'hope and a plan'...

 

Today I heard the phrase “hope and a plan” during a conversation with one dear to me.  My heart and spirit were overwhelmed with a tidal wave of emotion and thought.  There have been times I stood in the darkness of a period of life… overwhelmed with helplessness, desperate, lost, exhausted, drowning…

When one is here, you just want an end, an answer, some sort of plan to grasp onto in which there may bring relief… hope… healing. 

“hope and a plan” – as remembrance of my own journeys came, I felt for the one dear – understanding of the places in which they had stood – understanding the momentary relief and understanding the hope that the relief will stay and all will be well.

“hope and a plan” – it brought to mind a verse that is often given in times to provide comfort and assurance…

“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.” – Jeremiah 29:11

I have clung to this verse in seasons.  And as I have… my understanding of this verse has deepened leading to an even greater comfort and assurance.

My hope in each moment of a dark season had been different… I hoped/wanted my child to live.  I hoped/wanted healing for another of my children.  I hoped/ wanted a loved one to find light in life out of the shadows of depression – for myself as well to escape the dark times and to live without the fear and desperation that accompanies anxiety disorder. I sought the comfort of this verse and looked for “hope and a future” where prosperity of relief would come.

And as I held and meditated on those words I was compelled to consider their depth and context.

• “declares the LORD’ – The Father Himself; YahWeh, the one who IS, WAS and ALWAYS WILL BE, the Great I AM; says/speaks these words.  The one who spoke all into being speaks Hope and a future for me personally – “you” – me singular.
• “plans to prosper you and not harm you”- The Hebrew word for ‘prosper here is ‘shalom’ meaning completeness, welfare and peace.  And the Hebrew use here for ‘not harm you’ means ‘not of evil’.
•  “plans to give you hope and a future” - The Hebrew for ‘plan’ is  ‘machashabah’  - designs, thoughts, intentions, purposes.  The Hebrew word for ‘give’ is ‘nathan’ meaning to put, set, establish, commit.   The Hebrew word for ‘future’ is ‘acharith’ meaning the after-part, end.  The Hebrew word for ‘hope’ comes from the root ‘qavah’ meaning ‘expectation’.   

All together this means that the Great ‘I AM’ has established and committed intentions for me personally that will that will bring me no evil but will provide welfare and peace that I can expect and there will be an end to this season.

 

But the final and completeness of the blessing in all of Jeremiah 29:11 is really found in the verses that follow:

“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 (Jeremiah 29:11).  “Then you will call upon 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. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity.” (Jeremiah 29:12-14a)

The completeness of the blessing is more than ‘hope and a plan’.  Yes ‘I AM’ declares and speaks His intention for Peace, and expectant Hope, of an end to the season for me personally.  But even greater, He declares that He will listen to me, He will be found and very much present in the season and will bring me out of the captivity of it. 

I note that even though His plans may have been different than what I wanted – through out the season and in the outcome, I am now able to see within the perspective of time passing – I was given His presence and peace… and blessings I would have never experienced otherwise.  Darkness did not and will not overshadow my being.  I have and will live in the prosperity of Peace and expectant Hope that He declares for me personally.  Even more so I have the blessed assurance, Peace and Hope the Father provides through His mercy and grace in the gift of Christ’s redeeming Love.

 

My prayer for you is that in the midst you will find ‘hope and a plan’ – HIS for you personally; to grasp on to the entirety of HIS declaration and promise for you… He is present and listening; He declares for you -now and for eternity – a prosperity of Peace, expectant Hope and His loving presence.

 

Forsaken

 

Forsaken.  Not a word one often uses.  But a word perhaps felt more often than some may want to say.

… he stood out side his wife’s window every day – rain, snow, cold. The pandemic rules would not allow him to be by her side as she lay in bed struggling to breathe.  Weeks went by for her all the while unable to sense his presence, feel his hand on hers, hear his voice; isolated from all that was familiar.

… they were supposed to be healers providing care enabling patients to return home to loved ones.  Instead, they were helpless as hundreds entered the doors.  They looked into the eyes filled with fear and desperation, often holding a phone for one to hear loved one’s voice as intubation occurred. Often standing quietly holding a hand as last breaths were taken so one would not die alone.  And as the virus spread sometimes it was the hand of a fellow worker they held.

