How Does Being “In Christ” Bring Confident Hope?

February 25, 2021April 7, 20212 Comments

–This Confident Hope post is an excerpt from my latest Bible Study Gracefully Truthful submission

Ephesians 1:18-20

all images created in Canva.com for free

We Are Sealed

When we accept Christ’s wonderful gift of salvation, we are sealed by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is like earnest money. His indwelling in a believer is the proof of God’s guarantee that He will follow through with His promise and bring us home to dwell with Him forever in Heaven.

This is our confident hope!

One glorious day we will be fully alive and free from the temptation to sin as we live eternally in God’s physical presence. We have a guaranteed inheritance through Jesus. Paul wanted the Ephesian believers to know the great magnitude of this rich inheritance in God’s people.

We are HIS Inheritance

We usually think only of our inheritance as salvation, righteousness, or Heaven, but Paul wanted the Ephesians to understand they were so precious to God that He considered them His own inheritance. Knowing our spiritual poverty, we wonder how God can find anything of value in us, let alone His own inheritance.

His Investments in Us

Yet God creates unspeakable riches out of poor men and women because He invests Himself in them. He has invested riches of love, riches of wisdom, riches of suffering, riches of glory, and riches of holy transformation. These things accrue to a rich inheritance in the saints. (Enduring Word) He has invested Himself in us and His return on that investment will be magnificent!

“Because of His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…” (1 Peter 1:3-9)

It’s a Glorious Hope!

What a glorious hope we have! I urge you to read the entire passage in 1 Peter! No matter what we face in life, hope in Jesus is certain and sure, never fading away. This confident hope comes from the sealing of the Holy Spirit. We know, that we know, that we know, that God holds our lives and our souls for eternity, sustaining us through His Word.

We can trust Him with eternity, with our next breath, our next celebration or tragedy; He will never change or abandon us. We can remind ourselves of His faithfulness by

1. reading accounts of His perfect timing in human history (see The Hall of Faith in Hebrews; look for “faithfulness” in the Psalms 66, 74, 80, 81, 89, 111, 114, 135, 136; read God With Us by Christoph Barth );
2. read about His faithfulness to the apostles (The Acts of the Apostles);
3. and encourage one another about His faithfulness for all believers (Hebrews 10:23-25), including you!

Hold Tightly to Your Confident Hope

Holding tightly to our assured hope is hard, but if we keep a written record of God’s specific blessings, we can remind ourselves of His faithfulness when our faith is weak. In my own life, there have been many trials, but my hope is found in knowing God is faithful and never fails.

my hope is found in knowing God is faithful and never fails. #confidentHope Click To Tweet

Write Your Own Psalm

I like to use Psalm 136 as a template to write my own blessings from God; repeating after each blessing, “His faithful love endures forever.” I pray you have this confident hope in Christ! It is yours by giving your life completely to Him. Leave everything in His hands and you will find peace, hope and security.

This is just an excerpt of the Bible Study I wrote for Gracefully truthful. Follow this link to read more.

Learn More about Knowing God here.

The Hope of God With Us

December 22, 2020December 19, 20204 Comments

The Hope of God With Us was originally published at Gracefully Truthful. It is not part of the Church of the Nazarene Advent Series; however, it certainly follows the theme of God With Us.

Read Ezekiel 37:15-28 First

70 Years in Captivity

Ezekiel lived during the 70-year captivity of Judah in Babylon. The prophets Jeremiah and Daniel were his contemporaries. The nation of Israel had forgotten God and become idolatrous by worshiping other gods. Through prophets, God repeatedly warned them about their sin and the coming destruction as a result.

Even after they were captured, they took on the pagan gods and beliefs rather than standing up for the One True God. They had a “form of godliness but denied the power within.” (2 Timothy 3:5, Titus 1:16) They ignored the prophets, so God “left them to their own devices”. They wandered so far from God they no longer had unity within the nation.

In just a few short generations after King David’s reign, the nation split into two nations. The Northern Kingdom (10 tribes led by the half-tribe of Ephraim) and the Southern Kingdom of Judah (The tribes of Judah and Benjamin). The Northern Kingdom had already been overtaken by Assyria during Ezekiel’s ministry and finally, God allowed Babylon to overtake the Southern Kingdom as well.

