What Is Hope & How Do We Find It?

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

Picture Source

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,

What Do I Know of Holy?

Happy Friday!

Today I wanted to share with you a song that has been on repeat in my car.  It's one of those songs that I sing way too loudly when no one is listening.  It has touched me in a way that's made me question my faith and how I really treat my relationship with the Lord.  I think sometimes it becomes routine and I forget the incredible holiness of God.  If I was truly in His presence standing before Him I don't think I'd even be able to stand.  I know sometimes I put Him in a box, make Him into what fits in my mind, and I need reminders to break that box wide open and allow Him in all of His power and glory to reign.  Lord, "I think I made you too small"...

I made You promises a thousand times

I tried to hear from Heaven

But I talked the whole time

I think I made You too small

I never feared You at all No

If You touched my face would I know You?

Looked into my eyes could I behold You?

So What do I know of You

Who spoke me into motion?

Where have I even stood

But the shore along Your ocean?

Are You fire? Are You fury?

Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?

So What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

I guess I thought that I had figured You out

I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about

How You were mighty to save

Those were only empty words on a page

Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be

The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees

So What do I know of You

Who spoke me into motion?

Where have I even stood

But the shore along Your ocean?

Are You fire? Are You fury?

Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?

So What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

What do I know of Holy?

What do I know of wounds that will heal my shame?

And a God who gave life it's name?

What do I know of Holy?

Of the One who the angels praise?

All creation knows Your name

On earth and heaven above

What do I know of this love?

What do I know? What do I know of Holy?

Listen to the song here

I Will Follow You

This song has been on my mind constantly as God moves in my life and I'm growing in Him. I just encourage you to be challenged by this, as going where God calls may not always make sense, or work the way you think it should. But God calls us to follow him, no matter what. All His ways are good and all his ways are sure. Trust in Him alone!

Where you go, I'll go

Where you stay, I'll stay

When you move, I'll move

I will follow...

All your ways are good

All your ways are sure (AMEN!)

I will trust in you alone

Higher than my sight

High above my life

I will trust in you alone (trust in you alone)

Where you go, I'll go

Where you stay, I'll stay

When you move, I'll move

I will follow you

Who you love, I'll love

How you serve I'll serve

If this life I lose, I will follow you, yeah

I will follow you, yeah

Light unto the world

Light unto my life

I will live for you alone

You're the one I seek

Knowing I will find

All I need in you alone, in you alone

Where you go, I'll go

Where you stay, I'll stay

When you move, I'll move

I will follow you

Who you love, I'll love

How you serve I'll serve

If this life I lose, I will follow you, yeah

I will follow you, yeah

In you there's life everlasting

In you there's freedom for my soul

In you there's joy, unending joy

And I will follow

Writer(s): Ruben Morgan, Chris Tomlin, Jason Ingram
Copyright: Windsor Hill Music, Sony/ATV Timber Publishing, West Main Music

Praise him in song

 

 

Psalms 33:3 Sing unto the Lord a new song...

 

We were meant to sing praises to our Lord.

When ever I hear the part,

"there's nobody like Jehovah, there's nobody like Jehovah..."

 I can not help but leap for JOY!

 

Stop what you are doing...close the door to the room you are in.

 Take minute to just close your eyes and listen to the song.

Let the spirit take hold of your heart.

Let go of yourself for just a few minutes.

Lift up your arms...

Soak him in.

 

LEAP for JOY!

There is NOBODY like JEHOVAH!

 

 

 

 

The Importance of Love

“Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. 

You only need a heart full of grace. 

A soul generated by love.”

 Martin Luther King, Jr.

So I don't know about you but music speaks to me in a big way.  It has the power to evoke powerful emotions in me.  (Interesting that Kelly's post yesterday was also about music!) Recently I was thinking of a song we had sung in church several months ago.  It was a sung that grabbed me and reached deep into my heart.  My prayer for a long time has been that my heart would be broken for what breaks the Lord's heart.  This past Sunday we sang this song in church again and I was so excited!  I want to share it with you.  

