Safe and Sound

There are three things I'm currently obsessed with. Taylor Swift is, of course, one of them. The other two you may not know about: The Civil Wars and The Hunger Games trilogy. Seriously, if you've never listened to The Civil Wars, do it. And if you've never read The Hunger Games, do it. You'll thank me for both.

Back in December, I was thrilled when Taylor announced that she was collaborating with The Civil Wars on a new song. (Holla!) Adding to the excitment, the song was going to be for the first movie adaptation of my new favorite book series! And finally, yesterday, (only one day after she brought home two new Grammy awards) she released the video for one of the best songs she's ever done. Prepare to see and hear Taylor like never before. Behold!

Get More: Taylor Swift, Safe and Sound, Music, More Music Videos

What do you think? I absolutely love it. I have to be honest, though, when I first heard they were collaborating, I had a couple doubts of how well Taylor could keep up with the haunting melodies of The Civil Wars, but her voice in this song is more beautiful than ever. And visually, the video matches the tone and feel of the book series perfectly. This gives me high hopes for the film's approach to the material, as well.

Taylor meets The Civil Wars meets The Hunger Games? Yes, please!

Until the Very End

[pic via]

In part, JK Rowling dedicated the final book in her Harry Potter series to me, a devoted fan who has stuck with Harry until the very end.

The 7th book was published in 2007, and Harry Potter's story was officially complete, but it has never felt so final as it does now, with the release of the last film in the franchise. Of course, we went to see the movie the minute it opened, but instead of providing a sense of wholeness with the conclusion, it instead left me with a giant gaping void, longing to be filled again.

You see, Harry Potter and his world have been a distinct part of mine for over a decade. I was first introduced to Harry (yes, we're on a first name basis by now) in 2000 by my smarter, younger brother, Richard. Naturally, I balked at the boy wizard's childish story; anything that my nerdy little brother was into was way below me. Since I was already a sophomore in high school, I was much too mature for a "kid's book." Thankfully, my mom continued to prompt me to pick up the Hero's Journey with anecdotes of a "funny house elf" and a flying car, as well as deeper lessons in friendship, courage, loyalty, and love. I finally conceded to quiet my scoffing long enough to "try just one."

To my surprise, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone truly was a cute, entertaining, easy-to-read book with deep underlying meaning. It wasn't long until I stepped a little deeper into the Potterworld with The Chamber of Secrets, which I found that I enjoyed even more than the first. From that moment on, I dove headfirst into this magical world of wands and chocolate frogs.

I anxiously awaited the release of each subsequent novel. Every time Harry boarded the Hogwarts Express, I was right alongside him on his journey into the wizarding world. And at the end of each book, when he was sent back to live with the Durselys for the summer, I, too, was stuck in the muggle world waiting for the next book to be published.

Over the last ten years, the limits of JK Rowling's imagination have become mine, as well. I genuinely felt like I was there when Harry, Ron, and Hermione lulled Fluffy to sleep in order to save the Sorcerer's Stone from the man who murdered his parents; when they ventured deep inside the Chamber of Secrets to encounter the first of many parts of Voldemort's soul stored within a horcrux; when they helped free the Prisoner of Azkaban who would become one of my favorite characters; when his name was spit from the Goblet of Fire and he competed in the Tri-Wizard Tournemant, only to be portkeyed to his arch nemesis; when they fought Voldemort in the Ministry of Magic with the Order of the Phoenix and he finally discovered his true destiny; when he was (seemingly) betrayed by the Half-Blood Prince after studying the history, and final downfall, of his rival; and when they tracked down the Deathly Hallows and finally destroyed all of the horcruxes, so they could save the entire wizarding world from the most evil wizard who ever lived.

I remember drinking butterbeer and learning the rules of Quidditch as if I was truly part of the story. I have legitimate memories of traveling to Hogsmeade and visiting Honeyduke's and Zonko's Joke Shop. I felt like I actually wrote feet of parchment worth of essays for Snape, only to have Hermione correct it all, and that I really wandered the castle in the darkness under the invisibility cloak's protection. I felt the pain when loved ones died along the way. I felt the betrayal when nobody believed that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had returned. I felt the loneliness of being the Chosen One and the fear of having to go on an impossible mission to defeat the scariest, meanest, evilest wizard ever. I felt the resolution of knowing what must be done in order to finally conquer, and I felt the courage it took to make that final journey, as well as the love that it took to get there.

