Merry Christmas

Hope

The ability to desire, dream or wish for something with the expectation of its fulfillment. Sounds simple. Yet hanging onto hope in the4 midst of life's hurts can be nearly impossible. Families are struggling to hang on to their hope after losing everything in some disaster. People are coping with poverty, job loss, divorce, death, terminal illness, chronic pain, mental or physical disabilities. Hopelessness is no respecter of age, gender, ethnic background, social status, race or religion. How do you hang onto hope when your heart has been broken?

There are more than 46 million web sites about hope. Magazines, colleges, churches, scholarships and relief organizations have names that include the word "hope." Amazon lists nearly 170 thousand "hope" items for sale. The world is searching for hope.

So where do we find real hope? Those of us in ministry will tell you that God is our hope, He is trustworthy, He is faithful. We believe it because we too have experienced hopelessness and God has shown us that nothing is impossible with Him. We have learned that God can be trusted. He does not lie.

We have discovered for ourselves that God is faithful, even when we are not. We have faced that moment of truth when we have had to make the choice between giving up or giving it up to the Creator of the Universe.

Psalm 9:9-10 is a promise: "The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you Lord have never forsaken those who seek you."

Did you hear that? God never forsakes those who seek Him.

Whisper a prayer, shout to the Lord or speak to Him in your heart, but sincerely seek God. He is waiting to give you a new hope.

Joy

Are you a joyful person? Do you have lots of happy “Dee Dah Days”? Perhaps you believe joy is something experienced only by those who have everything you’ve always wanted. Or joy is a feeling that people with no problems get to have. Maybe you believe joy is a deep spiritual thing that does not necessarily mean you are happy, just that you have soulful peace.

C. S. Lewis said, “Joy is the serious business of heaven.” The apostle Paul tells us to “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, Rejoice.” Lewis Smedes believes that, “To miss out on joy is to miss out on the reason for your existence.”

I love that – joy is the reason for our existence! Every day is filled with opportunities to be joyful, to feel happy. You can choose to recognize them and celebrate. Or you can choose to reject joy and be victimized by life’s disappointments and hardships. John Ortberg says, “The problem with people…is not that we are too happy for God’s taste, but that we are not happy enough.”

Whatever your circumstances, practice joyful celebration. Choose to be happy. Put on a smile until it becomes your natural 24/7 expression. Set aside a “Dee Dah Day” each week where you do something you truly love. Hang around with people who love life. Then thank God for all of the things He has given you to celebrate. Joy is contagious – be a carrier.

The Beauty of Today

Crystal blue waters and a sky that proclaims infinity. A caressing breeze that awakens your soul. The gentle massage of squishy warm sand between your toes. Scattered seagulls reminding the occasional passerby not to stay too long while the rolling waves remind us that this is their home.

South Florida on a perfect Easter morning.

As the sun came up, early risers walked the beach in quiet reverence as they absorbed as much of the wonderous splendor of nature as their senses would allow.

Groups of worshipers stood in the sand singing to their risen King on this Easter Sunday.

Then there was the occasional beach chair holding one solitary human being, mezmerized by the complex simplicity of the life around him.

I don't know if this is a religious holiday for you or not. If it is, I pray blessings upon you and your loved ones on this pinnacle day of your faith.

If it is not and you just want to enjoy the life you have been given, I wish you peace, contentment and a day of great pleasure in the reality that you are alive.

I wish for each of you a profound awareness of the beauty that can be found in nature and relationships no matter what life issues you may be facing.

I pray that today you will remember or discover the value of who you are and the privilege it is to awaken each morning with the opportunity to overcome your past, to begin anew your present and to walk with hope into a wonderous future.

This day will only happen once in your life. Have fun with it, roll around in it, laugh until your insides ache. Tell someone you love how special they are. Forgive someone you're angry with. Whatever you do, don't miss out on the beauty of today.

Welcome to Inspiration U!

Test One