Tag: #christianblog

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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LIVING WELL

With recently celebrating another trip around the sun in September, as well as celebrating hopetoinspireyou.com’s eight years of weekly reflections, this quote seemed appropriate to share this week.

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Have you wrestled with the meaning of life?
Why did God create you?
What is the purpose of your life?
Is there more to life than just the humdrum of daily routines? Continue reading “LIVING WELL”

AMAZING THINGS

Publish his glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.  –1 Chronicles 16:24  (NLT)

It seems appropriate to share that Scripture today as my website, hopetoinspireyou.com, celebrates its eighth year of publishing weekly reflections! September 5, 2014, was the date the first reflection, “An Unexpected Phone Call,” was shared as a test to see if God would provide weekly inspiration for this endeavor. My heart is filled with joy to say, “God sure has!” Eight years later, you are reading reflection #396! Continue reading “AMAZING THINGS”

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

A deacon friend shared a story of something he witnessed that led him to think about our relationship with God. I found it a relevant message for us all to reflect on.

He was preparing his thoughts to minister at the nursing home that houses dementia and Alzheimer’s patients when suddenly God ministered to him. He looked out in the courtyard and saw a couple in their 80’s holding hands. The husband comes every day to visit his wife. He felt he was “witnessing true love.” “What a beautiful example of unconditional love. As soon as he leaves, she won’t even know that he was here.” He continued, “At this moment, I am truly witnessing God’s love and compassion, as two hands are locked together, so peaceful. It’s like time has stopped.” The scene replayed several times in his mind throughout the day.

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