Teachers are ready to start a year with new students, new excitement, and new expectations. A new school year includes creating fun bulletin boards, shiny workbooks, and fresh supplies.

Many teachers have spent the summer thinking about the themes and methods that will entice the restless students that will grace their classrooms. Some teachers have taken summer workshops to spruce up their own skills and certification.

Parents on the other hand are most often voicing, “I can’t wait until school starts,” because they are ready to send the children back to gain their own breath of sanity.

Parenting of today is not the “Ozzie and Harriet,” “My Three Sons,” or “Little House on the Prairie.” Children of that era lived in neighborhoods and communities that provided safe environments where children could play outside and expend the energy that is now pent-up and internalized.

Parents of today are often working long hours, or several jobs to make ends meet. They are tired and stretched between home, family, and job responsibilities.

Children have the most mixed reaction to going back to school. I believe this is dependent on the child’s learning style and their social needs. Children who are hands on, kinesthetic, tactile learners tend to not want to return to very rigid, structured classrooms. While students who like to read, write, and “play school” are ready to return.

Students who have a high desire to be with people are ready to return to school to hang out with their friends. However, students who are shy or don’t fit into a typical social group are dreading returning to school.

How can we make this back to school a win-win for teachers, parents, and students? The most powerful thing we can do is to PRAY!

Prayer needs to be specific. Let’s look at specific prayer requests for each of those returning to school.

Teachers

• Clarity of mind in planning
• Peacefulness in times of stress
• Joyful appreciation of unusual circumstances
• Flexibility to catch the moments of unplanned learning opportunities
• Ability to juggle the responsibilities of home and school

Parents

• Persistence in helping children back into a school routine
• Patience when children are not cooperating to return to school
• Determination to support the education process in creating a love for learning
• Providing a loving atmosphere that supports each child beyond their school results
• Ability to develop a schedule that is workable for the family

Students

• Willingness to try new concepts
• Safety when playing with others
• Focused attention to really hear what is being taught
• Protection against bullies and others who may not hold their own beliefs
• Ability to complete homework as independently as possible for their age

We all once were children. You can add to the list based upon what you would have hoped people were praying for you. Not everyone reading this may be or have been a parent, but you can always pray for what you wish your parents or teachers would have provided during your childhood.

God has given us a wonderful opportunity to contribute to our communities by creating a Godly environment for teachers, parents, and students. If you know teachers, call their names out specifically. Possibly give them a quick call or drop a note to let them know you are praying for them. Think of families you would like to contact and tell them you are praying for them. This would be greatly appreciated. Also, ask them for specific prayer requests. When you have the opportunity to talk to any young person, ask them how they are doing in school and if they have any special prayer requests.

Don’t grow weary in well-doing (Galatians 6:9). Praying specifically is a much needed support to the teachers, parents, and students on the front lines of learning. There is a spiritual battle raging against our children and families. In public schools teachers are often caught in the middle unable to share Jesus as the answer. Our prayer coverage opens spiritual opportunities for God to move mightily on behalf of our future generation. We want the students, families, and teachers to know Jesus as their savior and friend that sticks to them closer than a brother. That knowledge of Jesus is PRICELESS and ETERNAL!

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God bless you. Stay hopeful!

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What Is Lent?

At its simplest, Lent is a forty-day period that usually ends sometime during the week preceding Easter. It is meant to commemorate the forty days Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness, so some Lenten traditions do include self-sacrifice and special acts of charity during this time. Most involve confession and repentance. But for all religious traditions, Lent is a time to prepare for Easter, a time to actively prepare ourselves through Scripture, prayer, and repentance. We know there is nothing we can do to earn God’s favor and His love, but I think the very idea that we can do nothing, that it was all the work of God, sometimes causes us to take it all for granted.

Because we were, through God’s grace, crucified and buried with Christ – with no pain and suffering on our part – it seems easy. And it is:

Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.

