Miranda A. Uyeh's Blog, page 13

October 7, 2018

Article ~ The [Entertainment] Gatekeeper

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The New Faces Director

Many years ago, I worked in a major acting and modeling agency in the West as the New Faces Division Director (I will keep the agency unnamed). I was responsible for seeking new talent, vetting new talent, and training and helping develop new talent. Pretty much, you had to impress me in order for you to move forward to be represented as…new talent. It meant going forward to introduce models and actors to directors, casting directors, producers, and setting up “go-sees” for models for national and international agencies like IMG, BOSS, LA MODELS, and also, going to Milan, Paris, Japan. You get the idea. I LOVED my job and I was GOOD at it!

During my time in this capacity, I was “important” because I had business cards and the card named my title. I WAS THE GATEKEEPER. I discovered some fantastic talent, met some colorful characters, and made some great friends and colleagues. I opened doors for many aspiring talent and I (unfortunately) single-handedly crushed many dreams of potential new talent or talent that wasn’t meshing with us, and had to tell them it wasn’t working out.

An agency is a business and this is a real side, albeit—not always pleasant, a fact many people seem to overlook. Agents look at new talent in dollar signs because, this is their business like any other.

A cold hard fact.

Developing New Actors and Models

I mentioned ‘developing new talent’. What this means is that, along with my co-worker in our department (who I didn’t really like or agree with), we were required to sell classes to wide-eyed individuals with the caveat: there are no guarantees you will get work as a model or actor. I have nothing against learning or taking classes to enhance your acting skills and becoming fierce on the runway. Heck, I was/am an acting instructor. I think you should learn how to have etiquette on set, how to put on your makeup, speak properly, learn to cold read, etc. These are all necessary abilities for this industry. My colleague and I would essentially guide the talent. If they wanted to take classes, so be it; they made the informed choice. We were doing our jobs and received commission for it (YES, when you are sold a class for thousands of dollars in an agency or talent scouting company, the agents get a commission. This is a self-serving industry. It is a business. Not that this is all bad. Just know that going in.). People were learning, the owner was happy, we discovered some awesome talent and weeded folks out. Everybody won, right?

Sure.

Until my conscience started whispering nags at me like, “Selling classes to people who obviously don’t have a future or the right temperament for this industry is wrong. Stop and use better judgment!”

If It Doesn’t Challenge You It Won’t Change You

Some examples of poor choices that come to mind as to whom we sold classes to include:

A little boy who couldn’t read. This child was enrolled by my associate because, he was an absolutely beautiful child. I mean, gorgeous! His grandmother thought for sure that he would be a star. I ended up refunding their money, which made my co-worker extremely angry. It was painful to see this child under so much pressure each time I looked at the tape. I knew it wasn’t right. I was ashamed we let it happen.

A painfully shy young woman with very low self-esteem who often walked hunched over and hid behind her hair. This young lady was about 17-19 years old. Her mother and ex-model sister thought this was the way she could improve herself, and that, somehow, she would become a supermodel. No pressure. Later, in watching the tapes of the class, I saw that she would freeze and cry on camera, and not in a ‘cry on cue kinda way,’ but more or less, in a humiliated and terrified way. She never spoke, but was allowed to coast in the classes (more on this later).

A mentally disturbed young man who was disruptive. His parents had money to burn and wanted him to “flourish”. An advance acting workshop was coming up, and a guest director from L.A. was coming to teach. My boss said, “Sign him up because his is a sure bet on tuition.” Against my better judgment, I didn’t speak up because I was afraid of my boss (Amanda Priestly, anyone?), and because I didn’t want to lose the big commission. Well, several professional actors who were in the class, as well as the guest instructor, complained about this young man’s outbursts. We later explained to the parents that this wasn’t for him and refunded their money (along with my sure bet of a large commission).

She Hid behind Her Hair and Looked at Her Shoes

Remember the painfully shy young woman in her teens? Well, here is what happened:

A year later, the girl and her beautiful, confident, former model big sister (who gave up modeling to be married with children), came to visit me in my office. The younger sister, as always, hid behind her hair and remained silent and sat hunched over. The big sister did all the talking…and I mean ALL the talking. She demanded to know why we hadn’t contacted her sister with auditions. “After all,” she said, “she took all the classes.”

I listened intently. My face was getting hot and I was ready to do battle. Remember I mentioned I was important because of my title? I was thinking, while they…I mean SHE—the ex-model now turned beautiful perfect mother and Christian homemaker—was talking, that, how dare they come into my beautiful expensive, hoity-toity office and make such demands on me? ME? Irene Santiago, the New Faces Director?! Because…I AM important! My business card says so! I AM THE GATEKEEPER! Be gone, sisters! Your sister shall not pass because she isn’t good enough! Well, that didn’t happen, because, thankfully, I didn’t say any of that. Not even close. (Thank you Holy Spirit. Proverbs 13:16a, NLT Wise people think before they act.)

Instead, something else happened.

I remembered an interview that I had watched with Jay Leno and the supermodel, Elle Macpherson, a few nights prior. I remembered how beautiful she was and how well she carried herself. She was so eloquent, funny, and charming. This is what the young woman seated in my office was expected to be. And not celebrated for who she truly was. My heart softened, and, gently, I thanked the ladies for coming to see me. Instead of going all “The Devil Wears Prada” on them (not that I owned any Prada or could afford it), I spoke with love from my heart. I said to the younger sister (and I’m paraphrasing because it’s been a long time), “You must be extremely special because your big sister loves you very much to come here to support you in this way and speak on your behalf.” She nodded. Then I said, “I have heard what your sister has said, but I would like you to tell me, what do you think of all this?” The poor girl remained quiet for some time as she looked at her shoes. Hiding behind her hair, she eventually mumbled her answers. She was so scared and embarrassed, and cried. Then the big sister cried too. I felt really bad. If I wasn’t so “important,” I would have cried too (Okay, I teared up).

