HOPE

That's the theme of this year's LIVE THE DREAM Conference and I can't think of a more timely topic. Lately, it seems like so many people are lacking just that:
Hope.

It's such a small word, but it holds huge connotations.
Without hope, it's hard to see past your current circumstances.
Without hope, the present economy seems like a never-ending nightmare.
Without hope, a child can't dream and a mother can't rest.
And without hope, the darkness of this world will threaten to overshadow all the good that we are trying to do in the name of Christ.

But despair does not have the final word.
We DO have hope -- even when all else fails.
God is faithful even when our world is crumbling around us.

You were born for this moment -- this place in time.
God doesn't make mistakes.
What are you doing to bring hope into the life of someone who has lost it?

If you, or someone you know, are in need of hope, please register today for Live the Dream. Or, if you are registered, consider sponsoring someone who cannot afford the registration fees... it only takes a moment, but it could impact a lifetime.

Wait... What?

Ahhh... the pressure of a New Year's first post.

How can it be January already??? I haven't even finished my Christmas decorating!

I know several of my blog-happy friends (you know who you are) have done elaborate, well-thought-out, end-of-08 posts on their blogs, but I just can't seem to get there.

Don't get me wrong; I'm VERY excited about the coming year & I have so many thoughts and ideas going through my head. It's getting them down on paper (blog?) that I'm having a bit of trouble with.

For me, the turning of this year feels like I am holding my breath. There is an anticipation for something I can't quite grasp enough to speak aloud. There is such a HOPE in my heart for so many things & more than a hint of PROMISE of those hopes to be realized.

I know some of you will understand what I mean
(not just those who are heavily medicated).

It's like telling your wish just after you've blown out the candles.
It's like KNOWING that the coin in the wishing well really will pay off.
It's the excitement every child feels on the morning before a big vacation...

Can you feel it?

What are you hoping for this year?
You DO know it's 2009, right?

The Hope of America

One of the BEST messages I've ever heard Pastor Dino preach... I'm gonna do my best to summarize, but I couldn't write fast enough to keep up.
He was on FIRE!

Fact: By TOMORROW, this Presidential election alone will have cost nearly 2.4 BILLION dollars.

Where did all that money go?
Travel Expenses
Speaking engagements
Debates
Signage
Political fees
But mostly: ADVERTISING

Advertising???
Couldn't there be a better use for that money?

The HOPE of America is not a candidate, not a false "messiah," not a budget cut or medicare overhaul. It's not about who is the better speaker, the better comedian, the most handsome, or most charismatic. It's not about race, creed, partisan politics or religion.

It's about what WE, as a Church, are doing to make a difference in this country.

It's about GOD'S PEOPLE DOING GOD'S WORK for GOD'S GLORY.
Period.
That is the hope of America.

Why?
Because no matter how much faith you put into your candidate -- how much you believe (or want to believe) that he or she is going to be your nation's "salvation" -- they will eventually disappoint.
It's not about DEMOCRAT or REPUBLICAN; Both parties have failed miserably, historically.

The REAL Hope of America is about REAL CHANGE -- Not change that is just talked about: rhetoric designed to placate the masses without offering any REAL example of actually DOING ANYTHING.
Think about how much money has been wasted already on political nonsense...

How many meals for hungry children could have been bought?
How many medical treatments provided for those who have no access to hospitals?
How many children sold into sex slavery (human trafficking) could have been freed?
How many orphans could have been adopted by couples who cannot afford the cost-prohibitive adoption fees?

You want to talk about real CHANGE -- real HOPE?
How about...
--> 1 MILLION water bottles given to the thirsty
--> 15 THOUSAND Thanksgiving meals given to the poor
--> 5 MILLION meals to sub-Saharan African AIDS orphans
--> 2 DREAM CENTERS serving the people of the inner city on a DAILY basis.
--> THOUSANDS of roses and chocolates given to prostitutes and strippers to show them real LOVE.
--> HUNDREDS of yards mowed, houses painted, tree branches cut & cleared.
--> HUNDREDS (Thousands?) of blue tarps provided to homes with damage from hurricanes Gustav & Ike
--> THOUSANDS of FREE medical checkups, immunizations, teeth cleanings, & tooth extractions

This is what my church has done in just a few short years with only a fraction of the cost of this ONE presidential election.
And we've done so much more that is not listed here!

"We, as a people, have provided CHANGE to the world that government could never provide!" -- Dino Rizzo

That's why we can't get discouraged by a few numbers, a candidate, or all the media hype... We have to continue to sow into the future of our nation! We have to step up and be the Church that Jesus called us to be.

WE (God's Church) are the real Hope of America.

What Kind of World Do You Want?

You need to watch this video. Make sure your speakers are ON.

http://www.whatkindofworlddoyouwant.com/videos/view/id/408214