Last night, as many of you know, my husband and I went to the Jeremy Camp concert. When I got home, I just couldn’t go to sleep until I wrote down some things I have been pondering in my heart. I just had to talk about the concert, and the things Jeremy Camp said and sang about.

If anyone reading this doesn’t know who Jeremy Camp is, you are missing out. His music is truly blessed by God. In fact, that is one thing he talked about. He talked about how God moved him to write songs to touch GOD’S heart, and that God would then use it to touch the hearts of others. I was just awed by that, because this artist is truly humble, and has his heart in the right place. He is always putting God first, and giving HIM all the glory, and that is why his music is so powerful and inspiring. He doesn’t lose sight of what or why he sings. He doesn’t give himself the credit, or act like a spoiled celebrity, corrupted and distracted by fame. No, he is a humble man, doing the will of God. He treats people, and the audience, as his friends; his brothers and sisters in Christ.

His music touches the hearts of others, because it touches the heart of God first. His songs are meaningful prayers, straight from the heart. They are deep and meaningful and really helps a person pour out their heart, and connect with God. In fact, he also reminded everyone that the one reason we are here on this earth, is to live for Jesus; to love, serve and follow Him, and to share with others to do the same. Period. He said he didn’t want to look back on his life, when it’s all over, and be like “What just happened?” And he certainly won’t. He is living a life of purpose, and honoring God with his talents.

There is so much depth in the lyrics of his songs. His wife, Adie, also sings. Like Jeremy, she also has a heart for the Lord, and makes the songs her prayers. I have so much love and respect for them, and praise God for the difference they are making in the lives of the people who hear their music.

For those of you who don’t know, Jeremy Camp was previously married to a woman named Melissa. Sadly, she died of cancer not long into their marriage. It was a rough time for him. But, God always uses the hard times to make one stronger, as he did with Jeremy. He explained how he finally understood the gravity of his wife’s words when she had told him that if only one person could know Jesus through what she had gone through, and her dying of cancer, then it would all be worth it.

We all have a purpose. Even if we only reach ONE person and bring them to the Lord in our lifetime, it is all worthwhile. We all have a duty to fulfill. That is why I am writing more, and posting things on this site. I want my God given talents to bless others.

Regardless of how small, or insignificant, a simple blog may feel to me, I just never know who I might touch. Even now, I think about how Jeremy’s words, and his music, has blessed me. Then, it spreads. I am telling you all about it, and that might even go further, as you may tell someone about it. God multiplies the blessings. One blesses another, and then it keeps getting passed on. HOW AMAZING!!

As I am typing, I have his songs playing in my mind. I am hearing the chorus of “I still believe”: “I still believe in your faithfulness. I still believe in your truth. I still believe in your Holy Word. Even when I don’t see, I still believe.” It just blows my mind to think about it, and sing it to the Lord. It’s just a prayer and a praise to the Lord; telling him that no matter what happens, I’m still going to believe. I’ll still believe he is good, faithful, true, and just. I will still believe in his promises and his word, no matter what. Even when I don’t understand the reasons behind everything that happens, I will STILL believe, because God is God and he reigns! AMEN!

In addition to that, I am also thinking about his other song “Walk by Faith.” The chorus goes: “”I will walk by faith even when I cannot see, because this broken road prepares your will for me.“ He was talking about being so broken, when his wife died. And the Lord told him that it was good, because he could use him. God molds us in those times, and brings us through the pain. They are hard times, but they are times of growth, reflection, and they draw us nearer to God because we are more open to him. We are aware of our need for him, when we have to stop and deal with the problems of life. We cry out to him, and he comes down and fulfills our needs. Being broken makes us humble and vulnerable. Sometimes, that is the only way we can best let the Lord in.

When we get brought through the hard times, we can then share it with others, just as Jeremy does with every crowd that comes to his concert. He gets the awesome opportunity of being a witness to God’s mercy, grace, and love. He gets to minister to people from all walks of life.

