In most great books and movies you will find yourself growing attached to the main character. The writer draws you in to their life and makes you care about the things they care for. Then there will be a moment where that leading character is in a situation that it appears they will not get out of. The best writers are able to leave you feeling that they really might not make it (even though the plot would be rather weak without them in it). You find yourself rooting for them, hurting for them, feeling nervous for their future, feeling anxiety that their dream will never be realized or their mission never accomplished.

But then at just the last moment, when all seems lost, there is a glimmer of hope. 

  In the film Disney film Tangled there is a moment like this. Rapunzel and Flinn find themselves trapped in a cave and the water is rising. They fight for a way out, but find nothing. They give up; the water continuing to rise. In a moment of despair Rapunzel begins to sing the song that lights her hair and brings life to whoever touches it and, as her hair lights the cave and the water engulfing them, they see it. Hope. Her hair being pulled into a crack in the rocks. They dive; they dig; they escape. The story goes on.

   Life is a lot like this. We often find ourselves in situations that leave us feeling that all we have worked for will be lost, all our dreams left just out of reach. I remember feeling this way my senior year in high school and again during the last semester of college before I earned my BA. On both occasions there was something that came up that almost caused me to give up. I remember the despair I felt when I was told I would never be able to complete over 30 units in one semester of college. I remember the panic that came over me when I found out my high school GPA was too low to graduate only one month before the year was over. But then I found hope. I found a way to raise my grades in high school and I graduated. I found a way to schedule my time so I could handle the extreme load in college, and I graduated.

   As I sit and reflect on those days I am reminded of what Paul said in Romans chapter 5. In the fifth verse he wrote, ”hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” 

Hope does not disappoint. Hope is the thing that drives us to continue working or fighting. In Rapunzel’s story, hope was the catalyst for the burst of energy needed to remove the rocks blocking them from the air outside. In my story, hope was the thing that drove me to work my tail off to get that diploma in my hand. Hope did not disappoint, because hope drove me to my success. 

The Holy Spirit gives the Church hope. We can see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel because the Holy Spirit has given us eyes to see it. When everything in your life seems like it is falling apart, when your dreams seems to be slipping away, grab hold of the hope that the Holy Spirit has given you. Let Romans 5:5 remind you that your hope is within your heart! You already have everything you need to get through this. You have hope in you!

Take your hope, and carry on! You won’t be disappointed.

Jamie, the founder of To Write Love On Her Arms (TWLOHA), posted the following on his blog today in response to the incident in San Diego with Jason Russell. So far it is the most valid response I’ve seen. I say this for a number of reasons.

1. Because Jamie & Jason are friends & he actually cares about Jason as a person (not to imply others don’t, but it’s on the list)

2. Because Jamie understands the unique lifestyle Jason has chosen for himself, and the physical, emotional, and mental impact it has. Millions are sharing their opinions on Jason Russell this week. Perhaps we should listen to those who actually know what they’re talking about.

3. Because he does not represent Jason or Invisible Children in any way. Great criticism has come against the reasoning IC staffers gave for Jason’s behavior. Jamie says some very interesting things here as a third party that really puts a lot of weight into the original statement by IC.

Food for thought:

twloha:

Jason Russell is my friend. i reached out to him a few years ago, as TWLOHA was starting to take off. i was a fan of Invisible Children and it seemed we could learn a lot from them, and i could learn a lot from him. Like IC, TWLOHA was born from a story and the surprising response to that…

- Jed Brewer

(via thebridgechicago)

I recently red a list (shared by a friend on Facebook) of ten fats that Pastor Perry Noble says every man must know about his wife. Below is a copy of that list from Perry’s blog. You can read it on his site at http://www.perrynoble.com/2012/03/01/ten-facts-men-should-consider-about-their-wife. These are some good reminders for husbands to consider. Here is to hoping we all get better at this thing called marriage!

PRERRY’S TEN FACTS:

#1 – Before she was your wife she was God’s daughter…and He is VERY concerned about how someone treats His girl!

#2 – Women are responders, so if there is friction/conflict in the relationship she is most likely responding to something that is off center…and it is going to take an actual conversation where you use words to figure out what it is.

#3 – If a man will not lead his family then satan will!  (See Genesis 3!)

#4 – One of the biggest questions that a woman is always asking of her husband is, “can I trust you with my heart?”  And the answer to this question is not simply declared but ratherdemonstrated over time.

#5 – Every word you speak has meaning to your wife…and HOW you say those words carry even more meaning.

#6 – No woman responds well to condemnation…and if we are supposed to love our wives like Christ loves the church, and there is NO condemnation for those who are in Christ (Romans 8:1) then we MUST watch our words carefully.

#7 – It is a spiritual impossibility for an angry husband to love his wife like Jesus loves the church.

#8 – Your wife LOVES to know you are thinking about her during the day.

#9 – Surfing the internet or playing games on your smart phone while she is sitting next to you on the couch is NOT romantic.

#10 – Pursuit must be intentional!  You did not accidentally fall in love…and you will not accidently stay in love!

when death dies all things live

Selah is enjoying her #Starbucks visit. (Taken with instagram)

Muppets time! (Taken with instagram)