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TM THE GOOD NEWS PAPER No. 416 YYOUTUBER’SOUTUBER’S ‘‘HUMDRUM’HUMDRUM’ HHAPPINESSAPPINESS ole LaBrant is a social choose Him and be free.” media sensation on his Growing up, Cole lived a simple, YouTube, Instagram and happy life in a Christian home with CTwitter accounts where he fi ve siblings and two parents. frequently uploads funny As a result, he says in a recent family-friendly videos and shares YouTube video, that he always beautiful pictures of him, his wife, felt that his fashion blogger Savannah, and his story of com- stepdaughter, Everleigh Rose. ing to believe He started fi lming videos while in Jesus was he was attending a high school in bland com- Alabama. His fame began to grow pared to when he and two of his friends made many others. videos together and entered com- “Whenever I petitions. The trio became known hear a testi- as Dem White Boyz and they soon mony about found considerable popularity on someone the web. This led to Cole creating his whose life was own solo account. falling apart Something that is very common and they’re for Cole to openly discuss on his suicidal or public platforms now is his faith in something, Jesus Christ. I could not “Just give me Jesus,” he wrote personally in a recent Twitter post. “Imagine relate,” he says, “But I thought it Cole LaBrant with wife Savannah and daughter Everleigh Rose: ‘You can still love Jesus while having fun’. purposely taking a murderers’ death was such an awesome, powerful INSET: Cole LaBrant at the beach, under his social media handle ‘thesupercole’ he is a sentence in his place or doing the testimony. It was great to watch and social media infl uencer with over a million followers on the musical.ly app. jail time a drug dealer deserves for I was like, ‘Man, God delivered that him. We would never. But that’s person and that’s crazy but me, I work in the humdrum as well as the with lying, dishonesty, lust, anger went to feel good. My church was exactly what Jesus did for us on have not done any of these things.’” dramatic and every story of faith is and all these other things. I was full of people who did not want to the cross. He willingly took what He felt that somehow his story inspiring in its own way. not on drugs, I was not addicted to change a single thing in their lives; we deserved just so that we may wasn’t worth telling. But God is at Cole admits that he has “struggled alcohol, but I was far from perfect. they just went there to make them- “I cannot remember an exact selves feel better.” moment in my life where I was ● like, ‘Now I believe in Jesus,’” Cole Turn to page 3 shares. “I remember that it was at some point around the ninth or TAKEN “AS IS,” FLAWS AND ALL tenth grade where I was like, ‘I’m BACK going to start pursuing Jesus instead PAGE BY CAROL ROUND, ASSIST NEWS SERVICE Author Steve Goodier once shared that humorous story and I saved it as a reminder not to expect of pursuing the world.’ But there HAVE you ever purchased a product labeled “as is?” We perfection in another while ignoring my own faults. was no determined point in my life trust the lowered price of the item we’ve bought will be We’re all fl awed and imperfect. Wouldn’t life be boring if where Jesus revealed Himself to me. worth whatever hidden fl aws might emerge later on. everyone were perfect? It was like His goodness has always On her 50th wedding anniversary, a woman revealed Goodier adds, “Even pottery may be closer to been there. I think that’s just a part the secret of her long and happy marriage. She said, “On perfection than we humans, if Belleek Pottery in Ireland of growing up and being blessed my wedding day, I decided to make a list of 10 of my is any example.” with a Christian family in a Christian husband’s faults which, for the sake of the marriage, I According to Goodier, every nished piece of home.” would overlook.” pottery undergoes a nal inspection. To examine for Cole confesses that, as a young One of her guests asked her what some of the faults imperfections, each pottery piece is held up to a bright boy, he struggled to fi nd meaning in she chose to overlook were. “To tell you the truth,” she light and examined for fl aws. If even the slightest church. “I did not really like church. replied, “I never did get around to making that list. But defect is discovered, the cup, plate, vase or sugar bowl It was so boring,” he says with a SSHOTHOT PPUTTINGUTTING whenever my husband did something that made me is destroyed—smashed to pieces. Blemished items are laugh. “You didn’t go to church hopping mad, I would say to myself, ‘Lucky for him that’s never sold as “seconds.” because you loved God or wanted FFOROR A PURPOS EA PURPOSE one of the 10!’” ● Turn to page 2 to have your life changed. You just 2 Challenge Edition 416 HOW TO BE AN OPTIMIST TThehe cchallengehallenge Jesus in jeans BY ALAN BAILEY either be optimists or pessimists as we face the future. But then, we say, THERE are many defi nitions of it all depends. It depends on how Pt 2: The fancy optimists and pessimists. I heard that we feel at a given moment. We are an optimist is a man who, having a bit like children in a playground. ooff forgivenesorgivenesss fallen o a twenty storey building, was Now back and forth on a swing, or banquet heard to say as he passed the window up and down on a see-saw, or going of the second level, “I’m OK so far.” round and round on the roundabout BY RICK LEWERS I know God has answers to all BY JODY BENNETT A pessimist is a man who until we don’t know what we think. things but that does not mean He wears a belt and braces too. The best thing to do is to live for have always needed forgive- lets us know what the answers are A modern rendering of the parable in So the optimist is the today, forgetting the question ness and I live in a world to all things. So, I must live by Matthew 22:1-14 person who looks on of whether there is hope for surrounded by people who faith in God amid my confusions THERE was a tycoon who threw a I party at a swanky restaurant. He issued the bright side, feeling tomorrow. need me to be forgiving. The and life’s imponderables. that better things are GETTING A LOOK AT THE diffi culty is that accepting for- My friend let a lot of people an invitation in the local press that up ahead. The pessimist FUTURE giveness or offering forgiveness down and misrepresented him- “whomsoever” wanted to come were is afraid that things will The Bible shows us that can be a real challenge. self and we could resent that for- invited. The only proviso was that they turn out badly. optimism and pessimism both have Such a challenge came with a ever but forgiveness is better. It is had to be dressed properly in the dinner PESSIMISM ON PARADE their place. In a clear way, the Bible morning phone call telling me my better for those guilty of sinning jacket that he provided. His Son had gone Today, you don’t have to try hard to shows that the human race is heading friend had been arrested the day against us and better for those out and, at much cost to himself, bought fi nd a pessimist. Ask an unemployed for a sticky end because the majority before. I was informed that 40 hurt by such sin. enough jackets to provide for all possible person, the person who has just lost are choosing to live without God. It years ago, my friend began hiding I note that forgiveness has attendees. money in business or has scrambled speaks of trouble and destruction of what he had done. nothing to do with deservedness. Well, the poor beggar man was only too out of the wreckage of a broken this earth, then judgment by God that I was reminded of those oft Forgiveness comes as an unde- pleased to exchange his raggedy coat for family. Why, not a news bulletin goes lasts forever. That’s pessimistic. quoted words, “be sure your sins served grace. It says volumes the fancy dinner jacket and go into the by, not a daily paper printed, without But then it speaks of great and will fi nd you out”. I don’t know about the forgiver while for the party. He was overfl owing with gratitude a good dose of gloomy forecasts. Aids, glorious things up ahead. It tells why people think they can hide forgiven they fi nd healing. I have and couldn’t believe his good fortune. the economy, trends in crime, the of people who are “more than their sins. If people don’t catch discovered that the most forgiv- Likewise the scantily clad woman environment, the threat of climate conquerors”; then it tells of people for you out, the guilt will trap you in. ing, merciful and gracious people who was cold in her fashionable but change, questions of peace and whom “all things work together for A family member said that in life are usually those who have inadequate outfi t, happily traded in her war.

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