Sweep you off your feet!

Remember how I love film? Life and I teamed up to throw me a curveball. Yes, that's right. I threw myself a curveball. It's CURVED, after all, right?

I'm creating a film from one of my screenplays, this very summer! It's the end of this month. I wrote it and have been drafting people to help me make it since...April or May, I think. So it's my fault if I'm busy, but not entirely, I think, because I didn't have any idea that things would get so much bigger so fast!

I'd been looking for awhile (halfheartedly) for actors to be in the film. It's only six minutes long, one day of shooting, two people to cast. I figured, who wouldn't want to do it? Good question, but I was too shy to ask so I never found out the answer...

...or wouldn't have if my director didn't keep bugging me (in a good way) in asking whether or not I'd found a cast yet.

So I emailed my local community theatre, asking if they'd pass on a casting call for the film from me to people they know that fit the roles.

The next day, I got seven emails and phonecalls.

Wow.

We set up auditions, which took place yesterday and this morning and I recorded them so that the director (who is far away from me, too far to come for auditions) could look the people over and do casting. We think we've made choices. Isn't that great?

I was so pleasantly surprised that so many people WANTED to be in the film that I wrote. It's a cool feeling to be sought after. Don't worry, though. I won't fall in love with it. I'll seek fulfillment in God-- but prayers that I do won't hurt.

Now I've got to find a computer of my own to bring to the shoot (and to college in September) and a boom microphone. Yikes! This should be interesting. Oh, life and me. You're so inventive.

-Tina

p.s.

And also. I figured writing two posts in a row would be pretty ridiculous. So I'd like to mention my bucket list right here, linking up with Polka Dot @ (life is too short not to) wear red shoes. She's having a marvelous, exciting giveaway which you can learn all about here.

Trying not to be one-dimensional here with only film things...

1. write a film and have it adapted to screen and retain the awesomeness of the writing
2. write a film and have steven spielberg direct it
3. visit owl city in owatonna; bring choco tacos, a portable piano, and Skylie.
4. live a year each in Ireland, England, and Wales, not necessarily all in a row
5. meet the pope
6. be brave enough to not start conversations with fluff talk
7. go mountain climbing as a regular hobby
8. learn how to fly a military plane
9. meet george lucas
10. wield a lightsaber as it is meant to be wielded

so. :)

There's more to this Brave Adventure than you'd Ever Believe!

The adventure started when you were born. Do you remember it? Do you remember that moment that spurred your adventure and your conflict? The minute you were born, you were set out as a warrior maiden or a knight to fight the evil in the world. That is your mission. That is your conflict.

We're all players in a grand dance, a great battle. In ordinary, every day life, I think that we forget that. We are charged to jump above the average standard, chase our dreams, and fight for the good.

We've got swords. We may lose them from time to time, but we know how to fight. It's ingrained in us, to be soldiers of the Most High, our commander.

The trouble comes when we desert the army. We often decide that our cause is not worth fighting for, that maybe the enemy is the one that has the right idea and that we should join him.

Some of the deserters honestly believe that. I don't doubt that. But most deserters are afraid, like deserters in the armies of the world. They know that they are called to leap beyond, to go in the storms and to get hurt for their commander. That is frightening, you know. To go with their faces firmly forward amid hail and windstorms and bullets and to never look back. The deserters don't want to do this. They would rather settle to live a common civilian life.

But no one is called to be a civilian. Our enemy is active, and he works among us to create dissent among the ranks. He fools us into thinking that we are the enemies of each other. That is false. Take up your sword and fight. It's hard, it's insane to some, and it's not what our enemy tells us is normal. But it is right.

-Tina

You're Making My Life a Garden

God is making my life beautiful. The funny thing is, I usually think that I have to tangibly see the beauty to know that he's making it fresh and pure. To see the goodness, that I'm becoming more perfect, that life is getting easier and that temptation is being crowded out by a desire to be good and love God above all else.

