Movie review

Recently I watched the movie Penelope with my family.
I'd wanted to watch if for a while, so when Netflix delivered,
I was excited. My hubby, not so much. A movie about a girl that looks like a pig... Why? That's a boy for you! :) For some reason, it made total sense to me. By the way, this movie was rated PG.

So initially, the girl, played by Christina Ricci, had a startling appearance. She was the result of a curse placed on her family years ago, and the only way to be break the spell was to find someone to marry her as she was.

After a series of frightened suitors ran away, Penelope had finally had enough and decided to run away and experience the world in disguise. What she finds is not a man to marry her. Who she finds is herself. She learns about things that she has missed and about what she enjoys.





WARNING: MOVIE SPOILER BELOW!




In the end she realizes that the love she was searching for was the NOT the way to break the curse. The love had to come from within. When she learned to love herself, pig nose and all, the spell was broken. She was no longer waiting for Mr. Right to save her. The secret was within her all along.

How many of us have wasted more than a few years waiting for the right man to come along and fix us. How many of us have stared in the mirror and figured we were unlovable because we weren't pretty enough and had a disfiguration? I know there isn't a girl alive that hasn't struggled with the image she sees in the mirror. But if we can't love what we see, how can we expect someone else to?

But there's good news, even if it takes us a while to reconcile ourselves with the lies the mirror tells us and who we really are, there's one man who's already loved us unconditionally. Enough to lay down His life... He loves us even when we can't yet love ourselves.

Those crazy kids

So today we visited a new church for the first time. We were already prepared for a different experience because we'd never been to a church of this denomination before. All was going well. The people were friendly, and in spite of the kids, we were not late. We went in and found our seat in the back row so just in case the little ones got restless, we could make a quick exit.

It started right away. the boy and girl decided to fight over the crayons given to them by the usher. "Shhh!!" I hissed. I just looked at my husband and rolled my eyes. Then they called all of the children forward for a story. They excitedly got up and went into the aisle. Our daughter was first with her brother trailing behind. As he ran, he tripped and tumbled in the aisle. He then got up and laughed loudly at himself. But it wasn't over yet.

Once they were safely seated, our son stood up and began climbing up the steps.
When he reached the top, he stood proudly and yelled, "Look at me, Daddy!"
When he got no reply, he repeated himself loudly. The congregation laughed. I laughed, but for a totally different reason. Our two children then proceeded to chase each other back and forth across the front of the church during the story. I was horrified. Since we were the only ethnic couple in the room, it was impossible for us to deny knowing them.

We decided that we would never be invited back again. The members tried to reassure us that all the other kids had done this at one time, but I think they just felt sorry for us. It was good while it lasted. Did I forget to mention that my husband is a candidate for a position at the church? I guess he shouldn't file his resume' just yet.

My volunteer job

I work outside of our home full time. But the job I should be getting paid for is the one that takes place off the clock. My kids, as cute as they are, sometimes make me want to give them away to gypsies. They are so demanding and loud. They're always fighting and yelling at each other. If you have little ones, you know the drill.

But they are so funny! I was talking to our daughter, and she asked if I'd gotten something for her. I said, "Uh, duh!" So her little brother chimes in and repeats me. It was so cute because he's only two, so many things that he says require translation. This was crystal clear.

Parenting can be so frustrating and challenging. They ask questions that I can't answer. They evoke emotions that seem unnatural. But at the end of the day, you can't imagine life without them.

I guess kids are compensation enough on their own.

All day dreamin'

Now that I'm blogging, I'm a little obsessed. I find myself thinking about what to write at the weirdest times, like when I should be sleeping.

I started exercising again. I record shows on FitTV and do them when I can. The one that I find interesting is called Shimmy. It's belly dance! My husband thinks it great, of course. But I think it's really fun, too. Of course I don't look quite as smooth as the dancers on the screen.

Have any of you ever tried replicating exercise shows or classes? Sometimes I just make myself laugh. I don't know how many calories I'm burning, but I'm having a blast trying!

A Gem Story

So I was thinkin' about my blog title. Broken rubies. There are several references to rubies in the Bible. Specific women are called more precious than rubies in Proverbs. Sapphires, diamonds, emeralds and rubies are the four precious gems. At least that what I learned in junior high science. Rubies' value varies upon the qualities of the stone. The hardness, the color, the facets.

How different is that to how we as females are valued? We are considered more desirable if we are blond or thin or a certain color or if we have boobs that make Pamela Anderson envious. These judgments affect our self-image and cause us to feel broken inside if we don't meet the criteria.

Thankfully we have a Creator who truly loves us in our rough, unfinished state. He loves us before we have been shaped and without facets and polishing. To Him, we are so precious and beautiful just as He made us. Now, if only we could believe that...

On your mark, get set... Go!

As much as I love talking and writing, it seems natural that I would be a blogger. Only it took me this long to get it started. With lots of encouragement and not-so-patient insistence from my hubby, I finally got it together. I look forward to speaking my mind and hearing all of you do the same. This is only the beginning.