Balance to the Force: A Story of Redemption

Okay guys, we are going to talk about Star Wars, because YES. This past week I watched all six films and I realized that 1. I have been too hard on the prequel films, and 2. Star Wars is one of the greatest stories of redemption ever told.

Redemption comes for many people in the saga, but let’s be real: the only redemption arc we care about is that of Anakin Skywalker.

Omit “Overwhelmed” from Your Vocabulary

“I’ve got my country’s five hundredth anniversary to plan, my wedding to arrange, my wife to murder, and Guilder to frame for it. I’m swamped.”
Prince Humperdinck, The Princess Bride

“A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of Overwhelming obstacles.”
Christopher Reeve

Yeah, I know. ‘Tis the season…for BUSY. Am I right?  Your plate is full.  The lists, the planning, the work, the assignments.

Then…it gets fuller.

Expectations, duties, obligations, requirements, want-tos, have-tos. Then comes the proverbial curve-ball and things get officially wack-a-doodle. And you are tempted to say, because you have every right to, that you are honestly and truly “Overwhelmed.” But don’t.

When Our Story is Told – and It Will Be Told

Celebration City  by J. Loren Reedy

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“The sweetness of reunion is the Joy of Heaven.”
Richard Paul Evans, Lost December

“Let’s trust the future to tomorrow. Let the stars keep track of us. Let us ride our own orbits and trust that they will meet. May our reunion be not a finding but a sweet collision of destinies.”
Jerry Spinelli, Love, Stargirl

I have to admit, I cried when I saw the photo of my brother, Connor, at the airport leaving for the Mexico Missionary Training Center in prep for his mission to Chile.

Let me set it up for you:
Occasionally some random wifi works in our France apartment, and when I turn on my iPad, I see that I have seven emails. I look at them, starting from the bottom – all the temple pictures. Then I get to Connor in his suit at the San Jose airport.

I couldn’t hold back. I burst into tears and was weepy the rest of the night.

He is a missionary now, we are both on the same adventure. I know Connor is being protected and that he will do AMAZING work in Chile. I am so happy for him and so proud of him. GO CON-DUDE.

Then it hit me that I really won’t be seeing him for a long time. It was a rough night. But then another thought came…