Lincoln Brewster - The Power of Your Name

Surely children weren't made for the streets
And fathers were not made to leave
Surely this isn't how it should be
Let Your Kingdom come

Surely nations were not made for war
Or the broken meant to be ignored
Surely this just can't be what You saw
Let Your Kingdom come
Here in my heart

And I will live
To carry Your compassion
To love a world that's broken
To be Your hands and feet
And I will give
With the life that I've been given
And go beyond religion
To see the world be changed
By the power of Your name

Surely life wasn't made to regret
And the lost were not made to forget
Surely faith without action is dead
Let Your Kingdom come
Lord break this heart

Jesus Your name
Is a shelter for the hurting
and Your name
Is a refuge for the weak
Only Your name
Can redeem the undeserving
Jesus Your name
Holds everything I need

The chorus is my heart's desire.  That my life would reflect his compassion.  That I could love those that are broken and that I could go beyond just religion to see lives changed.  With all of the political happenings lately I've been more conscious than ever that we cannot rely on our government alone (regardless of party affiliation) to care for this world in need.

We as Christ followers are responsible for faith with ACTION!  It's what we were born to do!  What are you doing to live out your faith?  There is a verse in the Bible that cuts straight to my conscience every time...

Revelation 3:16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!

Yikes!  I know it sounds severe but God makes it clear - he doesn't want us to be lukewarm Christians because if we are, we are ineffective for his kingdom and we miss out on the full life that he has planned for us.  There have been plenty of times in my life where I have been lukewarm, going about life as usual, always having God in my heart but not doing much beyond warming my seat in church on Sunday morning and praying over my meals.  God wants SO much more for us and for others through us.  It's not about church (although church gives us a place to go to learn and grow and fellowship with others).  It's not about a set of rules to follow (although the Lord's commands are there to protect and guide us).  It's about LOVING others.

1 Corinthians 13 [ Love Is the Greatest ] If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. ...

Wow! According to God's word we can be brilliant, we can have amazing faith - even sacrifice ourselves and give to the poor but if we do it out of obligation instead of love, we are missing the point.

So, find a way that you can love on others with your own gifts!  I'll share some ideas and I would love to hear what yours are!

-Be a greeter at church, your smile may break the ice for a first time visitor
-Write a note of encouragement for a family member, co-worker, neighbor, friend, and leave it somewhere to surprise them
-Pay for someone's drink or meal at a restaurant/drive through
-Leave a little bag of candy on a neighbor's doorknob
doorknob gift
-Make a blanket for a child in the hospital or an elderly person in a nursing home
-Make a mix CD of worship songs for someone who could use a pick-me-up
-Find a program that matches you as a penpal with a woman in prison (Fresno's Samaritan Women program does this - it is a really neat opportunity!), or volunteer with a prison ministry.  
Samaritan Women

Little things done in love can have a huge impact.  I would encourage you also to say a little prayer over each gift for the person who will receive it.  You never know what it may do for them!

What are some of your ideas?  Please share!!!

You've Been Remade

Do you have a song that pretty much gets you in tears every single time? I have 2 right now & no matter my mood, my eyes swell up with tears. Tears or joy, tears of sorrow, tears of absolute astonishment, tears of love, literally tears of any reason listening to the words in these songs.

I am going to share with you one of the ones that is so convicting, for the simple fact of I am a girl with a past of mistakes. And I've heard this song, over & over & over, until one day right when I needed it, it spoke to me more than anything in the world.

I am sure you've heard it. But really look at the lyrics. I do not think I could tell you what is on my heart better than this song.

You Are More - Tenth Avenue North

There's a girl in the corner
With tear stains on her eyes
From the places she's wandered
And the shame she can't hide

She says, "How did I get here?
I'm not who I once was.
And I'm crippled by the fear
That I've fallen too far to love"

But don't you know who you are,
What's been done for you?
Yeah don't you know who you are?

You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.

Well she tries to believe it
That she's been given new life
But she can't shake the feeling
That it's not true tonight

She knows all the answers
And she's rehearsed all the lines
And so she'll try to do better
But then she's too weak to try

But don't you know who you are,

You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.

'Cause this is not about what you've done,
But what's been done for you.
This is not about where you've been,
But where your brokenness brings you to

This is not about what you feel,
But what He felt to forgive you,
And what He felt to make you loved.

You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.