Planning a New Hope

    In the following scriptures, Jesus is talking to his disciples. But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. John 16: 7 But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. John 16:13   ( New American Standard Bible )   Is That You, God?   You just like to worry. Worry is a sin. Give it to God. You’re borrowing trouble.   These are just some of the answers often given to one who can’t let go of a concern. Most of us have either said this to someone or thought it. But perhaps, there is another way of discerning worry. The father was just returning home when he saw his daughter leaving with a young man for a date. Though the two young people had known each other all their...

  The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly. John 10:10 (New American Standard)               Because of the pandemic, many people are feeling their way through a dark tunnel with little or no light for guidance. Where? How? When? Fill their minds. Changes may be necessary to move forward. This blog post is a personal story and not easily written, but I tell it because I know what it is to have to change direction and face the unknown in order to not only survive, but to thrive.             While packing to return to college, the activity couldn’t blot out my warring mind that seemed to scream, “Stop this insanity. You’re in trouble and nothing will change until the truth is faced.” Unknown to most people, since the age of 14, I’d dealt with a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder, a...

I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13, New Living Translation)     The message being proclaimed that many will have to rethink how they make a living and how their future might look made me wonder. Did those who are scrambling to make sense of their lives once have hopes and dreams that were lost in living. These thoughts took me back to a young me.               “You’ll never write a book!” The man screamed.   Shock, and humiliation surged through me, but my determination lingered.   Two weeks later our small writing group of four traveled to San Antonio to what would be my first writer’s conference and writer’s contest. On the last day of the session as we all gathered together to hear those lucky contest winners, hope soared that my name would be among the ones announced. The only person from our writing group to receive any recognition was another woman ...

Where Are You God? I Need You Now! “God, I don’t know what to do. Please help me.” I cried out. There was no assurance that all would be well, nor was there a discernment He was leading me in a particular way. I felt totally alone. It all started about 8:00 p.m. when my dog uncharacteristically barked continuously as a neighbor and I stood out in the back yard talking. She soon left and Toby lay down on the dining room rug, I thought, to sleep. Watching him, though, it was apparent by his panting and the stiffening of his leg something was terribly wrong. “Lord, what do I do?” There seemed to be no leading, except I felt strongly that I didn’t want to take him back to the emergency room, so I called friend who learned from her father, a veterinarian, about sick animals. She gave me much-needed information. But nothing seemed to work. “Oh God, where are You when I need You.” Curiously, around 11:00 p.m. I knew I had to now take him to the emergency room Though Toby was immediately...

Guide me in your truth and teach me, For you are God my Savior, And my hope is in you all day long. Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love, For they are from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you, Lord, are good. ( Psalm 25:5-7, New International Version (NIV)   The Open Door   When my fiancé was killed in a wreck, I was devastated and at a loss of what to do next. After asking God to open the right doors for my future, the opportunity for a job became available.   Even though most of my contemporaries had retired, I embarked on a wonderful adventure.             While listening to this woman talk about how an open door led to such an amazing experience, I couldn’t help but compare it with another person who prayed the same prayer, but those doors led to disappointing results. After praying for the right doors t...

I will instruct you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My loving eye on you. Psalm 32:8 New International Version (NIV)   Trust and Obey   A message whispered in her ear, “Get off the freeway at the next exit.” It didn’t make sense but my friend complied. Just after leaving the heavy flow of traffic, her tire blew out.             This story was told by another friend. A sense of doom filled my thoughts all morning. It seemed as if someone was about to die, so I prayed for that person. Later that day, when the man who answered the ad for a dog house showed up, I immediately knew something was wrong. First, he portrayed himself on the phone as older and some-what feeble. The man at the door was far from what I had been expecting. Second, he was early and the people who were to be here with me hadn’t arrived. My senses were heightened. Were the earlier feelings of doom, the discrepancy in the way...

    For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7 (New Living Translation)   Lisa’s Recipe for Success             Several years ago, I had the privilege to meet a woman I will call Lisa. Though she worked full time at a demanding job and had a family, Lisa was also pursuing a college degree, and even with this heavy load, she always had a smile on her face. Lisa’s story is one of never giving up.             Though a young teenaged mother from a poor home, eventually divorced and a high school dropout, Lisa continued to work for a better life. Everything didn’t fall in place quickly, but after accepting a job with the school district, she discovered her love for students. With words of reassurance and encouragement from some of the women in her church, this brave woman pursued a college ...