I am going to repost a blog from Donald Miller’s blog.  Sometimes, other people just say it best.

Check out Don’s blog for all the things he shares.  He’s got great wisdom to share and stories to tell.  It really feels like I know him.  Plus, he wrote Blue Like Jazz.

The repost:

Dr. Cloud was kind enough to write a guest blog just for this website. I’m honored. And even more honored because it’s a great one. Sorry I got this up a bit late. We had something of an e-mail mixup. But here are some things to reflect upon as you prepare for bed….

A Few Valentine’s Day Thoughts

By Henry Cloud, Ph.D.

When I first became a Christian, I remember a wise older man told me he wasn’t going to church on Easter. I was surprised, especially in my newfound excitement about the faith.

“What? Why not?” I asked.

“It’s amateur day,” he said. “People go who never go any other day of the year and really aren’t serious about it. So, it is too crowded and I just stay home with God.”

I walked away thinking, “weird.” But there was a point to it…..sometimes “special days” take on a meaning to people as if they are the essence of what they are meant to symbolize and commemorate. Easter should be a day that symbolizes what we realized each and every 365 days: we have a risen Savior. He is alive every day. And then on that day, we celebrate the reality that we have all the year long.

Now, about Valentine’s day…..

Apart from being a windfall for Hallmark, what is it for us? Hopefully, it is also a symbol for what is happening on the other days in the year. For married people and singles in serious relationships, it should be a day that celebrates all of the good stuff you are expressing to each other all year long. No “amateur” day….right? Just as going to church on Easter does not mean a person has faith, neither does breaking down and buying a card for a spouse mean that good things are happening the rest of the year. It should not just be a “cease-fire” where you try to be loving for a day and then devour each other for the rest of the year. It should remind people of what they have and share, and also inspire to continue to practice that kind of love all year long.

Also, remember other people than your spouse or the one you are dating. For other important people in your life, you might let it remind you that they would like to hear from you as well…..(especially Moms….they like this sort of thing).

So, what if it is the worst day of the year for you?

The reality is that it is often a day of reminding some people of what they don’t have and are longing for, single or married. For the married folks, it should be a call to action. Let this day symbolize what you want, and maybe start you off on a little different plan for getting there than the one you have been working so far. Kind of a wake up call if a relationship is not going well. Maybe it can be a day where the two of you think of a new direction for your relationship, possibly even getting some help. But what if you are single?

Many times, Valentines day reminds some singles of what they are long for and have not found. What to do then? Here are a couple of thoughts:

First, see it as a time to celebrate the love that you do have in your life right now: your friends and community, family and friends. Make it a point to let some people know that on Valentines Day you were thinking of all of the sources of love in your life and you wanted to thank them for being one. They will love it, and you will be reminded of how fortunate you are to have them. You will feel more grateful and know that you are not alone on the planet. If you look around and don’t have a community of friends, then make that your first priority. That may be the real reason this day is the worst, as it gets you in touch with a deeper aloneness than not having a Valentine. It may remind you that you are alone. Make finding community the first call to action.

Second, as I mentioned above, see it as a symbol and reminder for what is happening the rest of the year. “Wait a minute….,” you might say. “That is the problem. I don’t have anything going the rest of the year. That is why I am bummed out today!” Ok, good. That is a good awareness to have. So, ask yourself the hard question. “If I don’t like where things are, what am I truly doing about it besides wishing, praying and waiting?” In my book “How To Get A Date Worth Keeping,” I talked about how a lot of Christians approach dating in a very different way than they approach the rest of life, and different that the bible tell us to approach life. They think that somehow God is just going to drop this person into their lives, without their doing anything. Really? Is that how he provided a job for you? Or a church? Or food every day? No….he provided those, but you got off the couch and went looking for it too. He secured the Promised Land for Israel, but Joshua and others had to go possess it with some hard work!

