Where My Demons Hide

Don’t get too close, it’s dark inside, it’s where my demons hide.

-Imagine Dragons 

Demons

You’re a beautiful soul… A stunning heart with eyes full of darkness. And I can’t help but feel you live out the words of this song over and over again… No one is allowed too close, because they might see what’s going on, they might see the demons inside. And I've gotta be honest with you – I see them. You thought you stopped me from seeing. You thought you were careful enough with your words and life descriptions, but I saw what was inside…

And nothing about it makes me want to run… If any running is going to be done, it is going to be beside you into the very arms of Light. Darling, we all have our secrets. We all have the darkness that we try to push back each day, hold it at bay for just a little longer. We all have places where the demons in us hide, where the ugly faces of scars and addictions and bruises rest.

So why do we all fear letting someone get too close? Why is it such an unbearable thought that someone might see what’s really going on?

If I have learned anything, it’s that darkness hates being exposed to Light. Demons don’t want to be seen for what they really are. And letting someone else in – is painful for that very reason. But the thing with the darkness is – though it hates being exposed to light, true Light dispels it. Light breaks through it, and Love – Love completely covers it.

Baby, I know it’s dark inside. I know you don’t want anyone to see. I know you’re living in a bubble of the same too-fast world, kidding yourself into thinking they all know you but you’ve gotta know that ‘darkness cannot drive out darkness – only light can do that.’

You don’t have to be all pretty. You don’t have to have all the demons gone, all the darkness broken before you let people in. You don’t have to live in fear of someone getting too close, seeing too much. You’re beautiful… Not because everything is perfect – but because you’re trying… Because you haven’t stopped being hungry for more than this. You haven’t stopped hoping, wishing, and maybe even praying for something beyond just the now, beyond just the darkness, beyond all you’ve ever known.

You’re allowed to get close now…. You’re allowed to let people see - little by little if that’s what it takes – that there is darkness, and there are demons. But they don’t define you anymore. You’re allowed to let your life be exposed to the light, because darling, that’s everything you deserve.

You deserve Light and Hope and dreams come true. You deserve Love that covers and conquers, Love that is faithful – that fights and stays. You deserve every kind of beautiful redemption, redemption that takes all the ugly scars you thought were hidden, the bloodied gaping wounds that you thought were healed in your strength and makes them into something more beautiful than you could ever have imagined.

You’re not forgotten. You’re not unseen.

Justin Bieber: All That Matters // Misogyny

There is a word for Justin Bieber’s new music video for ‘All That Matters.’ That word is misogyny. It’s definition: Hatred or dislike of women.

And yes, I’m being serious. What he did in that video does not show any kind of love or respect for women – it shows just the opposite, hate and disrespect. Because, girls, here’s the Truth – a guy that truly loves you would never treat you like an object, a thing made to please him. A guy that truly loves you would not use you for sex all whilst calling it love.

I want to say something here to you girls. You are worth more than being treated like an object. You are worth more than feeding some guys lust just so he’ll pay attention to you. You deserve a guy who sees you as a person, a heart, a soul. You deserve a guy who wants to get to know you for you, not just what you can do for him. You are worth far more than someone who’ll require you to parade around half-naked to feed the lust of not only him, but also all his friends.

Girls, you have an identity that has nothing to do with your sexuality. You have a story to tell, and a personality unique to you. You have worth beyond just your physical appearance. You were made for more than just sex, more than just appealing to some guys’ lust. Don’t settle just because real men are hard to find. Don’t settle just because society tells you to. You. Are. Worth. More.

And Guys – please, please don’t settle into the culture around you. Be the one to rise above the norm and actually respect women. Be the one to treat a girl like a person, like a human completely equal to you. Guys – be men. Being a man does not mean you sleep around and be ‘the best she ever had;’ being a man means refusing to buy into the lie that women were created simply to please you. We need more guys who choose true love and respect instead of this misogynistic lie music videos like this teach us.

It’s time to be different. It’s time to start living like we’re actually worth something – because we are. I don’t know about you, but I wanna be different from the culture around me. I wanna live by the Truth, not lies merely disguising themselves as the truth. It’s time to know our ground and stand on it, refusing to settle or compromise our standards just because that’s what everyone else is doing. Girls, it’s time to rise up as a person, as a beautiful, strong, fierce woman who knows her worth goes far beyond her sexual appeal and ability. Men, it’s time to start seeing the truth about what our culture is doing to women. It’s time to start seeing misogyny as what it is – a disgusting attitude that is being sold by our society as ‘love.’ You’re better than that lie, men. You’re better than treating women as if they were only objects made to satisfy your lust.

p.s. This is not a ‘let’s hate Justin Bieber’ post, and I am not a ‘hater’ by any means. But this is something that had to be said. I realise Bieber is not the only guy in the world making music videos like this, and treating women like this – but he has a very significant influence over a wide range of ages. I’m sure I’m not alone in wishing and praying he would start to use that influence differently.

Miley Cyrus & why she's just as broken as the rest of us

Miley Cyrus is a person I didn't want to blog about - because too many people were and the poor girl has been absolutely slandered by Christians and non-Christians alike.... But after watching her 'Wrecking Ball' video I just have to say...

My heart hurts for her.

This isn't a debate about poor choices or growing up or being a bad role model.... This is a call for Christians to pray for her. Not against her... 

Stop gossiping about her and start doing the one thing we can - pray for her.

When I see her, I see a cry for help. I see a scared, vulnerable girl who has been fed way too many lies and gotten involved in things that would bring any person to breaking point.

