Hope-Full Living

Time saddles us with old regrets and unresolved disappointments. We tell ourselves: “Let it go! Give it to God!” BUT all it takes is a chink in our thoughts, and it spreads to take over the hour, the day, maybe longer. Life coaches say go for a walk, listen to music, call a friend, start a journal, and more. One thing is missing — Jesus! Walk with Jesus, listen to Him, call a Christian friend, jou...

As our clocks “spring forward” tonight, and we seem to lose an hour, we are reminded by St. Paul of the importance of using our time wisely, “because the days are evil.” Twenty centuries later, the days seem even more evil than they were in Paul’s day, as sin tightens its grip on our society and world. That’s why we need to make the best use of the time God gives us. Time is a precious gift, but i...

Everyone I know hates change. We like comfortable surroundings where we know what to expect. We want to fit in. We do not want to be seen as different. It is uncomfortable being different. People of this world might look at us funny if we pray in a restaurant. They might sneer as we help those in need. They might laugh if we speak of Jesus’ power to save us. Paul’s words to the church in Rome and...

Can you think of a time when you eagerly arose on a Sunday morning and went to church with a grateful heart? Or a birthday when you thanked God for bringing you through another year of life? Maybe it was joyfully attending the baptism of a new grandchild. God did that. When we approach our Heavenly Father with joy and thankfulness, He is pleased, and He is the source of our actions as well. Every...

If you meet an old friend who asks you, “I haven’t seen you in years. What’s new with you?” What might you say? “Nothing new, same ole thing”? Or, “I’m just getting older”? But God gives us reason to say, “It’s new every day.” God has given us a new covenant which is Jesus, who gave His life for us (Mark 14:24). “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the ne...

In my role as primary caregiver for my husband, I try to keep one or two people as backups for assistance. Recently, I gained a new appreciation for that arrangement. When a regular helper planned an extended trip, a backup agreed to cover for her. However, the backup’s husband required an emergency appendectomy, plus a disabled aunt moved into her home. Suddenly, we needed a backup for our backup...

These words from Luke are the words of our Savior as He looks down from the cross at those who crucified Him. As I sit in the front pew, reserved for those who can’t climb the stairs to the altar for Holy Communion, I look up at the crucifix and wonder if Jesus is saying, “Father, forgive her because she doesn’t know what she has done.” And then it happens, the pastor speaks words of forgiveness f...

Remember when going a new route or wearing a new dress was exciting? Now I call it a hassle. No wonder I heard the phrase "grumpy old lady" long before I became one. Yes, I have limitations, and the attitude crept into me before I was aware. Now it's time to re-vision how I think, re-visit my younger reactions, and remember my Baptism. In Ephesians 4, Paul was addressing behavior far worse than gr...

Several years ago, I was teaching at a college. One day, a friend from my church called me. She asked if I could volunteer as the faculty adviser for students of our faith on my campus. I learned that I would need to plan the Sunday worship service in the campus chapel. I would also have to ask a local pastor to conduct it. I felt totally unworthy of her invitation. My response to her was, "Oh, I'...

I was married to my loving wife Dorothy for 70 years. A few months ago, Jesus called her home to live with Him in heaven. She received her crown of glory. Yet here I am. Here I am alone without her. Sometimes I am sad, while other times I rejoice that she is with Jesus. Regardless, living without her is difficult. I do not understand what God understands and does, but I need to trust Him. Jesus pr...

Jesus ended His work on earth with three words, "It is finished" (John 19:30). Hearing these words during Lent, we associate them with Jesus' death on the cross. When declaring His work "finished," Jesus chose an important word that can be used to mean perfection, completeness, or fulfillment of an outcome. Today's verse from 1 Peter uses the word "finished" to describe "the outcome of your faith....

We live in a broken world. The evidence is all around us. Wars. Famine. Hatred. Murder. Cars break down. Clothes wear out. Homes require maintenance. From the largest imaginable issues to the smallest personal ones, everything is slowly falling apart. Physics even has a law that says entropy in a system increases over time. We deal with this brokenness via repair services, humanitarian efforts, th...