Valley of the Dry Bones

Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed, and the people were taken captive where they remained for 70 years. Ezekiel’s ministry was during these 70 years. In the first half of chapter 37, Ezekiel has a vision in the Valley of the Dry Bones. Ezekiel was amid piles of dry bones depicting the futility of the people’s lives without the Lord God.

The people did not care about God. Even if they were still worshiping Him, it was in a ritual only as they followed the cultural influences around them. They were dead in their sins and, for Ezekiel, it seemed there was no hope. But God showed Ezekiel He would raise His nation up and make them alive again.

The Promise of Hope

After 400 years of silence, God began to move again among His people and so, the dance began again. John the Baptist was conceived as a forerunner to Christ. He leaped in his mother’s womb just being near the mother of the Messiah. Doesn’t your heart leap at the joy of this news?

And who could forget the angelic announcement of the birth of Christ? Think of it! If I were a shepherd, I would not be able to keep still with excitement at the prospect of this joyous time. Hope was being fulfilled as Emmanuel (Jesus) came to humanity; God with us! A different age was about to begin, the Age of Grace under the Covenant of Redemption. Not only is God with us, but His Holy Spirit can live within us if we trust in Christ as our Savior!

The light of the world has come to chase away the darkness and the people began to dance in the light!

The Hope of Peace

God’s promise of restoration was depicted in the two visions of Ezekiel. First, the vision of the dry bones and then the two sticks coming together as one. Once they are joined, we will enter the Covenant of Peace. (Ezekiel 37:26)

This will happen when Christ returns to earth and sets up His Kingdom. When God initiated the Covenant of the Law with Moses, he created the physical nation of Israel. When Jesus instituted the New Covenant of Redemption, God created the spiritual nation we call “the Church.”

Soon it will be time for God to bring these two together. Both the spiritual and the natural must be in perfect balance, so God can create for Himself “one new man” from the two that will bring true peace in an Age of Peace. (Ephesians 1:9-13, Ephesians 2:14-17).

In the Age of His Kingdom, Jesus will be the Prince of Peace. All things will balance out with His government. His judgment will root out evil. Once evil is removed, His Truth and Grace will be in balance with His Government of Peace. Jesus will reign, and we will be in the presence of God forever.

God’s Peace will be revealed, and we will experience the “peace that passes all understanding” to the full! (Philippians 4:7) We have His peace within our hearts, but on that day, complete peace will be established. Finally, the prophecy of God’s Presence among us will be fulfilled and we can say as Isaiah prophesied,

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light. A light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness. You have enlarged the nation and increased its joy. The people have rejoiced before you as they rejoice at harvest time.”
(Isaiah 9:2-3)

It will be the greatest Dance of Joy ever!

Mandy

Follow this link to deeper studies at Gracefully Truthful

Streets of Hope

August 1, 2020July 30, 2020Leave a comment

Movie of the Week

In looking for some hope in our scary world, I’ve been watching movies and reading books based on true stories. I’ll tell you I have shed more tears, both of sorrow and joy, on this journey hearing the stories of others.

Recently, my husband and I have ventured on The Dove Channel. As you might expect, it is a Christian based channel with stories of hope and love and JESUS. This week we watched Rev. Roger Minassian’s amazing story of perseverance and love in a movie called Streets of Hope.

“at the age of 53 left the security of his pastorate to step outside his comfort zone to do the truly amazing. Knowing nothing about gang youth, he took to the streets and transformed our city, ravaged by gang violence, by taking hundreds of gang kids off of our streets. It is also the story of Santos Delgado, a gang member, who at age 16 had no future and little hope. He knew his future was either prison or death. His girlfriend was pregnant. He had to make life-changing decisions. This film is about taking risks, embracing change, overcoming the impossible, and finding hope.”
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1954442/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl

Taking it to the Streets

I found myself hoping against hope with every decision Santos made. I felt the frustration of Rev. Roger Minassian as time after time kids went back to the gangs, sometimes ending in death.

