Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Is God Really All You Want?


Song Title: All I Want Is You
What do you want? Admit it. You probably want something. You probably want things to happen? You probably want to do certain things. What if all that you wanted was the Lord? What if all of your desires faded except for one, the desire for the Lord? The longing to be God's child?
Want can be a dangerous thing. It consumes some people. The want for more money, fame, success often take over people. Want can destroy people and pull you away from God. You know how the tenth commandment starts "Thou Shalt Not Covet..." Coveting is yearning to have something of someone elses. It's all about want.
But, wanting or desiring is not a sin. It helps to motivate people. It gets you to work toward something. But if it goes too far then it will get in between you and God like just about anything else.
Why not focus your want on the Lord, especially if other desires are getting in the way of you and God? The desire to want God can never go too far. This is the hope that the Planetshakers want for themselves and us too when they sing "All I Want Is You".
It seems almost impossible to only want God, but as the Lord's children maybe we should have that desire. It's a big challenge. One way of putting it would be having the desire to desire only God. We can pray for that God put on our hearts to want only Him even if we might not get there until we're in heaven.
It's comforting to know that God wants us to desire Him and doesn't mind that we release the other desires we hold on to. It can take away pressures that the world puts on us. It can help us cope by simplifying our desires. It releases us from the bondage of stuff. It's a freedom from want of anything the world has to offer.
Pray that God release you from those desires that get in between you and Him. Pray that God help you to want to want what God wants for you. Pray that all your earthly desires fade as your desire for Jesus grows.
P.S. Planetshakers is a Christian youth movement that began as an annual conference and grew into an international ministry and large church in Melbourne, Australia. The conference was born out of Paradise Community Church in Adelaide, South Australia by Pastor Russell Evans. Planetshakers expanded, and in 2004 moved to Melbourne to begin a church ministry (originally called Melbourne City Church). Planetshakers also has its own Bible College which is located in several campuses throughout Australia. Planetshakers' stated mission is to "empower a generation to win a generation". Oh, and they also support a music group that goes by the same name.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

All I Want Is Everything, Am I Asking Too Much?


Song Title: Give Until There's Nothing Left
Artist: Relient K
When I was younger my parents often held back one special Christmas present for each child and gave it to us later in the day. One year, when I was a young teen, my parents pulled out a large wrapped cardboard box with no distinguishing marks. Inside to my amazement was a ceramic Darth Vader Clock, but it wasn't just a clock. This was a custom specially designed, multi-purpose information center. My mother had asked the person selling this wonder to throw in as much technical gadgets as possible. The back of this thing had all kinds of buttons and knobs, each with its own function. It was a clock, alarm, stop watch, thermometer, it lit up, made noises, and a bunch of other things I never did figure out. I was awestruck by it and will never forget it. Now that was a gift! What are some memorable gifts that you received? Did you ever get a really special gift? Something extraordinary? Have you ever thought about the gifts that God gives us as being extraordinary, as precious, and really special? He gave us His son. He gave us the Holy Spirit. He gives us hope and a purpose. He's giving us a place in His kingdom. He loves us beyond our comprehension. How should we return the favor?
The feeling I had getting that great gift all those years ago pales in comparison to the feeling I get when someone receives a gift that they really like from me. Have you ever had this happen to you? When?
Maybe I'm a little different from most people. I remember a few years ago when we were in a Bible study and we took a self assessment of what our love language was. The speaker asked us to raise our hands for each of the five love languages. As each language was mentioned: acts of service, words of affirmation, quality time, physical touch; hands shot up in the crowd. When we got to Receiving Gifts only one hand was raised, mine. I was a little embarrassed. That is me, though. Picking out the right gift and receiving a special gift have always meant a lot to me. Maybe that's why I notice all of the special gifts given in the Bible. How many can you come up with? There are enough of them that it does seem like gifts are important to God.
While you're in the Bible find some passages where God tells us how much we should give to Him. How much we should give to others. Go ahead and do some research. Use a concordance or the Internet. After that, think of what Relient K means by giving until there is nothing left. We often call this sacrificial giving. Giving so much that it hurts. It affects you. It changes you. The Old Testament calls us to tithe our ten percent and has some other guidelines for giving, but is that all we are to give? What does the New Testament say? Here's a story that might give you an idea of what the New Testament says about how much to give in Mark 12:41-44, The Widow’s Mite.
And Jesus sat down opposite the treasury, and began observing how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.”
God wants it all. He wants all of you and all that you have. But what does He want us to give to each other? What does He want us to share? Look in Matthew 25:31-40, the Sheep and the Goats.
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
So, if we do things for each other in the name of the Lord, it is as if we are doing it for the Lord! What have you done for Christ? Have you ever given sacrificially for God? When? What do you have to offer the Lord? Can you give it all over to Him? He will take it all. He wants it all. Is He asking too much from you? Are you holding something back? Pray that God release you from your desires to all things, but Him, and remember He does want it all.
Make a list of offerings you can make for the Lord. Make a list of gifts you can give to others. Try to think sacrificially. Try to think of the special gifts, the precious and extraordinary offerings that you can make to the Lord.
P.S. This is probably the first and last time that you'll see a Def Leppard song as the title of one of these blogs.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