Acts 16:31

But if we don’t remember what that gift cost, we can also forget its value. We perhaps forget what sinners we were, how desperate our need was, and how great a sacrifice Jesus made for us, not just in His death, but in His very life here on earth.

But the other part of the story, the reason why Lent has an end, is because we were not only crucified and buried with Jesus, forgiven and made righteous, but we were also resurrected with Him into eternal life.

I Can

Attending this new church forced me to think about Lent. Whatever it was in my mind before or maybe what it is for others, it did not have to be for me. The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ are the most important events in the history of the world. Believers, hopefully, are always mindful of this, but it is not wrong to spend a little extra time focusing on Jesus, the cross, His love and sacrifice for us that allows us to experience the amazing unearned and unending joy of Easter morning.

By the time you read this, Lent this year will have already begun, but the number of days doesn’t matter. Use whatever time you can to reflect on what a selfless gift Jesus gave us. The reflection, meditation, and prayer of the days of Lent can lead us to appreciate and value even more Christ’s sacrificial death for us.

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God bless you. Stay hopeful!

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“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Matthew 22.36-40 NIV 

Pray

“We love because he first loved us.”

1 John 4.19

It’s important to remember that we can’t follow any of the instructions in the Bible without God empowering us to do so. Our human nature won’t allow us to “love our neighbor as ourselves” without knowing deeply that God loves us. The best place to start is prayer. Talk to God about who you need to show love to. Ask Him to help you and to be secure in your relationship with Him. If you’re having trouble loving someone, talk to Him about it. There’s nothing you can say that will surprise or offend Him. He wants to help you and give you the ability to obey Him. 

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Study

Reading what the Bible has to say about people may help change your perspective. Especially if you realize those verses aren’t just talking about you, but also about the people that annoy you. 

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

Ephesians 2.10 NLT 

“Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.”

1 Peter 4.8 NLT

“Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all! Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.”

Romans 12.9-17 NLT

Practice

The next time you’re confronted with a difficult person, stop and pray for help. Think about how that person was created in God’s image; how Jesus died for them; how they may be going through the hardest time in their life, or they may have been deeply affected by trauma earlier in their life. Practice showing grace and love even when it’s hard. God will be there to help you. 

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God bless you. Stay hopeful!

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Start with prayer. 

You might already know that God did not design us for constant stress and anxiety. 1 Peter 5:7 says “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for us.” Ask God to help you trust Him and turn away from worry. This past blog has five other Scriptures to help you remember to give your worries to God: https://myhope1007.com/what-to-do-when-you-are-scared-and-worried/

Consider therapy. 

There are many benefits to seeing a counselor or therapist, but one of the major ones is that they can help you identify what’s causing your worry or anxiety and come up with a plan to manage it. Talking through your thoughts and feelings in a safe space can help you see things from another perspective and work through any unresolved issues that may be keeping you stuck in a cycle of worry.

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Thankfulness.

Keep a running list of things you’re thankful for. Worrying can be overwhelming and cause you to lose perspective, so it’s important to take a step back and focus on the things that make you feel grateful. Make a list of all the positive aspects of your life – no matter how small – and review it regularly. You could keep a journal or keep the list on your phone so you always have access to it.

Form healthy habits. 

Worry can cause physical symptoms like muscle tension, fatigue, and insomnia, so it’s important to maintain an active lifestyle. Exercise releases endorphins that can improve your mood and help reduce the physical effects of stress. Take a walk or join a dance class; any kind of physical activity will help you take back control of your emotional state. Also, be sure to get enough sleep. Unhealthy habits stress your body and can aggravate or even be the cause of anxiety.

Look for healthy distractions. 

Worry often comes down to ruminating on things you cannot control or change. It can be hard to just “stop worrying,” so it helps to have something else to focus your attention on. Exercise, hobbies, or even just talking with friends can be a great way to distract yourself and create some distance from the source of your worry.

Practice relaxation techniques. 