I know I probably sound like a total freak to those who haven't been properly introduced to Harry Potter, and maybe even to some of you who have met him, but haven't gotten to know him like I do. But Harry, Ron, and Hermione, as well as Neville, Luna, Fred, George, Sirius, Lupin, Dobby, Hagrid, Ginny, and so many others have truly been my friends over the years. They were a safe place to go to when I needed an escape. They truly provided me with comfort, peace, familiarity and a sense of belonging, direction, and identity through their fictional lives.

Over the last ten years, Harry and Co. have taught me many things. They've taught me the value of friendship and loyalty and bravery and courage; of believing in yourself even when you're the only one who does; of trusting in the good of others; of working hard and not giving up; of choices being far more important than abilities or lineage, and choosing what is right may not always be what is easy; of the power of love, and the greatest of which is one who lays down his life for others.

If I ever wrote a personal letter to Jo, I imagine it would look very similar to this hypothetical one written by an author/songwriter I admire:

Dear Ms. Rowling,

I think it’s remarkable what you’ve done. I love your imagination. I love your characterization and your sense of humor. I love that you’re telling a story about choosing the right thing, even when it’s hard. I love that you’re telling a story that is full of wisdom, a story that reminds me how evil Evil is. Most of all, I love that your story reminds me that light is stronger than darkness, that the best way to love is to lay your life down, and that Death will not have the final say. By the way, I’m a follower of Christ, and I see him in your story. I don’t know if that’s intentional or not, but you should know that he’s in there. In fact, it wouldn’t be a huge stretch to say that reading your books has helped me to praise him even more for his courage, his sacrifice, and his strength to conquer the hosts of hell to save us.

Sincerely,

Andrew Peterson

That about sums it all up for me. I really don't know how to feel right now. With the release of the final film marking the true end to Harry's (and my) magical journey, I genuinely feel like I'm mourning the loss of my childhood; like I just graduated and the real (muggle) world is looming in my too-near future.

The Mehaffey siblings taking part in the last moments of world-wide Harry Potter fandom. We waited in line for four hours, and Brad and I made custom shirts to commemorate the occasion.

Waiting for the conclusion to finally begin, ten years in the making.

I will surely miss the anticipation of the next book or movie installment. I'll miss the excitement of midnight premieres. I'll miss the mystery of the unknown and the journey. I'll miss the reign this phenomenon has had on our culture. But, no matter what, I'll always be part of the Harry Potter generation, and I'll luckily never have to truly miss the wizarding world, because this is not the end, not really. Hogwarts will always be there to welcome me home.

Thank you, Jo Rowling, for so many things, I can't even express. Thanks to you, and the Boy Who Lived, all is well.

The Great Mehaffey Compromise of 2010

Brad and I have struck a deal. The Deal of all deals, actually. I do believe it's a win-win situation.

I've been a Harry Potter addict since high school.  You know, that kind of fan. When we first got married, and he was still trying to impress me with his kindness, I persuaded him to read the books. He got through the first three (rather quickly, I might add) before school started back up. Once the new semester began demanding his attention, and he caught a glimpse of the swelled size of Book 4, he backed away from the series. It wasn't long until he was talking trash of HP and making comments about how dumb it is and poking fun at me for my obsession. Once he set his mind against Harry, I was never able to convince him to pick the books back up, again.

This sort of Potter abuse has been going on for five years, now! Can you imagine?? Even I can't believe I've survived this long. Granted, he's always been generous when it comes to the movies and the midnight releases of those movies, but it never goes without a little chastisement, and he'd never consider actually reading the books.

Anyway, last week, I had had the last straw. It actually wasn't even anything he did, but rather, bonding Potter experiences I had shared with other HP fans at work. We make wizarding references all the time; they serve as a sort of inside joke that links us together in a world full of oblivious muggles. We have so much fun discussing the books and joking about characters as if they're our own friends, that it made me sad for the connection that Brad and I were missing. That was it. I had had enough of his silly anti-Potter activity. It was simply unacceptable.

I became a woman on a mission. On my way home from work, I called Brad and asked him what he'd want if he could get me to do anything. (Get your mind out of the gutter people...) I told him I had a huge favor I wanted from him, and I wondered what it'd take for him to do it. But I didn't tell him what the favor was, yet. I knew he'd laugh it off once he knew, and this was no laughing matter. This was a very serious request, and he needed time to think of it.