For 10 summers, my husband and I worked as volunteers at Great Smoky Mountains National Park where, once a month, I had the opportunity to sing with the East Tennessee Shape Note Singers. These dedicated amateur musicians gathered in the old churches, preserved by the park service, to sing traditional hymns from an 1840s replica hymnal, following notation in which the various pitches are designate...

In Acts 16, Lydia is described as a dealer of purple cloth. But more than a businesswoman, Lydia is also described as a worshipper of God who had gathered with other women at the river. When the apostle Paul began to speak, she listened, and “The Lord opened her heart.” Lydia’s open heart led to a fresh start — changing her and influencing her household (Acts 16:15). She continued as an entreprene...

During a phone call with my mother, she said, “Yesterday I was feeling down and had a pity party. I realized I had to stop thinking about myself and trust God for my problems. I decided to encourage someone else.” “What did you do, Mama?” I asked. “I took chicken and dumplings to a sick friend. When Sarah and I talked about God’s blessings, she smiled. She said my visit perked her up and made her...

Golfers will tell you about the “mulligan.” In golfer-speak, it’s a second chance to take a shot, a do-over for those of us who didn’t hit the ball rightly the first time. “The first swing didn’t count. I’ll give you a mulligan.” If only life came with a mulligan. Harmful words spoken would be erased. Poor judgement, angry actions, your petty, selfish behavior would all be forgotten in the wake of...

I love polishing silver! Why do I find such satisfaction in cleaning and buffing when I could be outside building a snowman? I enjoy making something that is deeply tarnished look new again, and as I polish, I ponder God’s work of redemption. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into this world to renew us. With loving mercy and forgiveness, He cleanses, restores, and refreshes our tarnished lives. Ren...

Now is the season to focus our thoughts and worship on Lent, the last days of Jesus’ earthly ministry that led to Easter morning. With boundless love and mercy, our Heavenly Father sent Jesus to suffer and die so people could receive forgiveness and be saved. Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem is also personal because His suffering and sacrifice rescued me from God’s wrath, punishment, and death, all of...

I enjoyed playing in the wide, open space on the farm where I grew up. The farm had been in my family for 105 years before I was even born. The land, the buildings, the trees, and the two houses were always there. I figured they always would be. Over the years, many changes have taken place. Many of the buildings collapsed. Trees got old and fell over. Even my parents passed away. We realize that...

Ah, cousins! Four in all. As an only child, sharing space with a lively family was a joy and, admittedly, sometimes a challenge; three of those cousins were boys! We shared joys, challenges, hopes and dreams as we prayed, ate, shopped and played together. We cooled down in a small blow-up pool, made potholders and ate homemade strawberry shortcake ... as if we didn’t have a care in the world. We j...

In a faraway land where the Gospel is often met with opposition, the daughter-in-law of some longtime friends began an enterprise among a group of unschooled, impoverished women. Using worn, cotton saris and simple sewing stitches, they craft lightweight blankets and other items. The skills they learn and the income they receive from their products lift the women’s sense of worth as well as their...

Do you remember how it felt to fall in love? Better yet, do you remember your first love and the feelings you had, the excitement and anticipation? Now compare these feelings to those in your relationship with God. Are you still inspired with a hopeful, strong urge to be in His presence? You can listen to Him and hear His voice if you read the words of Scripture aloud. You can be part of Him and r...

Love is the most powerful force in the world today. Some years ago, I remember hearing a song which had the lyric: “Love to be love must be given away.” Paul shows what Christ’s love can do as He gives it to you and me. Because of His love, we are a new creation. Because of Christ’s death and resurrection, we who believe in Him are renewed. The old, sinful self is gone, and the new self in Christ...

As a college freshman, I had an early religion class where we started each day reciting Psalm 118:24, “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” I remember the zeal with which our class would say this passage! As elderly people, our bodies can be filled with aches and pains. We or a friend find out about an unexpected illness, or we receive a call that someone we k...

God has given me a new life on which to focus my love and attention. What a thrill to hold my first great-grandchild. Yet I cannot help but think about the world she has so recently entered! I think of mass murders, abortion, gender diversity, and illegal substances. Sunny June has Christian parents who will try to keep her safe. But neither they nor anyone else can assure her that none of that wi...