Many times, in taking inventory of the blessings of God in our lives, we look at the external: what we see, what we feel, what we have. We fall into the devil’s age-old Garden tactic which shifts our focus on things we don’t have while blinding us to all that we do have. From the very beginning until now, Satan has used this very same strategy to depress, deplete, and frustrate many.

In spite of it all, I can truly declare “I am BLESSED!” My greatest blessing from God is HOPE. It sounds so simple, almost child-like, but nevertheless true.

Proverbs 13: 12 says “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick, but when the desire cometh it is a tree of life.” Early in my relationship with God, He set a pattern in motion, a pattern of deferment and deliverance. I’ve been perpetually brought to a place of need, want, and waiting, only to see God come through over and over again! HE is where my HOPE lies. I AM BLESSED!

Psalms 119:49-50 states, “Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou has caused me to HOPE. This is my comfort in my affliction; for Thy word hath quickened me.” The word quickened in Hebrew means to revive, to keep
alive, nourish, to repair. Because He has never let me down, and He is where HOPE is, I don’t have to suffer long with feelings of anxiety, worry, fear, or torment. His Word has been a constant source of HOPE for me. If God says it, He will do it, for “God is not man that he should lie.”

Hebrews 11:1 states, “Now faith is the substance of things HOPED for, the evidence of things not seen.” There is an excitement that rises up within me when I think about the promises of God that have not yet come to fruition. I’ve come to realize delay does not mean denied. His HOPE in me replaced my “if’s” with “when’s,” and I have found myself making plans for the day God brings those promises to pass. It’s like cleaning up all the wrapping paper on Christmas morning only to find one more gift hiding under the mess with your name on it! Living life in the realm of FAITH and HOPE in God is a blessed life!

In the messiness of life, whether it is in job and family situations, economical uncertainties and hardships, or life as a single mother, our HOPE in God tells us we are BLESSED.

Written by Debra Sheets
Reprinted by permission from Heart2Heart Newsletter from New Life Center, Bridgeton, Missouri.

Fifteen years ago I found out it was likely I would never have children due to chemically-induced menopause after fifteen months of chemotherapy at age seventeen. I remember a time not long after that when I felt like God was telling me to trust Him. This new challenge would later give Him yet another opportunity for a miracle.

In July 2008, I went to the ER in severe pain and discovered I was pregnant! But the pregnancy was ectopic (tubal). My promise had been given and taken away in the same instant.

When we got home from the hospital, Nate settled me on the couch and then went out onto the deck to water our plants. A few moments later he came back into the house, carrying my favorite plant, a wrinkly old prickly pear cactus. Why that plant? Because to our surprise it had bloomed! It had never bloomed before. The blooms were these amazing, delicate, tissue-paper flowers: yellow with bright pink and orange center. They were absolutely stunning, but they only lasted for a day. Then they were gone. So 15 years later, my prickly pear cactus became God’s little messenger and turned into an extension of the promise. It was only there for a day but it was real, and it was beautiful, and it was my own little celebration of life! I knew that God had given me that flower to remind me that He was right there, even when things didn’t make much sense.

I wrote in a letter to my family at the time, “I am thankful for a life full of miracles, and look forward to more to come!” In March 2009 we discovered again I was pregnant.

Although the doctors were concerned that it could be another ectopic and were keeping a close eye on me, Nate and I chose to embrace this gift from God. Whether it would last for a day, a week, or a lifetime, we would embrace it with our whole hearts.

Imagine our excitement when I was finally far enough along to see something in an ultrasound. The ultrasound tech said, “I want to show you something,” and suddenly, beautifully, there on the screen were not one, but two perfect little peas. We were having twins!

Today Addie and Asher are 19 months old and we are now expecting Baby #3 this August!

Incidentally, last November, Nate reminded me that on that prickly pear cactus there were THREE perfect blooms – our “little-big- hug” from heaven.

Again I say, I am so thankful for a life full of miracles, and I look forward to more to come!

