DAILY DOSE OF HOPE – BLOG – NAIMA LETT
Hit the Easy Button
© NaimaLett.com/blog

Wouldn’t life be grand…
if we could hit the EASY button every time things got difficult, just like the Staples’ commercial?

Financial problems? Hit the EASY button.
Relationship woes? Hit the EASY button.
Health issues? EASY button.

Wouldn’t that be ideal?
But on the real, is there an EASY button for life’s adventures?

Yesterday at HOPE, I continued our Don’t Give Up series with the message, “Why Aren’t Things Easier?” In my preparation, I explored the bible, looking for an answer to that specific question:

Why isn’t life easy?

Things are easy in the Garden of Eden in the very first 2 chapters of the bible – Genesis 1 – 2. But by Chapter 3, we are tempted, we sin, and it’s all downhill from there. No more easy.

No more walking through paradise, in perfect and healthy bodies with no varicose veins, naked and unashamed, eating whatever we like, whenever we like, in perfect communion with God and each other. Now we have to work to eat and that’s by sweat and toil.

Genesis 3:17-19 says, “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken…”

Long story short, the first family falls apart. Brother murders brother. Sin abounds for generations. Things are hard. We need help. Jesus comes. Jesus saves. Jesus ascends. Jesus sends the Holy Spirit as our Helper until He returns. In the meanwhile, we are commissioned to make disciples – loving people as God loves them, living life as Christ taught us to live.

Nowhere do the scriptures tell us that life is supposed to be easy. If anything, we see examples of people, even our Messiah, who persevere through hardship, even to death, and still keep the faith. We see people who decide to rejoice when their faith is tested because they learn to endure as they mature. (James 1:2-4). We see people who grow up as they get through each challenge.

What about us?

Are we growing through our difficulties?
Are we maturing as we make it through each circumstance?

Making it in Hollywood, and anywhere else for that matter, is NOT easy. But each job along the way is worth it, right? The friendships and relationships are wonderful, yes?!

Making relationships work is NOT easy. But living life each day with someone you love is fulfilling, right? Relentless love is worth fighting for, period.

Having children, raising children, serving in ministry, starting a business, running someone else’s business, excelling in school, all of these things are NOT easy. But can we imagine life without them? Nothing in life worth doing is going to be easy, so we might as well embrace the adventures and rejoice along the journey.

The next time that we see easy in the bible is Revelation 21:1-4, the second to last chapter of the whole shebang. There is a new heaven and new earth, a recreation of Eden (so to speak), where there is no more death, mourning, crying and pain. Bring on the easy! Be encouraged, Fam. Easy is a’coming!

Until then, we endure. We mature.
We grow up. We enjoy life.

So, go ahead. Give yourself a pat on the back. You may not have an EASY button,
but you’re looking mighty grown and accomplished these days.

Keep your head up,
Naima

Have you had to endure lately? Are you growing?
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Dark Knight Rises
Friday, August 17, 2012
© NaimaLett.com/blog

© Warner Brothers

Finally saw The Dark Knight Rises, the final installment of director Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy.

I won’t give away any specific details, just in case you waited to see the film, like I did. I was still processing the horrible shooting in Aurora; so it took me a minute. But the film is all that the critics and fans said it would be: an all-out epic conclusion to this Warner Brothers reboot. It’s 3 hours of power-packed, non-stop engagement.

A fascinating article by Jewish blogger Arie Hasit in the Haaretz Newspaper in Israel caught my attention, ‘Finding messiah in ‘The Dark Knight Rises’. Arie’s tagline for the article is “The Jewish people have a responsibility not to wait for the messiah, but to do our part to improve our society.”

Arie submits that many of his peers see a clear Jewish message in the film and that Batman represents a savior to all people. He argues that society faces a problem today in that ‘people are waiting for a messiah to come and solve the world’s problems for them’ when in actuality, all citizens should take part in maintaining society. He concludes that Bruce Wayne/Batman wants people to believe that anyone can be Batman. Therefore, if any of us can be Batman, any of us can be the messiah.

While I can respect Arie as my Jewish brother, we obviously have two totally different worldviews. I am quite aware that I am nobody’s messiah. I can’t even save myself, much less anybody else. I cannot take away anybody’s sins and I certainly can’t ensure eternal life with God. I can point people to the One who is the Messiah, which is not me, no matter how much I could want to think it. And while I agree that every person should indeed do what we can to improve our society, I also believe that our ‘doing good’ doesn’t make us the messiah.

