Groundhog Day!                  Bill Murray's humor is one of my guilty pleasures.  His 1992 movie, Groundhog Day, is just plain fun.  Murray's a hoot as the surly, self-consumed weatherman Phil Connors.  Given the great chemistry between Murray and Andie McDowell (Rita), the movie succeeds on its merits alone as a romantic comedy.           But there's more.           Being a "Phil" myself, I enjoy the great Groundhog Puxatawny Phil, my Pennsylvanian namesake.  In fact, Phil Connors, who works in Philadelphia, takes Groundhog Day to a multi-Phil status, and since the name means "lover," irony suggests that a great story is about to unfold.           Weatherman Connors is required to cover the Groundhog Day celebration in sleepy little Puxatawny.  It's a trite task he views as beneath his dignity.           The quirky plot is soon revealed: Due to unseen (and unexplained) forces in the movie, Murray begins to relive February 2nd in Puxatawny repeatedly - possibly forever.  No other characters in the film experience this mysterious "deja-vu" except our weatherman, and soon he begins to experiment with the rules that govern this strange, repeating warp in time.            The main rule?  Nothing matters.  When the 6:00 a.m. alarm clock begins to play "I Got You, Babe," Connor's actions of the previous "day" seem to carry no consequences.  A bit of dialogue from the movie says it all, as Phil tries to explain his situation to Ralph, a local ne'er-do-well. Phil: What would you do if you were stuck in one place and every day was exactly the same, and nothing that you did mattered? Ralph: That about sums it up for me.           Before the end of the story, Phil Connors will have lived out - and out-lived - his every possible reaction to this fate.  He will have exploited the people of Puxatawny, manipulated them, stolen from them, kidnapped the groundhog, and committed suicide several times.  He'll have fallen in love with Rita, and tried - and failed - a hundred ways to win her heart.  Ultimately, he'll have weathered all five stages of Kubler-Rosses' grieving process: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and...           ...Acceptance.  It's at the final stage - acceptance - that Connors begins to wonder how he might use his "time" in Puxatawny to serve others and make a better person of himself.           Suffice it to say that Murray's character comes to life, and the results are beautiful.   Groundhog Day is the flip side of It's a Wonderful Life, and cinema worth watching.           Of all the ideas packed into this odd little movie, the heart is probably in Phil and Ralph's dialogue:  On some level - we're all  1) "stuck" in one place, 2) each day is very much the same, and 3) nothing that we do matters.  Phil's experience is not unique; we're all in Groundhog Day.           Some are tempted to exploit others, live dishonestly, and seek pleasure above all.  Some make gods out of their dreams or talents.  Some experience anger or depression, while others just survive.            Some people, though - like our weatherman - discover life-changing truth.           For that reason, I found in Groundhog Day a bit of a deja-vu.  Hope came to Connors only when he experienced a moment - a flash - of understanding.  He didn't just alter his behavior - he was personally transformed in that moment.            This idea of "transforming truth" is profound, and something Christians have known for centuries; God Himself floods our hearts with the light of the Gospel.  When this happens, we begin to comprehend that life is not about us.  Life is about Him, and about touching others with His love.  He makes us a new creation; Jesus called this being "born again."           There's much to say about this amazing thing the Bible calls "salvation," but - as usual - Jesus said it best: "I came that they might have life, and have it to the fullest."  As we individually encounter Jesus, He gives us life and a purpose.  We transcend the meaningless and selfish Groundhog Day we were born into.           Are you weary of the same old grind?  If life has been an endless loop of Groundhog Days for you, this winter you can discover the secret of life!  Every day really can start to count - forever. Blessings, Phil   Note to parents: Groundhog Day is rated PG for mild violence and adult situations.