The Checkpoint: a newsletter that promotes ancient wisdom and pop culture

 Introducing a newsletter service that puts 2-3 weekly lessons of wisdom and pop culture in your inbox. Using the power of video game, comic, and movie pop culture with the worldview of the Bible, young adults are invited to grow and develop their mind, body, and spirit through stories that matter to them. 

Each short and concise message will include relevant stories from the world of comics, sci-fi, and pop culture, but it will be tied into a life lesson geared to improve the quality of your life.

How can Batman help with forgiveness?

How can Sonic teach us about contentment and greed?

How can Thanos teach us about true power and authority?

We dive into these issues and explore them. These articles take less than five minutes to read (but you are welcome to reflect on them as long as you want). Relevant questions and challenges encourage you to put healthy choices into practice.

Are you interested in learning about God, life, and wise choices through the lens of geek fandoms? Sign up on this form. You can unsubscribe at anytime. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScWHJE_2dJBCc72ehjivJJzEgg4N2L6QSSbhv8VNOYf4460lQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

See a real example of a newsletter you will receive...

Equilibrium and Fate

In one comic book story, Batman finds there is a terrorist cell finding everyone he has ever saved and eliminating them. He finds that this group is run by a leader who lost their husband and child by a driver who was saved by Batman. The leader's worldview is that Batman has no right to save people that are meant to die because their fate is already sealed. Does the terrorist, named Equilibrium, make a good point? The villain brings up a point about how we view fate. If someone meets their demise, is orchestrated by a higher power or is it a random act of chaos? Can humans upset fate, ruining a divine plan? Theologians have debated this idea for years, questioning whether a god has complete control over the course of history or if it is an open playground for humanity to decide. Those that believe God controls everything, allege that God makes every major decision from death, life, salvation, and even our own decisions. Those that believe in the openness of freewill believe that God invites humanity to join his story, but cannot force anyone to make a decision. Scripture shows us instances of both. Adam and Eve were the first humans ever created, being given a choice to eat a forbidden fruit from the Tree of Good and Evil. Later God's people are put into slavery by Egypt, God foretells that he will "force" Pharoah into rebelling against him so that he can show Pharoah his true power. Jesus invites all his followers to taste, drink, and experience his leadership giving them a choice, but at the same time he admits that it is God who draws people over to Jesus. Which one is it? Where does our free will begin and God's choices for us end? I believe we can take comfort in knowing there is a paradox where both can live in healthy contention. The good news is that God is not a villain who acts on impulse or an unstable deity that makes rash decisions. Scripture tells us that God has crafted the story of humanity since the beginning of time. His plan included making the world, overcoming the problem of humanity's evil, restoring a relationship with himself, and allowing his followers to share their love with him. Jesus is the ultimate proof that God has plans that are meant to bring back the world to perfection.  It is a dizzying to think about fate and consequences and many of our movies create dilemmas where villains try to control the future, but once we rest our confidence that God is the chief of time and his purpose is to make the world better, then we can use our daily choices to follow and connect with him. Both sides will ultimately benefit.

Research: Galatians 1:3-10, 1 Thessalonians 4:1 Beginner Checkpoint: What does it mean that God is in control of history? How do you think Jesus lived on earth to benefit God's plan? Advanced Checkpoint: What control in our daily choices do we need to give to God knowing that he has plans that support us? How does Thessalonians 4:1 put the responsibility on us? Challenge: Make a list of weekly decisions and routines that you would like to give over to God. Ask for God's wisdom and input for these decisions.

If the script for Blue Beetle was honest

 Welcome to Honest Scripts, a cross between parody, Cliff Notes, and sarcastic criticism. For the record, I am a DC head, but I know what I am getting into. 

If you are interested in reading a story that is just as crazy as this script, head over to Larna Versus The Lifepires. 

EXT. COLD OPEN ISLAND

We open to see a giant rock thing that is being cut open by lasers. Why is it there? What is it doing? No one knows and we aren't going to explain it.

MS. KORD: Ha ha ha...after one thousand years I am finally free to take over Earth.

HENCHMAN: Ms. Kord, you are reading the script to Power Rangers.