One of the best ways to overcome worry is to focus on the present moment. Worrying about what might happen in the future is often a reaction to feeling out of control, so take a step back and try to identify what has you feeling overwhelmed. Once you have identified the source of your worry, envision handing those things over to God. Take a few deep breaths, resting in His presence. Train yourself to stop and do this every time you start feeling worried and you’ll start building new pathways in your brain that make it easier over time.

We hope these ideas help you live a less-worried life. Do you have any go-to anxiety busters? We’d love to hear from you!

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God bless you. Stay hopeful!

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Awards You Don’t Want 

Here are some awards that people actually try to win, but the awards don’t even exist.

The Never Put Themselves First Award

The Most Stressed Award

The Worried More Than Anyone Because They Care Award

The Slept the Least Award

Stayed on That Weird Diet for the Longest Award

Sacrificed Their Entire Life for Others Award

Liked by Everyone Award.

Whew. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I wanna win any of those.

What To Do While You’re Waiting

It’s one thing to wait in a long drive through waiting on that sandwich and fries or that specialty coffee drink, and it’s another to wait on God. Some people do it for months and even years. When you’re in a season of waiting, at least from my experience, it’s never just a season of waiting. Let me explain. It’s a season of preparation, abiding. There’s a word you don’t hear every day. Abiding. Waiting is not passive, it’s actually active. You have to be prepared for what you are praying for, what you are waiting for. Be prepared that it may look different than what you expect. Be prepared to hear God’s voice. You might not know when, but when He speaks, it happens fast and you’ve gotta be ready for that next season.

Prayer is a big deal in some people’s lives. If I were to be completely honest with you, I should be praying more. I worry and try to have control too much in my life. I saw this prayer and I think it’s worth repeating. And if you’re able to pray this with me right now, I think it’s pretty powerful. 

Dear God, when I feel overwhelmed, scared or anxious, please fill my heart and mind with your perfect peace. Amen.

~hopefully you.

Don’t Run on Empty

You can actually learn something from your bank account and apply it to your spiritual life: when withdrawals exceed deposits, bankruptcy is inevitable. I started to think about my own spiritual life. I know at times when I don’t pray as much as I should or spend time reading the Bible or doing a devotional, my attitude is bad. And imagine going on for weeks, months, and years like that. I can’t imagine people without God or Jesus in their life making it through the past two years. Maybe that’s why you see what I see- a lot of angry people walking around because they don’t have hope.

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Trust in God’s Timing

I wonder how you feel about this saying:

“You’ll see why God made you wait.” 

You might feel hurt, you might feel frustration, you might smile and go, “Hey, I’ve been there, done that.” This past weekend, I wrapped up a season in my life associated with an organization that I had been volunteering with for many years, probably almost 10. And I just felt a peace recently from God saying to me, “it’s time to step away.” I don’t want to, and it hurts, but I have to trust Him. And that saying “one day, you’ll see why God made you wait,” I actually am kind of excited and have some anticipation of “what’s next?”

The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way? 

Proverbs 20:24 NIV

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Trust in God’s Goodness

There are seasons in your life that will be good times. There’ll be some challenges, some trials. I know it’s difficult during those times- personally, it’s very difficult in the middle of the night, being awake and worrying or stressed out about some stuff. Consider this: it is crazy how a relationship with God can completely change your mood and attitude in an instant. Instead of worry, go to prayer. One worship song, one whispered prayer, one scripture verse can take you from the absolute worst mindset to a place of such peace and joy. There’s nothing like the presence of God. And my prayer for you today is to experience that.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4.6-7 NLT

Trust That God is With You

Today’s a great day to live by faith and not by sight. Sometimes what you see isn’t really the whole story. Faith will fill in all the gaps. I was spending time in the Bible this morning in the book of Luke, and Jesus was talking to the disciples about faith. It got me thinking about how faith is risky. I know sometimes I feel the risk; am I doing the right thing? Trusting God in this decision? Faith looks risky to others, maybe family members who don’t understand what’s going on in your life and how you are making decisions for you and your family. Especially in today’s day and age, where it seems like everyone is looking for proof of things to be true outside of God. 

