Inside the Brain of E.C. Henry

Busy Boy

Sorry, no in-depth post this weekend.  Had to work both Saturday AND Sunday at the day job.  Back breaking work.  I'm very tired right now -- and at the beginning of a fresh, new, work week no less! 

Lot of stuff going on in my life right now.

New developments:

1. E.C. Henry is going on a vaccation!  Well, sort of.  I signed up for a 3 day, Sherwood Oaks seminar in which I MIGHT get to meet a living legend in film-making that I've ALWAYS wanted to meet.  Plus there's the CHANCE I might get to make some in-roads into meeting people that COULD champion one of my scripts...  Ya never know about that, however, as I've learned from past experiences.
2. I'm on the hook to supply something to tomorrows bake sale at work for a guy in our department who suddenly had to leave because he was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer.  Really wanna help this guy out.  Been praying for him, for heath and his salvation.  Bake sale's tomorrow, so guess what, after work tonight I hafta put on my baker's hat, and crank out some goodies.
3. I'm on the hook at Tallentville to do a script review, due by Friday, October 26.  I signed up for this and am serious about meeting my obligations.  Besides that, this author that I read did a good job on his script, and I actually want to praise him for his fine work.  (I'm not one of those bitter, pre-pro writers who just lives to bash his fellow screenwriters, if you did it right, I'll be one of the first to congratulate you)
4. I've got to do one-sheets and synopsis of my scripts for that Sherwood Oaks seminar in Los Angeles.  THIS is going to take the most time.  I've already got SOME of the work done, but there is a lot left to do.
5. I've got to research ALL the industry people set to attend this Sherwood Oaks function.  This should be fun-time work.  And as I've learned before just because they're slated to attend, doesn't mean they will.  Still, it's always in one's best interest to be informed.  Trips like this don't come along everyday.
6. Still gotta book my plane ride, car, and hotel for the Sherwood Oaks trip.  More fun time stuff.  Booking all this stuff through the Internet is easy.

Last week I did manage to pass my job's OJT certification.  Had to spend 8 hours of my own time on the weekend to answer the in-depth 49, how-do-you-do-your-job questions. 

Also hard at work on my latest specscript.  Think I'm at page 169 now, with roughly 2 more major scenes to write.  YES, I'm going to have some serious rewritting to do.  But on the positive side the main romance between my two leads is emerging as the 1st draft is progressing -- and that's a very good thing.

So progress is being made, but I've got a lot on my plate to do -- and that doesn't include my on-going family obligations. 

Still, will TRY to post a content post sometime soon.  Just don't know when.  Probably sometime next weekend, while I'm in the midst of my to-do list. 

- E.C. Henry from Bonney Lake, WA

The Meaning of Life

What is the meaning of life? 

Unlike a lot of people who preface their answer to the question with a long-winded build-up, I'm going to answer this question right out of the box:

The meaning of life is to get to know God and experience Him in His creation.

How's that for an answer!

So how'd I derive that answer?  By what rationale do I justify such a response to such a grandiose, all encompassing question?

Easy.  I go back to the Word of God, which IS the bible, and look at original set God intended for Adam and Eve to have.  God made man, and planted a garden in Eden, where God placed Adam to cultivate and keep it; Genesis 2: 8, 15.  Then later in the narrative we learn that God came to that garden to visit Adam and Eve; Genesis 3:8. 

We we're made to occupy a place that God had built and commune with Him from time-to-time.  That was how God set it up.  We were created by God and in His image, Genesis 1: 27; we were created to rule over the animals, birds, and fish, Genesis 1:26.  We were created to live and have a relationship with Him.  Thus the meaning of life is living in communion with God.  It's not rocket science, and it's not a hidden truth.  The truth of the meaning of life is know God and have a relationship with Him.

Okay, hotshot, so how does this factor into the ways the world has gone?  Does your statement hold water?

When Jesus was in the flesh and dwelt amongst us BEFORE His gospel ministry began he was tempted by the devil.  At one point the devil attempted to lure Jesus by showing Him all the kingdoms of the world and telling Jesus he would give them all to Him, as they had been given to the devil -- if Jesus would worship the devil.  Luke 4: 5-6, and Matthew 8:9.  Thus even of old the devil had dominion.  How much more today?  Don't you feel it?  