Even if I never get to be in the position where he is, to reach so many people so often, I will still do my part. Every person is a part of the body of Christ. He can’t do without our contributions! What may seem small and insignificant to you, may mean the WORLD to someone else!!! Do what you are meant to do! Share and give of yourself, and your talents!! Rejoice in the hard times, because God will use them for good! As hard as it may be, thank him and praise him for the bad times, because those are the times where getting close to God is easier and the most vital. He will mold you into what he wants you to be.

Just like Jeremy said, it all comes down to what you do for Jesus. Period! Nothing else in this life really matters. Life is about Jesus, and the rest are details. That’s why I say this to myself: “I may only be ‘one’ but I’ll be ‘one that matters.’” I don’t know if I heard that somewhere before, or if God just gave that to me out of the blue, but I say that to myself to remind me of my purpose and of my worth.

There are people out there that need what I have to give, and likewise, there are people out there that I need to minister to me too, like Jeremy Camp. When we all do our part, we are all helping each other, and the circle goes unbroken. If we can all hold on to the fact how vital we are to the kingdom of God, our lives will be more fulfilling, and mankind will benefit from our God given gifts!!

Sunday, October 10, 2004

When Pride Makes You Sick

No one likes being sick. In fact, I don't know of anyone who would WANT to be sick, other than wishing that they could be sick instead of a child or someone they love. I was sick just recently, and while it wasn't enjoyable, it was a surprisingly enlightening experience.

While I was sick, I couldn't help but think of ways having the flu is similar to every day life. I felt awful, and miserable. To make matters worse, Mitch was also sick, so it was extra hard because neither one of us had much energy to take care of ourselves, each other, or our son. We sometimes muttered, "Oh, why do we have to be sick, and at the same time?" Sure, it's a sad and unfortunate situation, but when you think about it, it's not as bad as you can make it to be.

I think sometimes, in a small but powerful way, being sick can be good. I mean it as in you appreciate what it's like to be "well." After you recover, you feel grateful and begin to cherish your health again and try to do things to better safeguard it. I think it is also a time where God allows you to be sick because he wants to wake you up in some way. In our case, I think he wanted me to take a time out to focus and slow down. Mitch and I both are always on the move and doing things and I think that sometimes, when God can't get through to us, he has to allow us to get sick in order for us to finally stop and listen to Him. Then, as God helps us purge the sickness from our body, He also makes us aware of the sin we have to "vomit" from our lives. Then, we begin to clean things up and sterilize what we can. We wash our clothing, bedding, dishes, and banish the germs from coming back into our bodies. That is the same way we should banish sin from our lives, giving it a one way ticket out of here and burning the bridges that would have us go backward!

I thought about all this and we stopped feeling so sorry for ourselves. Being whiny and pitiful doesn't help anyways. I mean, my goodness, there are worse things! Then, I talked to Mitch about how minimally, and temporarily unbearable this was compared to how it must be in Hell. Right then, we were sick, thirsty, and hungry, but really couldn't fix the problem at the moment, but knew we would eventually get better. That, at least, is a comfort and a relief. However, if you die without Christ and go to Hell, there IS NO RELIEF…. EVER!!! There is no water to quench your thirst, there is no medication to stop the pain and it continues FOREVER! It's hard to comprehend "forever" and to never know relief, but I never want to find out what THAT is like. There is eternal LIFE and eternal DEATH and while you would think that no one would WILLINGLY choose pain and suffering, some people, whether by choice or by ignorance, choose death.

This makes me very sad. I began thinking more about how no one likes to be sick, but sometimes are sick and don't even know or acknowledge it. For example, you can contract a cold and not even know you have it until the symptoms show up later. Then, when they do, you may just deny that you are sick, and refuse to take medicine or go to the doctor. That's silly though isn't it? Wouldn't you WANT to get better, especially before it gets worse? I remember one time when I had that mindset. I was pregnant and started getting a cold, but didn't want to take medicine because I was afraid that the medicine would hurt my unborn child. So, I waited for it to get better, but it didn't. Eventually, it turned into the worst cold that I ever remember having. By that time, I had to take medicine that was a little bit stronger than over the counter medicine. The doctor said it shouldn't hurt the baby, and I did take the medicine and get better. I felt stupid for waiting so long when I could have taken a medicine sooner that maybe wouldn't have been as risky as a prescription.