My Bye Bye to I


Song Title: So Long Self
Artist: Mercy Me
Have you ever heard of a Dear John Letter? In short it's a letter someone writes to break up with someone that they've been dating. It's not too nice of a thing to do to someone. People often use them to avoid having a face to face conversation. It's pretty cold.
In So Long Self, Mercy Me writes a Dear John letter to themselves. Why do you think they are being so hard on themselves? Shouldn't we care about ourselves? Doesn't God want us to care about ourselves? Shouldn't we love ourselves?
Here is a little trivia question. What do the following verses have in common? Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 19:19, Matthew 22:39, Mark 12:31, Luke 10:27, Romans 13:9, Galatians 5:14, and James 2:8. I'll give you a hint. In Matthew 22:39 Jesus said it is the second greatest commandment, "Love your neighbor as yourself". Now did you get that last part of the sentence... as yourself. It must be okay to love ourselves if Jesus means for us to love our neighbors. Right?
Yes we should care about, and even love ourselves. We're not talking about selfishness here. We just should want to care about who we are, what we stand for, and like being us. God wants that for us. So, why the harshness in the song? Did Mercy Me get it wrong? Not really. You see loving yourself is one thing, but there's no comparison between that and how we should love God. Luke 14:26 says, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple."
What's going on here? Didn't we just say that we should love ourselves? Now, why is the Bible telling us to hate ourselves? This hate is not the same word as used with regard to enemies. It means a drastic diminished love as compared to the Lord. See, there should be no comparison between your love for the Lord and your love for anything or anyone else. God doesn't want anyone coming between you and Him, not even yourself.
Jesus wants all of you and not only that He wants it NOW. Read for yourself how Jesus calls people in the Bible in Luke 9:57-62... Jesus doesn't want to let any opportunity get in the way of you growing in Him and coming to His call. No wonder Mercy Me puts it into the form of a Dear John letter. They don't have time for anything else once Jesus calls :).
One more passage sums up everything God wants of you. Luke 9:23-24, "And he (Jesus) said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it." Taking up your cross daily means give yourself over to Jesus every day.
So, should you write a Dear John letter to yourself? What would you say? What reasons would you give for writing it? What will you give up for the Lord? What would you give over to the Lord? What are you afraid you'd hold back? Imagine writing such a letter and how exciting it would be to have a new love of your life, the Lord.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Living Simply in a Crazy World


Song Title: Living Is Simple
Artist: Switchfoot
So, according to the lyrics, Switchfoot tells us that living is simple. ...Um, really? Was this song written a hundred years ago, or what? This day and age doesn't seem so simple, does it?
Jon Foreman, front man and lead singer explained the song this way, "The crazy circumstances around recording matched the context of the song exactly. The song is trying to express the tension between the amazing complexity of a life of grace and the simple faith to which we are called."
Well he got the complexity of life right, but is yours a simple faith? What about Christianity itself? Is Christianity a simple faith? John 3:16-18 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son." Can it get any simpler than that? God doesn't require ritual. He doesn't require you to do works. He doesn't require you to say anything. All you need to do is believe that Christ saves you. Do this and God will take care of the rest."
So, if it is so simple then why doesn't everyone believe? Well, the enemy is hard at work keeping people in the darkness of their sin. Look what it says when we read on in John 3:19-21, "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God." When people come to the Lord they have to give up the darkness and step into the light. It's simple, but it is hard to do.
Is your life so complex that you can't enjoy the simple faith you have in God? When was the last time you took a walk and enjoyed your surroundings and quietly thanked God for creation. It can really bless your day, so try it! When last did you wake up and spend the first few moments before getting up by asking God to guide you through the day? It can really set you off on the right course. When was the last time you took time to read your Bible? Do you have any idea how much God show you when you lose yourself in the Word. What about taking time out to listen too one song each day for a week to see if God will show you something through it? (Hint, Hint)
Don't you sometimes get tired of the complex and chaotic world you live in? Make some choices today that will enable you to enjoy the simple faith you have.