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now. And don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Matthew 6.34 NLT

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God bless you. Stay hopeful!

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“I was just pondering something…you know, sometimes when we pray for something we get the answer quickly, but sometimes we have to wait and wait and wait. And I don’t know about you, but patience is not exactly my strong suit. It’s not a very pleasant thing to wait, is it? But you know what? That waiting is all part of God’s process. He’s working out that situation to perfection. So instead of asking, ‘why is this taking so long?’ Maybe our attitude should be ‘God, I thank you for working this out perfectly. And I thank you that what you promised is on the way.’” ~CJ McKay

Have you had the experience yet of having to wait on an answer to a prayer, and when you get that answer you see the reason it needed to take so long? If you haven’t, keep praying and trusting that God sees the whole picture and understands what is best for you. God is so faithful to show us how He works sometimes to build our faith and trust in Him. Today we’re going to talk about 2 different kinds of waiting on God. 

It All Starts with Prayer

The key to effective waiting is prayer. First, you need to hand over control of the situation, and then wait to hear what God’s perfect direction is. We need to be a people who stop and ask God’s will before we jump to try to solve our own problems. You might be thinking, that’s easier said than done! I agree. How many times have I come up against a problem and started panicking and scrambling for a solution before it occurs to me to pray? We must train ourselves to pray first, and then listen to God as He leads us. 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

Proverbs 3.5-6 ESV

“But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.”

Micah 7.7 ESV

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Wait and Be Still

When you ask the Lord for help or direction, there will be times you feel Him leading you to be still- to not do anything but watch Him work. (Or you might not be feeling Him saying anything.) To our American sensibilities, this might feel lazy or irresponsible, or even downright maddening when we think we’ve got a great plan all worked out, but it comes down to trust. Do we really trust that God knows best, or do we trust our own understanding above all else? 

I’m reminded of the story of Elijah in 1 Kings. He was obedient to what God told him to do and as a result he had to go into hiding. God could have provided Elijah with food and water in any number of ways, but He ordained for ravens to bring him food twice a day. 

“So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.”

1 Kings 17.5-6 NIV

Do Something and Wait

Then there will be times that God leads you to do something in response to your prayers. God works in such interesting ways and many times either the thing you feel led to do isn’t what you expected, or the outcome is not what you thought it would be. The situations we face in our everyday lives are rarely as simple and straightforward as we wish they would be, but we can rest assured that God has a plan and it’s for our good. 

In the book of Acts, God called Ananais to go to Saul, who was well known as a persecutor of Christians. God had a plan to redeem Saul that involved Ananais. Seeing God work through the stories of the Bible shows us we can’t just follow a pattern or do what someone else has done. We have to trust God and obey what He says, because we never know what He has planned.

In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered. The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.” “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.”

Acts 9.10-15

If you’re in a season of waiting, I hope this blog has given you hope and comfort. Try to focus on what you’re learning in this season and knowing that God is working it all out according to His good plan for your future. 

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God bless you. Stay hopeful!

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“So, you have those moments in life that stop you in your tracks. It could be the birth of a baby. It could be a tragedy. It could be a cyber Monday deal- ok, maybe not a cyber Monday deal. I saw this and it literally made me think so deeply, and I wanted you to hear this: worship is the act of committing one’s entire life to Jesus. It’s just not a song in church; it’s just not opening the Bible every morning; it’s literally your whole life. And if I were to look at my life, I don’t know that I can say my life is a life of worship, because I’m selfish. Because I don’t go to Jesus for every single decision. I’m not sure there’s an easy fix for committing one’s entire life to Jesus through worship. But I think it does start one decision at a time, one step at a time.” ~Todd Stach

What do you think of first when you hear the word “worship”? Do you think of worship music? Or a worship service? If so, I want to encourage you to think a little deeper about the meaning of true worship. Jesus points out in Matthew 15.8-9, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.” So it’s entirely possible to look like you worship God from the outside looking in, but to be far from God in your heart. That’s a terrifying idea, but rest assured that God sees our hearts and desires a true relationship with us.

