Visions & Verses

What Love Isn't...

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 New International Version (NIV)

I've been teaching my Middle and High School Sunday School class about love lately.  Although I feel the generation gap more strongly than ever, it's a valuable exercise to try to remember life at 14 and see the current world through the eyes of a confused, questioning adolescent.  While the technology and pace have changed, the core issues and concerns really haven't. And like so much of life it boils down to love.

As kids begin to see themselves as individuals apart from their family, they begin to see love differently and to ponder what love outside the bonds of family might be like. And this is where we come in, because if we don't tell and show and model Christian, Biblical love, certainly the World will introduce its version of love with all the cultural missteps and miscues and misinformation.

If you read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, the preeminent 'love passage', you will find a lot of time spent on what love is not. That's a good place to start. For Christians, it is essential to understand that love is not a noun, but an action verb. Love is not something you possess: I HAVE a boyfriend, how do I GET him to love me?, she BELONGS to me... And it's more than emotions: a feeling, a glow, warmth, desire, etc. No, love is something you DO, a decision you make daily (and sometimes hourly). 

Love is choosing to be patient and kind instead of selfish, rude and irritable. Love is forgiving and choosing not to keep a record of wrongs -- forgiving AND forgetting! Love is putting others and their needs first. Love is working it out without getting defensive, bitter or resentful. Love is hoping for the best, and expecting the best. Love is trusting despite the possibility of getting hurt.

When asked, Jesus listed loving God and loving one another as the greatest Commands, the ones which encompassed and summed up all the others.  And, of course, that's true. You can't be stealing from, murdering, coveting and lying about someone if you are actively loving and praying for them. But although it's easy to say, 'Love God and love one another', in practice it is so very challenging. All of us struggle with being lovable. And we all know people who are hard to love. Love takes a lot of work, and if not enough comes back, it's easy to feel resentment or depression and withdraw. Hearts that love can also be broken. 

But for all it's challenges and pitfalls, LOVE is truly the hallmark and essence of a Christian. Jesus said 'they will know you are my followers if you love one another.' Unconditional love is the gift God gave to us in creation. Unconditional love was the gift He gave in making a way for us to be reconciled to Him through the death and resurrection of His son, Jesus. That love is so powerful and so wonderful that it still draws people in to this day. When we love others with the kind of love Jesus demonstrated, it draws people to us. It makes us stand out in stark contrast to the World's version of possessive, emotional love. It makes people want what we have, to know what we know. Being around truly loving people alerts you to that heart-shaped hole in your soul that only a relationship with Jesus can fill.

In our modern world of snide, rude and hurtful tweets, texts, posts and grams; in our era of political sniping, negative campaigns and gotcha journalism; in this time of stereotypes, -isms, and shifting morality; let us be a people who love first -- who leave a calling card of kindness, who cover sin, who forgive easily and anger slowly, who set aside our desires and 'rights' for those of others, acknowledging that this is what Christ did for us, creating a debt of forgiveness, salvation and reconciliation that we can never repay.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

John 13:34-36 New International Version (NIV)

Try a Little Tenderness

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit,if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. ~Philippians 2:1-4

"What the World Needs Now is Love Sweet Love..." "All You Need Is Love..." "They Will Know We are Christians by Our Love..."  These songs reveal that culturally, we know that love IS the answer. It is a powerful tool for forgiving, compromising, healing and reconciling. It is the very essence of Christianity. And yet, in our supposed Christian nation, we find very little of it being exhibited on our streets, in our media or by our leaders, not to mention in our churches or the myriad households accross the country. Certainly, it has been prophesied in the Bible:  ^"Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold," Matthew 24:12. But why?

I wonder if the problem is more fundamental. I wonder if we have failed to learn what real love is. The depictions of love in the media are very simplistic: romantic love, familial love, lust. These depictions show love as a contract: if you love me, I'll do x; or as an obligation: you must love your children, your parents, your siblings. These are very far from the Biblical love described in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, patient, kind, humble, putting others' needs before our own, dealing with personal issues privately. I can't really say that in my 50 some years on the planet I've seen many examples of this kind of love. It is admittedly very difficult. Trying intentionally to live lovingly for the last 20 years has been a real struggle. And living with love conflicts with some strong cultural values, like holding a grudge, publically airing grievances, being right, getting our way, having control, saying 'I told you so'.... 