First, he wanted me to run a marathon. (I believe he was throwing out the impossible simply to test my devotion to the secret request.) I scoffed and suggested possibly a half-marathon. He counter-offered with a requirement that I, in fact, run the entire 13.1 miles. Not possible. He then settled for two separate 5k's, running the duration of both 3.1 mile races. I tentatively agreed...

Before Brad made that his final offer, he insisted that he knew exactly what he was promising. So I hit him with it: read the entire Harry Potter series by the end of the year.

He rolled his eyes, astonished that I was going to such great lengths to make this happen, and insisted the stakes be raised. He wanted a home-cooked meal every week for a year. (I know that, like, every other wife on the planet makes something around 5-7 meals per week, but I just don't have it in me.) I rebuttaled with a meal every other week. Done. But he still wanted the 5k's. No deal. Negotiations ensued. Only one 5k, and we'd run it together. Deal.

So, the Great Mehaffey Compromise of 2010 settled under these terms: Brad will read the entire Harry Potter series, all 7 books, by the end of the year in exchange for a home-cooked meal, that does not have a main dish from a box and is never repeated, every other week from August 2010 through July 2011, and we'll also run a 5k together.

Although running is the equivalent of pulling off my fingernails, and I'm terrible at / afraid of cooking, I still feel like this is a Mindy victory! I've had to listen to 5 years of him berating my fictional love, and now he'll love it too!! He, however, claims that he got the better end of the stick. Turns out, he never hated Harry to begin with (surprise, surprise). He just knew how crazy I was about it and "thought it was funny" (not funny) to pick on me for it.

He boasts that this is going to be the easiest promise he's ever made. So easy, in fact, that he's already finished the first book, in one night!! Oh, that's right. He thinks he's proving a point to me, but I'm just so excited that we're both going to be Potter fans! Imagine the conversations we'll have about portkeys and polyjuice potions and Hungarian Horntails and rooms of requirement and invisibility cloaks and real live gnomes... Oh, the possibilities are endless!!

Yes, this is definitely a win-win situation.

Hey, what can I say? Marriage is all about compromise.

PS. If you have any great and easy recipes, please send them my way! I'm looking for approximately 25 of them. And by easy, I  mean supa.easy! Thanks!

[pics via here, here, and here]

Spiritual Warfare

I'm a firm believer in Spiritual Warfare. I truly believe, with all my heart, that there is a spiritual battle going on all around us, in which angels and demons wage war against each other in a fight for our allegiance. This is a fairly new concept for me, as I have recently delved deeper into study about the subject. Brad and I began discussing the influence of Satan and his angels about a year ago when he started reading some of John Eldredge's books. Then, the idea started coming up more frequently in church Sermons. About that time, as I worked through my reading list, I got to Screwtape Letters, a fictional book by C.S. Lewis based around the premise of "one expereienced demon teaching a apprentice demon how to triumph over God," and it gave me an interesting perspective on the various techniques that might be employed by the Deceiver. Finally, our most recent Sunday morning Bible class was focused exclusively on Spiritual Warfare. I could tell that God wanted me to get the message. And I listened.

So, fast forward to this morning, and the battle that was waged right around my computer at work. I know, sounds silly, right? But hey, I already stated that I'm a firm believer in spiritual warfare, and, as I understand it, Satan and his followers will do anything and use any situation, even small and insignificant ones, to discourage us and distract us from our Joy and Purpose. He definitely does not want us to be passionate for our Savior in any way.

Well, it just so happens that I've been a little bit on fire about my faith lately. My Father has been working wonders in my heart the past few months. I have the greatest church family that has nourished my spirituality; I have the most incredible friends that have encouraged my relationship with my Lord. And I have been exposed to the insights of Ray Vander Laan ("RVL") and his ministry, That The World May Know, first through friends and then (coincidentally?) through a video series in our current Wednesday night Bible study. I'm pretty pumped about all of the things I'm learning and the different ways in which my faith is growing. Needless to say, I'm anxious to share it with people.

I came to work today excited to introduce Bryan (a fellow Christian with whom I frequently share my faith) to RVL for the first time and specifically discuss the lesson from last night's Bible study. When he passed by my desk as the day began, I mentioned it to him briefly and told him that I couldn't wait to really talk about it later. He was genuinely interested and excited.

