Our Foundation of Love Between Friends and Family is Built on 1000’s of Experiences

Our Foundation of Love Between Friends and Family is Built on 1000’s of Experiences

by | Feb 19, 2021 | Fruits of the spirit, General, love

The Greek definition of Philia is close friendship or brotherly love. In English that equates to the love between siblings, best friends, close friends, confidants and/or parental love.

As any sibling may readily admit, while we don’t always like our sibling, we do love them. We may fight with them but we will also defend them until the end. You may be on opposite ends of the spectrum 90% of the time, but the shared 10% is all a sibling needs to justify their unity. (Truth be known we can do it with less.)

Friendship  Love

There are so many phrases we use when it comes to close friends. (“Brother from another Mother” just being one.) Proverbs 18:24 refers to ‘a friend who sticks closer than a brother’. Most people will equate their best friend as being their sibling; sharing secrets, having each other’s back, and being there in both good and tough times. It is this shared history that brings us even closer together through the years. It is easy to see why sometimes people have chosen their friends over their family. (Although this isn’t a new development; we just have to look to the Bible to see how often siblings chose something over their brother; generally out of jealousy.)

The love of family is and always has been under attack. The enemy is doing his job too well; coming to steal, kill and destroy. We see it almost every day in the news, with each bad report, about what is happening in the world around us. Children turning against parents or parents turning against their children to fateful ends – with one ending in the grave and the other in prison. Sometimes, the guilty seemingly go unpunished for their actions. The family continues to be under constant spiritual attack. We are seeing the harvest from seeds planted long ago.

Love Conquers All

Even with all these things that are discouraging and mortifying, love can withstand the attacks. Children will often be bound together not only by self preservation but by the protective instincts that tend to rise up in order to keep their sibling(s) safe. These shared experiences, and others like them, pull them together. However, they may also push them apart as they get older; while trying not to remember their shared history.

We need to remember that there is good in the world and stop focusing solely on the bad.  Maintaining a positive outlook is a choice; sometimes it is a very difficult one not only to make but continue to choose to maintain. When the world is throwing itself against us, like a high wind that blows, knocking off not just the leaves from the trees but everything else in its path, it can be virtually impossible to stand up against. When we have all this negative being thrown at us, it is difficult to maintain a positive disposition. It is easy to forget who we are and to challenge our beliefs. Especially, when “so called” friends/acquaintances begin to add to our own doubts.

FamilyWhen we can’t remind ourselves, as we are down, it is our friends and family who help to refresh our memory. The people who have weathered so many storms with us, who understand our true character, and help us to remember who we are. They bring to mind what we are capable; they know us almost as well as we know ourselves. (In some cases they may know us better than we know ourselves.) These are our tried and true friends and our support system, the people we should trust over people we barely know.

It is easy to say, trust in God, yet sometimes we need someone we rely on to come along to remind us that we are capable of remaining strong in the face of adversity. It is one of the reasons that the Bible tells us to gather together to encourage one another. (Hebrews 10:25) This encouragement is meant to help us to stand firm during adversity.

This is an opportunity to build each other up. It’s why going out to coffee or lunch is so important. It gives us a chance to vent to someone we know we can say anything to without (hopefully too much) judgement. (I would like to believe with no judgment. Sometimes it is hard to tamp down the flesh and only respond out of love.) 

Be The Friend You Want Others To Be

I think that the saying is more true today than ever before. Remember, our job as a friend is to be there, to be silent while we listen, to encourage, to offer sage advise when required, to not make judgements, to help find resolutions and stand strong WITH our friends and family. Get together and support each other. Be a sounding board. Keep your mouth closed to others about what your friend says. Remember it is THEIR story to tell. They get to CHOOSE who hears it. Not you. Being a true friend means you don’t gossip about them behind their back. That the way you speak about them to others is what you would say if they were standing right next to you.

True friendship is a prized jewel. It is something that is rare and can be difficult to find. It is something that lasts through the years. It weathers storms. It weathers distance, changes in relationships, children, as well as time. It will hold up regardless of if you speak to each other every day or go years without saying a word. When you come back together it is as if you had never been apart. I am blessed to have some friendships like this. I am honored to know there are people I can call on any time and they will be there for me. I am blessed to know that what I tell them goes no farther than their ears.

