Sandra Bullock won the Oscar for Best Actress at the Academy Awards tonight for her role in The Blind Side. Bullock plays the role of Leigh Anne Tuohy, a Christian conservative white woman who adopts a destitute young black man and helps him to succeed academically and athletically. The movie is based on the true story of Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Michael Oher. I thoroughly enjoyed it not only because of the uplifting storyline and outstanding performances, but also because the movie portrays a conservative Christian in a positive light — quite a contrast from what is typically seen coming out of Hollywood. I highly recommend it.

According to an article in The Improper, over her lifetime Sandra Bullock’s films have grossed more than 3.1 billion dollars worldwide.

Your Life:

From an excellent sermon I heard this morning at Applegate Christian Fellowship:

In an interview with The Rolling Stone, Brad Pitt said regarding the American Dream,

Man, I know all these things are supposed to seem important to us – the car, the condo, our version of success – but if that’s the case, why is the general feeling out there reflecting more impotence and isolation and desperation and loneliness? If you ask me, I say toss all this – we gotta find something else. Because all I know is that at this point in time, we are heading for a dead end, a numbing of the soul, a complete atrophy of the spiritual being. And I don’t want that.

Rolling Stone: So if we’re heading toward this kind of existential dead end in society, what do you think should happen?

Pitt: Hey, man, I don’t have those answers yet. The emphasis now is on success and personal gain. [smiles] I’m sitting in it, and I’m telling you, that’s not it. I’m the guy who’s got everything. I know. But I’m telling you, once you’ve got everything, then you’re just left with yourself. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: it doesn’t help you sleep any better, and you don’t wake up any better because of it.

Rolling Stone Magazine (October 28, 1999)

Brad Pitt has multiplied millions in the bank. He has (or had) Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston. I looked at some photos of Brad Pitt’s house and I don’t know if it can even be called a house. A compound more accurately describes it. You need a helicopter to reach a high enough altitude to see it all at once. And yet Pitt say’s, “I’m sitting in it, and I’m telling you, that’s not it.”

We should listen to him.

Solomon had it all, materially speaking. The Bible says that he “…made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones.” (2 Chronicles 9:27) He had 700 wives and 300 concubines. (1 Kings 11:3) Yet Solomon agreed with Pitt when he said regarding the things of this world,

“Meaningless! Meaningless!”
says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless.”

Ecclesiastes 1:2

Anytime you or I try to find satisfaction in life from worldly things we’ll be disappointed. (see previous post Avatar and Your God Shaped Hole) What we’re craving is the person of Jesus Christ. Brad Pitt said, “…I don’t have any answers…” But there is an answer. The answer is Jesus. Jesus told us to follow him and that “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” John 15:11

Make your joy complete. Follow Jesus. Pray to Him. Acknowledge that you have sin in your life (we all do! Romans 3:23) and that you’re in need of a savior. Accept the work that Jesus did on the cross for you — He loved you so much He died for your sins. Ask Him to become a part of your life. Ask Him to be your Savior and your Lord. Ask Him to help you to walk intimately with Him.

You’ll never regret it.

Your joy will be complete.