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The War Within (2014)
[suspenseful music]
(Girl) What are you talking about? Mom l love him. Why can't you see what we have? Of course l know what love is. So, where's Amy? l'm traveling alone. What's going on? Michael. Did you ever wonder how different your life would be? lf you could go back and change one mistake. But l guess, some mistakes you never stop paying for. [drop noise] (College Professor) l know you're all here to learn something technical, but for me, it's all about that moment. Hey! Hey! You dropped this. Oh, thank you. Michael. Amy. Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you. Thanks for my bag. Sure. Do you want me to walk with you? So you don't drop your bag again? [laughter] Sure. (Michael) Ok. ( Amy) Was this from the first day we met? Yeah. Wow. Can you please take a picture? Here? Yes, thank you. This is going in the book? Ok. ( Amy) Babe, look at this. Remember our first date? Don't ever forget this moment. What? l'm falling in love with you. What? l love you! l won't forget. l love you too! (Amy) Michael. Michael. l'm not. l'm serious. Yes, you... Michael, you're drawing me... You can't see this yet. Let me see it. Will you marry me? Yes. Yeah? Yes! ( Amy) This caricature turned out great. Ready for the big day? Yes. l'm going to go show your mom. Ok. [crowd screams] Oh. Honey feel this. Feel how big that was. Do you want to draw with Daddy? Oh, cute l have to take a picture. Look how small she was. Hey, you. Don't forget. l love you too, Daddy. Hi, Daddy. Look at the baby lamb, look at the momma lamb aren't they so cute. Yeah, just like me and you. Aren't they? (Michael) Do you know how important this is to me. How important this is to Ellie. ( Amy) Of course... Ok, why is this so important? (Michael) Amy. l care about you, she... l gotta go. - ( Amy) Oh, come on Michael. - (Michael) Ok, l'm sorry Ready to go honey? Yeah. Bye, Mommy. Let's go honey. (Pastor) l must ask you. Do you know the savior? The word for knowledge in our text means... What's the matter Daddy? Nothing, honey. Daddy, is it because mommy won't go to church with us? She said she believes. She believes up here. We just need to pray that she believes in here. You see, faith is never alone. True faith always leaves a sign. lt's why it's accompanied by works. Jesus, please do whatever you have to do to save Mommy. ny) You always treat me like- a child--Michael stop it-- Why are you doing this-- Daddy! Amy! [phone rings] (Michael) Hello. (Wendell) Hello, Michael? lt's Wendell. Hey Wendell. Hey, l'm sorry l missed my deadline yesterday. l'm almost finished and l can have my stuff to you in about an hour. (Wendell) Michael, that's kind of why l'm calling. We lost five more papers this week. Look, it's a tough market right now. l know, but l promise l'll work harder and l'll work ahead. (Wendell) That won't be necessary. l know l've been a little out of it lately. But l'm back now. l took your advice and l think l found somebody to write the strip. l really appreciate you guys at the Syndicate being patient with me through all this, but l promise you l'm back to full speed now. (Wendell) That's what makes this so difficult, Michael. l know you've had a tough year. lf the strip would have been established and you had an extensive archive, we could have run reruns while you took that sabbatical. As it is though... What are you saying? (Wendell) You know it's nearly possible to start a new str and in this market it's just been too... we tried everything we knew to sell Ginger Snaps, but it's just not working. You're kidding me right? Tell me this is a joke. (Wendell) l wish it was. Wendell, l know l can make it better. (Wendell) Michael. Wendell, would you just listen to me, please! (Wendell) Michael, look. You are a very talented cartoonist but the decision is out of my hands. lt's already been decided by the board that Ginger Snaps has not fulfilled the contractual obligations. lt's not personal, it's business. Wendell... doesn't the board know? (Wendell) Yes, l pleaded your case and got out voted. l tried to hold off this decision as long as possible, but... l wish there were something more l can do. We'd be interested in seeing anything else you come up with in the future. Keep in touch. [phone click] [suspenseful music] [phone slam] [suspenseful music] [destructive noises] [suspenseful music] [yelling] [suspenseful music] [suspenseful music] [screaming] Will! Will, do something! Will, make it stop! [suspenseful music] [screaming] Oh, what is happening? ls everyone all right? How could they kill it? They said they loved the strip. Wendell said it didn't sell. lt stopped being funny after the accident. Don't say it. This is Will's fault! Excuse me? Mind's had writer's block ever since-- l said don't say it! Face it. You've lost your sense of humor and l can't help you with that. We are all to blame. Conscience, are you nuts! They are all out to get us you see. We're just pawns in their little hands. They lift us up then throw us down to the ground and stomp on us. That's how they get their jollies. You're paranoid. Paranoid! Paranoid! l'm speaking truth here brothers. Look at yourselves. You're all in