing that stood out to me today was materialism. Here's the deal: there's nothing wrong with stuff. God is a generous God, who loves to give good gifts! He gave the greatest gift of all: Himself. Jesus died on the cross to give us the gift of salvation and then He gives us Himself again when He indwells us with His Holy Spirit. The Bible also says it's not a sin to be rich and it never condemns having nice things. What the Bible does say is sin, though, is the love of money, or, the love of things money can provide.

One of the pastors at my church actually just released a great book called Money: God or Gift? If you follow the link you can buy the book with free 2 day shipping for only $5! The basic premise is that money is a useful tool from God that He blesses us with and we should in turn bless others with. As an example (that I am making up; it's not from the book), it's ok to furnish a comfortable home for your family. This blesses your family and you can be gracious hosts and have others in your home and bless them. It's not really a blessing to invite people into a cardboard box dripping with rain, filled with smoke from a fire in the corner because there's no other source of heat, and sitting in the dirt with a dinner of cold chili from a can. It certainly wouldn't bless your children or spouse. Gross, right? If we said that we had to live that way while working really hard to make money and give it to the poor to honor Jesus then I don't think anyone would want to become a Christian!

So then, it's ok to ask Jesus about what it looks like to live within your means and have a comfortable home with nice things. It's not inherently sinful. However, all of us have a proclivity, because we are worshipers who are always worshiping something, to begin to worship the things and the stuff and not the worship the One who provided the stuff. This is when we tend to hoard and be greedy. We don't give generously to others in need and we don't share what we have. We focus on the next thing we want to buy, or what we want to upgrade, or maybe how much we want to have in savings in case anything breaks and we can feel secure that we'll be able to fix / replace it. Money then becomes our object of worship and we don't worship God with how we spend it.

This is relevant to today's episode, because it clearly blessed those people to get all of those free things, and that's not wrong! But I even caught myself wishing I was being given that camera. I justified it, thinking, "I don't care about diamond watches or cashmere sweaters, but I sure would love that camera! It has HD video and I'm having my first baby in 3 months and it sure would be nice... I wish I were getting that camera for free." I wasn't wanting to take anyone else's away, I just wished I were somehow getting one. The slope is slippery into envy and coveting, though, and the Bible clearly warns against these. Here is a short litany of verses that warn against envy and covetousness (emphases mine):

They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness... though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die.

  Romans 1:29, 32a

For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.

  Mark 7:21-23 (the words of Jesus)

Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” For he knew that it was out of envy that they [the Jewish religious leaders*] had delivered [Jesus] up [to be crucified; murdered]. 

  Matthew 27:15-18

You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.

  Exodus 20:17 (one of the Ten    Commandments)

You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 

   James 4:2-4

*the Bible makes it clear that Jesus was crucified for the sins of all people; I nailed Jesus Christ to the cross, delivered Him up to be crucified, every bit as much as those tangibly there plotting for His arrest. Historically and Biblically, though, it was the Jewish religious leaders who had Jesus arrested, accused him of blasphemy, and incited the crowd to thirst after Jesus' bloody death. See Matthew 26 & 27, Mark 14 & 15, Luke 22 & 23, and John 18 & 19.

There are so many themes here, but the resounding message is that envy and coveting are sinful and lead to all kinds of horrible things. When we get greedy and just want stuff, stuff, stuff (though envy and coveting can refer to non-tangible things like status, power, being respected, etc) it hurts us, it hurts others, and it offends the heart of God. God loves us and wants us to be free, filled with joy. I love that the James verse makes it clear that sometimes we ask God for things and He says, "No," because He knows that if we get it we'll just use it to worship our passions, and it will lead our hearts further away from him. He knows our only freedom and joy is found in being at peace with him, but love of the world (as it's called in I John 2) chokes out love of God and ultimately leads to destruction and death.

Have you ever had a friend owe you money, or maybe you owed them money and it came between you? Perhaps it was an item you let someone borrow but they broke it and didn't replace or fix it. Or maybe someone constantly said they couldn't afford certain things and they expected you to pull some or all of their weight. Maybe you were that person, expecting others to do things for you because they made more money or you came from poverty but they had wealthy parents who bought them stuff so you felt like it was no biggie for them to drive their much nicer car all the time and they pay could for the gas, too. Perhaps none of these apply, but it's triggering a memory of something else that's related.