For you this may be your spouse, your sibling, your best friend. If you have someone who is a true friend, be thankful. If you don’t have anyone in your life, know that they are out there; it may take time to find them but they are out  there. Remember, you reap what you sow. Start by being the friend you want to someone else. There have been times in my life when I saw someone and before I had even spoken to them I KNEW they were going to be my friend. Guess what? They are not only my friends but some of my closest ones. God will reveal to you the people you should have in your life.

Just remember that people come into your life for a season. Sometimes a season may be a few days or a few weeks, other times, that season is a lifetime.

 

 

Contemplating the Celebration of Romantic Love as February 14th Approaches

Contemplating the Celebration of Romantic Love as February 14th Approaches

by | Feb 12, 2021 | Family, Fruits of the spirit, love

In another couple of days, the celebration of Valentine’s will be upon us. It’s a special day, extolled as a celebration for couples in love –  a day their single friends bemoan their ‘alone’ status. Some singles use the time to celebrate as well, however, either alone or with their other single friends.

Having come into existence sometime during the 5th century as a Roman celebration for the coming of Spring, which included fertility rites and pairing of women with men via a lottery, over time, it has morphed  into the holiday we know now, making February 14th one of the most common wedding days of the year throughout the world.

Valentines Day is a Celebration of Eros Love or Is It?

  1. Eros – Sensual or Romantic Love. This is the type of love shared between two people. Sexual desire, physical attraction and physical love. 

In today’s society, we tend to shy away from the discussion of erotic love. The word erotic is associated with Eros, as it is a product of the word itself. Eros defined: Eros (Ancient Greek: “love” or “desire”) is a concept in ancient Greek philosophy referring to sensual or passionate love, from which the term erotic is derived. Sometimes, the word erotic is used in a negative or worldly connotation, but this doesn’t mean the word is bad.  Indeed, Eros is a love to be celebrated.  One of the best examples of this type of love can be found in the Song of Solomon, which depicts the celebration of love between a bride and her groom.

1 Solomon’s Song of Songs.

She[a]

2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—
for your love is more delightful than wine.
3 Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes;
your name is like perfume poured out.
No wonder the young women love you!
4 Take me away with you—let us hurry!
Let the king bring me into his chambers.

Friends

We rejoice and delight in you[b];
we will praise your love more than wine.

She

How right they are to adore you!

5 Dark am I, yet lovely,
daughters of Jerusalem,
dark like the tents of Kedar,
like the tent curtains of Solomon.[c]
6 Do not stare at me because I am dark,
because I am darkened by the sun.
My mother’s sons were angry with me
and made me take care of the vineyards;
my own vineyard I had to neglect.
7 Tell me, you whom I love,
where you graze your flock
and where you rest your sheep at midday.
Why should I be like a veiled woman
beside the flocks of your friends?

Friends

8 If you do not know, most beautiful of women,
follow the tracks of the sheep
and graze your young goats
by the tents of the shepherds.

He

9 I liken you, my darling, to a mare
among Pharaoh’s chariot horses.
10 Your cheeks are beautiful with earrings,
your neck with strings of jewels.
11 We will make you earrings of gold,
studded with silver.

She

12 While the king was at his table,
my perfume spread its fragrance.
13 My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh
resting between my breasts.
14 My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms
from the vineyards of En Gedi.

He

15 How beautiful you are, my darling!
Oh, how beautiful!
Your eyes are doves.

She

16 How handsome you are, my beloved!
Oh, how charming!
And our bed is verdant.

He

17 The beams of our house are cedars;
our rafters are firs.

There is No Shame in Sensual, Physical Love

We are taught to celebrate romantic love. Yet there is an underlining ideal that physical love is shameful and should be hidden. However, as we see in the Song of Solomon, there is no shame in the sensual, physical love shared between spouses. There should be no shame in physical displays of affection; kissing, hand holding, hugging. We need to stop feeling like there is something wrong with these things. We should not withhold our physical affections because of what other people think.