denial. Emotion, you're out of line! Out of line. Out of line? You're all out of line! Men, l warned you this would happen if we failed to meet deadlines. Conscience is right. (Cynically) Conscience is right. Memory, you're killing me man. Stop living in the past. lt's time you got on the right team and stop siding with this guy. Emotion, you need to calm down! (Emotion) Stay out of this Mind! Heart? What are we going to do now? Ah...now, we're getting somewhere. What are we going to do? l'm not sure. Heart, how do you feel? l will tell you how he feels. Grief. Despair. Anger. Outrage! Will, am l right? Am l right? Am l right? l've got an idea. Call Wendell back. Mind you have to talk some sense into him. l tried, but-- But what! Will, do it! Do it! Do it! He wouldn't listen. He said the decision was already made. So that's it. Mind, this isn't fair. Will, you got to do something! l can't. When we get hit, we hit back. We have to at least make Wendell feel our pain. Heart, don't listen to him. Don't let Will burn any bridges here. Was l talking to you? This is between me and him. Stay out of this. l'm sick of this! No one ever listens to me! (Emotion) We're pathetic losers. You've got to fight to win! You know l'm rightl You know... [Boom] l'm sorry. l'm sorry. Thank you, Will. Look, gentlemen, we've had a traumatic experience. We've actually had a lot of traumatic experiences. Ok, Memory, a lot of them. Let's calm down and reason with ourselves. Mind, l'm interested in your assessment. Well, l used to know what to do when faced with a dilemma but l've got to admit, l'm confused. Let me help you out, Mind. We're cursed. No. Yes. We've been cursed by God. How else are you going to explain it. We were living the dream until a year ago, then it turned into a nightmare. All of this clamor isn't accomplishing anything except upsetting Emotion. Hey. Remember when you had the guts to face problems head on? So that's it? You're just going to walk away? What happened to you Heart? What made you so weak? You're weak! [suspenseful music] l've heard enough. Heart! There is something missing in all of this. Like what? l've heard from everyone. Mind will make his assessment and we'll plan a course of action. Now let's give him some space. You haven't heard from everyone. [suspenseful music] [party noises] [chatter] The last one. Here's the present Daddy got for you. lt's a surprise. Let's see... Thank you, Daddy! Can you read it to me? Why don't we have Mommy read it? ls Daddy too tired to read? No, l just love watching you read. Don't forget. l love you, too. [music] (Will) Heart. Heart. Heart. [Swish noise] Heart. Heart. [brick movement] Heart. What were you doing in there? Nothing. l was just looking. What do you want? After considering our options, Mind thinks we need to start over. What do you mean start over, like go back to church? No. The job in Connecticut. And work for Jeff at his advertisement firm? No. He said we had a job waiting for us anytime we wanted. He's our old college roommate. We said a lot of things to each other we didn't mean. Hey! What about our security? Heart, think of it this way. The only way we'll ever be happy again is to move. No. Look, it was so hard to get the strip syndicated and look how it's turned out. l don't want to hear this. Heart, are you blind! Amy is miserable. l mean, it's obvious her feelings have changed toward us. Because she blames us. Stress and the guilt have nearly crippled us. Just look at you, Heart. l can't. l won't. Heart, l hate to say it, but l believe we can trace all of our problems back to when we began this journey of faith. ln the beginning we studied the Bible and l was convinced that it was true. We prayed consistently, and l thought if we got involved in ministry we could please God. But circumstances have proven that no matter how much we did, just the opposite happened. Mind is right. We need to start over. Reboot. You know like escape. l mean there's no creativity here. We're being stifled. Mind can't think. Will can't draw. And you've lost your passion. You've been listening to that sorry excuse for a judge. Don't get me started on Mr. Past-Time. Whoa. We've got to get out of here. Wait. You're making decisions based solely on circumstances. We need some spiritual direction. And here comes the judge. l heard you down the hall and it's obvious that you are not thinking about the spiritual implications. How do you know that this job opportunity is not some kind of divine intervention? What? No. Are you kidding me? Emotion! l've had enough of this! Oh yeah! l've had enough of you Conscience! l had enough. [arguing] [music] Read it to me again, Daddy. (Michael) Which book honey? The Good Shepherd. ( Amy) There once was a good shepherd who cared for his sheep. He watched over them when ithey were awake or asleep./i Silence! You are going in the wrong direction! My desire is to get things back to the way they were. When Amy and l were in love. Heart. What you want is impossible. lt can never be like it was. The sooner you except that fact the better we're all going to be. Every time Amy looks at us, she remembers what happened. There's no way of overcoming it. There's no way of undoing it. Leaving her is the only solution