In that situation, were you freely loving them and receiving love from them? And was your heart inclined to worship Jesus out of joy and thanksgiving? I am willing to guess not. Maybe you felt critical of every penny they spent. Maybe you became anxious every time it was something requiring a carpool and you knew said friend / roommate would have some excuse for why you needed to drive and you would get worked up just in anticipation of the conversation. And then they would not offer gas money and you would bitterly chew them out in your heart when you filled up with gas that you paid for while they went in and bought $7 in junk food and snacks for themselves and didn't offer you so much as a stick of gum.

Maybe you were the withholding one, and you felt nervous because you made such a big deal about what you couldn't afford but then you hid those cute shoes you got because you didn't want your friend to know you spent the money on them. Or when you finally did wear them in front of her you compounded the sin by lying either about the cost and/or how long you had owned them, saying you got them a long time ago but just never wore them. Maybe you told the truth, but heavily overemphasized what a great deal you got on them and how honestly it was a need verging on desperation.

Where is the love and freedom and joy in any of that? Envy and coveting lead to greed and selfishness and even lying and deceit and more and more sin. Again, it hurts us, it hurts our relationships, and it hurts and offends the heart of our generous and good God. So today, it was fine for Oprah to give away nearly $5 million worth of stuff. And it's wonderful that she gave to people who have been gracious and generous givers to people around them. But let's check our own hearts, and ask the Holy Spirit--where are greed, envy, and covetousness, or love of money, lurking in my heart? Where am I blinded by desire for "stuff" and it supercedes my desire to know and worship You, Father?

Ask Jesus for a generous and loving heart that reflects His. The only way to see this transformation is to ask the Father to increase your awareness and appreciation for how generously He gives to you! As you see His good and perfectly generous character flowing toward you and you worship Him then these same attributes will flow through you to others. Praise God that He is generous towards us!

Finally, for additional resources, here is a GREAT (and relatively short!) sermon series called Generous exploring these themes in greater depth in scripture. Put them on while you scrub down your kitchen over the next week or two-- they will seriously bless you! It's four sermons, and less than 2 hours of total content. I know you can squeeze that in!

Oh, and a quick PS--meditation as a channel to within ourselves for the sake of giving to others is worthless! Even though it was sort of shared in a lighthearted way, we know Oprah's serious about meditation and we can REJECT her notion of meditation!

I know I've touched on that before, but look again at the second verse I listed, the passage from Mark 7--ugly things come out of our hearts! We need not meditate inward but pray upward, in worship and repentance of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit. From our Trinitarian God comes good things to give and bless others; if it's originating with us then, no matter how generous and good it seems, ultimately it ends with us and satisfying our own sinful motives in some way or another and that leads to death and blesses no one. But if it originates with Christ and flows through us then it honors Jesus, blesses others, and brings us joy. Choose option B!

Up Monday

Oprah's Ultimate Favorite Things, Part 2 of 2 

Episode 49 - Oprah! Makeover This Couple with Carson Kressley

Today's a bit of a fluff episode, so the recap will be super brief. I mean super brief! Oprah has fashion guru Carson Kressley on the show. He says one thing that's so right--tights are not pants! Tights are great, but they aren't pants, so wear something long over them! He encourages people to wear colors that make them feel beautiful.

Randy and Nina
Randy and Nina used to live in Montreal and Manhattan; she even worked in high fashion. They said good-bye to city life and moved to a farm in upstate New York. They've become very relaxed and their clothes are very relaxed. Carson took them to Nordstrom and dressed them up, and they look fantastic! Not at all "country-fied" anymore. He does a good job of matching things that work with the fact that they do live in the country. In other words, realistic clothes that are stylin'. Lovely.

Carson Hits Up the Jersey Shore
Carson gives people fashion advice whilst visiting the Jersey Shore. From a man looking "Santa Claus-ish" in a big red T-shirt and suspenders to a woman wearing what could only be Michael Jackson's Thriller video red pleather jacket made into a head-to-toe outfit, he gently helps direct people toward how to update their look. The lady, Patricia, is in the studio wearing some dark denim jeans, a long white tank with a skinny belt over it on her waist, and the same red jacket. She looks great!

