Hope Doesn't Disappoint

1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have[a] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Key Verse:
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.

I don’t know about you but I have experienced some disappointment in life. Life hasn’t always been kind or shown me grace. Some of my deepest dreams and desires were crushed. I’ve lost friendships along the way due to misunderstanding.

The day my niece was diagnosed with Lukemia, I can tell you, I was very disappointed.

When my health scare came along, I was disappointed.

When my dream of being an assistant to my pastor didn’t come true, I was disappointed.

What is hope?

In the midst of difficulty, there is a trust that goes beyond human understanding. Trust has got my family through all these health issues.

Trust has kept me and caused me to dream bigger than I have ever dreamed before.

Hope caused me to turn even deeper into my relationship with Jesus Christ. Where else can I go?

Hope: There is a refuge that we have. My refuge is in knowing that no matter what I may face in life, I still have God with me.

There is this expectation in God.

In Merriam Webster Dictionary, it defines hope as this:
to cherish a desire with anticipation.
to expect with confidence

Hope causes me to cherish my relationship with God no matter what giant is in front of me. There is no disappointment in hope. I learn quickly to allow God room to do what He desires to do. As I do this, my love for God grows because I know that it is His love within that causes me to walk in the season set before me.

This is the reason why hope doesn’t disappoint. Love is in action. Love is what sees us through.

The Restoring of Wonder

Well it's been a while since I've blogged. I find that my life isn't all that exciting and when there's nothing to say why try and invent something to say just to fill up space. I do however have something that I feel God showed me this week that I want to take a moment and share. It convicted me so and maybe it will help you.

The thought is this: Wonder.

As a child, we are born with this instinctive quality to wonder. Everything is a wonder, a mystery. There was never a day that went by that we didn't learn something, experience something, come away with something to build character in our lives.

However, as we grow, we tend to lose that instinctive quality for whatever reason. Life tends to not be as mysterious, full of wide-eyed wonder.

This is the statement I heard in my heart this week: When we lose our sense of wonder, we are one step closer to complacency.

Think for a moment. Has life just become ho-hum? Has life lost its youthfulness? It's wonder? It's mystery?

Have you felt a bit lukewarm? A bit complacent? A bit less compassionate and caring?

Could it be that the sense of wonder has dimmed in our lives?

It's easy to lose sight of the wonder. It's easy to take that step closer to complacency.

Sometimes God has to move us into action inorder to reveal to us that we had become complacent. It's not about what has happened to us or who has wronged us as how we've let things happen to us and how we have wronged others and ourselves.

When wonder is restored, the mystery is restored. Everything takes on a new meaning. Everything is life-giving rather than life-sucking.

Take time to listen with your heart as to what God is saying to you. It may not be a physical move as it is a spiritual move. It may not be a transition of geographic proportions as it is a transition of spiritual proportions.

He's calling. Pick up the line and rather than spew off what it is you don't like, take a deep breath and say, "Yes, God, I'm listening."

2010: My.... what a year it's been. It's been a year where there have been alot of questions, alot of seeking direction, alot of finding direction, alot of facing the fears in the midst of that direction and taking the next step in the journey.

Not alot of health issues this year thankfully.

I am so thankful to know what God's voice sounds like and to be brave enough to take a step even though the step seems so insurmountable and frightening. I don't regret it. If one never takes a step, one remains where they were. I want to move forward to the next phase of life.

So, what does 2011 have in store? I really believe it is a year where God's Sheep need to really know His Voice and to believe and follow. I really believe it is a time to prepare our hearts and minds and souls for the next step of the journey.

Don't despise where you have been because you could never be where you are today had it not been for where you have been.

Take a hold of His Hand. Let Him take the first step and stay in line with Him.

Love God.

Love People.

Love yourself.

Allow yourself to meet new people.

The end of the year has brought on a new thing for me in the line of work. I am thankful for it. I pray for favor in the midst of it.

Love life.

Love conquers all.

Many blessings to all who read this and Happy New Year.

God, Life, and New Testament Thinking

God doesn't want to be just a part of your life......He wants to BE your Life.

I find this to be a vital statement. I look back on my life and realize just how much He has been my life. He wasn't just a part of what I've done....He was the reason I did what I did.

I love what this statement entails. In the midst of what I call nothingness, God was there. God was hovering, moving, breathing, having His way. He was creating.

He wants to be the center of our Universe. Our World. Our reality.

God wants to be and is bigger than our issues. We are an issue oriented creation. For whatever reason, we have a hard time to let things go. I think part of the reason is that we have been taught to be issue oriented. We have centered ourselves rather than centering God in ourselves.

Grace, love, mercy....these are idealogies of New Testament thinking.

Judgement, condemnation, fear.... these are idealogies of Old Testament thinking.

So many times I have been an Old Testament follower rather than a New Testament believer. When I forget that the nature of God is love...then I truly forget my own beginning. I was created out of love. Out of love was I formed. My beginning was from love.