Monday, October 10, 2011

What's Your Plan?


Song Title: The Loser
Artist: Switchfoot
We all have plans. We plan out our days. We plan out our nights. We plan our weekends. At work some people even plan for their plans. We have short term plans, long term plans, five year plans.
What are your plans? Are you planning for college? Are you planning for a job? Are you planning for vacation? In all your plans are you leaving room for God's plan for you? Are you praying that God make the plans for you or bless the plans that you are making? All of our plans amount to nothing if the Lord is not in them.
In the song The Loser, Switchfoot tells us of their plan to lose it all. It's okay to plan to get something that you enjoy, but remember these things that we accumulate in life are going to stay here when we leave this world. Its best to think about how these things can serve the Lord in some way. Even better we should share the abundance we have with those who need it more than we do.
When was the last time you gave away something of yours? When you practice giving it helps us not to be selfish. It can also make someones day.
BTW there are some things that you can't lose if we follow the advise of Colossians 3:2 "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things". These things above will be stored up for us in heaven. We won't lose them, but we are going to lose all the earthly things.
OK, so why does all this make us Losers? The world is focused on getting more and more stuff. Success is so often measured by wealth, but if our success is measured by our obedience to God and our walk in faith then we might just look like losers to the rest of the world. Who said that walking in faith was going to be easy.
So, are you planning to give it all away? Are you planning to lose it all? Are you going to be a loser or not?

Monday, October 3, 2011

What's Your Story?


Song Title: Next Thing You Know
Album: History
Have you ever found yourself totally lost in a story? The whole world seems to fade away and you are so lost in the story that you forget about everything else around you. One story that can change someone's life is your testimony. How did you come to the Lord? What has He done for you? What do you hope He will do for you? How do you imagine an eternity with God.
Matthew West tells his testimony in Next Thing You Know. His story of faith begins when he's thirteen. He then shares his story about how he rededicated his life to Christ in college after being pulled away by the world. Lastly he goes on to tell how he imagines everyone will share their stories in heaven.
If you are a Christian then you have a story to tell about how you came to know the Lord, what the Lord has done for you, and what hopes and dreams you have about an eternity with Christ. Do you know how to share your story? Do you know what you'd say?
One important way of getting better at telling your story is to write it down. Recently at church we heard about how useful it can be to write down the date and time when you first were saved by Christ, so it will be a physical reminder for you to hold on to in the future that what you did and how you felt was real. Writing down your thoughts, hopes, and prayers to God is a great way to start building your story, your testimony. Then you can go back and read your story to give you strength in times of struggle.
By writing down your stories you'll also get better at learning how you'd tell your story to others. Your stories can be a great witness, and there are no stories of your relationship with God that are too small to tell. God can use all of our stories. You can also write your stories in a Blog like this one. You can use art or photographs to tell your story. You can keep a video journal.
The Bible is a collection of stories. Can you imagine what we would be missing if Moses decided that his stories weren't important enough to write down? There goes the first five books of the Bible. What if Paul thought he was too busy to write his letters? There goes most of the New Testament. What if John decided that the gospel was already covered, so why bother telling his story of the time he spent with Jesus?
There is a prophet in the Bible that could have decided not to write down his story because his story got him into all kinds of trouble. His name was Jeremiah. God gave Jeremiah the job to reveal the sins of the people and explain the reason for an impending disaster which will turn out to be the destruction and captivity by the Babylonian empire. Jeremiah kept telling his story even though he was betrayed by his own brothers (Jer 12:6), beaten and put into the stocks by a priest and false prophet (Jer 20:1-4), imprisoned by the king (Jer 37:18), threatened with death (Jer 38:4), and opposed by a false prophet (Jer 28). On a good day Jeremiah was ignored. On a bad day, people were out to get him. Could you blame Jeremiah if he didn't write down his story? But, without Jeremiah we wouldn't have the Old Testament book bearing his name. We wouldn't have Lamentations, or 1st and 2nd Kings. All these books authored by a writer that nobody wanted to hear from at the time, but later, long after he was gone he would inspire many people to not give up hope on God even when times get really, really tough.
Your story of your relationship with God is important. It can change lives. It can inspire others. Write down your story. Learn it. Practice telling it. Share it with others. You never know how important your witness can be to the people who hear it, or in how many ways God can use your story.
So what's your story, about His glory? Find your place in the history of grace and tell your thirteen.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Squash Sin


