You Are Beloved

Sunday Scripture

and a

Song

"Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

Phillipians 4:8 New Revised Standard Version

God does not see us the way we see ourselves. We focus on what we've done wrong, and how imperfect we are. We dwell on past mistakes, and think we are not worthy of the many blessings God desires to bestow on us.

DON'T LISTEN TO THESE NEGATIVE THOUGHTS!

God sees us as pure as freshly fallen snow.

He sees our inner beauty and the promise in each of us 

for what we can become.

He loves us, every one of us.

We are His children

and we are Beloved.

Jason Gray's song "Remind Me Who I Am"

Reminds me every time I hear it

That no matter what the world tells me,

I must always remember...

I AM A CHILD OF GOD

Subscribers please click on Hope to Find to view this video on my website

Garden of Hope

Our spring lawns, once lush and green, were crunching under our feet. The fields of endless rows of corn displayed drying husks months too soon. Though we have received some respite with the recent thunderstorms, it will take more than a few showers to restore all the plants, and some, including crops, may be beyond remedy.

These pictures are from my gardens, which I have maintained throughout the drought by daily watering. Though time-consuming, this was very important to me, because watching my gardens grow brings me joy and hope. I would suffer along with my plants if I allowed them to whither and die.

This tiny portion of earth that I have kept watered has kept my hope alive that life will be restored in the parched areas of the Midwest and beyond. This drought has left many shrubs crispy and brown, and trees have languished with the lack of moisture. I shudder to think of the farmers who depend on their crops as their livelihood, wondering if there will be any crops at all to harvest.

Thankfully rains, sometimes in the form of storms and torrential downpours, including hail and high winds have scattered over our parched land here in Southeastern Wisconsin, bringing respite to the plants and hope to the farmers.

Amidst the despair of watching so many plants succumb to the drought, these bright gardens of mine have given me hope that life will be restored once again.

This awful drought in the season of what is normally a thriving growth period has reminded me of winter, when all hope can be lost of seeing the natural world spring back to life. We wait anxiously hoping for life to be restored.

There are times in our personal lives, too, where seasons of drought or deep winter affect how we find hope in our lives, yet we need to have hope to believe in new beginnings.

One way to begin finding hope is to be grateful for what we have instead of bemoaning what we do not have. It is helpful to make a daily list of what you are thankful for. Make this a habit. It can be little things, simple things, things that bring you joy.

When we begin to focus on what is good in our lives, we find the strength to make it through the challenging times. Daily keeping our focus on God, who provides all we need, and offering thanks to Him for the goodness in our lives, helps to keep our thoughts more positive. This, in turn, kindles our hope for better tomorrows.

We believe in the goodness that life can bring. Though we must suffer through storms of life and difficult times when we feel our hearts will break, if we an can focus on what is good and true, offering thanks and truly feeling grateful, we can weather whatever comes our way, whether it be drought or storm.

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy —think about such things."  Phillipians 4:8 (NIV)

Strength for the Journey

This week has been filled with tragic news stories. Sadness overwhelms us at times as we try to understand such pain in God’s world. Tragedy and grief touch all of our lives, and when you add in the daily challenges of finances and health issues, it would be easy to succumb to fear and defeat.



But we must not let that happen. There is Strength that we can draw on. There is Hope for better tomorrows. We can find Peace, when we turn our eyes to our Heavenly Father and rest in His wisdom and grace.


It’s easy to feel overwhelmed with sadness amidst the suffering. When we are challenged with yet another trial or obstacle to our happiness, how can we cope?


If the tears want to come, let them. It is a cleansing of our sadness. Let the tears wash away your fears and then turn your heart to God.  Pour our your sadness to Him. Tell Him of your fears. Let go of all you hold inside that threatens your sense of security and peace.


He is waiting for us to come to Him. He can offer comfort that the world cannot provide. In inexplicable ways, we are calmed when we lay our troubles at His feet. Peace washes over us, and we realize we can go forward into the trials we are facing because we know we are not facing them alone.



God is there with us. He will always be beside us. What a comfort it is to know we never walk alone. When we lean on Him for our strength, we find it is limitless. As we grow in our trust and faith, we begin to find the glimmer of hope that propels us to keep trying. And by resting in God’s love, we are blessed through knowing His perfect peace.





“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Phillipians 4:13 (NIV)


“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid.” John 14:27 (NIV)