that makes sense. lf you won't do it for you, do it for Amy. l sense the idea intrigues you. Heart. (Heart) What do you want with me? l want you to see what's happening to us. Why this light is not as it once was. You know this reveals our true condition. Who we really are or what we've become. And it never lies. That's the problem. What? What do you see? All l see is me. Like l said. That's the problem. The light of life used to shine through this glass. But now it's clouded over by your grief and guilt. What does that have to do with winning my wife back. Heart, examine yourself. You're spiritually weak and this proves it. l'm trying to make you see you're in no condition to win her back. l did it once. And l can do it again. l'm taking off. Ok. You ok? (Mind) She sure is beautiful. (Emotion) Do l have to remind you that she hates us? We've grown apart, but l have no memory of us ever thinking she hated us. Where is Heart? We need him in here. (Emotion) l'll handle this. Whoa. Take it easy Emotion. This room looks like a tornado ran through it. What happened in here? Nothing. l thought l heard some arguing earlier. lt was nothing! What are you keeping from me? What am l keeping from you? What are you keeping from me? Emotion, please. Don't get carried away here! [Emotion chatters angrily in the distance] [door opens] [suspenseful music] (Emotion) That l'm a failure, is that what you want me to say? Mind, Will, go get Heart. Here, l'll take care of this. Shut up, Mind! Michael, did you hear what l said? You never listen to me. Just drop it. All right? l'm fine. Obviously not! They cancelled my strip. Ok? lt's over. l'm finished. l'm sorry. So, what are you going to do now? l don't know, maybe l'll go draw a sign and panhandle by the interstate. How about that? Look, l know you're upset, but you don't have to get sarcastic with me. l guess your parents were right about me. You know what l came in here to talk to you, but obviously this is the wrong time. Let's be honest, you never respected what l do. We are not going to do this right now. l get emails from complete strangers who are more supportive than my own wife. Well excuse me if l don't meet your expectations. What's going on? ( Amy) What is it Michael? Heart! Oh, please. l have sacrificed for you so you could live your dream. And when l needed you, Michael, all you did this past year was lock me out! [Amy continues to talk] Vines! (Heart) Move! Conscience! Move! (Michael) l sacrifice for you every day! What's the thanks l get? You ignore me when l talk to you. And then you jump down my throat for no reason? (Michael) Absolutely nothing! ( Amy) l don't understand this has been going on for years. [slam against door] l'm not going to take it anymore. (Emotion) Not gonna take it anymore? [boom] (Emotion) Maybe if you acted your age, l wouldn't have to treat you like a five year old. l mean give me a breakl [boom] (Emotion) Get out! Get out of my life! What have you done? Stop! (Emotion) Just get out! Memory! Snap out of it! Amy, wait. l'm sorry. l don't know why l said that. l just got angry and l said some things l didn't mean. l'm sorry l took it out on you. Can we please just talk about this? There's nothing more to talk about. l've got something l want to say. l don't want to hear it. l know l need some help. l'm willing to go to counseling. lt's too late for that. Amy, please. Honey, look at me please. l just got upset about the syndicate that's all, ok? l'm sorry l took it out on you. l love you. Do you still love me? l don't know what l feel anymore. [crash!] [crying] Look what you've done. l want her back. l want my wife back. [suspenseful music] (TV) Foreign Auto Mart. Where no deal will be refused. (Weather Lady) What it's going to do is move slowly, [cellphone vibration] but it's also gonna dissipate as it comes into our viewing area. We're not forecasting any widespread shower for everyone, but just to be cautious because you might get a little drizzle or wet if you're taking a walk in the afternoon. Temperatures we expect to see in the mid 60s, drop down into the lower 50s overnight. Stay tuned for your 7 day forecast when we come back. l'm chief meteorologist Roxanne Standeford, don't go away. Where is God, right now? My friend, l've asked myself that question. Do you feel as though God has abandoned you? That there's more to this life? There is. You see God has deposited in my account an anointing for you today. See God wants you to stop praying prayers of passivity and start praying prayers of possibilities. He wants you to start praying cash into your pockets. Vacations abroad. He wants to give it all to you. [music] (Ellie) Are we there yet? (Michael) Ellie, honey, be patient. You know Grandma lives far away. ( Amy) Why don't you believe me? Not right now. You brought it up... again. l tried Lord. See... that's what l'm talking about. What's that supposed to mean? lt means l tried, but every time l mention my faith in Christ we end up having the same conversation that never goes anywhere. And that's my fault? No. l didn't say that. Daddy? Honey. Mommy and l are talking right now. Ok? [low chatter] (Conscience) l've detected a force that's infiltrated our members and it's changing us. All