Category: Encouragement

THE GIFT OF PRESENCE

I heard a reflection that resonated with my heart and spirit at a Lessons and Carols event, which I think is perfect to share during this holiday season. Lessons and Carols bring the true meaning of Christmas to life, telling the story of Jesus’ birth, including Mary and Joseph’s plight, through Scripture and music.

Isn’t Christmas a wonderful time of year when we take time to reflect on the sacredness of Jesus’ birth? Christmas is also a time when we show our love to others, especially with the tradition of giving gifts. Have you stopped to think about what our gifts to one another symbolize?

Continue reading “THE GIFT OF PRESENCE”

ANGELS

It was a lovely surprise to receive a link to a song a friend felt inspired to share. I will say it even made me cry the first few times I heard it, as the lyrics and message speak to my heart and spirit.

The song is “Angels Among Us” by Alabama. Here is a link to the song if you have a few moments to take a listen. Continue reading “ANGELS”

PAINFUL TIMES

A friend sent me a picture of something fascinating along with a short text that I felt was too amazing not to share with you. She said, “Please excuse the awkward picture of my foot, but I literally just dropped my cell phone on it and look what happened. God’s love during pain!”

 

A perfectly shaped heart blood blister!

 

I am once again in awe of God! How could such a perfectly shaped heart blood blister appear on my friend’s toe? The words “God’s love during pain” echoed in my mind. What a perfect reminder that “God’s love during pain” is with us. Continue reading “PAINFUL TIMES”

GRATEFUL

I ran across this quote that I found thought-provoking and full of wisdom to reflect upon. It is especially apropos as we celebrate Thanksgiving.

“To be grateful is to recognize the Love of God in everything He has given us – and He has given us everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of His love, every moment of existence is a grace, for it brings with it immense graces from Him. Gratitude therefore takes nothing for granted, is never unresponsive, is constantly awakening to new wonder and to praise of the goodness of God. For the grateful person knows that God is good, not by hearsay but by experience. And that is what makes all the difference.”  –Thomas Merton 

 

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LITTLE DAY BRIGHTENERS

As I was reflecting on what to share this week, I saw this Facebook post from a friend that I think is an excellent reminder for us all.

“Sometimes we forget about all the little things we could do to brighten someone’s day… to show love to others without expecting anything in return. I was the receiver of these beautiful flowers from a dear friend yesterday!”

 

 

Didn’t Jesus tell us the importance of the little things in life, sharing God’s love with everyone without expecting anything in return? Continue reading “LITTLE DAY BRIGHTENERS”

SON RISE

With the days growing shorter as winter approaches, I was delighted to experience a glorious sunrise and sunset on the same day while at a retreat at one of my holy places on Canandaigua Lake. I am more of a night owl than an early riser, so noting that the sunrise was around 7:30 a.m. inspired me to get up a little earlier. This was the first time I had a room with a lakeside view, so when I awoke, I was greeted with the horizon bursting with red and orange color before the sun rose. Naturally, I had to go outside to get a better view, feeling united to God and the beauty.

 

A sail boater enjoying the sunrise on Canandaigua Lake

 

A glorious sunrise

 

I enjoyed the quiet, still atmosphere of being all alone in the grassy field overlooking the lake. Just God and me. It was a sacred time, watching the horizon in expectation as the sun came up. I wondered what specifically the Scripture said that I knew contained the words “From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets.” Continue reading “SON RISE”

FALL TIME BEAUTY

We can experience God’s presence in many different ways. When I stop to consider that God made this whole world and everything in it, I am in awe! It seems natural, then, that we can experience His presence in everything. Can you think of times when you personally encountered God while reading Scripture, in nature, in the people you meet, and in times of worship and prayer?

One fall day, as I sat with my chair on a sandy beach, ironically at a place called Promised Land State Park in Greentown, PA, I was immersed in the beauty of creation that surrounded me. In the Old Testament Scriptures, the Promised Land was for the Israelites, the land of Canaan, which represented for them a land flowing with milk and honey.

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GOD’S LOVE

Welcome to hopetoinspireyou.com’s 400th reflection! My heart is filled with gratitude to God for providing weekly inspiration for the last eight years. Thank you for being a part of this ministry through faithfully reading and your encouragement. Book #3, God’s Compassion Illuminated should be available before year end. 

 

God is love! God and signs of His love are all around us. Our lives should also be reflections of His love that we share with one another.

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.  –1 John 4:16  (NIV)

And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. –1 John 4:21  (NIV)

God, who existed from the beginning of time, is love. His love is lavished upon us daily because we have the privilege of being children of God. We have the responsibility to spread that love to all we encounter.

 

How many times do we miss God’s love that is right in front of us?

It was a question a friend pondered and shared while I was visiting. I was glad I finally followed through with going for a walk with this friend. We joked ahead of time that we probably wouldn’t get too far because of possible frequent stops to check out “hearts” I might find along the way. It was a beautiful fall day, so after our walk, we sat on her deck, which consisted of a huge array of plants, herbs, vegetables, and more. I was most impressed with the many unique crops that they were growing, many from seeds. As I looked at the vegetation life before me, I pointed out two heart shapes that stood out to me. This was one of the biggest! Continue reading “GOD’S LOVE”

DECISIONS

Something you may not know about me is that I have difficulty making decisions. Do you have that problem too?

Since I think I’m not the only one, I’ll ask the question,

“Why do we struggle with making decisions?”

  • Do we want life to go smoothly?
  • Do we take personal responsibility for the way things turn out?
  • Do we think we have control over the outcomes?
  • Do we try to make the most of our time as we rush around?
  • Do we try to be people pleasers with our decisions?
  • Do we fear making a wrong decision? Continue reading “DECISIONS”

FOCUS

“You can focus on what’s missing from your life, or you can focus on the blessings that already exist in this moment.”            —Panache Desai

 

I recently came across this quote that I thought held wisdom to share. It brought me encouragement and went along with a conversation I had with a friend this week.

 

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