So, maybe it is time to get a plan and think about how you would like for your dating life to look different and start to work it. For some, that might mean some hard stuff….maybe even some therapy to work through some old hurts or fears. For others, it might mean getting out of some comfort zones. Either way, what I have found is that it can be an awesome growth journey when people decide to own it and go for it. Make a commitment that next Valentine’s Day will be different than this one. Even if you are not in a serious relationship by then, you will be having a blast in your dating life.

So, in sum….Valentine’s Day can be a celebration of what you already have, or it can be a wake up call to take God’s hand and find what you haven’t found. Either way, even if it might be a reminder of some disappointment, it can be transformed into hope if you let it jumpstart you to a different future.

Cheers,

Henry

If you’re single, check out Dr. Cloud’s book How to Get a Date Worth Keeping

I ran my first 10k (again, that’s 6.2 miles for you Standard System folks) today – yay!  It was chilly, but only the in the 50s.  And the sun was out – no rain today!  I did better than I thought I would, despite the crazy-steep hills.  I averaged 13:32 per mile and finished up at 1:24:53.  Yay!

My goal for this time next year is to be running a half marathon – 13.1 miles. Whew!

I think I’m crazy.

The surprise of the day?  Well, the crazy-steep hills (my friend Sheryl said they weren’t that steep but they totally were! And it was the last mile of the course!).  But the fun surprise was my medal!  I’ve never gotten a medal before for running. This is my first medal!

Now it’s time for a nap!

That’s Arabic for “Peace be with you.”

It rained today.  A lot.  A heck of a lot.

It rained so much and was so cold today that I ended up wearing two pairs of pants (shoulda put on a second pair of socks, too), an undershirt, a long-sleeved shirt, two jackets, gloves, and a scarf.  I’ve been home for almost two hours now and I’m still defrosting.

Frakkin’ brrr!!

Christmas plans, everyone?  I’ll be working, but as Christmas falls on a Friday this year, that means a 3-day weekend for me.  Yay!

Apologies.  It’s been a while.

Here’s what I’ve been up to:

New York.  I went to New York last month for a few days in October.  It was a short but sweet trip.  I hadn’t been to New York in nearly ten years, and what a difference a decade makes.  When I’d visited New York before, it was all a bit overwhelming.  The noise, the people, the traffic, the attractions – it was more than 16-year-old me could handle.  But now, after having lived abroad in Granada, Spain, New York is actually exciting to me.  And I’ll admit it – though a lot of what I did was touristy, it all felt like typical New York.  I made a visit to Ellis Island (where my great-grandparents landed), went shopping on 5th Avenue, got a library card at the NYPL, took a walk through Central Park, had lunch in Little Italy, got a cupcake from the Magnolia Bakery (yes, just like in SATC), went to a sold-out screening of Still Bill and grabbed a drink with the directors, ate a bagel breakfast on the banks of the Hudson River, and went to Times Square and Rockefeller Center (Hello, Liz Lemon!).  Wanted to get into a tv show taping, but as the trip was last-minute, that didn’t pan out.  All in all, it was a pretty good trip. 

Work.  Work has been good.  Now that all of our shows are back in production, the lot has been buzzing with activity.  Which makes for more exciting tours, in my opinion.  Earlier last month I had the opportunity to take my little brother Cameron to a preview screening of Spike Jonez’s Where the Wild Things Are and we loved it.  If you’re a fan of the book, you’ll love the movie – it’s practically perfect in every way, and you can read my full review of the movie by clicking here.  And to cap off that fun evening, we also got to meet “Chuck” producer and “Star Trek: Voyager” actor Robbie McNeill and then we went to Stage 10 and watched Adam Baldwin, Yvonne Strahovski, Zachary Levi and Brandon Routh film a scene for “Chuck.”   Zac even came over to say hi (greeting me with his customary hug) and my brother went home that night a little star struck.  Also, I got to go to a taping of one of my favorite comedies “The Big Bang Theory.”  Getting tickets to that show is like winning the lottery – you have to get tickets way in advance and hope you get lucky.  Luck helps, sure, but it’s even better to know somebody.  I literally begged my somebody for tickets to the taping, because Wil Wheaton, he of “Star Trek: TNG” and Stand By Me fame, was guesting on the episode.  It was a great night, and I was so excited to be able to take my cousins to that.