Love includes concepts of integrity, humility, compassion, compromise, tenderness, kindness, tact, diplomacy and self-sacrifice. These qualities are often portrayed as weaknesses which can be exploited by the savvy or cruel. I imagine very few textbooks on business administration link these qualities with success. And fewer practitioners dare to use them in the world of business, law or politics. Certainly, our recent and prolonged standoffs between the President and Congress are evidence of this.

Our personal actions always have consequences for those around us. Always. Although it can certainly be taken too far, it is nevertheless a good practice to consider the impact our actions will have. On a personal level this will change your life and relationships for the better quickly. On a national level, it can change the world. Politicians might decide to compromise rather than leaving innocent federal workers without a paycheck for months. They might consider actual capabilities and expectations before sending brave, intellegent, highly competent soldiers and patriots into harm's way. They might come to realize that the only way to truly address the exploitation, violence and criminality of illegal immigration is to stay in a chamber room negotiating, compromising and considering until rational, well thought out policy can be revealed and passed. They might come to grasp that although fixing our crumbling infrastructure will take years of work which will not yield them many re-election votes, it is nevertheless crucial for the thousands of people and businesses using our bridges, ports, roadways, power grids and sewers.

And so, my prayer is that we, as a nation, and a world, might wake up to the power of tenderness. Instead of belittling strangers on social media, we might encourage and uplift. Rather than believing the worst about a public figure, we might reserve judgement and pray for them instead. Instead of pointing a critical finger at all that is wrong, we might seek to see what is right, and broadcast and nurture that. Or perhaps seek to fix it ourselves. Mother Teresa, Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Jr. and even Martin Luther all saw injustices that were not being addressed and did not think it beyond them to step up and work for change. They started small, individually, and the rightness of their cause grew into a movement.

All of us have the power to brighten the corner we're in. A kind word or gesture at work. Pitching in at home. Biting our critical tongue. Refusing to repay meaness with meaness. Letting go of the need for the last word or revenge. Gently encouraging those we might have turned our backs on in the past. Nothing else could be more important. Nothing less will change the world for the better.

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. ~John 13:35

 

Pearls of Wisdom

  If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

James 1:5 New International Version (NIV)

In my close circle of friends, the youngest of our children recently turned 18, making us all parents of adult children now. It's quite an adjustment. You know you have to let them go and make their own decisions, but it's hard to sit by and watch. And we find ourselves discussing our children, our hopes and fears for them, and their choices A LOT. Some kids need counseling on slowing down, others need to be pushed forward, all of them need our support and love.

What kids need most of all is wisdom. College and the internet can provide knowledge and data and facts, but it is wisdom that scrutinizes those data and facts and puts the knowledge into action in a way that will be useful. And our world has a very different idea of what is wise compared to Biblical principles. Our society tends to define your worth as person by financial success. What school you attended, what profession you pursue, the type of car you drive or handbag you carry often seem to matter more than personal integrity and character. Hedonistic pursuits of new cuisines, craft beer, wine tastings and the latest fashion and hairstyles often fill up popular social media sites like Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook. Meanwhile, it is a challenge to find photos or stories of people donating their time, possessions or money to charitable organizations or church functions. People know their rights and demand them, with very little acknowledgement that those individual freedoms have always been tempered by the overall rights of the community. We were designed to be in fellowship and community with others, but as a whole we seem much more focused on ourselves and individuals than on 'society', 'the state' or our neighborhoods.

So as I learn to let go of my children and let God work in their lives and their decisions, I pray constantly for them to be granted God's wisdom. Wisdom to make right choices, wisdom to be Godly people and not worldly people, wisdom to not be satisfied with what is 'good enough' but to strive for whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—anything excellent or praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). Most of all I pray for them to have the wisdom to choose God -- to ask themselves in any situation or conversation, 'what would Jesus do?' In our highly individualized society, it's good to remind ourselves and our kids that our daily prayer should be to be less like us and more like Jesus. Because, truly, only the sacrificial, intimate love of Jesus can bring love, peace and inner contentment to our current world.

