Ultimate Restoration of All / Universalism

I am not interested in getting into a theological debate over universalism, eternal punishment, a literal hell, ultimate restoration of all things, etc.  Quite honestly, I don’t give those things much thought. I am more concerned with learning to love like Jesus did right here in the world I am living in. I find that is a challenge large enough to keep me humble. However, in reading some of the current theological ideas that are being touted as the “real gospel,” I am made to wonder some things and to ask some of the following questions:

•  Evidently, Jehovah God is old fashioned and uninformed and Jesus is progressive. We need to go with Jesus, and ignore the old guy.
• The Bible is not to be trusted to give an accurate view and understanding of who God really is.  There are things in there that, obviously, a loving god would not condone.
• Were the biblical writers inspired at all? Or, were they writing pretty good stuff, but full of their own thoughts on revenge, punishment, purging, destruction and ultimate outcome. In other words, does the Holy Bible reflect the trinitarian Godhead of God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit?  Or, must we figure it out for ourselves by what we determine Jesus would do, and if it is different from what the text says about God…well, some writer was having a bad day (or decade), and God became a bit too punitive and vindictive in the writing process.
• If you do give the Holy Bible as a reference to your positions, then you are labeled as an archaic, fear based, war mongering, unenlightened bibliolater, and you are subject to accusations of:  “You worship the bible, not the God of the bible!”  No..I do not worship the book (the Holy Bible), but I do believe God has a pretty good book out, and it is a fair and accurate account of who, what and why He is….and how we fit into that scheme.
• The Apostle’s Creed contains statements of a Christian Orthodoxy that cannot be trusted and do not reflect the heart and actions of the man, Christ Jesus.
• Makes me wonder….is, perhaps, this new neo-orthodoxy much like the former neo-orthodoxies…straight as a gun barrel and just as empty?
• Are we seeing an overreaction to a rigid, legalistic application of biblical Christianity (the Gospel) that was often toxic, void of love and overly punitive in nature?  And now, has the pendulum has swung to the other extreme?
• Are we free to create a deity that suits our lifestyle, our thinking, and our progressive culture? The Biblical account of the Godhead is not about crafting a god of our choice, it is about us being a creation of His choice.

I am writing this in reaction to some of what I have been exposed to by friends, books and articles on the topic of universal salvation (in other words…Love wins, and EVERYONE and everything will ultimately be restored, and no one experiences eternal punishment or separation from God). I have never been one to be motivated into a frenzy of running around trying to pluck souls out of the coming firestorm called hell. Fear doesn’t get me up for the parade. Learning to love like Jesus does.  However, I believe that Jesus is a chip off the old block, so to speak, and that he accurately represents God our Father. AND…I believe, other than some obvious scribal errors and minor textual discrepancies, though I may not understand it all, the Holy Bible does, in fact, give me an accurate view and understanding of who God is…including His Son, Jesus Christ.  Many arguments come down to this basic idea:  What, or Who are you accepting as your source of ultimate authority.  If that accepted base is different, then the outcome of any argument will never be in harmony, which is why quoting scriptures as your proof, becomes irrelevant.

To those who think/believe differently than I do…no problem.  I am not asking you to refute my statements and defend your positions. However, please save yourself the time and energy of asking me tons of questions to respond to…reading books or listening to teachings I have little interest in. I do not look to you to enlighten me. I do not have it all figured out, but your mission is not to fix my thinking. I am simply stating some things that come to my mind in the current debates and expounding of what the real gospel is all about, and what God is really like.

The Gatekeeper

A Good Person

What is a “good” person?  What does good look like and act like? That is a very subjective question. Anyone who remembers the advent of color TV knows how subjective “good color” was on those first sets.  Everyone had their own ideas. Let me try and create a working definition of what I would call a “good” person. To do this, I will simply list some traits that come to my mind. They certainly are not exhaustive. Here are my 10 Character Qualities of what makes a Good Person.

1. They have a kind heart
2. They possess a generous spirit
3. They are polite
4. They are quick to lend a hand
5. They honor authority
6. They do not seek to live above accepted rules of reasonable behavior
7. They have a consistent emotional and social balance
8. They value relationships
9. They are dependable
10. They seek well-being for all above their own interests and desires by what they do and by what they refrain from doing.

