Faith and Love . . . but Where’s the Hope?

Ray Johnston wrote this on Jun 9

Anyone who has been to a Christian wedding has heard this famous Bible verse—1 Corinthians 13:13—“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.” Christians and Christianity will never thrive without all three. However, the Christian church has spent years majoring on two and leaving hope out of the equation.

We major in faith. Every church has a statement of faith. You can’t get hired to work at a church without agreeing to one. You could fill stadiums with books on faith. I crammed three years of seminary into five years to study the Christian faith. Continue reading →

Hope Makes You Courageous

Ray Johnston wrote this on Jun 5

In my last blog, I introduced you to Hilda and her amazing, hope-filled work with children in the slum of Dandora, Nairobi, Kenya. She held onto hope for 15 years, and as a result a worship center was built that had a profound impact on the community. It’s been my privilege to work together with her.

On one trip, I knew a contested election had sparked riots across Kenya and angry mobs had torched practically everything since our last visit. Hilda greeted me, then said, “You have got to see this.” She dragged me over to the fence. Continue reading →

The 10 Percent Solution

Ray Johnston wrote this on May 21

A few years ago, I had the privilege of meeting with a leading psychologist who told me something amazing. He had built his career around working with deeply troubled married couples who had been damaging their relationships for decades. He enjoyed remarkable success in getting these warring spouses to turn the corner toward health. Counseling is not my greatest gift, so his obvious skill sparked my curiosity. How did he do it?

“I just try to get 10 percent improvement,” he said. “When couples get that 10 percent improvement, they get hope. And when someone gets hope, anything is possible.”

Continue reading →

The Greatest Single Human Being I Have Ever Met

Ray Johnston wrote this on May 12

I walked out of his house in the hills above Hollywood, telephoned my wife, and said, “I have just met the greatest single human being I will ever meet.” His name is Louis Zamperini. At age ninety-six, he is also one of the most energetic.

Over the course of my four-hour interview, it seemed that Louie’s life story could be described with three words: it gets worse.

Continue reading →

The Eleven Major Differences That Hope and Confidence Create

Ray Johnston wrote this on May 8

When you have hope, eleven things are unleashed in your life

You’re more successful
You feel more satisfied
You’re less affected by stress
You have more satisfying relationships
You’re physically healthier
You’re more productive
You’re more compassionate
You’re more willing to help people in need
You hold yourself to higher standards
You’re more likely to assume leadership
You’re more likely to see God as loving, caring and forgiving!

Continue reading →