 Come on - I'm sure you have 60 seconds spare and would love to watch a movie. If so then click the video below and see my latest trailer for "Four Given". It is fast paced and intense - after all that is what life often is. And don't forget to share your comments and views! By His Grace Malo Bel 60 Seconds - It could change your life
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 It's time to grab your popcorn, turn up the sound and settle back...Well, at least for the next couple of minutes. Here is the first official trailer for "Four Given". As Steven Speilberg was not available to direct this production and as the producer insisted it cost less than the making of "The Hobbit" the creative team was forced to use stunt doubles for all the main roles. Watch it NOW - and don't forget to leave us your feedback, so that the sequel can be even bigger and better!  The tension was palpable as Laura stepped up to the wheel. Three others stood behind clinging to their already earned prizes of $30,000. Yet here was Laura risking it all for the almost impossible prize of $10 million. No one ever won this and she would lose everything. "Inconceivable," I thought to myself, "it's an inconceivable amount of money. Imagine what I could do with that. My financial issues solved for ever and my dream of doing outreach work in Africa a reality. But it's not me. I just can't do it." "So you know how it works Laura," the game show host says in his lilting TV voice. "You have one chance to hit the gold spot with the dart." Laura looks down nervously at the small dart she is holding. The other three contestants stand looking on thinking about what they have decided - "Keep the certain cash and don't go for the impossible." The giant wheel begins to spin as the music starts. Faster and faster it spins as the tempo of the music rises too. "Are you ready Laura?" The game show host shouts beaming his whitened-teeth smile at her. "Are you ready to receive the impossible. Are you ready to get your dream?" Laura smiles nervously and says, "Yes, I think so." "On my count," the game show host continues, "throw the dream dart and claim your dream....three, two..." the music has reached it's crescendo and the wheel is a blur of lights as it spins..."one, THROW!" Laura seems to close her eyes as she throws. It's almost as if time slows down as the studio audience holds its collective breath. The small dart flies towards the impossible target and all of a sudden a dazzle of sparks and lights erupt from all around the wheel. The impossible has happened. Laura has won! I look on stunned from where I stand with the other two contestants. I can almost touch the wheel - that fortune - it was so close yet so impossibly far. That's my life. Seeing the impossible but never experiencing it. Seeing the dream but never reaching it. I suppose that's the way it's meant to be. I must accept what I have and not reach for the impossible. At least I have my $30,000. Iron chariotsI am sure we can all relate to this story in some way. We see others getting things that we don't have. Or we see a life that we would love, but it's just out of reach or just to scary to go for. And so we accept our lot and make the best of what we have been given. In Bible times, when the people were dependent on farming for their survival, where you lived was important. So for example while the views might be nice on a mountain, living there was not always a good idea. Mountains are stony and nearly impossible to farm. However valleys are flat and fertile and often have rivers or other water available. So the dream place to live was a wonderful fertile valley. Crops would be fruitful, farming would be easy and life would be great. "And they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley."(1 Samuel 6:13) However it so happened that in the days of the Judges that these awesome fertile valleys had a problem...an iron problem. "The Lord was with the men of Judah. They took possession of the hill country, but they were unable to drive the people from the plains, because they had chariots fitted with iron." (Judges 1:19) So there the people sat, living in God's strength up in the hills, looking longingly down at the valley - but unable to go there because of thee impossible to beat iron chariots. HOLD ON! This does not make sense. It says "The Lord was with the men of Judah" and then it says they are unable to drive out the people "because they had chariots fitted with iron." Iron chariots are stronger than God Almighty! What? How can this be? How can it be that God is with these people but He can't drive out a few iron chariots? BUT read carefully. Yes "the Lord was with the men" but "THEY were unable" to drive out the people. It was not God whose power was insufficient. "Was my arm too short to deliver you? God, who at a word parts seas has no issue with iron chariots. However the people did. "And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith." (Matthew 13:58) The problem was not with God, as it was not with Jesus when he sought to show God's power - it was with the people and their lack of faith! Looking at meSo we sit here reading this, marveling at how a people who have God with them, who have experienced his power don't believe He can do more. We are astounded by their unbelief, their limiting of God. Yet this story is not about them - its about you and I. "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us." (Romans 15:4) Forget the Israelites - this is us. This is our shocking story! From the beautiful fertile valley of life Jesus says to us living on the harsh mountainside conditions. "I have come that you may have life and have it abundantly." (John 10:10) He is saying - "Come down and live in the fertile valley of life." And what is our response? "It's not possible Lord. I know you are with me. I know you have worked amazing miracles in my life on this harsh mountain side, but Lord, the valley...the abundant life...the fertile life, that's not possible." And so Jesus stands in the beautiful valley calling... "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you." (John 14:2) and "my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:30) Yet we cannot enter the valley because (we believe) God is unable to give this life to us. And so we are left looking down into the valley of promise with some questions to answer. Do I still live in the difficult, trying conditions of a life of sin, temptation, and struggle? Do I still look at the fertile valley of life and Jesus' offer and believe that is not for now, not possible? Is it iron chariots that stop us from experiencing the abundant life? Too many trails, too many stresses, too many sins. If so am I limiting the power of God? Stop standing there looking on as others claim the impossible prize. Jesus offers us the life of promise. A life worth more than $10 million. Step forward and claim it. Unlike the Laura story, there is no risk here, there is nothing to lose, and everything to gain. All we need is to believe. God is able. God is willing. There is nothing besides faith that stands between us and experiencing his life of abundance. There is nothing besides faith that stands between us and the valley of life. Let us not limit God. "The pastures are clothed with flocks;  Thanks everyone who has helped me so far with both backing, and even more importantly, reading and reviewing my book Four Given. The book has risen from the mists of obscurity with a ranking of 5500 to its current rank of 462! This has only taken about 4 weeks, which is amazing considering how many books have been on the list for years. The goal is to reach the top 5, by God's grace. Should Four Given reach the top 5 it will be considered by Harper Collins for publication. Even should that not happen, I have been truly blessed by all the many reviews and comments I have received. Here are a few of the amazing rem... "Four Given is a work of art – anointed by our Creator for certain!...Brilliant action and emotion, moves the plot along toward and unexpected ending.” Stacey Louiso, Writing Down Life “I have enjoyed reading this. I honestly couldn’t stop...there is no joy like finding Jesus...I loved your book.” Elizabeth Kathleen, author of If Children are Cheaper by the Dozen. “This is honest writing, taking the reader into your heart.” Jenny Wren, author of Wednesday's Child. "I loved the story and couldn't put the book down…I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who is a Christian or who is seeking Christ." Lisa Vanderbilt - LVC Ministries "It read so like real life it was as though I was there with you, going through all the highs and lows together. Greatly crafted work. High stars. Well done." Brian Chambers – Author of Mary’s Magic Muffins If you have not had a chance to read my book, I really would appreciate your comments. You can read it for free on Harper Collins Authonomy site. By doing this you will help move me up the rankings.