When the prophet Isaiah wrote in Isaiah 53:12, he said that the messiah would be one who: poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

The messiah, the savior of all people, is the one who pours out his life unto death to bear our sins and make intercession for our transgressions. I believe that messiah is Jesus, the Son of God, the One Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross. Philippians 2.

Some folks are still looking for the messiah.
Some, like Arie, say we should stop waiting on the messiah and get to work being the messiah.
I believe the messiah is Jesus, and I thank God that He did something I couldn’t do – sacrificed His perfect life in place of my sinful one, so that I could be reconciled back to God.

You’ll have to see The Dark Knight Rises for yourself to see if you catch any savior-like messages. Of course, when Christopher Nolan and his brother wrote and directed it, they weren’t drawing conclusions to messiahs, etc. We do all that afterwards. Probably because deep down, we want a messiah. We want to believe that good will win over evil and that there is someone who can save us.

I’ve found Him.
And I pray that you will too,
Naima

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DAILY DOSE OF HOPE – BLOG – NAIMA LETT
Only in LaLa Land
© NaimaLett.com/blog

Hollywood & Highland © LATimes source

Only in the LaLa!

Remember a couple of days ago, when we talked about finding ways to cool off during these hot summer days while everything else is On the Rise: Heat, Gas & Politics.

Running through sprinklers was the best suggestion.
Well, our LA fam know how to do sprinklers!

The LA Times posted a picture from their archives of two sisters, Cassy and Darcy, cooling off in the fountains at Hollywood and Highland, not far from the Walk of Fame.

Only in LaLa Land will we find a way to turn sprinklers into an all out show! Love it!

What about you?
Is there a way to turn your “mundane” into something creative?

We serve such an amazingly creative God! David wrote in Psalm 24 that
The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
for he founded it on the seas
and established it on the waters.

That incredible God who formed the world is our heavenly Father. Let’s follow in His creative footsteps today. Let’s see if we can turn running through sprinklers into our own little Cirque du Soleil!

Create your own little LaLa Land right where you are!
Naima

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DAILY DOSE OF HOPE – BLOG – NAIMA LETT
WORLD VISION
© NaimaLett.com/blog

© Associated Press source

What do we see… when we look out at the world?

Wonderful diversity?
Unlimited places to travel?
Us against them?

Vision is so unique and extraordinarily peculiar.

When I saw all the countries’ flags in the final Olympic parade of nations, I was so moved. I constantly pray for God’s vision of this world that He created. Seeing the nations represented, side by side, in peace, was so beautiful – a picture of things to come.

And the Shakespearean Hamlet quote illuminated from the ground beneath was quite the punctuation: “To be or not to be – That is the question.”

It’s hard to believe that particular quote ended up in that exact space by happenstance. There’s a lot of planning and design elements that take place over several years to bring the closing ceremony together. By accident or not, isn’t that a great question to pose symbolically next to all our nations?

To Be or Not To Be…

Will we find ways to come together, between Olympic games, and see one another as human beings, created in the image of God, each with divine purpose and destiny and a right to life?

Can we see our brothers and sisters around the globe as just that – brothers and sisters?

Is it possible, in our own country, created as a nation for people from all over the world, that we can learn to love and appreciate and embrace our diversity, not hate one another because of it?

I have been continually disappointed by the racism exposed in the hearts of our brothers and sisters, particularly when we say we serve the same Lord. Then I am reminded that, at our core, we are sinners, and we desperately need God’s intervention to give us new hearts and renewed minds and new vision.

World Vision

Today, can we pray for each other? That our God, the Creator of the ends of the earth, our heavenly Father, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, will remove the scales from our eyes and give us His vision of His world?

Can we pray that the One who made the heavens and the earth will enable us to see people as He sees them and love people as He loves them?

Can we catch John’s heavenly vision from Revelation 7:9-17 of the “…great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:“Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying:“Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!”

How can we plan to worship side by side in eternity – every nation, tribe, people and language – if we cannot love one another here on earth? If we hate people of color now, we will despise heaven, which is the most colorful place in existence. Not only are there all types of people, it sounds like there’s all types of creatures too. Are we ready for what we might see when we go through those immaculate pearly gates? LOL!

