//.. DECEMBER 2003 / Vol. 1 Issue 1

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:1-5)

The Christmas season has always been thought of as a time of giving. We think of our friends and family and spending time trying to find the perfect gift for each of them. Sometimes admidst the hustle and bustle of shopping, we forget the deeper meaning of this time of year. As we think of the gifts we place under our Christmas tree, we must also think of the gift He hung on another kind of tree. As the money flows from our wallets, we must remember the blood that flowed from the cross. Jesus gave us the greatest gift of all. He gave all for love of us. He was born for that single purpose. This was His sole mission and purpose in life. He came down from heaven as a man like us to testify to the depth of God's love and mercy. He was born under the shadow of the cross.

Like Jesus, we're all called on a mission in life. We've been placed here for a purpose. Sometimes we are called to do things we do not understand. We may not see the full picture, but God reveals all in time. We just have to believe and keep strong in our faith.

Testimony Studios was formed because we felt God calling us on a mission. A mission to testify our faith through the media. As today's media is falling into a secular void, we want to voice out our need for more examples of the Christian faith. We find it important that the world knows there are those who still remain steadfast in their Christian values and morals and that we appreciate having them reflected in today's films, music, television shows, internet sites and books. The media has a strong influence on today's youth. The foundations of their character are built from these influences. All too often these influences stem from popularity rather than good judgement. Our hope with this newsletter and website is to give insight and truth on such influences and to help build better foundations for our peers. We hope you enjoy it! -JP


WHAT: Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
WHO: Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellan
WHY: The Lord of the Rings trilogy comes to a conclusion in this final film by Peter Jackson. Early word is that Jackson has saved the best for last. For three years audiences have taken a journey and grown to love or hate the characters that inhabit the world of Middle Earth. Based on the books by J.R.R. Tolkein, the story embodies the classic battle of good versus evil. Containing highly symbolic imagery and a story with true depth and meaning that tackles issues of good and evil and life and death, there's a lot to be learned about the true meaning of sacrifice. The movie also shows how even the most unlikeliest of people can change the course of history. It shows that no matter how small or insignificant you may seem, you may still have a greater purpose that you realize. Return of the King is complimented by great acting, huge sets and spectacular visual effects that make for a truly epic movie. However, younger audiences may find the sustained battle sequences and scary images as well as the long running time a bit much. -JP
RATED: PG-13
URL: http://www.returnoftheking.com


WHAT: Ocean Avenue
WHO: Yellowcard
WHY: Here it is, yet another rock band loudly venting its anger towards unrequited love and past regrets. You've got the typical heavy bass, driving drum solos, lyrics that incorporate the stereotypical pop-rock rhyme patterns (together/forever, so right/all night, you know the story). Nevertheless, Yellowcard's most recent release is still worthy a listen. Being on the edgy crest of the "emo" wave, the band's screaming electric guitar and lead vocalist cater to hardcore punk lovers, while the romantic lyrics and catchy bands that curse their missing fathers and ex-girlfriends, Yellowcard delivers refreshingly positive songs about cherished memories, forgiveness, and - get this - a loving father-child relationship. And surprisingly enough, there is not one four-letter expletive througout the album! (When was the last time a secular rock band ever pulled that off?) So despite the fact that this album is just another fish in the mainstream, its positive subject matter and appealing tunes make this album an enjoyable catch. -MD


WHAT: Joan of Arcadia (CBS, Fridays 8-9 p.m. PST)
WHO: Amber Tamblyn, Joe Mantegna, Mary Steenburgen
WHY: A teenager, Joan Girardi (Amber Tamblyn), receives messages from God while trying to carry on a "normal" life. We all have a mission to carry out, whether we know it or not. Joan's missions differ in each episode and are usually mysterious and seemingly odd. Much of the time, she finds herself in bad situations by being obedient to God's will. But as she makes her choices in trying to fulfill God's plan, she begins to see the greater picture and realizes how important her decisions are in both her life and of the people around her. -PC
URL: http://www.cbs.com/primetime/joan_of_arcadia/


WHAT: http://www.spiritandsong.com
WHO: Spirit and Song: OCP Publications, hosting Catholic artists such as Matt Maher, Tom Booth, Jesse Manibusan,and many others.
WHY: If you're searching for a great place to find many good Catholic artists, you can stop searching. Divided into three sections - Spirit, Song, and Store - spiritandsong.com has everything from daily Mass readings to information on great Catholic artists. It also includes a store where you can buy CD's, t-shirts, and more. With a nicely designed layout using a bit of Macromedia Flash animation, spiritandsong.com is definitely a site you want to check out. -NP