I asked her if she wouldn’t mind showing me how she was instructed to walk on the runway. She agreed. Then she walked hunched over, unsure of herself and still hiding behind her hair, then sat back down and looking at her shoes still hunched over. I asked her to tell me what she liked about the classes, and she mumbled that it gave her more confidence, and that it was fun to learn scripts and socialize with the other girls.

Okay. I was happy to hear that!

Then I explained, “When you go to an audition, the first thing they notice is your confidence and ability to look them in the eye; then they want to hear you speak. It is scary enough as it is going into auditions, but this is what it is. This is what is expected. Did you happen to see the interview with Elle Macpherson on The Tonight Show the other night?” Both girls nodded. Clearly, they remembered how elegant Elle was. I said, “Yes, she is beautiful, but that is not what really makes her beautiful, memorable or successful. What makes a woman beautiful is her confidence, a loving heart, and her charm. There are many beautiful women out there, but beauty fades. It’s what’s inside that counts.”

Now I had to tell them the whole truth.

I explained that the business is immensely competitive. While the classes did give her some confidence and taught her many useful skills for life, it was not reflected in her walk and talk. It did not mean that she was any less special. This business just wasn’t for her. Her heart was not in it, and she even admitted that she was taking the classes because of her mom; it wasn’t her passion but her mother’s. Both sisters understood and agreed with me. They thanked me for my time and left. I was so grateful!

Crisis averted.

But then, about an hour later, their mom called, demanding to know what I’d said to them. “All I know is that I have two daughters that are in tears,” she exclaimed. In my mind I was thinking, “Wait, I thought this was worked out?” Then I started to get a little queasy in my stomach. A thought came to me, just tell the mother the same truth.

So I did.

“Thank you for calling me, Ma’am. You have two special daughters. Let me explain what I told them. Did you happen to catch The Tonight Show with Jay Leno the other night when Elle Macpherson was on…”

She understood.

The Gatekeeper Turns In Her Keys

I made mistakes and regretted them. The agency is still a major and legit business. In the owner’s defense, she believed one-stop shopping was the way to go. But that is her business, not mine. I turned in my keys and eventually left. I was grateful for working there, I learned much and moved on. When I left, I realized that, yes, my job was important, but not for the reasons that I’d initially thought. It was important because I’d done a lot of good for clients—as a catalyst who believed in and guided them. A title is not what defines me. My heart and actions do.

Summary Points To Remember About the Business of Agencies

If you learn anything at all from my musings, it should be this: There are no GUARANTEES that you will get work as a model or actor no matter how much money you spend. Agencies and Talent Scouting Companies are a business. Show business is still a business. They are not daycares, babysitters or magicians. YES, you should plan on spending money in the industry, but be wise about it. Do your homework and due diligence. Prospective talent/parents/grandparents/legal guardians, don’t be so desperate to be a part of the film and modeling industry that you would sell your soul, dignity, kids’ dignity or spend your entire life savings. Scams see you coming a mile away. Be smart.

There are No Shortcuts

Successful talents have supportive agents/agencies. The film and modeling industry can be fun and worthwhile. While it is NOT for everyone, it is also NOT all evil. It’s what’s inside you that counts! Your PASSION! What makes a person appealing is their confidence, a loving heart, and their charm. There are many beautiful people out there, but remember, beauty fades.

[image error]About this Contributor

Irene Santiago’s motto is A.B.C = I Act Because of Christ. She is a busy, award-winning actress, voice over talent, speaker, acting coach, model, producer, wife and mother. She is mainly recognized for her role in High School Musical (Part 1) as the “Chem Teacher” (and her kids roll their eyes whenever someone mentions it!). Other credits include: One Tree Hill, Providence, Adrenaline, and Badge of Faith. You can connect with her on her official website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and IMDb page.

*The article, The Gatekeeper, first appeared on ToBeAPerson (TBAP).

**To learn more about Irene Santiago’s work or about reputable talent agencies and scouting companies check out these helpful links below:

Irene Santiago’s other articles on TBAP

How Fear Inspired My Life and Career

Respecting the Creation You Were Meant To Be

Helpful Acting and Modeling Links

5 Ways to Recognize an Acting or Modeling Scam

Modeling and Talent from the Better Business Bureau

Backstage – So Your Child Has an Interview With a Talent Rep? How to Prepare

How to Choose An Acting Class

Watch out for modeling scams as per IMG MODELS

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Published on October 07, 2018 23:00

October 4, 2018

Album Review ~ Daydreamer By Matthew Parker

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September 30, 2018

Article ~ I Am Samson (Part 2) – The Power of God’s Redeeming Grace

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“Come boldly to the Throne of Grace and obtain mercy and grace in your time of need.” —Hebrews 4:16

Samson is named in what is popularly referred to as the “Hall of Faith” in Hebrews 11. While the first few names were listed along with the events in which their faith travailed, other names that followed were simply mentioned; Samson was one name in the latter group.

Some people often wonder why Samson is called a hero of faith—Didn’t his story end tragically? How could such a tragic tale be inspiring to anyone?

Well, Samson is listed as a hero because his faith highlighted the depths that God’s redeeming grace, which yearns to restore man, could reach no matter how deep the pit of despair and destruction. It’s astounding that despite the horrors that happened to Samson because of continued complacency, he dared to have the bold faith that would lead him to pray to God and say, “O Lord, God, remember me…” This speaks of a person who’d known God on a deeply personal level, and had experienced richly His goodness, faithfulness, and mercies on numerous counts.