The Desires of Your Heart

But the Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control. There is no law against such things as these.

-Galatians 5:22-23 Good News Translation (GNT)

We're needy. We really are. Food, shelter, clothes, hygiene, a job, a family, a sense of belonging, a sense of self-worth, love, acceptance, value, skills...we need all of that. But that's how it's supposed to be. Just like babies are dependent on their parents for every single thing, Lord God wants us to be dependent on Him for our every need. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:25-34 that  God feeds the birds and makes flowers beautiful, and He loves us so much more than them. "So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Our Heavenly Father desires to give us good gifts that will make us happy and enrich our lives. 

Hmmm, there must be a 'catch' you think. Well, perhaps. Parents give good things to their children to encourage them to grow into good, accomplished, grateful, respectful adults. And God gives us good things to grow us into good, godly, humble, patient, loving and self-disciplined people. So the 'catch' is gradually changing the desires of our hearts to be more in line with His desires for us. If the desire of your heart is a new Porsche, I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for it to arrive. God isn't Santa Claus or a spiritual ATM. He gives you things that will develop you into the best person you can be. A young Pastor leading two small churches miles apart might be granted a new car, maybe, but a Porsche? Probably not. And if it's a Porsche you truly desire, don't be surprised to find God starting work on your generosity, pride and vanity. Perhaps a family in your neighborhood will lose their home to fire. God will be watching to see if He can trust you to share what you have with those less fortunate. Pretty soon, the desire of your heart will be to bless others in generous ways. You'll find yourself praying for others and denying your 'wants' in favor of your 'needs'. And that is when God can truly start blessing you. Imagine a stack of presents filled with Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faith, Humility and Self-Control! When you wear those into the office or to a family gathering, people will NOTICE. They'll want what you have. Those desires of your heart will point people to God...and to the greatest of all His wonderful gifts: Jesus' sacrifice on the cross for our eternal salvation! And this same sacrifice is what allows us to go straight to God, our 'Daddy,' just like little children, full of love and wonder, sitting at His feet, listening to His stories, desiring to be the person He already thinks we are, in an intimate bond of love. That relationship might be the best gift of all.

But when the right time finally came, God sent his own Son. He came as the son of a human mother and lived under the Jewish Law, to redeem those who were under the Law, so that we might become God's children.  To show that you are his children, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who cries out, “Father, my Father.” So then, you are no longer a slave but a child. And since you are his child, God will give you all that he has for his children.

-Galatians 4:4-7 Good News Translation (GNT)

He Lives!

 

 He was despised and rejected—
    a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
    He was despised, and we did not care.

 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
    it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
    a punishment for his own sins!

~Isaiah 53:3-4 New Living Translation 

There are many mysteries in the Bible, many things that puzzle and confuse which we are left to accept by faith. However, for me, the most troubling mystery is the depth of sin the human soul is capable of. When I watch reports of ISIS's actions, school shootings, mail bombs or fire doors locked to leave hundreds to die, I have a difficult time accepting that people could make willful decisions to do such unspeakable acts. 

And then there's Jesus. Clearly he was a man without malice. He could have rebelled against Roman rule, rejected the legitimacy of Herod as king, or the authority of the Sanhedrin and High Priest, but he didn't. Instead he made sure to obey and encourage the obedience of his followers. He had plenty to say about how the priests administered God's law, but he never violated the scriptures. He could have scoffed and turned his nose up at depraved sinners such as adulteresses, tax collectors, centurions and thieves, but he didn't. Instead he offered them repentance and forgiveness. He could have avoided the lame, the sick, the blind and others who were 'unclean', but instead he offered healing and salvation. He could have separated himself from the gentile Romans, or the despised Samaritans, but he didn't. Rather, he offered them the same healing and grace and forgiveness that had previously only been offered to the Jews. His ministry and miracles were not for his own benefit, in fact it is clear that he wore himself out in his teaching tours and healing missions. He truly was a good man, in every sense of the word.