Like Todd says, there’s no easy fix for living a life of true worship, but it begins in your heart and your mind. Have you ever felt like you desperately want to be fully committed to God, but you can’t seem to get it right? You’re in good company. Let’s read about King David, a man after God’s own heart. He loved God and was “fully devoted” to Him. 

(Speaking of Solomon) “…his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been.”

1 Kings 11:4 

When you look at David’s life, you can see that he still sinned, sometimes in shocking ways, but he continually turned back to God. David practiced a few habits that helped him turn his heart to God that we can emulate.

1) David’s devotion to God wasn’t based on his circumstances. 

“The psalms ring with David’s anthems of adoration and worship. Communion with God in prayer, combined with worship, prepares the hard ground of our hearts, tenderizing and mellowing it into fallow soil, yielded to God.”

Maryann Ward

David did not make a show of his devotion to God, but instead let that relationship define his life. He did not say to himself, “I feel depressed, so that means God is not good.” You can see from passages like Psalm 10, David is not afraid to question God’s actions, but those questions don’t lead him to walk away from God. By the end of the psalm, he is reminded of God’s goodness. “O Lord, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide when I am in trouble?” Psalm 10.1 NLT. “The Lord is king forever and ever! The godless nations will vanish from the land. Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them. You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed, so mere people can no longer terrify them.” Psalm 10.16-18 NLT. 

In many instances, David tells his soul what to do and how to respond to God’s goodness. “Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Psalm 103.1-5 NIV

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2) David trusted God for forgiveness.

When David sinned, he didn’t run from God, he ran towards Him. He threw himself on God’s mercy, knowing only God could forgive and restore him. 

“Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just. For I was born a sinner—yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.”

Psalm 51.1-5 NLT

David understood the depths of human depravity, and knew only devotion to God could keep him pure in God’s eyes. He cared more about his relationship with God than the punishment he knew he deserved for his sin. What does this mean for you and I? We can also purpose in our hearts to desire a relationship with God more than everything else. When we find ourselves in a pattern of sin, we can stop, pray, turn from the sin, and throw ourselves on the mercy of God. When the temptation to run and hide from God is strong, fight against it and turn to Him instead. 

3) David treasured the Word of God

“The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living. Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever. The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair. They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb. They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them.”

Psalm 19.7-11 NLT

David truly loved God’s Word and it was a source of strength and comfort to him. We can build the same relationship with the Word David did simply by making it a priority. If you struggle with consistently getting in the Word, make a plan for yourself starting small. Set an alarm or put it on your calendar to do a short devotion each day. Ask the Lord to help you fall in love with His Word and to lead you to studies or books or other resources that will help you. 

Hopefully this look at King David helped you see a few practices you can start in your own life to deepen your relationship with God. A life of true worship isn’t easy, but it’s the most worthwhile thing you can pursue. 

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God bless you. Stay hopeful!

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“When your faith runs out, just judge God faithful.”

Sometimes you don’t know why you’ve got a question mark in your life. I remember a time I got hit with a job loss, a relative who I really loved passed away, and then medical issues cropped up all in a short amount of time. And I just was wondering, why Lord is this going on? But you know what? God brought me through all of that. And I learned that an exclamation point is simply a question mark that’s been straightened out. I learned that if I want God to turn my question marks into an exclamation point, then all I’ve got to do is trust Him.

For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me; you take me out of the net they have hidden for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.

Psalm 31.3-5

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You know, sometimes when we pray for something, we get the answer quickly, but sometimes we have to wait and wait and wait. And I don’t know about you, but patience is not exactly my strong suit. It’s not a very pleasant thing to wait, is it? But you know what? That waiting is all part of God’s process. He’s working out that situation to perfection. So instead of asking, “why is this taking so long?” Maybe our attitude instead should be, “God, I thank you for working this out perfectly. And I thank you that what You promised is on the way.”