It’s a known fact that, typically, when the average person falls into sin, there’s the tendency to want to run from God; it takes God’s love and believing on this love, to be drawn back to Him in full hope and faith, and receive joy, peace, comfort, and restoration. Sadly, running is more common today among Christians than not. Thankfully, more people are being taught the truth that God gladly anticipates us turning to Him when we stumble or fall.

This is what Samson’s story brings to the table.

This is what Jesus’ coming and work on the cross illustrates—a loving Father Who wants to redeem!

Are you lost and in despair of redemption?

Do you believe that you’re too far gone to be saved?

Do you despair that at this point, it is impossible for your life to make meaning?

I invite you to look at Samson’s story and dare to be inspired by his faith and boldness to seek God’s grace that first forgave, then restored his purpose, and finally, gave his life and story impressive meaning that resonates to this day—so much so that he is recognized eternally as one of the great heroes of faith!

Remember this: no matter who you are, what you’ve done, and where you are right now—even sick in the hospital or in prison—in the hands of the Almighty and Faithful Jehovah, your story can make a difference and not be wasted or turned into ashes. The arm of God is not too short to restore purpose and use you to bless others. The wisdom of our Father in heaven—Jesus Christ—manifests in our lives in a myriad of ways if we let Him be the author and finisher of our faith.

Just dare to be bold to seek His grace and face.

What do you say?

[image error]About the Editor

Miranda A. Uyeh is the founder and editor of To Be A Person (TBAP), the author of Christian Romance/Suspense fiction, To Die Once: Child of Grace #1, and a Mogul Global Ambassador. She was a one-time shortlisted judge for the Inspy Awards in 2014 in the Contemporary Romance & Romance/Suspense Category.

When Miranda isn’t working on TBAP, she’s writing, reading for fun or relaxing with a good movie! When she gets bored with the world, she talks to God about it! To learn more about her book, To Die Once, her journey as an author and her other activities, you can follow her personal website. You can also connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Google+.

*The article, I Am Samson (Part 2), first appeared on ToBeAPerson (TBAP) Blog, and is part of the ‘I Am’ series.

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Published on September 30, 2018 23:00

September 27, 2018

Author Scoop ~ Interview with Author, Speaker, and Radio Host, Dr. Deb Waterbury

[image error]Dr. Deb Waterbury is an author, speaker, and the host of the popular radio show, “Doing Life with Dr. Deb,” where she does interviews/talks about a myriad of tough issues that Christians face in the world every day. She recently released a book, The Lies That Bind, detailing aspects of her life when she was a troubled Christian, and also how Jesus led her back into the light; in The Lies That Bind, Deb explains her truth in a way that she hopes will set many captives free from the lies and self-doubt which hold them back from victory in Jesus Christ. Dr. Deb took some time to talk about bits of her journey back into the arms of Jesus, as well as her work and radio show. Take a look!

Miranda ~ Hello Deb! Delighted to have you visit TBAP today. Please tell us a bit about yourself that we don’t already know.

Deb: I love to run, sing, and do just about anything that has to do with an adrenaline rush. I’ve been bungee jumping, sky diving, zip lining, and para-sailing; the next thing I really want to [image error]tackle is hand gliding (but my husband is putting is foot down on that one.

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Published on September 27, 2018 23:00

September 23, 2018

Article ~ I Am Samson (Part 1): The Women

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Samson was a great man of God whose birth was foretold, and his purpose made known to his parents before he was born. He was a leader among leaders, uniquely set apart in a very special way than all the other judges before him and after him. But Samson had a weakness: the type of women in his life.

Now, the devil CANNOT possess a child of God because s/he is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. And as Jesus pointed out, “unless you bind the strongman in his house, you cannot loot or steal from him” (Matthew 12:29; Mark 3:27), and if the Holy Spirit is the “Strongman” in your house/temple (body), no devil can bind him and take you from Him. However, the devil is VERY cunning and has two ways by which he operates in the lives of God’s children: Strongholds and Footholds (a topic for another day). I’ll briefly discuss the one of the pair that matters to this topic: foothold.

A foothold is something in your life that you DO that opens a door to the devil to SNEAK in and WRECK havoc—first, silently and in the shadows, and then, when it can no longer be hidden or the time is right, he strikes devastatingly. Where you should be a slippery slope for the devil all around, a foothold gives the devil a place to “hold” onto you, and eventually stand and do damage. Think of it this way: you, a child of God, are hedged in and protected; a foothold is a crack in the wall created by YOU that will ALLOW the deceitful serpent to quietly creep in and be with you within that hedge. The thing with footholds is that they start very small and appear harmless—a neutral ground—like a little bud of a creeping plant that appears at the foot of a wall. It grows and eventually “creeps” all over the wall and ground until it covers everywhere. The interesting thing with this analogy is that, no matter how far spread the vines of a creeping plant go, when you yank the vines and follow and trace their route, ALL the far-spread vines lead to that one place at the FOOT of the wall where that first tiny bud appeared. Only this time, it has a deep-seated root that may take some serious digging to remove, leaving considerable damage in/under the wall. This is EXACTLY how a foothold operates.

Footholds come on two fronts—BESETTING SIN and COMPLACENCY. Think of each as the young bud that appears at the foot of the wall. For the purpose of this topic, we’ll stick to the one that matters: complacency.

Complacency is a passive, non-aggressive approach to specific instructions that God has given about certain matters. Sometimes even, it’s a direct IGNORING of God’s specific instruction about a particular issue WITH the attitude that it “really” doesn’t matter, or it doesn’t apply to you, or that it CANNOT hurt you or affect you badly.

For Samson, his complacency was the women in his life.

