REEL TALK: Eat Pray Love

(First off, I wonder if anyone's TM'ed that, "Reel Talk" I think that is pretty freakin' clever.)

So I caught 2/3 of the movie Eat, Pray, Love. I feel like the movie's been on the tips of everyone's tongue lately. I was intrigued by it a few years ago when I think Oprah made a big deal about the book, and you know me-- I never care what Oprah has to say. Haha! So... I never read the book. Intrigued by its title though, but never spent the money on it.

But today, as I had nothing to do today in Sigonella, I went to the other post and got to watch Eat, Pray, Love for a mere $3.

This isn't a movie review, because I'm just me. What do you care what I thought about the movie? Haha, these are simply my thoughts. && I have to be honest, I had preconcieved notions before ever stepping in the theater. The only reason I went to go watch it was to make sure I was right. Haha!!

So, Ms. Elizabeth Gilbert. No offense, I couldn't stand her. Wait, I correct myself: I didn't understand her. Let me tell you why Oprah loved the book, and why so many people read it. This is what that book tells you about American society and culture: We are a country, a people who wants more. Never satisfied. Always searching. Constantly let down by our expectations. This is what America does to people.


EAT | FULLFILLMENT
I don't know why but the scene in which Gilbert is talking to her Publisher about why she needs to take a year off, why she needs to get away sticks in my mind. She talked about how her appitite for life, her passion everything inside her felt empty, there was nothing there.

It made me sad.
&& A little mad.

It made me sad because to feel empty like that sounds scary. It isn't truly something that I can relate to. I know in my senior year of high school I was searching for something, a "Why? What for?" And I was introduced to the idea that I needed Jesus to live the life I am supposed to. It was an interesting new concept, I took it and ran with it... and man do I have stories to tell.

&& It made me mad because in the divorce proceedings, her husband asked her, "I know you want to find yourself, but why not find yourself in our marriage?" My heart broke for him. And I was angry with her because she didn't really answer.

(Ugh, if this movie's latent cause is an influx in divorces, I am going to be so pissed.)

Fullfillment doesn't come from anything other than GOD: the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. The voids we feel are the gaps in our relationship, or lack thereof, with God.


PRAY | FAITH
1) God doesn't like divorce. (Just saying. That was the one scene I saw her pray to God and then she gets up in the same scene and divorces her husband.)

2) Crying out to God in tears--great start. But it's not a wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am kind of thing. When you ask a question, don't you expect an answer? Where do your answers come from? Self-help books? Oprah? Friends? Dr. Phil? I've been told this and have used this example a lot: our prayers to God are like voice mails. And He texts us back answers through His Word. Why ask God a question and look EVERYWHERE else for the answer!?

As I waited for an hour for a bus to arrive to take me to Dover AFB a woman walked up for a few minutes and sat down. She was very friendly. Talkative. She handed me a business card and it had a website on it, I didn't pay much attention to it because I was trying to listen to her talk. I glanced at the tagline on the card, "Buddhism for Modern Living." She talked about their goals, how invovled she and her kids are in the movement, etc. Then she explained that they were all about attaining peace. And she noticed that her bus had arrived. She asked me where I was going and I told her, "Italy. Home." She got excited, started gushing about how she's always wanted to see Italy. And she said as she got her umbrella out and up, "I'll have to chant about that one." And said goodbye and left.

I wished that I had more time to converse with her. Probe. Ask questions. I wanted to know her story and see why she felt like she needed so much peace. I digress. To me it was strange that she said, "I'm going to have to chant about that one." Sounds so strange to me. Mantras and spells are chanted to free your mind of thoughts. How does that get you to Italy? (If you know, tell me, I just want to understand.)

I have thought a lot about what my prayer means to me, and to God. How intimately I can be with God. How much truth there is in a total surrender to His plans and what He wants. In my brokenness, I know that He will provide, heal, and teach. Prayer is that relationship lived out. It is a child speaking to a father, whose intent is to teach, raise, and provide for. (I can go on for days, but I don't want to, this post is getting long enough.)

LOVE | GOD
The word "God" is used quite a few times in this movie. I kept asking myself, "Who are they talking about!?" Then I did some Google-reserach, just reading reviews of the book here and there and I came across this, "Let me explain why I use the word God, when I could easily use the words Jehovah, Allah, Shiva, Brahma, Vishnu or Zeus. Alternatively I could call God 'that'...God is the name that feels the most warm to me, so thats what I use (page 13)." So she answers my question in the begining of her book.