Now, anyone hearing this knows that what I did was a silly mistake and could easily say, "Why did you wait so long? Why didn't you take care of it before it got to that point? Take care of yourself!" I didn't like being sick and I didn't want to be sick anymore, but I put off treatment. That is pretty foolish, but I CHOSE to be sick by NOT CHOOSING to become well. It makes me think of another way that we, as people, put off treatment in our lives.

Sometimes, our lives and lifestyles are "sick." Sometimes we don't know we are sick, and sometimes we do but then deny it. Neither of those things does us any good. We need to take care of the "sickness" in our lives before it gets worse, because it WON'T just get better or go away without "treatment." Our pride and stubbornness is a CHOICE to STAY sick and a CHOICE not to get well. It applies to all areas of our life, whether it is overeating that in turn threatens other areas of health, to waiting to see if a mysterious lump or area or some sort we go away or get better before getting checked out. Refusing any kind of medical, physical, or psychological help only puts us in danger, and our lives are too precious to take lightly, especially just because of "pride." Some may even say to themselves, that's it's "too late" and that they're too far gone. I think that's it's only "too late" when you ARE gone. Don't wait! The time is NOW for "treatment," both physically, and spiritually.

Jesus is the GREAT PHYSICIAN and He is the Healer. Let Him cleanse the sickness and sin from you and deliver you from your personal sickness. Don't wait for it to "go away" or "get worse" before you do something about it. This is especially important if you don't even KNOW the doctor yet!

Maybe I am too direct, but sometimes, the direct approach is the only one that gets through. Many have heard of "Dr. Death." But the Dr. Death that I am speaking of, isn't the one that helped elderly people commit suicide. The Dr. Death I am speaking of is Satan. I would rather go to the Dr. of LIFE than the Dr. of Death wouldn't you? If you choose life, you reject death. But wavering or passively deciding NOT to choose IS, in fact, a choice for death. Ignorance isn't bliss and faking ignorance or commitment to truth is even worse! I don't want anyone to be sick and then continue to live in ETERNAL sickness and darkness because they refused to accept the Good Doctor into their life. You just can't wait until it's too late! Choose LIFE! CHOOSE CHRIST!

Abnormally Special

I am not normal. There, I said it. Are you surprised? You shouldn't be. No one is normal. In fact, I believe, that THERE IS NO NORMAL! I have come to understand an enlightening truth. And, like Jesus says, "the truth shall set you free!"

The reason I am not "normal" is because I am different. I can't possibly be normal, because no one is exactly like me. No one has my fingerprints. My fingerprints are unique only to me. The same goes for my DNA, and voiceprint, and everything else that is uniquely me. God made me different, and special. He set me apart. He made me with a special plan in mind. He gave me all the qualities and features that he wanted me to have and made me one of a kind!

When you think about that, it truly makes you feel great! No two people are EXACTLY alike, NOT EVEN TWINS!! There are differences in EVERYONE! Therefore, "normal" cannot exist! For something to be "normal" there has to be a set example. The only thing I can think of that is "normal" is body temperature. It is said that the normal body temperature is 98.6 degrees, but even then, a person's body temperature may be "normal" at slightly above or below that.

With that being said, we also do this in society. We compare others to what is normal. However, I don't think I understand where that comparison comes from. How can we judge who is normal? What and who do we set the standards by? Since we are all different, how can there even BE a normal? It wouldn't be fair to compare anyone!

The only one I compare myself to, and set my standards by, is Jesus. And, let me tell you, I am SO FAR from NORMAL!! Jesus is perfect and since no one else is perfect, how can we judge each other? The differences are what make us unique. Also, since God is perfect, how can we say that a person he created is somehow not normal? GOD DOES NOT MAKE MISTAKES!! God doesn't say, "Oops, I didn't mean to goof up on that human."

