Encouragement for a Discouraged World

-

I started my blog, Hearts in Service in 2008, and since its inception my desire has been to encourage those who read here.  That has also been the goal of all four of my books.  Much of this is because so many people feel discouraged. In this day and age of social media and 24/7 news media it has gotten even worse.  We are inundated with negativity, despair, and hopelessness every single day. People are looking for hope but they seem to look everywhere except to the One who actually can provide it.

As I write here and post on Facebook, I try to show how the Lord is working in my life. I attempt to keep my posts uplifting and positive.  Does that mean I am happy all the time?  Not at all.  I struggle with feelings of depression and negativity just like everyone else does. Things in my life are difficult and I have to work my way through a variety of emotions on a daily basis.

But my goal is to point others to Christ.  My desire is to be a light to those who read.  I want to show people that the Lord can work in your life no matter how difficult the challenge and not matter if you don't see the answers you want.

There are a series of published books about missionaries that have gone overseas under the umbrella of our denomination throughout the years. These books are stories of what they faced on the field and how God worked. From time to time, I enjoy reading them because I find encouragement and renewed purpose in the ministry that God has called Dan and I to do as I read about their lives. Reading about others in similar circumstances helps me in my own.

And that is one of the reasons I share from time to time about some of the things I struggle with myself.  While I am transparent about some of these things, I still strive to make this a blog of encouragement for my readers. I want to encourage people, and if you are a believer, to be challenged in your walk with the Lord. He can work through any situation in your life.  

And finally, it is through faith in Christ that you can find hope for whatever you face.
Colossians 1:27 ~

God decided to let his people know this rich and glorious truth which he has for all people. This truth is Christ himself, who is in you. He is our only hope for glory.

Comments

  1. LindaOctober 24, 2019 at 3:35 PM

    I love you for your encouragement and honesty
    You truly are a special person
    Thank you for your postings
    I know you have many struggles now, but know I think of you often

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

I love your comments and encouragement! I can't always respond back but do read each comment.

Popular posts from this blog

Oh What to Do; I'm Sixty-Two!

-
Image
Today is my sixty-second birthday and it's hard to believe I've achieved that....um....seasoned age! My first thought this morning was one of not being sure that I like it. However,  as I thought I about it, I decided to take joy in the fact that I've reached an older age. Because age comes with benefits. Benefit #1 - I'm a bit wiser.   When I look back at some of the decisions I made when I was younger, I cringe. With age has come the ability to slow down and think things through before I make major upheavals in my life. I've also discovered that getting worked up about certain things is just an absolute waste of emotional energy. Benefit #2 - I'm enjoying my life.   As I've aged I've learned all kinds of skills and hobbies and can honestly say that I'm never, ever bored. I love all the different things I'm able to do and it's fun! Benefit #3 - I've learned to appreciate my relationships. With age I've learned to work on developing a...
Read more

Eating to Live

-
Image
  Despite the unexpected busyness and interruptions, I have been plugging away at my weight loss as well as writing the plant-based, whole food cookbook. Recipe testing fell by the wayside the past two weeks, but I've still gotten a good chunk of the book done. I also got on the scale this morning for another one pound loss which makes a total of 61 lbs. since I started this journey back in July. It's second nature at this point and I have so much more energy and feel healthy. The only negative is that because I've lost so much weight I'm seeing some sagging, crepe-papery skin happening. Yuck. Some of that is age and I need to figure out some toning exercises. It's definitely a life-style change, but a positive one which I'm so thankful I started on. The pictures above are a small selection of meals I've eaten the past two months and many of those will be included in the book.  This will be a printable e-book as I find that will be the easiest and most cost ...
Read more

When the Unexpected Pops Up

-
Image
On Thursday afternoon, just as Dan and I were getting ready to leave for a meeting, we received a phone call from our son. He was sitting on the side of the road with a blown engine in his car. The problem is he lives 3 1/2 hours away. After back and forth phone calls he called a tow truck and got it towed to a garage. He ended up renting a car and headed here for the holiday. We've been working with him to figure out his next steps because he still owes thousands of dollars on the car which will also take a significant amount to replace the engine. His rent is going up in the new year. His seasonal job ended and he is trying to find something else, but needs a car for that to happen. His car still has not been looked at by the mechanic. It is all more than a little overwhelming. Long story short, we extended an invitation for him to live here temporarily so he can get out from under all of this. It would save him money on expensive rent and utilities.  The timing was right since h...
Read more