What Is Hope & How Do We Find It?

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.  Hebrews 6:19

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I would imagine you've not only heard this verse but seen an image with an anchor and this verse recently!  Not only is it trendy but also wonderfully encouraging.  But what does it really mean for us?

Hope is our anchor because it keeps our eyes fixed on God.  Because we hope in His promises, we aren't drifting around, tossed about by the sea of life with no real confidence of what's to come.  Even when things in our lives are frustrating or painful we know that he will deliver us in his timing with his powerful grace.  And we wait in hope for him, knowing that one day we will live with him in heaven where there is not more pain, no more tears, no more illness or disappointment. 

Psalms 33:18-22 says: But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.  We wait in hope for the Lord; In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.  May your unfailing love rest upon us, oh Lord, even as we put our hope in you.

I think as humans we have been disappointed by someone or something that we have put our hope in so it can be hard to really place our hope fully on God.  So how do we find this hope in our lives?  Reminding ourselves of his truth constantly.  We have to know his word and his promises and make a habit out of speaking God's truth to ourselves.  This gives us hope!  There's a song I really like because it speaks his truth.  It's from the Passion album featuring David Crowder, titled "Here's My Heart." The lyrics say:

Here's my heart, Lord Speak what is true

I am found, I am Yours, I am loved, I'm made pure

I have life, I can breathe, I am healed, I am free

You are strong, You are sure, You are life, You endure

You are good, always true, You are light breaking through

You are more than enough, You are here, You are love

You are hope, You are grace

You're all I have, You're everything

Here's My Heart You Tube Video

(Please ignore the ad in the beginning!)

So you guys, I encourage you to find out what the truth is about who you are in the Lord and who he is in our lives and meditate on that.  Speak it to yourself and to the Lord and let it be the hope that anchors you in this life, that gives you encouragement and a reason to keep going.  (And never forget we are here to pray with you if you are struggling to find hope or believe in God's promises for you.  Message us here or on Facebook!)

Lots of love,

God is in the Darkness

"Trauma's storm can mask the Christ and feelings can lie.

I draw all the hurting voices close and I touch their scars with a whisper:

sometimes we don't fully see that in Christ, because of Christ,

through Christ, He does give us all things good - until we have

the perspective of years.  In time, years, dust settles.

In memory, ages, God emerges.  Then when we look back,

we see God's back.  Wasn't that too His way with Moses?

 "When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and 

cover you with my hand until I have passes by. Then I will 

remove my hand and you will see my back" (Exodus 33:22-23).

Is that it?  When it gets dark, it's only because God has 

tucked me in a cleft of the rock and covered me, protected, with

HIs hand?  In the pitch, I feel like I'm falling, sense the bridge giving

way, God long absent.  In the dark, the bridge and my world shakes, 

cracking dreams.  But maybe this is true reality: It is in the dark that

God is passing by.  The bridge and our lives shake not because 

God has abandoned, but the exact opposite:  

God is passing by.

God is in the tremors.

In the blackest, God is closest, at work, forging HIs perfect and right 

will.  Though it is black and we can't see and and our world seems 

to be free-falling and we feel utterly alone, Christ is most present to us, 

I-beam supporting in earthquake.  Then He will remove His hand.

Then we will look.  Then we look back and see His back."

Ann Voskamp

One Thousand Gifts

3 Simple Steps

Happy Thursday my friends! I hope your week is going well! I want to share some simple steps with you today about how to grow in a deeper relationship with God. And these are from my personal experience! Sometimes the hardest thing is knowing where to start. There have been lots of times through my walk with Christ that I needed another "starting point" and some guidance of how to begin growing again. That's the beauty of Jesus... No matter how long it's been since you've prayed or opened your Bible, God's grace opens the door for us every time we want to return. Christ is always wanting our hearts to be in tune with His and in order to do that we have prioritize our time with Him, begin and continue conversations with Him, and meditate on His Word.

