Permission to Hope

-
We buried our sweet cat in the back yard today. Each of us thanked God for how he loved us through some rough times this year. Watching your kids grieve is truly difficult. It's an ache multiplied. As I sit here and think back over the year, I realize how hard it's been and equally how lovely. God has grown us all. The thing is that when you get wounded or things don't go how you would like them to, you are afraid to trust and dream. I keep hearing this phrase in my head.

You have permission to hope.

By definition, you have authority, authorization, sanction, approval, blessing to hope. There's beauty in all of this. Through grief and hurt, God will come and meet with us. You can plan for good things in the year ahead with out fear. You can trust Jesus with the secret things you yearn for. Mark tonight a sacred new beginning. Start asking what you would like to do and give in the year ahead. May you find balance in your work, play, prayer, and rest. Enjoy those around you. One of my favorite Christmas cards read, "The true ornaments of a home are those who frequent it." Love people in 2017.

I love doing Jennie Allen's Dream Guide. It asks several simple questions in different areas of life. It's a great visionary and retrospective tool to give clarity and focus. You can download it from her blog.
http://www.jennieallen.com/2017-dream-guide/




You are always welcome to the table. Holy things can happen when friends and family gather around the table for a meal.  



I love y'all. Thank you so much. You have helped us build and pay for all of our dreams of loving others. Don't resist giving to those around you because of fear. Of course some people will take advantage of your generosity. Love them anyway. That's the beauty of the gospel.


 If you would like to support us one time or monthly in 2017, we are grateful to receive from you. 
https://donate.unitedcharitable.org/SearchDetails.aspx?ProgID=101575


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Writer's Callous

-
Image
Alright, baby photo below. Quit emailing me! ;-) I remember having a writer's callous when I was five years old. In my adolescence I hated it. Now, I find it fascinating. Almost as long as I have been alive I have borne a mark that declares I am passionate about something in such a way that it bores into my skin. I have been blessed with wonderful Apple products to use and I still prefer writing things out. I heard Michelle Pfeiffer say David Kelley writes out all of his award winning shows on yellow legal pad. I like that. I prefer a journal and a real wood pencil (the kind that are stained, not the yellow ones.) There's something romantic about it to me. Writing is a choice medium in my relationship with God . I love to prayer journal. I pour out thanks for every minute that I get to spend doing it. In last weeks post I told you that God broke my Mac so I would spend some time alone with Him (then I can have it back in January). Shortly thereafter the enemy came in tel
Read more

David Crowder's House Restoration

-
Image
A recent edition of Waco Today featured David Crowder's six year renovation project(we had to go check it out). I said a quiet prayer that God would let our house be completed before six years was up for us and then I dove in to the details. David and his wife bought the home of the man who invented Dr. Pepper. It is encouraging to see something that took so much effort and energy come to completion. May we soon see the same thing. You can read the story of the Crowder renovation here .
Read more

Gomer: The Inspiration Board

-
Image
I saw this thing on HGTV once. People would look at these mega-money "inspiration rooms" and try to copy them on a thin budget. I decided I would copy this idea and begin to put inspiration points around the house. My first point is an inspiration board on the front of our house. Much of the paint on the front of the house has been scraped off. So I took it upon myself to sand a whole board down and prime it. She is a beauty. Now, people will be inspired from miles around and flock here due to the inspiration of this one bright white board. At the very least, it has inspired me to want to paint another one.  We had a lovely time of worship here on Sunday at our first night of House Church. The Holy Spirit was so tender with us as He led our hearts to repentance and praise. I am thankful for those the Lord brought here that night to sit in a simple place in a simple way to worship Jesus. Join us this Sunday at 5 p.m. If you are hurt, lonely, broken, or searching, please join
Read more