In Old Testament times, God specifically warned His children to marry outside of Israel unless the foreigners were grafted in, as was with Rahab (Joshua 2; 6:22-24, 25) and Ruth (Ruth 1-4) Moses gave instructions for foreigners who wanted to be a part of Israel. And God hasn’t changed His mind about this Today. It is amazing the degree of damage that has come to God’s children because of this same mistake, yet, some people still believe that “it could never happen me” or “even if something did happen, I can always bounce back stronger; I’m invincible!” Let me say this real quick before we continue: the trials that God permits to come to you that enable you to “bounce” back stronger do NOT include you directly VIOLATING His specific instruction. Yes, when you make a mistake, He will lovingly raise you up again by His wisdom and grace, but it is NEVER His intention that you go the wrong way in the first place. So do not mistake past victories in trials as an indication that no matter what you do, you will come out stronger. It nearly isn’t always the case. Samson triumphed for a while with this, but when Delilah came along, he fell, and his fall was great. God helped him to rise again, but the damage done was overwhelming—so overwhelming that he preferred death.

This is the reality of what a “foothold” is capable of, if you keep going. As a side note, whatever your foothold is, do yourself a favor and pay attention to what God is telling you. God won’t send multiple warnings to you if this isn’t important.

Back to the topic. The women.

With the above being said, this next sub-topic is to SPECIFIC people. This does NOT apply to every child of God, because, God leads each of us in different ways in the matters of choosing a life partner. For this context, there are certain people who are looking to God for a life partner, and have probably found someone that they believe is the “right one” for them. So far, so good, everything about this person checks out. Except for one thing.

SPIRITUALITY.

The interesting thing about this is how deceitful our hearts or the devil could be in presenting you with a life partner. Perhaps, you’re a child of God who’s concluded based on past experiences and hurts that you will NEVER be romantically involved with another Christian, because, for the life of you, you’ve found that a lot of “Christians” are terribly stringent in their approach to life, and so cannot understand your worldview nor the liberty that you believe the Holy Spirit provides for God’s children—for as many as are willing to allow themselves to be set free from legalism. It’s frustrating, annoying, and you’ve come to a place where you’ve [stubbornly] decided that you will NOT deal with it any longer to the extent that you’re able to avoid it. This puts you in a dilemma. And so you say to yourself, you will find that special someone who “mirrors” your moral views, as well as your heart and purpose (if you’ve already discovered it). And that will be enough for you.

I’m sorry, but God doesn’t agree.

And before you argue, God has seen the end from the beginning, and in His wisdom, this is His final verdict on this matter. And guess what, God is a LOT wiser than you.

That being said, you’re taking matters into your own hands instead of trusting God to provide. It could be that you’ve waited a long time, and it seems God isn’t coming. Know this: He hasn’t forgotten you. If you take matters into your own hands by choosing outside of God’s children, I promise you this, heaven isn’t the only one who will take notice. The devil will to. And if you’re someone like Samson, anointed in a special way that sets you apart even among the children of God, be sure of THIS: THE DEVIL WILL COME AFTER YOU WITH EVERYTHING, and very likely, with a “Delilah.” It breaks my heart to say this, and I wish it weren’t true, but devil is NOT playing. He is serious. And God can only do so much, before you make that mistake that will make you fair game to the devil.

Let me be clear, the Delilah in your life wouldn’t have to be cunning and deceitful like the one in the people. In fact, as you initially proposed, they might be charming, sweet, and mirror your heart, purpose, and views in ways that will probably blow your mind. What you fail to realize is that, this person is actually a “masked likeness” of the person that God has for you. They are a likeness, but they are NOT the person. Two things will stand out about this person, and bear in mind that these two things are DESIGNED to keep you comfortable so that you will remain in your comfort zone. This is dangerous. This is complacency:

They will fit the “perfect image” that you created for yourself when seeking a special someone. They will likely come from your world, mirror your success, your drive for life, and will speak your “heart” language. Like I mentioned earlier, our hearts are deceitful, and consequently, what you “see” will make you comfortable. This is why the children of God are instructed to be Spirit-led.
They will appear to fit well your “SHAPE” (see Pastor Rick Warren’s teaching on SHAPE), but will lack in the most vital of them all: SPIRITUALITY/SPIRITUAL GIFT. What’s SHAPE, you ask. For a brief breakdown, S- Spirituality/Spiritual Gift; H- Heart; A- Abilities; P- Personality; E- Experiences. Everything about this person, from H to E, will be “special” or “perfect” for you, except for “S”. But you already decided that you didn’t want this any way. This is not only sad and wrong, but it will damage you long term. When discussing below the signs of the person that God has for you, you’ll understand why this is damaging, and also why this person that you’ve chosen for yourself is a “masked likeness” of them.

Who, then, does God have for you?

As mentioned above, this message is for SPECIFIC people. God doesn’t always operate this way with every child of His. For this particular group that I’m speaking to, you will HEAR from God concerning the one He has for you. I’m not talking about voices in your head. These two things will stand out about this person. He will CONSTANTLY impress them upon your heart/spirit and He will confirm it with His Word. For a broader understanding of how God speaks, I highly recommend you watch these free videos by T.D. Jakes, Rick Warren and Joyce Meyer.