Again, the society that we live in today is looking for SOMETHING. We are a culture full of broken hearts, missing peices, etc. To me this notion is dangerous. It is dangerous because of John 14:6, when Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

So when you are talking about GOD. Make sure you know who you are talking about. When you talk about a higher being, make sure it's THE One.



All in all, the movie confirmed what I thought this book was all about. A journey of a woman who set out to "find herself." Do I think she did it? Sure. For now. But what will her next book be about? And the next?

You reach fulfillment when you acknowledge the place Jesus has in your life. And LET HIM IN. That and that alone. My MySpace (oh, such old news, right?) Bio says, "I love Jesus. Then everything else in my life falls into place." There is nothing harder to decide than to decide to follow Christ and to live the life He's called you to. (It's hard. It's challenging. BUT SO REWARDING.)

Don't settle for any alternatives, friends.

Let's overanalyze everything, shall we?

So, if you know me personally you know how much I LOVE the Twilight books. It took a while for me to even admit that I wanted to read them, and when I did... I couldn't stop. And then I read them over. And over. And over again. I picked up Twilight, or Breaking Dawn every time DJ left for training, and then deployment, anytime I was alone. (I promise, I am better now. Although, I am currently skimming through Eclipse. I never touch New Moon, that book is infuriating.)

ALL THIS TO SAY: The past two days have been such a battle for me. I am going to participate in a book club with PWOC, the Women's Ministry on post and we are reading Beth Moore's So Long Insecurities. I started reading the book on Tuesday afternoon. It was like four pages in and I put the book down. I tried to pick it up again Tuesday evening. And read another page and a half. Then put it down and picked up Eclipse.

Don't laugh.
This is about to get serious, I promise. But before we get in to the heavy, here's a picture to lighten the mood.


(I really love this photo shoot with Vanity Fair. And... it was an excuse to go find a Twilight picture to stick in my blog.)

This aversion to Beth Moore isn't because I favor Twilight over self-improvement, but I am pretty sure I have some deep seated issues and insecurities. Which, to most people will sound crazy. Because they see me out and about, they'll call me confident and outspoken, but there is definitely something, I have an idea where it comes from, but I don't know why... but I think I've been trying to avoid Beth Moore because I don't want to know how much I suck. Or, even if I already know that, it really is scary to take an objective look at yourself and be asked, "Are you willing to change?"

When DJ called I told him about this book and that I was nervous about reading it and going to a book club with other women to discuss it. He simply said, "Why? Cause you are afraid of changing?"

It caught me off guard. In the first chapter, Moore calls it a blessing and a curse that her husband is so honest. I totally relate to that. DJ is honest. Brutally honest. No sugar coating what so ever. He'll just tell it as it is. Sometimes I can appreciate this, most of these times are when they are about anything else but me.

So I have about an hour before I get picked up for this book club. I should really bunker down and read the next two chapters. So far, it is pretty introductory. Defining insecurity--let me tell you this, I was not surprised by any of the things she says, I actually really relate to them.

I am starting this journey today and I hope that you will join with me. What is it in your life that you are running away from? Why? What will it take for you to confront it?

I will keep you posted. :)



PS. You wanna know how I got down to opening the book and reading it?
Playing the Twilight and New Moon Score in the background. Haha! Compromise.

AND! You know what else I realized? Why I pick up a Twilight book when DJ leaves? It's a love story. And when the hubby is gone, or when I just feel like I want to be loved some more, I read Twilight because I get to relive a romance. There are times when I really, really, want a baby, or just straight up feel lonely, then I pick up Breaking Dawn. It sounds ridiculous, but hey! It works for the most part. (And I am pretty proud of myself for admitting this to all of you.)

What was interesting about Eclipse and why it is here, now, as I try to read So Long Insecurities, is that I relate to Bella in the sense that she is always asking Edward about why he is with her. It seems unbalanced to her and she needs him to assure her (and he does) of his love for her and acknowledges her insecurities, calls her silly and oversensitive, but also provides this reassurance that she is everything, and he loves her.

Oh, Edward. Haha.
So, I think it's great supplemental reading. Or... that is what I'll tell myself.