Blooming Hope

Blooming hope is a gift from our Lord as we grow in our faith.

Bloom where you're planted,

Don't wish you could stray

New flowers can keep growing,

No matter where you stay.

Bloom where you're planted,

Hope you will be granted.

Bloom where you're planted today.

We can have a bouquet of blossoms if we follow God's way of gardening.

1. Soil  Hosea 4:3 "Break up the unplowed ground; do not sow among the thorns."
2. Seeds  Hosea 10:12 "Sow seeds of righteousness" 
3. Sustenance  I Peter 2:2 "Like newborn infants, desire the sincere milk of the Word that you may grow thereby"
4. Sunshine  Psalms 84:11 "For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly"

Something beautiful,

Something good.

All my confusion,

He understood.

All I had to offer Him

Was brokenness and strife.

But He made something 

Beautiful of my life.

Remember that God does the work. Never doubt that He can fill your life with a fragrance of beauty.

Consider the lilies, they don't toil nor spin.

And there's not a king
With more splendor than them.

Consider the sparrows,
They don't plant nor sow,

But they're fed by the Master
Who watches them grow.

We have a heavenly Father above.

With eyes full of mercy 

And a heart full of love.

He really cares
When your head is bent low.

Consider the lilies and then you will know.

"Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18) and you will gather blossoms of hope for eternity.

Victorious Hope

Victorious hope only comes when we draw our strength from our Savior.

Victory in Jesus, My Savior, forever.

He sought me and he bought me,

With His redeeming blood.

He loved me 'ere I knew Him.

And all my love is due Him.

He plunged me to victory.

Beneath His cleansing blood.

When we take our eyes off Christ and look at our circumstances and resources; fear, anxiety, and despair may overwhelm us. At those times, God will remind me of this song:

Are you walking into the enemy's camp,

Laying your weapons down?

Shedding you armor as you go,

Leaving it on the ground?

You've got to be strong
In the power of His might.

Prove to the enemy.

We are the soldiers of the Lord.

And we've won the victory.

To win the victory, we must clothe ourselves with the armor of God as described in Ephesians 6:14-18. Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace.  In every situation take the shield of faith, and with it you will be able to extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. Pray at all times and stay alert.

Onward Christian Soldiers

Marching as to war,

With the cross of Jesus

Going on before.

On every hand the foe we find,

Drawn up in dread array.

Let tents of ease be left behind,

And onward to the fray.

Salvation's helmet on each head,

With truth all girt about.

The earth shall tremble 'neath our tread,

And echo with our shout.

Faith is the victory, 

Faith is the victory.

Oh, glorious victory

That overcomes the world.

Remember, our battle in not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, authorities, world powers of darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. Ephesians 6:12. We need God's resources to win the battle. Clothe yourself daily. Keep hope in your heart for we know the end of the story. The battle is already won. Keep your sword sharp, your armor bright and fight your battles courageously knowing that you are on the winning side.  

Smiling Hope

The hope that Jesus gives will put a smile on our face and a song in our heart. As a child I would sing this song:

Mommy told me something.

A little kid should know.

It's all about the devil,

And I've learned to hate him so.

She said he causes trouble

When you let him in the room.

He will never, ever leave you,

If your heart is filled with gloom.

So let the sunshine in.

Face it with a grin.

Smilers never lose,

And frowners never win.

So let the sunshine in,

Face it with a grin.

Open up your heart,

And let the sunshine in.

I have a precious memory of my dad and youngest son Ryan, age 6, singing this song in church:

There are many troubles,

That will burst like bubbles.

There are many shadows
That will disappear.

When you learn to meet them,

With a smile to greet them,

For a smile is better than a frown or tear.

Though the world forsake you,

Joy will overtake you.

Hope will soon awake you,

If you smile today.

Don't parade your sorrow,

Wait until tomorrow,

For your hope and joy

Will drive the clouds away.

You can smile.

When you can't say a word.

You can smile,

When you cannot be heard.

You can smile,

When it's cloudy or fair.

You can smile anytime, anywhere.

When we live by the maxim "accentuate the positive, decelerate the negative", we are living Philippians 4:8 - "Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lively, admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things".

Get that frown off your face.

Put a smile in it's place.

Let the love of Jesus Christ show through.

Open up; start to sing.

You're a child of the King.

Now go out and change your world.

Here's another song for a happy heart.

Sing and smile and pray.

That's the only way.

When you sing and smile and pray.

You drive the clouds away.

Psychologists tell us that if a person starts smiling, even if the heart is heavy, the inward feelings will begin to change. Place your hope for a positive expected end in God and put a smile on your beautiful face.

Praying Hope

Praying hope is found in communication with our Creator. He knows our inmost hopes and dreams, thoughts and motives. When we pray, we connect with a power that is far greater then we can imagine with our finite minds. Hebrews 4:14 -16 reminds us that because we have a great High Priest (Jesus) in heaven Who is able to empathize with our weaknesses, and has been tempted in very way, yet did not sin, we can approach the throne of grace with confidence.

There's a garden where Jesus is waiting.

It's a place that's so wondrously fair.

And it glows with the light of His presence.

It's the beautiful garden of prayer.

Oh, that beautiful garden,
That garden of prayer.

Oh, that beautiful garden of prayer.

Where my Savior awaits,

And He opens the gates,

To that beautiful garden of prayer.

I come to the garden alone.

While the dew is still on the roses.

And the voice I hear, falling on my ear,

The Son of God discloses.

And He walks with me
And He talks with me,

And He tells me I am His own.

And the joy we share as we tarry there.

No other has ever known.