…they went to work daily to provide care for those who survived, for those who were older and unable to care for themselves.  Day after day not only experiencing the fatigue the job routinely may bring but now daily witnesses to isolation that drained life, having to cover extra shifts, travel to aid other facilities, exposed to the unknown possibly to be the conduit by which their own homes or loved ones would fall prey to.

… families unable to gather to support one another in loss or honor the one who was no more.

…. Owners of a family business rooted in a community for decades watched helplessly as masked individuals broke windows, lit fires, looted and spraypainted the shell that remained – a life of building, supporting community, a livelihood wiped out by hypocrites in the name of justice.

… he took a breath through the bandana around his face.  Heat and smoke gripped his throat.  90% of all structures in town no longer stood including his home which was lost as he fought to save the homes of others.  Thousands of acres burned.  Ash fell hundreds of miles north and the sky was a sickening brownish orange.

…families quarantined, jobs paused or no longer held, struggling - realizing the rent, utilities, groceries, aren’t balancing.

… a society now filled with a culture of contempt nurturing division, unrest and hatred.

 …she spent days in a basement bunker hiding with her two children before she fled.  “I was ready to die”.  First the airplanes and bombs came every few hours, then every 30 minutes, then every fifteen.  There was the constant smell of gunpowder and images of bodies on the street with nowhere to go.

 

We are living in an uncertain time of upheaval.  We each have uniquely experienced this point history in ways that have overwhelmed.  Fear, unrest, anxiety, isolation, discord, depression, loneliness, doubt, exhaustion, sadness, discouragement, distancing, division, burnout, loneliness, disconnect…   There is no fathomable or measurable way to complete the list. 

Forsaken – abandoned. To have been left, deserted, surrendered, set aside, cast off.

Perhaps this word “forsaken” describes best what is being felt…by the patient; the victim abused or discriminated; the medical worker; the citizen whose political class has forgotten; the widow or widower; the orphan; the refugee; the homeless; the elderly; the single parent; the firefighter; the police officer; the teacher; the child; the neighbor…you….me.

It’s taken awhile to acknowledge that the continued onslaught of events over the past few years has eroded wellbeing… mine, yours, ours.  Sometimes people experience a huge massive loss or life altering event that is a tsunami crashing through life with obvious devastation in its wake.  But we have had an unrelenting, uncontrollable, unforgiving storm pattern that continues to bring floods leaving us constantly wading through mud and trying to keep our heads above water.  Some times we don’t realize the cumulative effect as we ignore various parts of the storm or convince ourselves we are far removed from certain parts of the storm until the water comes rushing through the middle of our lives.  The thing that is unique about this set of storms is that the first round forced us to abandon (forsake) a good portion of our lifeboat communities.  For some that length of time has caused disconnect – some have moved along with smaller more immediate supports unwittingly forsaking others; some no longer are capable of reaching out or flagging down the nearest lifeboat holding on to whatever lifesaver they can now on their own and some still struggle immensely to gasp their next breath of air with the continued onslaught and wave of events.  Maybe each of us at varied times can relate a bit too closely to each of the fore mentioned situations. 

What is needed to continue our journey now  - in spite of continued showers – is to acknowledge this word – “forsaken”.  Identify how we’ve been affected and allow ourselves to openly feel what it may bring.  Then move forward with intent.

Move forward purposefully seeking our lifeboats.  Move forward purposefully noticing those around us that may need the refuge of our lifeboat and make room – reach out so as not to unwittingly forsake another.  Move forward intentionally rebuilding the lifeboat community.  Move forward knowing you it’s okay to call out for help.  Each of these will be effortful, need time, and may result being stuck in another onslaught back with that word “forsaken”.

Truth is we do have an anchor of hope in which we are never truly forsaken.  There is ONE that is sovereign over all that may come.  No matter the event, no matter the situation, no matter how abandoned we may feel  or seem, we will always have  this anchor of assurance in the promises of ONE who is ever present, ever knowing and all powerful.  There is no struggle against the fatigue, the fear, the anxiety, the isolation.  There is just surrender into the arms of the ONE who loves and won’t let go.  And we are promised security, assurance, presence and strength.