But seriously, let’s expand our vision today, Fam.
Let’s shed our myopic lens created by our sinful and limited experiences.
If we’ve hurt others, let’s apologize. If we’ve been hurt by others, let’s dialogue. Let’s all move towards reconciliation.

Let’s skip 3-D and ask for God-D.

Lord, please give us, your children, your vision of your world,
Your daughter,
Naima

What’s your vision like today?
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DAILY DOSE OF HOPE – BLOG – NAIMA LETT
On the Rise: Heat, Gas & Politics
© NaimaLett.com/blog

photo source, CA gas prices have skyrocketed.

On the rise…
It’ll be 91 degrees today in LaLa Land… over 100 in the Valley.
Gas prices have jumped over $5/gallon, after a CA refinery fire.
And the political pot that we call a presidential race is boiling over.

The summer months are notoriously known for pushing people over the edge, but Fam, let’s see if we can, at least, make it to Labor Day without blowing a gasket.

If you happen to find yourself on edge – weather, finances, relationship strain, political wars, or maybe folks are just getting on your nerves – take a time out. Take a breather.

It’s just way too hot to act a fool.

Sunday morning, my husband and I found ourselves arguing about batteries before service. Thankfully, we pulled it together, after realizing we weren’t actually arguing about batteries, LOL; but I wish I had stopped and reviewed this wisdom proverb beforehand:

Proverbs 15:1
A gentle answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Let’s choose to go with the gentle response today that defuses anger instead of the tongue lashing that feeds the fire.

Why? Because chances are things really aren’t as bad as they seem.

Let’s be honest. Many times, situations seem more intense because it’s hot outside or we just paid $50-80 to fill up our gas tanks. We’re mad at the economy, not the idiot who cut us off in traffic (though he was very insensitive). We’re disgusted that our politicians are at war and throwing jabs like housewives on a reality show. But we can’t really yell at them, so instead we look at commentators yelling at them.

Enough.

At least for today, let’s try gentle answers.
For our politicians, let’s pray.
With gas prices, let’s trust God’s provision. Remember when we thought $2.50 was high?

With the heat, I found this list of How To Cool Yourself Down on a Hot Day.
The suggestion I like the most is run through the sprinklers!
So, find a sprinkler to run through or a pool to jump in.
And if that doesn’t work, find some ice cream. :=)

Take it easy today,
Naima

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DAILY DOSE OF HOPE – BLOG – NAIMA LETT
ONWARD & UPWARD
© NaimaLett.com/blog

Olympic closing ceremony, source

The Olympics went out with a bang.
Literally. Fireworks lit up the sky.

204 countries represented in the final parade of nations.
80,000 fans packed Olympic stadium.
300 million more are estimated to have watched the closing on TV.

These games did not disappoint.

And I was fully engaged:
– swimming with Michael Phelps to win the most medals in Olympic history,
– flying with Gabby Douglas into the gymnastic history books, and
– dashing with Usain Bolt, Allyson Felix and all the track and field stars!

I watched everything from marathons, gymnastics and swimming to volleyball, basketball and mountain biking (which interrupted the rhythmic gymnastics competition – ummm, yeah).

There’s something about seeing the world’s best athletes compete at the highest level, having trained for years, giving it their all.

Well, it’s onward and upward from here.

Some are going out on top – retiring with medals and endorsement deals.
Some, return home without a medal, but with the forever distinction of being an Olympian.
Others will jump back into training and prepare for Rio in 4 years.

Onward and upward.

Yesterday, I preached Part II of “Don’t Give Up”. The author of the letter to the Hebrews 12:1-3, encouraged believers:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

We are encouraged to run our race of faith with the same perseverance that Jesus endured the cross, focusing on Him in the same way that He focused on the joy He would experience when He sat back down in glory.

Onward and upward for us too!

Be encouraged.

Whether you medal this week or not, book that acting gig or not, get that promotion or not, keep your head up. We have a pioneer and perfector of our faith who paved a sure path for us to follow… one that leads to a pretty magnificent place. No offense, but Olympic Village has nothing on heaven… Just saying.

Onward & upward,
Naima

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DAILY DOSE OF HOPE – BLOG – NAIMA LETT
Finish Your Race, Even On Broken Leg!
© NaimaLett.com/blog

VIDEO Wish NBC would allow us to embed these videos! Click PIC above or link.

