Author: Suzanne E. Ostrander

I received my B.A. in English from Kennesaw State University in 2008. Worked as a Technical Writer for the past 5 years, where I met the love of my life and got married. I now work at home as a Tech Writer and blog contributor, so I can stay close to my now 4-month old son, Luke. I love writing, running, knitting, and laughing.

Movie Review: God’s Not Dead

April 4, 2014

Gods Not DeadBy: Suzanne Ostrander

A couple of weekends ago, my husband and I relished the scarce and exciting opportunity to watch a movie from start to finish without pressing the pause button once. That’s right ladies and gentlemen, my dear spouse and I went on a date while the grandparents babysat our 9-month old son. (Can I get an AMEN?!!)

Long overdue for some conversation that broached topics other than Spongebob Squarepants, spit-up, or suspicious smelling diapers, Nathan and I agreed on the recently released flick “God’s Not Dead”.

The movie tells the story of devout Christian and college freshman Josh Wheaton (Shane Harper), who is prompted by his overreaching Atheist philosophy professor (Kevin Sorbo) to present a scientific, fact-based argument on the existence of God.

Rotten Tomatoes gave the film mixed reviews, due to the production’s stereotypical depiction of religion and morality throughout various cultures.

Be that as it may, I strongly disagree with the assertion that the movie failed to present an all-encompassing portrayal of the Christian experience.

Critics felt that the movie presented the tragically inaccurate message that Christians are always good, while non-Christians are always bad.  In other words, if good is white and bad is black, then the film lacked any notable trace of gray when it came to character development.

I couldn’t disagree more.

Josh Wheaton’s longtime girlfriend is a perfect example of a character who steps outside her moral compass as a Christian without actually abandoning her faith altogether. Committed to her relationship with Josh and their long-term plan of a life together, Josh’s girlfriend shares his Christian faith, but does not support his decision to challenge his professor. She is a Christian, yet her concern for Josh’s academic future trumped her support for him when he decides to challenge his professor and defend his faith.

Does this mean that she is no longer a Christian?

Of course not, she simply erred in her ways as a Christian who mistakenly dips her toes into the quintessential realm of gray.

What other characters represent this proverbial, yet realistic shade of gray? Go see the film and find out! I would love to hear your thoughts!

 

On What Day Did God Cause the Big Bang?

March 18, 2014

CreationMost of you who follow scientific news have heard that scientists have just discovered physical traces from the moment in history when the Earth and planets were created. Because the universe expanded so quickly, it left ripples in light patterns throughout the universe.  These ripples of light were recently discovered by a team of astronomers led by John Kovac of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.

With regard to creation, evolution, and faith, I have always been one to embrace the “both” theory.  In other words, who says that God and science have to be mutually exclusive concepts?

Is it too far fetched to pose the question: “on what day did God cause this Big Bang”? This is a question that we will never know while we are living on Earth. God didn’t put us here on Earth for us to iron out these details, though!

Sometimes, believing means that you just believe.

We Can’t Take it With Us!

March 18, 2014

TreasuresinHeavenThe first time I saw this image, I thought it was a bit morbid.  In fact, it is morbid.  It’s showing a hearse carrying away a deceased person with all of his earthly possessions being hauled behind him.  Yet, the absurdity of this image compels us to almost immediately reevaluate the things we perceive as valuable.

Though this image appears smaller on the blog than I would like, if you click on the image, it shows in tiny print the powerful scripture that directly contradicts the image:

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy and thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, your heart will be also” (Matthew 6: 19-21).

In short, we can’t take it with us!! I hope you were blessed by this today.

When We Want to Hear From God

February 27, 2014

Christian CommunicationI saw this cartoon earlier this week and, despite its simplicity, it truly spoke to me. As Christians, we need to remember that the Bible is our predominant tool in life.  Can God speak to us in ways outside the Bible? Sure! However, the Bible is His foundation for us.  The Bible is essentially our starting point, our “go-to” solution when we feel lost.

Do not fret if you have ever found yourself aimlessly turning through pages of the Bible not knowing where to start.  It is okay if you have ever closed your Bible and still felt unmoved or not spoken to.

We have all been there.  Just don’t give up, and know that God sees you trying and His promises will not fail!

On a similar note, when you feel like you do not know where to start, I recommend always going back to the book of John.  It may be repetitive, but it is a wonderful starting point for everybody to truly understand God’s love for us.

I hope you are blessed by this posting, and never forget to love one another everyday!

Doodling: A Frivolous or Productive Activity?

February 25, 2014

200249351-001The Applied Journal of Cognitive Psychology conducted a 2009 study that has shed a new light on the habit of doodling.  As part of the study, researcher Jackie Andrade played a lengthy voicemail to the group of volunteers.  The first group was asked to doodle during the course of the message, while the second group was instructed to simply listen to the recording. Interestingly, the group of doodlers remembered 29% more details than the other group.

City University of New York psychology professor Jesse Prinz claims “doodling isn’t just a distraction from boredom- it may actually keep us from daydreaming and zoning out altogether. Mindless drawing [is]…a way to take all those things that distract you, all those subjects that you ruminate on, and clear them away [to] open this space where information can get in”.

