Fall into the arms of Jesus

Those words are from a popular song on the radio these days.  It is titled Stronger by Mandisa.



If you don't know who Mandisa is, let me introduce you.  she participated in the 2006 American Idol televised competition.  She was voted off the show at the final three.  She tackled a mountain really.
Not only did she have to convince the world she could sing better than the other singers; she had to do while being obviously overweight.



(Picture taken from American Idol Season Five.  You can watch her audition and Simon Cowell's cruel comments about her weight here.)


Sometimes our mountain tops seem to be unreachable.  IF we look at the top of the mountain as we stand at the bottom.  I do not know much about her personal struggle but I know enough.

She became an abundantly nominated Christian Music Artist.

She lost hundreds of pounds.



(Courtesy of http://mandisaofficial.com/home/ ) 


I found a statement on her website that triggered me to write this post.

Often an artist’s strengths inspire their best work. But for acclaimed contemporary Christian singer Mandisa, it’s her very human flaws and frailties that gave birth to her stellar third album, What If We Were Real. 

This is the hope for my life.  I have given up trying to be good, look good and teach good - because I am not good.  I am messed up.  So I want God to take my messed up and make it wonderfully and creatively messed up.  I just want to be real.

So it is with writing ... I have found myself wanting to give it all up lately.  However it is a little too late now because too many people know about it.  (That is exactly the reason I only told three people.  The rest of you know because someone else spilled the beans.)  My husband coerced me to make this online/public statement about my writing so that I couldn't pack it all in when things got rough.

I am standing at the foot of a gigantic mountain looking up and thinking it would be best if I stayed down here after all.  However Mandisa tells me to keep trying.  Don't give up.  Hold on a little bit longer.

Believe me, this is going to make you STRONGER!

What is your mountain?  Are you at the bottom or somewhere in the middle?  Or have you reached the top of your mountain?

So go on, where ever you are on your mountain ... go on and fall into the arms of Jesus.