Faith, Hope and Love {Hope} Guest Post By PJ

Hey Everybody!

Today, I’m thinking about hope, and about the fact that the hope that I have is… real, unfailing, unchanging, true, and enough.

It’s real because God is real.

It’s unfailing because God is unfailing.

It is unchanging, because God is unchanging.

It’s true because God is trustworthy.

It’s enough because God is more than enough.

 

Where is your hope?

Is it real?

Does it ever fail you?

Does it ever change?

Is it true?

Is it enough?

Hebrews 10:23

²³ Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.

Have a great week!

PJ

This was written by my youth pastor Jason (PJ is short for Pastor Jason) last week. Every week on monday he sends out an email to the kids in my youth group about what we talked about the night before and just a little verse for us to carry with us though the week, and this is what he sent out last week. It was perfect for my series. So i emailed him and asked if i could use it and he said sure. So that was that. PJ is the husband of Andrea who was the last person to write something for my series :) Hope it challenges you this week. 

Have a great week!

PS im still looking for some writers... just pop me an email lifethegreatest@gmail.com

Faith, Hope & Love Series {Joy}

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, and Christmas right behind it… I’ve been really thinking on this: what is the right perspective on JOY through all the holidays? We hear that word a lot this time of year—we’re told to have joy and be joyful… but, about now in my life, everything becomes whirlwind. There is so much fun stuff packed into November and December that I often kind of find myself reeling and not really able to enjoy the moments. All my family traditions around Thanksgiving and Christmas are so special to me, and give me much happiness—I love them all. But I don’t want it to be just happiness… I don’t want it to be days whizzing by that are just good. I think it can mean so much more.

John 1:16 says “From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another.” And I am thinking that that’s it—that’s the way to have true joy that’s not just a happy feeling. My traditions, these fun things, these happy days—they are blessings— one after another, just like the verse says… and they are from HIS hand, and because of HIS grace.

I think that’s the joy—taking into account WHO joy comes from. And really, I think for me, it’s got to be the key to slowing down the whirlwind and walking purposefully through these busy days. Really, if I don’t fight to remember the Author of joy—the joy found in all this stuff BECAUSE it is from God to me—my kids suffer, my family suffers, the people around me suffer because I’m only looking at finding happiness, not seeing things as gifts from a God who loves me. What do I want to be remembered for— my joy in decorating a tree or making peanut butter cup cookies? These are really good things and I am excited to do them this year again… but I think they can bring so much more joy to my life when I see that their meaning comes because they are given to me from the Giver of all good things—our God. And I would so much rather be remembered for my joy found in Him than in anything else.

Ann Voskamp says this:

"You will be most remembered by what brought you most joy. The joy of the Lord is your strength, and the person of Christ is your unassailable joy. And the battle for joy is nothing less than fighting the good fight of faith. As long as thanks is possible, then joy is always possible."

Because of God. Because of His gift of His Son who gives us forgiveness, and hope, and love… and joy.

And so, as I jump into the holidays, I am praying for joy. I am praying that the fun things and the special traditions we celebrate will bring joy—not because they’re fun but because they are gifts from the hand of my God who gives me one blessing after another… and because in recognizing the JOY given by Him, I can honor Him. To God be the glory, great things He has done!

Andrea lives in Washington state with her husband and their three amazing kids.  She is a full-time mom, a part-time tutor, and serves as a mentor to young women at her church.  In her spare time, Andrea enjoys reading a good book and hanging out with her family. Andrea is also my bible study leader and wife to my youth pastor :)

PS I was planing on posting this last week before thanksgiving but i got busy, so thats why it says thanksgiving is right around the corner. :) 

PSS Im still looking for more writers so if any of you want to that would be wonderful! Just email me at lifethegreatest@gmail.com 

Faith, Hope and Love Series {Love}

Love. What is love? Lets see what the dictionary says love is...

LOVE: noun, verb, loved, lov·ing

1. a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person. 

2. a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend.

3. sexual passion or desire.

4. a person toward whom love is felt; beloved person;sweetheart.

Now lets see how the bible describes it...

People (including me) say they love food, this new movie, this band, and then they say they love God and their family. But is it the same? Loving food and loving your family? I dont think so. We say we love food and we say we love your family. 

How can we love two things that are soo different? How can we love something thats not even alive? I dont know. Anyways what is love? 

Well lets start at the beginning.

 Love is patient 

Patience: the quality of being patient as the bearing of provocation,annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without 

complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or the like.

Love is kind.

Kind: having a friendly or generous nature or attitude

Love does not envy. 

Envy: feeling of discontent or covetousness with regard toanother's advantages, success, possessions, etc.

Love does not boast.

Boast: to speak with exaggeration and excessive pride, especiallyabout oneself.

Love is not proud.

Proud: feeling pleasure or satisfaction over something regarded ashighly honorable or creditable to oneself

Love is not rude.

Rude: discourteous or impolite, especially in a deliberate way

Love is not self-seeking. 

Self-Seeking: the seeking of one's own interest or selfish ends.

Love is not easily angered.

Angered: a strong feeling of displeasure and belligerence

Love keeps no recored of wrongs. 

Wrongs: not in accordance with what is morally right or good

Love does not delight in evil doings

Evil: morally wrong or bad; immoral; wicked

Love rejoices with the truth

Truth: the true or actual state of a matter

Love always protects

Protect: to defend or guard from attack, invasion, loss, annoyance,insult

Love always trusts

Trust: reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety

Love always hopes

Hopes: the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best

Love always preserves 

Preserve: to keep alive or in existence; make lasting

Love never fails.

Fail: to fall short of success or achievement in something expected, attempted, desired, or approved

Love. Never. Fails.

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

-1st Corinthians 13:13-

Now on a funny note watch and enjoy...

(all definitions from dictionary.com)