So the next time you find yourself stuck in a long meeting or watching a lengthy informational video, embrace your creative side and doodle away!

Click the link below to be redirected to the original cbs news article on the study:

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-higher-purpose-of-doodling/

The below video segment expands upon the above research study and discusses how casual doodling can improve our daily memory and comprehension:

 

When People Need Christ

February 21, 2014

Be Kinder than NecessaryOne of my favorite life mantras has always been “Always be kinder than necessary. Everyone is fighting some sort of battle”.

This is a great secular statement, but does it correlate with the Bible? I have great news for you: for once, an awesome expression actually does align up with the Bible! That’s right ladies and gentlemen, this one’s got God written all over it. Let’s see what the Bible says about kindness:

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you”. Ephesians 4:32

“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great” Luke 6:35

In short, we all know that people who are unkind to us are the ones who need Christ the most. We become true mature Christians, once we have had the time to regroup and sympathize with the person’s pain.

It still doesn’t make the action okay, and the offender might not warrant a spot back in your life, but are we remembering to pray for this person, too?

Who can you forgive today?

When People Need Christ

February 21, 2014

Be Kinder than NecessaryOne of my favorite life mantras has always been “Always be kinder than necessary. Everyone is fighting some sort of battle”.

This is a great secular statement, but does it correlate with the Bible? I have great news for you: for once, an awesome expression actually does align up with the Bible! That’s right ladies and gentlemen, this one’s got God written all over it. Let’s see what the Bible says about kindness:

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you”. Ephesians 4:32

“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great” Luke 6:35

In short, we all know that people who are unkind to us are the ones who need Christ the most. We become true mature Christians, once we have had the time to regroup and sympathize with the person’s pain.

It still doesn’t make the action okay, and the offender might not warrant a spot back in your life, but are we remembering to pray for this person, too?

Who can you forgive today?

Today’s Reading: Paper vs. Digital

January 7, 2014

paper versus digitalSuccess Magazine has featured an article canvassing today’s readers on their preference of paper versus digital reading. Interestingly, the survey indicated that today’s readers of all ages prefer reading paper books over electronic versions.  New research, however, has yielded that older readers are more likely to experience more difficulty processing information read in printed books.  

German researchers measured eye movements and coordinating brain activity, as subjects read paper books, tablets, and online material from a desktop or standard laptop.  While those ages 21-34 displayed an equal level of competence with each reading method, readers ages 60-77 needed less time and brain activity when reading on a tablet, as opposed to paper copies, or other media.

These results have furthermore suggested that older readers may benefit from the enhanced contrast, which has become a standard feature in all tablet devices.

I would love to hear your thoughts as to your reading format preference.  Never stop reading and learning, and encourage excellence everyday!

George Wallace’s “Laff it Off”

January 4, 2014

Laff it OffIn Comedian George Wallace’s book, “Laff it Off”, he reminds us that “we don’t stop laughing because we grow old- we grow old because we stop laughing”. As a frequent performer throughout Vegas and comedy clubs across America, Wallace inspires and relates to a variety of followers ranging from white collar workers, to homemakers, to everything in between. For information on George Wallace’s book, click the link below to be directed to his website:

http://www.georgewallace.net/

In light Wallace’s philosophical approach to laughter and life, I have provided some of my favorite quotes on laughter that I could not live without. I hope you are blessed by these quotes and that you never forget to stop laughing everyday.  As always, I remind you each to encourage excellence throughout your daily endeavors.  Remember: laughter is the best medicine!

“In those whom I like, I can find no common denominator; in those whom I love I can: they all make me laugh” -W.H. Auden

“If we couldn’t laugh, we would all go insane”. -Robert Frost

“I don’t trust anyone who doesn’t laugh.”
― Maya Angelou

“And I have one of those very loud, stupid laughs. I mean if I ever sat behind myself in a movie or something, I’d probably lean over and tell myself to please shut up.”
―J.D. Salinger, “The Catcher in the Rye”

“There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.”
―Charles Dickens, “A Christmas Carol”

“Life is worth living as long as there’s a laugh in it.”
―L.M. Montgomery, “Anne of Green Gables”  

“The human race has only one really effective weapon and that is laughter.”
― Mark Twain 

How to Quieten Your Life

January 2, 2014

noiseShawn Achor, Harvard scholar and researcher and author, has provided valuable insight on how to improve your daily productivity, by simply decreasing the amount of unnecessary “noise” in your life. In his book, Before Happiness, Achor discusses the surprising rewards of that can result from simply decreasing 5 percent of the “noise” in our daily lives.

Specifically, there are 4 effective ways we can allot more room in our brains by eliminating the following types of auditory input:

1) Mute TV and Internet commercials

2) Turn off the car radio when talking to others

3) Leave the radio off for the first 5 minutes in the car

4) Remove news media links from your internet bookmarks

For more information on Shawn Achor’s book and career research, click the link below to be directed to his website:

http://goodthinkinc.com/speakers/shawn-achor/

Thanks for reading, and Happy New Year!!!!