27 Apr, 2009
YouTube Sensation Susan Boyle Hits the U.S.
YouTube marvel Susan Boyle, the Scottish singing sensation who last weekend stunned the judges of the Britain's Got Talent TV show – including cynical Simon Cowell – has hit American shores.
Boyle, 47, said from her home in Blackburn, West Lothian, Scotland, that when she was younger people made fun of her. Now, the reaction is anything but that. "Everyone wishes me very well," she says. As for the international reaction, especially online, Boyle modestly admitted, "It hasn't maybe sunk in yet."
What turned Boyle's world around was her Britain's Got Talent appearance. After her entrance triggered snickers and patronizing comments – especially when the dowdy and slightly jumpy Boyle said she wanted to be the next Elaine Paige, a petite blonde British stage musical star – Boyle picked up the microphone and magically delivered "I Dreamed a Dream."
The result? The audience melted, then stood up and cheered, and after the judges closed their gaping mouths, Cowell termed her performance "extraordinary," while fellow judge Piers Morgan admitted she was the biggest surprise he'd ever experienced on the show.
Leaving the stage after her number, Boyle – an unemployed charity worker who lives with her cat, Pebbles, and, until recently, had cared for her ailing mother, now deceased – immediately seemed to take it all in stride, until it hit her how much she had wowed the crowd. "Breathtaking, unbelievable, awesome," Boyle now says of the reaction to her.
As of Thursday morning, her YouTube clip – one of several, actually – had generated more than 11 million views and planted Boyle firmly in the pop-culture firmament.
( written by Stephen Silverman-for more go to people.com)
1 Samuel 16:6-8 The MESSAGE
Could it be that we live in a culture that is so obsessed with looks that when someone whom most would deem as unattractive and worthless has extraordinary talent that we are convicted, at least for a moment, about how petty we are? Susan Boyle phenomenon reminds us that what really matters are the unseen parts in each of us.
Susan has been a talented singer her whole life, yet she has been shunned by people around her. No one applauded when she was gently caring for her ill mother. Her servant’s heart is far more valuable to God than her looks or even the incredible voice that he gifted her with.
The passage from I Samuel tells us without any doubt that God is a God who cares about what is in our hearts.
What about you? Do you tend to choose your friends based on whats on the outside? Do you judge others without knowing who they really are? Do others judge you based on what you look like? How does that feel?
Isn’t it cool that we have a God who knows us and looks at our heart? Imagine what it would be like if we had to stand in front of a judges table and perform to earn God’s love.
With that in mind, think about the parts of your heart (personality) that bring God pleasure. Make a list of these. If you are having trouble thinking of some, think about what your family or friends have told you that they appreciate about you. Remember focus on inside stuff.
After you have made a list, read it a loud. These are the parts of you that you should continue to grow and concentrate on when you think about who you are. Thank God for the way he has made you and for the work he is doing in you to be the person he has created you to be.
Are there people in your world that you have been judging by whats on the outside? Ask God to forgive you and make efforts to get to know them from the inside.
- Talk about the Susan Boyle story with your friends who don’t yet know Jesus. Ask them why they think it has become such a big story.
- Share with your friend about a time when you felt judged by your outward appearance and how hard that is. Ask them if that has ever happened to them. Then tell them how cool it is that you know God cares about what is going on inside.
- Take a moment to tell your friend what you appreciate about their heart.
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