WHAT: A Walk to Remember
WHO: Nicholas Sparks
WHY: This is a romantic drama about two opposite worlds colliding. Jamie Sullivan is the pastor's daughter and Landon Carter is a lost teenager. The two meet and become friends when Landon is assigned to be in the pastor's play with Jaime. Landon did not know this until later, but Jaime has an illness. Although she's sick, it doesn't stop her from going on with life. She knew that God did this for a reason and it's through her that Landon begins to change for the better. Jaime showed that even though you may go through hard times, that does not give you a reason to complain or put your life on hold until everything is solved. Life is precious and meant to be carried out until that last breath. -PC


Philosophers have puzzled over it. Scientists have studied it. Network executives market it. Reality. What is Reality? Like Morpheus said, "It's all around us." A neural-interactive simulation construct thingie designed to do whatever the hell it was designed to do. Me, I call it divine intervention. I'd be grooving along all blissful and ignorant and happy as can be and BAM! Reality hits me like a thunderbolt. A reality check, they call it. A wake-up call. Getting knocked off you horse like St. Paul. And it totally wrecks my buzz, man. But hey, I can dig it. It's God's way of getting my attention. Sometimes things go your way, other times you realize that evil robot machines are harvesting your energy supply. You win some, you lose some, you know what I'm saying? It's God trying to show you the path. So bring it, red pill or blue pill...let's dance. -CW


A few days ago I was at the mall shopping for gifts and I passed by Santa's booth several times. During his busiest hours, there were all but three children waiting in line. Just a few booths down the way, a line full of shoppers and their children were willing to wait at least an hour to get into an already packed store.

The myth of Santa Claus was born when St. Nicholas would anonymously leave gifts at the doorsteps of poor families. Not knowing who dontated these gifts, the poor called them miracles of God.

Children are not beging taught the miracle of Santa Claus, let alone the miracle of Jesus who is the miracle of our salvation. Children are not being taught about the true miracle of Christmas, when God sent His only Son to live among us, preach His Word to us and to die for us. We cannot allow our children to go through this holy season without knowing why this time is so special. It is important to remember the gift of giving, but not just the giving of physical gifts. We must remember the gifts of faith, hope and love as well. -MS



TRADITIONS

Part of our duty as Christians is to learn more about our faith. It is said that history is one of life's greatest teachers. Often during the holidays, we find ourselves doing things out of tradition. Putting up lights and Christmas trees, lighting the candles of the advent wreath, giving out candy canes, etc. But how often do we think about the origins of such traditions? How many people really know the meaning of why these things came to be?

Trees have been used as symbols of life, properity and hope for many cultures of the past, such as the Egyptians, Romans, Germans and Scandanavians. Legend has it that Martin Luther began the tradition of decorating trees to celebrate Christmas. He was struck by the beauty of the evergreens and brought it in and decorated it to honor Christ's birth.

The candy cane began as a symbol of the Christian faith. It was shaped like a "J" either to represent Jesus or to resemble a shepherd's staff. The white symbolizes the purity and holiness of Christ. The red stripes represent the power of the blood that Christ shed up on the cross for each of us. -MF

THE ORIGIN OF THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

Catholics in England during the period of 1558 to 1829 were prohibited from ANY practice of their faith by law - private OR public. "The Twelve Days of Christmas" was written in England as one of the catechism songs to help as a memory aid for young Catholics to learn the tenets of their faith. The songs gifts are hidden meanings fto the teachings of the faith. The "true love" mentioned in the song doesn't refer to an earthly suitor, it refers to God Himself. The "me" who receives the presents refers to every baptized person. The partridge in a pear tree is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge which feigns injury to decoy predators from her helpless nestlings, much in memory of the expression of Christ's sadness over the fate of Jerusalem: "Jerusalem! Jerusalem! How often would I have sheltered thee under my wings, as a hen does her chicks, but thou wouldst not have it so..." The other symbols mean the following:

2 Turtle Doves = The Old and New Testaments
3 French Hens = Faith, Hope and Charity, the Theological Virtues
4 Calling Birds = the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists
5 Golden Rings = the first Five Books of the Old Testament, the "Pentateuch" which gives the history of man's fall from grace
6 Geese A-laying = the six days of creation
7 Swans A-swimming = the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit and the seven sacraments
8 Maids A-milking = the eight beatitudes
9 Ladies Dancing = the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit
10 Lords A-leaping = the ten commandments
11 Pipers Piping = the eleven faithful Apostles
12 Drummers Drumming = the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed

-MF

Other contributors for this issue: Michelle Francisco and Curtis White