CHAPTER 9
Celebrities Big and Small
Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.
—Isaiah 1:17
We’ve spent significant time discussing how you use your words with the people you know. But what about the few billion people on the planet you don’t know? Can you use your words to make a difference in their lives too?
I’m gonna say yes. I think you can. I think the people who are most affected by your voice are the ones in your life every day, but there is real power in speaking to and for the people on the planet you’ve never met.
For my job, I write books for people I don’t know. I mean, that’s technically the truth, but if I’m being honest, I kinda feel like you are my friend. In my heart, I feel like we know each other. Maybe that makes me a loony bird. (Probably.) But every day that I write, I start by praying, begging God to give me the right words for you and the right words for this book. And as we talked about in the last chapter, I blog a few times a week for that group of friends as well.
Also, every Tuesday night around 6:30, twelve Belmont University girls show up at my house and we eat dinner and talk about the Bible and pray together. Most Thursday nights, I eat barbeque with some baseball players from Vanderbilt who have become like my little brothers.
I use words all day long, but they are different from one group to the other. The things I say to my girls, the things I say to my baseball boys, and the things I say to you are all different. All those words are important, though the audiences are different and their needs are unique.
If you ask me to list the places where I use my words to help others know God better, those are the four groups (besides my friends and family): my small group, my Vandybros, my blog friends, and you, my readers.
Half of them I actually know, and the other half I just feel like I know. Both audiences are important. That’s why I’m telling all this to you—there are many people in your life who should hear your words of life and love, but there are also people outside your circle whom you can speak to and speak for, changing lives in ways you may never know.
Honestly, I think that some of the most powerful ways to use your words can be to people you may never meet. There are three big categories of people to whom your words matter: celebrities, people without a voice of their own, and people who receive the art you make.
Celebrities
Many moons ago, NSYNC was my favorite boy band. Let’s be serious, they still are, even though they are no longer a band. (“Band” might be a generous term since none of them play instruments. Let’s go with “group.”) Two of my best friends from college were big fans as well, but luckily we all had a different favorite member.
We were super fans. I’m not afraid to say it.
We paid good money for eighteenth-row seats at their stadium concert in Atlanta. We watched and recorded every television appearance. We bought magazines. We were borderline creepy.
The key word there being “borderline.” Okay? I promise we weren’t stalkers. (Are you still my friend? I hope so.)
This was in the days before social media was a thing, so we had no direct access to them except via mail. Like, snail mail. Like, write in a birthday card and mail it to the address on the back of the CD pamphlet and hope that your favorite member of NSYNC actually reads the card.
Ahem. Something like that.
But today is very different. You can easily find all your favorite celebrities with little trouble. And you can talk RIGHT TO THEM in an instant. Thanks to social media, the days of “fan mail” are quickly disappearing. Instead you can like Justin Bieber on Facebook and follow him on Twitter and tweet him, and he may actually see your tweet.
It’s weird, actually. It’s weird that we have direct access to these people who are famous. And we expect them to listen to us and respond, don’t we? Never before have celebrities appeared this available.
For girls like us, the ones who want to use our words to speak life and love to those around us, this is great news. If we can avoid being creepy stalker girls and instead use our power to bring life, we could have a bigger influence than we’ll ever know.
(To make our lives easier, I’m going to talk about a celebrity we’re simply going to call “That Famous Guy.” Now, in your mind, picture who That Famous Guy is for you. And if your favorite celebrity is a girl, or a group, or even a computergenerated character in a commercial, just trade out the name and pronouns. Got it? Okay, continue on.)
Here are some things about talking to celebrities:
1. You don’t love That Famous Guy.
Sorry to break your heart, but you don’t actually know him. You know his public persona and the things he is willing to share. But love comes from living day in and day out with people, dealing with their good and their bad, and being invested in their lives while they are invested in yours. THAT is love.
I get it. You may feel like what you are feeling is love. I’ve been there. And while you may think That Famous Guy is super awesome and an incredible musician or whatever, you don’t really know him.
And when you talk to celebrities, remember you don’t actually know them, so you can’t love them. So tweeting, “I LOVE YOU, FAMOUS GUY!” is not a true way to speak life.
2. That Famous Guy has feelings too.
After the Grammys in 2013, people were seriously unkind to Taylor Swift because they thought she was making fun of Harry Styles. All over the Internet, young women tweeted and tumbled death threats to Taylor because she spoke in a British accent during her performance of a break-up song.
Seriously?
There are two problems here. First problem goes back to #1—all those girls felt like they really loved and cared for Harry Styles, one of the singers in One Direction and former flame of TSwift. Listen, I think he is adorable, but most people, dare I say EVERY person, who tweeted something horrible to Taylor probably doesn’t actually know either of them.