Life.  I’m sick right now and have been for two weeks, so life feels icky.  But really, it’s not.  My friend and co-worker Sheryl has been coaching and encouraging me to run, and since February, I’ve run three 5k races (that’s 3.1 miles for you Standard System people) and I’m running my first 10k at Universal Studios in December.  I’ve also been spending a lot of time with good friends and family, I have a fun Thanksgiving lined up, and am enjoying my third year as a volunteer youth leader at my church.  I can’t believe how time flies and that I’ve been living in Los Angeles for two and a half years now.

“Start spreading the news… I’m leaving today…  I want to be a part of it… New York, New York…”

Yup, I’m leaving in just a few hours to go and wait for an airplane that’s scheduled to leave 3 hours and 15 minutes late for New York City.  Fun times!

But once I arrive in New York, I plan to be every bit the cliche tourist: get a taxi at the airport (it’ll be the second taxi ride I’ve taken in my entire life), run in Central Park, pose outside Rockefeller Center (yay, 30 Rock!), visit the New York Public Library in Manhattan, and ride the subway!  And of course, take pictures of everything.

Anything else I should do while in New York?

All my years growing up in San Diego and I never once went to Comic-Con.  It scares me.  I could probably handle it if I were working a booth and had a table between me and the craziness or if I had a publicist to guide me through the throngs.  But on my own?  I’d probably cry.

So, I experience Comic-Con through others.  I have a couple of friends who went this year and they’ve been good about uploading photos and staying current on Twitter.  It’s been fun to see what everyone geeks out over.

My friend Kevin, who lives in San Diego, took his young son Conrad to Comic-Con.  The little tot was dressed in a Captain Hammer shirt (if you haven’t seen Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog… shame on you!) and so of course dad Kevin had Conrad pose with the lovely Felicia Day, who played Captain Hammer’s love interest Penny.

Captain Hammer and Penny, aka Conrad Davis and Felicia Day.

And of course, the press is there, too.  There are tons of panels where actors, writers, producers get to sell their show or movie.  I think there was a time when Comic-Con was just about the comics.

But ever since Hollywood woke up to the rarely-tapped, ready-made stories of the comic book world, Comic-Con has been a place to hype, tease, and preview movies and shows based on comic book characters.

I kinda don’t blame Hollywood.  I mean, why NOT tap into a product that already has a guaranteed fan base.  Sure, nothing’s a sure hit, but with the vast amount of material available, you’re more like to find a hit than a dud.

Anyway, here is a fun photo from the TVGuide panel.  I think Jim and Zac are my favorite nerds on TV right now.  Bonus points: they’re both good guys in real life.  Both will always say hi and wave to you on the lot.  And Parsons is HILARIOUS with Craig Ferguson (seriously, look up clips on YouTube and laugh away).

Chuck and Sheldon, aka Zac Levi and Jim Parsons

My favorite website for Comic-Con photos is over at my beloved Entertainment Weekly’s Comic-Con Central page.  Check it out here and enjoy.  My favorite picture is of The Big Bang Theory cast.  Apparently beards are the way to go when you’re on hiatus.

I took this quiz, and did far worse than I should have.

I met a girl who had Starbuck’s tattoo on her arm.  We talked about Battlestar Galactica for a few minutes, lamenting its demise and the tragedy that was Felix Gaeta.

I gave three tours in the 97-degree heat, my interview got postponed (again) until tomorrow, and my cat is ignoring me.

Hi, y’all!

Whew!  It’s been a crazy few weeks.  What with work, moving, unpacking, and church, life’s been crazy!