 

Deuteronomy 31:6  Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your GOD, He is the One who goes with you.  He will not leave you nor forsake you.

Deuteronomy 31:8  And the LORD, He is the One who goes before you.  He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear or be dismayed

Joshua 1:5  No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.  I will not leave you nor forsake you.

Ezra 9:9  Yet our GOD did not forsake us in our bondage; but He extended mercy to us.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9  We are hard-pressed on every side yet not crushed, we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down but not destroyed.

Matthew 28:20  And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.

Romans 8:38-39  For I am convinced that neither death no life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present not the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our LORD.

 

Use your words.....

Overwhelmed. Tired. Emotional. Determined. Broken. Release. Wept. Pause. View. Realize. Perspective. Seek. Mindful. Intentional. Reset. Open. Floodgate. Begin. Forward.

It’s been several weeks now that life has been being lived in a time and world that we could have not fully comprehended prior.  These weeks have caught up with me. 

Professionally I function in an environment surrounded by amazing people - we are constantly meeting immediate needs, diagnosing, treating, training, assisting, nurturing, giving, encouraging, solving, monitoring... going.  We compartmentalize our lives, suppress feelings and needs, build walls inside our minds to focus on job-duty-and mostly the well being of the patient.

But….

These weeks have caught up – PANDEMIC – daily numbers increase, inadequacies of a system are being exposed, suffering increases, shortages, hoarding, isolation, fear.

These weeks have caught up – PANIC AND HYSTERIA – ring out with constant “coverage” and “news” that feeds on itself and focuses and “reports” devastation, desperation, disheartened.

These weeks have caught up – the realization that ‘temporary measures’ may not be so temporary and all of us - professional, family, educational, retail, supply, medical – ALL OF US – are having to navigate living life in a different world.

These weeks have caught up – the compartmentalization, the suppression, the walls… were breached by tears.  My mind and my heart acknowledged a growing list:

- my inadequacies in meeting needs at work- for clients not only in their treatment but in their isolation

-the exhaustion of trying to do a job within the reality of many limitations and knowing what is to come

-being with an awesome team that not only supports those they serve but continually adjusts, dives in, accommodates and does all it takes to meet that need while helping each other as well

-seeing and feeling … Knowing - the toll that all of it is on each of them (and me) on the inside and yet it’s all pushed further down because the need and the job grow

- my inadequacies in my family role – emotional and physical weariness sometimes don’t leave much in the tank for the most important roles in my life as wife, mom, daughter, sister, friend

- my personal fears that cause me to isolate myself physically and emotionally from others

-guilt – don’t have the energy to interact once I leave the workplace, the dust builds, the clutter grows, I’m tired, ….

- Did I say fear? – for me, I see reality up close daily, I’ve also personally lived what many consider to be their greatest fear and while I know with faith and God’s promise and grace it was survived – even the possibility of walking that path again … I can’t breathe when fear grabs me.

These weeks have caught up –

As quickly as the tears came, they ended and the words began:

Overwhelmed, fear, illness, need, inadequacy, isolation, hopelessness, negativity, stupidity, partisan, disaster, pandemic, suffering, tired, desperate, devastation, weariness, need, helplessness, loneliness, uncertainty, suppress, compartmentalize, failure, division, broken, conflict, anger, frustration, blame, loss, death, distancing, urgent, despondent, sorrow, empty, numb,  gloom, hurt, …

The words continued:

Care, sacrifice, resilience, survival, help, treatment, honesty, openness, compassion, strength, support, generosity, ingenuity, thoughtfulness, kindness, humanity, presence, perseverance, renewal, community, resolution, patience, encouragement, trust, comfort, faith, love, hope, joy…

Words.  These units of language, labels, utterances, meanings for all that I’d been experiencing yet suppressing now identified or allowed to be expressed. 

I needed to “use my words”.  

In this “different world” at present we are surrounded constantly by the chaos of the expression of words for the events.   Perhaps what we need isn’t to have words bombarding us from the outside, but rather to allow words flow – openly, honestly, freely – real words  - flow from inside. 

It is only after we empty our thoughts and hearts of these words that we can allow words in that will renew and strengthen – even heal. But we need to be mindful and intentional which words we hold on to.

WORD.