Celebrities are real people, just like you and me, and they have feelings.
I think it’s important to know that no matter how many followers or friends a celebrity has online, they are still human. That Famous Guy is still a real person, and he can see what people say to him and about him online.
Some of my more famous friends here in Nashville can have some terrible things written about them online, from people and from tabloids. I’ve sat there and watched them read the ugly things firsthand, and it is painful.
So if you are going to be a voice to your favorite celebrities, be kind with your words. You are talking to a human.
3. You should speak life to That Famous Guy.
So instead of being a voice that hurts, why not be a voice that speaks life? I think we all underestimate the pressures and pains that go along with all the good of being super famous (or even mildly famous). Girls like us? We should be the ones encouraging and speaking the words that will bless, not curse.
Proverbs 21:1
The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.
Remember that God holds every heart in His hands, and He could use you as a tool to speak life and direction in the heart of someone who may not know any other Christians.
I am definitely not saying that it is ungodly to talk to celebrities via social media, or send a letter, or meet them in person, or whatever. I’m just saying that we should use our words to bless with balance.
Telling That Famous Guy that God loves him? Totally. Tweeting That Famous Guy and telling him that you love his work? Do it.
Thanking That Famous Guy for his last Facebook post that really meant something to you? Yes.
Responding to a Facebook post with a Bible verse of encouragement? Game on.
I’ve watched my famous friends be really blessed and moved by kind notes, meaningful tweets, or emails. Truly. Sometimes God uses fans like us to speak life. So go for it! Remember all the haters who wrote to Taylor Swift? Be a different voice.
4. Lower your expectations.
Last but not least, remember that you aren’t using your words for famous people because you are expecting something back. That’s not why we show love to anyone. It’s selfish to speak life in order to get words back.
So when you go forth and speak life and love, do it because it is the right way to bless someone whose art you have grown to love and appreciate.
The Voiceless
There is a social enterprise here in Nashville called Thistle Farms. As a part of Magdalene, a residential program for women who have survived prostitution, trafficking, addiction, and life on the streets, the graduates are then employed by Thistle Farms to make body care products like lotions, candles, and soaps.
And the products smell like perfection.
A few weeks ago, my friend Matt Wertz planned a Thistle Farms party at his house. I pictured it being like one of those jewelry parties, where there are snacks and some sort of fizzy punch. Around the room would be tables covered in jewelry, and you’d need to buy at least one thing because your friend who invited you would be trying to earn a free diamond bracelet or something.
But Wertz’s plan was different. The women from Thistle Farms were coming over to his house to tell us their stories, sharing with us where they had been, where they were going, and what God had done in their hearts in the process.
It wasn’t just about buying their products; it was about hearing their voices.
Wertz used his voice to make a way for restored women to share their stories.
Incredible idea, I think.
I don’t care how old or how young you are; you have a voice. And one of the very best ways you can use the voice you’ve been given is to speak up for those who do not have a voice or do not have the ability to use their voices.
Over and over again, the Bible tells us to do just that.
Isaiah 1:17
Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.
James 1:27
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
And there are plenty more places in the Bible where we are told to step in and help those who are in need. If you’ve been in church for a while, then you probably have had offers to go on mission trips or serve at your local soup kitchen. I believe all that is very valuable and important; using our hands and our time to serve others is a big part of our faith.
But. Every day, you have the chance to use your words to speak on behalf of those who don’t have a voice for themselves.
My friend Susan Norris wrote a novel called Rescuing Hope, which follows the story of a young teen girl as she is captured by a life of sex slavery in Atlanta, Georgia. Susan, as an author and speaker, educates people on behalf of girls who are trapped in that lifestyle. While she may not be out on the streets pulling the girls to safety in the middle of the night, her words are opening the eyes of many readers and motivating them to do something—whether that is donating time or money or giving a voice to this cause.
There are many ways that you can use your voice to affect people in need in your area or your country. Here are a few ideas:
• Write an article for your school paper about the homeless shelter in your area and how people can volunteer there.
• Use your social media outlets (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) to talk about nonprofit organizations in your town, sharing their needs or events.
• Like the Facebook pages of organizations that you care about and share their status updates.
My friend Aimee homeschools her kids. A few weeks ago, the homeless shelter in our hometown put on Facebook that it was running low on food. So she gave each of her kids a small budget, and for their math lesson they went to the grocery store to buy supplies for the homeless shelter. Then she posted the pictures of their day out on Facebook so that all our friends could see the idea. And others did it too!
It didn’t take a lot of work on her part, but she was able to help the shelter as well as encourage others to do the same, just by sharing her story.