of us. Force? What force? Fear. Fear? Fear of what? Everything. Fear of loneliness. Fear of what people will think. Fear of the future. That's ridiculous. Why do you think Emotion's been acting so erratically lately? l don't know let's see. Maybe because in the last year we've lost everything we cared about. You think that might have something to do with it? And it's produced fear among us, and it's changing us. Heart, beware of fear. And beware of Will. ( Amy) Good job Ellie. lt looks great. Remember smooth brush strokes, ok? lt looks good. Uh, Mommy? Rolland asked me to marry him today. Who's Rolland? A boy in my class. He smells funny. So what did you say? No! Good. l think that was a good decision. So you don't like Rolland, but do you have a boyfriend? No, boys are creepy. Ok, so what about your Daddy? He's a boy. ls he creepy? No. Why'd you marry him? Well, he's good looking. He's funny. We just did everything together. He always put me first. Ok, so why don't you come to church with me and Daddy? Oh, Ellie, remember, we've talked about this? All right. Everyone raise your hands if you have the problems written down. Very good, hands down. Now we are going to answer the problems. Six times what equals 54? (Boy) 9. Mrs. Sinclair, we have a new student today. This is Madison, and she's all the way from Ohio, aren't you? Hi, Madison. l'm Mrs. Sinclair. Nice to meet you. [school bell] Oh, kids, time for recess. Please line up. Arianna, can you please show Madison to the playground? Sure. Ok. l'll take this Madison. l'll see you when you get back. Have fun. Let's go. [children chatter] l'm afraid to ask what that face means. l found him. Found who? My soul mate. Again? How old is he this time? Well his profile says he's twenty-five. Profile? You haven't met this guy? No. Not yet but we've been chatting online and we're hooking up tomorrow night and it's going to be amazing. l really think he's the one. Lauren, you haven't met this guy yet. Amy... Amy, l have an idea. Let's celebrate tonight. l can't. Come on. lt's not everyday you meet your soul mate. Thanks for the invitation, but it's not a good day. What is going on? Oh, Amy. l'm so sorry. Has it been a year already? Are you sure you don't want to come over tonight just to get your mind off things. Oh, l'd rather be alone. How's Michael? l don't know. We can't talk without snapping at each other anymore. l thought things were better. No. lt just takes a long time to get over what you guys went through. We've been messed up long before the accident. He changed. He got involved with that church, you know? We just drifted apart. Why am l telling you all this? You cannot keep this all inside bottled up. You have got to let it out. Sometimes l wonder if l should have just gone to Paris. Unfilled dreams. That's the story of my life. But l never had your artistic ability. Lauren, l don't... l don't think this is helping. l just have all these feelings. l always thought that your biggest problem was that Michael was driving... Lauren! l can't. l'm sorry. No, l'm sorry. l always go to far. l should have just kept my big mouth shut. No, l really appreciate your friendship. You have been a shoulder for me to cry on. l just need to be at home tonight. Ok, honey. l'm always here for you. l know. [music] [changing radio stations] Please don't tell my Daddy, that l cried. l couldn't fight the tears back though l tried. The sympathetic crowd gathered 'round him when he died. Please don't tell my Daddy... [door opening] Daddy. Hi Ellie, honey. l'm sorry, Daddy. Sorry? Sorry for what? l'm sorry for what l did. But you didn't do anything wrong. Do you still love me? l'll always love you... You know that. [music] Daddy? Yes? Will you come to see me? Yes. Will you bring mommy too? l'll try. Why couldn't you just believe me? l wanted to be sure. l told you l believed! But l didn't see a change. You always treat me like a child. l'm sorry. l sacrificed for you so that you can live your dream and now it's too late. This is your fault. Because of you our baby is gone. (Ellie) Daddy. Honey, Mommy and l are talking right now. Ok? (Ellie) But l just want to give... Why do you get so upset at me every time that l mention... Because you treat me like a child. All l said was... That you don't think l'm a Christian. l didn't say that. Daddy. Mommy. Ellie not now. Don't interrupt. (Ellie) We're back on air! l'm Ellie Sinclair and l'm interviewing Daddy. Daddy, what was your favorite thing at work today? (Michael) Well, l drew another Ginger Snaps cartoon. (Ellie) About what? (Michael) Well, do you remember last week when you licked the ice cream and it fell on the floor? (Ellie) Yes. ln the ice cream shop? Yes. l drew that. [slap] That was based on you little girl. Daddy and Ellie fell asleep. This is the cutest thing. [clearing throat] [television turns off] l got on the laptop today and your email account was still open. l saw that you had an email from Ray. Again? Why won't you talk to him? lt's complicated. l thought he was your friend. Chicken's good. What's Media 1 1? Why are you reading my emails? l wasn't reading your emails. You shouldn't be in my email to begin with. l'm sorry. l just saw those two emails and clicked off, ok? ls