I know it's not cool to think a celebrity is 'imperfect' or 'broken,' but newsflash - she is just as broken as the rest of us. No, not all of us will play our brokenness across TV and computer screens - not all of us will show our brokenness by making out with objects, and swinging naked on a wrecking ball - but we are all still broken.

That's why we have a Savior. 

And the same Jesus that loves us and rescues us, loves Miley Cyrus and wants to rescue her. 

Friends, try to see past the obvious... Let of your anger, put down your stones, and pray.
Miley is not some evil person come to ruin your children's lives.... She is a young girl who is battling things we will never know about - and more than she needs hate - she needs love.

Love covers a multitude of sins... Love makes a way where there is no way... Love heals the broken hearted... Love saves.

Pray for miracles. Pray for divine intervention. Pray that God brings the right people into her life who can tell her the Good News - that she is never too far gone for Jesus. Because that is our reality - NO ONE is ever too far gone for our Savior.

Amen.

The words I would say: An open letter to Demi Lovato

In a world currently obsessed with Miley Cyrus, I wanted to talk about something different. When I recently found out that Demi Lovato is playing a lesbian woman on Glee, I was shocked.... Not because I thought Demi was perfect, and not because I idolized her.... More because she is a self-confessed Christian who is very open about her Faith. So, I decided to write this letter. Not because I think she'll ever see it (although we never know what God can do), but because there are important truths for all of us (including myself) to learn from this.

Dear Demi,

I know what it's like trying to stand for God's Truth in a deceitful world. I know what it's like finding the balance between having Faith in Jesus, whilst learning to cope with mental disorders. I know how it feels to be a Christian, and yet still feel the pressure to conform to this world.
But the thing is, Christ made a way for us.
I know it's not popular to stay true to what His Word says when almost everyone around us (including Christians) are following the crowd, but maybe we're called to be the exception. Maybe we weren't made to stay silent. And maybe we weren't made to use our voice to speak and live the world's views.
 Maybe we were made to use our voice and live our lives for His Glory, as an example to all. Standing out is hard, but fitting in is harder. One compromise leads to another, until nothing about our lives reflects Jesus anymore. Don't get me wrong, Jesus loves us regardless of whether we ever do anything for Him or not - it's not about that. It's more about the fact that God has given us these gifts and talents, and a platform to be light in a dark world. But there's no light in conforming to darkness. There's no joy in being deceived.
I believe we all have what it takes to live the way God intended. I believe His Word contains all the Truth we need to live by. I believe His presence is enough to sustain us in the face of temptation, and I believe His Grace is enough to hold us together.
Demi, run to win. Don't measure your success by the world's praise, measure it by bringing Him glory. Dont worry about the breadth of your platform, concern yourself with the depth of it. Use your voice to proclaim His Word, and shine a light in the dark places.

And Demi, dont give up. Stay strong IN Him.

I Want To See You Be Brave (20 seconds of embarrassing courage)

In the movie We Bought A Zoo with Matt Damon, there is this awesome concept of 20 seconds of courage. There's a scene where Matt's character tells his kids that when he met their mom, he was simply walking past a cafe where he saw her sitting. He decided to make the most of 20 seconds of ridiculous bravery, and go in and talk to her - therefore resulting in their marriage.... Although I'm not sure how well 20 seconds of courage would actually work in that context in real life, I do think there is an important lesson to be learned here.

I wonder how many things in our life would change from 20 seconds of ridiculous, embarrassing bravery? I wonder how many friendships we could form, how many dreams we could finally make happen? I wonder how many encounters with God we could have?

I don't know what your life looks like, but how different would it look if this week, you chose to act on 20 seconds of insane courage? What if you used those 20 seconds to start a conversation with someone you've been wanting to get to know, but have been too shy to talk to? What if you used those 20 seconds to lift your hands in worship to God, and truly surrender all? What if, for 20 seconds, you looked at your life and realized how great it is? What if, in 20 seconds of courage, you look at yourself in the mirror, and love what you see?

What if you decided to be brave for 20 seconds, and speak up for what you know is right? Instead of looking the other way, what would happen if you helped that person you saw struggling? What if you decided to tell that one person how you really feel about them, instead of playing games and hiding behind walls?

I have learned some things about bravery. I have learned that first of all, being brave is attractive. If someone around me is courageous, I am going to be attracted to them, to their life, to who they are. I'm going to want to know how they learned to be brave, why they chose courage and how that actually looked in their life. The second thing I have learned is that bravery is contagious. It starts off a chain reaction of not only bravery in yourself, but in people around you. Sometimes, you choosing to be brave inspires others to be brave in their own lives and do the things they've been putting off for far too long.

Another thing I have learned about bravery is how it makes you feel about yourself. I think it gives you new confidence. It gives you a sense of realizing how strong you actually are. Being brave feels good, ya know...It unlocks something in you, teaches you something about who you are and who God has made you to be. And maybe that brave moment wont always work out the way you planned. Maybe those 20 seconds will lead to something that ends up hurting you - but at least you'll be able to hold on to that bravery, to that moment where you stood up for yourself, and said for once what you actually wanted.

I don't know about you, but I want to be brave. I want to be courageous, and fight for what I know is right. I want to make new friends, and I want to love life.

So, baby, today is a good day for courage. It's a good day to take 20 seconds, be embarrassingly brave, and do/ say/ be what you've always wanted to. It's a good day to fight for Truth, to say the words you've been choking down for too long... Today is yours, brave-heart. You've got what it takes.

Tell me, how big is your brave?