Mia & Ty
These two live in clothes that are super comfortable. The husband wears a T-shirt, shorts, socks, and flip-flops. It's... interesting. Ty calls Mia's style Alabama sexy--she wears T-shirts and sweats. Carson dresses them up for a date night, and they look awesome! Ty tells Mia she looks like a movie star and then tells the audience to turn their heads for a minute. Once again, they look awesome :)

John & Kate (not that Jon & Kate)
John's clothes are... awful. Everything has holes and his shirts are so thin that you can see everything through them. Everything Kate wears is cotton and stretchy, and John cuts her hair, so when she went to get it cut somewhere else a year ago they said that one side was 2" longer than the other! In their makeover, Kate has a new accessory that makes her mom scream--John proposed and she said yes!

Linda & Clark
Linda wears birkenstocks and hasn't cut her hair since 1985. Clark outdoes her, though--he wears kilts every day! I have to say, the fact that they are from Seattle does not shock me :) Clark even wears his kilts while he teaches a class as a law professor. The awesomely awesome looking in a grey suit Clark tells Oprah that Seattle is the home of a kilt company and that you see guys all over Seattle wearing kilts. I have to say here that you sure don't! I live in Seattle--Seattle-Seattle, not the suburbs--and have never seen a man in a kilt! Linda, with her gorgeous haircut (Ken Paves did all of the haircuts), looks about 25 years younger.

Darren & Becky
Darren wears roughed up jeans with holes and stains, T-shirts, and ballcaps every day. Becky wears scrubs a lot because she's a nurse, and she wears "house shoes" (read: fluffly slippers!) everywhere--to the post office, grocery store, etc. They both look super awesome again and it's clear to me that Carson thinks that a man has to be wearing a jacket of some sort if they are made over. It's cool, but my husband sure isn't into them! Becky is sweet and says that she can't decide if she's been in Chicago the last few days, or in heaven.

Carson's Own Shows
Oprah had Carson do a show for her new network, the Oprah Winfrey Network, in which they did an American Idol or Next Food Network Star type search for a person to have a show on the network. It's called Your OWN Show. Carson will also be doing a fashion-oriented show for OWN called Carson-Nation.

Rich & Peggy Sue
We see a clip from 1987, in Oprah's first ever makeover show. Whoa, hello 80s! We get to see the makeovers of a couple named Peggy Sue and Rich and Oprah has them in the studio today. Oprah asks how long they kept it going, and Peggy Sue says they kept it up for a few months, but her sage advice to the people from today's show is that as they slip back into your old ways try to remember snippets of the experience they are having to hold onto because it's "fabulous." Oprah clarifies that people should use it to transform a part of themselves.

She thanks Carson and Ken, and we're out!

Gospel Filter Review (GFR)
I don't think there is a single thing wrong with looking good. But I sure have written about fashion before so you can read about it in the GFR of this post. It's written primarily to women, though the principles of worshiping Jesus in all things and allowing ourselves to look nice without worshiping our image hold true for men as well. I've also written about beauty and you can see that GFR as well.

I will reiterate that transformation does not happen from the outside in--Jesus transforms us from the inside out.

Tomorrow is about favorite things and I can't lie--I'm excited to see people win free stuff!



Up Tomorrow

Oprah's Ultimate Favorite Things

Episode 48 - Do You Believe In Miracles?

Today is about miracles. Oprah tells us to stick to what we believe is true, and to be our own judge.

John of God
A simple Brazilian farmer, there is a man known as John of God. He was given this name by others. Susan Casey of O Magazine traveled to see him; people from around the world visit him to be miraculously healed of everything from cancer to blindness. Many say he's a simple man who is working to fulfill his spiritual duty. Some say he gets his gift from the spirits of 30 dead doctors and saints who work through him.

Though he has no medical degree, John of God frequently performs simple surgeries such as eye scrapings, nasal probings, or incisions somewhere on the body. We see an image of him cutting into a woman's upper arm and moving his finger around inside of the hole. Despite using no anesthesia or pain medication, most of those who have had his procedures performed on him report feeling little to no pain and almost no infections are reported. One woman reports that when he operated on her, she could literally feel something black coming out of her.

Most of John of God's surgeries are "invisible" surgeries, where he walks around a room and the surgeries are performed on multiple people at a time, only he (nor anyone else) never touches anyone. John refuses to take any money and says that he isn't doing the work, that it's the power of God. He encourages people to continue their entire medical regime, though some people experience partial remission and others experience complete healing.

Why John of God Doesn't Charge

John of God doesn't charge for what he does because he says you cannot charge for what is not yours. He feels like charging for the work done through him that's not of him would cause him to be stripped of his power to heal. 