I would sum this up and say; “A person who demonstrates an abundance of these 10 traits is someone of good character.  They, in fact, are a good person.  You will notice that I did not make this sound super spiritual. That is not to say that I do not value a deep spiritual life and foundation. In my estimation, some of these characteristics can only be consistently demonstrated by a person who is resourced by a deep faith. You can work that out for yourself.

I can think of various ways to apply this information. It can be contrasted as what is good and what is productive. It could be applied to elected or appointed public servants/officials. It could be a way to measure a person’s value to society. Often times, those who make and accomplish the most, and those who move the needle the fastest and furthest are the ones that are valued most highly.  Where does character come in?  What is the acceptable balance?

If you gave a 1-10 (10 being the best) numerical value to each question, as it pertains to yourself, the best total score would obviously be 100 points. What is your score? Do you score yourself higher than others would?  We live in a very judgmental society…perhaps a little self-honesty might do us some good.

NBA's 8 Greatest Of All Time One Franchise Teams

1   LA Lakers (16 titles)

·       Shaquille O’Neal

·       Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

·       Magic Johnson

·       Kobe Bryant

·       Jerry West

2   Boston Celtics (17 titles)

·       Bill Russell

·       Larry Bird

·       Bob Cousy

·       John Havlicek

·       Kevin Garnett

3   Chicago Bulls (6 titles)

·       Michael Jordan

·       Scotty Pippen

·       Artis Gilmore

·       Horace Grant

·       Derrick Rose

4   San Antonio Spurs (5 titles)

·       David Robinson

·       George Gervin

·       Tim Duncan

·       Sean Elliott

·       Tony Parker

5   Golden State Warriors (6 titles)

·       Chris Mullins

·       Stephen Curry

·       Rick Barry

·       Kevin Durant

·       Wilt Chamberlain

6   Detroit Pistons (3 titles)

·       Isiah Thomas

·       Dennis Rodman

·       Grant Hill

·       Joe Dumars

·       Ben Wallace

7   Miami Heat (3 titles)

·       LeBron James

·       Alonzo Mourning

·       Tim Hardaway

·       Dwayne Wade

·       Chris Bosh

8   Philadelphia 76ers (3 titles)

·       Julius Erving

·       Moses Malone

·       Maurice Cheeks

·       Allen Iverson

·       Charles Barkley

9 &10 Honorable Mention

·       New York Knicks (2 titles)

·       Houston Rockets (2 titles)

Take Great Moon Photos

Quick Tips

•       Use the longest lens you have,  If you have a 200-300 zoom (or longer), that is great.
•       Use a tripod if you have one  (really important) And, use a remote, or timer shutter release so you get absolutely no camera movement.
•       Of course set in Manual mode
•       Ignore your camera’s light meter
•           Lunar 11 rule: f/stop 11  match the shutter speed to your ISO setting. You will need a shutter speed of about 1/500 or faster, and set your ISO to the same setting: 500 or higher

All of these are very basic, beginner steps, but I had to re-set my photography mind to digital from the film I used back in the day.  If you have a point and shoot camera, you cannot get the results you'd like.  You can play around with the settings you have, but it won't allow you to do what you really need.  Tip: when buying a camera, make sure that it can be used in a full manual mode.

BTW…if you don’t already, refer to your work as photos or photographs, NOT pictures! You may be an amateur, like me, but you don’t have to totally sound like one! 

The Gatekeeper

Life That Works...

Some Fundamentally Sound Principles:

*You cannot legislate the poor into freedom (financial or otherwise) by legislating the wealthy out of freedom.  What one person receives without working for or contributing to, another person must work for without receiving what was worked for. This kills incentive and initiative. Invention becomes unnecessary, because ultimately, there is little benefit in it. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from someone else.  Half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work, because the other half is going to take care of them, and the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work, because somebody else is going to get what they’ve worked for. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it. When you take this approach, it is the end of healthy democracy and ethical capitalism.  It becomes the essence of communism.  When this happens, NO ONE is free because the government has the power to take and give as it will and thereby keep everyone under its control.  That is, fundamentally, why I am opposed to bigger government and more government programs. In the end, it enslaves the very population you are intending to serve. Socialism that moves to this end is detrimental to freedom as a society and personally. America did not come into existence to create another hierarchy to control the masses, it came into being to serve the individual and allow him to prosper. In providing for this environment, there needs to be, and should be reasonable compensation to the state, and to its members who cannot help themselves in a minimally satisfactory manor, which would include aid for health, education and personal welfare.