1. Prioritize Your Time

    Get up 30 minutes earlier than normal in the morning. Or shut off the TV or close the computer 30 minutes before you normally go to bed. Think about the time you spend on social media or Pinterest or in front of the TV. Would you consider that time spent more important than the time you want to spend with God? Get real and honest with yourself. If you want to grow and have a deeper relationship with God, you have to choose to make Him and time with Him a priorty in your life.

Here's what I'm doing: I recently have chosen to enter my solitude with God in the morning. I've always done my deovtional and prayer journal at night right before I go to bed, but God put it on my heart to change that. So I did, and now I make a commitment (even setting my alarm) to be awake, in the Word and reading my Bible study/book before 7am. My husband is up and getting ready for work so by the time he leaves, I turn on my nightstand lamp and get my day started with God.

2. Begin AND Continue the Conversation

     This is prayer. And your relationship with God... Is a two way street. Just like a marriage or friendship, communication is vital to growth and understanding. So start talking and start listening. Start your day with prayer. Ask for what you need to get through the day. Pray for those in your home, including your spouse and children, and pray for wisdom, patience, and love toward them. Seek out God's guidance and ask Him for clear signs of His will in your life. Be specific, and continue this conversation throughout the day. Pray out loud in your car on the way to work. Pray over your meals, thanking Him for the blessing of healthy food.  Thank God for people you come across and ask Him how you can be used in their lives for His glory

Here's what I'm doing I start with prayer in the morning. I ask God for what I need and ask Him to help me retain the Words I just read in my Bible study. When I make the bed, I pray for my husband that just slept there; when I make breakfast I pray for God to give me the strength to get through the day with my one year old; I pray over my son's room when I lay him down for a nap; I pray for my husbands safety as he drives home; etc etc etc. I continue the prayer and conversation throughout the day because I need God every moment! And I pray aloud every chance I get!

3. Meditate on Scripture

     When God's Word enters in your mind when you read it, sometimes it's just words. But the more you study it, read the background behind why it was written/said, read different versions of the same verse... The more it becomes written on your heart, and the overflow will spill out in your words and actions. When we study and know how Jesus wants us to live, we should act on it; this is when we grow. When we read and leant how to believe and have faith in His examples of deliverance, protection, and trust... We learn how to trust Him and know He will be our Provider. 

Here's what I'm doing: The verses that have spoke to me over and over are the ones that I need to read, recite, memorize, and dwell on.  God uses His Word to speak to us in time of need. So to help me remember and meditate on Scripture, I write them down on note cards and post them to my bathroom mirror, in my Bible, on the top of my to-do list, on the background of my phone, etc. I put them where I can see them! I read them out loud! One new verse each week and all week I focus on that verse.

One small step at a time can turn into one giant turn around in your spiritual life. Start somewhere! God is anxiously awaiting!

Scripture Memorization

In a recent Bible study that I have completed, I was asked to write down a few scriptures. I am going to be honest and say, I have always wrote down scriptures. But I have never really worked on memorizing them.

I don't know why I have a hard time memorizing scripture, but I do. I can memorize a song, lines from a movie, but struggle at remember the Word of God. Conviction fell over me. I wrote down the scripture on my neon yellow index card. After that, I made it my JOB to learn these scriptures. These three scriptures on Thoughts, Words and Actions. How to live a life pleasing to God.

I placed them in a spot where I always have a few moments of nothing to do....
While I am waiting for the conditioner to set in my hair...
Or searching for a quiet 5 minutes away from fighting kids...
You know that place...

Often I find myself reading the shampoo bottles. Ingredients and all. Why not read scripture. Plus this was a good way to get scripture into my whole family. My boys are beginner readers and my daughter is at the age to understand the word.

That is how I have started keeping some of my scripture cards. Visible. Having them tucked inside my Bible did nothing for me. They were often in the way during church or became scratch paper for the kids. Here I can see them daily.

How do you memorize scripture?