Susan's Thoughts on John of God
Oprah sits down with Susan Casey, and asks if she was a skeptic. Susan says that she tried to be neutral, not too skeptical nor already convinced the other way. People wear white because it apparently helps John see what is going on in their "energy". The first thing Susan saw was John scraping a woman's eyeball with a knife; Susan was shocked to see that the woman never flinched. Dr. Oz's explanation is that something like that can create an intense immune reaction, and maybe that's what's causing the healing.

After a break, Oprah asks Susan how she explains what she saw. Susan says she feels like it's all of the positive and good thoughts that people have but focused in a much more intense way. Oprah quotes the Bible saying, "When two or more are gathered in my name." She says she feels that having so many people gathered with such hopefulness is what is so effective.

How John Healed Susan
Susan was in a deep depression after her father's death. She hoped that maybe John could help fill the hole left. Susan met John. The first time he looked in her eyes and told her to go partake in a blessing. The second time he told her to go sit in the healing room and be with her father. She went to that room and felt like she was out of body, that it was so peaceful and serene, and she meditated and talked with her father there. She sat there for three hours and it went by in what felt like a few minutes. Eventually Susan began feeling lighter and after three days she says she realized that she was being healed.

A Skeptic
In a clip from a documentary about John of God, a woman explains how if you have doubt then you are putting darkness against God's will. She says ask God for something with an open heart and an open mind then, "in time you will receive. You will get your blessing." Dr. Jeff Rediger, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard, went as a skeptic. He took a team that collected medical and lab reports to see if people's reports of healing were medical fact, expecting to find the farce.

We see a scene in which a man's arm is cut open and John of God appears to be removing something. The man feels no pain, yet can feel Dr. Rediger touching his hand. The man is there for spiritual healing, and John of God removes physical pieces of something (we don't know what) from the arm and the man feels better. Dr. Rediger says he can't explain things he saw, like John of God cutting into a woman's cornea and and she felt no pain. In the healing room, Dr. Rediger reports being able to see white light around people who were praying. Then, afterward there is a spot of blood tricking down his abdomen from slightly right of his ribcage, and he's told John of God performed an invisible surgery on him.

A woman asks if Dr. Rediger feels violated, and he says no, that he feels completely in control. That is why he feels afraid, because he feels in control. Back in the studio, Oprah asks what was going on with the bleeding and Dr. Rediger says that, though it was 7 years ago, he still doesn't understand it. It changed everything in his life (from his very logical, material worldview to one open to spiritual things) but he still doesn't understand it.

In trying to explain what happened to him, Dr. Rediger wrote: "My interpretation of what happened to me is this. In short, we all matter far more than we typically have a clue about, and love is what is real. We tend to believe in what we can see and touch and believe that the world as it appears to be is the real world. On the basis of my experience, I've come to believe that reality is both revealed and concealed by the world we see with our eyes and that none of us are who we appear to be." Oprah thinks that's why were all here, that on some level none of us are what we appear to be, that we're just wearing little human suits to disguise who we really are.

Mark
A man named Mark was struggling with his belief in God. John of God shoved basically a long pair of scissors in his nose; he felt excruciating pain and like John was in his brain. He saw a burst of yellow light and then felt peace and calm. Watching the video with Dr. Rediger, they find see that even at an angle the scissors were several inches longer than the space at the back of the sinus. After internet research, they discover that John of God really must have been hitting Mark's brain (again, he pulled some unidentifiable object out). Mark says his whole struggle was whether there is or isn't a God; he now says there is, because he survived that (as he says "that" we see the clip again of John of God aggressively shoving the long metal scissors up deep into Mark's head).


Dr. Rediger on the Skeptics
Some skeptics say John of God just pulled a slight of hand in a case like this, that somehow he finaggled the scissors safely into the sinus cavity. Dr. Rediger says perhaps it is a slight of hand, but that there is a profound ability of the human mind to believe things and there is a need for research into the belief aspect. Dr. Rediger says that if you can say something to the effect of, "I believe this in my head but I don't get it in my heart, it's too much," and then an incision from an invisible surgery appears over your heart then clearly there's something inexplicable, supernatural happening.