The ultimate danger lies in the extremes. On one hand there are those who feel entitled. They always want maximum benefit for little or no contribution. On the other hand are the greedy. They want all they can possibly get without a concern of what it may cost other individuals or society.  A democracy cannot sustain when either extreme controls. As I see it, we are being pushed further and further to the extremes, and the fighting has become more intense. Compromise and cooperation are becoming a thing of the past.  America, nor any state, can ultimately survive that kind of faulty foundation.  Negotiation and compromise must be applied in order to determine for a nation and its citizens what constitutes a hand up, rather than simply a hand out.  Decisions must be made about who the “less fortunate” really are and what approach can be taken to provide an adequate foundation for their lives. Emigration, defense, education, veterans benefits, teachers compensation, first responders support and fair compensation, along with many other issues must be addressed.  We cannot address these and other issues with the polarization that now exists in America. 

A number of sources and past readings have gone into this little manifesto. I do not claim it as my own original thinking. I have tried to put together some principles that I would consider important in “doing life” in a reasonable, responsible and sustainable manner. 

*This statement and some of the language in this paragraph was drawn from a statement written in the 1930’s by Dr. Adrian Rogers.

History of The Lambs / New York City

The professional theater group, The Lambs, is the oldest theatrical, musical and performance group in the United States. They once occupied the historic building just off Broadway on 44th Street, which is now The Lambs Club Restaurant and Bar. Over the years there have been over 6,000 Lambs. They include such renowned personalities such as Spencer Tracy, Fred Astaire, Irving Berlin, W.C. Fields, and Will Rogers, to name only a few.

In 1974 the Club sold its own quarters to the Church of the Nazarene which intended to use the old building as a mission in Times Square.

The building was designated a New York City Landmark in September 1974; and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 3, 1982. In 2006 the Church of the Nazarene sold the building and theater, which has been renovated by the Chatwal Hotel. A restaurant, operated by Iron Chef Jeffrey Zakarian,is part of the hotel. It is still called The Lambs Club.

In the summer of 1978, a youth group from College Church of the Nazarene in Olathe, KS took a bus trip to New York City, and spent a week at The Lambs helping to renovate and restore the building to its original beauty and prestige. It was a life changing week living a half block off Times Square for these teenagers and their leaders.

Mark & Bonnie Morgan

Youth Pastor / College Church of the Nazarene  1976-82

46th Wedding Anniversary

46 Years ago today, December 16, 1972….we were married. Some of our bullet points over the year.

·       1967 I moved to Springfield, MO from Cedaredge, CO

·       1967 Bonnie moved to Springfield, MO for nursing school

·       We met at church and became great friends

·       5 years later we realized we were more than friends

·       Dec 16, 1972….got married

·       We lived in Olathe, KS and Kansas City, KS…I finished college, went to seminary, and Bonnie worked at St. Lukes School of Nursing

·       1976 Became youth pastor at College Church of the Nazarene, Olathe, KS

·       1980 Adopted twin boys…Mike and Matt

·       1982 Became senior pastor of the Nazarene Church in Valley City, ND

·       1987 Moved to AZ to plant a new church, which became East Valley Vineyard.

·       Bonnie continued her profession in nursing: teaching, hospice, pain management, palliative care.

·       I continued in pastoral ministry, and all that goes with that.

·       Today….married 46 years

·       December 30, 2018….I will retire from pastoral staff at the Vineyard

·       January 2019….continue to follow God’s calling in our lives.

Money, Sex and Power

In 1987, Richard Foster wrote a book entitled, "Money, Sex and Power." His title has been picked up and used 100's of times in sermon series and other books. Foster's other two popular books at that time were, Celebration of Discipline and Freedom of Simplicity. Celebration has become a modern day classic. As I was thinking about the times we live in, I was reminded that Money, Sex and Power is as applicable, if not more so, than when he wrote it in 1987. Foster uses these topics as the three BIG ISSUES that affect our lives today. I wish both liberals and conservatives would give this book a read....without prejudice or pride, if possible, and see what insights it sheds on our modern day political, social and economic climate. Liberals will likely say it is too conservative, and Conservatives will likely give hearty "amens" and yet continue to embrace personalities and practices simply because they are labeled conservative. I believe it carries wisdom for all of us, if somehow, honesty would prevail.

