Category: Hope Blog

Hope for Christmas

As we move steadily nearer to Christmas, I wonder what emotions fill your soul? What kind of journey has 2022 been for you? I’m sure for some of you there has been exquisite beauty in this past year. There have been moments you will cherish for a lifetime. For you, I smile and pray that this Christmas will be a celebration of the joys you have been given. For others, I imagine this year has been transformational in another way. Perhaps it has been a year that you will look back on and wonder how you lived through, how you…

The Dual Nature of Peace

Peace. Such a simple word and yet how eloquently it speaks. The word conveys thoughts of serenity – hilltop experiences overlooking a setting sun. It rings of hands joined in hands in silent love. Just hearing the word can calm a racing heart and quiets a noisy mind. It transports us to moments in our past, and causes us to yearn for something in the far off distance. What is Your Peace Whatever the word conjures up in your mind, I would imagine there is a sense of warmth, beauty and longing to it. It is a universal desire. And…

Learning to Breathe Again

I wonder how many of you would understand what I mean when I say there are seasons of life when it seems you cannot take a full breath. There are times when you are reluctant to move too quickly or look up too hastily for fear that the fragile balance of your life will shatter. And there are days in which you feel an ever present dread that the walls are about to crumble; the rug about to be pulled from beneath your feet. Those who understand what I’m talking about are no doubt those of you who have been…

If We Were Given Eyes to See the Invisible

If we were given eyes to physically see the invisible bondage of humanity, I believe we would be horrified. We would undoubtedly be shocked to see the prison that our neighbors and loved ones inhabit, maybe even astounded to find shackles around our own wrists. We may be a society that boasts of our freedoms, but in reality very few walk freely among us. What Prison? Are you confused? Bear with me for a moment as I explain. You see, there are all sorts of prisons that a soul can inhabit while the body walks free. Some individuals are held…

How Much Longer

“How much longer?” A question we’ve all posed at least once in our lives. And no, I’m not talking about a “How much longer” asked from the backseat of a minivan on an endless road trip. I’m talking about the “How much longer’s that flow out of hearts in desperation. Your version of this question may be a typical (but no less discouraging) one such as: “How much longer will I have to wake every two hours to feed this ticking time-bomb?” Or “How much longer will I be in this ghastly, unrewarding job… or spending half my life in…