Dr. Rediger on the Meaning of Life
He doesn't know what it means, but while he's not religious he's now into cultivating the spirit. What he believes now is that we all matter far more than we think we do, there's something, "unrepeatable and good about who we are," there's something mysterious about being human, and that our suffering comes from not getting it about the dignity and goodness of what our individual life means. He says we may feel alone and we're not alone in any way like we think we are, we're connected to one another, and the point of our lives is to get it about that.

Lisa
At 37, Lisa was diagnosed with breast cancer and it was recommended that she have a double mastectomy. Instead, she refused and visited John of God. While there, she volunteered for a visible surgery and had a nasal probe. She says it was cold and she remembers a crunching sound; it wasn't painful, simply more like shock. Upon returning home, she abstained from things like alcohol and sex for 40 days at John's recommendation and then had a biopsy; the result was still malignant. That was seven years ago. Oprah asks if she thinks she was healed in any way, and Lisa says she thought she wasn't but then hearing Susan describe her healing from the loss of her father made Lisa realize she had carried the loss of her mother (whom she watched die from cancer while in her teens) for years and that was lifted. Though she's never been totally healed of cancer, she was in stage four and she was told in 2007 that she has 2-5 years. She feels that she's still healing because she's working with divine intelligence. She never appreciated herself as a human being but now is learning that.

Ernie
Ernie had a tumor near his spine; we see very, very graphic video of John of God cutting into Ernie's back and removing the tumor. The Oprah show spoke with Ernie's doctor and the tumor was there and now is gone. Oprah asks Ernie how he explains it, and he says he can only explain that we're more than flesh and blood, that we're also a source of energy.

Dr. Rediger on Explaining
Since he still can't explain anything, Dr. Rediger says he would want to gather data, do research, and get facts. He feels it's less about the phenomena than what we do with it. He can't explain why not everyone is healed--Lisa still has stage four cancer, and Ernie is totally healed. Dr. Rediger says that we're all different, it's the journey of a soul. Oprah says we all bring different energy to John of God; he responds to what is brought and not all energies react the same or need the same thing.

Closing Thoughts
In the final moments, Oprah reads what Dr. Rediger said to her in an e-mail he wrote to the show about his experience: "Perhaps the real heart within us it not just a pump. Perhaps the real heart within us is about love and faith. Perhaps the physical body is not who we really are. Perhaps we are these invisible souls walking around and the body is just an instrument or metaphor for something we are trying to learn."

Oprah thanks everyone, plugs the December article on John of God in O Magazine and plugs the O Magazine iPad app, which is how she now reads everything.


Gospel Filter Review (GFR)
This is heavy stuff. Here is what stood out to me: God is not the only spirit able to perform supernatural miracles. Satan is a supernatural being capable of supernatural acts. In Exodus 7:11&22 and 8:7 we see non-believers able to perform the same miracles that God allowed Moses to perform; it's supernatural and not from God, which leaves the other major supernatural power in the world: Satan.

So, then, is John of God doing these things by God's power or Satan's? The Bible says to test the spirits. The Bible says it better than I could:

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. 

1 John 4:1-6, ESV

Notice that the implication of this passage is that there will be things that sure look like they are from God, but we can't assume that they are. This is the check in my spirit from this episode. I can make no claim about John of God himself, since I only know what the Oprah show represented. I will say that there wasn't a single word uttered in this hour about Jesus Christ, that He is God, the shedding of His innocent blood, nor our need of being washed in that blood for forgiveness of sins. Again, we don't get to hear what John of God himself testifies to, and we don't have evidence that every single person that Jesus healed went on to worship Him and believe in Him.

With all of that said, the stance the Oprah show took, of focusing on our "energy" as human beings, how interconnected we all are and how we need to focus our good energy on ourselves and one another, must be redeemed. First, we need to reject the idea that we're energy. Nowhere in the Bible are we called "energy". We have souls and spirits, yes. But those were created by God for His glory that we might worship Him. Before sin broke the relationship, Adam and Eve were companions whom God delighted in.

Additionally, we do not have good in ourselves. I've said it before and I'll say it again (read the GFR on that post), because the Bible makes it emphatically clear: our hearts are wicked, bent continuously on evil. Any good comes not from us but through us as a gift of God's grace.