Here are a few signs of the one God has for you:

God will set them before you, and He will do it in a way that you clearly did not orchestrate. You had no power or control over how you came to “see” them. He does it this way so that you’ll know it was Him, and not you.
At initial glance, they may very likely appear to be your worst “misfit”, until you look a little closer. Truth is, you will only realize how “perfect” you are for each other when God reveals or opens your eyes to see their heart and spirit. When God presents a person to you, don’t be so quick to peg them a certain way, and then dismiss them. There could be a whole lot more to that person that you don’t know because it isn’t obvious. For instance: I’m a dyslexic (who’s clearly overcome much of it; as you can see, I’m a prolific writer/blogger!) who’s passionate about justice, women’s right (with emphasis in human trafficking and self-defense), and children’s welfare (health, education, basic needs provision, evangelism, and anti-child pornography; sorry, I can’t pick one!) who THRIVES on encouraging the children of God to become EXACTLY who God has called them to be! Now, at first glance, you wouldn’t know that about me now, would you, because most of it is absent from my bio? LOL. Don’t be so quick to dismiss the one that God has set before you. Allow Him to show you their spirit.
In the place of prayer, meditation, and quiet time, God will CONTINUALLY bring them before you, and then confirm His Word concerning them to you. This will not happen with the one you’ve chosen for yourself. Test this. Whenever you pray to God concerning the person you’ve chosen, there’s silence, and sometimes even, unrest. But NEVER confirmation or peace. For the person that God will set before you, THROUGHOUT the season that the Holy Spirit will convict you concerning them, TAKE NOTE that it will ALWAYS or MORE FREQUENTLY happen in the place of prayer, meditation, and quiet time. Again, this will NEVER happen for the one that you’ve chosen for yourself.
About the time that God sets them before you, you will sense a season of preparation, where the Holy Spirit will “prepare” you to be a spouse with this particular person as the center of focus. This, too, will be made clear and obvious in the place of prayer, meditation and quiet time.
This person will be connected to you somehow. It doesn’t matter how far away this person is from you, but something about you connects you to them, or them to you. In fact, this connection might very well be the medium or channel through which God “set” them before you.
God will use them to speak to you without them realizing it. Some things about you that you KNOW THAT YOU KNOW only you and God know. God will use them to speak to you on matters that deeply concern you, but you’ve probably NEVER voiced to anyone or just a few people. The beauty of this is that, you will recognize that there’s NO way this person could have known to say those things to you.
God will use this person to hold up a mirror to you to see certain things about your life that you either need to let go of or change. Issues and hurts of the past that haven’t been dealt with, God will remind you of them, open them up, and heal you using this person, and this person may not even be aware that God is using them this way in your life.
Unlike the person you chose for yourself, this person will not only speak your heart language, but will also speak your spiritual language. That thing that you were so worried about—that they might not understand why you’re so different or why you view life and the world so differently—you’ll notice that they speak very similarly or perfectly to/like you. This is where they are a blessing to you in a way that your own “chosen” cannot be. You may wake up one morning and want to say, “God has impressed this on my heart to do so and so,” but you will not be able to share with your “chosen” to the fullest joys of your heart and spirit the way you would with the rest of your family and friends that share your faith. Eventually, this will break your heart and break you. There’s how far the two of you will go together before you both become frustrated. Some things, God will ask of you, which will require extraordinary faith, which only another believer can understand. These kind of feats appear very foolish to the ordinary person, and I promise, it will cause friction, either with them or in you. How? You may present this God-given desire to them and they’ll fight you (friction with them) or in fear of rejection, you may keep it to yourself and it will eat you up on the inside (friction within you). The implication of this is that, anyone who can speak a particular language, can also understand it when it is spoken to them. In order words, when YOU speak what God has impressed on your heart/spirit, the spouse that God will choose for you will not only HEAR you, they’ll UNDERSTAND what you’re saying. They WILL pray with you and for you, and “agree” with you in spirit and in truth. And for the days when your faith is failing, they’ll encourage you in the same way that your family/parents/friends initially did before you met them. Your own “chosen” cannot do this with you, and it will eventually damage you, your calling, your purpose, and more distraughtly, your life.
The case for this person will be stark raving overwhelming. [Almost] everywhere you turn to dispel what God has told you about this person being your mate, you will ONLY find more witness toward God’s Word to you. The only “alarms” going off will be the “alarms of doubt.” But as far as God’s Word and Him providing a witness, EVERYTHING will check out wherever you turn.
During the season of conviction, for the moments when you’re inclined to accept God’s Word, it is followed by increasing peace. But this will also do something else: there will be increasing unrest and a sense of [spiritual] detachment from the one you chose for yourself. The more you pray and listen to God’s Word, the more you’ll see that your own “chosen” is just a “masked likeness” of the one that God has/will set before you. This will be a time of intense frustration. But if you follow the Holy Spirit’s leading, you will come out on the brighter side of this very thankful/grateful to God.

If this message is for you, know that God sent it your way because you are DEEPLY LOVED AND CHERISHED by God, and He doesn’t want you to make a mistake that will damage the beautiful plan that He has for your life. Listen to Him and follow His leading. Secondly, if God tells you about a particular person being your mate, PLEASE give God a chance to speak to them to. Let them hear God. too, concerning you. Do NOT try to manipulate your way into their life. It will only end badly. I do NOT believe that God will tell you, and not tell them or direct them toward you. God is a God of order and not chaos.

God bless!

[image error]About the Editor

*The Article, I Am Samson (Part 1): The Women, first appeared on To Be A Person (TBAP) and is part of the I AM Series on this blog.

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Published on September 23, 2018 22:00

September 20, 2018

Entertainment Scoop ~ Interview with Music Artist Duo, Cliff & Antoinette Murray

Meet the Murrays! They are quite the amazing couple with a beautiful and inspiring story that mirrors the purpose of TBAP. They’ve been through so much individually and as a couple, and have come out together stronger with a testimony which displays the awesome goodness of God, the wonder of marriage, and the beauty of church community done right. Cliff and Antoinette released their album, self-titled, April 20th, this year (read the TBAP review here), and stopped by on TBAP to tell their amazing story—a story that could move anyone to tears, touching on love, redemption, healing, marriage, church, and family! Take a look!

