Light, Love, Hope

Light in the Darkness Surrounded by Love with Hope for those in need.

Different Strokes For Different Folks

Sitting in my office scrolling mindlessly through Facebook, my phone begin to ring as I held it in my hand.

“We need to schedule further testing.”

~heavy sigh~

No one wants to hear that, but instead of sticking my head in the sand I went forward with scheduling appointments.

As I tried to go about my day, I reached out to a select few individuals for support.  I encountered different reactions for sure, and it made me think of the saying I heard long ago of “different strokes for different folks.”

The first individual I reached out to said right away that they would pray for me, and I believe it with my whole heart that they have and will continue to do so.  The second individual didn’t take it so well and begin to “freak out” over the situation and question, expecting me to say something more or different than I had previously.  Yet, the answer would remain the same.  The third individual was no support whatsoever as they found every negative to grasp ahold onto in our limited five minute conversation before I found a reason real fast to hang up.  I felt worse after reaching out to this person than I had before placing the phone call.  Another individual reassured me that I can always count on them, while the final person I chose to engage quite literally laid their hands on me and begin to pray for healing.

We all have different ways in which we deal with things that come at us.  In my situation, I chose right away to go in for more bloodwork and the ultrasound the doctor recommended.  Others in my own family would have chosen to take a few days to “roll this around” as they thought on it before actually going in for additional testing.  When I was told that the scheduler wouldn’t be in until tomorrow, I asked if I could schedule my own ultrasound.  When advised that I could, I took the bull by the horns and will be seen this afternoon.

There’s no guidebook that tells you how to navigate the waters in life.  You just do the best you can, and I imagine each of these individuals feel they handled it to the best of their ability.  I appreciate each one for they have shown me who they are and how I can count on them in various different ways.  For the one that chose to immediately encourage me with knowledge that they would pray for me, my heart thanks them completely because I know that ALL things are possible with and through God.   For the person that had a “freak out” moment, I know that I have to be selective about what I tell them in moments when I’m feeling fragile so that I do not “freak out” even more so myself due to their energy.  For the individual that piled every negative and felt it their job to shovel doom and gloom on top of my head, they have taught me never to reach out to them again for support because encouragement is foreign to them.  And for the precious individual that laid hands on me and began to pray, I cried … there was no holding back those tears at that particular moment in time.   All that I had been holding back the entire day came like a flood past the gates or like a river bursting through the dam, as the tears spilled down my cheeks.

Let this be a lesson to choose wisely who you turn to for support and encouragement.  And follow the believers who will take it to the Lord in prayer each and every time.  When we feel hopeless and not in control of anything in this life, we can take it to the One that controls everything.

I may not know what tomorrow holds, but I know Who holds tomorrow.

 

Church People

This movie was an interesting one, for sure.  It began with a very successful youth pastor capturing his audience and delivering messages of scripture from the Word of God.  Touring all over the country, he became very much a positive influence to anyone that would take the time to listen.

During one sermon, someone threw him a beach ball on stage asking for him to sign it.  He wasn’t sure what that was about but signed it anyway and threw it back into the audience. The crowd absolutely loved this so much, and upon seeing this, the marketing manager decided this would be a new promotional tool to gain further success.  However, as it turned out, the beach ball ended up becoming a huge distraction from the actual sermon!

The main preacher started to become more and more successful with his audience and with his antics, even wearing a superhero outfit.  All of these things began to distract even more from the actual Word of God!   Sadly, because the youth pastor was not in agreement to this new marketing plan, he was asked to leave and subsequently got laid off.  As you can imagine, the frustration mounted with this outcome.

We won’t spoil the movie for you, and it DOES get better … so we encourage you, instead, to watch Church People!  The outcome was amazing!

 

#ChurchPeopleFilm #ChurchPeopleMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork

 

Disclosure: Many thanks to Collide Distribution for providing this product/product information for review. Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

 

 

 

Dolphin Island

Oh, how I love movies like Dolphin Island!

This movie takes place in paradise on a tropical island!   It all begins with Annabel, a 14-year-old girl, and Mitzy, the dolphin.  As you can imagine, I was immediately drawn in as this movie setting reminded me of the times my family and I visited the Bahamas and swam with the dolphins!

Annabel came to live with her fisherman grandfather after tragedy struck and took her parents away.  Her grandfather cares very deeply for her and has provided for her the best he can, even retiring to ensure he is there for her whatever the need.  She is living what seems like the best life, when a shady lawyer is sent to rock their world.  It isn’t long before a social worker pays a visit to their fishing boat, and looks down her nose at their living conditions and their surroundings.  Later, this very same social worker would become one that turns the case completely around.  Ah, but I will not spoil the surprise for you!  Just know that it truly matters who your friends are.  ~wink~

Annabel’s ailing maternal grandparents seek custody of her, as her grandmother’s mental state is declining.  The maternal grandfather seeks to have a relationship with Annabel since things were so strained with her mother before her passing.  Uprooting Annabel isn’t right, and it causes great heartache and pain for her.  When the transition was to take place, Annabel runs away, taking the helm of the ship herself.  Trouble awaits, and soon things take a drastic turn.  Luckily, Mitzy, the dolphin is able to point them in the right direction to save Annabel’s life.

This movie is about overcoming challenges, strong family ties, devoted friends, and unwavering faith … and it is available for you and your family to watch!  Dolphin Island will not disappoint!

#DolphinIslandMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork

 

Disclosure: Many thanks to Entertainment Squad for providing this product/product information for review. Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

shirley

Light, Love, Hope

Shirley is the proud mother of two beautiful young ladies. She enjoys spending time with them on their ranch in the deep South with their three paint horses. Always looking for an adventure, she looks forward to hikes in the mountains chasing waterfalls, or scouring the coast for beautiful lighthouses! Shirley writes to encourage others and often times shares things that motivate and inspire her. She believes in living life to the fullest because no one is promised the gift of another day. Join her as we honor our bodies, minds, hearts, souls, and our Almighty Creator, God above!