Pink Five Standing By
I promised some silliness in the title of the blog, and I shall not disappoint!
Atom Films has just released Return of Pink Five, Episode I. This is the 3rd part of a Star Wars spoof started with Pink Five and continued with Pink Five Strikes Back (beginning to see a pattern here, are we?). There are a lot of SW fan films and parodies out there, but this series is a must view. It stars a valley girl Rebel pilot named Stacy, who seems to find herself in…familiar situations. You can read more about this here.
Also, check out today’s Forensics and Faith post (link above) to follow the Blog tour featuring Brandilyn Collins’ latest book, Web of Lies.
News on Nepal
I am pleased to have good news on my update on Nepal!
Last night the king agreed to reconvene Parliment, which would pave the way for a new constitutional assembly. This is a major victory, and it has brought a temporary peace to Nepal. Instead of protesting, the people have been in the streets celebrating. I have friends that were on the cusp of leaving, but for now are safe to stay where they are.
There is still major work to be done though. The Maoists have broken off from the other opposition groups, saying that they’re not done protesting until the king is gone. This may be a ploy for negotiation, but it is still a serious situation. The Parliment will come together on Friday to begin work. This may be a major corner that this poor country has turned.
Please continue to pray for Nepal and its peace.
Pray for Nepal
I don’t know how many people out there pay attention to international affairs unless they have an interest in the area. Well, a benefit of the internet is that the plight of certain people can be highlighted fairly easily.
I would encourage anyone who comes across this post to pray for Nepal. It is a poor, landlocked country wedged between India and China. It is the home of the Himalayas and Mt. Everest. It is a land of wonderous beauty. And it is a land of intense darkness.
Nepal has been having worsening political difficulties for the last few years. In 1990, the king gave in to popular protests and instituted a constitutional monarchy. In 2001, his son, the crown prince, killed several members of the royal family in a drunken rage and turned the gun on himself. Since then the king’s brother, Gyanendra, has assumed the throne.
The country has been dealing with a Maoist insurgency over the last few years. Last February the king took control of the country, returning it to a Hindu absolute monarchy, under the presumption that he could deal with the worsening crisis.
At first the people supported the king, hoping for a resolution to the stalemate. However, the situation has become more desperate. The last 16 days has seen continuous protests despite curfews. People have been killed by security forces in demonstrations.
To any of my Christian readers out there, please pray for the situation. Today Gyanendra announced he would restore democracy, but the opposition is still not satisfied with the specifics. It is an amazing turn-around, but the next few days will be telling. It seems no accident to me that the Global Days of Prayer for Nepal were held on April 8-9. I have missionary friends on the ground that are seeing people recognize that they need more than what the government can provide. Those of us in the West can have an impact in this situation by getting on our knees and lifting up the country of Nepal: that peace will reign, that the bloodshed will end, that justice will be done, and that the physical and spiritual needs of the country can fully be addressed.
Check back here for updates on the situation as I hear more. Thank you!!!
Frosty
This has been the view out my front window the last few days. Our neighbors across the street did some mowing on Saturday, then took Easter Sunday off. We woke up Monday morning to almost 6 inches of thick, wet snow.
What fun…
Anyway, all the snow has melted except for this hardy guy. Notice the unmowed grass around him. It seems pretty strange to see such green grass with a snowman hanging out there!
Such is life in Idaho. Never plan anything outdoors, because it can snow anytime.
Your choice
I had hoped to make a quick post during my lunch break today. Unfortunately, I got caught in an impromptu lunch meeting, and that idea was shot.
What do we do when our plans go awry? I always come back to this saying that I quote a lot: we can’t control people or circumstances around us, but we can control our reaction to it.
So do I let the situation knock my mood down, ruining the rest of my day? Or do I choose my response carefully, and move on with what I have to do? It is all in the attitude.
(This is also my second post! I wrote the same thing, and ended with “I likely will be tested on this principle since I am writing about it”. Then I hit ‘publish’, and Blogger said it was still doing its scheduled downtime, an hour after it said it should be done. Nothing like putting your words into immediate action!)