So how is it that his very own disciple accepted payment to betray him? That his own religious leaders conspired, not just to condemn or punish him as the law commanded, but to put him to death which was not their law? How is it that his King was willing to accept the execution of a religious Jew at Passover? How is it that the Romans, knowing he was not guilty of a crime worthy of death, were willing to crucify him at a time when the city was filled with Jews on their religious pilgrimage? How could those Roman guards find so much enjoyment in torture, and mock a man who was clearly suffering in great pain?  I can't answer that. I look in my heart and I can't find enough hatred, anger, greed, or fear to be moved to condemn an innocent man. It is a heavy thing to carry blood on your hands. I suppose in some global way we all bear responsibility for systems that have been unjust or oppressive and led to the suffering of those we don't even know.  But in Jesus' case, even when given the opportunity to show mercy and release him, they cried 'Crucify him!' all the louder. 

The mystery of man's inhumanity to man makes the case to me that we are all in need of a savior. We have all fallen short of the perfect love that God intended us to show. We have all been selfish and self-righteous and substituted our will and desires for those of God. And for that reason, Jesus had to die. Not because of the will of some hard-hearted leaders, but because of the will of God -- God's desire to grant us forgiveness and bring us into relationship with Himself for eternity. Jesus' resurrection was God overturning the decision of sinful men, and replacing it with His perfect grace!

Although he was crucified in weakness, he now lives by the power of God. We, too, are weak, just as Christ was, but when we deal with you we will be alive with him and will have God’s power.

~2 Corinthians 13:4 New Living Translation

 

Aloha is not Goodbye

Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” ~Luke 23:43

 

I don't like goodbyes. My best friend of 40 years is moving to Hawaii. I've been trying not to focus on all the ways life will be different without her: holidays, birthdays, date nights, all our annual get-togethers which will now have 2 empty chairs... Change is hard. Even temporary loss feels like loss. I'm happy for them, excited to hear of their adventures in Paradise, but still a part of me is grieving.

 

It occurs to me that those feelings are exactly what Jesus was addressing when He spoke the words of Luke 23:43. We love this life, even with all its sorrows, hurts and frustrations. Facing its end we feel loss and sadness and grief. But Jesus has promised that we will be spending our next moments in Paradise. We'll be reunited with friends and family who went on before. And we'll join together in a big Luau wedding feast with Jesus himself!

 

My friend will be returning in 3 years (God willing) and even as I plan and look forward to her homecoming feast, I'll remember the better feast that is waiting for us all in a place that is even better than the lush, fragrant beauty of Hawaii. Aloha, my friend!

 

Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. ~2 Corinthians 13:11 

 

 

 

Go!

Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. ~Matthew 9:35-37

Everywhere that Jesus went, he was teaching, healing, feeding and asking questions of people in order to get to know them better. By this method he gained thousands of followers, many of whom went back to their towns and witnessed to others about what they had seen and heard. This is God's plan for spreading the Good News about the Kingdom and making disciples. 

There are many beautiful churches in the world. I was lucky enough to stand in awe inside the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. It is easy to convey the majesty of God in such a place. I have also enjoyed the comfort of a 1000+ seat mega church with cushiony seats and a world class audio-visual system. Westminster Cathedral in Baltimore has a painted pipe organ that fills the entire side of the building. These places are impressive and awe-inspiring and surely in their time have brought glory to God. But for disciple making, God's plan is more simple. “Remember these commands and cherish them. Tie them on your arms and wear them on your foreheads as a reminder. Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you are resting and when you are working." Deuteronomy 11:18-19. Making disciples is all about relationship. Helping someone, showing kindness, listening to them, asking questions, talking about your own faith, living out your faith in your decisions day after day...these are the methods that soften a heart so that the seed of faith can be planted. For sure it is the Holy Spirit that will fertilize that seed and make it grow, but God calls us to scatter the seed.

My illustration depicts a passport and well-traveled suitcase, but you can be a missionary making disciples anywhere and everywhere. Five minutes of the nightly news will attest to how broken a world we live in, and how much the love of Jesus is needed by so many. People everywhere need love, compassion and the Truth of God's unimaginable love and mercy. You carry a precious, life saving message with you everywhere you go, whether it's to work, the grocery store, volunteering, Sunday School, a mission trip or a family get-together. So get going!