I should have known. Not only does the devil want to squelch my enthusiasm, but he also would go to great lengths to keep whatever zeal I had to myself and not share it with anybody else. So, he started out slowly - my email didn't work. Eh, not a big deal. I was a little frustrated, but you can go on with your day even if your email is on the fritz. Just give it time, and it'll work itself out. I didn't think a thing about it. 1st attempt: failed.

It's Busy Season here at the accounting firm (April 15 is coming quickly, people!) and it's kind of like a mad house around here. Even though it was the start of the day, the phone wouldn't stop and clients were filing in one after another. I nearly grew overwhelmed, but the memory of this beautiful weather that I had just enjoyed on my commute in (and my exceptionally short commute, thanks to spring break traffic) was too close at hand. And besides, having a busy job is something to be grateful for, especially in this economy. I still felt Joy. So, that tactic didn't phase me one bit. 2nd attempt: failed.

Here comes the doosey. As I was placing one call on hold to answer another line, my keyboard stand broke. It just broke. It was no longer peacefully hovering under my desk, but was rather dangling vertically as my keyboard slammed onto my lap, and then my feet, before finally landing on the floor. "Whoa! What just happened! That was random..." Hmm. No big deal. Bryan, our resident handy man can fix anything. After I handled the clients on the phone, I buzzed Bryan and let him know about the commotion that had just occurred up front, and he came right up to check it out. Wow, what a great opportunity to talk further about last night's lesson, while he looks at the mangled mess under my desk. 3rd attempt: totally backfired.

Looks like it's broken beyond repair and we'll have to install a new one. As a result, my keyboard is rudely hogging all of my desk space as we speak. That's that. Moving on. It's only 9:10 AM, and time to go forward with the day. After a great discussion with Bryan, I tried to get back on track with my tasks at hand. Wait-a-minute... my mouse is dead. Just dead. As a doornail. Urgh. Time to call Bryan, our IT guy. He can fix anything. 4th attempt: dumb devil, you should just give up and leave us alone.

Apparently, my batteries just died. Easy fix. He gave me some fresh-out-of-the-package AA's and I popped 'em in ready to get to work. Huh, that's weird. Why is it still not working?? The fresh set should have fixed the problem. By this time, I'm getting on to Satan's scheme. A light bulb goes off, and I become fully aware of the situation at hand. I'm not only in a great mood, but on fire for my Lord. And I'm trying to share some sparks with a fellow believer. Of course the Enemy would want to distract and discourage me! I say a little prayer. "Lord, I know that there is more going on here than meets my eye. I'm aware that it's just silly computer problems, but I believe that Satan or, at least, one of his followers is trying to rob me of my joy and steal the opportunity to share my zeal. Cast him away from this place."

Well, up comes Bryan again to wiggle some cords, jiggle some hooks and rearrange my mouse sensor. Huh, that's all it took to make it work like a charm? Very interesting... We both laugh as we acknowledge the triumph that has just taken place in a realm we cannot see, and we happily arrange for me to bring him a copy of the video series from our church library. We're anxious to further discuss our growth in our faith, and we are grateful for the blessing of fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

I can't help but find it interesting how God defeated each of the devil's plans. God wanted me to have that conversation with Bryan. Clearly, Satan didn't. I feel a great sense of "neener, neener, neener" when I understand that every attempt the devil made to take me away from the situation, the Lord used it to bring Bryan back up to my desk! I have a big God, and He can do all things, and His Will will prevail. No attempt from the Evil One can defeat Him. Isn't it nice to know that we're on the Winning Team? Now, it's 9:45. What else is the devil going to try to pull on me today?...

A Book That Makes an Impact

Chances are, you've heard of this book. It's been a recent bestseller all over the newsstands, and it seems like people everywhere are talking about it. I've even heard of church groups having Bible studies based upon it. Well, I wanted to know what all the buzz was about. So, I, too, picked up The Shack, by William P. Young. To be honest, I don't even now how to begin talking about it...

You know how there are some books that are so revolutionary to you that even once you close the cover, it still resonates within your mind long after. For me, this was one of those books. It genuinely changed my perspective on life, eternity, spirituality, self, influence, religion, faith, and God Himself.

The book follows a Christian man named Mack. Early in the book, he experiences a terrible tragedy within his family and directs all of his anger towards God. He blames God for the pain and suffering and can't understand why He would allow such a horrible thing to happen. He definitely can't fathom still loving a god who obviously does not love him in return. The majority of the book is a narrative of Mack's weekend experience with his encounter with God-the Trinity, in the very shack where all of his pain originates.