Perseverance was the key. Rev Roger Minassian had to remind himself over and over that God placed him there for a purpose. Imagine how he must have felt at times, wanting to give up, but remembering that if he could reach even one kid it would be worth it all. I was thrilled to see that indeed, he reached way more than 1 kid.

Streets of Hope Recommendation

Streets of Hope is a keeper. Find it on Amazon, Vudu, and YouTube. Check out the trailer below.

Book Review: Fully Alive

June 19, 2020June 11, 20202 Comments

This summer (2020) Susie Larson is offering a free online study of her latest book, Fully Alive. This was such a helpful book for me, so I decided to repost this review. She is offering the book for only $10 [CODE: FAITHRADIO] and the study is free! Sign up at the end of this post.

NOTE: I received this book at no charge in exchange for writing this review. These words are my own opinion and I have not been compensated to say them.

Dare to Hope again

Have you been losing your hope lately? What is it that is pulling you down into

despondency?

Dare to Hope Fully Alive — Susie’s Larson’s new book

Sickness?

Fear?

Guilt?

Worry?

Grief?

Discouragement?

Insecurity?

Selfishness?

Look up because there is AlWAYS Hope in Jesus.

Continue reading →

In Search of Resources for Grief

October 30, 2019October 30, 20194 Comments

In search of Resources for Grief

This month on the blog, we have been sharing journeys with grief. Today, I want to share a few resources for grief that I have found this month.

Personally, I am not on a journey with grief; however, there are many ways to suffer a loss that requires a grieving process. I (Mandy) have lost much in recent years including my health, my ministry with my husband, our home, our bank account, and our small annuity. I shared more specifically on this two years ago with my friend and fellow blogger, Nan Jones.

In searching for what to share this month, I discovered a new book just getting ready to release in November. It was on a list of books to preview and review so I picked it up.

A book release, Loss, Survive, Thrive

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Just like the other posts I have shared this month. Loss, Survive, Thrive is a collection of grief stories from grieving parents. Stories told by fathers and mothers who have lost children due to many senseless tragedies:

Loss of a Baby
Death Through Illness and Disease
Loss through Accidents
Loss Through Suicide
Through Mental Illness Leading to Death
Drug Addictions
Murder
and Even One who Experienced Multiple Deaths

There are no words

Mark Twain, always a master at painting pictures with words, was left utterly speechless when attempting to express how he felt after the death of his twenty-four-year-old Susie. He wrote, “To do so would bankrupt the vocabulary of all the languages.” To this day, that is the best description of grief I have come across.
Susan Whitmore, Loss, Survive, Thrive

These stories will tear at your soul and tug at your heartstrings. They will bring tears to your eyes. But still, no words come to mind to make the journeys easier.

However, this book is not all sadness because these families also walked through the strife into thriving. Each family found a way to make sense of it all, if only slightly. They found ways to speak this child’s name for eternity; a way to remove the senseless reasons behind the grief. Of course, grief journeys will always seem senseless but if we look closely, we can find a way to keep them from being useless.

Grief journeys will always seem senseless but if we look closely, we can find a way to keep them from being useless. #netgalley #bookreview #losssurvivethrive Click To Tweet

These families have found that in sharing their journeys with grief they are able to help others travel through similar sorrows. In doing so, they found that their own grief became just a tinge easier to bear because now we can all bear it together.

C.S. Lewis says, “We read to know that we are not alone.” Anyone striving through a journey of grief can read this collection of stories and maybe, just maybe it will hold them up a bit.
Susan Whitmore, Loss, Survive, Thrive

Finding Ways to Thrive

Someone once said to never let a trial be wasted. Grief works in ways that teach us to help others. When I lived far from home and would get lonely, my mother always told me to reach out and help someone else. It really does make a difference and somehow brings joy into any situation.

Some of the ways these families have found to pay something forward include establishing groups or foundations that can help support others in the same place.

If you need some grief support, maybe their actions will be the place you find peace in your sorrow. Here are a few resources for grief shared in the book.

