My family and I have really enjoyed Rick Warren's book, The Purpose Driven Life. During the time my brother was fighting cancer, I thought he would appreciate some encouraging words from pastor Rick Warren. I also thought Rick may appreciate knowing how much his book had meant to Scott during his illness. I sent Rick a letter about my brother's situation and a copy of the video below. It was not long and my brother received a personal letter of encouragement from Rick.
As I checked my e-mail box this morning, the first e-mail I noticed was the "Daily Hope with Rick Warren" devotional. The Warrens have helped share the message of "Hope" to many over the years. Our prayers are with them through their loss.
"Hope. Hope is the only thing stronger than fear."
That is a quote I like a lot from the movie The Hunger Games. During this scene in the movie President Snow is discussing the continuous oppression of the districts of Panem. The next line in the movie is, "A little hope is effective, a lot of hope is dangerous."
Romans 5:5 states "And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."
Rick Warren's book God's Power to Change Your Life reads, "It has been said that a person can live forty days without food, three days without water, eight minutes without air, but not one minute without hope. We have to have hope. Some researchers at Cornell University studied 25,000 prisoners of war from World War II. They concluded that a person can handle almost anything if he or she has hope."
Isaiah 40:29-31
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
My brother Scott tends to have a unique Bible carrying style. In short, he carries it in the back of his pants. I know that makes quite the visual. The Bible will be half sticking out from behind his belt and pants and half in no man's land. I could try and explain how he likes to keep his hands free for greeting, etc. but we will end it there. Needless to say few people ask to borrow his Bible.
Early one morning in 2002, one of Scott's good friends and I met Scott at the hospital. Scott was there to have surgery for stage 4 melanoma that had come back. As his friend Paul and I were following him back to the pre-op area, Paul notices this book sticking out of the back of Scott's pants. Paul asks "is that a joke book you have back there?" referring to Scott's Bible. Scott replied, "I hope not."
As Scott was in the middle of a life storm facing fear and death the simple reply "I hope not" said a lot. No matter how this was to turn out his trust and hope was in God through his faith in Jesus Christ.
Scott's employer showed a video at a national meeting about him which I will share below. For those of you that do not know Scott, I am pleased to report Scott is doing well and is cancer free!
Satan knows as the line from The Hunger Games states, "a lot of hope is dangerous" to his cause. As believers, we have the ultimate hope.
Robb
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