Building Hope

Have you ever found yourself in need of an encouraging word even in the midst of a season of indescribable joy? Have you ever needed a word to bring hope for a future you couldn’t see even when you where sure of the One who holds the future? Have you ever needed assurance of more as you stood in the middle of more than enough?

I think as long as we inhabit this side of eternity and even on the best of days and in the most joyous of seasons there will be moments, days, weeks, months….even years like this. I think all our spiritual heroes both in the bible and in our lives experience the need for these things. I actually find that revelation comforting. We ALL need the Comforter.

I have questions. I have doubts. I want more. I need more. He has the answers. He holds the keys. He has MORE than enough.

I found myself in a place of need a few days ago that only He could fill. Well, I find myself there every day if I’m truthful, but that day this daughter was especially NEEDY of the things only her Daddy could provide. And He chose to fill me with hope and peace with words of life and promise and permanence.

Words like…

Everlasting
Glory to glory
Strength to strength
Imperishable
Incorruptible
Indescribable

These are my destiny. These are my calling. These are the promises from the One who has the whole world in His hands and breathes life into our lungs every…single…day. These define my yesterday’s, my today and my tomorrow’s with hope and power and love beyond myself or my circumstances.

What about you? What words is He speaking into your heart today?

New Year…New Life…New Hope

Happy New Year!

I wonder how many times that was said when the clock struck 12:00am? I wonder what all became new at 12:00am other than the number on the calendar that moved from 2014 to 2015. I wonder how many babies were born at or just after midnight around the world. I wonder how many dreams were born.

I’ve seen people’s dreams and goals and resolutions for the New Year posted on Facebook. I’ve seen hope expressed for a better year than the one they just lived thru. I’ve seen hope for another good year. I’ve seen plans to fulfill lifelong dreams and plans to begin to dream.

And as the New Year begins…I’ve seen people celebrating and people grieving. I’ve seen people expressing joy and people expressing despair. I’ve seen the same things I saw yesterday.

Is new really just a number on the clock or a date on the calendar?

Plenty of people set goals and resolutions to begin the new year.

Plenty of people will break those goals before the week is up.

Nothing new about that…

Plenty of people will make a promise to love better.

Plenty of people will break that promise before the day is up.

Nothing new about that…

That which has been is what will be,
That which is done is what will be done,
And there is nothing new under the sun. – Ecclesiastes 1:9

Nothing new? Where is the hope for a new year if everything stays the same? Where is the hope for a new year if there is nothing new under the sun? Where is the hope for reconciliation and progress and redemption if there is nothing new under the sun? Where is the hope for hope when its been lost if nothing ever changes?

¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. – 2 Corinthians 5:17

¹⁷ “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;
And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind. – Isaiah 65:17

⁴ Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. – Romans 6:4

For You are my hope, O Lord GOD;
You are my trust from my youth. – Psalm 71:5

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
And whose hope is the Lord. – Jeremiah 17:7

⁵ Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. – Romans 5:5

Happy New Year! May your year be full of all the newness that He provides! May your heart be filled with hope and joy enough to share! May God’s goodness and love fill every part of your life in 2015…and beyond!

Challenge met…now what?

I did it!!! I posted to my blog every single day in December and I think somehow even posted twice one day. 🙂

If you are a blogger I am here to report that consistent daily blogging does increase your traffic. My average daily hits increased during December to an all time high of 26 compared to the usual 16 or 17 of late. I know! Small numbers but they are my numbers and they are improving. 🙂

I also hit an all time high number of hits to my blog this month. With the rest of today to go I am already over 800 for the month which has never happened in the 3 1/2 years I have done this. 🙂 Again, small potatoes in the blogosphere but my all time high. 🙂

I’ll be setting some new goals for this space soon. Personal goals. I’d love to see how long I could keep this streak going and if I could become consistent with these averages and be reporting the next benchmark of 1000 hits in a month by the end of 2015. I know consistency is a key and I can do that. But I want more than quantity now that I have proven to myself I can push thru and do that.

I want 2015 to be about quality on here. I want my posts to be something that will encourage and challenge my readers. I want them to be fun but meaningful. I want fewer fluff posts just to fill the page. Those help me with consistency but I’d like to move past the need for the fluff.

Today I’ll sign off for 2014 with a HUGE thank you to all of you who come here consistently to read my blog. Thank you to all of you who find your way here by accident. Thank you to all of you who helped me break thru the 800 mark this month. I hope to see you at 1000 soon. 🙂 If you have a favorite post of 2014 feel free to let me know in the comments or share the post or blog with your friends. 🙂

Happy New Year!!