Grief Haven
Infant Loss Organization
A book: Footprints on the Heart: A Remembrance Anthology
Grieve Out Loud
Five Element Acupuncture Institute
starting a foundation for a Children’s Hospital Family House
Just writing/blogging can be therapeutic. Here is one blog from the book luminousblue5.com
Giving of Gifts to celebrate special days
Expressions through art, writing, and poetry

“In some ways suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning.”
-Viktor E. Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning

Thank you, NetGalley, Meryl Hershey Beck, & publisher, Rowman & Littlefield for giving me a copy and allowing me the opportunity to read and review this new book.

But something was missing

I found this above-mentioned book excellent for finding connection with others who have lost children. Also, it is encouraging for finding a way to thrive beyond the grief; however, for me as a Christian, I found something missing.

While some did mention God, I found it quite lacking in stories of faith. Families that leaned hard into the hope that comes only from God. So I went looking for another option for you. I remembered my author/blogger/friend, Karen Sebastian who writes about the hope she has found in the dark places of her own life.

Ride the Waves to Comfort

I realized that I already had purchased two of Karen’s books and they were waiting for me right on my Kindle:

The Power of Hope in Mourning: Ride the Waves to Comfort
The Power of Hope for Caregivers

Karen’s The Power of Hope in Mourning: Ride the Waves to Comfort is about her journey of losing her father. “Ride the Waves” was a phrase her father used while she was growing up, encouraging Karen to “go with the flow” and things would turn out alright.

Relating to our day-to-day, even moment-by-moment, journey through grief Karen will walk with you through your pain. She “rides the wave” with you as you, knowing that God is there carrying you through.

You will find her guidance towards hope neatly put together with lessons from her own journey with grief, practical advice, and spiritual guidance. This Hope that is missing from the aforementioned book review is everywhere in this book.

A thought of my own

We often hear others say that God will not allow us to go through more than we can bear. However, this statement is not Biblical. The truth is that you WILL go through much more than you can bear. But the joy in this is: GOD CAN BEAR IT! Just rest in Him and His comfort.

Rabbi Harold Kushner reminds us “We can endure much more than we think we can; all human experience testifies to that. All we need to do is learn not to be afraid of pain. Grit your teeth and let it hurt. Don’t deny it, don’t be overwhelmed by it. It will not last forever. One day, the pain will be gone and you will still be there.“

Additionally, I must add to Kushner’s thought; lean hard into God. He promises to take care of us. He promises to go through the high waters with us. And when we come out on the other end, we will be stronger, wiser, more understanding, and probably a bunch more.

when we come out on the other end, we will be stronger, wiser, more understanding, and probably a bunch more. #grief #trials Click To Tweet

Hold to His Promises of Hope;

I pray these resources for grief are helpful for you. May God hold you in His arms and comfort you today and always.

My Peace Through the Storm

June 3, 2019June 8, 20202 Comments

Hurricane Season is approaching

In Savannah, we all know what it is like to be awakened in the night with blaring horns warning us that there are severe storms in the area. I recall into the midwest that storms and tornado warnings could come upon us quickly as well. Either way, it’s a frightening experience.

Just like in a tropical storm, we have no control of where or how the storms come in our lives. It may barrel straight through us or it might skirt around us. Some storms may be strong and dangerous and others are slow and become just a thunderstorm or even just a bit of rain. One never knows.

Isn’t Living For Christ a Cake Walk?

We would like to think that if we are following the Lord, life’s path will take us through smooth sailing. But this is not true. The Bible says, “In this life, we will have trouble.” (John 16:33) The Promise we do have is safety through the storm.

Oh, how we must learn that God is faithful through the storm.

God Sees us THROUGH the Storm

pathway through the waters, peace and hope — image built in YouVersion

He will be right there with us, our haven. His path will help us grow and learn. We will be strengthened to face another day. He provides for our every need in every situation. There is Hope in the Hard Places.

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed
2 Corinthians 4:8-9 ESV

But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
Isaiah 43:1-2 ESV

Why do we worry and fret and not live in the peace that He offers us? Why do we allow the projected path of a storm to get us all worked up? We aren’t showing the world a reason to follow Christ if we fret and worry over our situation.

