True hope is not a wishful thinking of something desired; true hope is found in a personal relationship and covenant with God through Jesus Christ.  That is a mouthful that often gets stated, but the true meaning and impact of that hope is lost in the rote repetition and mindless rehearsal we often give to scripture.

Music is a great way to infuse your whole being with the meaning of scripture.  One song that resonates with hope for me is “The Solid Rock.”

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood  and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand: All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace; In ev’ry high and stormy gale, My anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, His covenant, His blood, support me in the whelming flood; When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay.

When He shall come with trumpet sound, O may I then in Him be found: Dressed in His righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand: All other ground is sinking sand.

(Lyrics Edward Mote and Music William B. Bradbury 1863)

Look at the date of the writing of “The Solid Rock.”  It was written during the American Civil War.  Our current world conditions may push us into a dark and hopeless direction if we ONLY look at the physical world surrounding us.

God wants us to look at Him and place our HOPE in HIM and not our circumstances. Circumstances will rise and fall.  If our hope is attached to those circumstances our emotions will also rise and fall.

God has established Himself to us as THE SOLID ROCK.  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  He has known and knows history from the end to the beginning.  He knows the plans He has for each of us, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:11-13).

As we approach this New Year, let our glimmer of HOPE for a fresh start, of “off with the old and on with the new” be grounded in making Jesus the center of our focus.  With Him as our focus and foundation “all other ground will be sinking sand.”

The post HOPE for 2024 appeared first on Hope 100.7.

I’ve found myself longing for a deeper connection with God, with my family, and a more settled thought life. The three habits I’m going to share with you are centered around those things.

1. Day of Rest

This one’s tricky, because if you’re like me, a day of rest can easily become anything but restful. Your day of rest doesn’t have to be the same day you go to a worship service. For a long time, my family’s day of rest was Saturday, because if you work or volunteer at a church, you know Sunday can be downright hectic. So Saturdays were the days we protected from plans, spent time together as a family, went outside to enjoy Creation, prayed together, etc. Be careful not to let your schedule encroach on your day of rest. It’s easy when you’re looking at a full calendar to think, It would make my schedule so much easier if I work a little on my day of rest…but it won’t stop there. Before you know it, you’ll be back to no rest again. Think about your day of rest as a way to say to God, “I know that You have promised to take care of me. I know that I don’t need to work 24/7 to take care of myself. I trust Your plan and Your example.” Rest is a form of worship. 

2. Read Aloud

There are a lot of great reasons to read aloud to your kids of all ages (or anyone in your family who’s interested), but my favorite benefit is the bond you build with the person you’re reading with. It gives you instant conversation material, and as you experience the story, you learn about new places, things, and people together. You’re making memories and understanding more about the other person and learning how they think and feel about all sorts of different things. One of my favorite things is when my son unexpectedly references an event or a character from a book we’ve read together. If you’re interested in learning about the ways reading aloud helps children become better readers, writers, and more empathetic adults, get The Read-Aloud Revival by Sarah MacKenzie.

3. Journaling

Before you write this off as something you would never do, or something you don’t see a benefit in, hear me out. If you Google “benefits of journaling” you’ll find all sorts of things ranging from stress relief to boosted memory to recovery support from trauma and PTSD. What I’ve learned from my experience is when I journal regularly, I feel calmer and more grateful. The way I use my journal is called Bullet Journaling- meaning you put a bullet point before each item on your to-do list, and then manage your day from there. One of my favorite features of bullet journaling is you can do everything in one book. All in one place I have my meal plan, grocery list, budget, prayer list, creative space, monthly and daily to-do list, habit tracker, etc. I think it’s best to buy a blank journal and fill it in the way you want- you can be as artistic or as utilitarian as you please. Think of the goals you’ve made or the practices you want to add to your life, and add pages to help you in the right direction. I add quotes and Bible verses to help me focus on the things I want to base my days on. There are LOTS and LOTS of YouTube videos, Pinterest boards, and Instagram profiles to help you get started and keep you inspired along the way. 

Have you found ways to make your life more meaningful and more intentional? Tell us below!

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God bless you. Stay hopeful!

The post 3 Habits to Make Your New Year Richer and More Meaningful appeared first on Hope 100.7.