Take it Full-Face

Love is not reinforced on the daisy fields. Strength doesn’t coincide with financial comfort. Faith is not fortified on the calm, cloudless days.

Let’s see what I’m made of.

19-21I’ll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness,
the taste of ashes, the poison I’ve swallowed.
I remember it all—oh, how well I remember—
the feeling of hitting the bottom.
But there’s one other thing I remember,
and remembering, I keep a grip on hope:

22-24God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out,
his merciful love couldn’t have dried up.
They’re created new every morning.
How great your faithfulness!
I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over).
He’s all I’ve got left.

25-27God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits,
to the woman who diligently seeks.
It’s a good thing to quietly hope,
quietly hope for help from God.
It’s a good thing when you’re young
to stick it out through the hard times.

28-30When life is heavy and hard to take,
go off by yourself. Enter the silence.
Bow in prayer. Don’t ask questions:
Wait for hope to appear.
Don’t run from trouble. Take it full-face.
The “worst” is never the worst.

31-33Why? Because the Master won’t ever
walk out and fail to return.
If he works severely, he also works tenderly.
His stockpiles of loyal love are immense.
- Lamentations 3

Filed under: Life , courage, Faith, Full-Face, Lamentations 3, Love, Strength

Demands

I want it now
I want it clean, I want it clear, I want it now
now isn’t at a better time
now isn’t in better circumstances
now is right now
at My convenience
and that’s all it will ever be

I deserve it
I’ve earned it
from the blood pouring from My toes
stubbed and swollen from the pacing
from the sweat dripping out of every overheated pore
exhausted from My tirades and tantrums
I am worthy
I am justified
I want the claim I’ve staked
I want what I’m warranted

I don’t speak those words often
because then you wouldn’t like me
but they dwell in the coarse, dried mortar
that holds together my pride brick by brick
they occupy the atoms and the molecules
that when added up
make the bones and the skin and the organs and the muscles
of land my spirit is squatting on

“The spirit is willing, but the body is weak”

My body has control over My every move
It feels the pain
It has the urges
It’s hunger is barely controllable
Which is the weaker one again?

Filed under: Poetry , Body, Demands, Entitlement, Flesh, Pride, Selfish, Spirit, Strength, Struggle, Weakness

Dad

To a man who’s shoes are hard for anyone to fill
and it’s not because they’re size 16
it’s because they’ve walked miles and centuries and galaxies and universes
at least thats what it seemed like it when I was 6 years old
but I’m beginning to believe it again now that I’m older

Because you always tell me never to give up the dream
even though you gave yours up to raise a family
but maybe that was your dream

And you’ve never said anything coarse about my mother
not even a joke around the boys
even though your one of the funniest guys I’ve ever met
the women in your life are sacred and porcelain

A gentle giant to say the least
all six feet seven inches of you
you were made that way because your heart couldn’t possibly fit
inside a bodily infrastructure any smaller

To a man who has had dozens of jobs
and have been good at every one of them
you fix everything
electrical, carpentry, mechanical,
philosophical, societal, communal,
emotional, hopeless, faithless
you fix everything

I wish I could explain you to people who’ve never known you
I wish I could write something about you that flowed coherently
but there are so many things to touch on that it’s hard to put honor to it in writing

Your name mentioned in the county you’ve lived in most of your life
evokes half cantaloupe smiles and warm stories of
life and love and how the two of them are the same to you

I’ve witnessed the darkest of hearts proclaim you wiser than any priest they’ve ever known
I’ve seen ball players and seasoned musicians who have more awards and honors
but don’t even come close to touching the things your accomplished.
I have not met a man I want to be more like than you.

I hope I can give your name honor in the years to come
I hope I can raise the stakes in my life and take a gamble on love like you do every day
I hope I can leave this earth having made it a better place like you have.
I love you, Dad.

Filed under: Life, Poetry , Dad, Life, Love

Article One live in Port Huron, MI

Article One – “Say it Again”

Amazing show. Definitely one of the better final products working on my own.

If nothing else, check out the ridiculous Violin solo by Matt Piche in the first 30 seconds.

As usual, clicking on the “Personal Projects” Category link or searching “Video Post” in my tags will take you to previously posted videos (with a little behind the scenes information.) You can also take a mouse cursor drag over to the right column to find a direct link to my Vimeo.

Filed under: Personal Projects , Article One, Concert, Hillside Wesleyan, Live Show, Michigan, Port Huron, Video, Video Post

Drew and Amber

Drew and Amber by Brent Christy

Upon looking at my editing repertoire, I realized that I lean towards a brash, fierce editing style. I like hard cuts and billowing music. I wanted to change things up a little bit on this project, and Drew and Amber were there perfect couple to try it with. I think it was a good project to diversity my portfolio.

I made the a real good edit one of these days.

As usual, clicking on the “Personal Projects” Category link or searching “Video Post” in my tags will take you to previously posted videos (with a little behind the scenes information.) You can also take a mouse cursor drag over to the right column to find a direct link to my Vimeo.

Filed under: Personal Projects , Editing, Video, Video Post, Vimeo, Weddings

Web Promos for Barry Blaze from Code of Ethics

Barry Blaze Web Promo by Brent Christy

Code of Ethics Web Promo by Brent Christy

Had an opportunity to do some work for Barry Blaze from Code of Ethics. Barry is such a cool guy, and he has an amazing outlook on life. Glad to make a few pieces happen for him.

