How in the "crush" of life's circumstances do we keep our hearts free to hope?

Thought of the day; fasting hopelessness 

How in the "crush" of life's circumstances do we keep our hearts free to hope?

Tranquility is an illusion; heartbreaks can be the door of hope. Hope is far more about the joy of being found in our mess and then being led out to freedom than it is about being lulled to sleep by the rhythms of Gods heartbeat. If we are honest, the threshold between joy and... pain is slight, so it has more to do with where we are being led.

So in the "crush" we pray for hope that opens the door to His presence that holds up our hearts and counsels us along the way. 

This kind of hope rouses us to say "yes" to life in the core of our being, even when we are suffering. We are saying yes to Him as He says - "I am taking you somewhere, and it's all about my love for you."

It's all about the journey through the circumstance. Give yourself to Him in the valley. Trust Him to lead you through. Hold on to hope while he turns your pain into pure joy.

"But then I win her back once again. I will lead her out into the desert and speak tenderly to her there. I will return her vineyards to her and transform the Valley of Trouble(the valley of Anchor  into a gateway of hope. She will give herself to me there, as she did long ago when she was young..." 

Hosea 2:14,15

Courage to believe that Jesus is the Hero of my story. He promises to set the captives free !

Thought of the day: fasting hopelessness 

Courage to believe that Jesus is the Hero of my story. He promises to set the captives free ! 

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,

because the Lord has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim freedom for the captives

and release from darkness for the prisoners

Isaiah 61:1

I must be willing to surrender my will, my plans to figure out my escape plan from my prison like circumstances. When I surrender to the one and only Hero, Jesus Christ, I get out of His way. This allows Him to work out His perfect plan. The new prospective I have on my prison like circumstances is now a place of resting in His fortress of protection.

"Return to your fortress, O prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you" - God

Zechariah 9:12

His plans are always abundantly more hopeful than I could ever dream to hope for on my own:)

Be real with God concerning the condition of our broken hearts.

Thought of the day: fasting hopelessness 

Being positive is good but only after we are real with God concerning the condition of our broken hearts. If your heart hurts or feels hopeless, tell Jesus and let him work on it. 

We pray for hope when we know we are not in control-when we hope for the best outcome. 

I used to place hope in my performance as a mother-that was misplaced hope.. Now it's placed in... Gods hands who works all things for good. 

Prayer: I pray for hope today that is found in God's word in exchange for my worry. I hold on to that hope-hope that I do not see - while grace (Jesus) does the work of faith in me which will produce righteous fruit. In Jesus name amen

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted

and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18

This is what faith looks like that is motivated by love :)

This hope allows me to say today- I accept my life, the past, present and future.

Disillusionment is my focus on truth.

Thought of the day; Fasting Hopelessness 

Disillusionment is my focus on truth. 

Look for the light at the end of the tunnel of disillusionment.

"Disillusionment births true hope in the same way that death is the context for resurrection. If our dreams don't die, the God-dreams won't be birthed. "- Dan Allender 

"May all your expectations be frustrated. May all your plans be thwarted. May all your desires be withered into nothingness. That you may experience the powerlessness and poverty of a child and sing and dance on the love of God the Father, the Son and the Spirit." - Blessing given to Henri Nouwen by his spiritual leader

Be Intentional about Hope

Thought of the day: Fasting Hopelessness

 Be "intentional" about where my hope is placed and resting. Not in who I am and what I can do, but in Him. Who He is, and what His word promises those who hope in Him.

 Hope does not disappoint us b/c God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who He has given us. Romans 5:4

"Being busy seems like the polar opposite of laziness, but a busy person is not so much active as lost. A lazy person does little to nothing while a busy person does almost everything, but the similarity is that both refuse to be intentional. Busyness is the moral equivalent of laziness."- Dan Allender

Focus On Hope

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Thought for the day, fasting hopelessness. Worry is my focus on the worst of results. Hope anchors me to Him that works all things for good... No matter what I see today. 

Fasting Hopelessness

This year for lent, I gave up Hopelessness!

I want my focus this season to be on the hope and plans that Jesus promises. 

"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

Join me for 40 days of fasting Hopelessness. It will change your world! In prayer exchange your worries and fears for hope. This will open the door of grace to do the work of faith in your life! Each time you begin to worry remind yourself that you gave that worry to God in exchange for His hope.

I am so excited to see how our hearts will change after focusing our sight on the power of hope!