So wherever you go, make disciples of all nations: Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to do everything I have commanded you. “And remember that I am always with you until the end of time.” ~Matthew 28:19-20

 

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You are Loved

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. ~1 John 4:7

I've been mourning a lot this year. At my daughter's high school, they've lost two students to suicide this year. And the niece of my dearest friend chose to take her life as well. And I have to say that I don't understand it. My daughter tells me that depression is real, and it's an illness and if not treated properly, it can convince a person that life is not worth living, or to end the pain in the quickest way. I suppose she's right about that. But I think there's more to it than that. Two other friends of hers spent some time this year in an inpatient facility for mental health. It makes me wonder what is going on with teens, in their lives and in their minds to consider suicide as an option...to be THAT hopeless.

Here is my suspicion: her generation has grown up in a post 9-11 world of fear and terrorism, school shootings and economic collapse. 24 hour media coverage has convinced them that the world is dangerous and filled with predators. Focus on divisive issues has convinced them that world is angry and mean and unforgiving. Focus on slow economic recovery has convinced them that college is expensive, exclusive and ultimately worthless since they won't be able to get a job in their field or repay their school loans. Social media has made it all worse since it is immediate and cynical and ubiquitous.

However, mental illness and disorders often have hereditary factors, and our family has had its share. I struggled with bouts of depression myself and participated in some self-destructive behaviors as a result. I tried therapy and medication, but truly only one thing has pulled me out of despair for good: my relationship with Jesus. My daughter rolls her eyes at me when I say that, as if it's an easy answer, or a quick fix, or something that wouldn't work for everyone. But following Jesus is not easy or quick or exclusive. For me it started with LOVE...understanding that I was loved unconditionally by God, no matter what I had done or what I might do in the future. And then learning what true, lasting, sacrificial love was. God's definition of Love is so much different from what society and the world tell us love is. The world's love is bondage to looking good, getting and giving pleasure, manipulation and keeping a constant tally of offenses so that each can be repaid by silence, spite or revenge. But none of that is God's plan for us. God wants to fill us with His love so fully that it overflows on to all those around us. His love cares for other, serves others, considers others' feelings before our own, even when it is hard or inconvenient, even when it is not returned. That is the love He gives to us, and that is the love that can transform the world, starting with our own scarred psyches and souls and moving out into all those around us with whom we engage daily. Kindness, gentleness, compassion...these are all names for God's kind of love. To show it we must set aside entitlement, defensiveness, negligence, irresponsibility and sometimes comfort. But I submit that it is totally worth it. I think that kind of love could save people. It certainly would combat the sense of hopelessness.

Of course no one can really know what is in another person's mind or heart, and I suggest no blame. However, I thought about what I would have been willing to do to save my own children if it were them considering suicide.  I thought to myself "I would pay more attention to what was going on in their lives" or "I would have spent more time making sure they knew I loved them no matter what" or "I would have been certain to tell them that I would be there for them and accept them and help them, so that they could tell me anything" or "I would have kept a vigil by their bedside until the darkness passed" then the next convicting question for me is, so why don't you do those now? God's love takes effort. It involves caring for people in ways they might not like or accept at first. It means dealing with the hard stuff, getting involved, perhaps getting hurt. But we all need a hero, a friend, a person who is committed to us even when it's tough or scary.  Ultimately, our Hero is Jesus. Human love will fail, but Jesus' love never does. He never leaves or forsakes us, even in our darkest moments. Human love will fail, but it is worth the effort.

And it's what we were made for. God's primary command to us is to LOVE GOD and to LOVE EACH OTHER. In every interaction, let us show love. In every conflict, let us show love. In every conversation about politics, let us show love. Despite bigotry and misunderstanding, let us show love. In the face of tragedy, war and fear, let us show love. With every person we meet, let us show love. And let us always remember that the God who created the universe knows us intimately and loves us. Always. Forever. No matter what.

Dear Lord, help us to love others as you love us, with compassion and kindness and forgiveness. Give us the strength to lay aside our anger, hurt, and desire to be right, or get revenge as we try to love those who are not loving toward us. And help us to truly see those who are hurting and desperate so that we might get them the help and show them the love that need to heal. Amen.

New Year, New Possibilities...

 Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. ~Isaiah 43:18

New year, new possibilities. Time to turn the page and start fresh. Whatever mess 2015 was, it is over now. One of my favorite quotes (which I WILL illustrate sometime soon, is: It is what it is, but it will be what you make it. Yes, you did it, you said it, you tried it, it happened - but it didn't turn out the way you expected. There may be consequences: hurt feelings, financial loss, shame, denial... Ok, so take a deep breath. Just like those who lost everything from fire, flood or tornadoes, you need to pick through the pieces, salvage what can be saved, learn any lessons that can be learned and then, after another deep breath, turn the page. Turn the page and don't keep flipping back to re-read that chapter. It's part of your story now, and in time you can go back to it, but for now, in the word's of Frozen's Elsa, 'Let it Go.'

Now look at that blank page of possibilities! Maybe you haven't been too intentional about writing your story. Perhaps it's just been unfolding before you without much planning, editing or re-writing. Ponder that. Is that what you want? Do you have goals? Are you moving towards them? Or are you a leaf in the breeze being blown here and there? Are you driving the car of your life or are you just a passenger?

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. ~Psalm 90:12

I don't want to alarm you, but the clock of time is ticking. We only get a limited time on this earth to accomplish our mission. And we all have a mission, even if we don't acknowledge it. The God of the universe, the God of all creation, the God who breathed life into everything that lives, that God wants you to join His team. He loves you from afar, but He wants to be so much closer to you. He wants to be the coach you can share everything with, the one you turn to first when things are going sideways. He wants that so much, that He sacrificed His best player, His very own Son, as a ransom for your soul. His Son, Jesus, left us with the critical mission, the keys to the game: 1. Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength; 2. Love your neighbor - all people - as you love yourself and your family, caring for and  praying for them; 3. Go into ALL nations and make disciples by sharing the Good News and sharing your story.

Your story is powerful. Your story is true. Your story is real. And it is important -- too important to leave to others to write for you. Too important to fill with meaningless junk. Could it be that God has been working in your life all along, arranging things, presenting obstacles to illustrate themes, leading, encouraging, sending people and situations to teach you lessons? How well you learned those lessons and faced those obstacles is your story so far, but there is so much more yet to be written! Your experiences can be reframed in a way that helps others dealing with similar situations, obstacles, trials. As you work through those scraps that you salvaged, you can put those pieces together in a new way, with the help of the Holy Spirit, and make something truly beautiful, truly breathtaking, truly inspiring. Others need to hear your story. Others need to be encouraged by the way you took ashes and tears and transformed them into a masterpiece. Others need to know how God worked through your life to accomplish the mission he prepared for you from the beginning of the world. But don't take it from me...

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. ~Ephesians 2:10

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. ~Philippians 1:5-7

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ~Matthew 28:19

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. ~Romans 12:2

I wish you a healthy, happy, blessed New Year! But most of all, I pray you will accept God's invitation to join with Him, through Jesus, in starting a new chapter in the story of your life, making it into the story it's always wanted to be, transforming your life and the lives of others as you share its power with everyone you meet along the way.

Oh, and if you're interested in spending the year with my illustrations and insights, consider picking up my annual calendar. It's available at my Zazzle Store: www.zazzle.com/visionsandverses.

Visions & Verses 2016 Calendar by VisionsandVerses
Find other Christian Calendars at zazzle.com

There are a lot of things I could write about hope -- its power to motivate, its absolute necessity in enduring hardship, its ability to keep our focus on Jesus... but in the end, I thought that the best thing was to go straight to the source and just share my favorite verses about hope. I hope they encourage you the way they've encouraged me and millions of others through the centuries - that great cloud of witnesses and saints that will welcome us home one day...

Romans 5:1-5 (NIV)

Peace and Hope
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Romans 8:23-25 (NIV)

Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

1 Peter 1:3-5 (NIV)

Praise to God for a Living Hope
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

Hebrews 6:17-20 (NIV)

Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf.

Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

Psalm 42:5

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

Psalm 62:5

Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.

Psalm 147:11

The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.

May you find comfort and strength for facing each day, for conforming your life to the image of Jesus more and more and for making a lasting impact in the world.