We aren't showing the world a reason to follow Christ if we fret and worry over our situation. #peace Click To Tweet

But when we have peace in the storm, THAT is when people stop and wonder what it is that makes us so calm. This is when we exemplify the peace that Christ provides.

When we have peace in the storm, THAT is when people stop and wonder what it is that makes us so calm. #peace Click To Tweet

Let’s rest in Him through our trials so that He gets the glory and we get the peace that passes all understanding.

Let's rest in Him through the trials so that He gets the glory and we get the peace that passes all understanding. Click To Tweet

Enjoy This Hymn Favorite

P.S. I’ve been introducing the old hymns lately. This seems like a good time to share a hymn…

“There is Peace in the Midst of the Storm”

When the world that I’ve been
Living in collapses at my feet
And when my life is all tattered and torn
Though I’m wind-swept, I’ve been battered
I’m gonna cling unto His cross
I’ll find peace in the midst of the storm

-by Stephen Adams

There is peace in the midst of the storm-tossed life
There is an Anchor, there is a rock to build my faith upon
Jesus Christ is my vessel so I fear no alarm
He gives me peace in the midst of the storm

Peace in the Midst of the Storm: Performed by The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir

peace in the storm, jesus is peace — photo by Mandy

How to Find Hope in the Hard Places

March 5, 2019March 6, 20192 Comments

hard places book — image provided for Sarah Beckman

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am not being paid to write this or being told what to say.

There’s nothing like reading a book that you wish you had earlier but then realizing the Lord directed you to survive in the very way the author has suggested. That’s what I found in Sarah Beckman’s book, Hope for the Hard Places. That is exactly what happened to me.

Our family has had our share of hard places: chronic pain, job loss, bankruptcy, grief, You name it. Sarah offers some definite steps in how to handle a crisis. And everyone, one time or another, will need this guide.

If you are in a hard place, this book is for you. It’s a beautiful guide to making it through the worst of times whether it is from grief or sickness or any other trial. If you need encouragement, go ahead and read the last chapter.
Then start from the beginning and read IT through. This book is filled with practical advice along with the spiritual. Trust me you will be glad you picked this one up.

Everyone will need this guidebook sooner or later. Buy it today, get bonuses. #hopeforthehardplaces #pastors #grief #cancer #chronicillness Click To Tweet

Sarah will tell you how to place the right people around you and what you need to have at your access. She will offer you great ways to get what you most desperately need in your own time of crisis. This book will help you deal with words that hurt and friends that disappear. Sarah will also help you look inward to change impossible expectations and how to give yourself grace when you fail to rise to your own expectations for yourself.

Most importantly, she talks about your own soul-care for this, to me, is the most important thing you can do in a crisis because as the scriptures say, “For what profits a man if he gains the whole world but loses his own soul” (Matthew 16:26) I’ll let you get the whole explanation by reading the book yourself but here are the steps in a nutshell.

5 Steps of Soul-care during a Crisis

Listen to God – Ask “Why me?” but also “What now?”
Be Honest with Trusted Friends – tell them what you need
Trust God without any Expectations – He sees you & knows what you need
Choose Joy – A positive outlook makes all the difference
Spend Regular time in God’s Word – Cindy Barnes recently wrote this about regular time with God here on the blog.

Get bonus products by ordering today ~ LAUNCH DAY, March 5th

There is so, so much more in this wonderful guide for the hard places. Please go get your own copy to read and keep on your shelf. Trust me. You or someone near you will need it soon.

The Perfect Guide for When you are in Hard Places. #grief #cancer #chronic illness Click To Tweet

And Hold on to Jesus, He’s got this.

P.S. Free Resource – How Can I Help

I wrote about how How you can Help Other s when they are in crisis. There is a free resource there.

You may also like Sarah’s book, Alongside which guides you to come alongside a friend who is in crisis.

Mayo Clinic – How Healthcare Should Be Done

October 11, 2018July 28, 20216 Comments

HEALTHCARE UPDATE 2021: Mayo Clinic ranked No. 1 hospital in the nation by U.S. News & World Report – Mayo Clinic News Network

Inside the Doors of Mayo Clinic

As soon as we entered through the doors at Mayo Clinic, we felt peace and hope. We had never experienced anything like the atmosphere and the love and care we felt when we arrived.