This type of thought and behavior is a lot like the belief that Christians should be poor. The Bible doesn’t tell us we need to be poor; it tells us not to worship money, which is NOT the same thing. We don’t need to withhold our affection. We need to be, under the right circumstances, an example of the proper way to love.

As I shared in my previous post, there are different types of love that God has blessed us to be able to share. They are unique to the type of love we give. We work toward having agape love, the unconditional love of God, so we can be a light that points toward Him. We share Eros love with our spouse that celebrates the love between two people. Philia love is what we share with our best friends and family members.  Finally, there is Storge love, shared with everyone else in an empathetic (the ability to understand and share the feelings of another) way. God has blessed us with the ability to pour out our love on others and as we do our tanks continually fill up.

More Than A Lover

How great is it to be filled with an over-flowing love toward our spouse. The life partner God has given us. We must remember it is impossible to be everything to one person (only God can fully complete a person). We need to have friends, family and a life both together yet separate from our partner. We grow stronger by remaining unique individuals who build each other up and strengthen each other. (I think Kahlil Gibran describes this wonderfully in his Two Sides of Love – see below.)

“Let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.

Love one another but make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other’s cup but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf.
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.

Give your hearts, but not into each other’s keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together, yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,

And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other’s shadow.”

Two people are strengthened by the physical love that binds them together. We put our trust in each other; they are our best-friend, our sounding board, our lover, our confidante. They don’t need to share all our hobbies and views. They support us when we are weak. They have our back in times of adversity. They give us wise council –  all from a place of love. 

When you have a partner who celebrates and delights in the Lord, it is a blessing, as you share not just Eros, the physical love, but agape – the unconditional love. You want the best for that person. When you hear the term that God is love, He isn’t just one type of love, He is all encompassing love. He fully loves us. He wants the best for us. He leads us and guides us with His grace and wisdom. God created Eve for Adam so he wouldn’t be alone. God gave a partner to him so they would share foundational truths, and when they were cast from the Garden of Eden, they still had each other to share the new burdens that were placed on them due to their disobedience. Mark 10:9 “Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Being Single on Valentine’s Day Just Gives You a Chance to Celebrate Loving Yourself

Yet, even though we have set aside this ‘holiday’ for couples, it is important to consider that it has become a celebration of love. Transformed from its beginnings as  the spring celebration of fertility and all that came with it, we now mark it as a day to celebrate those we love. This means, if you are single, you should celebrate the love you have for yourself. The love you have for your Creator. You should spoil yourself and know that where you are is where God wants you to be. Being alone doesn’t make you less on this day. You are as special as the couples who are celebrating their love; you are just celebrating in a different way.

We don’t follow the rules of man, we acknowledge them. Even the Bible says to pay Caesar what is due to Caesar and give God what belongs to God. So, while the world may say that the 14th is meant for couples, we can acknowledge and agree that it is a day of love. Celebrate love.

 

Love: 16 Aspects of God’s Love For Us

Love: 16 Aspects of God’s Love For Us

by | Feb 5, 2021 | Fruits of the spirit, love

As we enter the month of February our focus is love. In this coming month we will delve into the four aspects of love. The first, of course, God’s love for us. It is the most powerful definition of love. In order to measure it all we have to do is read 1 Corinthians 13. It is how we should aspire to love yet we often fall short. This is not a flaw or a mark against us.

We can only set our goal to love like this. This is the ‘target’ that we shoot for and aim to hit. It is a good goal for us to work toward having this type of love. However, we also need to accept that we may continually fall short. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

1 Corinthians 13

The Way of Love

13 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;[b] 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Aspects of Love

  1. Patient
  2. Kind
  3. Not Envious
  4. Doesn’t Boast
  5. Isn’t Arrogant
  6. Is not Rude
  7. Doesn’t insist on its own way
  8. Is Not Irritable
  9. Is Not Resentful
  10. Does not rejoice in wrongdoing
  11. Rejoices in the Truth
  12. Bears All Things
  13. Believes All Things
  14. Hopes All Things
  15. Endures All Things
  16. Love Never Ends (Fails)

The Four Types of Love Defined

  1. Agape – unconditional love. This is the love God has for us. It is the embodiment of what 1 Corinthians 13 is written about.
  2. Eros – Sensual or Romantic Love. This is the type of love shared between two people. Sexual desire, physical attraction and physical love. This is the difference between wanting one person and wanting multiple people. The difference between being in love and loving someone.
  3. Philia – friends.  It is a powerful deep, emotional bond between two people who share commonality; values, interests and/or activities. Trusted confidents.
  4. Storge – empathy.  It is a love that develops naturally between family members, parents and their children, siblings.  Or through familiarity or bonding by chance.