Miranda ~ Hello! Delighted to have you visit TBAP today. Please tell us a bit about yourselves. Also, how did you become Christians? Tell us your story!

Cliff: Greetings in Jesus’ mighty name. Thank you for reaching out and for your kind review of our album! I’m from Corona, CA, but was born in Ohio. A pastor’s kid, I grew up in church and my earliest memories include felt board bible stories and church pot lucks. Somewhere along the way, I drifted from God through my teenage years. And by the time I got to college, though I didn’t know it, I was plagued with wrong mindsets; strongholds. The enemy of our souls prowls like a lion seeking to devour us as Scripture says. I truly became born again a few years ago when the Lord, by His Spirit, grabbed me and pulled me out of the darkness that had crept into my heart and poisoned my life and marriage. Unrepentant sin and unresolved hurt, no matter how far back in your life it goes, and no matter how far down you may think you’ve hidden it in your heart, never goes away, and even has a crippling effect over time. Jesus basically told me, “Enough is enough, no more going through the motions of church and aimlessly moving through this life bound up by strongholds! I have work for you to do!!! Let’s go!!!”

There is, of course, much more to the story, but that’s the short version. I have known Jesus my entire life. Three years ago, He pulled me out of the darkness, and into His fellowship and into His reality. He filled me with a fresh infilling of the Spirit, and began pulling down the high places and strongholds in my life and my heart. Gave me Kingdom perspective. Showed me that nothing I could ever do would save me or bring me back in good standing with God, but that Jesus did it all already on the cross. I just needed to yield my heart and mind to Him. See, that’s how the enemy works. He uses self-doubt, condemnation, and the subtle twisting of God’s truth to get us to relinquish our Jesus-given, Jesus-won power and authority to overcome, and then sits back to watch us writhe in our confusion and pain. The devil only has the power over us that we yield to him. In the throes of life, it can be easy to forget that if we resist the devil in the power and authority of Jesus Christ, the devil will flee!

Antoinette: Hello! Thank you so much for having us! I grew up surrounded by music and church! My dad was a pastor and my mom a worship leader. We moved a lot. But, we were in southern California most of my childhood. I had an encounter with God through the Holy Spirit when I was very young, around 6 years old. I was baptized when I was 9. I remember coming up from the water and being filled with so much joy. I asked my parents if I could do it again! They said, “No need.” There were things in my life and family that got shaken, and it gave way to confusion and a time where I was a bit lost. The Lord was very faithful to me during that time and really led me towards peace and away from chaos.

Miranda ~ When/how did the two of you meet, when did music become a part of you and, what led to the two of you deciding to go professional together instead of individually?

Cliff: We met in college through a mutual friend. And for me, it was love at first sight. Actually, the first time I met Antoinette, something stirred deep in my spirit as though my soul had found something it was missing, or rather was created to be with. It was like, in meeting her, my spirit said, “Oh! It’s you!” She was the one precious thing I didn’t even know my heart was yearning for, until the moment we met. Our relationship would later begin to grow during a season we both committed to do a musical at the school—during rehearsals, in the stairwells, talking and singing, and just getting to know each other.

As far as music, we both grew up playing and singing in church. And when we met, we were both writing and performing. Actually, we quickly discovered that writing music together was not very easy and was often a no go…that’s a different story! The beautiful thing now is that this EP we just released is really the first time she and I have written and collaborated together musically on original stuff in a significant way. It’s our testimony of the power of God’s redemptive love and reality in our marriage. As far as deciding to do this whole thing together, we were encouraged by many people at New Hope Oahu, where we consider our home church—that there was an anointing on each of us, but it was stronger when we moved and ministered together. It became clear that it was what the Lord had assigned for us to do all along; minister to Him and for Him, together. It took a number of tough years, and some major prayer, breakthrough, and deliverance for me to finally “get it.” For so many years, I was just kind of coasting through life, secretly crippled by shame and self-hate, just waiting for something to happen. You can’t hate yourself and love your family well! That’s why we gotta see ourselves the way God sees us! He is stoked about us! So many people relate to God as though He is an easily disappointed Dad. If that were true, then Jesus died for nothing!!! The wrath of God was satisfied in the death of the spotless Lamb, and we can come to the Father in Jesus name no matter what we have done or thought, and our Heavenly Father is ready to forgive and build up His kids! We just gotta let Him!

Antoinette: I met Cliff at our University. At the time, I was writing music and playing any place that I could. I was always looking for more musicians to play along with me! I led worship for one of the chapels at our university. Cliff was playing guitar! I thought, “Dang! He’s cute and he plays the guitar!” We exchanged numbers, but then completely forgot about each other for an entire year! We reconnected when a mutual friend directed a musical that we were both cast in. I thought he was even cuter and couldn’t help but try to get his attention. It worked! Eleven years and two babies later, I definitely got his attention! I think I’m doing a good job of keeping it as well.

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Published on September 20, 2018 23:00

September 16, 2018

Article ~ Yes And Amen

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It has often been said that God answers in three ways—No, Yes, and Wait. But have you ever wondered about the dynamics behind “Yes” and “Wait”? I like to say that “wait” is a form of “yes.” But what about telling the difference between a “No” and a “Wait.” How can you tell when you should give up or wait for something in faith?

The Holy Spirit does NOT mislead anyone. If the answer is “no,” He will shut the door, comfort your soul, inspire you to trust His leadership, and then lead you toward another direction by opening another door. The one thing He will NEVER do is, “string” you along. When it is a “wait” answer, you’ll discover that every time you want to give up praying for that particular thing, there’d be a stirring in your heart and soul inspiring you not to. Signs and messages from within and outside you will come along at just the right time so that you’ll never lose hope. That’s a “wait” answer.

