Tag Archives: Hope

Find Joy Out There

Posted in Reflections From My Heart by
woman wearing grey long sleeved top photography

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12 NIV

Do you feel like you are hanging out there and there is no safe place to set your feet? The headlines are inundated with grim headlines and dire outlooks. I have to admit that I have run the gam-it of emotions over the past several weeks, but the past 3 days that has changed. What changed? According to the world, it’s going to get worse before it gets better… much worse.

The bible tells us otherwise and since the entire bible points to the hope that we have for eternal life in Christ, I am not going to attempt to make that case here, but what I can tell you is that I have been reading in 1 Corinthians and 13:13 says, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 

I have decided that I need to show love. Posting positive messages in social media, buying the order for the car behind me at the drive-thru, randomly texting, emailing or actually picking up the phone and calling people as I think about them. Not surprisingly, it’s easy to catch people these days and they actually have time to talk. The absolute best thing that I started doing is mailing out 3-5 handwritten cards per day to the girlfriends in my life whom I truly miss in this season of social distancing; women I want to encourage and let them know that I am thinking about them and I care about them with my whole heart.

Here is what happened. My heart filled with joy! God is right! Showing love to others and being “others focused” completely transforms your attitude, emotions and  whole disposition. Instead of waking up each morning in a place of discouragement, I awaken with thoughts about whose lives I can make a difference for today. I pray in praise, not in fear, and I thank God for all the blessings I am seeing and how alive I am feeling in the arms of his protection and under the promises of His hope.

So girlfriends, if you are discouraged today, I want to encourage you to find ways to be a blessing to others. Spread faith, hope and love. Let the greatest emotion that you have today be love. 

Share your creative love sending ideas here so we can extend our love to one another and have a toolbox of more ways we can love even bigger and better together!

 

 

 

Someone With Integrity… FINALLY!

Posted in Reflections From My Heart by

Integrity

If you “Like” the Godly Girlfriend Page on Facebook you are aware that I post a chapter a day from the bible. Today we studied Genesis 42 and if you are not following, this is your invitation to join us.

Historically I have been a new testament girl. I value the lessons that Jesus and his disciples modeled for us and the hope that we have in the resurrected Christ; while the old testament seemed, well, old. I know that the entire Word is inspired by God so I decided it was time to expand my horizons. Boy am I glad I did!

What a roller-coaster! From the fall of Adam & Eve to the hope of Noah, from the disbelief and jealously of Abraham, Sarah, Lot, Isaac, Jacob, Rachel, Rebekah to the intermarriage of maidservants and concubines, prostitution and betrayal. My old testament icons have quickly proven to be ‘human’ – sinful and all. I was really beginning to believe that God must be more of a forgiving God than I had ever imaged or credited to Him, because these guys make my life look heavenly in comparison. I am totally being facetious – I still reduce myself to the lowest of these – if anything, they give me even more hope than I ever thought or deserve.

And in the midst of everyone’s messes, God introduces Joseph. Thank God for Joseph! There are so many lessons and great life applications Joseph’s life models. I feel the need to point out just one main thing… What a breath of fresh air! Joseph is a beautiful example to us and he stands out as the “star of the book of Genesis”. He hasn’t deceived his way to the top; he hasn’t lied, cheated, murdered, or manipulated anyone to gain his position. If anything, he was mistreated, abused, falsely accused, left for dead, forgotten, and shunned. Not a Godly resume, but truly a God story personified through a Godly man!

I am very endeared to Joseph as a result. As much as I had heard his story many times before, in the context of the entire old testament, how exciting it is to find a man whose life stands apart. Could that be our story?  Joseph gives us hope that it’s not us, it’s God who will be glorified through our lives – good times and bad. What an impact a life of integrity makes and how rare it is to find. Let’s make that our story and remember, whatever life brings us, remain faithful – God knows the outcomes.