I’m suddenly hit by the fact that there is one WORD that holds all I need -  THE WORD.    And the flood of words now continues …

Psalm 46:10 – Be still and know that I am God.

Romans 5:3- 5 – We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not disappoint us because God’s love has been poured out into our hears through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Philippians 4:6-7 – Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus

.

Isaiah 40: 29-31 – He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Romans 8:38 – 39 – For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, or any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 16:33 - I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart I have overcome the word!

Romans 8:26 - In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.

1 Thessalonians 4:13ff – Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.  For we believe that Jesus died and rose again.

Proverbs 17:22 – A cheerful heart is good medicine

Jeremiah 17:14 – Heal me, LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.

2 Corinthians 4:16 – Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

Hope

Hope. That word seems to be heard often this time of year. 

We have just experienced the “Season of Joy; with all its “Merry” and find ourselves turning attention toward a new year.  Each of us have wishes, desires or a yearning for what we would like this coming year to hold.    

Hope.  To wish; to desire; to want; optimism; rosiness; a longing; a yearning; an ambition.

Hopes.  We’ve all use that word in facing what the future may hold.  For some it may be transformation or change; for others it may be healing; it could be a success of some kind; or simply what one perceives may bring happiness.  But wishing or wanting doesn’t always make it so.

This may lead to times when one is ‘afraid to hope’.  Perhaps there is dread or fear that what you are longing for – healing of illness or disease; repair of a broken relationship; achieving financial success, notoriety or status; or obtaining a material item anticipating happiness – won’t be gained or achieved. Yet there is still a clinging to that mere possibility with the ‘hope against hope’ despite having doubt or knowledge that something is not likely.  In many ways the foundation of one’s such hope lies in a feeling or belief that whether or not the wish is brought to fruition is largely dependent on the amount or strength of the person’s hope. One strives to be able to maintain optimism in the face of the unlikely or to keep up the illusion of a rosy outlook for the wish/desire despite circumstance.  It is presumed that if you have enough hope – if you truly are ‘hopeful’– it might just happen.  Anything is supposed to be possible if you choose to hope.

As I stood still with the word hope I discovered that the true meaning of hope comes from the word ‘elpis’ - the primary ‘elpo’ which is rooted differently from today’s ‘hoping’, desiring or wishing.

HOPE.  Trust; confidence; rely; an expectation of what is sure or certain. 

Having HOPE is actually having an expectation with the confidence and the reliance that it will come to past in with certainty.  You trust it will happen not just wish for it.

And here’s the beauty of real HOPE.  It’s the Christmas ‘Season of Joy’ -  the babe in the manger, Emanuel - that leads to our new year’s ‘Season of HOPE’. 

The key to HOPE’s confidence and trust is that it is not reliance on the what we are hoping for but rather in whom we are hoping.  You see, circumstance can be beyond our control.  As a human being our strength (of mind, body or spirit) may not be sustainable, may wane or have limits.  All of which may dim our hope.  Hope that something will occur or be had simply by desiring it often will lead to disappointment.

Martin Luther King Jr once stated “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”  As I’ve walked through this earthly journey, I’ve painfully learned my wishing, desiring, wanting…  my hoping… is finite and actually quite limited in its effect.  But I’ve also learned that HOPE – sustainable HOPE – HOPE that is had and maintained despite circumstance – HOPE that goes beyond understanding that brings peace which guards our hearts and minds – is only possible when it is placed in the Infinite One – Wonderful Counselor, Almighty God, Everlasting Father., the Prince of Peace.  With confidence and certainty, I know my needs will be met, that outcomes will strengthen me and even the darkest of circumstance hold blessings.

It is my prayer that you may HOPE confidently with reliance and trust as you step into the year ahead.

ISAIAH 40:31  Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.  The will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Jeremiah 29:11  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.  

Romes 15:13  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Hebrew 11:1  Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Romans 5:3-5  We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us because God's love has been poured into our heart through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.

Questions. Answers?

Who? What?? When? Where? How?  WHY?!

So many questions.  Some are harder than others.  Harder to ask; harder to answer.

Some are impossible to answer.
When questions are asked people are looking for information…knowledge…truth…a response.

I listened to a series of questions recently.