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens

Ecclesiastes 3.1

This is something we all should do from time to time. Especially in life, when things are rough. Take some time to look back over your life and contemplate all the times God was good to you. I mean the times where He made a way when you didn’t see a way, He brought you to the right place at the right time so that you were blessed. Your health didn’t look good, but somehow He turned that around. Maybe you made mistakes that should have held you back, but God and His mercy covered you and brought you to a really nice place in life. So yeah, from time to time, let’s look back over our lives and contemplate God’s goodness.

I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works. Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, and I will declare Your greatness. They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, and shall sing of Your righteousness.

Psalm 145:5-7

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God bless you. Stay hopeful!

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Trust In The Lord

There are things going on in the world right now that are out of your control, out of my control- in the midst of chaos. If it’s causing hardship in your life, I’m very, very, sorry. There is one thing you can do to help fix your eyes on Jesus- when you can’t understand what God is doing, say this: I will trust in the Lord. 

When you can’t see past what’s right in front of you, because you’re just so burdened, say this: 

I will trust in the Lord.

When you can’t control the circumstances that you’re in, say this: 

I will trust in the Lord. 

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3.5-6 NIV

This might challenge you or give you encouragement- I’m not sure which way it will go for you. But when I saw this, it challenged me. “Stress comes from trying to do it all on your own. Peace comes from putting it all in God’s hands.” So whether it’s a relationship, stress at your job, paying bills, whatever it might be, daily give it over to God and expect Him to come through. 

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Simple Prayer

I’m wondering if you would agree with me, but I think we complicate prayer. I complicate prayer. Really, it’s not a complicated process, but for whatever reason in our humanness, you and I can kind of complicate it. Here’s the simple reality: talk to Jesus about your day, your fears, your joy, your needs, your wants, pray for your family, your friends, even trivial topics. He wants to be a part of every area of your life. Talk to Him about Bible verses you don’t understand, cry out to Him when you need Him. You can never go to Jesus too many times. In fact, the more He hears from you, the better.

Feeling Stuck? 

The next time you feel stuck in a season, I want you to remember this: an unexpected detour or delay doesn’t mean your purpose has ended. Life is full of twists and turns, and honestly, God rarely takes you to where you want to go on the path that you think makes the most sense. In comes disappointment, in comes discouragement because you think you’re not where you should be and you didn’t expect life to look like it does right now. Just because the path God has you on is harder and not what you anticipated doesn’t mean that God’s not in it. It might be taking longer than you thought. That doesn’t mean God’s not going to do it just because you feel alone at times, it doesn’t mean that God has left. Just because it looks impossible, doesn’t mean it’s not possible. God’s ways are not your ways and not my ways. Impossible is actually where God starts. Miracles are what God does… keep believing in God. It’s not over.

Impossible is actually where God starts.

Todd Stach

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God bless you. Stay hopeful!

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“What’s on the inside of us will come out…just like a sponge when it’s squeezed. So, the question is what are we producing or focused on on the inside so something good- something godly- comes out? Check out Matthew 12.34.” –Joy

You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.

Matthew 12.34-35

What a great representation of how our reactions are determined by our inner life: what’s in the sponge comes out when pressure is applied. You may be tempted to read this scripture and think, “I’m not storing up evil in myself!” But maybe ask yourself this instead: “Am I storing up worry? Am I storing up fear? Am I storing up unforgiveness? Am I storing up pride?” And while you’re at it: “When I’m stressed, do I react in anger? When I hear good news about someone else, do I feel envious? When I don’t get what I want, do I fly into a rage?” These things (and more) put distance between you and God, and cause you to react in ways that put distance between you and the people around you as well. Don’t get me wrong- because we’re broken people, living in a broken world, we all make mistakes. Many factors can lead to wrong reactions, but if you’re noticing a pattern of ungodly reactions, you have to look at what’s fueling them. If you’ve come across this blog and you’re not a follower of Jesus Christ, I believe you’re reading this for a reason. You can’t change your reactions (at least not for long) without letting Jesus change your heart first. 