Gatekeeper's Ham and Navy Bean Soup

Ingredients

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) real butter

Spiral cut ham bone and as much of the ham (medium diced) as you want to add.

1 quart water

1 quart chicken stock

1lb bag navy beans

1/2 medium chopped white onion

1 cup medium chopped carrots

1 tsp granulated garlic

2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

Directions

Check your beans carefully for rocks, etc.

Soak beans overnight in apprx 4 qts of water.

Rinse the beans and put them in your stockpot.

Add the water & chicken stock, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer for about 2 hours (or until the beans are getting soft).

Heat the butter and garlic in a small skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion until lightly translucent. Add the onion to the pot of beans (along with the remaining butter, if any)

Remove 1-2 cups of the bean mixture, puree in a blender, and return to the soup.

Add to ham bone, ham and carrots to soup mixture. Simmer another hour.

Just before serving, season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.  Be careful not to over salt the beans. The ham adds quite a bit of salt.

You can always add more ham to the soup as you go, if it needs it.

If you have a favorite seasoning mix, such as, Emeril’s, Old Bay, etc. You can add that, as well. Go very sparingly. You can easily overpower the taste of the beans and ham if you are not careful.  A pinch or two at a time, and taste.  If you are like me, you will usually customize nearly every recipe to some degree.

**Pairs naturally with fresh buttermilk cornbread.  You can find my recipe for cornbread if you search my blog or just click the above link. This is a savory, not a sweet, cake like cornbread**

January 2019

1060 W Monte Ave

Mesa, AZ 85210

(602) 791-5729

mark@vineyardaz.com

Mark Morgan

Objective		I am an ordained pastor with over 40 years of experience in church ministry. I am available to fill in, short or medium term, for churches during staff transitions, sabbaticals, leave of absences, or vacations. Please contact me for specific references and financial information.
Skills		Preaching/teaching; Small group leading and training; Counseling; Life coaching; Spiritual formation; Conflict resolution; Administration; 35 years of Vineyard Church experience, including AVC National Leadership as an overseer in Arizona and New Mexico.
Experience		Associate Pastor Vineyard Community Church – Gilbert, AZ 2003 - Present Senior Pastor / Church planter, East Valley Vineyard – Mesa, AZ 1987 - 2003 Senior Pastor / Valley City Church of the Nazarene – Valley City, ND 1982-1987 Youth Pastor / College Church of the Nazarene – Olathe, KS 1976-1982
Education		Master of Arts:  Christian Education Nazarene Theological Seminary – Kansas City, MO  Degree completed, May 2000 Bachelor of Arts: Christian Education MidAmerica Nazarene University – Olathe, KS Degree completed, May 1974

Dear Daughter.....on your 15th Birthday

Dear Daughter,

I want you to know what a joy it is to be the father of a lovely girl like

you.  It is a father's dream to have a daughter who believes the world

revolves around her dad.  I know that is how you feel about me, and I can't

tell you what that does to me inside.  In the next few years you will

experience many new things.  Some of them will be very natural and some may

be a bit confusing.  I want you to always know that you can talk to me about

anything at any time.  I will be honest and direct with you, because I love

you.  I have a fierce drive inside me to protect you from things that

could harm you, but I can't always protect you from everything.  I must help

you become strong by letting you have more freedom to make your own choices.

 I have spent the last 14 years giving you a solid foundation so that you

have a basis to make good choices.  Your choices and decisions will be

determined by three basic areas of your life.

How You Feel About Yourself  This is what we call self-esteem.  In a young

girl, it is the single most important part of your life.  It will really

determine most of the choices you make.  The Bible tells us that we must love

ourselves.  Always remember it is healthy to love yourself.  You are worthy

of respect and honor.  You don't have to settle for anything less.  One of

the reasons I love you as I have is that you will know what it is like

to feel important and wonderful inside.  Here are some things to remember

about yourself

• You don't have to settle for being pretty, you can be beautiful from the inside out.
• Other people will only treat you as well as you treat yourself.
• Tell yourself every day at least once:  "I really like being just who I am."
• Your father believes you are the most wonderful creation on earth
• Try not to compare yourself with anyone else...just be who you are.
• That is always the best you can be.  Nothing is better than that.
• Clothes should be enjoyable...they aren't important enough to get upset about.
• There is no such thing as being PERFECT.  It isn't a good goal to have.
• There is such a thing as being GOOD.  It is a great goal to have.
• End every day by thanking God for making you just like He has.
• Look as nice as you can, and then be content with that.
• The best way to keep your personal values is to like yourself. 

