GOD OF HOPE

God of Hope

Stop & Think: December 28, 2019

Priceless Gifts Life, love, and laughter—what priceless gifts to give our children. (Phyllis Campbell) The gifts we gave our kids a few days ago may be broken or forgotten by now, but as Campbell points out there are those “priceless gifts” that we can continue to...

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Stop & Think: December 27, 2019

Christmas Joy Dear God, Though Christmas Day passed, the reason we celebrate Christmas continues every day. (Source unknown) The prayer continues: “Your gift of love, grace, and mercy to us is never ending. Thank you that we count on that every day of our lives.” We...

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Stop & Think: December 26, 2019

The Day After Three phrases that sum up Christmas: Peace on Earth, Good will to Men, and Batteries Not Included. (English proverb, from a Norman Rockwell calendar) We may laugh at it, but if you don’t have the right batteries on Christmas morning, there may be a lot...

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Stop & Think: December 25, 2019

Christmas I heard the bells on Christmas Day / Their old, familiar carols play, and wild and sweet / The word repeat / Of peace on earth, good-will to men! (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow) In many parts of the western world, steeple bells will ring today. Though we are...

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Stop & Think: December 24, 2019

Christmas Eve Christmas means a spirit of love, a time when the love of God and the love of our fellow men should prevail over all hatred and bitterness . . .  (George F. McDougall, 19th century seaman in the Royal Navy) McDougall continues, “. . . a time when our...

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Stop & Think: December 23, 2019

Christmas Eve Christ was born in the first century, yet he belongs to all centuries. (George W. Truett, late Baptist pastor) Truett continues, “He was born a Jew, yet He belongs to all races. He was born in Bethlehem, yet He belongs to all countries.” The Bible says...

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Stop & Think: December 22, 2019

Worship Were it not for the shepherds, there would have been no reception. And were it not for a group of stargazers, there would have been no gifts. (Max Lucado, pastor and author) As we begin this Christmas week, our thoughts often go to that wonderful; historic...

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Stop & Think: December 21, 2019

Giving You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving. (Amy Carmichael, late missionary to India) It’s the giving season, and our mailboxes are full of pleas for financial help for innumerable worthy causes. Jesus said, “It’s better to give than...

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Stop & Think: December 20, 2019

Happiness [Happiness] is not determined by our circumstances but by our responses to them. (Source unknown) America’s first “First Lady,” Martha Washington put it this way, “The greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our...

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Stop & Think: December 19, 2019

Perspective It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe. (Muhammad Ali, late boxing champion) For some older readers, a prospective mountain hike might be intimidating, but Ali’s point is certainly true. It’s like the...

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Stop & Think: December 18, 2019

The Christmas Spirit The spirit of Christmas is the spirit of love and of generosity and of goodness. (Thomas S. Monson, late American religious leader) It’s just one week till Christmas! Has the Christmas spirit overtaken you yet? If so, how does it affect you?...

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Stop & Think: December 17, 2019

Kindness Kindness is like snow—it beautifies everything it covers. (Kahlil Giban, late Lebanese-American writer) It’s mid-December, so there might be snow where you are. If it’s fresh, as Giban says, it’s very likely to be beautiful. Unlike snow that may not be so...

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