When we turned the car onto the campus we felt peace. We saw beautiful landscaping with trees and flowers and water fountains as we drove onto the campus. We drove right up to the building we needed to check into.

Continue reading →

Two Lessons from Hannah’s Prayer

October 10, 2018October 10, 20184 Comments

¹⁰Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord. ¹¹And she made this vow: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut.

.

Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad.

1 Samuel 1:10-11, 18 (NLT)

When I read about the anguish in Hannah’s heart, my own heart is pricked.

Do I Pray with Deep Anguish?

First, while I had a great desire to have children, I don’t know this kind of pain of waiting years to be blessed and seeing others around me having children when I did not, however, I do know about pain of a different kinds=. I have actual pain from my chronic illness, I have aching pain for family members that are far from God, I know the pain of rejection.

But I wonder at times if my pain has been deep enough for me to cry out to God in “deep anguish”. I wonder if I have ever fallen before God begging him to work in my life or in the lives of others. Do I fall prostrate before God, asking and fasting while I pray for Him to intervene?

When we say that we are praying for someone, do we really pray for them or do we just hope that things will get better for them? Do we actually take the time to stop and focus on God and ask Him to intervene? I have recently made an effort to always place the person’s name in my prayer journal app. (See Prayer Popper) I don’t say I will pray unless I place them in this journal. This brings them to my mind occasionally and I do lift them up in prayer for a moment. But I still wonder if I am praying or just wishing and wanting. Do I get serious about intercession?

Secondly, Do I Believe God will Answer?

After Eli blessed her and asked God to grant her request she “went and ate with her family and was no longer sad.” She accepted with confidence that God would now answer her prayers. She was no longer distraught over her situation. She left it in God’s hands.

When we are distraught over our situation, do we take it and lay our concern on the altar and then go away “no longer sad”? Or do we pick up our concerns and take them with us?

Are we content to trust Him no matter what His answer may be?

Hannah was able to leave her request at the altar. She went home and was happy. She had not received her heart’s desire yet but she now found joy in her God. Her faith held her up.

Our hope should be in God not in our desires.

Are we devoted to God regardless of whether God has met those desires? Are we willing to give back to God the very things for which we are praying?

I challenge you to lay your burdens on the altar of God and leave them there. Remember, he promises to give rest to our souls if we bring them to Him and let Him do the work.

Movie Review: Breathe

October 9, 2018July 30, 20207 Comments

What a beautifully, inspiring movie!

“Breathe” is an inspiring true story. After being paralyzed by polio at age 28, Robin Cavendish refuses to be immobile and with his loyal wife, Diana, becomes an advocate for the severely disabled. “Breathe” is the feature-film directing debut of actor Andy Serkis.

I love to see how others have made their way through trials. And this movie fast became a great biography. Celebrating the lives of ones who made a huge difference for the severely disabled. So many good takeaways from the movie. The first being, “Don’t sell yourself short. Your life isn’t useless.” And then especially the loyalty and commitment of his wife and other friends. We can all learn something from this life.

Deeply Touching

“Breathe” deeply touched my heart by the determination of Robin and Diana to never give up. Even though things seemed hopeless or they had no one backing them, they moved forward and made things happen. In the end, they helped countless severely disabled people have a fulfilling life instead of one of depression with no hope.

This movie also gently spoke of allowing terminally ill patients the privilege of dying on their own terms but not only that but also that a change of venue can bring an amazing change of view on one’s viewpoint of life for the severely disabled. Each life has value and should be treated that way. It isn’t right to put people away from view in a hospital ward just because they are severely handicapped. We should be doing whatever we can to make life better for them.

In the end, Robin chose to end his life because his body could not take any more from artificial breathing. But he lived a fulfilling life for twenty years. His son got to know him and love him. He was able to die gracefully with his family nearby without a traumatic ending.

I was spellbound by this movie, cheering at times and crying at other times. Beautifully done.

Definitely a MUST SEE FILM.