Most Spiritually Significant Films

Here are the movies that Relevant Magazine named, "The Most Spiritually Significant Films of the Last 10 Years" They define that as films that transcend entertainment and speak to deep truths...

• Oh Brother, Where Art Thou
• Big Kahuna
• American History X
• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
• American Beauty
• Crash
• The Green Mile
• No Country For Old Men
• The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
• The Royal Tenenbaums

I don't think there are any that I specifically disagree with, but I don't remember being that struck by the themes in "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou". And I haven't seen "Big Kahuna", "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly", or "No Country for Old Men". But the first two are going on my Netflix list now.

Here are the movies I would add to this list (some might be older than 10 years)...

• Fight Club
• Into the Wild
• Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
• The Shawshank Redemption
• Magnolia
• September Dawn

I thought it would be interesting to get opinions from all of you. Do you agree with the list? What movies would you add or take off?

Some Serious Humor

As I've looked around lately, I've seen more and more people who are just really down right now. I recently asked one of the wisest women I know (props to Sharon S.) if she thought this was a normal thing to experience around my age. She told me that she thinks it has less to do with my age and more to do with the climate and culture around all of us right now. I don't mean, "oh we live in such a sinful world" and all the stuff you normally hear. I am talking about things that are really particular to right now.

To start with, we are in an election year which I guess means that everyone goes to every extreme to try to convince us all how horrible the world is because they think that will make us elect our favorite super hero to come in and fix everything. But stop and think about the kind of common discussions you hear lately. Gas prices making people fearful and forcing them to give up their normal pleasures in life; global warming out to singe us all; a neverending war that is killing tons of our friends and family; the foreshadowing of a possible economic depression; terrorists that are banging at our door just itching to get in and slaughter us... and the list goes on. Crisis after crisis. It is a climate of fear and discouragement.

Wise Woman then proceeded to talk about how now might be the time that we all need to focus on hope and just take life a lot less seriously for awhile (I am really really trying to keep this from turning into a "remember the little blessings in your life" email forward). It did make me think though about how maybe I need to try to have a little more fun and not get my panties all in a bunch over little nothings. I completely WASTE so much time and energy worrying, being fearful, obsessing, etc. And maybe I just need to stop. I need to stop and laugh at myself and probably at a few South Park episodes because they are the masters at putting some twisted humor on these serious issues (Don't judge me!).

Secret- Sometimes I feel like laughing at something way longer than is socially appropriate- after everyone else has already stopped. From now on I think I'm just going to risk it and laugh until I'm done!

Connections made

This weekend I had an incredible experience. It is hard to explain because it was just one of those times when everything in my life just molded together to all make sense as a whole. It all started when I was sitting in my old Starbucks reading and I kept feeling like I should talk to the guy next to me. I recognized him as one of the regulars that was around when I worked there, but I didn't think he recognized me. He had already said a little bit to me when I first sat down and he had mentioned his wife right away, so I felt like he wasn't going to be some creepy psycho with bad intentions or anything!

I started talking to him and we ended up talking for 2 hours! He told me all about his 15 year old daughter's cocaine addiction. He talked about various rehab experiences she's had, how it has affected their family, the various stories of all her friends, etc. etc. It was so amazing. The awesome part was that I just made the decision to simply listen to whatever he wanted to talk about and to devote all of my attention to him (you have no idea how difficult this is for me to do).

I am always amazed at the results that come from doing nothing more than active listening and really getting your heart and mind involved in someone's story. I mean, here I am in Starbucks with a grown man tearing up in front of me telling me about his weaknesses, vulnerabilties, and challenges. Just because I decided to listen. Not to talk, not to teach, not to preach. Just to listen, to get involved in his life, and to love. God is love right? This experience just reminded me of some things I once knew. Sometimes it is OK for Christians to just love people. We don't always need alterior motives. We don't always have to be looking for that one pause in the conversation to spring the 4 Laws on them. We can just love for the sake of loving. For the sake of representing Christ to someone. The results of that on our world are astounding. (So apparently, NOW is my time for preaching- that's what blogs are for I guess!).

It's hard to explain the significance this event had on me because there are so many tiny little details that happened through this conversation and so many connections that were made in my head about my own life. Things I've been thinking about and considering sort of joined together to make me see them in a new light. Things I've just recently been getting passionate about (mainly teenagers and also abuse recovery work) were highlighted. No new revelations actually came to me, it just kind of made me know that God is working and he has something ahead for me. I haven't felt like God has coordinated events in my life in such a detailed and specific way like that in a long time, so it made me really excited. Plus it made me remember how much I thrive on meeting new people and getting into their lives like that (which makes me even more excited about Apartement Life). I usually feel too tired to ask questions or too busy to spend the time. Now I know what I'm missing out on . This rejuvenated me and reminded me of the kind of person I used to be and the kind of person I want to be.

Babe, I'm Leavin'...