Yet the call to the true meaning of life remains the same, no matter how oppressed our world has been by Satan, demons, and doctrines and practices of fallen angels; our lives and hearts are still to be focused on a loving God, who created us to rule over nature while being in relationship to Him.

So how does one have a relationship with God?  I mean God's not actively seen in our world, so what is the means by which we are to be in relationship to God to experience the full meaning of life, as I have laid out -- not that I deserve much credit for this, as I believe this is a truth God set up long, long ago.  Give Him the glory, I'm simply repeating and re-emphasizing what I believe He originally intended.

Jesus is our example of how a person should remain in fellowship with God.  When Jesus dwelt amongst us He told us that we needed to be born again, and while Jesus dwelt amongst us He prayed to His -- and our -- Father in Heaven a lot.  

Talk about a pressure packed life.  What about carrying the mantle of the burden of the sins of the world, knowing at the end of your life you had to suffer a horrific death to bring your "friends" back into right standing with a holy God?  Read the gospel narratives and you'll find that the religious elect where constantly looking for reasons to accuse and bring down Jesus.  How sad is that?  I read the gospel narrative and I just weep inside; how can people be so arrayed against Jesus?  He was a healer.  He gave people a revelation of who God was?  Don't you want to see the Holy Father?  Jesus was in unity with the Father.  He came to restore what the devil had screwed up.  

Prayer.  Prayer was central to Jesus' life.  Repeatedly during His ministry Jesus went away to pray to His Father in Heaven.  Why?  Because of the pressures in His life!  Jesus is our example of how we're supposed to live, we need to be in communion with the Holy Father, and received our strength from God to endure the course of our lives through prayer.  Prayer is communtion with God.  Sometimes in prayer we just lay out our worries and concerns.  But I hope that in our prayer we also praise the One who has made us, and equips us daily.    

So what about the works of Satan?  They are of no concern in the face of knowing God.  We are made to know God.  We are made to have conversations with Him as we exist in His creation.  It doesn't matter that the whole world has fallen victim to the treachery of a creature bent on creation away from its creator; all God's creation has a call on their lives to know God. 

The snake in the tree of the knowledge of God and evil represents a roadblock in creation knowing God.  But the choice still remains by God's creation whether or not that God block will stop you from knowing God or not. 

I am so glad that God is bigger than the petty schemes of a fallen arc angel.  I am 100% convinced that God is good, and is worthy of being known.

Yes, in the flesh we don't see God.  God is a spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.  The fact that God isn't actively seen, seams to empower godless people.  Why is that?  Why does God allow that?

I think God allows that to expose people for who they really are.  In this life, you're really only answering one question: do you want to live as part of God's creation or not? 

The fact that God is unseen, and the ongoing tricks of the devil and the ungodly, make some believe they can exist appart from God.  Why God allow such rebellion to continue?  Simple, He's slowly rooting out and exposing all evil  The real issue is: do you want to be part of God's creation or not?

I pray that your answer to the question is, "Yes, I want to be part of God's creation."

I pray that whatever your circumstances are that God opens the eyes of your heart to who He is.  God can be known, it is not impossible.  Despite all the tricks of the devil and schemes of ungodly people the truth stands. 

Jesus Christ is the antidote God has set up to redeem a creation that feel victim to the lies of the devil.  Furthermore Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ alone is the gateway to paradise of God. 

Is being "born again" really needed?  Yes, I believe in light of all the history of sin in this world it is.  Why?  Because being born again is like a severing of one's ties of the ungodly ways of this world, and admitting its failures, and admitting that we need God in our lives.  Being born again is an open invitation for the Holy Spirit, the 3rd member of the Trinity, to come into our hearts and minds and transform us so that we can live lives pleasing to God. 

Do you think following the ungodly course of ungodly men lead by deceitful spirits and influences is the way to go?  Hope not.

So why does God let evil reign in this world?  I believe God tolerates evil, to a degree, to expose the ungodly for who they are.  Ultimately you will either be God's or you will be the devil's.  You choose.  So why not chose wisely and chose to be filled with the Holy Spirit and live this life in communion with God, until He takes you out of this world to a place of peace. 

The meaning of life is to live in communion with God.  To get to know Him, as best you can, and try to obtain a testimony like Jesus got, "This is My Son, in whom I am well pleased."  Matthew 17: 5.

How cool is that the Holy Father spoke from a cloud and announced to Jesus' disciples that He was pleased with Jesus, and that they should listen to Jesus. 