God makes us all just the way he wants us, and in a way that will bring glory to Him. We don't always understand His ways because His thinking is so much beyond our own. It is hard to comprehend sometimes why God would do things like allow a baby to be born with a deformity or allow something to happen to someone that somehow makes them different either on the outside or inside. However, we are all still made up from the same building blocks of life. A physical flaw, or any flaw, doesn't change that we are a person, and that God loves us and has a plan for us. So, as it says in Romans 9:20-21, "But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?'" Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?"

Suppose that I had six blocks. They are all the same size and they are all a different color. Then, suppose that three of them were in one pile, and three of them were in another pile. Maybe one pile has a green, yellow, and red block. Another, has a blue, orange, and purple block. Everything about the blocks are the same, except for their colors and the groups in which they are categorized. Does that mean that one group is better than the other? Is one group of blocks inferior just because of the different colors in their group compared to the other? No, of course not. There are the same number of blocks in each group, and they are all the same size, just different in color. If all the blocks were the same in every aspect, there would be no diversity, and it wouldn't be as colorful.

I have only recently come to understand such things. Personally, I had always wondered why God made "special" kids. I always wondered why God would allow a child to be born mentally or physically challenged. Wouldn't it just be easier if they fit our society's mold? Wouldn't their lives and our lives be so much better?

God caused me to finally make sense of all this. He showed me his infinite wisdom in how he chooses to create people. These "special" kids are not mistakes. God made them on purpose and for a purpose. He doesn't fudge up on someone in the womb and then say, "Oops, can I start over?" He contemplates each life he creates very carefully. And, these "special" kids are rightly deemed special, for an EXTRA SPECIAL reason! Saying a challenged child is "special" isn't a socially polite term, as I had always thought. God has shown me why they TRULY are special! I see how in 1 Corinthians 22-25, "On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and ha given greater honor to the parts that lacked it."

That verse is such a powerful insight to me! How else can you explain why people with handicaps are such inspirations to us "normal" people? We who have all the ability in the world usually don't do NEARLY AS MUCH as these "special" people who are regarded as rejects by many people. Just like is says in the verse, however, these are the people that God appoints to be our inspirations and our teachers. They are the ones we should cherish and regard the most, not toss aside.

God gives these people SPECIAL HONOR and how great it is that I am blessed with a child that is ESPECIALLY HONORED!! My son  was born with a hearing impairment, and no one can explain why. It was so shocking too, because everything else about him seemed "normal." He passed all other types of tests. He was also physically beautiful by society's standards. His features are so flawless and pleasant to look at. He has blue eyes, and an adorable smile. He also has a dazzling personality to go along with it. All those wonderful things about him are evident to all. Yet, some tend to focus in on the thing that is most obvious and disturbing to some. They think that if this one thing about him were "fixed" that he could be so much better off. This is so absurd! He can do so much with what he has, and he doesn't need to be "fixed" in order to do what God has planned him for!

Before he received his hearing aids, he looked like any other "normal" child, and no one would have even known that he had a so-called handicap. It's amazing how things change when you put hearing aids in his ears. People look at him in a different way. It is the first thing they notice, and I think it is because most people don't see younger kids with hearing aids. For some reason, many assume they are tubes in his ears from an ear infection. However, they are not tubes (and when a child has tubes, you can't see them anyways). His hearing loss is not caused by an ear infection or blockage, so they can't drain or unclog his ears, because there is nothing there to unclog. Maybe that is why people don't understand about the permanence of his hearing loss. They just assume that it will go away like most childhood hearing loss caused by a temporary illness. However, this is not the case here. So, then people ask about the cochlear implant. Even that is not a cure all. It can help, but it doesn't completely cure hearing loss.

I don't say these things to discourage people from asking questions about him and his development. I say this to bring awareness and understanding. His hearing aids serve the same purpose as glasses, only his kind of enhancer is for his ears and not his eyes. Yet, it isn't as socially acceptable. It's almost as people are afraid of the deaf and hearing impaired world. People fear what they don't understand, and that is why I want to do as much as I can to encourage awareness.

