The Birth of Hope (Calls)

1st January 2011

It’s funny how we can all clearly recall significant moments in our life. The mind has a wonderful way of preserving every detail of that memory- complete with full sensory involvement such 3D images, sounds, smells, tastes and touch- what ever fits the bill. Though I would like to assign HopeCalls to such a category- only time will tell and you as readers will have an important part to play in making HopeCalls a significant memory for me (no pressure!). I can recall when Hopecalls was born, I remember the surge of inspiration, where I was at the time- in the surroundings of the New Forest, with its wandering ponies, fluffy miniature cows, its vast majestic forest and sprawling coast chequered with craggy rocks and giant pebbles. It is well worth a visit if you live in England as it always reminds me of the beauty of nature and how God intended us to live in harmony with our surroundings, its flora and fauna. It was around Easter when I was there and I was reflecting on an idea I had had 6 months previously to develop a website to promote creativity in relation to Christian topics: poems, prose, biblical reflections; sermons, songs etc. At that time I had stumbled on a name but what I didn’t have was the supporting logo and theme. I got as far as a domain name and left it at that because it felt that something was missing. But during this break I woke up all fired up full of ideas and a determination to develop something to inspire and motivate others who were either Christian or those who were just searching for purpose and meaning in their life. When I get a “bee in my bonnet”, my family either indulge me or run for cover, if not they will somehow find themselves inadvertently drawn into a tornado with no means of escape! So drawn in they were- invited to enter a competition to name this amazing website that was going to change the world. I still have the jottings of the names we came up with: here2help, here2care, encourageU, care4U, bfriend, to name but a few, you get the point? Sometimes the creative process is so painful because there is a tension between what you mean (the word is near you, according to Romans 10:8) and what you articulate. Eventually after giving more thought to the purpose of the site, the theme of “Hope” emerged along with “voiceofhope” and “wordsofhope” and then finally “HopeCalls” was born that seemed to sum everything up in a neat phrase and the name became a firm favourite with the whole family. Not wanting to lose a moment I registered the name in .org and .co.uk. as soon as I could. I quickly discovered that having a name was the easy part- it was the living up to the name which was the challenge. What would HopeCalls be all about? Talk is cheap when what is needed was substance. The pain continued for a while, and this led me to take a detour, thinking that the design of a logo would make all the difference. A close friend, who lives in the States and trained as a graphic designer rescued me by offering to design the logo and set up the website which not only became the catalyst for the defining the meaning of HopeCalls but also helped provide focus for what the site should look, feel and be like. The rest, they say is history! Now HopeCalls is here, I will begin to map out its future, in partnership with You. For now, I invite you to stop by, browse, linger a while, tell your friends, family and associates and eventually become a regular visitor and friend. Future blogs will have a more spiritual flavour, just indulge me this one time and allow me to tell my story. HopeCalls will be centred upon God who is at the centre of all the Hope we experience in this world and beyond. Just so you don’t feel left out, I would dearly love you to mull over and answer the following questions: What does Hope mean to You? What gives You Hope? What causes you to lose Hope? What does Hope inspire You to do Now to helping secure it for the Future? Goodbye for now- feel free to drop by anytime day or night.

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