NEW YEAR'S DAY 2024!

May today, January 1, 2024 be a blessed beginning to 2024!

As the City of Hope declares this 1st day of 2024, "A lovely day for hope." 

For me, that includes spiritual as well as physical, undergirded by Romans 15:13.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

LET IT GO!

12/31/23

Lay aside every encumbrance. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Let go of the unnecessary. The heavy. The bulk. 

Let go of worry. 

Let go of digital distractions.

Let go of expectations of pleasing others over the Lord.

Travel light. Do less. 

Get rid of unhealthy habits.

Run with endurance. 

Fellowship with God's people fuels endurance.

Daily allow God's word to energize you.

Make most of your time. (Ephesians 5:15)

Fix eyes on Jesus! 

Make Jesus your daily FOCUS!

Don't let Him go.

HOPE NEEDED ONCE MORE---TO BEGIN 2024!

Abounding hope, is known in "Dotsyese" as abunDANCE of hope. May I "dance" through 2024 with all joy and peace in every step as I believe!"

A dance allowing me to follow the lead of my partner, the One who is my Living Hope. A dance keeping my eyes on Him and not looking down on my own circumstance of fear.

Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.(Psalm 37:24, NLT) Help me, LORD!

FAITHFUL FRIENDS

Trustworthy. Encouraging. God honoring. Others before self 

Don't be jealous or proud, but be humble and consider others more important than yourselves. (Ephesians 4:32)

HAPPY NEW YEAR.....almost!

Hoping I make it to 2024--- if I do, I'll probably start with this...

My One Word:Hope

Hope in God is sure Hope! A sure hope! (New Morning Mercies, August 1)

One who is glorious in grace and abounding in love.

Already considering my G.I.G. for 2024!

Grow

In

Grace

Make my GIG visible for your glory!!!

That's my GIG; what's yours?

HOPE GALORE FOR 2024

Hope Needed. Hope Found. In God's Word.

I am with you always. (Matthew 28:20)

Hope Notes. Underlines in the entry & the marginalia of my New Morning Mercies devotional book. 

Hope is a person, and His name is Jesus!

HEARTBREAK TO HOPE!

Legitimate reasons for lament can bring darkness into one's life....even in the midst of the joy of the Christmas season.

Dark clouds require deep mercy, as Mark Vroegop says.This morning as I jot notes for my "dear to my heart," cousin Joy's funeral, I am asking for that mercy. Lament is pain that can lead to trust. May my time in His word lead me to that today.

Lament tunes the heart so it can sing about trust. (Vroegop, p. 82)

I am still struggling. "How long O Lord?" (Psalm 13:1) 

Help me to discover the grace of "lament" during this dark time.

May this lament fuel my faith.

May I place my broken heart in God's hands today and lean into the hope only He can give.

As I remember Brenda Joyce Davenport Tanley at her funeral, may my words offer hope. Others my call her Joyce but ever since childhood, she's been "my Joy."

Transform me, O Lord that others might see Christ in me, the hope of glory! For in your presence is fullness of joy and pleasures  forever more. (Psalm 16:11)

CHRISTMAS MESSAGE!

Unto us a child is born! Unto us a Son is given:...(Isaiah 9:6)

Joy to the world! The Lord has come. Let earth receive her King ....and every heart prepare Him room!

Merry Christmas!

BEHOLD FROM BEGINNING TO END!

BEHOLD: FROM B T0 E  Isaiah 40: 9,Come and Behold Him, behold, Christmas 2023,

BEHOLD!!

In a former blog about my yearly word, Behold, I shared what it had meant for me! Watch Out. Think, be on the ready. Be on the watch.

Look for. Be aware...God is about to show up!

Maybe Mary and Joseph felt that same way!

Come and behold---keep on coming and keep on beholding until he comes again!

Behold your God!  Isaiah 40:9 Here is your God.

Here is the miracle of Christmas: God became man in Jesus Christ. He is the image of the invisible God, the exact representation of his being” (Hebrews 1:3).

He came for you and me---to give us life everlasting!

BEHOLD! FROM beginning to end/eternity! 

NAMES OF GOD!

Seeking to renew my prayer life during this hard time of loss, I am crying out to the LORD!

Tony Evans says, "WHEN LIFE GETS TOO HARD TO STAND, KNEEL."

I add to that, "When your aging body makes kneeling difficult, bow in your heart."

Call out to the LORD who can meet you at your point of need.

Allow God to be your Light, Jehovah Ori, (1 John 1:5), your Joy, El Simchath Gill, (Psalm 16:11), your Strength, Jehovah Uzzi, (Nehemiah 8:10), and your Peace Jehovah Shalom, (2 Thessalonians 3;16).

Psalm 29:11, states, "The LORD gives strength to His people; the LORD blesses his people with peace." 

Praises to Yahweh, our King, who gives us both strength and peace during our time of need.