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Category: Hope
Don’t Give Up
It’s hard to maintain hope when it feels like nothing is going right. But we have a CHOICE. We can choose to give up to despair or give in to hope.
Each day, we get to choose what our attitude will be about the the things we’ll face. Each day, we get to choose blessing or cursing, life or death (Deuteronomy 30:19). When we choose life, it’s so much easier to maintain hope because we are depending on One greater than us, Jesus, to supply what we need and the blessings we desire. We are then empowered through Him to continually look with great expectancy for good things to come our way.
Here’s a word of encouragement from John Maxwell that I’m sure will help you toward maintaining a hope-filled focus.
Focus Friday
Focus on the following scripture throughout the day. It’s God’s Word and it’s what He desires us to believe. Believe it is true for you because God’s Word is Truth. Speak this Word to yourself throughout the day. Personalize it by putting your name in it!
“This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” ~ Psalm 118:24
Sharing Hope
I’m grateful today. How to live out my purpose in life is becoming clearer.
It’s evident that my purpose includes bringing hope to those who are suffering with infertility. God has seen fit for me to share the message of my victory over infertility in order to give hope to others.
Here’s a recent review of my book, “A Seed of Hope: God’s Promises of Fertility” from an Amazon customer:
“I’m glad I can find healing and hope that God will bless us with children. Very inspiring and helpful.” ~M.B.
Please understand this— infertility has a spiritual aspect that must not be ignored. If you’re looking for some help to address it, A Seed of Hope: God’s Promises of Fertility will do just that. This is a devotional that will give you continual hope so that you too can live out your purpose and help others by sharing your stories of victory.
Do you know someone who needs hope in the midst of infertility? Is it you?
Order A Seed of Hope now on Amazon, Smashwords.com or Barnesandnoble.com (and coming soon to iTunes).
Your Blessings
Ever doubt that the blessings of God are for YOU?
Well, rest assured, they are!
What have you asked Him for lately?
Go ahead, accept what is yours to receive from God.
Get more ways to build your hope in Evangeline’s book, ” A Seed of Hope: God’s Promises of Fertility.”
Ridiculous Hope
Romans 4:18 (NLT) tells us how Abraham had ridiculous hope—“Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations.”
Abraham believed God’s promise. Even when there was no reason to hope— Sarah had been barren for decades and he was nearly 100 years old—Abraham kept believing that they would have a child. Their predicament made hope seem nonsensical, even laughable. But Abraham kept hoping.
This wasn’t the first time Abraham had experienced and maintained ridiculous hope. God told him to leave his extended family (very unusual in that culture) and go to a different land, promising him that he would be blessed and become great. Abraham made a decision to step out and find out. The promises came true as Abraham trusted God.
I think Abraham was an outstanding example of how to have ridiculous hope in the midst of infertility. He opened himself to hear from God. He trusted what God said. So much so, that he changed his name from Abram, which means “exalted father” , to Abraham, which means “father of many nations.” Imagine hearing other people call him father of multitudes when he and Sarah didn’t even have one child! Think of the ridicule he must have experienced. That required having faith in what God had said, trusting that what God had promised would indeed come to pass.
Repeatedly hearing that description of himself , through others calling his name, surely must have built Abraham’s faith (faith comes by hearing–Romans 10:17). There was another factor that increased Abraham’s hope for a child and faith in God’s promise. We learn in Romans 4:20 (YLT) that he “was strengthened in faith, having given glory to God.” The act of praising God, acknowledging His majesty and honoring Him by the words that Abraham spoke, helped to build up his faith.
He had ridiculous hope in God, viewing Him as the only One who could give him all that he desired.
What will it take for you to have ridiculous hope?
Don’t Ignore This During Infertility
This is a reprint of a post I shared in 2012. I wanted to share it again because if you’re struggling with infertility, it may prompt you to consider infertility from a different aspect and develop a greater hope.
Don’t ignore the spiritual aspect of infertility.
It is so easy to lose focus on the spiritual nature of infertility when the physical aspect overtakes your daily life. You and your spouse can become so obsessed with finding the cause and the cure for you situation that it can rob you of your peace. When you’re not experiencing peace, you’re likely to ignore the one thing that can bring about the solution you’re looking for.
It is important to strengthen yourself spiritually while dealing with infertility. Acknowledge the need to ask God for wisdom when faced with overcoming the enemy called “Infertility.” It may seem like a Goliath-sized enemy to you, but for God, “Infertility” is already a defeated foe. It is not too hard for Him. God said so when he defeated infertility in Sarah’s life (see Genesis 18:14).
Luke 18:27 states, “And he [Jesus] said, The things which are impossible with men are possible WITH (in close proximity to) God”{emphasis mine}. Join yourself WITH Him by asking for wisdom in the decisions you make, by reading His Word, and by speaking and meditating His Word.
Trust that God’s Word is true for you. It will bring you guidance, comfort, and ultimately, greater peace.
“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You!” ~ Isaiah 26:3 NLT
“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” ~ John 14:27
Focus Friday
Focus on the following scripture throughout the day. It’s God’s Word and it’s what He desires us to believe. Believe it is true for you because God’s Word is Truth. Speak this Word to yourself throughout the day. Personalize it by putting your name in it!
“But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.” Micah 7:7 NIV
My Teleconference and Free ebook
This Saturday, 6/22/13, I am honored to be speaking at the Find the Fire Tele-Retreat. My workshop is titled,”Infertility Sucks! Will our Marriage Last?”
Are you looking for hope? Is infertility draining you of hope and your marriage of joy? This workshop is based on my personal experience with OVERCOMING infertility and will encourage you as I share spiritual strategies and solutions for everyday living. They will empower you to discard despair and move on to achieve a hope-filled focus in life. Join me from wherever you are, via the convenience of your phone, at the Find the Fire Retreat teleconference. Mark your calendar NOW for June 22, 2013 at 1:30 EDT.
I’d love it if you’d call in and join me! Here’s the link to register: www.inspiredconferences.com.
To celebrate leading a workshop at Find the Fire, and as a means of encouraging you to continually have hope, I am pleased to offer to you or your friends/family the opportunity to get my ebook, “A Seed of Hope: God’s Promises of Fertility” for FREE during this Saturday and Sunday only, 6/22-23/13.
Also, consider using this offer as an opportunity to give the ebook as a gift to someone you know who is struggling with infertility. Even if they don’t have an e-reader, they can download it and read it on their computer. Look for the Gift button on the right side of the Amazon sale page.
This offer for the FREE ebook is good only THIS weekend, 6/22-23/13. The regular price is $6.99 so click here to see your FREE copy of “A Seed of Hope: God’s Promises of Fertility”.
Focus Friday
Focus on the following scripture throughout the day. It’s God’s Word and it’s what He desires us to believe. Believe it is true for you because God’s Word is Truth. Speak this Word to yourself throughout the day. Personalize it by putting your name in it!
“But I will hope continually, and will praise You yet more and more.” ~Psalm 71:14 [AMP]