Nothing thrills me more than when people inquire about my son's blessing. Yes, it IS a blessing, and I embrace this gift that God has given to us and to him. Just like Job said in verse 2:10, "…Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" And, of course, as Paul said in Romans 8:28, "And we know that in all things, God works for the good for those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." I know that I absolutely grin from ear to ear as I explain to others his condition and how blessed we have all been by it. I am absolutely thrilled that God has picked my son to be "special" and to be his honored chosen one to do so much good. He chooses the "weak" among us, that is as the "world" sees them, to be so much more!!

I know there are people that do not understand how this is a blessing. I know that people have a hard time accepting differences and people with special needs. I was once one of them. However, the ones who can and do understand are those that share the same love for Christ as we do. They are the ones who see others like Christ sees us. They accept others for who they are and how God made them, just as God accepts us. God could have easily looked at each and every one of us and turned away. God could have just looked at us as the imperfect, sinful human beings that we are and say, "Well, you are not normal by my highest standards. You are not perfect, and cannot enter heaven. I want nothing more to do with you."

I praise the Lord because that is not what he did at all! Yes, we are sinners, and we do not deserve heaven. We are imperfect creatures, and there is not ONE of us who is righteous. There is only ONE who is perfect, and that is Jesus Christ. He didn't come to die for perfect people, who would have no need for salvation. He came, he lived, and he died for SINNERS! He died for the abnormal people of this world!

There are many people, including family, that may still be in denial about my son's condition, because they don't fully understand. Acceptance is difficult, but it is a CHOICE. I made my choice to accept the blessing God has given me. Otherwise, we would waste so much time wallowing in denial, and miss out on the growing process. He has hearing LOSS but he isn't totally deaf. Even if he was, I would have no lower expectations for him. He is SO SMART and I think that is also why many think that this is just a "phase" because he copes and compensates so well! He can read lips, and sign, and talk very well for a child of his impairment! The doctors themselves are amazed! That just goes to show that even though his hearing is limited, his possibilities are LIMITLESS! I know for sure, that with GOD there IS NO LIMITS! God can do anything with anybody, because ALL THINGS ARE POSSILBE THROUGH CHRIST! The only limits are the ones that we create ourselves.

So, with this being said, society is always going to be thinking of ways to improve ourselves. There is all sorts of plastic surgery, botox, and enhancers of every kind and the industry will continue to grow. This world is so obsessed with how things look on the outside. That doesn't change that we all are the same on the inside. We all have a mind, a heart, and a purpose. Those are the things we should be looking at, because those are the things that count; the things that GOD looks at. Those are the kinds of things we should be looking to self-improve, for they are the things that last. My son does NOT have to change his appearance or his situation just to "fit in." I am proud of how God made him and will not ask God to take back a blessing. I am not going to sit in denial and hope that his hearing abilities will suddenly be perfect, and that he will be "normal" in the eyes of everyone. God made him this way, and will give him full hearing capabilities if he decides that He wants to. However, I don't think He will. God knew what he was doing when He made my son, and I trust that whatever God does or doesn't do with his ears is the BEST solution! He is the way he is for a reason, and he doesn't need to change to meet the world standards. THE WORLD needs to change to meet GOD'S STANDARDS!!!!

There is a saying that states, 'You don't know what you have until it's gone.' So many times in life, that saying is all too true.

My uncle died while working underneath his car on October 25, 1993. The car was on ramps and car jacks and for some reason, God chose to take him home that day.

My uncle was so talented. He could play various instruments, such as the guitar and the piano, so beautifully. He could even play by ear and compose his own songs. I had always hoped that one day, I would hear my uncle's songs on the radio and hear his name mentioned as one of the best music artists in the world. In the eyes of my family and I, however, he was already the best music artist in the world. God had blessed him with so many gifts.

He also had the ability to make people laugh. He would often be able to cheer you up when you were down. He was very funny and very good at telling jokes and pulling tricks.

My Uncle was a good man who was dearly loved by so many people. He was a great guy; a guy that I barely knew.

Over the years since his tragic death, I have come to this realization. The guilt and the regret has been accumulating over time, and now, whenever I think of him, I think about all the times that might have been that never was. The distance between us was probably the main reason why I never saw him much. The only times I did see him was during the holidays or occasionally if my mom, brother, and I would stop in at his place to see him. I don't have very many memories of him, but the very few ones that I do have, I cherish deeply with all my heart.

