This is where the rubber meets the road...when words are meaningless and actions prove "HOPE" is real! Today it's YOUR chance to share HOPE...
A dear friend of mine has breast cancer. She found out last week it has spread to her lymph nodes. She began chemotherapy this week.
What encouraging words can you share with her to reflect the HOPE that comes from Jesus Christ alone? Leave your encouraging thoughts for her here (comment) and you might just be the glimmer of HOPE she needs. Thank you, my hopeful friends!
With HOPE,
Kristen
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
Day 4: Your Secret Place
Yesterday we talked about how important it is to stay "in touch" with God, to spend time connecting with Him. It's important to find a place for this connection, as well. So, where do you connect with God? Where do you seek Him and wait for Him to show up?
When my kids were younger, my private moments of connection with God were nowhere NEAR PRIVATE! Praying while changing diapers, feeding babies, watching Little Bear and Blue's Clues were my only time before pouring my exhausted body into bed at night.
Then when they were a little older, my time with God was in the living room after everyone was in bed asleep with a cup of coffee. I had many late, late nights back then!
During another season of my life, my kitchen table was my secret place with God where I could spread out my Bibles, study books and highlighters, etc. after the kids had gone to school.
Now that I'm working full time, my time with God is early in the wee hours of the morning and before going to bed at night. My place isn't quite as "ideal" as it used to me, but it's still special...just me and God. Only now there's a few more interruptions, but it works for me.
Where is your secret place? If you're not sure, spend some time finding a special place that works for you in the season of life you're in right now. Remember, it doesn't look the same for everyone. All that matters is that you "have" a place to meet with Him. A place to find hope when you're thanking Him for the many blessings in your life or crying out in desperation.
Where is your secret place where hope overflows from filling yourself up with God?
With HOPE,
Kristen
When my kids were younger, my private moments of connection with God were nowhere NEAR PRIVATE! Praying while changing diapers, feeding babies, watching Little Bear and Blue's Clues were my only time before pouring my exhausted body into bed at night.
Then when they were a little older, my time with God was in the living room after everyone was in bed asleep with a cup of coffee. I had many late, late nights back then!
During another season of my life, my kitchen table was my secret place with God where I could spread out my Bibles, study books and highlighters, etc. after the kids had gone to school.
Now that I'm working full time, my time with God is early in the wee hours of the morning and before going to bed at night. My place isn't quite as "ideal" as it used to me, but it's still special...just me and God. Only now there's a few more interruptions, but it works for me.
Where is your secret place? If you're not sure, spend some time finding a special place that works for you in the season of life you're in right now. Remember, it doesn't look the same for everyone. All that matters is that you "have" a place to meet with Him. A place to find hope when you're thanking Him for the many blessings in your life or crying out in desperation.
Where is your secret place where hope overflows from filling yourself up with God?
With HOPE,
Kristen
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Day 3
So, we've cried out to God and given Him our anger and frustration, our fear and our pain. Now what?
It's disappointing to be honest...it's disappointing to realize this isn't a "cure all". There isn't a one time fix where "poof!" now your life is hunky dory! Quite the opposite, it's a daily thing. So you've cried out and shared your pain, now it's crucial to keep the lines of communication open. We can't share our hearts with God once and expect that life will be grand!
It's just like a marriage...sharing the good and the bad. Communication is vital to the health of a marriage. You just can't stay connected unless you're communicating and spending time together. Keeping that line of communication open with God and spending time with Him is vital to a life of radical hope. Have you talked to Him today?
Tomorrow we'll talk about finding that special place to keep the lines of communication open...that special place where HOPE can be found.
With HOPE,
Kristen
It's disappointing to be honest...it's disappointing to realize this isn't a "cure all". There isn't a one time fix where "poof!" now your life is hunky dory! Quite the opposite, it's a daily thing. So you've cried out and shared your pain, now it's crucial to keep the lines of communication open. We can't share our hearts with God once and expect that life will be grand!
It's just like a marriage...sharing the good and the bad. Communication is vital to the health of a marriage. You just can't stay connected unless you're communicating and spending time together. Keeping that line of communication open with God and spending time with Him is vital to a life of radical hope. Have you talked to Him today?
Tomorrow we'll talk about finding that special place to keep the lines of communication open...that special place where HOPE can be found.
With HOPE,
Kristen
Day 2
Is it hard for you to express your anger or frustration to God? Do you hesitate to share your pain with Him?
Many of us struggle with letting God hear the cries of our heart. Not sure I understand why, when He already knows full well what those cries are! I believe He wants us to bring Him those cries. It's clearly not a "sin" to get angry and certainly not a "sin" to share that anger with God. He already knows how we feel. We sin when we make poor decisions in our anger...when our choices made in anger become ungodly choices. "In your anger, do not sin." Eph. 4:26
I was angry about being sick and angry that this was happening to me. Ever been there? That anger diminished after I expressed it to God. I can't say I don't have days where I feel it creeping up again, but anger doesn't control my life because I cried out and gave it to God and continue to give it to Him day after day.
Check your heart...are you angry because of your circumstances? Angry because someone broke your heart, angry because you lost your job, angry because your body is failing you? God is just waiting to hear from you.
With HOPE,
Kristen
Many of us struggle with letting God hear the cries of our heart. Not sure I understand why, when He already knows full well what those cries are! I believe He wants us to bring Him those cries. It's clearly not a "sin" to get angry and certainly not a "sin" to share that anger with God. He already knows how we feel. We sin when we make poor decisions in our anger...when our choices made in anger become ungodly choices. "In your anger, do not sin." Eph. 4:26
I was angry about being sick and angry that this was happening to me. Ever been there? That anger diminished after I expressed it to God. I can't say I don't have days where I feel it creeping up again, but anger doesn't control my life because I cried out and gave it to God and continue to give it to Him day after day.
Check your heart...are you angry because of your circumstances? Angry because someone broke your heart, angry because you lost your job, angry because your body is failing you? God is just waiting to hear from you.
With HOPE,
Kristen
Friday, October 1, 2010
Hope
After being diagnosed with Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyradiculoneuropathy over 13 years ago, HOPE was the last thing from my mind! I was too sick to feel hopeful about anything! Until one day...I hit rock bottom. No really, rock bottom. I fell apart. It was the lowest time in my life and continues to be one of the strongest emotions I've ever experienced. I've never felt such despair and agony in my life. I must've been in that shower for over an hour...just crying my eyes out, pouring my heart out to God, screaming at Him, asking Him "Why? What did I do to deserve this?"
Have you ever felt such despair? Ever been through an experience where HOPE was nowhere in sight? I'm sure you have...we ALL have. If you've never cried out to God with your despair, I challenge you to do that today. It's the first step to a life of RADICAL HOPE. Spend some time in the book of Job (chapters 29-31) and read how Job cried out to God, how he wrestled with his despair and the goodness of God. Then, don't be afraid to cry out to God yourself.
We'll talk more about this tomorrow...get a good night's sleep!
With HOPE,
Kristen
Have you ever felt such despair? Ever been through an experience where HOPE was nowhere in sight? I'm sure you have...we ALL have. If you've never cried out to God with your despair, I challenge you to do that today. It's the first step to a life of RADICAL HOPE. Spend some time in the book of Job (chapters 29-31) and read how Job cried out to God, how he wrestled with his despair and the goodness of God. Then, don't be afraid to cry out to God yourself.
We'll talk more about this tomorrow...get a good night's sleep!
With HOPE,
Kristen
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