How You Treat Others And How You Let Them Treat You 

Relationships are very important in shaping the kind of person you are and will become.  You have already made some and will be making many more decisions about relationships and about sex.  Again, you can always talk to me about boys and about sex.  I will tell you the truth.  Let me give you some very practical things to help you make decisions in this area.

• I have always treated you with respect.  Any boy who really cares about you will treat you the same way.
• You can only have sex the first time once in your life.  It is a precious gift.  Protect that gift.  Your marriage night is the PERFECT time to give it to the one you love.  Mom and I waited for that night, and we've always been glad we did.
• Feelings and desires are natural and good, but you must make the decision about the limits you will set.  Here are a few things to help you.

• Don't stay in close contact for very long at a time.  If you do, you will not be able to stop when you want.
• Keep your hands and his hands OUTSIDE of your clothes, and always keep your clothes on, buttoned and zipped.
• Skin on skin is explosive, God made us that way....limit your skin on skin contact to your head, arms and hands.  Anything else will be too difficult to handle.
• Prolonged kissing will also be too hard to control.  Make it a special thing and limit it to once or twice at a time.
• You don't "owe" any boy any physical affection, and if they care about you they won't push you.
• Don't compromise your standards, and don't you try and temp them.
• Treat others with respect, but be strong when you must be.  SAY NO to at least one thing every day, just to keep in practice.
• The best relationships, even romances, begin with a good friendship.  It is the best foundation to build on.
• Always ask your dad for his opinion about guys you go out with .
• When asked a favor use this test:  Is it helping them do the right thing or a good thing, and will it make them a better person?  If you can't say "yes" to that test, DECLINE.

What Place God Will Have In Your Life   Remember this, the reason you trust

me and love me so much is because I have loved God and have trusted Him with

my life.  There is no other way to have the best possible life....NONE.  If

you choose to continue to live your life to please God, you must do it on

purpose.  It won't just happen by accident. Here are just a few things to

keep in mind.

• Ask yourself, "would this decision or choice please my dad?"  If the answer is yes, then it will please God too. Here are some areas of decision making:  marriage-jobs-school-friendships-recreation-money
• You can have fun and still please God.
• Learn to love God by loving others:  a few tips...
• learn to love the poor and less fortunate.  This is not a feeling, it is an action.
• learn to listen to others very well...remember what they tell you.
• on a regular basis,  give something of value away to someone who has a need.
• Read your Bible, pray and meditate regularly.  It will be your ROCK for the rest of your life.
• Honor the church...learn to love it.  You need other Christians in your life.
• No matter what happens in your life, if you keep Jesus in your heart, you win.
• God loves you, even more than I do...which is a miracle in itself.
• Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.

You will not remember all these things, but read them over at least once a

year.  There are many other things that are important and helpful, but these

will keep you on the right track.  You are incredible!  Out of all the

daughters in the world...God has blessed me with you.  He must really love

me too!

Dad

MUSIC...the kind of music that soothes your soul!

I love a variety of good music...of different genres. I'm not a metal guy...never have been, but I am not bashing it..just not my thing. When kids my age were listening to Led Zeppelin, I was probably listening more to the Eagles. I tend to like lyric driven songs...songs that say something fun, meaningful, emotional, searching, sad, etc. I love the old, traditional country music such as The Hag, Jones, Cash, Robbins, Cline & Horton...even Ernest Tubb. I like the next generation of country singers like Nelson, Kristofferson, Jennings, Strait, Jackson, Hank Jr, Alabama, McBride, Black & Brooks and Dunn....some of the newer ones like Paisley, Brooks, Yearwood, Krauss, and others. I have always liked some of the crossover artists, such as Glen Campbell, John Denver and Anne Murray. I LOVE Southern Gospel music....Statemen, Stamps, Imperials, Cathedrals etc. I also love the worship music of the past 30 years, or so...Vineyard, Integrity, Hillsong, Jesus Culture, and many great indies. To feed and care for my soul, I would pick worship music. To have fun, I like old stuff of a wide variety. For my own therapy, I like simple songs with clear lyrics that touch something in me.

