Daily Stop & Thinks

Anticipation

New Year’s Eve is like every other night… yet no man has quite the same thoughts this evening that come with the coming of darkness on other nights. (Hamilton Wright Mabie, 19th-20th century essayist)

Mabie also said, “there is no pause in the march of the universe, no breathless moment of silence among created things that the passage of another twelve months may be noted” So, what is it that makes New Year’s Eve so different from every other night? No doubt, it’s the anticipation of something better—a new year filled with hope and expectation.

There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. (Proverbs 23:18)

Help fill someone’s new year with the hope of God by donating today.

Mistakes

I hope that in the year to come you make mistakes… (Neil Gaiman, English author)

That’s not a good New Year’s blessing, is it? Hear Gaiman out: “because if you are making mistakes you are making new things, learning, living, pushing  yourself, changing yourself, changing the world.” Now that puts it in a more positive light, doesn’t it? Mistakes are inevitable, so expect them and try to learn from them. It will make for a better New Year.

Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. (Ephesians 4:2)

As you go into the new year, make sure to purchase yourself a copy of the book God of Hope to help you get through our mistakes.

Leadership

Leadership is “enabling others to do what they don’t want to do in order to be able to be what they want to be.” (Bill Hull, author)

“Leadership” has many definitions, and Hull’s is certainly a challenge. How do you get people “to do what they don’t want to do”? Sounds like his advice would be to discover what people ultimately want to be and the deepest desire of their hearts. Help them to work toward that goal, and you will have led them well.

If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. (Romans 12:8)

Donate to God of Hope today to help ensure that the spiritual leaders in others lives are properly equipped.

Others

Life is an exciting business, and most exciting when it is lived for others. (Helen Keller, 20th century author and lecturer)

When you realize the handicaps that Helen Keller endured from childhood, you have to marvel at her statement that “Life is an exciting business.” As the first blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree from college, she typified persistence and moral strength. Keller challenges all of us with her comment that life is “most exciting when it is lived for others.”

The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. (Proverbs 11:25)

Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts. (Hebrews 6:11)

You can continue, or begin, living your life to help others by donating to God of Hope today.

Hope

In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on. (Robert Frost, 19th-20th century American poet)

The after-Christmas spirit is difficult for a lot of people. The excitement of the holidays has gone with taking down the tree, removing the decorations and the lights. The return to “normal” is a big let-down. But Frost reminds us of a very important lesson to learn in every change of seasons and circumstances. “Life goes on” and so must we—with hope and determination.

The Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled. (Romans 15:4)

If you are finding it difficult to move past the holiday season, the book God of Hope may help restore some hope into your life.

The Day After

One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don’t clean it up too quickly. (Andy Rooney, late TV commentator)

Isn’t it part of the holiday fun to pick up the gift wrappings and trash after the fun of opening and playing with those precious gifts? (Except maybe for the broken toy parts or the missing batteries.) Anyways, don’t lose the joy of the season so soon after the big day. Remembering the purpose of it all will help you to maintain the joy and good will of the holidays.

Those who trust the Lord will be joyful. (Proverbs 16:20)

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! (Philippians 4:4)

Christmas

God walked down the stairs of heaven with a Baby in His arms. (Paul Scherer, late seminary professor)

Scherer’s comment doesn’t sound much like a seminary professor’s definition of Christmas, but it certainly states the most important event in history in simple, straight-forward terms. The theological term is “incarnation,” God taking on human flesh. Why? To experience human life and provide the necessary sacrifice (himself) to offer salvation for all who will trust him.

When the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman… to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. (Galatians 4:4-5)

Christmas Eve

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. (Burton Hills, 20th century member of Canadian House of Commons)

“I’ll Be Home for Christmas” is a popular but sadly emotional seasonal song. Almost everyone wants to be with family and close friends for the holidays. Tonight is the time when many families gather around the tree to sing, open gifts, and read the Christmas story from the Gospels. Be sure to consider that wonderful story and the truth it tells about Christmas.

She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21)

Help share the story of Jesus Christ with other’s by donating to God of Hope today.

Give a smile

Perhaps the best yuletide decoration is being wreathed in smiles. (from a Norman Rockwell calendar)

It’s just two days till Christmas, and we’ve enjoyed all the decorations for several days now. The house—inside and out, probably—is covered with lights and ornaments. Even the city streets and the rural roads give evidence of the season. We’re big into decorations for the holidays. But Rockwell highlights what may be the best decoration of all: a loving smile for everyone.

A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance. (Proverbs 15:18)

Help share the joy of God by donating today.

Success

In my experience, each failure contains the seeds of your next success—if you are willing to learn from it. (Paul Allen, late co-founder of Microsoft)

No one likes to fail, and often we just want to put that failure way back in our minds—just forget about it. But, as Allen suggests, if we examine those past disasters carefully, we may find some hints as to how to avoid the same mistakes in the future. Avoid the errors of the past, but try to determine what did go well and capitalize on it.

Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well. (Ecclesiastes 11:6)

Learn from life’s difficulties by self reflecting with the help of the book God of Hope.

Protest

First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win. (Mahatma Gandhi, 19th-20th century independence leader in India)

Gandhi demonstrated what progress was like in the long battle for independence in India. Are there some lessons to learn from him for today? Initial protests are often not heard, at least not from those whose actions are being challenged. Then, they are scorned and made light of. Too often that leads to actual conflict. But, in the end, if the protest is just, patience most often wins out. Stick to it!

Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride. (Ecclesiastes 7:8)

Patience can persuade a prince, and soft speech can break bones. (Proverbs 25:15)

Friendship

A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart, and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words. (Donna Roberts, imprisoned felon)

When you learn that Roberts is on death row in an Ohio prison, you have to wonder how many friends she has now. You also have to wonder what the song in her heart is. We can hope that there are friends who will encourage her and point her to the source of real friendship and hope. That’s something to live for.

A friend is always loyal… a real friend sticks closer than a brother… The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense. (Proverbs 17:17; 18; 24; 27:9)

Encourage a friend around you by buying them the book God of Hope this holiday season.