My friend Jeremy Cowart is a professional photographer. He created a nonprofit organization called Help-Portrait that provides professional portraits for people in need around the world. When he came up with this idea, all he did was make a video saying, “Hey, photographers, why not get together on the first Saturday in December and head to your local shelter and take pictures of those in need this Christmas?” It wasn’t an expensive idea, and it wasn’t complicated: Just take pictures and give the photos away for free.
Jeremy used his voice to share an idea that helped other people, and since December 2009 there have been over 280,000 portraits taken by thousands of photographers around the world. Literally—I’m talking in over fifty countries. Crazy.
Do you dig that or what?
One guy. One idea. One video. And in less than a few years, over a quarter of a million pictures have been snapped because of this one idea.
That is using your voice, huh?
You can do the same. Have an idea? Want your friends to get together and raise money for a cancer patient? Or get your school to send letters to kids your age in a different city or country? Or create a Facebook page to highlight all the nonprofits in your town that are doing good work? Go for it!
Figure out what you care about—caring for orphans, serving the homeless, stopping sex trafficking, or other things you feel called to do—and use your voice to tell other people about it.
Not only does it matter for things locally, but your voice can make a huge difference in speaking into needs globally.
Speaking of Jeremy Cowart, he and I wrote a book together called What’s Your Mark? In the book, Jeremy photographed twenty people who are making a mark on the world, and I got to interview them. It was one of the greatest honors of my life. After almost every interview, I would hang up the phone and sit and cry, thinking of all the things these people were doing for the world. Whether it was the teen girl who created a 5K race to raise money for a high school in Africa or the famous television producer using his ability to tell stories to make a miniseries about the Bible, they were all using their voices to influence others and change the world.
There are so many nonprofit organizations that are doing good work. I think of International Justice Mission that provides help and hope for the oppressed, or Blood: Water Mission that works to provide clean water and health care to those who can’t afford it. (Want to know more? Check the appendix for information on these and more nonprofits that could use your voice to help raise awareness.)
I use my voice to raise awareness and speak on behalf of the Mocha Club. Mocha Club does relief work all over Africa, but I am personally connected to and invested in their education work. As a former elementary school teacher, it is important to me that kids around the world get the opportunity to learn to read and write and experience all the things that a proper education offers. I donate a little money every month—only nine dollars—that is put toward education projects. I’ve been to South Africa with Mocha Club and seen firsthand the good works they are doing there to educate children and adults and give them the chance to compete in a world market. It’s incredible.
I think my favorite project that I help support through Mocha Club is New Dawn High School in Kenya. Teenagers from the largest slum in Nairobi are now able to attend school, use computers, do science experiments, and read new books thanks to what the Mocha Club has done. When I saw the pictures of the first graduating class, I cried (shocking no one). It was just beautiful to see the faces of those smiling seniors, realizing that while many of their friends will never leave the slums because they have no way out, these teens now have an education and a future. Because of the Mocha Club.
Nine dollars a month isn’t much. It’s like two soy chais a month, or two mochas a month. (Eh- get it? Mocha Club? Genius.) No biggie. So obviously, I’m not making the hugest financial difference to this organization. But you know what matters more? My voice. Raising awareness of all the good things that Mocha Club is doing across the continent of Africa is just as important, if not more important, than my little nine bucks a month.1
There are many nonprofits looking for people just like you to use their voices to make an impact. It doesn’t take much. A blog post here. A conversation there. A Facebook status once in a while.
And of course, if you want, you can go on mission trips and use your words to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to people who need to know Him. You don’t have to stay home and use your words—go to the places where people haven’t heard of Jesus and tell them! I love short-term and long-term missions; being face to face with people who are from a different culture and need Jesus will change you, and change them, forever. (Check the appendix for some trustworthy mission organizations you can connect with.)
Your Art
A few weekends ago, I was speaking at a retreat, and on Saturday afternoon we did a short question and answer session. I absolutely love this part of retreats because you guys ask me some of the funniest questions ever.
I think there is an assumption that because I live in Nashville I know every famous country music artist in the world. So I usually have to skip over about one-third of the questions because they are things like, “Does Taylor Swift eat Doritos Loco Tacos from Taco Bell?” (And how am I supposed to know THAT?) But most of the questions are sweet and deep and really express what is going on in the hearts of the girls in the crowd.
My favorite one from this recent retreat was, “I want to be a singer and a songwriter. What do you recommend I do to get to do that?”
It reminded me of a Facebook message I got a few months ago where a student told me that she felt God was calling her to be a speaker, so she wanted to do that when she grows up.
I asked them both the same thing.
Why wait?
Why are you waiting until you grow up to make art that changes the world? You want to make music? Learn an instrument, write some songs, record yourself, and post it on YouTube. Or ask your youth pastor if you can help lead worship on a retreat. Write poems and fill notebooks with stories and share them with your friends. Want to be a speaker and tell people about Jesus? Volunteer to teach third-grade Sunday school at your church or ask your Fellowship of Christian Athletes leader if you can speak at a meeting one week.