God is more love than He is judgmental. God doesn't want to execute judgment? He has to sometimes but I don't think it makes Him pleased to do so. I believe judgment is the last resort.

Remember mercy.....

Remember love....

Remember....

Biography, Scars, and Referring: One Doesn't Close Chapters in Theirs Lives Without Referring Back

As chapters to life close and open, we must always remember to refer back to some of those chapters. Remember the powerful times, the glorious hours, the friendships, the lessons learned from living life. We all are authors of our biographies. People read them every day. People partake of our lives everyday.

There have been times I have closed chapters of my life and haven't referred back to them because some were very painful. Yet those chapters in life are very important. As I talked about in the last blog, some of those chapters have scarred my heart. That is part of my biography. But people read those scars and can identify with my biography.

I identify with other biographers scars and lessons learned.

The greatest sign of healing is when one can refer back to previous chapters, feel a bit of the pain but not allow that pain to control them. I'm not there yet. I'm on my way there...I think that this is a lifelong experience.

Less Like Scars: The Journey of Character

Less Like Scars: The Journey of Character

Introduction:

I want to begin by sharing two pieces of literature that has spoke so deeply to my heart over the years. I can identify with what the authors are saying and I truly think there are many others who can as well.

Less Like Scars- song by Sara Groves

It's been a hard year
But I'm climbing out of the rubble
These lessons are hard
Healing changes are subtle But every day it's

Less like tearing, more like building
Less like captive, more like willing
Less like breakdown, more like surrender
Less like haunting, more like remember

And I feel you here
And you're picking up the pieces
Forever faithful
It seemed out of my hands, a bad situation
But you are able
And in your hands the pain and hurt
Look less like scars and more like Character

Less like a prison, more like my room
It's less like a casket, more like a womb
Less like dying, more like transcending
Less like fear, less like an ending

And I feel you here
And you're picking up the pieces
Forever faithful
It seemed out of my hands, a bad situation
But you are able
And in your hands the pain and hurt
Look less like scars

Just a little while ago
I couldn't feel the power or the hope I couldn't cope,
I couldn't feel a thing
Just a little while back I was desperate, broken, laid out, hoping You would come
And I need you And I want you here And I feel you

And I know you're here
And you're picking up the pieces
Forever faithful
It seemed out of my hands, a bad, bad situation
But you are able
And in your hands the pain and hurt
Look less like scars
And more like Character

“When I say I’ve learned to be content with my disfigurement, I don’t mean to be flip or make trite statements such as Beauty lies within and Beauty is on skin deep. How I look is who I am. And I’m content with that. It brings me a real sense of joy when people approach me after they hear me speak, and they say, “When you stand up and start talking, I don’t see scars. They just seem to fade away.” I understand and appreciate what they are saying. But at the same time, there is part of me that wants to explain, If you can’t see my scars, then you don’t really see me. Because those scars are a big part of who I am.” – Joel Sonnenberg

These two writings are the basis of what I sense to share with you. We spend so much time trying to hide our scars. We put the masks on and hide behind what we think people want to see. We spend so much time trying to define our image apart from that which we know we want to be.

We know the talk. We know all about identity. We know all about being made into the image of God. We know we are children of God. We know so much yet we don’t understand how to apply that which we know.

Life happens. This has been a statement that has been on my mind and heart for a few years now. Life isn’t always neatly wrapped up in a nice package.

We find this throughout history: both biblical and natural proportions. We find life happening to people. You can’t avoid it no matter how many times you wish to. Life is what it is.

We find men and women of vulnerability. We find honest people who had to fight, to struggle, to face fear, to believe, to trust and to love. There is something to be said for vulnerability. I believe it is a great testimony of the grace of God in operation in our lives. There is strength in vulnerability and honesty although many view vulnerability as weakness.

His strength is made perfect in our weakness. Weakness isn’t something we should shy away from.

So what does this have to do with scars?

I truly believe that as we are honest with ourselves and others, we will come to a greater understanding of our scars.

Christ didn’t deny the scars. He embraced them. We don’t shy away from His scars. We embrace them.

When Peter tried to tell Him that He didn’t need to go through this, Jesus rebuked him.
Scars serve a purpose. They testify of where we’ve been. They tell a story. They tell of our history. They are there as a reminder.

I love the line in the song: Less like scars and more like character.

Character is developed from the lessons we learn through our pain. There are things we can learn that go deep to the depths of our spirit. There are things I can honestly say, “I don’t ever want to go through that again, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

Like Joel said, “The scars have become a part of who I am.”

Jesus would say the same thing. There would have never been salvation, redemption, healing, deliverance, freedom without those scars.

We truly cannot know who we are without the identification of those scars. Those scars become more than scars. Those scars have birthed and are birthing something significant in our lives: character.

Character isn’t something that just is imparted. Character is developed. The word develop insinuates process, growth, change. Development means stretching.

We are all characters for sure but God is shaping those characters into something that He is pleased with.

Talent without the character to handle those talents is usually disastrous. Without character, life tends to bring more scars.