Question. How quickly does God answer a prayer?

Immediately.

Confusing?

Let’s talk about this for a minute.

When you petition God, He doesn’t have to “think about it” to know if it’s good for you or not. He already knows because He wrote your story before you were even born (Psalm 139: 15-16; Jeremiah 1:5), and anything that would deviate you from that, as long as you choose His will, He will not permit you to have; He’s the One Who’s placed certain desires on your heart (before you were born) so that you will seek and, through His Word, discover His will and destiny for your life. And the desires that will enable that destiny, He will permit. So, He already knows ALL that’s good for you and doesn’t need to think on it. Take a look at Daniel’s story. When the angel appeared to him, he told Daniel that God had sent an answer the moment Daniel began praying, but he was delayed for twenty-one days because of the evil spirit that stood in his way, with whom the angel fought with until Angel Michael came along to help him (Daniel 10:12-13; Daniel 9:21-23).

There could be a number of reasons why we receive a wait answer, but one of them, I’ve come to discover, is the one I call the “waiting-in-training.” The moment a prayer goes up, God grants your desire by first, sending you a series of events to train you to handle what you’ve asked for. Let’s say a certain person says, “God, I desire to be married.” God Who’s put that desire on the heart of this person, triggers events to fine-tune that person in faith, character, and even spiritual things (because you will need communion with God to truly flourish in the purpose of marriage). If this person has a temper, or some other bad habits/character that they need to drop, God will inspire events that will not only hold up a mirror so this person can see these things, but these events will also emphasize the need for them to do away with such attitudes. This includes emotional wounds from past hurts and disappointments that have been left undealt with. This is where you find a lot of Christians stuck, frustrated and confused. Some are oblivious to this and so don’t understand why their prayers are supposedly not being answered, while others wonder why the more they pray, the more they’re supposedly bombarded with reasons why they’re “unworthy” of their request.

But each group couldn’t be further from the truth.

If you pay attention, you’d discover that God’s answer is actually a “yes,” but with a training attached to it, so that this child of God would be preserved and not get destroyed by this beautiful gift and destroy others as well. Rather than look from a point of view that says you’re unworthy, understand instead that what you’re being shown are attitudes you need to let go of (and the Holy Spirit is zealous to help you!). This is not meant to discourage you, but to give you hope, direction and what to pray for over your life. It’s like this, even though your teenage son is old enough to drive, no matter how much you love him, you will never give him a car and put him on the road on his own UNTIL he’s learned to drive and has a permit. Why? He could crash that car and hurt himself and others. So as a parent, would you fault him for not knowing how to drive or would you teach him to drive so that you can fulfill his heart desire? In the same way, our heavenly Father deals with us. Sadly, there’s a flip side to this. Some Christians forfeit their gifts because they refuse to submit to God’s leading, teaching, and therefore, healing.

What, then, does “Yes and Amen” have to do with any of this? How does it fit into our discussion?

The word, “Amen,” is classic Greek for “so shall it be,” “it shall be,” “may it be so,” and “may it be done.” Insert any of the above into this dash, “Yes and ,” and the expression gives you an understanding that associates with the “wait” answer.

What does this mean?

When you petition within the will of God, God’s answer to His Word concerning you is always “Yes and Amen” (2 Corinthians 1:20; because of the story He’s already written about you, Psalm 139:15-16). An answer is released the moment you pray. In yes, the answer manifests soon after prayer; in amen, you will be “prepared” or trained to receive the “yes.” In other words, the answer will be “it shall be.” Note that “shall” is a simple future tense. That is, it will happen in the future. Therefore, the expression, “yes and amen,” translates to “it will happen now” and “it will happen in the future.”

So if you perceive that God has laid a desire on your heart and you’ve asked Him for it, but it doesn’t seem to come, perhaps it’s time to ask the Holy Spirit to show you what it is you’re missing or not seeing. Perhaps, God, all along, has been preparing you (or trying to), but you’ve been following His leading and have been unaware of it or you’ve been resisting His training and have been unaware that you’ve been doing so. If you realize that you’ve been obedient in training all this time, be encouraged and keep going. Your “yes” is on the way. But if you realize that you’ve been resisting, stop doing so and submit to the Holy Spirit’s leadership and instruction. Obedience and follow through are important in learning everything you’ll need to be ready for what you’ve asked God for. You can be sure of one thing: God will NEVER give you ANYTHING (no matter how lovely) if you’re not mature enough to handle it, because it will not only hurt and destroy you, it will also hurt and destroy others. Secure God’s “amen” in your life by listening to what He is telling you in your spirit.

[image error]About the Editor

*The article, Yes and Amen, first appeared on To Be A Person (TBAP).

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Published on September 16, 2018 23:00

September 14, 2018

Book Review ~ This Is The Day By Tim Tebow

[image error]About the Book

Beyond Tim Tebow’s exploits as a Heisman-winning football player, he is widely known and respected for his exemplary character and personal excellence, which have made him a role model for millions. When Tim interacts with the public, he often encounters people who feel “stuck”–unable to take action on matters ranging from daily life to pursuing lifelong dreams. In response, Tim often identifies a crippling fear or lack of courage, to which he advises: “now is the time to take some risks, to quiet the voices of defeat, to step forward and make a mark, because this is the day.” In this inspiring, motivational book, readers will receive the advice and encouragement to daily move from “pause” to “play” in finding deeper meaning and success. Tim illustrates the book’s themes with stories from his personal life that will delight all readers, including his an update on his dream pursuit of a baseball career.

