The trailer for Season Seven is out.  So much for my decision not to watch this season. 

I honestly didn't think anything could change my mind this time, but how can I not watch after seeing that?  I've tried to break up with 24 before but am always lured back by its empty promises.  "This time, things will be different, Amy.  I've really changed!"  No, you haven't changed.  Deep down I know the truth.  The sad part is, even though I know it's a trick--that I'll get sucked in by this awesome trailer only to find that Season Four is still the last good season, I'll be there in January.  Sure, I'll tell myself that I'll only watch the first few episodes to see if it's any good, but who am I kidding?  Once I start, I'll feel a responsibility to see the storyline through to the end.  That is how they've won the last two years.  Oh, when will this useless, codependent relationship end?! 

I came across the following item in the gift shop of the Basilica of St. Mary (America's first) in Minneapolis.

I was in complete awe of its pagan blasphemity (if I may coin a word...I'm not sure there's an existing word to describe it...not one I can post, anyway).  Here's a front and back view of the box for your viewing displeasure:

In case you can't tell, the man is digging a hole in his backyard.  He'll bury the...(ahem)...statue, speak his "petition to St. Joseph," and then PRESTO!  And St. Joseph can get you $1,000,000, too.  But wait, there's more!  If you act now, he'll also help you unload that pesky soul you've been trying to sell.

From the Hollywood Reporter regarding Kiefer's DUI charge:

Sutherland's plea deal [to serve a 48-day sentence] quickly resolves the matter and avoids shutting down production on "24," on which he also serves as an executive producer.  Had he gone for a continuous jail time, he likely would have served less time, which is often the case in misdemeanor cases.  Instead, he opted for two stints [during Christmas break and after the season is over], which means he will serve the entire sentence.

Said Fox and 20th TV, which produces "24" with Imagine TV:  "He told us that even if he had to sacrifice more time in custody in order to protect the show and the jobs of those who work with him, he would do so.  From what occurred today, it is evident he is a man of his word."

You know, drunk driving is horribly wrong, and it was colossally stupid of Kiefer to do it (seriously, can you tell me Kiefer Sutherland couldn't get someone to drive him home?); but this is an honorable, very un-Hollywood response he's had to his arrest.  One would expect someone with his power, money, and fame to do whatever he could to protect himself, but here he is, putting the jobs of his coworkers above his own personal comfort, voluntarily taking on more punishment than required to be sure they're not hurt by his actions. 

Now that sounds like Jack Bauer.  Kiefer probably can't help but be affected by the character he plays, as we've already seen in this hilarious incident.

I'm reminded of a verse I've always been fascinated by:  Romans 5:7 - "For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die."  We would prefer a person to be both, of course, but we respond more to goodness than to mere moral perfection (that is, a righteousness of rules without kindness or sacrifice for others).  Kiefer may be an unrighteous sinner (as we all are, for that matter), but I can't help but like him when he goes out of his way to take responsibility for his actions and be good to others.

As Christians, we ought to strive to be good and righteous.  This is a difficult task, but if Kiefer is affected by the time he spends with a fictional character, how much more will the living Holy Spirit actively conform us to Christ as we spend time with Him, immersing ourselves in the Bible!

Audio book, that is.  This month's free selection at Christianaudio.com is The Life of David Brainerd by Jonathan Edwards.  I love biographies, and this one promises to be very interesting: 

Though he was orphaned at age fourteen, repeatedly struck with debilitating illnesses, and unfairly expelled from college, Brainerd allowed nothing to deter him from serving God wholeheartedly. He traveled thousands of miles by horseback across treacherous terrain to preach the gospel to remote Indians. His calling required a rugged man--he even slept outside in the cold without cover--yet he constantly displayed a gentle and meek love for people entirely different from himself. Their benefit ultimately brought about his early death at the age of twenty-nine. Like an invigorating shower, the listener will be rejuvenated by Brainerd's life-giving devotional insights, refreshing clarity of purpose, and heartwarming preaching. This book offers not only a captivating story, but an uplifting buoy for those who are weary, distant, or discouraged.

For a preview of the life you'll hear about in this book, you can listen to (or read) John Piper's biographical lecture on Brainerd.  (And if you haven't listened to the rest of Piper's biographies, what the heck are you waiting for?!)