My mom always used to tell my brother and me how much our Uncle loved us. He would ask about us and mom would tell him how we were doing. I know we meant a lot to him, especially because we were his only niece and nephew. He didn't have children, and more and more I realize why he cared for us so much and loved us like we were his own.

On October 25, 1999, six years after his death, I suddenly realized all of this. I had been listening to one of his songs that he had written. It was the first time I had heard his voice in a long time. For so long, I had avoided his music. I am not sure why. I don't think I really even realized it, but after listening to one song, I found out why. All the happy memories that I had and everything about him and what happened came back, and I cried. Then, I bawled. I had never cried so much for him before, not even at the funeral. Even when thinking about him occasionally, it didn't hit me as hard as it did at that single moment in time that night. I really felt empty, like I had lost so much when I lost him. Like the whole world lost so much when he left. I also cried because I was saddened by the fact that the world never got to hear his voice on the radio waves or in concerts around the world. All these feelings of loss, pain, anguish, and regret surfaced. He died when I was eleven years old. I had cried and missed him a lot, but not as much as I did at that moment. I can't believe it took me six years to finish my grieving process. Maybe it is because I felt like since I hadn't seen him much before, he had already been gone, and then, when he died, there wasn't much difference except that he was gone in a different way. I'm thankful that I did, finally, face the reality and fully grasp it. I now realize how much I really do miss him.

This whole story came to me as I was grieving for him. Since I like to write and can easily express my emotions, I felt that this was the best way to feel better and give my Uncle something back. When I was crying, I asked God to just love and comfort me and he did. I began to calm down after that and then I said, "Even though I can't see you, I know that you can see me." After saying that, I realized that he wasn't really gone, that he was still with me in spirit. All of this compelled and inspired me to write this and dedicate it in his memory.

Through my experience that night, I also realized something else. I was going through a sad time, and I acknowledged the fact that I needed God to help me and lift me up. I cried out to him, and he came near. It is so awesome to know that you have a friend that you can call on day or night. He is always there. He also, spoke to me. 'You don't always know what you have until it's gone,' was one of the first things that came to mind. Then, I began to think in depth. If my Uncle loved me so very much, how much more does Jesus love me? How much more would I cry on judgment day if I had not accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and received eternal life in Him? How much more regret would I have if my name was not in the book of life and I had to be tormented in hell for ALL eternity? How much MORE?

When God revealed all of this to me, I was just in awe of Him, His power, and His mercy. Then, I felt God tell me to write all of this down. At first, I was reluctant. It was already 10:00 p.m. and I was very tired. However, I got up out of bed knowing I had to be obedient to God. He wanted me to write for a purpose, so I picked up my notebook and pencil and let God give me the words. I did not want it to be something else I might regret. I also did not want to put it off because of tiredness and thinking that maybe I was just imagining things and didn't really need to write this. I also knew that if I didn't write at that moment, I would lose all my inspiration, emotion, and conviction if I waited. I might not have even done it at all if I had procrastinated.

I think God wants us to realize that we shouldn't take anyone or anything for granted. You never know when it's going to be taken away from you. Also, He wants us to know that he loved us so much that he died for us. What if Jesus had hesitated? What if he had decided not to go to the cross and die for our sins? Fortunately, we don't have to worry, because he did. He took our sins away and has no regrets. God doesn't want us to have regrets either. He doesn't want us to regret that we didn't realize what we could have had in Him until it was gone.

Sunday, October 1, 2006

Not Another Football Movie!

By Melissa 

Most girls roll their eyes at the idea of sports, and I am no exception. I’m not like my husband, or the countless other men in the world, who have to know the outcome and score of every sporting event under the sun. Sure, I do have a limited interest in sports, but they aren’t a high priority to me.