Lastly, we can redeem the idea that we're all of inherent divine value and worth. This was twisted to be about humanity for humanity's sake, but the Bible tells us that we are of inherent value and worth--to God. "For God so loved the world that...while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (that's a mash-up of John 3:16 and Romans 5:8). God loves us, and already loved us when He nailed His son to the cross to die for our sins despite us being His enemy. He doesn't love us because of anything good in us, but because He created us. He loves creation, and we as humans are His favorite part! He knows us individually and loves us. This is so much better than it just being about humanity for humanity's sake--a loving and all powerful God knows and loves us perfectly and we get to know Him.

I pray that people would know that. I pray that when Oprah quotes the Bible people would be led to scripture to see what it's about and not just take her word for it. People being gathered in Jesus' name is spoken of by Jesus in the context of His people praying together, but it's flanked on both sides by the theme of forgiving people when they sin against us. The point is that there is power in asking God for things, and it doesn't exclude asking Him for healing, but if you read Matthew 18, again, the money verse about gathering in Jesus' name (verse 20) is flanked in verses 15-17 and 21-35 by Jesus teaching about forgiveness. I pray people would read God's Word and see that it's not only about asking Jesus to give us something or celebrate the energy of humanity, but about gathering with others who love Jesus and worshiping Him together.


Up Tomorrow

Oprah! Makeover This Couple with Carson Kressley

Episode 47 - Once in a Lifetime Barbra Streisand Extravaganza

I have never seen a single Barbra Streisand movie--not even The Way We Were--nor listened to any of her music. I actually know almost nothing about her, other than she's Jewish, refused to get a nose job, her nickname is Babs (at least in the media world), and people worship her. So this will be interesting.

Career Accolades
Barbra was born in Brooklyn, and at age 18 she walked into a club and entered and won a singing contest. she went to Broadway and by age 21 she was Fanny Brice in Funny Girl, which she reprised in the film version and for which she won an Oscar. In 1983 she went behind the camera, as the first woman to direct, produce, and star in a film, called Yentl. Over the last 5 decades she has won 2 Oscars, 11 Golden Globes, 1 Tony, 8 Grammys, and 5 Emmys (another EGOT!). She's also sold 70 million albums and has sold out many tours.

Looking Back
When she comes out, the audience literally goes crazy. Women are crying, dancing, and just thrilled. Oprah asks if it ever gets old, and Barbra says it's very nice. Oprah asks how she's doing, and Barbra says she has just returned from eating and gaining weight at spas abroad. Oprah asks if Barbra feels pride looking back, but Barbra says that she tries to live in the moment and not get too wrapped up in her career, which she says she realizes from the video montage is a very long one.

The Music
Oprah recounts a phone conversation in which Barbra told her she never meant to be a singer, and that she doesn't even love it that much. Barbra clarifies that she loves singing when it's just her and the music, but that when there's the performance aspect there is a pressure added. She doesn't want to disappoint anyone. Barbra loves the music, but she says she can't sing in someone's living room because the pressure affects her. Barbra jokes about the person in the front row of a concert, who thinks that because they paid more money they are entitled to be more critical, and she prefers her fans who are "up there", pointing toward where the nosebleed seats would be.

James Brolin
Married for 12 years, and dating before that, Oprah asks Barbra what her husband has taught her about love. Barbra replies that she has to watch her tone. Oprah then asks what being married has taught Barbra about herself. Barbra says they are tough questions, and Oprah says it's their last time! Barbra says she likes companionship, that she doesn't like to be alone, but that you have to really work at it. Oprah says that she has learned with Steadman (Graham), her partner, which she clarifies to all that she chose not to be married, she has learned that she thinks, "it takes a special man to be with a woman who has the kind of light on me that I have and to be his own self." They agree that this is true with Barbra's husband Josh, as well.

Babs' Leading Men
Oprah's producers sat down with some of the men who have starred opposite Barbra throughout the years. Jeff Bridges says that while she's amazingly talented, he loves the down home side of Barbra. Mandy Patinkin describes refusing to add a kiss into his movie with her, and now he wishes he would have kissed her. Barbra seems to get a kick out of that. Her intense scenes with Nick Nolte were, as he says, a bit too real and too hot. Kris Kristofferson describes a famous bathtub scene with Barbra as one of of the sexiest he has ever done and says it "always brings a smile to [his] face."

Robert Redford
Barbra then sings the title track from her very famous movie The Way We Were. I can't lie--so boring! I fast-forwarded through the singing, but had to stop a bit because just as Oprah tells Barbra, "I heard you've never done an interview together," women start screaming and the man himself walks out onto the stage. After a break, Oprah tells us in a voice over about the storyline of the movie: basically, opposites attract and it's passionate but ill-fated. Oprah says that she's wanted Robert on the show for 25 years, and it was them playing tribute to Barbra that got him to agree to come.