A lot of the students in our college ministry at my church are involved with Young Life. I love Young Life and what it does for students. And each week, the director allows one of the college students to share what God is teaching him or her.
I listened yesterday as one of the students shared with me what he felt God has laid on his heart to teach the other students. I tried AS HARD AS I COULD not to cry (because, seriously, my tears can get so annoying to me), but hearing how he had read Scripture, applied it to his life, and was ready to teach that lesson to others really moved me.
Is he a professional speaker or teacher? Nope. But what God showed him changed me. It also impacted the students to whom he was speaking when he stood in front of them that night.
You are going to put words out to the world—whether that’s a book or a Facebook post or a note in a yearbook. And for many of you, you will influence people whom you will never meet with the words you write, sing, draw, or say.
I want you to remember that when we talk about using our voices for other people, it isn’t just about the less fortunate (though it is! And what a powerful thing!). You also need to think about the people who receive your art—the ones who will read your words or your social media pages, hang your art in their home, or play your songs on their iPod.
My friend Jenni Catron leads a women’s group at my church, and she often shares these verses with us:
Galatians 6:4–5 (The Message)
Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.
It doesn’t say to sink yourself in the creative best once you are an adult. Start now! If we want to talk about celebrities big and small, remember that to someone, that’s you. Whether it is a crowd of tens of thousands listening to Hillary Scott from Lady Antebellum or crowds of tens in your Bible study listening to you, someone is listening. Someone cares what you think.
Someone is making decisions, at least in part, based on what you think and say.
It could be your little sister or your entire school.
As I told you at the beginning of this chapter, I have a lot of different groups that hear different things from me. But trust me, every day I think about you. I think about the girls who are reading my books or my Facebook page or my blog looking for advice or help or direction. I may never know your face or phone number, but I think about you and, when I’m writing, all I can pray is that God gives me all the right words for you. I take my art seriously. I take God’s ability to use it for His glory even more seriously. You do your work one time—compose the song, illustrate the Bible verse into a piece of art, write the poem—but then the ones who receive your art get it over and over again.
I’ve had the singer/songwriter husband/wife duo Elenowen on repeat for days. (Want to know what else I’ve listened to while writing this book? Check the appendix and get ready for some of the best music you’ve probably never heard.) Every time I hear a song by Elenowen, they do not have to create it all over again. They made it once, I enjoy it hundreds of times.
(Literally. Hundreds. I have an issue with the replay button. I like to push it.)
Remember that when you make your art. Work hard to honor God with your words and your creations because once you make them, they’re out there, ready to glorify God in the lives of many people.
You will never know. I will never know. We will never know the full impact of our words or our lives. So we just live, wide open, encouraging others, sharing whenever we can, speaking up for those who don’t have a voice, and creating art that points to who God is and how He loves.
Isaiah 52:7 (The Message)
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger bringing good news,
Breaking the news that all’s well, proclaiming good times, announcing salvation, telling Zion, “Your God reigns!”
It’s not just the feet that are beautiful, it’s the voice. Proclaiming. Telling everyone within earshot that God reigns.
Shout it.
Go on and scream it from the mountains.
Go on and tell it to the masses.
That He is God.
Your Words Matter
Memorize the Word
Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.
—Isaiah 1:17
(Want a cool challenge? Memorize Galatians 6:4–5 in The Message version. That’s what I’m working on right now.)
Read the Word
• Proverbs 21:1
• James 1:27
• Isaiah 52:7
• Use BibleGateway.com or your concordance to look for other verses using these key words:
» orphans
» widows
» help
» fatherless
» create
Journal Your Words
• Write the memory verse in your journal, especially if you are going for that big boy in Galatians. 
• Make a list (SHORT list) of the celebrities who you really feel like God has placed on your heart to encourage. Pray for them for a few days before you say anything. Ask God to put on your heart the exact right words for them.
• Journal your answers to the following questions:
» Why do we love celebrities so much?
» How can you see God using your art to impact the world?
» What nonprofit organizations in your town are interesting to you?
» For what nonprofit organizations that do work globally would you like to use your voice to help raise awareness?
» If you could go anywhere in the world to share the Gospel, where would you go? How long would you stay?
Use Your Words
• Create something! Pick your favorite verse, grab a pack of markers and a few sheets of paper, and use fun lettering to make a piece of art using your favorite verse.
• Use social media outlets (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) to say something encouraging to the celebrities you really like. Use the hashtag #SpeakLove
• Get involved with a local nonprofit organization so that you can use your words on behalf of those who can’t speak for themselves.
• Write a blog post, or a Facebook note about how you want to use your voice to help others.