Today the big news was announced that I am officially quitting my job at Phoenix Seminary. Well I guess that is not really true I just like to shock people first and then explain. It looks like we're going to try and work it out for me to stay on for 2 days a week (instead of the 5 I do now). This has let me to discover that it is a lie- you CAN have your cake and it eat it too (what a strange phrase that is)! This will allow me to maintain the absolutely beautiful relationships that I have built at the seminary and it will provide a little bit of that extra green that we need every month so that we don't have to raise support for our ministry like we were considering doing. Plus it will give me the time I need to do apartment life, help babysit my new niece, and work a little with Scottie's 2 companies so I can build up the High School Senior portrait portion of Visionyard Studios and help the management aspect of Reflect Photographers. So if I ever forget, you can all help remind me about how God is amazing and he's a better coordinator and planner than I could ever be for my own life!

La Vida Loca

This has been an absolutely crazy 2 weeks to say the least, with all kinds of unusual things happening! It all started when my little brother became a dad (that's weird for sure), and I didn't go to work for half the day Monday just because I needed to sleep after staying up all night watching the birth (I've never got to not go to work just because I was tired before).

2 days later, I took a day off of work and school to go look at the new place we are going to live and to celebrate our anniversary by having a little photo session (you don't move, have a 3 year wedding anniversary, and get to be a model every day). Later that night my eyes swelled up so much that I might have been mistaken for Rocky Balboa, so I missed work the next day because I looked scary (sorry, there is no way I'm posting a picture of it) and I needed to go to the Doctor.

Over the weekend I shot a wedding and went to a bridal show all day (these definitely count as unusual weekend activities for me). Then on both Monday and Tuesday I only went to work for 6 hours because I had to go to the Dr. to get stabbed in the back with 100 needles (literally) all for the purpose of making me scratchy and miserable (and the side benefit of finding out what I am allergic to) I've spent 2 years thinking I am allergic to garlic, only to find out that I am not (I am so weirded out but very happy).

When I went to leave for the Dr. on Monday I went out to my car only to find my window smashed in. So I drove around for the next few days with about 2,000 tiny pieces of safety glass being held in my window by tinting alone. I am happy to report that they at least didn't get in to my car and knowing that he left my car disappointed with his spoils, leaves me with a satisfied feeling. And it was nice to drive around knowing that at least the people on my right side couldn't see me singing at the top of my lungs through my shattered windshield.

When I went to the Dr. yesterday I found out that I am a death risk (apparently) because they gave me an EpiPen! I never in my life thought I would ever need that. Bizarre and eventful times in the life of Breanna, huh!? So I guess I will have to let you know how the rest of this week goes. As long as it doesn't entail actually using my EpiPen I think I'm good.

Top 10 Greatest Moments so far

On Wednesday Scottie and I celebrated our 3 year wedding anniversary! I think that means we're not newlyweds anymore. According to Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson, you're not newlyweds after 2 years (or at least that's when they decide not to renew your contract for a third season) but what do they know anyways, they're divorced!

So as we were reflecting on our married life so far, we decided that we've had quite an interesting time together so I thought I would share our moments with all of you. This is when I wish that my entire life had been videotaped because this would make an awesome montage. I guess you just have to picture it as if one scene after another is just flying by with the sliding PowerPoint transition to the theme song from Laverne and Shirley. You know... "We're gonna make our dreams come true. Doin' it our way..." http://www.sitcomsonline.com/sounds/laverneandshirley.wav

Scottie and Breanna's top 10 Greatest Moments so far:

10. One night we were loitering in a parking lot with our friends and we were riding together on the long board Scottie built (meant to hold 1 person at a time) and we totally wiped out with gigantic Scottie landing on top of me.

9. Once we took turns slapping each other in the face because we wanted to know what it felt like to slap someone like in the movies.

8. During our first year of marriage we were so poor that when Scottie's only pair of flip flops broke, he used a hammer and nails to put them back together.

7. For about 6 months, we always went to the grocery store after 10pm and never fail we would end up having major laughing attacks that would end with me sitting on the floor in the middle of the frozen food aisle laughing too hard to stand up.

6. When Scottie was in charge of the college group at Scottsdale Bible Church we went on stage to talk about sex, love, and dating and we ended up spontaneously joking around about our sex life in front of 85 college students.

5. Our biggest fight still remains to be the one where Scottie was playing video games and I started nagging him about it so he suddenly got so mad he ripped the door off our entertainment center like the incredible hulk (totally abnormal behavior from cool and calm Scottie- that's why it's funny and not sad).

4. One December we decided to go jump into the freezing pool at 2 am just because we had never done it before. It was cold but the hot tub was a treasured reward.

3. When my favorite band (Smashing Pumpkins) reunited, we uncharacteristically spent our savings to fly to San Fransisco to see one of their first shows. The ironic part is that they came to AZ 2 months later and we saw them two more times.