Robert Redford on Hubell
Barbra wonders aloud why they've never done an interview together, and Robert quips that it's because the thought he'd never get a word in. Oprah asks him if it's true that he almost turned down his role in the movie, and Barbra emphatically replies, "Oh, yes!" Honestly, it's a delectable TV moment as all three--and the audience, and me, too!--burst into laughter at the irony. Robert says that he thought the character in the original script was like a Ken doll, too one dimensional and not flawed or realistic.

Chemistry
Oprah says that what blew people away was the chemistry between Barbra and Robert. Redford expresses that he originally saw her as incredibly talented in the music genre but was concerned whether she'd do the work to be a great actress. The director, Sydney Pollack, wanted Redford to talk to the incredibly nervous Barbra before their first scene, but Redford refused. He felt that her being nervous in the scene where they first meet would be good, and the chemistry could develop organically throughout the film, and it did.

Tidbits
After a montage of Robert Redford's film accolades and career achievements, we're back to him, Oprah, and Barbra Streisand. Redford is the founder of the Sundance Film Festival, and he's renowned for the work he has done to create opportunities for "new voices, new artists." Oprah is surprised to hear Barbra call Robert "Bob" and we learn that Barbra has such a poor sense of direction that when she was doing Yentl they had to put yellow tape from the set to her trailer because she kept getting lost.

No The Way We Were Sequel
Barbra says that she wanted to do a sequel because she thought there was a great story to be told about the couple's daughter from the original film. Robert felt that it was best to leave a good thing alone. However, though, he never saw the real film. He saw the rough cut but never the finished product. Oprah is shocked and Redford admits that when he's wrong, he's really wrong.

Barbra's Dream Home
Barbra recently published her first book, My Passion for Design. It took her 16 years to build and design her dream home on the California coast. We learn that Barbra has always loved barns, that they feel very Ameican to her. She has chickens, a pond with fish, a huge water wheel, and water lillies. Her barn themed home has a stone silo and eagle weathervane from 1850 that she bought at auction. She has streams and many water features because she loves the tranquility of water. Barbra was involved in every knob, brick, and stone that went into her house.

Barbra's home actually is three houses--the barn house, the formal home. Her guest home is Cape Cod themed and faces the ocean, which is where she does her recording. It's simply a very feminine, frilly room and she sets up a mic and music stand to record. Her basement is a "street of shops". She has a lot of stuff that she loves collecting, so instead of putting it in storage, her basement appears to be like a street with little shops and her items are on display. I'm glad I don't do her dusting!

Why She Chose Her Charity
A portion of all proceeds will go to women's cardiovascular health. Barbra was shocked to find out that heart disease kills more women than all cancers combined. She asks if Oprah knows that, and Oprah says she did. Barbra's shocked that Oprah knew, and Oprah quips, "I do the Oprah show!" Barbra is raising money for a charity that will help with women's cardiovascular health, hoping to raise $5 million dollars that she will match with her own money.

Greatness
There's a wonderful clip of Oprah sitting down with barbra 14 years ago, telling Barbra that she's the ultimate star. This is because Barbra at her best makes Oprah want to reach for and be her best, and that's what a true star does. If that doesn't set up my Gospel Filter Review, I don't know what does!

Oprah thanks her for visiting one more time, plugs the book again, tells the screaming audience that they each get a copy and we're out!

Gospel Filter Review (GFR)
This review is super simple--I have written about greatness many times before and it's best to point you to those. The simple recap, though, is what Oprah herself said, just redeemed. Oprah told Barbra that her being a star inspires Oprah to shine her brightest, basically. This is partially true. God's best for us is when we worship Him with the ways He has created us to be. If we can sing like Barbra, praise God! Jesus doesn't want us to hide in a corner with our mouth shut. He gifted the person with that voice! Only, it's not so we can shine like our own star and to feel great about ourselves for our own glory. It's not even about helping or blessing other people. It's about living for Jesus, worshiping him with our gifts, and serving and blessing others out of worshiping Jesus for His glory and not our own. Jesus Himself lived that way!

Again, this is covered in depth in other posts, so if you're new, check those out!


Up Tomorrow

Do You Believe In Miracles?