Here’s what’s been keeping me sane:

Pushing Daisies.  The show was unofficially cancelled by ABC last year, when the network made the decision to not order the back nine episodes for Daisies’ second season (leaving the epsiode order at just 13 episodes).  To further the heartbreak, ABC chose not to air the last three episodes of the show, leaving us with not only the end of a spectacular show, but depriving us of every episode produced.

But that’s changed now.  No, the show hasn’t been revived by Ned’s magical touch (though ABC would be smart to do so), but we at least get to see the last three episodes.

Two weeks ago, ABC started airing the final three episodes, one a week with the season finale schedule to air this coming Saturday night.  If you missed the episodes, (which you probably did, because ABC didn’t market it at all), you can catch the episodes online here.

This final offering from ABC is bittersweet.  I’m grateful that they’re airing the final episodes (I’ve been DYING to know how/why a Great White Shark was in the morgue), but I’ll have to say good-bye again to the cast, crew, and characters that I love.

Which leads me to…

The Fall.  Starring Lee Pace (the new PD episodes made me fall head-over-heels for him again), it’s a beautiful film – both visually and emotionally – directed by Tarsem Singh.  In a hospital on the outskirts of 1920s Los Angeles, Alexandria is a child recovering from a broken arm. She befriends Roy Walker, a movie stunt man with legs paralyzed after a fall. At her request, Roy tells her fantastical story about 5 mythical heroes who are on a quest to kill a corrupt provincial governor. Between chapters of the story, Roy inveigles Alexandria to scout the hospital’s pharmacy for morphine. As Roy’s fantastic tale nears its end, death seems close at hand. Thanks to his fractured state of mind and her vivid imagination, the line between fiction and reality blurs as the tale advances.

I’ve been re-reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in order to prepare for the 6th installment of the Harry Potter film franchise, due out July 15th.  I saw a trailer for the film the other day and realized that I had no idea what was going on.  So a refresher course was in order (thanks, Lenny, for the loaner!), and I’m now 236 pages into the 652-page tome.  Whew!

And at church, the new kids are here!  Incoming 6th graders started with us last night, and so for the rest of the summer more and more new kids will be coming in.  Yikes!  There are so many new faces now, but it’s so much fun.  It’s sad to be saying goodbye to our 8th graders though.  I can’t believe I’m already at the end of my second year working with the junior high kids at church.  Time flies when you’re having fun!

What have y’all been up to?  Anyone got plans to come to L.A. during the summer?

Glee (gle) n: great merriment (syn: hilarity), malicious satisfaction (syn: gloat).

This is Fox.com’s definition of the word.  And I gotta say, their new show Glee promises both definitions.

Did y’all watch the special premiere?  It aired right after the penultimate episode of American Idol (meh – don’t care who wins).

Glee was wonderful.  The music was great (Journey, Aretha, Les Mis), and the singers all have powerful voices.  A few of them have previous experience, but for many, this is their first major gig.

I am too excited about this show to properly blog about it right now – so just go watch it already!!!

I can’t wait until the next episode airs.   I also can’t wait to see Kristin Chenoweth on the show.  I think she’d be a perfect fit for the show as a substitute teacher or district administrator.  Someone who has to drop in every once in a while, but finds herself drawn to the glee club and through her interest in them, reawakens a passion from her past (of course she’d have to sing – it’s Kristin!).

Those are just my thoughts for now.

In other random news: Dollhouse, Chuck, Fringe, and  Southland were all picked up for additional seasons (so were many other shows, obviously, but those were the ones in jeopardy).

Also, I have a new home!  My roommates Jocelyn and Gretchen and I signed a lease on a new place on Monday and we’re moving in!  I’m still in Valley Village (so still close to work), but the new place has a pool.  So come party, y’all!

My weekend so far:

Friday night:  Brian Regan at Copley Symphony Hall in San Diego, CA. While the audience was loading in (a full house, of course), they were playing Coldplay (my favorite band) over the speakers.  I was, of course, singing along.