Written by Wendy Lyons
Reprinted with permission from Heart2Heart Newsletter, New Life Center, Bridgeton, Missouri. Subscribe at Heart2Heartnewsletter@hotmail.com

“A talebearer revealeth secrets; but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter” (Proberbs 11:13).

In the information age that we live in, it seems as if there are no secrets anymore—especially when it comes to the personal lives of those in the public eye.

In the past, the magazines or other news media that exposed private (and often humiliating or embarrassing) details of people’s lives were considered tabloids and frowned upon by the other respectable news outlets. But not anymore. The boundary lines of decency have been erased, and it is a race between all the news media to see who can be the first to publish or broadcast the “scoop.”

At the first sign of a bulge in a female celebrity’s stomach, the news media begin to publish questions about whether she is pregnant. Maybe she has just put on a little weight, but the rumor mill is already off and running. If she actually is pregnant, just wait a few weeks and you will know the sex of the baby, the due date, where it will be born, and a myriad of other details, usually reserved for family and close friends. We are also privy to information about the intricacies of people’s marriages, infidelities, subsequent divorces, and remarriages that really is none of our business.

Because we have so many “talebearers” that have crafted “revealing secrets” into a fine art, it has developed into a public pastime that has bled over into our own personal lives. It is increasingly difficult to find people who do not delight in spreading gossip about others. But the Bible gives us strong admonition to discipline ourselves to not be a talebearer, or repeat everything that we hear. Proverbs 17:9 says, “He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.”

Proverbs 26:20-22 says, “Where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth. The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.” Don’t be a talebearer! Be a faithful person who knows how to keep secrets!”

Written by Beth Dillon

“No. I want a frozen strawberry lemonade.”

“But you don’t even like lemonade,” I objected. “It’s tart. You won’t like it,”

“I want a frozen strawberry lemonade. Not milk.” The voice from the backseat was emphatic. After a couple more attempts to dissuade her, each rebuffed, I ordered the frozen strawberry lemonade for her. All the while, I wondered where this idea had originated. My picky eater will seldom try new things and then not willingly. Unusual.

Once we were home and she had her food in front of her, I observed some tentative sips of the lemonade. “Good!” she declared. But she didn’t seem to be drinking it very quickly. The McNuggets and fries disappeared in short order, but the lemonade began to melt as it was left sitting. I eventually put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold.

That evening, when mom and dad came to pick her up, I gathered up her things and retrieved the lemonade from the refrigerator. Handing the cup over I commented, “I don’t know why she wanted to order the frozen lemonade.” It was no mystery to her dad. “She wants to do everything you do.” I should have remembered those other drive-thru trips on hot days when I would order myself a frozen strawberry lemonade and comment how refreshing it was. Someone was watching from the backseat.

Those words “she wants to do everything you do” have stayed with me. Inside I knew she watched my actions, but it wasn’t something I thought about that much—until the lemonade incident. I remembered the time she noticed that my Bible had a ribbon bookmark and inquired about it. On the next visit she looked at the Bible and wanted to know if I’d read more. Had the bookmark moved? How glad I was that I could truthfully say, “Yes, I’ve read more in my Bible. I read it every day.”

Most of us go through life unaware of who is watching our actions. It may be a child or grandchild, but it may just as easily be a coworker, a neighbor, or even a stranger. A friend recently told me of an incident when a business transaction became very stressful because of an employee’s mistake. Although the mistake caused inconvenience and extra work, she dealt with it in a calm manner and did not display anger. Afterwards, a stranger who had observed the incident walked up and said, “I just want you to know that I think you handled that like a true Christian.” She didn’t know someone was watching.

I want the lemonade lesson to stay with me a long time. I hope that “she wants to do everything you do” also means she wants to give her heart to the Lord when she reaches an accountable age. I hope it means she will see the importance of serving Him and putting Him first in her life. I don’t just want her to drink lemonade—I want her to drink from the same refreshing water of the Spirit that I have enjoyed.