MS. KORD: Ha ha ha...after one thousand years I can finally get the scarab and take over Earth.

GO GO BIG BAD BEETLE BORGS!

INT. AIRPORT

JAMIE REYES: I am finally home from (random college) where I got (random degree). Time to make a name for myself and assist my poor uneducated family who lives in squalor.

PAPA: I had a heart attack.

MAMA: We are losing the house.

UNCLE: Your dog died from a government agency.

NANA: DC is tanking and you won't get a sequel.

MILAGRO: Spanish people can never portray successful people in these movies.

JAMIE: We suck again!

INT. KORD INDUSTRIES

JAMIE: Ahhh...Norman Osborne...Kord Industries. Time to get a job from that hot niece of the evil CEO woman. I have absolutely no skills, which means I hope there is an entry position for senior programmer or engineer.

JENNY KORD: Don't be surprised by the rocks that I got. I am still Jenny from the block. Hey, Jamie, I have a special job for you. You know how this company specializes in powerful insects that grant super powers to teenagers?

JAMIE: Yes, just like my uncle says, "with great Spanish power comes great Spanish responsibility."

JENNY KORD: Yes, can you take this box of mystery and scientific wonder home with you? Don't open it or mention it to a grabby family that has boundary issues.

INT. HOME

JAMIE: Hey grabby family with boundary issues, I have a mystical box of wonder and scientific mystery.

Family grabs it.

The Scarab takes over Jamie and by take over it destroys his entire skeletal and muscular system, while melting his organs.

UNCLE: This is worse than Saw

BEETLE JARVIS: Welcome to Blue Beetle 2.0. Are you ready for a tutorial of the controls?

JAMIE: Sure and a proper introduction of who you are would be nice.

Scarab jet rockets Jamie into multiple buildings and structures, causing millions in damage and causing public harm.

BEETLE JARVIS: Tutorial is done. Slapstick comedy is complete.

INT. KORD INDUSTRIES

Ms. KORD: I need the Scarab so I can power up an army of OMAC machines that will make us rich in the military sector.

DISCOUNT WHIPLASH: Since you need the Scarab as a power source that must mean my mech suit is not capable of fighting or heavy artillery.

MS. KORD: Actually no, your suit is operational and fully capable of fighting and killing Blue Beetle, which should be enough to get this project off the ground...but...(holds breath) I need that Scarab!!!!

EXT. SPANISH STREETS OF MIAMI, TEXAS

DISCOUNT WHIPLASH: Give me the Scarab!

JAMIE: How about I run away and wet myself instead?

BEETLE JARVIS: How about I takeover your body and fight this guy with tons of weapons and karate? There's nothing more honoring in the hero's journey than a sentient AI doing all the work for him.

Blue Beetle does a bunch of Matrix karate moves and shoots out lasers. He knocks Discount Whiplash on his butt.

BEETLE JARVIS: Now you must kill him, Jamie. The only way to kill someone in super hero movies is to stab him at close range while he is concussed.

JAMIE: I don't kill. Aunt May Mama and Uncle Ben Papa taught me better than that.

BEETLE JARVIS: (reading the script) Okay...switching you over to the Batman protocol, Non-Snyder edition.

INT. TED KORD HOME

JENNY KORD: After my mom died, my dad decided that life was too precious to waste, so he spent long hours playing with life sized action figures in his basement.

JAMIE: Your dad was the original Blue Beetle? He had powers like mine?

JENNY KORD: Even better, the Scarab wanted nothing to do with him so he had absolutely no relationship with your power source at all. He made cosplay.

JAMIE: So, he was nothing like me.

JENNY KORD: Yea, I don't know why I brought him up in this conversation.

JAMIE: So, what are my options?

JENNY KORD: Well, you can die and the scarab will fall go to evil corp, or you can have really awesome powers that do all the hero work for you with absolutely no training or development. It's a trillion dollar bullet proof vest and weapon manufacturing suit, which could make you millions of dollars just on kid's birthday parties alone.

JAMIE: Oh, please kill me. That seems like the better option.

EXT. JAMIE'S HOUSE

MAMA: Kord security destroyed our house

PAPA: I am having a heart attack...dead

MILAGRO: The Marvels is going to buy and sell us three times over.