They’ve been stuck in my head.  I guess that’s because I was once asking the very same questions from a place of great loss and hopelessness.  Yet even though I had found answers and know The Answer with all of my very being - when I went to answer these questions I struggled to answer them in a way that would adequately communicate something that is more than just knowledge, information or a response. 

Let me ask YOU –

“Who is God really? What is He? What is He to me? Who am I to Him?”

 

Sometimes an answer in response won’t truly provide what a person is seeking.

Sometimes an answer needs to be discovered… together. 
Sometimes an answer needs to be witnessed… experienced… felt with the heart before it is truly known by one’s being.

So –

“Who is God really?... What is He?... What is He to me?... Who am I to Him?”

Let’s Stand Still together over the coming time. 

I know we will experience the heart felt answer because we’re going to go straight to the source together.
It’s my prayer for you that it will be an experience that will provide you with what you seek.

I will start with I AM not me…

Psalm 3:4 - I call out to the Lord, and He answers me from HHHhhhhhis holy mountain

Psalm 34:4 - I sought the Lord, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears.
Psalm 38:15 - Lord, I wait for You; You will answer, Lord my God.
Psalm 65:5 - You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds, God our Savior, the Hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas.
Psalm 17:6 - I call on You, my God, for You will answer me; turn Your ear to me and hear my prayer.

YIELD and find yield

I ran a few errands the other day.  There is one area that I hadn’t driven in awhile which had undergone road construction to improve traffic flow.  The third time I passed a yield sign a memory flashed to mind…

“yield, Yield, YIELD!!!”

(okay, so I’m one of those moms who when sitting in the passenger’s seat with a teenage driver suddenly says everything in threes and rising volume)

“Yes Mom, I see the sign…”

A slight smile crossed my face with the memory.  Then the “aha moment” hit that made me smile fully and shake my head. “Yes Lord, I see the sign…I saw it three times and said it three times… I see the sign…”  I said aloud.  It was time to Stand Still with this word.

YIELD. To abdicate, accept, acknowledge, acquiesce, capitulate, consent, give way, give oneself over, relax, relent, relinquish, submit. To let go.

Life has been filled with constant changes: new jobs, kids leaving home, health changes, relationship changes, challenges in school, plans in flux, futures uncertain and circumstances beyond control.  All of this brings the reality of two things: (1) I’m not in control; don’t even have control over a part of it; and (2) I have to change.  Ouch!

As I Stand Still with YIELD, I am purposefully acknowledging and accepting that I often do not have the strength or the wisdom to control circumstance try as I might.  I need to change; to let go.  Let go of control (which I never had). Let go of my own stubbornness and will.  Let go and Let God.  YIELD.

As I consciously YIELD I am struck with an analogy.

YEILDING is a safety issue.  By obeying the sign to YIELD there is well being – physically (less stress), emotionally and spiritually.

I was also struck with the realization that if I YIELD I will find yield. For you see, this peculiar word has a dual meaning.

Yield. To produce; a harvest; income; output; profit; a return; revenue.

By YIELDING I gain.  My yield?

His perfect will.  His greater wisdom.  His plans are far better for me than my own could ever be.  I have access to His plans.  Circumstance is actually less complicated when I YIELD to Him.  What I end up with is far better than what I thought I wanted.  I gain things I wouldn’t have otherwise have had – better job, new experiences, more wisdom, cherished moments, better and healthier relationships, new healthier priorities, strength, a better understanding of purpose, knowledge of who I am… a stronger faith.
I have comfort, peace and hope. 

So I will YIELD.  I will look to the Word.  I will seek Him.  I will Let Go, and Let God.  And I will yield.

Is it time for you to YIELD?

2 Chronicles 30:8 – Do not now be stiff-necked as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the LORD, and come into His sanctuary.

Psalm 85:12 – Yea, the LORD will give what is good…
Proverbs 8:19 – My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold, and my yield than choice silver.
Matthew 13:23 – As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the word and understands it; he indeed bears fruit and yields.
Hebrews 12:11 – For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant; later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Psalm 46:10 – Be still and know that I am God.
Jeremiah 29:11 – For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to five you hope and a future.
Ephesians 3:20ff – Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory.

