“Christian hope is an optimistic assurance that something will be fulfilled…a guaranteed hope, not subject to change, anchored in our unchangeable Savior and Lord.” June HuntWhen I was a new believer we occasionally sang, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.” I didn’t pay much attention to the words at that time. I would just put on my Sunday clothes, my Sunday smile, and sing the Sunday songs.
Don’t get me wrong, I genuinely loved Jesus, but I didn’t know Him very well yet. As a new believer my life was already so much better than before I knew God. I wasn't looking for a deeper relationship, but I hadn’t yet experienced disappointment. When I said things like, “all my hopes and dreams,” I said it as if the two words were synonymous. It’s only recently that the truth of this quote spoke to me and gave me a wake-up call. My desires—to published my book, to have happy grandchildren, to take a vacation in Oxford, England—are actually just dreams…not hopes. When I make them a hope, I set myself up for disappointment. And, when my 'mislabeled hopes' are not fulfilled, it gives me a reason to question God because I mistakenly think He has not been faithful. When I’m clear on what is a hope and what is a dream, I can rest assured that hopes will come to pass, while dreams are just my desires that may, or may not, be in God's will for my life. Hopes are based on God’s promises, on what I find in God’s Word: I am saved by faith: Ephesians 2:8-9; God hears my prayers: Jeremiah 29:12; My sins are forgiven: I John 1:9; He never gives me more challenges than I can handle: I Corinthians 10:13; I will have eternal life with Him: John 3:16, and so many more. Have you been disappointed that your hopes have not been realized? Are you confusing hopes and dreams? Which of your desires needs to be relabeled so your faith in God’s promises is not diminished? Lord, thank You for opening my eyes to the difference between hopes and dreams, so I can have confidence in my hopes and still have the freedom to dream. Amen “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Romans 15:4 What are your thoughts? Libby Note: June Hunt (1944- ) is an American writer, psychologist and founder of Hope for the Heart Ministries which reaches international audiences with hopeful encouragement.
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"Clear your stuff, clear your mind." Eric M. RiddleWhen a new job caused me to relocate to a new city, I only took a few things until my home sold and I bought a new home to move my things into. For several months I had patio furniture in my living room, milk crates as end tables, and a long folding table that doubled as an office on one end and a dining table at the other. I had two plates, two bowls, one pot, one pan, one mixing bowl…you get the picture.
As the months passed, it got harder. I rarely had anyone over, but when I did we used disposable cups and plates. When I finally got a place and unpacked my things it was like greeting long-lost friends. But one thing else I realized as I was getting settled in my new home…I missed the simplicity of living so uncluttered. Cleaning had been simple, I could hand wash every dish in my kitchen in five minutes. And when renting, yard work was non-existent. I had virtually nothing to dust, very little to put away, and only laundry to do. And maintenance, like cleaning the vacuum brushes or the crumbs out of the toaster, was not part of my life any longer. I just kept the oil in my car changed and went about living. Instead I took long walks with my dog, sat on the patio furniture in the yard to enjoy a sunny day, and on a rainy day I could sit and read a book (something I always talked about doing "curl up with a good book on a rainy day" but never actually did). I didn’t realize until I had all my ‘stuff’ back, how much time it took to maintain it all. And then there was the guilt, "I have all these supplies so I really should be making greeting cards instead of buying them." Or, "When am I going to get around to sewing blouses with the material I bought in Hawaii?" Are you cluttered with more stuff than you use? Have you been wanting to simplify your life? What drawer, closet, surface, or corner of the garage will you tackle first? Lord, help me simplify my life; streamlining my life by streamlining my stuff. Amen “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Luke 12:15 What are your thoughts? Libby Note: Eric Riddle (1968- ), an America author of Stuffology 101: Get Your Mind Out of the Clutter. Riddle has been a lifelong pack-rat. His former mantra had been, “I would rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.” Today it’s, “Clear your stuff, clear your mind.” “The stars we are given. The constellations we make.” Rebecca SolnitI didn’t pay much attention to the study of constellations in school since they were all about Greek gods and goddesses, titans and spirits—Zeus, Pleiades, Orion, Aetna, and Hermes to name only a few. Their stories were all science fiction, which never held my interest. I gained an interest, however, when I learned how seafaring ships for several hundred years have navigated by the stars. And more recently, when I got a dog and walked him just before bedtime, I would watch the stars and notice the patterns in the summer sky changing to different patterns in the winter. Now, as a fiction writer, I have begun to appreciate the skill of creating characters and stories. I used to say, “I don’t have a right side to my brain,” until I realized left-brain people have their own style of creativity. I am learning to value the art of mythology, both forming images from groupings of stars that come and go with the seasons, and the imagination to craft scenarios of how these characters interacted. In a way it's not so different from the creativity of Sergei Prokofiev who wrote the music and story Peter and the Wolf. In this symphony he made characters come to life by selecting an instrument and a musical theme for each. The bird was a flute, the duck an oboe, the cat a clarinet, the wolf the French horn, Peter was string instruments, the hunters were timpani and base drums, and so on. And when played by an orchestra you can hear the story played out in music. A favorite of mine. Just a few short years ago I began to exercise my creativity by writing fiction—a long learning curve, but a rewarding one. The natural world—stars included—will always be God’s creation, but He gave us creativity. My creativity contributes to entertainment, but others’ might invent the next Internet application or the cure for cancer. May I never again doubt the creative spirit as a God-given gift, whether or not I enjoy the product of their creativity.
Is there something you have been given, some creative muscle that you have yet to exercise? Do you have left-brain creativity that has been dormant for too long? Will you give time to consider what talent God has gifted you with, and pray for an outlet to use that gift for others? Lord, thank You that I was challenged to write something outside my comfort zone which turned into the fiction writing I enjoy today. And, thank You for the joy of exercising that muscle I hadn’t used before. Amen “For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable.” Romans 11:29 What are your thoughts? Libby Note: Rebecca Solnit (1961- ), an American writer who writes on environment, politics, place and art. She is a contributing editor for Harper’s Magazine where she is the first woman to regularly write the Easy Chair essay since its founding in 1851. |
WelcomeI love the wisdom of the ages gleaned from relevant quotes. In them there is a connection to the human experience that crosses all borders. Join me as I relate my personal experiences, and link the wisdom of the quote to the Source of all wisdom: God's Word, the Bible. Enjoy, Libby Categories
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