Hope & the Villain

Villain Story #1: Is it you?

Hope Matters

Hey Hope Buddies,

Okay, so, Son loves watching episodes of the Care Bears. As I was passing through our living room one day, he was watching an episode in which I heard the villain yell to his ever-present sidekick who’d failed once again, “Do I have to do everything myself?!” I instantly thought of my dad who used to remark - when things went awry - “If you want something done right, you’ve got to do it yourself!”

I’m writing this hopeletter to explicitly and simply refute that with a…

🗣️NO, YOU DON’T!’

Listen, don’t be the villain in your own story.

You don’t have to do everything yourself, and neither are you the only one who can do it right. The truth of the matter is that you’re the only one who can do it the way you want it done. That’s the main reason we attach ourselves to these statements and make them true…for us.

Whatever it is can get done the way someone else does it, as long as the task is completed. Now, once we allow someone else to do it - whether it was done to our liking or satisfaction - we’ve got to strongly resist the urge to offer advice or “fix it,” or we may as well have done it ourselves.

Let me save you some time and energy. Let it go! Allow other people to do whatever that thing is. Ask for help, then let them help you.

Biblically, it’s appropriate. Hebrews 4:16 (The Message Version) states, “So let’s walk right up to Him and get what He is so ready to give. Take the mercy. Accept the help.” Of course, this is referencing our Lord. But if we are to model ourselves after Him and walk this word out in life, sometimes we’re the help and sometimes we need the help. We’ve got to get really good at learning when it’s time for which. But today, I’m talking about needing the help.

Hope Buddies, I want you to understand I’m writing this to you as I’m walking in the learning of it. So, I’m going to leave you with this. Don’t be the villain in your own story. No matter how it gets done, as long as it gets done…

💜,

Parthenia

Coffee Matters

Coffee Buddies,

Is this you?

It’s most certainly me and only in the mornings after my workout. I will fall for it every time. However, I have standards. I might even need to see the bag first. 😆

These are the circumstances under which I will not get trapped:

• Random store-bought coffee

• Mid-morning, midday, or evening coffee

• Unmarked styrofoam cup coffee

• Untested and unapproved gas-station coffee

My coffee has to be flavorful (not necessarily flavored) and sip-worthy (not gulp-worthy). I need to be able to savor it, and it’s that much better when I can have a conversation over it.

How do you get trapped by coffee?

I appreciate you taking the time to read this hopeletter about my life and coffee. Please share with a friend who could use a little hope or coffee recommendation.