If you have read my book I really would appreciate you posting a review both on Harper Collins and Amazon. Thanks again for all the amazing feedback. I feel truly blessed. Love in Jesus - Malo Sometimes words are not needed. God tells us all he needs to tell us in his stunning works of art. Today I came across these two trees, entwined, inseperable, indistinguishable - growing together. And what a lesson this is for us. 
 Crazy! That's what most of us were thinking as Nik Wallenda stepped out onto a thin wire stretched across the Grand Canyon, with no safety devices. Nik became the first person ever to complete the 1500ft walk across the Grand Canyon. With strong winds and dangerous cable vibrations there were some heart stopping moments, especially when he kneels down on the cable and stops walking! Praying to God the whole way, Nik finally steps off and is interviewed by Discovery Channel. Discovery Channel: "Now twice Nik we saw you go down to the wire to get readjusted, to get the balance." Nik: "Well I was building a huge rhythm in the cable and I had to sit down to hopefully take that rhythm out. That was the only thing I could do. What happens as I talked about, you can put a rhythm in the cable and if I didn't go down and kept walking it was just getting worse..." Besides Nik's amazing witness for Jesus, while crossing the Grand Canyon, I think there is another really important lesson that he (unknowingly) shares.
And so it begins to build up. From simple additions, added one on top of another, our life begins to get a rhythm. A rhythm that begins to build, and build and build...and before we know it, is threatening to topple us from our fragile wire suspended above the great chasm of life. None of these things by themselves is an issue, but as we commit to more, grab for more, try more it suddenly seems overwhelming. There is no time left as we continue to walk on, relentlessly on towards the other side. But all of a sudden it just all seems too much. And then what should we do? Simple! Exactly what Nik did. Stop! "I had to sit down to hopefully take that rhythm out. That was the only thing I could do." And this is exactly what God tells us to do. It is the only thing we can do. “Be still, and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10) The word "still" literally means to faint or sink. That is what we have to do. We have to sink down, stop - be still. We all need this in life. That time when we purposefully stop - and I don't mean stop to watch TV, or stop to read a book. Those are great too, but more importantly a time to stop, to be still with God. Jesus often did this to break the rhythm in his life - do we think we need it any less? "When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place." (Matt 14:13) We all need to make time, consciously make time for God. A time when we are alone, quietly with God. A time when we stop and listen. And in that time, in that quiet time we find for the the first time we can actually hear. We can hear a voice that is only heard when the raging noise of our life has been stilled. "The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” So now after reading this, before clicking the next page, making the phone call, racing to the car...or whatever it is, take a moment - and break the dangerous rhythm in your life's cable. BE STILL, and listen for God. If you enjoyed this post, please share it using links below, or leave a comment. Thanks...Malo.
 "Sigh" - How often do you find yourself sighing, letting your air out after getting frustrated by something? It's our bodies way of forcing us to let go. We want to naturally try harder, rely on ourselves, grit our teeth and make it work, hold it in....and so on. Yet eventually we all reach a point when we realise we just can't. We just can't do it ourselves. We just can't keep on worrying and make a difference. We just can't solve our problems. And so finally we are forced to let go. But that is just part of the solution. The second and more important part is to LET GOD. It is only when we give UP - and I don't mean give IN - but when we give UP to God that we can finally let God work in our lives. We know the wise words of Jesus, but do we obey them. Knowing and doing are quite separate things! “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat? ’ or ‘What shall we drink? ’ or ‘What shall we wear? ’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matt 6:25-34) But it is not just about letting go of our worry, it is then also about letting God. The difference between "Let GO !!" and a miracle is made by one small stroke of the pen. Just add "C", add "Christ" and we suddenly have "Let GOd!" - and what a difference that will be in our lives. "For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose." (Philip 2:13) So the next time you are frustrated, worried, anxious remember to breathe out and Let Go, then breathe in the Spirit of God and let Christ enter you and abandon yourself to him and Let GOD. Then as his peace quells our panic, marvel at the gift He gives to those who rely on Him. If you enjoyed this post, please share it using links below, or leave a comment. Thanks...Malo.
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