Song Title: Million Pieces (Kissin' Your Cares Goodbye)
Artist: Newsboys
Album: Thrive
God hates sin. No doubt. Do you sin? No doubt. So what? We're supposed to try not sin. That's what. Do you sometimes sit around and worry about your sin? Do you worry about whether or not you'll get into heaven because of your sin?
The Newsboys remind us that all of our sins fall like a million pieces. That big burden of sin that we're carrying can be lifted right off of our backs. How can we do that? We can't, but God can. If you are with Christ then your sins are already forgiven. The work is already done for you. You just have to accept it.
When we worry we take our focus off of what God wants us to do and put it on the guilt of what we've done or what we're afraid might happen. That's not how God wants you to be. He wants you to tune in through prayer to what He wants to do with us. If we're too busy worrying or weighed down by our sin we won't be as useful to Him.
Why do we care then whether we sin or not? Don't confuse praying that God help you through sin and trying not to sin with caring whether we sin or not. God cares whether we sin, but not because it makes Him any different. It could, however, affect and change you. Sin can draw you away from God. It can also do you harm, or can put others in harms way. That's not how God wants us to be at all.
Pray that sin does not take over your life. Pray that God will lead you to righteousness. If you get worried that you are too sinful for God remember Micah 7:19 "He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea."
We can't escape sin ourselves. Romans 3:23 says "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God", and Romans 3:9-12 tells us that we are "all under the power of sin. As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”
It's a pretty bleak picture, but God can help us overcome our sin. He wants us to rely on Him and to trust that He can save and separate us from our sin. Let's grab on to the promise from God that he will SQUASH our sins before they squish us.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Be A Rebel With A Cause for Christ


Song Title: The Slam
Artist: TobyMac
John Cooper, the front man for Skillet, said at the Kingdom Bound 2011 concert that he grew up in a culture that tried to teach him that wearing black was somehow un-Christian. Now he's in a Heavy Metal band and spreading the gospel all the while wearing black. You too might feel that there are some things that you don't agree with, or that clash with Christian culture. That doesn't mean that it is sinful. It doesn't mean that it's wrong.
Sure, Christian parents want their kids to be saved, but they are more interested in you being authentic in your faith then being or seeming like a good Christian just to please them. Find out how God wants to use you. Grab on to that and don't let go. It might not line up exactly with how everyone else thinks a Christian should be, but it might just be how God wants you to be.
The Slam shows us a Jesus that isn't just a nice, softly spoken teacher. He sometimes needs to get in your face with a conviction saying, "You heard that. Right? This is the way it is. This is the way it's done."
Remember Jesus is...

 8 “A stone that causes people to stumble
   and a rock that makes them fall.”

   They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. (1 Peter 2:8, New International Version)

You might not fit in a mold that is expected for you, especially one that the world expects of you. To the world, the most radical and rebellious thing you can do is to become a born again believer, sold out for Jesus. God promises you'll have trouble, but you'll be in the Truth. God won't always lead you in safe or secure directions, but he won't leave your side. God wants to use you in a unique way unlike anyone else. Pray that the Lord draws you to Him, that Christ lead you in His direction, and that God uses you the way He wants to.
Go out and do Christianity like it ain't been done before.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Sometimes It's Hard To Put Up With Yourself

Album: Mmhmm
Have you ever done anything and while it is going on you felt like you were watching yourself star in your own movie, a movie in which you are not being a very nice person or are saying something that you really shouldn't? Maybe you can think back to something that you've done in the past and you just can't believe it was you doing or saying such nasty things. This happens to Relient K as they sing Who I Am Hates Who I've Been.
It's pretty common for a lot of us to cringe at our past behavior or to be ashamed of ourselves. After joining the Friar's Club of Beverly Hills Groucho Marx sent the following telegram, "Please accept my resignation. I don't want to belong to a club that will accept people like me as a member."
Do you sometimes feel like you don't belong? You are not alone. A lot of people feel this way. What can you do to change?
I've got some bad news. It's impossible to change yourself. Look at what the Bible says:
23 Can an Ethiopian change his skin
   or a leopard its spots?
Neither can you do good
   who are accustomed to doing evil. (Jeremiah 13:23, New International Version)
What are we supposed to do then? Is the Bible wrong? Isn't there any way that we can change? Is there no hope? Are we doomed to a life of regrets of our past behaviors?
Well, you can't change the past, but like always there is Good News in the Bible. You can change, but for real change you need God. He is the only one Who can change you for the better. Nothing that WE do is good. We are all sinful by nature.
10 As it is written:

   “There is no one righteous, not even one;
 11 there is no one who understands;
   there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
   they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
   not even one.” (Romans 3:10-12, New International Version)
So, it's okay to not like what you've done in the past. It's okay to desire to not be like yourself. No one should feel comfortable living in this state of sin. We should all want to be like God wants us to be. We can only do this by focusing on God and asking Him to transform us and make us new every day. This won't make us perfect, but it will help us to do good works for the Lord.
What do we do with the junk of our past? Don't dwell on it. Don't let it consume you.
18 “Forget the former things;
   do not dwell on the past. (Isaiah 43:18, New International Version)
Instead, use your past, even the bad stuff, to help you move forward in Christ. Remember the evil that Joseph's brothers did to him, and remember what finally happened.
20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. (Genesis 50:20, New International Version)
God can turn anything and anyone around. He can change you right now. He can use your past mistakes and turn them around for good. Who you are might hate who you've been, but He who loves you can cherish what you can become.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Store Up Your Treasures in Heaven



Song Title: Gone
Artist: Switchfoot
Album: The Beautiful Letdown
View the Lyrics
Hear the song with lyrics on YouTube
Have you ever pondered the expression "You can't take it with you"? For the most part it's true. Anything of the world will be left in the world.
All the physical things we accumulate in this life will soon be gone, just like the lyrics in Switchfoot's Gone tell us. A lot of people act like they'll live on this earth forever like they are immortal, although it's never happened yet.
The Bible says:
    19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21, New International Version)
So, should we not have anything because it won't last? Not necessarily. More importantly we should put our efforts and our emphasis on the things that we can take with us. The things that are not of this world. Things like our relationship with God, our learning about His will for our life, our fellowship with each other, the good that we do in God's name for those in need. These things will be treasures in heaven. Think of it like a sanctified, 100% guaranteed, savings account that God has waiting for us.
Are you too focused on the things of this world? What can you do to change that?
Are you storing treasures in Heaven?
What have you put in your heavenly savings account lately?
Do you live like you are immortal in this world, or are you living like you'll be for eternity in the next?
Take some time this week storing things in heaven and pray that God will help you to focus on the things not of this world.
Also, take a look at what worldly treasures that distract you away from God. Pray that God will help you focus on Him more and the treasures He has in store for you.
It can be freeing to think that it's all be gone someday. All the things that can decay in this world won't matter anyway.
You can also take comfort that you'll be gone one day, too. The world waiting for us is a much better place to be. No suffering, no sadness, no failures, just joy in the Lord with Him and each other, forever.
The Lord has us here to fulfill His plan for our lives, but once that is completed, I'm gladly GONE!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Going Viral with God's Love


Song Title: Love is the Movement
Artist: Switchfoot
Album: Learning to Breathe
View the Lyrics
Hear the song with lyrics on YouTube
This week at church there was a video about going viral. The challenge in the video was to think about how we can become a part of making Christ go viral and how do we promote Christ using viral means (social media, internet).
This video brought to mind the song Love is the Movement by Switchfoot. Here we're told that love moves, love changes, love stirs. If we want to love or grow in love we must move, we must change, and adapt to let love in, to let love out, and to let love spread. If love moves in us it will be catching. It will go viral.
Many of us are stuck in our lives, stuck in the way we do things. We have enough friends, so we don't reach out. We're too busy, so we're locked into what we do. We're too tired, so we don't give energy to anything else.  We sometimes run the risk of living static, stagnant lives. As the song challenges us to do "Get up, get up Love is moving you now", and once we're moving "We don't have to slow back down."
Where are you stuck in your life? How can you get unstuck? What will it take?
How does Gods love move and grow in you? How have you shown love lately? What does love mean to you? How are you changing so that you can love more, love others, love even those that don't love you? What can you do, what can you change to love better?
What can we do or change together (family, group, church, community) to love more? How can you love so much that it goes viral and catches others and causes their hearts to stir and open up to God's perfect gift of His love.
The greatest gift that we can give is love, our love for others and sharing the love of God. Pray that God will get you unstuck and will open your heart to love more and in more ways than we can imagine, and use that to gather up others in His love. Let's make God's love GO VIRAL! Get up! Get up! Love is moving you NOW!
Interestingly, the name of the song has been adopted as the slogan for a philanthropic organization. "To Write Love on Her Arms" is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide.  TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery. What a fitting song for those that need hope, for without love there is no hope, and with God's love we find our greatest hope.