Tragedy

As a nation this past week we have faced two more senseless acts of violence.  A young man went into a mall for the sole reason of killing – and just days later the same act was committed in an elementary school.  People were going about their day – working, shopping, going to school – and in moments life turns to chaos.  Then, chaos turns to stillness.  It is senseless (July 20,2012 entry). What are we left with now but unspeakable sorrow.  There is heartbreaking pain over the loss of loved ones.

Gone is the father, the brother, the son, the uncle, the coach. Gone is the mother, the daughter, the wife, the friend, the co-worker.  Gone are the promising lives of children.  One was said to have had “a great sense of humor and a zest for life; a vision and belief in others that brought great joy and value to many”. One was said to have been “everybody’s friend – a wonderful person who was very caring and put others first”. 
Grief and anger bare weight on so many.
Loss spreads and darkly covers those who hear what has happened. 
Sadness for those who are gone and for their families pours out. 
But Loss is indiscriminating – we all are experiencing it.  Parents shake their heads and worry each time children leave the house.  Many say they cannot listen to the news anymore. Many think twice about even leaving the house.  We all feel loss…. Loss of freedom and the ability to feel safe; loss of innocence; loss of joy and peace of mind; and loss of HOPE as people try to enjoy living in such a flawed and hurt filled world.
Fear and anxiety invade every aspect of our thoughts.  There is a realization that tragedy and violence do not discriminate – this randomness is capable of touching any of us personally at anytime…anywhere.
Confusion abounds in our hearts and minds.  Why? What goes on in the minds of people who so maliciously or numbly perform such acts?
Once again, answers are wanted. The cruel reality is that there are none.
The loss, the confusion, the fear and anxiety will only be compounded if we pursue the why’s, how’s and what if’s.  We will be left to live this life in anger and despair; discouraged.
Truth is we live in a world where evil not only exists but thrives.  This is an imperfect world that is filled with the irrational, the ludicrous, the callous, the mindless, the hurtful, the empty, the flawed…  Peace, joy and security will never truly be found in that of this world.
Life does not have to be lived in despair.
Our pain, our fear, our anxieties can be overcome if we pour it all out and open our hearts to the One who heals, comforts, and loves beyond measure. 
As I lay my thoughts, my anger, my fear and hurt open to the Father, my tears are wiped.  I am reminded through His Word to “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you(1 Peter 5:7).”
We each need to Stand Still and know we are held in the palm of His hand, surrounded by His love.  This is the time to listen to Him for the answers that are so deeply longed for and needed. 
In this world we will live with darkness – but we can live in Hope.

“Peace I leave with you; MY peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid.” – John 14:27
“As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you” – Isaiah 66:13
“Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” – Nehemiah 8:10
I “plan to give you hope and a future” – Jeremiah 29:11
I am your “refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” –Psalm 46:1
You can be “convinced that neither death not life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate” you “from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus” – Romans 8:38-39
“BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD” – Psalm 46:1

Gratitude

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. - Melody Beattie

On a day that could bring sorrow, I focus on my gratitude.  I have such gratefulness … thanksgiving … appreciation in my heart.  Despite loss, I have gained immeasurably more than I could’ve ever imagined.  Although the ‘why’ may never be known or understood, choosing acceptance and trust allows me to live with joy instead of despair.  I am able to clearly see God’s presence as I reflect on the past.  Today’s peace comes solely from Him.   And it is by His grace I have HOPE for tomorrow and beyond.

Gratitude.

I am thankful for time spent, however short – yet precious, with a beautiful curly brown haired daughter.

I am thankful for three amazingly loving, gifted and blessed children.

I am thankful for a strong, loving, faithful and faith filled husband.

I am thankful for friends who are caring and enduring.

I am thankful for extended family that are close no matter the distance – providing love, encouragement and joy.

I am thankful for a Father who is, was and always will be love.

I am thankful for a Savior – Redeemer and Shepherd.

I am thankful for………………………… so many blessings to numerous to name.

I am thankful.

-In loving and grateful thought and memory of Christine Hope… Happy Birthday angel girl!


1 Chronicles 16:34   Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

2 Corinthians 9:15  Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

1 Thessalonians 5:18  Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus

Philippians 4:6-7  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Romans 5:5  And hope does not disappoint us because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom He has given us.