Sweet hour of prayer,
Sweet hour of prayer,

That calls me from a world of care,

And bids me at my Father's throne

Make all my wants and wishes known.
.

In seasons of distress and grief,

My soul has often found relief,

And oft escaped the tempter's snare

At thy return, sweet hour of prayer.

I'd stay in the garden with Him
Tho' the night around me be falling.

But He bids me go with a voice of woe.

His voice to me is calling.

Oh, that beautiful garden,
The garden of prayer,

Oh, that beautiful garden of prayer.
Where my Savior awaits,
And He opens the gates,

To that beautiful garden of prayer.

May you spend much time in the garden of prayer with the Source of hope.

Bringing Hope

We bring hope to our world when we spend our lives serving others.

Out on the highways and byways of life, 

Many are weary and sad.

Carry the sunshine 
Where darkness is rife, 

Making the sorrowing glad. 

Give as was given to you in your need.

Love as the Master loves you.

Be to the helpless, a helper indeed.

Unto your mission be true.

Make me a blessing, Make me a blessing,

Out of my life, May Jesus shine.

Make me a blessing, O Savior, I pray.

Make me a blessing to someone today.

In Matthew 25: 35, Jesus says," I was hungry and you gave me something to eat.  I was  thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you invited me in. I needed clothes and you clothed me. I was sick and you looked after me.  I was in prison and you came to visit me." The disciples asked when they had done all those things for him. He answered, "Whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me."

Someone is needing a blessing today.

Something to cheer him 
On life's rugged way,

Needing a friend who is faithful and true,

Will that someone be you?

Someone is waiting in sorrow and night,

Needing the word of Salvation and Light.

Someone will bear it, his hope to renew,

Will that someone be you?

Jesus is waiting for someone,

Waiting and calling for someone;

Someone will answer and go in His name;

O, will that someone be you?

God's plan is so amazing in that He has chosen to use us to bring His message of love and hope to this world. What a privilege to be used by God to touch lives for eternity.

His Spirit lives within us,
Flowing like a river. 
Filling us with strength,
So that we can reach
Out for our brother.
Help one another.

Some of us build,
Some are teachers.
Some can sing like angels.
But all of us can love.
Like He loved,
Pure and simple,
So warm and tender.

We are His hands,
We are His feet,
We are His people.
Children of Lord.
We share the hope, 
We share the dream,
Believers in Jesus
Children of the King.

May you live a life of loving service bringing hope to your world.

Singing Hope

Singing hope is found when we take that step of faith, and begin to follow our Savior. This is my testimony song:

I used to play a tune filled with discord.

I wondered why 
I was born on this earth.

Then I met Jesus, 
I gave Him my life, 

And He gave me a song of new birth.

It's a song 
That has the sweetest melody,

For it tells 
Of Christ coming from above,

Of His death 
On Calvary's cruel tree,

Of His grace, 
Forgiveness, and wondrous love.

There may come situations 
I don't understand,

 But the melody is there, 
Just the same.

When I look up into my Savior's face,

I can't help singing 
Praises to His name.

He writes a song of love upon my heart.

He writes a song 
That never shall depart.

He writes a song 
That makes my whole world bright.

And keeps me singing in the night.

Music is an incredible tool for bringing hope into our lives.  Most of us have memories of special times associated with music - singing around a piano or a campfire; harmonizing in a choir or group; playing in an orchestra or band; making up silly songs to impress our friends. These times encourage and strengthen us. But remember the truth found in this song:

Sing, sing a song.

Sing it loud, sing it long.

Don't worry that it's not good enough

For anyone else to hear.

Just sing, sing a song.

Psalms 150 is an incredible reminder to sing praises the Lord.

1. Where - in His sanctuary, in His mighty heavens. 
2. Why - for His acts of power, for His surpassing greatness. 
3. How - with timbrel and dance, strings, pipes and cymbals. 
4. Who - let everything that has breath praise the Lord!

I have a song that Jesus gave me.
It was sent from heaven above.
There never was a sweeter melody.
It's the melody of love.

In my heart there rings a melody,
Rings a melody with heaven's harmony.
In my heart there rings a melody.
Rings a melody of love.

May a song of praise reverberate in your heart bringing hope and joy to all your days.

but

Talking Hope

Words of hope - how our generation needs to hear them! We should always be bringing hope to others by the words that we speak. I'm reminded of a Sunday School song:

Oh, be careful little mouth what you say.

Oh, be careful little mouth what you say.

There's a Father up above,

And he's looking down in love.

So be careful little mouth what you say.

The Bible has much to teach us about the power of the tongue. James 3:1-12 states that we can tame a horse with a bit, and steer a ship with a rudder, but the tongue is much harder to control. If we give our tongues to God, He will put His words in our mouth. Isaiah 50:4 - The Lord has given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary.

The tongue is a little member,

But difficult to control

Unkind words when spoken

Are destructive and untenable.

Words of truth,

Words of life

Words that banish fear and strife.

Blessings bring peace to the soul.
 

May the words of my mouth 
Be acceptable

In thy sight, O, Lord, I pray.

May hope in Christ be evidenced

In everything I say.

Words of kindness,

Words of love,

Words that challenge to look above.

May I speak words of promise today.

Of course the greatest words of hope that we can speak are from God's Word. Steve Green's song "Ancient Words" sums up this truth:

Holy Word, long preserved.

For our walk, in this world.

They resound with God's own heart,

Oh, let the Ancient Word impart.

Words of life, words of hope,

Give us strength, help us cope,

In this world wherein we roam,

Ancient Words will guide us home.

Ancient Word, ever true,

Changing me and changing you,

We have come with open heart.

O, let the ancient Word impart.

May we let The Word guide us and speak life-giving words of hope today..