I cried.
Yep. I sure did.

Not at USA’s Ashton Eaton’s winning the decathlon, though amazing.
Not at USA’s women’s soccer team taking gold, though exciting.
Not at Usain Bolt’s declaration of his ‘legend’ status, though expected.

But I cried when I learned what USA sprinter & first-time Olympian from Moorseboro, NC, Manteo Mitchell kept saying to himself when he broke his leg running the 4×400 Olympic relay yesterday and continued sprinting in excruciating pain to finish his part of the race:

“Faith, focus, finish. Faith, focus, finish,” he said. “That’s the only thing I could say to myself.”

Faith.
Focus.
Finish.
I still feel it now.

Fam, isn’t this an incredible picture of our run with the Lord? Does He ask anything more of us but to have faith in Him, focus on what He’s asking us to do each day and finish our race?

In Paul’s last letter to his ‘son’ in the ministry, Timothy, Paul is imprisoned and knows his execution is near. Yet Paul says that he finishes his race.

2 Timothy 4:6-8
For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near.
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day — and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Nothing that I have yet faced is as difficult as Paul being imprisoned and executed for his faith. If he can fight the good fight, finish his race and keep his faith, can I not do the same?

If Manteo Mitchell can break his leg while running and keep on running in unimaginable pain to finish his race, can we not do the same?

What’s your broken leg?
Broken finances?
Broken dreams?
Broken relationships?

What is it?

Come on, Fam, if we’ve got to hobble across our finish line, let’s finish our race!

We’ve got other people depending on us. Manteo had 3 other guys with Olympic dreams who had worked night and day to get to London and they were waiting on him to pass the baton. He was just the first leg. And those 3 other guys, who had no idea Manteo’s leg was broken, ran like somebody was chasing them to cross the finish line 2nd in their qualifying heat. Do you think I won’t be cheering and hollering at them all the way to their finish line tonight?!

They will win, regardless of the medal line up, because Manteo did something that has spoken volumes into all of our lives. He didn’t quit.

Even with a broken leg, he finished his race.
Fam, broke leg and all, let’s commit to finishing today.

Let’s commit to leaving nothing undone that we’re here to do.
Let’s determine we will not give up, give in or fall out.
We will fight the good fight. We will finish the race. We will keep the faith.

Anybody with me?
Naima

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DAILY DOSE OF HOPE – BLOG – NAIMA LETT
DON’T GIVE UP!
© NaimaLett.com/blog

Actor and Activist April Hernandez Castillo shares her story.

Don’t Give Up!

In response to yesterday’s blog Lolo’s Lesson Learned, my beautiful friend, SAG Award nominated actress, motivational speaker and activist April Hernandez Castillo (Freedom Writers, Dexter, Person of Interest) posted a reply about her own lesson learned in life to never give up. Her refreshing transparency is something that I love about April. She freely shares her life and faith.

April has a truly amazing story of survival and overcoming, and I can’t wait for her book so you can hear it. We’ll invite her on for a guest blog in the future, but today you can get a taste in her vlog for mamalatinas.com called “April’s Adventures in Mamihood”.

In the video above, April, who is from the Bronx, is on the road in Denver. She vlogs (video-blogs) from her hotel room before she speaks at the National Coalition of Domestic Violence Conference.

“I never gave up. I never stopped believing…even when I felt alone…” April recalls.

April encapsulates that Olympic spirit that we’ve seen in our athletes all week. She has Serena’s strength and Venus’ finesse. She applies Gabby’s flexibility to life. Like Lolo, she’s fought back from incredible odds to carve out a place for her voice. And like Allyson Felix, who finally won gold yesterday after taking silver in 2004 and 2008, April has never given up.

Last Sunday, I preached this message of “Don’t Give Up!” recounting how Jesus encouraged his followers to be persistent. After Jesus teaches them how to pray, He says keep praying: asking, seeking and knocking. Don’t give up!

LUKE 11:5-10
Then He (Jesus) said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs. “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened…

Persistence, Fam.

Our prayers require persistence.
Our faith requires persistence.
Our lives require persistence.

Ask and keep on asking.
Seek and keep on seeking.
Knock and keep on knocking.

Be encouraged today by April’s story, by our Olympic athletes, and especially by Jesus’ instructions. After all, if God says be persistent, we probably should not give up!