My After Effects skills are getting upgraded this month as I’m dedicating some much needed time to it. Hoping to boost the quality of my work even more.

As usual, clicking on the “Personal Projects” Category link or searching “Video Post” in my tags will take you to previously posted videos (with a little behind the scenes information.) You can also take a mouse cursor drag over to the right column to find a direct link to my Vimeo.

Filed under: Personal Projects

Firestarter

I’ve been in a white walled cocoon for the past two weeks. My face has a light blue hue from all the time spent in front of a monitor editing video, proofreading resume drafts, and lifting up search result hyperlink rocks in Google to find production companies and odd jobs. My computer runs on AC/DC. My body runs on water/oatmeal.

Budgeting gets real. Every quarter is step closer to rent. My current situation doesn’t fit comfortably into a Dave Ramsey book, but I’m richer than 89 percent of Earth’s population. I was born into responsibility to contribute locally and globally. I need to keep perspective.

I haven’t made the time to get out of this packing crate often enough. I think some inspiration has been squashed due to the cabin fever. My bike is here now, so that will help. I’m awakened creatively in motion and out of doors. But sometimes you just have to take the blinders off and see what your not seeing in the other places.

Some footnotes:
- I have a place to life with my wife in the fall
- Some super good film people in West Michigan. I’m excited to meet some more on a few more projects this month
- Concert gigs are happening for me right now. We’ll see what comes of that
- it seems like celebrity Christianity is almost always a train wreck.
- My Red Wings lost the Stanley Cup
- Nutritious food is expensive
- I really enjoyed the movie “Traitor”. It was advertised completely different than it’s true content. Probably because it’s about Islam.
- We won’t have t.v. or the internet in our apartment, and it’s a great thing
- I’m thankful for music.

“The deeds of faithless men I hate;
they will not cling to me.
Men of perverse heart shall be far from me;
I will have nothing to do with evil.

Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret,
him will I put to silence;
whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart,
him will I not endure.

My eyes will be on the faithful in the land,
that they may dwell with me;
he whose walk is blameless
will minister to me.”
– Psalm 101:3-6

Filed under: Life , Dave Ramsey, Finances, Jobs, Life, Love, Poor, Psalm 101:3-6, Red Wings, Rich, Stephanie, Wife

Demo Reel 2009

Brent Christy Demo Reel 2009 by Brent Christy

Finally finished this guy. Big ups to Blake Fawley for the 3D composite intro. Feels good looking at the past year of cinematography. I want something better than this though. Better footage. Better edited pieces. I’m out to make it happen.

As usual, clicking on the “Personal Projects” Category link or searching “Video Post” in my tags will take you to previously posted videos (with a little behind the scenes information.) You can also take a mouse cursor drag over to the right column to find a direct link to my Vimeo. Or click that link back there a few words ago.

Filed under: Personal Projects , Blake Fawley, Body of Work, Cinematography, Demo Reel, Video, Video Post

My legs are an infinite sunrise

I’ve seen some sunsets come and go this week.

some nights they carried down the sounds of laughter and revival with them
as if the the Sun were a young boy jumping off of the park slide
and the noise were helium permeated balloons
I could hear it fade out like in the movies
the picnic table outside my sister’s apartment was a throne
and I got a front row seat to consummation and credibility

other nights they left me without saying goodbye
I found the sky empty when I walked outside
I felt the paranoia of nothing accomplished
of hearing 99 no’s, and the 100th answer still being no
brimming with fear and shame that I wasn’t worth it
that time was wasted
that a life had taken the wrong path

every one of those days I lived a year within a Sun’s journey east to west
I found my path
set course
and came to a conclusion in the realm of my mind
how can I trust my mind?
I’m Superman in there.
I pass through walls
I’m a muscular physical specimen
I fight the daily injustices of those who combat my self-absorption
how can I trust my mind?

the steps I take and the rules I break
the actions perpetrated for good or evil
aren’t erasable
they are my future
my anxious spirit can only take me so far
the will of my heart and my Foundation
the Strengths found outside my own power
are where restoration and progress lead

my legs are an infinite sunrise
the pilgrimage toward change and wholeness
is a weary trek where new beginnings are always possible
my God is an effectuate sunset
the One who sees me
the Wealthy Riverbed where sturdy timber grows
the promise of tomorrow
and peace where the future is unknown

Filed under: Poetry , Failure, Faith, God, Heart, Peace, Promise, Sun, Sunrise, Sunset, Will

Good friends doing good things: To Open Your Eyes

A lot of our mutual friends have been posting blog write ups about this project, and I’m long overdue in publicly supporting these men of honor. I’m now a poser and on the street team.

To Open Your Eyes consists of Michael Dalton and Matt Addington, two solid bros from Orlando, FL with a heart for change and the vision to be that change. They’ve been working with the Preemptive Love Coalition documenting the lives of 5 Iraqi children and their families as they travel from Sulaymaniyah, Iraq to Istanbul, Turkey for a heart surgery that they desperately need.

I’ve said too much already. Get over to their respective web pages and enjoy Matt’s stark, colorful photography and Mike’s leading, eye catching videography. If you didn’t follow the hyperlink’s along the way up top, here they are again in the oldschool Myspace banner format:

Filed under: Good friends doing good things, Life , Buy Shoes Save Lives, courage, Dreamery Films, Florida, Foster Addington Photography, Heart, Iraq, Istanbul, Matt Addington, michael dalton, Orlando, Preemptive Love Coalition, Sulaymaniyah, To Open Your Eyes, Turkey