The Love Of Our Creator

The focus of this post is Agape love. The love that our creator has for us. Agape is an unconditional love. It is REALLY hard to give unconditionally. We like to think we can and sometimes we do, for a short while, until the flesh starts to rise up and we have to fight against questioning what we are doing and why. We struggle with ourselves. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood.” We are fighting a spiritual warfare. We are often so absorbed in what is happening to our flesh, in our physical world, that we forget the fight isn’t ‘here’.

It is one of the biggest reasons we are called to pray. We need to pull our minds back and remember that it is a spiritual fight. One that we fight on our knees in prayer.  It is why we are to put on the full armor of God so that we can stand against the attacks we are under. All you need to do is look around at what is happening in society to recognize that we are fully under attack.

Yet, when we ‘forget’ that this fight isn’t a physical one but a spiritual battle, God is patient. He waits on us. He waits for us to remember His word and to trust in Him. He is Kind. When we finally do ‘wake up’ and realize we need to fall to our knees. That we need to pray and meditate on His word, He doesn’t chastise us for our forgetfulness. He doesn’t shake a finger at us for taking all these troubles and cares as our personal burden. He waits for us to remember to cast all our cares on Him.

God doesn’t desire to have what we. Although He is a jealous God, He is not an envious God. There is a difference between jealousy and envy. We need to remember that. Often times we will mix the two up. However, envy is desiring possessions whereas jealous is being fiercely protective and vigilant. We, on the other hand, interchange these two. We become “jealous” over things that we desire to possess.

When we do ‘own’ something, we often tend to boast about it to other people. This is where the ‘love of money is the root of all evil’ comes into play. We could exchange ‘money’ with ‘power’. The love of power is the root of all evil. We see this more and more. People who have a lot of wealth, who think they are better than others. Who desire to control other people and boast about how they have used other people to get to their position of power. They become arrogant and rude while they are drowning in their positions believing they are better than others.  (I am not going to go into how God removes and sets up leaders as this post isn’t about that.)

We Have The Power to Choose

When we get to the part of 1 Corinthians about love not insisting on its own way. The greatest thing I can point to is the fact that God gave us FREE WILL. In other words, we are not forced to choose Him and the path He has set out for us. We are not forced to follow His will in our lives. He has given us a choice.

We also know that God doesn’t get irritable, although the word does speak about His righteous anger. Again, there are subtle differences in the meaning of words. This is why education is so important. In order to really understand what the Bible speaks about we have to know definitions so we can fully comprehend what the word is telling us. We also know that God isn’t resentful. He doesn’t get angry when we wander off the path He has for us. He doesn’t get angry at us when we find ourselves out in the brambles and losing our way. No – He is PATIENT AND KIND while waiting for us.

We know He doesn’t rejoice in wrongdoing. The very first story we learn is the fall of Adam and Eve. They were disobedient. He wasn’t happy that they did what they weren’t supposed to do. He wasn’t happy when Cain killed Able. He did discipline them in a manner that they would benefit from. In a way that would allow them to see His mercy and grace in their lives. Even though God was disappointed in what they did He wanted to hear them speak the truth. He wanted them to recognize what they had done. Then we could rejoice and know that there was a way back to Him. It set in motion the path for Jesus to sacrifice on the cross for us.

The Greatest Love The World Has Ever Known

It is in the life and death of Christ that we see that love bears all things. Jesus offered up His life as a sacrifice. Why? He bore the burden of our sins so that we could rejoin the family. He BORE the BURDEN for US. All of our sins. Not just some of them. ALL OF THEM. What a heavy weight that was and is. No one else could have done it. Love BEARS ALL THINGS.

