We all like being around people who are generally upbeat, don't we? I mean, if you had your choice of being with someone who had a smile or someone who looked like he was weaned on sour lemons, who would you most likely pick? I'd pick the smiley guy almost every time, and here's why.

One thing I have never been able to understand is the notion of a grumpy Christian. Grumpy Christian. To me that seems like an oxymoron on the same level as "jumbo shrimp," or "plastic glass,". And It's hard for me to understand how someone who claims to be walking with God could be grumpy for any length of time.

Now, I am not talking about sadness. I am not talking about genuine SORROW. Things happen, things go wrong, and we are faced with heartache and hurt. What I'm talking about a basic attitude - how we carry ourselves.

Let me ask, how would others characterize your attitude? Do they see you living a life of joy, peace, and rest, or do they see someone who looks like they have no hope for today, much less for eternity? Now if you are a Christian and you have this "no hope" attitude, why would anyone want to be a Christian? Why would anyone want the Good News of Christ?

I want to encourage you to be the type of person other people point to when they are discussing people they like being around. The type of person that others says "wow, there is sometime special going on in their life. I want to know what that is". This will only happen when you have your joy in the Lord, when your only focus is on Him.

You see, just by taking the time to think of all He has done for you in offering you a full and abundant life you will go a long way to experiencing that joy. He has given you eternal life in heaven and a full life here on earth and that is something we can be joyful about. (excerpts from Sermon Central)

I have to apologize about Soul Surfer.

This is actually an unusual apology. Usually when I'm apologizing about Christian films, it's about how lame they can be or produced poorly. With Soul Surfer, that's the furthest from the truth. I finally saw the film this past week and it was awesome. My mistake was not dropping everything and going to see the film for myself on the day of the release. A film like this can be a really important tool for Christian youth workers and parents.

Soul Surfer is a 2011 American drama film about the life of surfer Bethany Hamilton. At the age of thirteen, Hamilton lost her arm to a shark attack. The title refers to the word soul and has a double meaning as a reference to Hamilton's Christian faith, which helped her recover her surfing career after the attack.

Throughout the movie, Jeremiah 29:11 ("For I know the plans I have for you…") and Philippians 4:13 ("I can do all things…") are quoted. The clear theme of the movie is that even in great tragedy and horrible losses, God can still do amazing things and reveal His glory.

Let me address a few myths about this film- opinions you shouldn't believe:

MYTH 1: "It's cheesy." Sorry, but don't believe the hype. Soul Surfer isn't anything close to cheesy. The producers actually paid for great talent and used an experienced director that did the film justice.

MYTH 2: "Lame effects." I had heard that some of the digital effects looked fake. What effects? Honestly. I was looking out for bad effects, (AnnaSophia Robb's face digitally added to another surfer's body), and I didn't see anything noticeable.

MYTH 3: "Bad acting." Nope. Not this film. The lead roles were all played by seasoned actors, and the bit parts were quality as well. Some of the guy surfers talked a little bit robotic… but I asked my kids if they thought those guys were bad actors, and they said, "Dad, they're surfers. They sound like that!"

MYTH 4: "Gratuitous Bikini Shots." Sorry. I've read numerous blogs and opinions talking about how inappropriate it was to show these girls in bikinis. First, the film was very tasteful. Yes, there were bikinis. Yes, Bethany wears bikinis in real life. But the shots were tasteful.

So let me go on the record. Soul Surfer was amazing. If you haven't seen it- do. It's so worth it. That's probably why it's making more than its money back in the box office.