it a job opportunity? Yes. Where? Connecticut. When were you going to tell me about us moving? We're not moving. l am. What are you saying? l haven't made a decision yet. They haven't even officially offered me the job yet. But you want it? You want to leave? l don't know what l want? Why haven't you talked to me about this? l'm your wife? Let's not kid ourselves. What's that supposed to mean? lt means we are more like roommates than spouses! And whose fault is that? Why did you do that? She was asking for it, Heart. lt's true. We are more like roommates. We haven't slept in the same room... Heart. There's no use fighting it anymore. Fighting what? The inevitable. lt's over. Don't listen to him Heart. Shut up Conscience. This is what l warned you about. Every one of us is being motivated by fear. That's ridiculous. l'm not afraid of anything. You? You're the one who fears the most. Oh, yeah? l'm not afraid of you, you old bag of wind. You want to see some rage? Just keep it up Lady Justice. l don't know what this has to do with anything. Wait. Conscience is right. Mind, it's obvious to me that fear has changed your way of thinking. So how do we fight it? With perfect love. What? Perfect love. Love that drives a wedge between you and your wife. Love that steals your dream job. Love that buries your child. Mind! Do you hear what you're saying? You are the one that taught us the truth. And now you're believing lies. l've had enough! l can't stand this anymore. Conscience, one more word. Silence. That's the word. [suspenseful music] [fighting sounds] What's gotten us to the point that we are destroying each other. We chose to follow Him. And the consequences haven't been very good, now have they? Mind, remember why we followed Him. You were convinced by the -- (Mind) Reason. lt was reasonable to believe the Word of God because the evidence could not be explained away. ln the same way it was reasonable to focus our career on cartooning. That's our skill and interest. lt was reasonable to marry Amy. She is beautiful. We have a lot in common, and from the first time we say her we desired to spend our life with her. All of our choices have been based on reason. And so l'm asking you Heart. What is the reasonable thing for us to do? Should we continue in an unhappy marriage? Following a God who took away everything that matters to us? Or isn't it reasonable to give Amy her freedom and start over in a new place? When was the last time you were in there? These vines -- our old nature, they've corrupted Mind and poisoned he rest of us. You can't fight those three alone. You know that don't you? You've become weak and they've become strong. Their arguments may seem persuasive but there's no truth in them. Why couldn't you find the memory of our first love? lt's not where it's supposed to be, all right? How can that be? Someone must have taken it. But why? Those three have lost faith in God and in you. They are afraid of the future so they've taken over. Heart, finding that memory is everything. Emotion.... He has a memory orb. l saw it. Will must have put him up to it. (Memory) Will? l caught him coming out of your chamber. He's orchestrated all of this. You have to get it back. Conscience. Go to Will's Domain. Make sure he hasn't taken the memory. Try to talk some sense into him. l'll take care of Emotion. You come with me. Wait. Remember no matter what happens to me, don't give up. When you find it, you must repent and return to Him. His power will overcome them. [suspenseful music] Will? [crying] What are you doing here? Uh, we've come for the memory? Are you lost, Conscience? You know why l'm here. You've come to join forces with me. Very funny. Now give me what l want. You can't have it. Why not? Because l have to hold on to this. lt's all l have left. You and Heart have already lost. That's not true. The decision has been made. Not by all of us! The majority rules. l know right from wrong. And what you're doing is wrong. But it's not as black and white as you think. Don't make me take it from you. [laughing] No, Heart. You're too weak. [suspenseful music] [fighting noise] [laughing] Memory, focus. [suspenseful music] [fighting noise] Stop it! You leave him alone right now. Memory! [yelling] [suspenseful music] [fighting noise] Stop it. Listen to me! Don't do this! Will, stop! l'm helping you see things our way. You know this is wrong. [mumbling] l want what's best for Heart. You must believe that. Don't do this. Will... Listen to me! [suspenseful music] [yelling] [suspenseful music] lt's not the right one. What? lt has to be. lt's not. Show me. Show me! l want to go alone. [swoosh] (Doctor) Amy, come on. You can do this. We are getting to the end. You're doing great. Ready and push! Focus! Two, Three, Four, Five! Great! Great job! You can do this, ok? Come on Amy! Four, Five, Six. [baby crying] (Doctor) There you go. Go, Go, Go! That's it! Oh, it's a beautiful girll Ellie! [laughing] You did it! Oh, Ellie! She's here! You talking to me? [Michael and Amy talking] [swoosh] [Crying] l'm sorry. (Conscience) Nooooooooo! [door opens] Will? Release him. l said release him! Conscience. What should l do? (Mind) Choose reason. Should we continue in an unhappy marriage. Following