If you are a believer already, let’s talk about some practical ways to avoid storing up evil, as well as some ways to store up good in your heart. 

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What Are You Putting In?

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

1 Peter 5.8

The enemy of our souls is sneaky, deceptive, and manipulative. He knows you’re probably not going to be tempted to murder someone out of the blue…he’s much more subtle than that. There are many ways he can try to pull you away from God. Things that might be fine for others may cause us to walk down a dangerous path. 

• Ask God for eyes to see where you’re allowing sin in your life. Ask Him to show you where you’re getting ideas that go against Him. 
• Pay attention to your thoughts- your thoughts about God, your thoughts about others, and your thoughts about yourself. They may hold clues that you’re not filling yourself up with the good things God intends for you. 
• Evaluate your entertainment or information sources, the way you destress, the conversations you have with others…are they contributing fear? Envy? Anger? Bitterness? Ask God to help you identify and cut out things that are leading you away from Him. 

How To Store Up Good

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.

2 Peter 1.3

God has given us everything we need to live a godly life! What excellent news! He’s not trying to hide the answers or the resources from us. And on top of that, it’s His spirit in us that gives us the strength to follow and obey Him. If you’ve been a Christian or in church for a long time, the following bullet-points may seem very obvious or too simple, but upon closer examination, you may find you’re not being as faithful in these basics as you say you are. No judgment here…it happens to everyone <3

• Study the Bible. Use a guided Bible study or read straight from the Word. There are times in your walk for both!
• Pray daily. If you struggle to stay focused, write your prayers or talk out loud. There are even apps now to support you in your prayer life.
• Praise God. Find ways every day to give praise to God. Training your brain to look for the things God is doing in your life and in the world around you changes your perception of everything. 
• Spend time with godly friends. It’s very difficult to stay faithful to God with no support. If you don’t have any godly friends, seek to connect with people at your church, through local ministries, or if necessary- on online groups. No matter how you meet people, measure their words up to Scripture and follow the Spirit’s leading before you learn from them or open your life up to them. 
• Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4.8

May God bless you as you follow Him, and learn to fill up with all the good God has for you!

For more thought-provoking topics, tune in to Hope 100.7. 
God bless you. Stay hopeful!

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1. Jesus, thank you for caring about my situation.
   Maybe you’ve wondered if Jesus cares about your situation. The Bible says that Jesus is “the God who Sees” (Genesis 16:13). He also calls us to “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for You” (1 Peter 5:7).
   
   In the middle of any storm, sickness, fear or concern, you are not alone!
2. Jesus, give me eyes to see the eternal.
   Though it is hard for us to see in the moment, there is a purpose in every trial. “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison…” (2 Corinthians 4:17)
   
   God can use every trial as a lesson.
3. Jesus, teach me Your truth.
   Hard times are never fun times, but we know that through them, God is developing our character and helping us become more like Jesus. James 1:2-3 encourages us to:
   
   “Count it all joy… when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” (James 1:2-3)
4. Jesus, help me live by faith, not by fear.
   Walking in faith does not mean we won’t experience fear. We know that Jesus loves us and ultimately is in control when life feels crazy.
   
   “Without faith it is impossible to please Him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
5. Jesus, please heal those who are sick.
   “Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them.” (Luke 4:40)
   
   While He does not always choose to heal, we believe that He is still our Healer today. Sometimes he works through a doctor, and sometimes through a miracle. We can bring people to Jesus for healing when we pray for them.
6. Jesus, please give our doctors & leaders wisdom to respond well and to find a cure.
   
   God has given them wisdom already in helping us prevent the spread of serious diseases like coronavirus… So, we recommend you trust God through prayer.

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