Wednesday, April 6, 2011

The Influence of Righteous Friends.

The Influence of Righteous Friends.

After months of work and continued focused dedication "The Influence of Righteous Friends" is now finished.
The video has been edited and was submitted 6 minutes before the contest closed. More than 30 people put 
a lot of work into this video both on camera and especially behind the camera and hidden from what most
people will see. Katie, Jake and I cannot thank you enough for the work and prayers that have gone into this message. Thank you for coming and contributing to the meetings, for your participation on sets that are and are not in the video. It was too difficult for us to include most of the background scenes due to time and the way they looked in the video. It is because of all of the people involved in this and their prayers that the Spirits guidance was so strong, and one of the sources that gave us the strength to do this. We cannot extend our gratitude enough. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We hope during the production that you have been able to reflect on the friendships in your life and what they have meant to you. Maybe even because of this production friendships were built and strengthened. If so, we would love to hear your stories on the facebook groups wall. The video is now open on Youtube. Post it on your profile, on your blogs. Send it to your friends and family. Tell them that this is your video and that you helped work on it. This message can bless lives, we have promised that from the beginning, send it to friends who need to hear the message that is shares, show it to the world. Only when we let it die will it be forgotten. Turn your volume up and watch it in full screen. Please read all the way through this letter so you can see how many people put work into this, and a few words and testimonies from the producers. 

CREDITS

Producers
Katie Wells
Christopher Hurt
Jacob Talley

Director
Christopher Hurt

Editor
Andrew Kuo

Compiled by
Katie Wells
Christopher Hurt
with help from
Samuel Taylor

Starring
David Behlke
Mario Hegewald

Music
Anna Bowman
Rebekah Dew

Equipment
John Adams
Kali Weigel 
Andrew Kuo
Ben Cope

Set and Crew Support
Mollie Weisman
Katie Wells

Extended Support
John Adams
Mitch Anderson
Amory Baker
Joseph Barwick
David Behlke
Marcia Behlke
Ashley Boesch
Adisak Boonchun
Anna Bowman 
Ben Cope
Rebekah Dew
Sarah Dew
Seth Dew
Amanda Earl 
Rachel Giannetta
Conrad Gibby
Ron Hayden
Mario Hegewald
PJ Hegewald 
Tace Herman
Andrea Hughes
Jossalyn Jensen
Bob Jones
Jeni Jones
Andrew Kuo
Terry Mitchell 
Joe Novack
Rebekah Ort
Sheryl Robbins
Aaron Rowe
Jake Talley 
Samuel Taylor 
Lauren Tyrrell
Kali Weigel
Mollie Weisman

A special thanks to
John Adams
Andrew Kuo
Mario Hegewald
Aaron Rowe
Katie Wells
Jake Talley
David Behlke





SOME WORDS FROM THE PRODUCERS


KATIE WELLS
I have experienced the influence of righteous friends in my life! I KNOW that Christ loves us perfectly and wants us to be happy. He reaches us through others. My life has been changed because of the example of friends in my life. Since moving to the Kirtland Ohio stake 7 months ago and meeting the young adults in this area my understanding of friendship has completely changed- especially through the making of this video. Getting to know David, hearing his story, meeting the friends who helped him decide to flip a 360, and knowing how happy he is has strengthened my testimony of the Savior. With the gospel in his life, David is heading in a direction that gives him purpose and happiness. Christ is the way! When we choose that path, our righteous example can bless the lives of others too. It's real, I've seen it! and David sharing a pivotal moment in his journey is an example of a generous friend blessing someone else because I have personally been blessed. Thanks David!

This video came together at the crunch of a deadline and I had begun to doubt that it would be finished in time. Even without my faith, this project couldn't be stopped. Thanks to the combined efforts of everyone involved, but especially the two man team, Chris Hurt and Andrew Kuo (our dedicated producers/editors/directors/camera operators/everything-all-rolled-into-one-ers) this video stands to bear witness of the Savior. You've just got to see it to believe it. I'm thankful for the righteous examples of my friends that I learn from everyday. The Church is true!

CHRISTOPHER HURT

Today I found out that another one of my friends is moving out to the west coast. He is going out there to move on with his life and onto bigger and better things. What he leaves here in Ohio though, is more than money or gold, more than fun times and good stories. He is leaving a legacy of good works and miracles that were brought to pass by service and faith. Bishop Burton quoted a woman from Lima Ohio when he stated "What we do for ourselves is gone when we are gone, but what we do for others remains as our legacy." My friend is leaving behind lessons learned and lessons taught as do all of my friends. Friends are rarely active in our lives for all of our life but what will remain with us is what they taught us. Who they served, how they helped you become a better person. Some friends can and will change our lives for the better if we will let them. When I look back at this project I look at all of my friends who stepped up to the plate and served at 630 am to make breakfast, or 2 am to sit at a computer for the next 5 hours reviewing tape. I think of David and his willingness to let us use his story. David came back to church because of David and of the Savior. This is the story of how friends impacted it. I have learned so much about friends in the making of this video.David said at the beginning when I asked if we could use his story he said "if it will bless one life its worth it". Well Dave Behlke it blessed mine, and I know that it will bless many others.  A few lessons I have learned about friends are learning to forgive. Friends are friends and they mess up here and there. We cannot let small trivial things get in the way of a lasting friendships that can have eternal benefits. Love. Love your friends like it was your last day with them. Your friends mean more to you than you know. A lot of times you only realize this once their gone. Remember. Never forget this lessons they taught you. Not necessarily with their words but what they taught you about life and they way they live it. And last do not let fear stop you from true friendship. There is to much to learn and to many to help to be afraid of making new friends, afraid of leaning on the ones we have, or even loving the ones we have. Serve them, this is after all The Church of Jesus Christ of Laboring Saints.  I love my friends and I am so grateful for the impact that they have had on my life and I hope that I have made a positive impact on theirs. Let us all become better friends and stronger disciples each day we live. My Best Friend is also my Savior, Jesus Christ. He is the perfect example of a friend and has been there for me always, and he will remain there for me forever. He has stood at my side when times are hard and given me strength to succeed in lifes trying situations. I depend on him, and I love him with everything that I am. I know that he exists. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is his Kingdom here on the Earth and we are apart of it. I know with every fiber of my being that He Lives and that He will come again. He has risen for you and for me. If we will let him he will show himself unto us and bring the comfort and peace that Gospel promises. He is my Friend, He is my Savior, He is the Redeemer of the World and he will never forget you or me, he loves us. Jesus Christ is the King of Kings and he has called us his Friends, because we are his Friends. He Lives. In his Sacred name, even Jesus Christ. Amen.





THOMAS PRODUCTIONS

&

INVISION 

Along with

THE SONS OF HEGEWALD


PRESENTS 



THE INFLUENCE OF RIGHTEOUS FRIENDS

Monday, February 28, 2011

The Master of my fate, the Captain of my soul.

My first real post is a poem that I really like. I watched the movie Invictus
and Nelson Mandela talks about it in the movie, its a very powerful poem. To me the
message is that no matter how dark the night, you are in control of yourself. It says to me 
that you should never let the dark cloud your strength, you are stronger than you think
and are capable of making the right choice in the face of adversity. Do not let someone
confuse your mind, cloud your spirit, or convince you that you are nothing. The night
ends to the morning sun. 



Invictus

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

William Ernest Henley




Welcome

Welcome to my blog "A look through my eyes". On this blog depending upon what day or week it is I'll post what I am thinking about, What I liked or found interesting, Maybe even something I learned or found intriguing.  My name is Chris, I am 20 years old, and this is a look through my eyes.