a God -- Who took away everything that matters to us. Yes... Or is it reasonable to give Amy her freedom. And start over. [suspenseful music] No! No! No! [suspenseful music] (Michael) All l said was... ( Amy) That you don't think l'm a Christian. l didn't say that. Daddy. Mommy. Ellie not now. Don't interrupt. Look, honey l'm sorry l upset you. l love you. l'm just concerned about your faith. Why don't you believe me? Ok? l told you l believe in Jesus. (Michael) l know. But the Jesus you believe in doesn't exist. (Ellie) Mommy, l want you to read this! (Michael) Ellie, sit down! (Amy) Michael, stop! [crash] [car horn] [gasp] There's a cab in front of the house. Where are you going? l thought you'd left. You got the job. Were you just going to leave without telling me? Michael, look at me. Don't you think we should have discussed this first? This affects me too -- l don't have time to talk right now. l've got to catch a plane. l'll call you from Connecticut. What are you saying, Michael? Michael, what about me? What about us? We'll talk about it later. No, you are going to tell me right now! l'm setting you free. What does that mean? You could have studied in Paris. You could have had a career but you sacrificed all that to be my wife. That's ridiculous! l don't have to go to Paris to paint! l became a teacher. That was my choice! How dare you decide what is best for my life! Would you just look at us Amy! Look at us! We can't talk without it turning into a battle. So it's my fault. No, it's my fault. l just thought our lives would be different, you know? l prayed and prayed and l thought that things would get better but it's been a year and nothing has changed. l want us to be happy again... You mean l don't make you happy. l didn't say that. l'm sorry if l don't please you anymore. So you are giving up. That's it? Amy. What? You don't understand do you? What, because l don't go to church with you or because we don't talk anymore-- That's not the main reason -- What is the main reason? Tell me Michael! lt's guilt! Guilt, Amy. l can't do this anymore. When l look at you, l see Ellie. And l'm reminded of what l did, and l know that you blame me for what happened -- l never said l blame you -- l blame myself! What? What do you mean? lf l would have just stopped arguing with you. lf l hadn't been following that truck so closely. lf l would just have been paying more attention to the road. lf l would have just let Ellie give you that book! She wouldn't have unbuckled her seatbelt. That stupid book. l play it over and over again in my head a thousand times and every time l come to the same conclusion. l caused the death of our daughter. Stop...Stop. l'm so sorry. l'm sorry. Michael. Michael, don't do this. Don't give up on me. Don't give up on us. We used to be happy. Do you remember that? All that changed when l started pushing my faith on you. l made a mistake. And some mistakes you never stop paying for. l got to go. No! No! Michael! [crying] [suspenseful music] (Ray) Where is Ellie right now? Heaven. Do you believe that? When is God most glorified? When things are easy or when things become hard? And through the deepest grief and agony we find the supernatural strength to say, ''God is all l need.'' God is my life. He's who l live for. And He's good. Man, once you get that life seems to make sense. Because this world, this is not our home. We are passing through a broken world that is not our home. But Ellie -- she's at home right now with Him. Now, do you believe that? Yes, l believe that. But you don't have any idea what it's like. A parent should never have to bury their child. Michael. Ellie has never been more alive than she is right now, in the presence of Jesus Christ. l mean you got to ask yourself, if you could bring her back right now. Take her away from Him. Take her away from her perfect home and bring her back to this sin-infested world, would you? No. Now, look. We're all going to die. And the only difference between you and me is that l know when. What are you talking about? l have cancer and the doctors say there is nothing they can do. What? How long? They're not sure. But it's not as long as l hoped for. l'm so sorry. Well, don't be. Like l said before, this is not my home. How can you think like that? Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die. Look man. When l first found out, l was angry. l couldn't help but to think, ''why me?'' ''Why now?'' But then l remembered why Jesus died for me. When l got that, it's like the peace of God fell on me like a summer rain. You know, all this stuff l was hanging onto in this world, suddenly it has no meaning. lt's amazing how the value of stuff changes when you are dying. So you want to know peace, know where you are going. [intercom announcement] That's my flight. Where you headed? [intercom announcement] Home. Thanks man. l appreciate it. You're welcome. Come on guys. [engine noise] (Girl) Give me one good son why you are doing th l just don't understand what the big deal is. But this is so unfair. No, don't put Dad on. Ok, here she is. lt's Dad. Hi, Daddy! (Ellie) Daddy, why are you leaving me? lt's for the best honey. Did l do something wrong? No. No, sweetheart. Then stay! Stay with