In order to reach Mack, God chooses to reveal Himself in human form; three forms, actually. The conversations that Mack has with each, God-the Father, God-the Son, and God-the Spirit, are so incredibly eye-opening that they made me re-evaluate my entire approach to nearly every aspect of my life.

I don't want to say much about the contents of the discussions, because I really want for you to read the book yourself. However, it is very "out of the box" thinking, and definitely can't be considered true theology. I can see where some people may take offense to some of the nontraditional concepts and the idea of God revealing Himself in human form to reach one struggling soul. But if you can get past the "absurdity" of that, then you may truly be enlightened by this story.

If you're not sure whether or not you would like it, check out the website and see what you think. You can even read the forward and first chapter to get a "feel" for it. If you believe that it may touch your heart, I pray that you give it a chance.

Feminine Reading

Well, after I finished my nonfiction book on manhood, I decided to reward myself with a nice fiction novel reaching to the essence of femininity. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers came highly recommended to me by a couple of important ladies in my life. I knew it was the perfect follow-up to Wild at Heart that I needed, and I purchased it immediately. Once I started mentioning that I intended to read it, I realized just how many women knew and loved this book. Ladies at my church admitted to reading it multiple times, some even on a regular basis. I could not wait to dive into the book.

The story is a fictional novel based on the Biblical book of Hosea and follows his prostitute wife named Angel through her life. The beginning chapters that tell of her early years are pretty hard to get through. She was greatly emotionally abused as a young girl and sold into prostitution at eight years old. Her way to cope with the constant sexual and emotional abuse was to shut the world out. Since she was a little girl, she was convinced that everything that happened to her was her own fault, and she never felt worthy of anything or anyone. At eighteen, she was finally at the end of her rope and taunting a man hoping that he would beat her to death and put her out of her misery. However, God had a different future in mind. A farmer named Michael Hosea had been praying for a wife when the Lord directed him to Angel.

The novel is about Michael's pursuit of Angel and her reluctance to let her walls down to be vulnerable again. The story is an incredible example of God's unconditional, never-ending love for us as His children. It was such a good book, that I never wanted to put it down. I even sacrificed a Sunday afternoon nap so that I could continue reading. I finished it in three days, and immediately regretted speeding through. I didn't want to be finished reading it. If I didn't already have another book in line to pick up (The Shack, by William Young), I would have flipped it right back over and started it again. I highly recommend it to anyone. It has the appearance of a romance novel, but it's truly a raw commentary of a girl from the "wrong side of the tracks" that gets saved by grace. I was blessed by this story, and I think you could be, too.

Masculine Reading

Months and months ago, Brad read Wild at Heart by John Eldredge, and it quite literally changed his life. He talked with me about it the entire time he was reading. This book genuinely helped him resolve some of the things that he was struggling with in his life. It also helped form his opinions on parenting approaches. He had suggested that I read it the minute he closed the back cover. I knew that the book would enlighten my understanding of my husband, as well as other men in my life, present and future. But, as a general rule, I am not a giant fan of nonfiction. Actually, I really don't like it at all. So, naturally, I put it off for a long time. Finally, after I had exhausted the Twilight series for the second time, I decided it was about time to pick up Wild at Heart.

I'm not going to pretend like it was a page turner for me the same way it was for my husband, but it really was great. Granted, it took me about three months to finish a tiny book, where I can usually crack out a Potter novel in a weekend. Some of it was hard to push through simply because it did not apply to me at all. But, after all, it is a book about "discovering the secret to a man's soul" not a woman's. However, it was really interesting, and it definitely altered my perspective on masculinity. It was kind of tough for me, though, because a man's masculinity depends so greatly on his father's influence. But, I know that I can provide a lot of support through my simple lack of squelching the "boy" out of our future son(s). It also helps me understand how to better support Brad and encourage his manhood. Little things... Like try to tell him how strong he is rather than cute. Challenge him to do certain things that I know he can do to "prove he's a man," and "allow" him to do other manly things like fish and hike and camp and just watch sports with the guys without me trying to make him feel guilty for not spending time cuddling with me or helping with the laundry. Now, let's see if I can put that into practice. Easier said than done. Overall, even though it took some discipline to finish, I'm extremely glad that I read it.