If the Lord is present, then so is hope. Hopelessness has no place in our vocabularies as Christians.
· Regardless of how dark or desperate a situation seems, hope abides (1 Cor. 13:13). Hold on tightly to that hope.
· Our hope is anchored in Jesus Christ Himself (1 Pet. 3:15-16) – so our hope can handle any attack
· Nothing can separate us from the love of God (Rom. 8:38-39) and the hope He brings. Any problem or situation we face pales in comparison with His power.
We have to learn to look past our immediate circumstances and toward the hope that God gives us. It is precisely that hope that can carry us through.
RichardD said,
July 23, 2008 at 9:47 pm
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
His oath, His covenant, His love
Support me in the whelming flood
When all around my soul gives way
He then is all my hope and stay
On Christ the Solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand
Lynn said,
July 24, 2008 at 12:08 am
Sandy, these words are a treasury of wisdom, and I must remember to come here and just look at these posts when the time will come that I will need to be reminded of these truths.
I’m praying for you and yours, friend!
RichardD said,
July 24, 2008 at 7:48 am
Sandy – Again, this morning as I read the bible, I found some verses that I think I should share with you. If they aren’t the right words for you at this time – perhaps someone else reading these comments may benefit from them. God’s word will not return void but will accomplish that for which it has been sent.
Still praying, my friend.
Is 35:3-7
Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
Say to those who have an anxious heart,
“Be strong; fear not!
Behold, your God
will come with vengeance,
with the recompense of God.
He will come and save you.”
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then shall the lame man leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.
For waters break forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;
the burning sand shall become a pool,
and the thirsty ground springs of water;
in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down,
the grass shall become reeds and rushes.
Sandy said,
July 24, 2008 at 8:22 am
Richard and Lynn,
Thank you, my friends!
Brandi Renfroe said,
July 25, 2008 at 8:52 am
“His Garden” by Brandi Renfroe
“Mommy, Mommy I need you right now,
I can’t tie my shoes yet, I just don’t know how.
I need to go potty and please read me a book,”
At the mess in this house, oh I can’t even look!
Laundry is piling up, so high at the door,
And just around the corner I spotted some more.
“Honey I can’t find a shirt”, my husband does call,
And I heard something crash at the end of the hall.
Irritable and Frustrated I quickly become,
And snap at my husband and daughter each one.
My stress is still growing and I’m wound really tight,
I am certain that I will have to work through the night.
Dishes to wash and the bills to pay,
I am starting a new diet so I need to go weigh.
I have to head to the office and get my work done,
And put up with egos, which is soooo much fun.
The joy I once felt has seemed to vanish away,
All my little girl wants is for Mommy to play.
But Mommy is too busy just trying to cope,
It appears as if I have lost all hope.
All alone I do feel in this great big world,
And that is not what I want for my little girl.
My life is so full, but I just can’t seem to see,
All the blessings so graciously given to me.
Empty and dry that is how I do feel,
I have lost all my fervor and I haven’t any zeal.
I am driven to complete my entire check list,
People in general I’d like to whack with my fist.
Tired and ugly is how I really am feeling,
I need some relief, please help me, I’m willing!
Where do I even begin to tackle this mess,
I don’t know where to look, I haven’t a guess.
I haven’t the time to spend with a friend,
No time to call or make a card to send.
I am failing all those who I hold so dear,
But what I should do is just not very clear.
I am quite embarrassed, these feelings to share,
But I just need to know, have you ever been there?
Trying so hard to do it all just right,
Only to fail and wind up exhausted each night.
In an overwhelmed state I finally gave up,
I dropped to my knees and emptied my cup.
I poured out my heart to the Lord in a flurry,
And I felt Him say softly, “my child, do not worry”
He had been waiting for me to call on His name,
And now I was certain I would not be the same!
I spent precious time in His Garden today,
He spoke truth to my heart as I continued to pray.
As He tended my wounds I began to sob and cry,
Remembering that this is why His son had to die.
So that I may know Him in a way that is real,
My heart and soul He could personally heal.
The frustrations are now finally gone,
And I no longer feel all empty and alone.
My energy and my joy has returned to me,
This is the way things were suppose to be.
My heart is so full and my mind is at rest,
And now I realize that I am incredibly blessed!
I have a beautiful daughter who is so very cute,
A wonderful husband who is good looking to boot!
Finishing each list is no longer my goal,
Instead seeking God’s face to replenish my soul.
Time in His Garden is now precious to me,
I pray that you will visit so you too may see!
~ Written April 07, 2007 ~
Sandy said,
July 25, 2008 at 9:12 am
Brandi,
What an awesome post! You are very talented and I could actually feel you here and hear your voice. Thanks so much for sharing this.
Brandi said,
July 25, 2008 at 10:48 am
Your words are precious…thank you!
Brandi said,
August 29, 2008 at 11:44 am
Here are some pretty profound quotes that I have come across…
“Every situation, properly perceived, becomes an opportunity.”
- Helen Schucman –
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
- Eleanor Roosevelt -
“Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson -
Our strength often increases in proportion to the obstacles imposed upon it.”
- Paul De Rapin -
“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear. Except a creature be part coward it is not a compliment to say it is brave.”
- Mark Twain -
“The stars are constantly shining, but often we do not see them until the dark hours.”
- Earl Riney -
“Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfills the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.”
- Winston Churchill -
“Problems are only opportunities in work clothes.”
- Henry J. Kaiser -
What is Success?
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)
To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics
And endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty,
To find the best in others,
To leave the world a bit better; whether by a healthy child,
A garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;
To know that one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.