2. One night at midnight we decided to go camping right then. So we loaded up the truck, laid out in the desert for about 2 hours, then drove home because we wanted to sleep in our own bed.

1. One of my favorite nights together was when we stayed up super late singing 70's rock songs together. "Hold me closer tiny dancer..."

I guess the moral of the story is if you want to have fun, stay up past 11pm with Scottie and Breanna.

Happy Anniversary to us!

The Quest

When we first got married we decided that we wanted to go away every year for our anniversary just the 2 of us. Being that this year we are pretty broke- we are going camping! But don't feel too bad for us, because we are going in a super tricked out pop-up tent trailer that we inherited from my parents! Well it's not tricked out yet, but our "pimp my trailer" plans will be put into effect as soon as my handy husband fills the the bb gun holes (apparently expensive tent trailers make great target practice) and repairs the roof (it seems it was repeatedly jumped onto from the top of our house by someone's un-named brothers). But THEN we will cover it with tacky bumper stickers, paint it hot pink and black, put some shag carpet in along with purple velvet wallpapering, or do something like that! OK, maybe not that elaborate, but it will be awesome eventually and probably slightly tacky since you can do that kind of stuff to a trailer- unless you live in it!

Anyways, we are going for a full week in July. And while, Scottie is oh so entertaining, I have a good hunch that there will definitely be plenty of moments of boredom. So I have decided to begin a quest. It is not the most noble of quests, but it is an important one. I am on a quest to find the best fiction book of all time! Actually, I don't even need the best, I just want one of those books that you never want to stop reading and that makes you sad when it's over. I want something that is totally going to enthrall me and that I will remember for years to come. So the purpose of this post is to get ideas for some books. I want to hear anyone and everyone's suggestions of the best fiction books ever! Anything that you totally loved, even if you are not sure why you loved it. You can check out my list of books that affected me to see what I have already read and to get ideas of the kind of stuff I like and then just post your recommendations as a comment (I am also accepting tent trailer decor ideas!). This is also the part where we will get to find out if anyone actually reads my blog, or if any of my blog readers read anything else!

P.S. The picture is me on our last camping trip.

Let Me Introduce You

So it is official, I am now a real-live auntie! (that's pronounced "anty" as in a cute way to say aunt, not as in "onty", the British way to say aunt- very important distinction because saying it the right way makes me a fun aunt and saying it the wrong way makes me a 60 years old mean aunt who makes you sit up straight!). My new baby niece, Kylee Reagan McDaniel, was born on Sunday, June 1st!

The name had been kept a secret so I was very happy when mama Sara announced it the first time she held her because honestly, I was expecting an awful name that I would be embarrassed to say like Izzy or Skiz or something like that. I thought the purpose of the secret keeping was to make sure that no one could argue with it and would have to accept something they didn't want to. Needless to say I was relieved and pleasantly surprised by the beautiful Kylee announcement.

One of the coolest things about it all was that I got to witness the birth! I was so honored that she wanted me to be in there with her (and that she felt comfortable enough with me to really get to know ALL of her that way!). It was unbelievable and I was so glad I was there. I was really proud of myself because I watched the whole thing and I didn't get grossed out at all and I even watched the afterbirth (which, if you don't know, looks like guts coming out of her) and I was fine! I feel like a tougher human being now who is capable of like saving tons of lives in an emergency situation because I can handle disturbing things and stuff (even though in reality I would just end up curled up in a ball rocking back and forth in the corner during a traumatic event).

Ironically, while I was in the delivery room, my alarm on my cell phone telling me to take my birth control was going off in the waiting room. My family in there expected me to burst in and take 2 pills at once after what I witnessed. But I was fine! In fact I was very encouraged by the whole experience. Once she had her epidural, she was a pretty happy camper she even wanted to watch the movie Clueless during her labor! So in between pushing, her and I discussed how weird looking Brittany Murphy is in that movie. Throughout the whole experience she passed the time by cracking jokes with us and making small talk with the nurses. We actually had a lot of fun in there (well, I'm sure Sara had a little less fun that the rest of us) and we spent a lot of time laughing; I guess we welcomed in Kylee with our family's own personal style! That may be the first time in the entire history of the universe that a baby's first visual outside of the womb was that of Alicia Silverstone prancing around in platforms and a plaid mini skirt. Overall it was a terrific experience. When I went to see them the next day Sara stilled looked totally fine and not all traumatized like I would expect someone who just pushed out a baby to look. So I'm like, "oh, labor must be really easy nowadays!" And no one disagrees or argues because they're all holding their breaths in hope that I will one day have my own baby. And who knows, after being around this awesome little girl enough, I just might!

Stats:

7 lbs. 10 oz.

19 3/4 inches
Favorite movie: Clueless

Ranking: In the Top 10 list of the most wonderful babies ever.

Future band name: "Attitude From The Womb"

And for those of you who were holding your breaths I am happy to report, NO, she did not inherit her father's webbed toes! :-)