I was just listening to some new tunes by Mumford and Sons....loved it, and love that bluesy, bluegrass, edgy sound and lyrics they sing and play.

There is a guy in Cedaredge, CO...David Starr, who owns a small guitar shop there, and writes and sings his own stuff. I really like it. It is worth a listen on You Tube, if you haven't heard him. Edge Of The World, Head and Heart are really nice tunes. Check it out if you want....if you like any of what I've listed above...you'll like this too. David Starr Music

My point of this article: Embrace some good music. Try something a bit different from your ordinary fare. Look for lyrics that speak to your heart, make you laugh or make you cry. I just picked out an old, OLD song that was made popular by a man named Red Foley (happens to be Pat Boone's father-in-law....Debbie Boone's granddad) Peace In The Valley....it settled my spirit right down. I love when that happens. IMO...God did quite a thing when he created possibilities of MUSIC.

Perfectly Baked Potatoes for a large group

Baked Potatoes

Perfectly done…Perfectly delicious

These directions are especially helpful when baking a large number of potatoes at one time for an event or large potato bar night.

What you will need:
·       Potatoes  (up to 35 jumbos)
·       EVOO  (olive oil)
·       Coarse grinder or coarsely ground sea or pink Himalayan salt (no iodized kitchen salt)
·       Basting brush
·       Long handle tongs
·       Cooking/BBQ gloves

Wash potatoes with soft, non-abrasive pad and let air dry

Brush a single line (apprx 1 inch) of olive oil down the top length of each potato with a basting brush

Grind or apply coarse ground Sea Salt or Himalayan pink salt across the top on the line of olive oil.

DO NOT PUNCTURE the potatoes.

Place potatoes directly on oven racks…spread as much and evenly as possible. DO NOT STACK the potatoes.  One normal sized kitchen oven with two racks can hold 30-35 extra large (jumbo) potatoes.

Bake in pre-heated over at 425f for 50 to 60 minutes, or until there is no resistance to a fork puncture.  Turn oven off and leave in the oven until ready to serve. Be VERY careful opening the oven. With a large number of potatoes, there will be a HUGE amount of steam built up and it will escape instantly….keep your face away from the entrance and use cooking gloves.

For a baked potato party where you are baking many potatoes at one time, the baking time may be extended, and be sure to group smaller potatoes in the front where you can take them out earlier if needed.

Films / Movies How Do I Evaluate Them

How Do I Personally Evaluate A Film

I do not write movie reviews. That is not my talent or interest.  I enjoy reading good reviews, and my friend, Kim Gentes writes GREAT movie, book and music reviews. I simply determine if I like it or if I don't...and why. When I think about a movie/film, I think in terms of categories.  Sometimes I just want to be entertained….to check out for a couple of hours in a “happy place,” so to speak. Sometimes I am good with a heavier theme or even something a bit disturbing.  When I think about what I would call a “good movie,” I have to think in terms of what I am looking for that film to do, or after the fact, what the movie did to me/for me.  By doing this, I don't have to pull every film through the same hoop of evaluation.  Some are not great (or even good) movies, but they did something for me that I found valuable. Uncle Buck gave me a couple of hours of pure fun that I really needed when I first saw it.  This is very subjective, and it is my own way of evaluating movies.  I'm quite sure there are better ways and much more sophisticated approaches, but hey....this works for me.

Is the film….

·       Important (example: Schindler’s List)

o   Historical significance

o   Mankind issues

o   Significant themes

·       Compelling (examples: The Godfather, The Silence of the Lambs, Braveheart)

o   Emotionally stirring (fear, hate, love, empathy, etc)

o   Motivates viewer to a specific activity

o   Relationships

o   Stays with the viewer

o   Inspirational  (great themes: courage, bravery, challenge, etc)

·       Entertaining (example: Tombstone, Sister Act, Lord of the Rings)

o   Laugh or cry

o   Fantasy/Allegories/Science fiction

o   Action/Drama

o   Horror  (which I personally avoid like the plague)

o   Chick flicks

o   Love stories

·       Enlightening (example: The King’s Speech, A Beautiful Mind, Secretariat)

o   Educational

o   Added something to the viewer

o   Challenging