NANA: My sewing machine broke.

JAMIE: We suck again.

The alien suit which can take bullets and missiles to the face gets taken down by a claw machine game proving that weapons that glow purple are more powerful than blue ones.

MS. KORD: I snagged me a Blue Beetle doll. Score.

NANA: We need to team up as a family, break into a military fortress, stop a billion dollar military project, and free our son. Did I mention I have uncontrollable blood lust?

UNCLE: Should be a cinch, seeing as I defeated Discount Whiplash by throwing an engine block at him.

EXT. MILITARY BASE

NANA: We are inside a Blue Beetle tank and are crushing bad guys under our feet. We are making so many wives and husbands into widows and I love it!

MAMA: I wonder where our son learned to be dead set against killing, since his family is killing people by the truck load and enjoying every moment of it.

INT. MILITARY BASE

MS. KORD: Now to rip the Blue Scarab from Jamie's body to power up our mechs. We already established that it will kill you, but I am going to be mean and have my henchmen extra kill you. Give me that Scarab, now!

DISCOUNT WHIPLASH: Because it is a power source that our machines will need to shoot lasers and missiles?

MS. KORD: Not really. They can do that without it.

DISCOUNT WHIPLASH: Now is a good time to remind you that I am just a wounded war veteran from Guatemala who misses his mom and I really wish you could sympathize with that.

MS. KORD: You know what? I don't like your attitude. I am changing your name to DISCOUNT OBADIAH STAIN.

INT. HEAVEN

JAMIE: I am dead and Heaven looks exactly like my low-rent house of poverty. God is really keeping things low budget.

PAPA: Son, I am a ghost. It's time for you to live up to your destiny. That destiny is going inside a powerful alien suit and letting the computer do all the heavy lifting and heroism, while you take the praise.

EXT. EXPLOSION PLANT

DISCOUNT OBADIAH STAIN: Take my electrical whip and my cluster missiles.

JAMIE: Take my Spider-Man kicks and Iron Man chest lasers. Here's a sticky rope that pulls me closer to you.

DISCOUNT OBADIAH STAIN: Are we just Marvel fans making a love letter to our favorite Marvel movies?

JAMIE: Hmmm...let me answer that with a beat-for-beat reprisal of the ending of Spider-Man: No Way Home.

DISCOUNT OBADIAH STAIN: You defeated me. Please don't kill me. I lost my mom...Martha.

JAMIE: I want to kill you because you work for the people that stressed my dad into having a heart attack.

BLUE TOBY GARFIELD JARVIS: Don't kill him. See the good in everyone.

JAMIE: I guess there is good in everyone.

DISCOUNT OBADIAH STAIN: I am so inspired by that heroic gesture that I am going to suicide bomb Ms. Kord.

JAMIE: I have taught you nothing!

EXT. JAMIE'S HOUSE

JAMIE: We did it! I kept 5/6 of my family alive, I decided to be the hero, I have hormonal desires for Jenny, and the whole city marched down the street to give us food, support, love, prayer, servitude, and money.

BROOKLYN NEIGHBOR: We are New Yorkers. Mess with one us of you mess with us all.

JENNY KORD: Don't forget the stinger at the end which will promise a sequel that James Gunn will most likely kill.

SCOTT LANG: Hi, it's Ant-Man the original Blue Beetle. I was lost in the Microverse Beetleverse. I came back to be a quirky dad who loves his daughter, bemoans his wife, has one-liners, awkward moments, light comedy fluff, and a cool action suit.

If the Black Adam script was honest

Welcome to Honest Scripts, a cross between parody, Cliff Notes, and sarcastic criticism. For the record, I am a DC head, but I know what I am getting into. 

If you are interested in reading a story that is just as crazy as this script, head over to Larna Versus The Lifepires. 

Rock Bottom is also a way to explain DC's movie sales.

EXT. THE SET OF SCORPION KING

 NARRATOR: A long time ago, a great and enslaving power controlled the people. They sought freedom, but the evil masters forced them to endure only one kind of cinematic universe. A champion was selected, and he fought against the evil company that was usurping all the money and film deals. Before he was executed by the CEO of said evil company, he was imbued with powers from the great wizard, a rival cinematic universe. With these great powers and an expendable budget, the champion confronted the CEO and destroyed him.