Maybe that’s why, when I see a trailer for a new football movie, it doesn’t thrill me much. I don’t get all pumped up to see another version of the same movie I’ve seen before. Maybe guys have a different perspective, but to me, they are all the same. In every sports movie, you have a team that goes from being an “underdog” to a “top dog.” They overcome whatever obstacle seems to be facing them, and end up winning “the big game,” whatever that may be.

With that being said, I braced myself for another movie rerun when I learned of a new movie entitled, “Facing the Giants.“ However, I was slightly more open minded when I read about the story line. Not only was it a clean, wholesome , PG rated movie, it also presented a side of sports that most ignore. This movie had an emphasis on more than just winning and winning until you become the champs. This movie description also talked about the victories BEYOND those on the field!

When I also learned that the people who made this movie were also makers of the movie “Flywheel,” I knew it had to be good! (I don’t know how many people, who are reading this, have seen “Flywheel,” but that is another good movie worth watching, if you haven’t already done so). So, even though I don’t normally go for sports themed movies, I decided that this one would be worth it. I was eager to see if this movie would be any different than most “glory stories.”

Quite to my surprise, and delight, I was surprisingly stunned, and blessed, by this movie. Not only was it radically different and superior to any sports movie I had ever seen, but it was so profoundly true!! EVERYONE should see this movie, because it relates to absolutely everyone!

I don’t want to give too much away, but if EVER there was an absolute must see, this is IT! Hardly anything in the entertainment world is worth seeing anymore, but this truly is a gem. I doubt the media will give it the praise it deserves, so I WILL. My kudos goes to the ones who made such a brilliant and touching film!

So, is anyone on the edge of their seat yet? You sure will be when you go see this! I’m not hyping this up either, it REALLY IS THAT GOOD!!! So, I’ll elaborate a little more on it.

The Eagles are having a rough start to the football season. The coach is frustrated and frazzled. He’s been at the school six years and hasn’t managed to do much with the team. He just can’t get a solid winning season, and behind the scenes, there is talk of firing him.

As if having his job on the line isn’t bad enough, he’s also having other problems. The coach and his wife are struggling with every possible thing breaking down in their house and their old beater of a vehicle has nearly broken down on them for good. And, to top it all off, they are having trouble starting a family.

The coach is at his wits end, and he doesn’t know what to do. So, with a lot of prayer, and some advice from an old friend, he embarks on a new game strategy that will not only transform the football team, but the attitudes and lives of everyone!

It’s almost impossible for me to elaborate on this movie without giving away all the surprises and blessings that it holds. So, let’s just say that this movie isn’t always predictable. There are many wonderful twists in the journey, which will leave you laughing, cheering, and maybe even tearing up.

God truly had his hand in the making of this movie. It is absolutely PHENOMENAL! That may sound like an exaggeration, but this is one movie you HAVE to see for yourself. I was absolutely captivated and riveted by this movie, and I’m so EAGER to see it again! The life lessons in here go “beyond football” as one character in the movie put it.

You sure can tell when God has blessed something, because this isn’t your typical Hollywood movie. I’m so thankful for that, because we need MORE movies like this. “Facing the Giants,” is genuine, exciting, compelling, and even funny, all without foul language or crude references.

This is one hundred percent positive and engaging. The discipline and determination that the coach instills in the players will spill out of the screen and into the audience as they watch the shift from “getting the glory for self” to “GIVING the glory to GOD.” This movie truly shows how God is in EVERYTHING, even FOOTBALL, and with him, all things are possible….on and off the field!!

I’m not trying to be a movie critic or push this review out there for any personal reason, or benefit. I just simply went to see a movie, and came away feeling empowered and awed. When something makes you feel that great, you want to share it with somebody, and I felt led to share it with anyone who wants to hear it.

This movie isn’t the type that blindly entertains and has no point or plot. “Facing the Giants,” has a plot and a purpose. It has substance and character and it’s truly a pleasure to enjoy.

If you REALLY want to “see what’s playing,” you got to watch the Eagles play in, “Facing the Giants.” See how this unstoppable game strategy constitutes a winning game plan! Watch the miracles and blessings unfold as the people learn how to defeat the “giants” in their lives, both on and off the field, and learn what TRUE VICTORY IS!!!