All of those things are definitely beautiful, and they're the fruits of following God in how you live. Yet I think that God is shaping me and growing me and making my life more pure even when I can't see Him doing it. It's like he's there invisibly, helping me in those moments where I could trip and fall and standing me up straight. He's the reminders to think the best of people, and to shut up if I haven't anything good to say, or to pay attention in Mass.

These things are tiny. They're even rare, at times in my life. But they're proof that God is real and that He loves me. That even when I'm a jerk, He's not going to give up on me.

That's a wonderful comfort. I'm loved. It's the most special thing to be.

-Tina

I'm the kind of girl...

who dances as she weed-whips her grandma's lawn.

who sings as loud as she possibly can while working.

who makes up new lyrics for songs if they don't fit what she wants to say.

who will burst out laughing about five minutes after someone tells a joke because she didn't get it until then.

who cries really easily because she's passionate about alot.

who tries to stand up for what she believes in.

who is struggling to love others and live well.

I'm just that girl who doesn't act like she cares about anything, but thinks about what people say to the 20th degree. The girl who doesn't think about what she's said until after she's said it. The girl that wants to be fulfilled-- and forgets that Jesus is the one who can do it.

Still struggling to live well and do what God wants. Not anywhere close to perfect. Hopefully getting better.

That's just me.

-Tina

How Would You Feel?

Something like a million kids in the world have lost one of their parents. A million more have probably come close.

I've never experienced anything like they have. Sure, I've had the worries about my mom when she's travelling alone, and the fears that my dad will die in a car accident while away on a business trip--but nothing solid. Nothing real.

The monday of this week, a teenager on my block lost his mom. He's named Dan. I haven't ever been real friends with Dan, or Danny as we used to call him. Our hanging out was just in a group of neighborhood kids where we'd play games like "Capture the Flag", "Around the House", and "Seven Steps". My family was never very close to his family. Tonight, though, we attended the wake for his mom because they are our neighbors.

Realization of how fragile life is hit me square in the face. You really don't realize it--the fact that every breath is so extremely special (if you do, I applaud you). The fact that you take life for granted every day, as its so normal.

I cannot imagine how Dan is feeling. Of course, I can remember some times, like when I lost my grandpa, that I felt extremely sad, but I'm sure that it doesn't compare. How must that feel--to lose your mom when you've only had her for eighteen years?

It just makes me value the family I have and the life I've got. I'm sure to forget, but for now I'm going to put every effort into appreciating how special and beautiful life is. My life, your life, any life. Human life in particular.

If you could pray for Dan, I would really appreciate it.

-Tina

Life in a Nutshell

Bonjour, mes copains! (Hello, my friends!)

Life lately. Does anyone every feel as though each day is so chock full of stuff that all of the time just flits away? Slips away, more like.

I've been feeling like that a whole lot in the past couple of weeks. I feel like my day consists of waking up, going to French class, practicing piano, and doing schoolwork. Ah yes, and going to sleep.

I feel as though my life is completely filled up by work. I know that saying that sounds like I'm exaggerating, but that's how I feel nonetheless. Some days I don't finish my school-work until around 9 at night. The days that I let myself do something fun in the evening (i.e. Youth Group, Go to a Play, the Library, etc.) I don't finish until around 11 PM. It's driving me insane. I feel as though I'm slogging through school and the only bright point is the weekends. Even those are sometimes filled with revising papers.

So what? So what do I do about this life where I don't have much/any time to call my own? I've tried reorganizing my priorities so that I get all of my school and piano practice done in the early bits of the day so that I have evenings to myself, but the fact of the matter is that there is too much work.

My main problem is not the work, however. It's the lack of play. Remember, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." I guess I'm becoming something of a dull girl. How can I find the balance? I want to do something fun during my days, but I feel like I don't have time. How can I compromise- how can I know when to let some of my schoolwork go to do it the next day and set aside some time for myself.

I sure don't know. But that's my mind right now.

-Tina

BY THE WAY: The film festival was very fun. I didn't place, but I got an honorary award for "Best Screenplay" and it was neat to see my film up on the big screen. :) Here it is, for those who want to watch it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWcVcS06bLY