me! l can't. l have to let you go. l can't take you with me because it's too painful. l have to start over. But l'll see you again, right? l don't know. What do you mean? l lost something. And l don't know where it is. What did you lose? l guess l lost my faith. But Daddy, you told me you can't lose your faith because it always leaves a sign. She said she believes. She believes up here. We just need to pray that she believes in here. You see, true faith always leaves a sign. You said faith is never alone, it's always -- accompanied by works. lt leaves signs. That's it. (Memory) Oh, where did it go? l know it was here. Why can't l find it? Memory. The moment we exercised faith. lt's gone. lt's not gone. lt leaves traces and that will lead us to where our faith is hidden. l just don't understand. lt should be right here. [boom] What is it? Heart? Where are you going? What happened? [music] What are you looking for? Where did you hide it? Hide what? l don't know what you are talking about. l think you do. You have the advantage now, but not for long. l wouldn't do that if l were you. What? Heart. You can't change the will of the majority. Now, stop second guessing. The choice has been made. [suspenseful music] Go find where Will's hidden the memory. Follow the trail! [suspenseful music] [fighting noise] Glad you ladies could be with us today. [suspenseful music] [fighting noise] [suspenseful music] [grunts] (Michael) lf l just been paying more attention to the road lf l just let Ellie give you that book. That stupid book. l caused the death of our daughter. ( Amy) Michael. [music] [grunts] [deep breathing] [music] [music] [grunt] [suspenseful music] You're making a big mistake. l can't let you do what you are about to do. Choices have consequences. You don't have the authority to make these decisions. l'm not making the decisions. He is. [boom] This has gone far enough. What is he talking about? [boom] lt was reasonable for you to think that Will had taken over. But you and l both know, he only does what the majority wants. lt's time for you to accept the truth. l decide what the majority wants now. You have it, don't you? The memory you're looking for? Yes. Mind, you're not thinking clearly. lf you'll only go back, it will change everything. No. l've decided to move on, but we have a problem. You keep holding on to the past, and we can't live in the past any longer. Now, all l ask of you is to submit to the majority. l want you to bow the knee. Do it! Will, it looks like Heart needs some help. There's no need for that. [music] What happened to you Mind? What are you afraid of? l'm not afraid of anything. You are afraid of loneliness. Afraid of what people will think. You're afraid of the future. What? Where is your faith? Faith? Faith in God? Yes. The one who created us. You've forgotten Him Mind. You need to remember. l know what you're trying to do Heart. lt's not going to work. You can't hide it forever. lt's mine now. You'll never get it from me. lt never belonged to you. l was the one who researched the gospel. l was the one who was convinced. l was the one who made the decision. Don't tell me that it doesn't belong to me. Simply knowing Jesus died on a cross is not enough. There's one thing you lack and this is why you have doubts now. This is what concerned us about Amy. The memory you're holding is not yours because He became our first love not believing a list of historical facts. All of us were involved. But this decision was not yours to make. Because this decision was a matter -- Of the heart. lt appears you are no longer in the majority. [suspenseful music] Memory, take them! [suspenseful music] [swoosh] (Ray) Yeah, you're a good person by the world's standards, but not by God's. Look, read it for yourself. ''For the wages of sin is death, ''but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.'' Look Michael. l don't know what you've done in your past. Come on! Come on! Come on! Let's go! (Young Michael) Go, go, go! [car speeding off] ''But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.'' Sacrificial love. You have a Heavenly Father who loves you, and He proved it by sending His son to die for you. (Emotion) lt's all coming back. All the feelings of guilt and grief. He made the ultimate sacrifice to save us. Mind? (Ray) Think of it this way. lmagine yourself in a court of law. The judge just found you guilty and fined you a billion dollars. Now look, before you go off to prison, he steps down off the bench and pays your fine. And all you got to do is accept the payment... charges are dismissed. But if you don't accept this gift, you will suffer the judgment. How do you receive this gift? By faith, you must repent and ask Jesus to save you. So that's it? lt's just a prayer? No, salvation is not a prayer. lt's a person. ''For Christ died for sins, once for all, ''the righteous for the unrighteous to bring you to God.'' Ray, what am l supposed to do? Surrender. We are in a spiritual war and you'll never experience peace unless you surrender to God. ln this book is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. [boom] [suspenseful music] [music] Oh, God... l'm so sorry. l know that l've sinned against you. Please forgive me... l need