News & Articles

What You Really Want More Than Trophies and Awards

“Thank you for this lovely blunt object that I will forevermore use as a weapon against self doubt.”  ~ Anne Hathaway during her acceptance speech for winning the Golden Globe Best Supporting Actress award for Les Miserables.

The Confidence I hang out with wears pale blue and sunny yellow with a pleasant smile. Every whipstitch I talk her into donning rich jewel tones, like royal purple or emerald green. It’s taking time, but she’s becoming more open minded to vibrant colors.

     I assumed Anne Hathaway’s Confidence would be swimming in flashy colors. After all, isn’t she already swimming in millions? But apparently, even  successful Hollywood actresses aren’t immune to the squawking voice of Self Doubt.

     I’m certain Anne is exceedingly grateful for her Golden Globe award. It’s lovely to own a tangible reminder of your hard work being well received, especially in a subjective field like acting. But I believe what she’s really thankful for are the folks behind the statue, the people who placed their confidence in her abilities by voting for her in the first place.

     A well deserved pat on the back bolsters our own confidence in God’s calling for our lives. Whether the shingle outside your door says doctor or actor or writer or mama, we all need an inner circle of people who believe in us and what we do. People who put an arm around us or squeeze our hand and whisper, “Girl, you got this.” 

     To walk confidently in our gifts is not to hide from self doubt, but to look it in the face and say I am not a slave to you. Doubt may be part of our human condition, but it’s also an opportunity to remain close to Jesus and touch His wounds. Tangible reminders of His confidence in us shine near and far. May we open our eyes to see those sharp weapons against self doubt in our paths, and as appropriate, may we serve as confidence building treasure to others.

By Kristen

Copyright © 2013 Chasing Blue Skies, All rights reserved.

http://blog.todayschristianwoman.com//2012/01/can_weshould_weforgive_hollywo.html

http://churchexecutive.com/archives/church-executive-june-2012-volume-11-issue-6

http://www.reclaim7mountains.com/articles_view.asp?columnid=4334&articleid=81120

As actors and filmmakers waltzed down the red carpet for the Academy Awards show on Feb. 26, few knew that Christina Lee Storm and 30 others from the Hollywood Prayer Network had walked around the Kodak theater three evenings before to pray over the event.

Storm, who worked as the production supervisor of Best Picture winner The Artist, said the prayer walk was "better than the actual awards night."

"Going through the award season I realized that what we see on the screen, the red carpet, it's all a façade," Storm said. "If [the awards are] your end all be all, it's empty, it's not satisfying."

Karen Covell, the Network's founder, said the annual walk, now a decade old, helps Christians look at the show differently: Instead of fixating on a small gold idol, they grasp the brokenness in the lives of seemingly successful actors and directors.

Covell, a documentary producer, described the movie industry's makeup: "Only 2 percent of people go to church, many have never read a Bible, and are not at all aware of what faith in Christ is. ... [Hollywood] does not relate to the rest of America. It has its own culture, gods, language; we are ministering to a tribe of people who are not the same."

To read more click HERE.

Exactly ten years ago, this exact hour, I was trapped in the number 3 subway underneath the Chambers Street Station as horrific events of 9/11 took place above me.  I was trying to get home after organizing a prayer meeting for PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE ARTS in a building on the Westside.  By the time the subway back-tracked to 14th St., 45 minutes later, the towers were gone.

My wife had just dropped off our two youngest children at PS 234 only two blocks from the towers.  It was their first day of school.   As I ran back toward home, brushing against business folks covered in the white ashes, I realized that our loft may not be standing.   Instead, I decided to go to my studio below Canal St, ten blocks from the towers, where my wife, thankfully, left a telephone message saying that the children had been evacuated safely, and that she would meet me at the studio.  Even at that point, I had no idea what really happened.  Soon after, my wife's ghostly face told me enough: she had met Death face to face and survived.

To read more click HERE.

Is Church Life Stifling Your Creativity? by Donald Miller

I plan to watch the Academy Awards this year—which will be a first for me. I’m not much of a movie buff—in fact, of the fifty-six films...

Read More from Cynthia >>

“…and they lived happily ever after.”  How many stories end with that line?  Probably about as many as Industry believers step off the plane at LAX and proclaim that they made it!  No, just as Prince Charming and his newly rescued beloved have another journey of life ahead of them, so does the believer and Christ have a journey together once they arrive in Hollywood .  Click HERE to continue reading.

By Harold Fickett

Editor-in-Chief, Catholic Exchange

A prayer campaign for Justin Bieber—complete with a church discussion guide—initially struck me as a reach.  Justin Bieber?  Isn’t a teen idol who’s already a jillionaire about the last person on earth who needs prayer?  Get serious. 

   Then I saw an advance screening of the film, NEVER SAY NEVER, and reconsidered.  Justin is not merely a teen idol but a musical prodigy.  Right now, as an unformed teenager, he’s the creature of his talent, driven to unimaginable heights of popularity by musical gifts from God that he cannot yet fully appreciate.  

»

• Read more

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28dKUAEQu-8

Why is there a cross at Cahuenga?

http://www.hollywoodprayernetwork.org/content/the-cross-cahuenga-shining...

To read an article on what God is doing in Hollywood click below!

http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2010/s10030157.htm

http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=65618

By:  Ed Thomas - 1/26/2008

An Interview With Karen Covell

To understand more about why HPN is praying for Hollywood, click on:
Biola Magazine Article

The article below is a prayer Karen Covell wrote for the Globe Magazine praying for actress Annette Funicello.  As you read the article and prayer please also pray for the actress!

Globe Article:  Annette Funicello

JOEL STEIN:

How Jewish is Hollywood?

A poll finds more Americans disagree with the statement that 'Jews
control Hollywood.' But here's one Jew who doesn't.

by Daniel Henderson

Life is war! Our enemy is powerful, cunning, experienced, and supernatural.  His minions are multitudinous. His ways are devious and destructive.  He is a ravenous lion (1 Peter 5:8), appears as an “angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:14), and is working 24/7 all around the globe to undermine the work of the church and hurt the heart of Christ.

Source: John Robb, IPC
Excerpr from JOEL NEWS INTERNATIONAL 664  |  25 NOVEMBER 2008

Joe Eszterhas' latest book is a shocker, but not the kind that made him rich and famous.

Listen to the interview:

http://www.kkms.com/blogs/JeffandLee/11576916

News Summary:
Beverly Hills, CA - by Michael Ireland - ASSIST News Service

The Beverly Hills-based Hollywood Prayer Network will be honored with a WELL DONE AWARD from the Kingdom Assignment ministry for its commitment to pray for the people in the Hollywood Entertainment Industry -- the world's most influential mission field.

I'm sure many of you have heard and had questions about the new show "Book of Daniel". You may have also seen the boycott e-mail from AFA. We would like to offer a different perspective.

To all the people who are an integral part of Hollywood and all that occurs there...