He did it because He believed in us. He believed we were worth saving. He believed that the sin that marred us didn’t need to keep us down. He believed we should have the opportunity to ”turn from our wicked ways” to call upon the Lord. He believed we should have the chance to worship our Father in Heaven and that He would Hear us and respond.’ He believed in the reunification of family.

Our hope is in God. It is hope that gives us strength in the darkest of times. God is OUR hope in all things. No matter the situation or circumstances we have an anchor in time of crisis.

Love Endures All Things

God’s love for us endured the loss of His son on the cross. How painful it was for Jesus to see His Father turn away from him when he was on the cross taking our sins upon himself. Jesus belief and hope in our reunion with the Father was His Focus. He endured not just the physical pain of crucifixion but also the emotional pain of loss of connection with His Father. He bore this so we wouldn’t have to. What an amazing love that is!

Love Never Ends

God’s love is eternal, everlasting, it is forever. He is the alpha and the omega. The beginning and the end. The first and the last. He is omnipotent. Almighty. He gave us the greatest sacrifice of love. He didn’t do it for Him, He did it for US. Then He went a step farther and gave us the ability to CHOOSE if we would accept His gift. This most incredible sacrifice that was given. This most wonderous, beautiful gift that was offered, He lets us make the decision to come and be part of His family.

He knows we will stumble and fall along the path. Yet, when we accept Him into our lives, it isn’t the failure that is the focus. It is the acceptance of a gift. A gift that teaches us how to truly love. A gift that lets us know that even when we are weak, He not only can, but will make us strong. He offers us a place of refuge in difficult times. He offers us peace. He helps to turn our weeping into joy. Our mourning into dancing. He is steadfast and patient when we wander off the path that He has called us to. He did ALL this and so much more because He Loves Us! He has called us for such a time as this!

Know that God loves you. Know that we can all put into practice the many facets of 1 Corinthians 13. It isn’t a secret recipe. It is attainable and real. We can love the way that God has taught us to love. There has never been a more relevant time in our lives than now to practice and show God’s love. Be strong it the Lord and the Power of His Might.

Do you want to know more about God’s love?

Would you like to have a personal relationship with Him? The first step is accepting Christ into your heart. Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father but by me.” (John 14:6) . God hears even the simplest of prayers. All you need to do is to recognize you are a sinner and need forgiveness. Say a prayer to the Lord acknowledging these things and invite Jesus into your heart and life as your personal Lord and Savior.

Our relationship with Christ is personal. However, when we first accept Him into our lives, we need to find people who are like minded. We need a body of believers to help support us. With so many churches not being able to meet due to the current pandemic, this may seem like it is impossible. I want you to know it is not. There are so many believers out there and so many churches. If you are on Facebook I would recommend finding one and being a part of the community. I generally do not do this, however, I don’t want to leave you with nothing therefore I am going to post a link to a church I know is on fire for the Lord. Again, there are many out there that you can find on your own. I just want you to have a place to start with your fellowship. 🙂

Harvest Foursquare, Shelton, WA

Focus on the Family

Our Hope is Ever Present Real and Powerful

Our Hope is Ever Present Real and Powerful

by | Jan 29, 2021 | encouragement, hope

There are many times in life when we will face an unknown obstacle. We don’t see it coming. We aren’t prepared for it. Then out of the blue it hits us quicker than a snake can strike. Then there are other times where we can see what is going to happen. It starts like a slow motion movie. We see the actions that will cause the outcome. We try to change it, but suddenly we find ourselves in the midst of the flood up to our armpits in murky water. We struggle to stay upright. We wonder if and when we will be able to drag our feet to shore. It seems so close yet also so far away. We fight to keep going. Suddenly, we are thrown a rope from the river bank. We grab on to it, clinging tightly as we are slowly dragged toward the shore.

This is hope. God is the anchor on the shore with so much strength to pull us out. He not only makes sure we make it safely, He then covers us under His wings where we are protected, warmed, and have a safe place to ride out the storm.

