Tag Archives: hope

Not all it’s cracked up to be

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shia“Sometimes I feel I’m living a meaningless life, and I get frightened. … I don’t handle fame well. Most actors on most days don’t think they’re worthy. I have no idea where this insecurity comes from, but it’s a God-sized hole. If I knew, I’d fill it, and I’d be on my way. … Actors live dependent on being validated by other people’s opinions. … The good actors are all screwed up. They’re all in pain. It’s a profession of bottom-feeders and heartbroken people.” —23-year-old Shia LaBeouf

When I read this I was so sad. It’s another reminder that outward appearances are so deceiving, and that everyone needs real love. Sometimes we make negative judgments about people that seem from their appearance to be down and out, or dirty, “naughty”, not so smart, irresponsible, etc. I guess we need to be careful not to judge the other way either and assume that someone who looks amazing, handsome, well dressed, is famous, or gets raving reviews is happy and has a good, fulfilling life.

This quote from Shia sounds like a cry for help, a correction to people’s assumptions that actors/actresses, those being stalked by paparazzi, those who are applauded for their talents and looks by the masses, are just as empty inside without God as anyone else. I hate it that he says “If I knew, I’d fill it”. Someone who loves Jesus needs to share God’s love with Shia LeBeouf! Famous people seem far off and unapproachable when it comes to one of us ordinary believers sharing about Jesus…as if their fame and status makes them less likely to listen or want to hear something good and hopeful.

Everyone needs God’s love, no matter how many people have a poster of them in their room, no matter how many movie tickets they sold, no matter how many cities they’re touring, no matter how high up we exalt them. Their heart is the same as mine and yours. Their soul is hungry like mine was before I knew God through Jesus. They feel loneliness that they can’t really explain or escape without the life-giving relationship with their Creator and heavenly Father. I hope God will reach out to Shia today through someone who is a Christ-follower.

I hope God will give the believers in Shia’s life compassion and a wake-up call to share hope and good news. I hope this happens for all the celebrities that are shining stars on the outside and hurting, broken souls on the inside.

Hopeful Reminder

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When I got a cancer diagnosis more than 5 years ago, my dad sent me this poem.  I’ll never forget sitting at my computer that morning reading it and how it renewed my hope. Sometimes we just need a gentle reminder of what is true and what is not.  Fear can distort perspective big time! I post this today in honor of my many friends who have fought cancer – many of whom have beat it and are living strong today.  I also post it in honor of my friend’s Aunt who is facing cancer now.

Cancer is so limited…

It cannot cripple love
It cannot shatter hope
It cannot corrode faith
It cannot destroy peace
It cannot kill friendship
It cannot suppress memories
It cannot silence courage
It cannot invade the soul
It cannot steal eternal life
It cannot conquer the spirit. – anonymous

Whatever you’re facing, no matter how ominous or threatening it may seem, know that it can’t keep you from or remove you from God’s love.

“Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? … No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”            Romans 8:35-39 NLT

You have reason to sing

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There have been times when choosing to praise God in spite of something traumatic happening in my life brought healing.  It may not have come at the very instant I made the choice to speak or sing something to God, but it came.  For some reason, when you force yourself to shift your thinking away from pain, disappointment, discouragement, fear, or worry – if only for a moment – to proclaim the things you know to be true, it’s as if God cuts a slit in the dark shroud that’s suffocating you and allows a shaft of brilliant hope to shine in.  Courage grows, freedom shows it’s beautiful face again.  When we say or think, “God is still the God He was before” or “God is still on the throne” or “He never changes, He is still faithful, He still cares about me” or any number of truths like these we’re taking a step toward Him, putting ourselves out there, with arms reaching forward in faith.  We’re waiting for Him to make the next move and pull us closer, to refine us, to beautify us, to do a miracle and somehow bring something good out of something completely awful.  Sometimes we have no idea how any good can come out of what we’re facing, but we trust.  We praise.

I guess that’s the ticket – when we praise in spite of circumstances we are proclaiming our faith.  We are saying “I still believe, God.  I don’t feel You, I don’t see You.  I don’t hear You right now.  But I’m choosing to believe that You’re still good and You’re still there.  You’re still God.”  The Bible tells us many times that faith pleases God.  In fact, it tells us that without faith you cannot please Him.  Many of his people in the Old Testament, before Jesus came to save them from sin, were justified simply because they had faith.

Choosing to praise in pain or any trial also gets our eyes off of ourselves and back onto Jesus and the purpose He has for us.  We can begin moving forward rather than being stuck knee-deep in sinking sand or muck.

I watched a video today of a worship leader from the Hillsong Church in Australia who endured a terrible disappointment and loss, yet chose to praise God.  Watch it and let God speak to your heart.  Listen to the lyrics of the song, too.  This has become my new favorite.

Dance!

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Watch this video:

The first time I watched this I giggled and smiled the entire time, almost moved to tears.   Such joy and fun!  I love how as they danced, more and more people joined in until it was soon a huge crowd of joyful, jumping, dancing people.  Joy is contagious!  I immediately thought of our walk with Jesus and how it should affect people like this.  The joy we have in knowing Him should be contagious, obvious, bubbling over and drawing people in.  Jesus promised that if we lift him up He would draw people to Himself.  What better way than to be full of joy and hope.  People are definitely looking for that.  I wish I could have been at this train station, dancing and leaping with these people!  How exhilarating!   Complete freedom and fun.  No worries of what people are thinking.  Contagious, beautiful, swelling joy!

How beautiful our world would be if mankind could interact like this – enjoying life, working together, having fun, celebrating…a preview of what heaven will be like.