There is hope and then there is HOPE!

Hope - my mind has been parked on "Hope" for the last several days. Merriam-Webster defines hope to want something to happen or be true and think that it could happen or be true. I have had a lot of "hopes" this past week that have gone down the drain. How about you? Did your week go as planned? Or, did you too, have hopes that went down the drain?

I have been told that I am an "idealist". I would agree. I have an image in my mind of how things should play out and then when they don't . . . well . . . it's just not fun! This past week was like that because sickness hit our home. Poor Puppy. She has suffered greatly with an upper respiratory something or other. After two trips to the doctor it was "officially" printed on our take-home paperwork that she is suffering with an "unspecified respiratory infection". Needless to say, my hope of this picture perfect Easter Sunday morning went down the drain fast!

Life is like that. If you want it to be or not. You can make plans and have hope that those plans will come to be . . . the new Easter dress for Puppy and the new spring shirt for the Little Man . . . pictures taken with Easter Baskets and smiling faces . . . that wonderful Sunday morning church service . . . Instead, sickness has hit three more of our four. As a result, we are all in our jammies on this Easter Sunday morning. I am typing a blog post while others are in various rooms throughout the house coughing as we wait to watch the live streaming of Easter Service.

Even though the hopes that I had for this day have been shattered, I have an even greater hope that cannot be shattered. As we are first told in Isaiah 40:8 and then again in I Peter 1:24-25:

"All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever."

This is where I want to ultimately put my hope - in the Word of the Lord! Because, in the Word of the Lord, there is Living Hope. We are told in I Peter 1:3 and 4:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. 

There is "Living Hope" in Jesus Christ! Praise God, He is Alive yesterday, today and tomorrow! In Him I place all hope. If you, my reader, have not placed your hope in Jesus and would like to do so, contact me. I would love to tell you how.

All because of Jesus, there is Living Hope! May you have JOY on this Glorious Easter Morn in knowing HE IS ALIVE and there is HOPE eternal!

Tami

My New Favorite Thing

You do not have to get to know me very well at all to figure out that I love hot tea (extra sweet), crocheting and chocolate. Very seldom do I have a day that I do not do all three. Yes, I can sip hot tea, pop a piece of chocolate in my mouth and crochet all at the same time. On a really good day, I add a Hallmark movie to the mix and . . . well . . . it is almost perfect!

Recently, though, I discovered something even better than chocolate and hot tea. You see, this new love of mine has long lasting results. Unlike eating chocolate, these lasting results are not extra pounds on the hips!

This new love involves a novel way to study the Bible, the Holy Word of God, the Good Book . . . whatever you choose to call it. It is one amazing book. It contains stories that will make you go "awww" while others will literally curl your toenails. It contains the details of the fiercest of battles and the most scandalous of romance stories. I have read the Bible from cover to cover - once. It took a year, but I did it! That's the important thing. My family sets aside time each evening to read the Bible together. The Professor lets the kids take turns picking a book. We then read through it verse by verse and discuss it. We started this practice when Puppy was just an infant. It is one of our most cherished times as a family.

Through the years, though, I have searched for the perfect thing just for me. I have done various Bible studies on my own as well as with groups. Even though I always gained Bible knowledge and spiritual growth from each study, some studies have been really hard to complete. I have to admit, at times it has been a real struggle to stay in God's Word and stay focused without my mind wondering all over the place.

Then, several months ago I saw a post on Facebook by Darlene Schacht of The Time Warp-Wife (You can check her out HERE) on Bible Journaling. Wow! I fell in love instantly. I immediately went to Amazon, ordered a Journaling Bible, and the rest is history.

For the first time, I have discovered a form of Bible study that really clicks with who I am. I have always been a "doodler" so to speak and now I am using that doodling to study God's Word. What a great combination.