Then Brian’s brother Dennis did the opening act.  He was pretty good, but he was kind of upstaged by the guy doing the sign language for the deaf members of the audience.  The guy doing the sign language was acting out the scenes while signing, and then he was adding in his own commentary.  It was soo hilarious that I was basically just listening to Dennis while watching the guy signing.

There were a few technical glitches during the opening act, so they took a brief break to fix the speakers (feedback is kinda funny, but not during a whole set).

More Coldplay during the intermission, and the audience bought beer and wine by the barrel.  It started to smell like a baseball game in there, but hey, we were all having a good time.

Dennis came out again, but this time to introduce his brother.  Brian comes out, wild applause.  He gets through a couple of jokes, but then a section of the audience stands up and begins shouting at him.

“We can’t hear you!” they yell.

He looks puzzled. “Then you’re sitting in the wrong section,” he says, pointing to the section where the guy is signing, “They can’t hear me either.”

The crowd roars, but eventually Brian stops the show and vows to get the sound fixed for real.  Turns out several sections of the theater had no audio.

After another 15-minute intermission (more Coldplay!), Brian comes out again.

“What an awkward way to start a show.  I’m apologizing!  ‘Hey Brian, how are you starting your show these days?’ ‘Well, I walk out, get down on my knees, and beg for forgiveness.’ How’s that for an opening joke?”

But the crowd was a forgiving one (the alcohol might have helped) and the rest of the night was stellar.

I got home and was bumming around on Twitter (find me and follow me!) when I saw that Coldplay (my favorite band) had a free album out!  I KNOW!!!!

So a night full of great comedy and free music.

Saturday:

I saw two of the greatest movies of the year so far:

Star Trek (duh!) and Taken.  You already know about Star Trek, so I’ll sell Taken instead.

Taken stars Liam Neeson (Love Actually, voice of Aslan from Chronicles of Narnia) as Bryan Mills, a former “preventer” for the United States government.  But when his only child Kim (played by Lost‘s Maggie Grace) is kidnapped in Paris and sold into slavery, Mills vows, “I will find you, and I will kill you.”

It’s a short movie, only an hour and a half, but it’s so tense, full of action (Neeson can still kick butt, even at the age of 56), and I’ll admit it – I like the idea of the dad doing anything and everything to save his daughter.

It was always just a personal vendetta – get Kim back.  He wasn’t about busting a drug ring, exposing crooked politicians, or killing mass murderers.  It was only just about getting his daughter back.

So…

In conclusion:

See live: Brian Regan.

See in theaters: Star Trek.

Rent: Taken.

Listen to: Coldplay.

(Bonus music tip: download Plain White T’s “1, 2, 3, 4″)

It’s been a while, so here’s a quick update:

- Still working at Warner Brothers.  LOVE the studio, the company, the people.  I’m where I need to be.

- Making new friends, forging new bonds, expanding my horizons.  My life is what I never thought it could be.  I’m overwhelmed.

- I am still doing the Academy Award winners for Best Pictures, but I have decided to skip (for now) the next film on the list.  Cavalcade is impossible to find.  It’s not on DVD, and no one has the VHS.  So yeah, up next is a personal fav and a film that I already own, It Happened One Night with Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable. 

- I am moving.  Staying in LA, staying in NoHo/Burbank area (hopefully), but moving out of my condo on Westpark.  The roommates and I are all just moving on.  It’s time that we stop living together.  Things are all good, it’s just time.

- I am making a BIG decision here and am booting either House (!!) or The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother from my DVR queue so that I can watch the season two finale (note: I’m praying it’s NOT the SERIES finale) of Chuck live.

WATCH IT.  Monday night, 8pm, NBC.  Chuck.  Watch it.  Star-studded, action-packed, hilarity-infused – you can’t have a better Monday night.  Seriously, watch it live or online at NBC.