GRANDCHILD: Grandpa, is that really what happened in the DC and Marvel wars of 2022?

NARRATOR: (eyes shifting) yes.

INT. KAHNDAQ CITY

GANG LEADER: Ah Kahndaq, what a wonderful place to do crime. This is a modern day Sodom and Gomorrah.

GANG LEADER 2: Yes, it would truly suck if this city had super heroes that care about the well-being of others. That would make our operation here fall apart. Luckily, no super hero even knows this place exists.

ADRIANNA TOMAZ: Hey, I need permission to mill about in a sacred cave and look for artifacts of power that may or may not resurrect magical beings.

GANG LEADER: Crap.

INT. CAVE OF MAGIC

ADRIANNA TOMAZ: According to my degree in Wizard Artifact Sciences there should be a crown that gives us tons of powers.

KARIM: Don't look at me, I am only here to be one of three comedic people.

ISHMAEL: Don't look at me. I am only here to turn against you and steal it.

ADRIANNA TOMAZ: What was that?

ISHMAEL: Hey, is that a crown just kind of hanging out over there?

GANG THUGS: Everyone stop and please stand in a single line so we can shoot you!

ADRIANNA TOMAZ: Oh no. Quick let me read anything on the floor and hope it is something relevant to save me. (starts reading) I hate Mondays. Nope, this Garfield comic strip won't work. Edward looked Bella in the eyes with hunger. Nope, this used copy of Twilight has nothing. Say Shazam and the Rock will officially be in your universe. That is what I need.

BLACK ADAM: Can you smeeeeeeeeellllllllll what Black Adam is cooking?

Black Adam straight up murders everyone wearing a helmet and body armor. Limbs are torn off, heads explode, bodies are crushed. Not an ounce of blood is spilled because this is not a Snyder pic.

ADRIANNA TOMAZ: Amidst all the killing, you saved me from getting crushed. You must know that I have an innocent heart with good intentions for Kahndaq.

BLACK ADAM: You are the only non-white person here. White Lives Splatter.

INT. TOMAZ HOUSE

Black Adam gets knocked out. Adrianna takes him home.

ADRIANNA TOMAZ: My loving son, Amon, I brought you home a palette swap of Superman. The store was all out of the original product.

AMON: Some bootleg knock off made in the Middle East, I bet.

BLACK ADAM: I am Black Adam. I desire to kill. Just point me in a direction and I will start my rampage.

ADRIANNA TOMAZ: And he is a good role model.

AMON: I know we wanted freedom for Kahndaq with a civil rights movement in the spirit of Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. but I was hoping we could just explode tons of stuff until credits roll. 

INT. JUST US LEAGUE

AMANDA WALLER: A new threat with Superman powers has invaded Kahndaq, but it isn't Superman because the DC fanverse would be too happy and we can't have that. I am calling on you five heroes to upend tensions in the Middle East by starting a full on invasion.

HAWKMAN: Hey, aren't you only into black ops killing teams that you like to blackmail and bribe under the noses of the American people?

AMANDA WALLER: Hey, aren't you part of the Justice Society, the most irrelevant super team that only the elderly know about?

HAWKMAN: I withdraw my criticism.

DOCTOR FATE: So you say that this super hero terrorist kills without reservation and you want the freshest super hero team of rookies and post-puberty kids that have never worked together to fight him? Don't you have professional snipers and gods of fire on speed dial?

ATOM SMASHER: I borrowed my super suit from the Fonz. I can't wait to try it.

WIND GIRL: I am only here because my mom let me.

HAWKMAN: Go team. Everyone put your hands in and say "bottom of the barrel" on three.

INT. KAHNDAQ STREETS

BLACK ADAM: Let me check my schedule. Kill, smash, maim, and eviscerate. Hmmm...I have some time to fit in a quick genocide.

BLACK ADAM does a quick genocide of bad guys. The townspeople celebrate.

AMON: You are my new best friend. You should be king of Kahndaq. This city really needs a mindless serial killer that uses force to get whatever he wants, as opposed to the countless gangs that use force to get whatever they want.