September 13, 2018

Entertainment Scoop ~ Interview with Screenwriter & Executive TV/Film Producer, Reuben Evans

Reuben Evans is a brilliant screenwriter and the executive producer at Faithlife TV/Faithlife Films, and has been for over ten years. Reuben is also the head writer and script supervisor for the highly anticipated forthcoming Christmas comedy classic, The Farmer & the Belle, due for release Thanksgiving 2018. Reuben took some time to dive into his faith, personal life, and work as an executive producer of Christian TV/film. Take a look!

Miranda ~ Hello Reuben! Honored to have you visit TBAP today. Please tell us a bit about yourself.

Reuben: Great to be with you. I’m from the beautiful Pacific Northwest where I work as a filmmaker and Executive Producer for Faithlife TV/Faithlife Films. I’m married to my lovely wife, SaraAnn, and I’ve got four little kids.

Miranda ~ How did you become a Christian?

Reuben: I actually became a Christian at the age of eleven. I watched The Jesus Film and they gave an invitation to trust Christ at the end. I ended up kneeling beside the TV and accepted Christ.

Miranda ~ In what way do you believe your personal journey as a Christian/Executive producer for Faithlife TV inspires those around you?

Reuben: I hope that we can use the media of filmmaking to inspire an awe of God in others.

Miranda ~ When did entertainment/film become a part of your life? What events inspired, and in particular, led to you to this industry?

Reuben: I’ve been doing video production at Faithlife for over a decade now. But what really launched me into filmmaking was a very personal project. We did a documentary, Reunion (also on Faithlife TV and Amazon Prime), a film which told the story of my wife’s adoption and reunion with her biological family. It’s a truly unique and inspiring story.

[image error]Miranda ~ You’re working with Jim and Jenn Chandler on their forthcoming movie, The Farmer & The Belle, a movie that’s being projected to be a major Christmas classic. What inspired you to join the team?

Reuben: I met Jenn at the International Christian Film Festival. She is such an inspiring and hard-working actress. She was looking for people to help read what they had at the time. Soon thereafter, I joined the team and began work on script revisions.

Miranda ~ You’ve worked with a number of writers/professionals. For The Farmer & the Belle project, how did you pick your team?

Reuben: From the get-go, co-producer Joel Bunkowske, wanted to draw on the talents of a team. Jenn had a number of excellent connections with talented writers. They volunteered to read the script and give their insights. From there, we used a Faithlife group to coordinate the collaboration efforts. We had over a dozen contributing writers that we were able to work with. One of those writers, James M. DeVince, ended up taking an even larger role on the project and is credited as a co-writer.

Miranda ~ Who are the people that have inspired you the most professionally and personally? How so?

Reuben: I’ve been fascinated by those who have written about story structure: Joseph Campbell, Robert McKee, Christopher Voelker, Blake Synder and others. Understanding the building blocks of “story” helps us to write well and read well. It even helps us to have a deeper perspective on the stories in the Bible. And it helps us to learn humbly from those who have taken the time to master their craft.

Miranda ~ You’ve been on the executive production side of TV for some time now and have also worked on film. In what way would you say the Christian industry is different than the mainstream and, what would you like to see change on the Christian scene?

Reuben: The divide between Christian and non-Christian is essentially a marketing one. You are choosing an audience to serve. What I would like to see is that regardless of which audience we choose to serve, that we choose to challenge them to examine themselves. Christian entertainment that chooses to pander to Christian audiences instead of challenging them to a more Christ-like life are of limited value. So in addition to sharpening our crafts of writing, acting, and cinematography, we need the courage to produce scripts that seek to go beyond an “us vs. them” mentality.

Miranda ~ Using Faithlife TV as a positive platform, what do you believe you can add to the entertainment scene that isn’t already there?

Reuben: The kind of content that we are producing at Faithlife TV is designed to help you grow in the light of the Bible. Knowing and obeying the Scripture is key to Christian growth. We hope to help our viewers from young to old understand and apply God’s Word to their lives.

Miranda ~ What are you most grateful for right now and generally?

Reuben: I’m genuinely grateful for the opportunity to come home to my wife and kids at a reasonable time most nights. I get to do something creatively challenging, but in an environment that seeks to keep first things first. We push hard to make great Faithlife Films, like our latest documentary, Fragments Of Truth, but we never want to lose focus on the primary responsibilities that God has given us.

Miranda ~ What advice would you offer a person who believes they’ve been called to become a writer/producer?

Reuben: Seek to make good films. Read the books on screenwriting. Study the marketplace. Go to Christian film festivals and seek to learn from those in the industry. It is a fast changing market. Finally, go shoot a short film with your iPhone and a good microphone. Now you’re a Christian filmmaker.

THIS or THAT (The Fun Questions!)

Coffee or Tea? Coffee! Single shot 8 oz. half sweet vanilla latté

Gym or Outdoor? Outdoors—I live in the beautiful PNW! (Pacific Northwest)

Sneakers or Boots? In my heart I’m a sneaker-head; my first job was at Footlocker

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Published on September 13, 2018 23:00

September 11, 2018

Book Review ~ The Life Giving Leader: Learning To Lead From Your Truest Self By Tyler Reagin

[image error]About the Book

With clear biblical teaching and personal accounts, Tyler Reagin not only demonstrates the necessity of life-giving leadership, but also provides the steps you’ll need to begin knowing and leading from your truest self. From his experiences in high-impact leadership roles at some of our nation’s largest churches and ministries, Reagin has learned firsthand the importance of identity-based leadership. His desire is to help each reader become an empowered, confident leader that brings life and vibrancy to every room they enter. Whether you’ve got the corner office or you’re just getting started, Reagin gives you the tools you need to become an impactful and unique influencer right where you are!

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