Tag: hope

Pithy Prayer July 12th, 2018

by atozmom, posted in Pithy Prayers

Image result for god is realFather, I seek you with all my heart. While I seek to know about you through your Word, I long to know you and be known by you as a tender father knows his child and as a child feels complete trust toward his tender father. Father, not only be my God, but also be real to me in ways that transcend explanation. Help me to sense your nearness and to know your presence.

O Lord, please guard my soul from pride, my heart from callousness, and my mind on too much focus on unimportant things and not enough on your things. Teach me in my heart what it means to be about my Father’s business, especially in the world of my thoughts.

I confess that I know you so much less than you know me. But your faithfulness in my life, your power displayed in history, your grace shared with so many through the cross of Christ, and your promise to bring me home to you one day all help sustain me. I want to know you so that my life can be lost in your will.

Amen.

Pithy Prayer July 10th, 2018

by atozmom, posted in Pithy Prayers

Most kind Jesus, grant me your grace so it might be with me and work with me and remain with me to the end. Grant me always to desire and want what is most acceptable and pleasing to you. Let your will be mine and let my will always follow yours, and be in perfect accord with it. Let what I want always be what you want.

Father, I know my sin, my rebellion, and my unfaithfulness have hurt you and your cause today every bit as much as the sins of those in the Bible hurt in the past. Please forgive and strengthen me as I seek to live a life holy and pleasing to you and a blessing to those around me.

Almighty God, your Son Jesus is my strength and hope. I look forward to the day when he returns in triumph for me and all of your children. But Father, I want to know him better and to live for him with an undivided heart. I want to find rest in his presence, meaning in his service, and significance in his acceptance. Please bless me as I journey toward a deeper relationship with you and as I gain a more profound knowledge of your Son.

Amen.

Image result for canyon

Hope

by atozmom, posted in Lissette's Lyrics

HOPE

The greatest hope that Christ gives me
To live with Him eternally
Because He died I will arise
Jesus fulfilled that sacrifice

Hope, is having faith to believe
The Bible proved it all to me
It is all guaranteed and sealed
Someday it will be revealed

Without hope what would life be
Days when hope feels far away
That is where faith is what I see
It is hope that helps me pray

For who hopes for what he sees
Instead I wait patiently
I know the plans God has for me
A future of welfare, hope and peace

Today I have the Holy Spirit
A gift and taste of whats to be
A hope of what I will inherit
Adopted, I’ve become family

By:

Lissette Trahan

COMMENT ON HOPE

Without hope life loses its meaning
Hope is belief in God who can be trusted
to keep His promises.

It was hope that kept me seeking.

Wherever there is assurance of hope there is faith
I am saved by grace through hope.

Hope gives me the power to live courageously,
to be all that Christ has called me to be.

Hope gives me that sure certainty that what is
promised in His Word is true.

Hope, then faith which in turn produces peace.
When I have peace, I have joy.

The greatest joy is that I will live with Him eternally.
On that I have faith.

Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace
as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with
hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Excitement Regained

by atozmom, posted in Writing

I spent a lot of yesterday editing my book and am quite enjoying it for once.  I am finding my mistakes are a lot more prevalent to my eye and I feel with each stroke of my keyboard it is only getting better.

This is what gives me hope.  I believe my destiny does have more for me in this world and this is the means God has given me to achieve it.  Admittedly, I feel happier–better–when my writing is progressing.  Otherwise, life quickly drags me under with the monotony of kid-life:  breakfast, school, errands, bills, diapers, doctor appointments, permission slips, parent/teacher conferences, homework, shuttle to soccer practices, dinner, bed time, and on and on and on…

So, here I am, typing again, molding my work before my eye, wondering all the while if this will be it, if the fourth time is the charm (this is my fourth book), if I am finally speaking what the world needs to hear.

The Healing Power of Books

by atozmom, posted in Life, Writing

Katherine Paterson said, “Books can help make peace within a child’s troubled heart.  We must be brave enough to give children books that have the power to heal.”

I LOVE this.  I believe this is one of my goals in writing books.  I deal with difficult subjects and portray characters who come through it.  My books are full of hope and I think kids need more of that these days with every thing that society throws at them.

The books that make the most impact on our lives are those whom we can identify with the main character.  Why do we identify with them?  Because we see ourselves in them.  This is what makes books great and gives them lasting endurance.

Will I Always Self-Doubt?

by atozmom, posted in Writing

I had been riding a temporary high as I’ve resurrected a previously-thought dead novel and edited it to something new.  So, I’ve been pretty excited lately.

However, as I edit it and re-read it, I can’t help but think I’ll never get published with any project.  I’m trying to stay true to myself and write what’s in my heart and yet as I peruse blogs and articles on my genre, I am only discouraged.  Either by my obscure character (how tough it is to sell YA or literary women’s fiction) or just the mere fact that getting published by anyone these days would be a shear miracle.

I keep thinking my work is utter crap.  Yet I read recently if you can’t give up writing, then don’t and keep trying.  Well, I’m pretty sure I can’t give it up and I will always harbor hope somewhere within.

I’m just frustrated.  I know the harder you work for something, the more you’ll appreciate it.  I just don’t want to work 20 years on my dream and my life be near the end before I ever see my work in print.  How long is enough, God?  I’ve been plugging away at this dream now for 3 years now and I’d like to see even one sign of success, some kind of confirmation I’m not completely wasting my time here–ya know, maybe land an agent or something.

All I’m asking for here is some help.  Divine intervention would be nice.