I don't care how far the world has drifted away from God -- I want that testimony!  I want the Holy Father to be pleased with me.  Don't you want the same? 

The meaning of life is to live your life in communion with God.

 

Chill Time

Ever had one of those weekends where you just needed to chill out?  Worked so hard during the week that by Saturday you're just fried and need some "me time?"  Well-p, yours truly went through that this weekend.  And I posting the opening picture 'cuz that's what I need some beach time knocking down some Budweisers!  The 9-5, day job thing that all pre-pro screenwriters hafta do to make ends meet has become a stress filled 11-13 hour a day job Monday through Friday.  AND lately the day job has wanted me to work Saturdays and Sundays too! 

Now don't get me wrong -- I do actually like to work -- but just not to the point of absolute burn-out, and that's where my current job drives me towards.  A little over a week ago one of the main guys in the department I work in went on an emergency leave.  He has stage 4 cancer, and is in very bad shape.  To make matters worse the company where I work was already short-handed, and the guy the lost was one of the few guys at this place who really worked hard all the time.  They still haven't found a replacement for this guy, so the company has no real choice but to work their employees even harder, as business doesn't stop because of an illness.

I come home most days completely spent, shot, whatever adjective you wanna throw in there. 

This work development has adversely affected my writing, and blog posting.  Sorry. 

Hopefully soon things will get easier, and I'll have more time to get back into content posts and the like.  But just know for now, my time away from this blog really isn't of my choice; I'm just too tired to do other things. 

You see where I work I'm the low guy on the totem pole.  So guess what?  I get all the hard and physically demanding jobs.  I truly wish the area I work at could have been videotaped last Friday night.  We got off a shipment at like 11 p.m. that's normally supposed to be loaded at 5 p.m.  My supervisor was pulling people from all over the production floor to do jobs that trained people in my department are supposed to be doing.  It was a circus.  I was tasked with doing things that I normally don't do, so I was slower than the normal people who are normally tasked with this stuff.

I know I'm being a little vague here, but the point is: stress.  I've got lots of stress at the day job right now.  And most of that is out of my control. 

They really could have used me at the day job this weekend, but after putting in 13 hours on Monday, then doing 10-12 the rest of the week I really needed a break. 

So what's next for ol' E.C.?  Well-p, I just submitted one of my scripts, "After the Glory" to Talentville for 4 reviews.  Yeah, I wrote this scriptover 2 years ago, but since it still isn't bought or optioned, I thought, "Why not?  Maybe this will lead to something positive."  That's E.C. Henry, always the optimist.

Also still hard at work on my latest spec.  Of which I'm up to 151 pages now.  Yeah, I know, it's wayyy over a good page count.  But right now it's all about getting it all out there, THEN I'll worry about paring it back.

Did go see "Trouble with the Curve" (Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams) at the Bonney Lake Multiplex last night, and was pleasantly surprised by it.  The story was nothing special, but Amy Adams really can act and she and Justin Timberlake really carried this movie.  Clint was surprisingly ho-hum in this one, nothing special, nothing fancy. 

One last thing.  I was there, at Century Link Field, for Monday night football when the Seattle Seahawks played Green Bay Packers.  Y'know the game I'm talking about?  Well if you don't it ended something like this --

 

The crazy thing about this play from a fan in the stands perspective was that they never showed the replay on the big screen monitors in the stadium.  From the 300 level, surrounded primarily by Packer fans, all I saw was a pile of players, then the replacement referee signal, "touchdown!"  It was surreal.  Just moments before when the Packers stopped the Seahawkson downs around the goal line, I remember shaking a Packer fan's hands telling him that his team played a better game, and deserved to win the game.  Packer fans are very passionate about their team, but their also quite respectful and honorable -- unlike Oakland Raider fans that think its Halloween 360 days a year and just seam to live to cause a ruckus.

I'll try to post something else during the week.  Been thinking about exploring the notion of how "theme" plays into the romantic comedy genre.  Or maybe I'll go all Jesus on you and talk more about having a personal relationship with God, which I think is the most important thing any of us can do; it's the reason we exist: to know and love the Lord.  The gears in my head are always turning.  I'm not a boring person.  I just have a demanding day job that keeps me from the thing I love: writing scripts and posting on this blog-site.

Till we speak again.  Thanks for visiting.

Sincerely,

E.C. Henry from Bonney Lake, WA