It is has become too easy to sit back and watch the skies, waiting for the clouds to appear, expecting it. Then hiding under a lean-to, as we hope that it will pass us by, untouched. We think we are safe –  when suddenly a strong wind comes and carries away our little roof we thought would protect us. When we need to realize that our only real protection in this world is our Savior.

I know it’s hard to believe at times. We are taught to hope in God. Without a personal relationship with Him, this is hard – if not impossible – to do. The world around us has hope too. Their hope is intangible. It doesn’t offer something very real and powerful to cling to. We can always have hope, no matter the situation or circumstances. We are never without it, even in what others might see as a ‘hopeless’ situation. When people become depressed and give up hope they also become willing to give up their lives. Hope BRINGS life.

God created our world for us to enjoy. He created people so we would be able to share our hope and joy and not live in loneliness. Solitude brings with it desolation and despair. These things lead to people wanting to, and sometimes acting upon, a desire to end their lives. We are blessed that we have people who believe like we do. There are people –  brothers and sisters in Christ – who are like-minded, who not only can, but will, encourage us  – to build us up and who help strengthen the hope in our hearts and minds. We are not alone.

We know the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy. It doesn’t take much to look around our world and see the ramifications that are happening all around us. Those who have willfully fallen by the wayside. Those who do not know or who have turned not only their backs, but their minds and wills, away from our Creator. No, you can’t force someone to accept your belief system. Then we would be taking away free will. A gift we were given. The opportunity to choose. All you can do is continue to be a light in an ever darkening world.

I know the world seems dreary. Every time you turn around, there is something out there coming your way. Sometimes, it is the slow flow of the water, and sometimes it is the fast rushing of rapids, spilling down over falls. There are sharp rocks and unknown depths below. There are people who are waiting for us to stumble. There are people who are daring us to stand firm in our beliefs. They want to mock us and tear us down. They want to destroy us. Thankfully, there is HOPE.

OUR HOPE. Our hope is concrete. It is strong. It is enduring. It is built on the fact that this is not our home. This is not our permanent place. This is not where our story will end. This is just our beginning. We will struggle to stand up. We will grow weary and tired in the fight. We will question. We may wander off the path. Yet, our Father, who is patient and loving, will be standing waiting for us. He will rejoice when we return and throw a feast in our honor. This is Who our hope is in. This is our Rock that we have built our house on. It is solid. It doesn’t waiver. It doesn’t break when the storms crash against it.

I want you to be encouraged that the God of our fathers is the same yesterday, today and will be the same tomorrow. I know I have written this before, but it bears repeating in these troubled times. What can you do? Stand up! Be counted! Be encouraged to be faithful and unwavering. When you need to rest, rest in His love. When you need to hide, hide beneath His wings. Let His Angels protect you and keep you. Be willing to trust in the Lord with all your heart. Know that He is always there.

You may not feel him, but do you feel the air all the time? Only when the wind moves it or the air conditioner blows it. Sometimes all we may feel is stifling hot and sweaty. That doesn’t mean that the air isn’t there. We just don’t feel it moving. It is ALWAYS there. We wouldn’t be able to live without it. We trust that it is there. We trust that it is good enough for us to breathe. We hope that it will always be clean and allow us to be healthy.

Know that you are loved. You have a community of people who share your beliefs. You don’t have far to go to find them. For some, it is the simple matter of walking into the next room, making a phone call for others; it is finding a church, a body of believers with which to connect. Rest assured that God has your best interest at heart. You are not hoping in vain. Your hope is eternal.

 

There May Seem to be a Thousand Reasons to Give Up; Hope Moves Us Forward

There May Seem to be a Thousand Reasons to Give Up; Hope Moves Us Forward

by | Jan 22, 2021 | encouragement

Sometimes the world just comes and kicks us in the teeth  – or so it seems. A lot of times we can compare it to a snowball rolling downhill; as it gathers speed, it gathers more snow and just grows BIGGER. Suddenly, as we are looking up, all we see is an avalanche bearing down on us. Our response isn’t necessarily to get out of the way, as we feel it is too late, instead we tuck and roll with it. Or try to dig a quick hole to jump in and hope it just slides past us. These are the times we have a prayer in our heart and on our lips when we feel overwhelmed by the enormity of what is happening in our lives. (more…)