“According to recognized aero technical tests, the bumblebee
cannot fly because of the shape and weight of his body in
relation to the total wing area. The bumblebee doesn’t know
this, so he goes ahead and flies anyway” (James Hastings).

A person who walks by faith and the bumblebee have much in common. Neither should be able to function by rational standards but somehow are able to soar above the facts and naysayers.

If the bumblebee listened to the limitations posed on him by those who think they know it all, he would be no more than an insect, crawling on the ground. Eking out an existence amid the dirt, debris, and rocks, with earthworms as his companions.

Instead he defies science, flutters his wings, and buzzes from flower to flower. Butterflies, bright sunshine, and soft breezes are his domain.

Oh, what a difference a little faith makes. Faith in God and hope for a better tomorrow lifts us above the dreariness of today into a realm of light and laughter.

Regardless of how your circumstances may appear or what the doctor says — or your accountant — or your employer — God is on the throne. “Now unto him that is able to abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Ephesians 3:20).

If Peter could walk on water, we can walk through today. “Have faith in God!” (Mark 11:22).

I explained to her that his signature was important because even though all the dolls are different, and each one has a different name, he is the one that designed all of the dolls. He wanted the world to know that each doll is his unique creation. By putting his name on each one for everyone to see, no one could mistake a Cabbage Patch for any other doll. The world is full of dolls, but Cabbage Patch dolls are special and unique. And without controversy, Xavier Roberts is their creator.

And so it is with us. Without controversy, a signature has been placed on our hearts that defines and separates us. Many hearts, one signature. And though each of us is gifted as well as flawed in many ways, we were created in His likeness, and He has given us His name. We belong to our Divine Creator. All credit is due Him, for He loves each of us and desires the best for His creation. Not only does He desire good things for His children, but He longs for us to be a separate and living testimony of His work in us.

How visible is His signature on our hearts? As we move through this world, can it be seen etched in our lives? After all, we are not just any people. We are His!

For me, I hope Jesus Christ is as plain in my heart as the smile on my face. Let there be no mistake. I proudly belong to Him.

Isaac was born in January 2005 with Spina Bifida, along with a long list of other complications. He required several surgeries and hospitalizations his first year of life and has since had many more. There have been good years, bad years, and everything in between.

Our journey has been a process of learning, leaning, and growing. I’ve learned to speak medical jargon and could probably pass my nursing degree if I only had time for the schooling. I’ve learned what each grunt, cry, and hand gesture means.
I will never understand life’s circumstances. After arguing with God time and time again, I have learned its best to just trust Him.

As hard as it may be, I’ve also learned to lean on friends, family, nurses, and whoever may be willing to lend a helping hand when I needed it most. I’ve learned to lean on doctors and trust their judgment and expertise. Most of all, I’ve learned to lean on God and trust that He has His hand in every surgery or procedure.

I’ve grown in ways I never thought possible. I never knew prior to having Isaac where Children’s Hospital was located or what Ronald McDonald House & Variety did for families. Now I am actively involved in helping these charities. I have also had the opportunity to make lifelong friends with families that we have met at Children’s Hospital.

Isaac has shown me what it means to truly love unconditionally. He faces life with a smile and determination that inspires me to be a better person.

In December he was recovering from surgery and was also fighting pneumonia at the time. After a long night of medications and breathing treatments, I went in his room for a snuggle before work. He looked up at me and said, “God has a plan for us. What’s God’s plan for us?” I told him I wasn’t sure but I knew God loved us and it would be ok. It’s not uncommon that God uses Isaac to remind me just how much He loves me. He chose me to be Isaac’s mom for a reason, and for that I’m blessed beyond measure.

This post reprinted by permission from Heart2Heart Newsletter published by New Life Center, Bridgeton, MO. Get this newsletter delivered to your inbox. Contact: Heart2HeartNewsletter@hotmail.com.