Even within the world of Bible Journaling, there are many different forms and many different styles. There are numerous Facebook groups and thousands of pins on Pinterest. You really can't go wrong! I have discovered what works best for me is picking a book of the Bible, starting on the first page of that book, reading through everything on that page several times and then choosing the verse that speaks to me from that reading. From there, I meditate on that verse until I have an idea of what I would like to journal. Some pages are very detailed while others are very simplistic. The key is spending time in God's Word. Bible Journaling has made the scripture come alive in a new way for me!

 If you are not currently digging into God's Word, I encourage you to do so. You won't regret it. It will literally change your life. If you would like more information on how to get started in Bible Journaling, I would be glad to help you. Just let me know.

May you find JOY in digging into God's Word!

Tami

Time, Please Stand Still!

The first thing I thought this morning when I woke up was, "Awww . . . Spring Break . . . please stop time!" Then, I thought, "Wait a minute. That's been done before."

It is true. It has been done before. In the Book of Joshua we are told the story of Joshua being in the middle of battle against the Amorites. In Joshua 10:12-14, we are told:

On that day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel: 

'Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.' 

So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a human being. Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel!

Wow! The sun and moon stood still. Amazing! I know that the sun and moon are not going to stop in order for me to enjoy Spring Break a little longer. There are things that I can do, though, to capture the moments so that I can cherish them a little longer. In our electronic age, taking pictures and videos helps to capture cherished moments. Making it a priority to spend time with friends and family adds to the memory bank of one's mind. Taking a walk and making note of God's beautiful creation adds to savoring the moment.

I pray that as you are going about your day - Spring Break or not - that you take time to cherish those small moments, those little gifts from God . . . kids getting along (for five seconds!), the sun shining, The Professor unloading the dishwasher . . . just to name a few of my moments. Knowing that time is not going to stand still, find ways to enjoy the time you are given. You may have to get out your magnifying glass to find some of those moments, but in the end you will be glad you did!

May you find JOY in the moving along of the day-to-day.

Tami

This is NOT My Home

It seems that no matter the direction in which one turns, there is news of the upcoming presidential election. Don't worry, this is not a post about which candidate is best nor for whom you should be voting. I don't even know for whom I am voting so I am definitely not here to tell you how to vote.

In fact, I really don't even like talking about the matter. I am not a politically minded person. My kids probably know more than I do at this point because I enjoy living with my head in the sand - so to speak. However, with it thrown in my face at every turn, I have had no choice but to pick up bits and pieces here and there. I have enjoyed the somewhat lively discussions between The Professor and Puppy and even sometimes the Little Man of the house. Puppy has a very strong opinion at the ripe ole age of 14 and believes that she is in fact old enough and should be allowed to vote.

All I can really say is that I have been very disappointed. The reports of decisions made by various candidates in the past few weeks have left nothing but a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. As I was mulling over in my mind what some of the candidates have said and done, God brought to mind the verse out of Psalm which says:

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.    Psalm 20:7

As I have rolled that verse over in my mind, I have replaced "chariots" and "horses" with "president" and "government". In doing so, the verse could read like this . . . "Some trust in the President of the United States and some in the government, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God." I want to trust in God and God alone. Yes, those candidates are very disappointing - ALL of them - but they are not in whom I trust. I trust in God because He is the one ultimately in control. Nothing in this world happens outside of His will.

Taking it a step further, this is NOT my home. Oh, yes, it is such a privilege and blessing to live in the United States where one has the freedom to do and say as one pleases. I am so thankful. However, this is not it for me. Because I believe in Jesus as the son of the one true God and have taken Him as my Savior, this is NOT my home.

As it states in John 14:1-4:

Do not let your hearts be troubled.  You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.

Even though my happy place is a cabin on the side of a mountain, I repeat, "This is NOT my home." And, no matter who is the next President of the United States, it is temporary. It will all pass away. Only one thing stands now and forever more, God and God alone.

May you have JOY in knowing that this world is NOT your home. I know I do!

Tami