The Justice Society enters.

HAWKMAN: Hello non-American, we would like to disrupt your violent uprising with our own violent uprising.

Black Adam beats the stuffing out of them. The Justice Society is more awkward than a Junior High Prom.

BLACK ADAM: I need a catch phrase if I am going to be taken seriously as an antihero. You know how people take Dead Pool seriously for his one liners? How about "Where's the beef?"

 INT. EVIL TERRORIST LAIR

ISHMAEL: My project failed. Instead of stealing the crown that activates "Generic CGI Monster #6" in the Adobe Suite Asset stock images. They released a violent super hero that has the charm of the Hulk and the learning comprehension of Drax.

GANG PEOPLE: We better help you get the crown back or the final boss of this movie will be us generic white thugs.

Ishmael steals the crown. Amon's family is shocked like that Pikachu meme.

DOCTOR FATE: We need to work together with Black Adam to stop "Generic CGI Monster #6" from the Adobe Suite Asset stock images from doing exactly what Black Adam just did moments ago.

HAWKMAN: Temporary truce, like when America gave rocket launchers to the Middle East to help stop Russia during the Reagan era.

ATOM SMASHER: A great plan that didn't backfire.

BLACK ADAM: Up to this point I have been able to do absolutely everything without help, but I am going to let you guys help me. You certainly proved your competence by getting beaten up by me.

ISHMAEL: I really hope that you don't murder me in cold blood. That would really ruin my plans. I would confidently say that my plans for world domination would come to an end.

BLACK ADAM: I found his weakness...dying.

Black Adam kills him.

HAWKMAN: Another job well done. Everyone put your hands together and say "hastily put together team" on three.

INT. FREEZING CHAMBER FOR BAD GUYS

BLACK ADAM: Well, my killing plan to kill the killers who were killing didn't work and now people that I would have killed without blinking earlier got hurt.

HAWKMAN: You had a good run. I think the appropriate thing to do is to take all your massive super power potential and throw it away. Amanda Waller definitely has no plan that involves taking discouraged villains and repurposing them. So it is off to the freezing chamber for you.

BLACK ADAM: Lead the way. I have no qualms with that at all.

INT. RANDOM THRONE

DOCTOR FATE:  "Generic CGI Monster #6" in the Adobe Suite Asset stock images is going to sit down on the random throne. There's only one thing I need to do.

HAWKMAN: Pull out your ancient Egyptian magic that comic lore has built into your character?

DOCTOR FATE: Character development this late in the DCEU? I was thinking of doing Doctor Strange's greatest hits from Infinity War.

Doctor Fate fails and dies.

AMON: (Imitates Lois Lane) Black Adam, I need your help.

BLACK ADAM: (fully recovers, flies thousands of miles) I guess it is up to me to save the day.

EVERYONE FROM KAHNDAQ: We are united by your revolution, Black Adam. Let's team up and take the streets back.

BLACK ADAM: Nevermind, I killed  "Generic CGI Monster #6" in the Adobe Suite Asset stock images

EVERYONE FROM KAHNDAQ: Oh...(goes home)

AMON: Now you can take the throne of Kahndaq and rule our people with fairness and justice.

BLACK ADAM: Or, hear me out, I kind of mope around the city murdering thugs and gangs as a helpful citizen.

HAWKMAN: Well, we condemned it earlier in the movie, but now I think it is appropriate.

BLACK ADAM: Where's the beef?

EVERYONE: (laughing) That is called a call back. It's foreshadow for idiots.

HAWKMAN: Now we can freely expect a Justice Society movie as the next mega hit against Marvel. Since each of us got three minutes of character development, that is plenty to set up a thrilling Justice Society film that will hit like Infinity War. It worked for The Justice League.

WHEDON: I am free if you need help directing it.

SNYDER: I will make the better cut.

GUNN: (Pulls the plug)

SUPERMAN: The world is getting nervous that you are roaming around freely. I think I need to warn you good and proper about what it means to fight for the Earth.

BLACK ADAM: Warn me not to interfere with truth and justice?

SUPERMAN: No, warn you to stay away from Shazam Vs. Black Adam: Magic of Justice. That will kill two careers.