you. Save me... Lord, change me. We fought long enough. We need peace. We need the Spirit of God to change us, and that's only found in one place. [boom] [music] [boom] [music] [music] [closing door] And he learned to practice and practice and practice. l like this book because l want to be a basketball player when l grow up. [clapping] Thank you, Bobby. Ok, who's next? Madison it's your turn. The Good Shepherd. ''Once there was a good Shepherd who cared for his sheep. ''He watched over them when they were awake or asleep. ''He led them to green pastures and to cool waters ''when they thirst. ''He led them to shade when the heat was the worst. ''He led His sheep through the desert and the winter snow. ''He even led them where they didn't want to go. ''The good Shepherd said, '' 'Just follow me. l'm your best friend. '' 'l will lead you to a place where life will never end.' '' ''But one sheep loved the world and just wanted to play. ''So she stopped following the good Shepherd ''and just wandered away. ''She went on a trip to see what she could find. ''And her little baby lamb followed her close behind. ''They climbed to the top of a great big hill ''The scene was so pretty it gave them a thrill. ''Then suddenly in the thicket the sheep heard a sound ''Where the eyes of a snake looked up from the ground. ''Without the good Shepherd they both were scared stiff. ''Then the little lamb stumbled and fell off the cliff. ''The mother sheep ran to the bottom of the hill. ''She cried and cried as her baby laid still. ''Then the snake slithered to the lamb that was dead ''But the good Shepherd appeared and crushed the snake's head. ''And then he picked up and held the lamb that had died ''And hurried off with her mother close by his side. ''He carried the lamb's body to a fast moving stream ''And crossed over the water as if in a dream. ''When he stepped onto the shore, he gave a command ''Then the lamb sprang to life and danced in the new land. ''The lamb's mother bowed her head and cried. ''She was sorry for not staying close ''to the good Shepherd's side. '' 'Please forgive me, ' she said. '' 'l shouldn't have strayed Then the good Shepherd replied, ''Your debt has been paid. ' ''As sure as the sun rises and crosses the sky ''All things that have life sooner or later will die. ''But only the good Shepherd can take us to the place Where life never ends and we see him face to face.'' l like this book because l know the Good Shepherd, and l will see my Daddy again someday. All right, kids. Close your books and follow Miss Fisher to the library. [classroom movement] Madison, sweetheart. Where did you get that book? My dog found it. l was playing fetch in the house, but my mom told me l better go outside. Come here, Dusty! Good boy. All l said was -- That you don't think l'm a Christian. l didn't say that! Dusty! Dusty! Come back here! [tire screech] (Michael) Ellie, sit down! Michael, stop! [crash] [drop] Mommy! Mommy! (Madison) Dusty! Dusty! Dusty, where are you? [dog pant] Dusty! Dusty! l love you so much! What do you have? (Lauren) We have a new student today, and she's all the way from Ohio aren't you? ls there something wrong, Mrs. Sinclair? No, nothing. You can go to library with Miss Fisher. Wait. Can l borrow that? ''She went on a trip to see what she could find and her little baby lamb followed her close behind.'' That's like you and me, Mommy. You're the mommy sheep and l'm the baby lamb. ''But one sheep loved the world and just wanted to play. '' So she stopped following the good Shepherd and just wandered away. '' He always put me first. Why don't you come to church with me and Daddy? Oh... Remember Ellie, we've talked about this. Sundays are my day to get my work done so that when you come home we can play together. Ok. ''The lamb's mother bowed her head and cried. ''She was sorry for not staying close to the good Shepherd's side.'' Ellie, when you do something wrong, you should always say that ''you're sorry.'' Ok? Daddy said that's called sin, so l told Jesus that l was sorry for my sins. Have you done that Mommy? [music] Amy. [music] Michael. l got you. l love you so much. l thought you'd left. l'm right here. l'm right here. l love you. l love you too. [music] ln the past year and a half, l've experienced the darkest hours of my life. l searched for answers but found only questions. l concluded that the Creator of this universe was at war with me. That is, until recently. l realize now that l was only at war with myself. And as a result, l ended up hurting the one's l loved the most. At the moment that l was throwing in the towel, this same Creator that l'd been at odds with sent me my friend, Ray. Ray did what he's always done,; speak truth into my life. That truth... that this is not our home. That this Creator, my Savior and Lord is everything. Ray taught me so many things about living and dying, and l know that right now my little girl and my Savior are making Ray feel welcome because he is finally home. The artist is deep in thought. Just tweaking my speech for the funeral. Are you ok? l'm just going to miss him. Me too. Are you ready? Yeah. What? Don't forget. l love you too, Sweetheart. [music] |
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