Tell a friend today, “Quitting is not an option!”
Naima

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DAILY DOSE OF HOPE – BLOG – NAIMA LETT
LOLO’S LESSON LEARNED
© NaimaLett.com/blog

Lolo Jones © The Today Show

Lesson Learned

“…I think there’s lessons to be learned when you win and lessons to be learned when you lose,” a tearful Lolo Jones summarizes on The Today Show this morning.

Four years after knocking over the last hurdle that cost her a medal in Beijing, Lolo finishes fourth and misses the Olympic podium yet again in the 100m hurdles. I briefly shared highlights of Lolo’s hard knock story in my blogs What a Second Chance! and Celebrity, Virginity and Celibacy.

To make matters worse, she also has to deal with negative media backlash from her very visible spotlight leading up to the Olympics.

Lolo responds “They (media) should be supporting our U.S. Olympic athletes and instead they just ripped me to shreds. I just thought that was crazy because I worked six days a week, every day, for four years for a 12-second race and the fact that they just tore me apart, it was just heartbreaking.”

In defense of being accused of only caring about “image”, Lolo insists, “I am the American record holder indoors, I have two world indoor titles. Just because I don’t boast about these things, I don’t think I should be ripped apart by media. I laid it out there, fought hard for my country and it’s just a shame that I have to deal with so much backlash when I’m already so brokenhearted as it is.”

She refers to her broken heart several times, including a prayer following the race. She tweets, “In room singing Desert Song by Hillsong. It’s on repeat. Lord Jesus, please comfort me , guide me & heal my broken heart.”

Can you relate?
Haven’t we all been there?
Worked night and day on something that didn’t turn out the way we wanted?
It’s devastating.

Lolo says the lesson to be learned is that even though putting herself out in the media drew negativity, if just one little girl is inspired by all she fought through to become an Olympian, it’s worth it.

But I actually think the lesson that we learn from Lolo is how to respond to disappointment. She works 6 days a week for 8 years (not just 4 years) for a 12-second race and she loses – twice. Yet, she gets up the next morning, heart busted, and still does her interviews.

How many athletes want to talk about their loss over and over again the next day? Most want to curl up in a ball and disappear.

Lolo prays, then gets up this morning, and still moves forward forward, broken heart and all.

Let us learn from her example.

When King David goes through a rough patch, he writes the following song.

PSALM 31
(Excerpt)
9 Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress;
my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief.
10 My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning;
my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak…

14 But I trust in you, Lord; I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies…
16 Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love…

23 Love the Lord, all his faithful people!
The Lord preserves those who are true to him, but the proud he pays back in full.
24 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.

Be Strong & Take Heart

Today, I pray for Lolo. That she will be strong and take heart and hope in the Lord.
It’s incredibly disappointing to lose, and it’ll take some time to process, but she’s still got a future.

I pray for you as well – be strong and take heart. Hope in the Lord.
Whatever obstacle you’re facing, pray about it, then get up and face the day.

Facing the day in LA :=)
Naima

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DAILY DOSE OF HOPE – BLOG – NAIMA LETT
Sometimes, It’s Just Good To Laugh
© NaimaLett.com/blog

© Focus Features Paranorman “Nailed It”

Sometimes, it’s just good to laugh.

Proverbs 15:13 (Message) says:
A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face;
a sad heart makes it hard to get through the day.

This 30-second commercial brought a smile to my face during the Olympics, and I thought I’d share it with you.

I’m not into scary movies and/or films about zombies, ghosts and people speaking to the dead, especially directed at our children. Yet, this Olympic parody from Focus Feature’s 3D animated film Paranorman made me chuckle.

Take 30 seconds and cheer your heart today.
If this doesn’t do it, find something that does.

The proverb is true.

A sad heart does make it extremely difficult to get through the day. If your day has started on a down note, turn it around. Many times, we can choose to flip the script and look at our situations just slightly different, resulting in joy instead of sorrow.

Now, if you are facing an unbearable hurt, my heart breaks for you. Some seasons are like that. Hang in there. Lean into the Lord. Leeeaaaannnn! He is so able to carry you.

But if you are just dealing with the normal ebbs and flows of life and ended up this morning with a down instead of an up, switch that thing up.

It’s your choice!
Find a reason to smile today, to laugh, to enjoy the life we’ve been given.

Lots of love from the LaLa,
Naima

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