Hope, do you have it? Part 2

After looking into Joy, I was lead to look into Hope.  We use the word hope a lot.  But do we really know what it means or use it correctly?  

 Merriam Webster Dictionary describes it-

intransitive verb- 1 : to cherish a desire with anticipation : to want something to happen or be true hopes for a promotion hoping for the best I hope so.

 transitive verb- 1 : to desire with expectation of obtainment or fulfillment I hope she remembers. hopes to be invited 2 : to expect with confidence : trust Your mother is doing well, I hope. 

 Definition of hope 1 archaic : trust, reliance 2 a : desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment came in hopes of seeing you; also : expectation of fulfillment or success no hope of a cure when they were young and full of hope b : someone or something on which hopes are centered our only hope for victory c : something desired or hoped (see 1hope) for great hopes for the coming year

Hope  the expectation of future good.   Hope is tied with trust, confidence, anticipation.   I have found hope in the feeling of security, safety,  a place of refuge & faith.  When we have hope in something that is a strong foundation we feel very confident.   But what if we have hope in something that is not of a strong foundation?  False hope is dangerous.   How do we know what we have hope in is a solid foundation?  

If what I offer here is relevant to you in any way, please consider donating. As I tend to my family (disabled hubby and homeschooled kids) I write in my free time. No knitting here but I love Taco Bell now and then and your donations help keep the spicy food coming. Every donation is appreciated!!!

Donations are not tax deductible.

Joy, how do we know we have it?

Were does your joy come from?  Is it created by others, stuff or self?   Did you know there is not a right type of joy?    Did you know there is different types/levels of joy?

Joy is a great feeling of happiness, I found this definition from the Merriam Webster Dictionary.   Joy is a small word but it is loaded!  Joy is tied in with gladness.  So it is an emotion.
 
I found other more information on joy.  Joy can be described as Everlasting- Isaiah 51:11; Great- Acts 8:8; Full- 1 John 1:4; Abundant- 2 Corinthians 8:2; Unspeakable- 1 Peter 1:8.   Which one do you have?   Do you have more than one?

 The different kinds of Joy are just as interesting.   Joy can be different kinds, like Foolish- Proverbs 15:21; Temporary- Matthew 13:20; Motherly-Psalms 113:9; Figurative-Isaiah 52:9; Future- Matthew 25:21,23.   What type do you have?

You are starting to see how loaded this small little word Joy is!!  Hang on there is more!!!!!
What causes Joy?   Victory- 1 Samuel 18:6; Birth (Christ's Birth)-Luke 2:10,11; Christ's resurrection-Matthew 28:7,8; Sinner's repentance-Luke 15:5,10; Miracles- Acts 8;7,8; Forgiveness-Psalms 51:8,12; God's Word- Jeremiah 15:16; Spiritual Discovery-Matthew 13:44; True Faith- 1 Peter 1:4:13.  

There is a "wrong" side of Joy.  If you are receiving joy from the downfall of ones enemy- Proverbs 24:17;  Wickedness- Hosea 7:3. When you enter in to joy this way your foundation for is lacking & weak.  It will not last.

Gladness/ cheerfulness is caused by forgiveness- Psalms 51:8 & Salvation- Isaiah 5:3,11: John 8:56; Restoration of Hope-John 20:20;  blessings- Acts 14:17; Christ's coming- 1 Peter 4:13.

Joy is mixed with hope, gladness & cheerfulness.  Joy has emotions wrapped up with it.  Can you recall having these emotions?    



Trust is wrapped up with Joy.  It is part of faith.  Some people of a big problem with a lack of trust/faith.  How do you turn that around?

If what I offer here is relevant to you in any way, please consider donating. As I tend to my family (disabled hubby and homeschooled kids) I write in my free time. No knitting here but I love Taco Bell now and then and your donations help keep the spicy food coming. Every donation is appreciated!!!

Donations are not tax deductible.

Overwhelmed Part 2

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed?   Some shut down, yell, run away from it all, eat, don't eat, drugs or drink.   When we are feeling overwhelmed our relational skills shut down.  When the relational skills shut down, we no longer can communicate with others positively.   It can leave us feeling alone, angry, depressed & anxious. 

How do we keep from getting overwhelmed?  We can find out what the triggers are.  Depending on the triggers, will depend on the next step.  No matter what a plan on how to deal with feeling overwhelmed needs to be thought of & how it can be put in to action.  If we have a person we can trust it is helpful.   

Reaching out when we are overwhelmed may not feel like the easiest thing to do.   Our brain can feed us messages of gloom & doom that can be hard to over ride to move forward.  But once we take the first step to reach out, it can be freeing.  

If what I offer here is relevant to you in any way, please consider donating. As I tend to my family (disabled hubby and homeschooled kids) I write in my free time. No knitting here but I love Taco Bell now and then and your donations help keep the spicy food coming. Every donation is appreciated!!!

Donations are not tax deductible.

Edge Of The Storm Part 2

One of my first post was called Edge of the Storm.   Psalms 23 speaks about that.  The first verse speaks of "I shall not be in want."  Want what does that word mean...... I went digging. 

Want in Psalms 23:1 refers to lack, to fail, have need.  If we are on the "Edge Of A Storm" we are faced with trusting God to have us covered, our needs are provide for or are we going to meet our own needs & do it all our self.   Trust is not easy thing to have when your world is about to be turned upside down & may not look the same after the storm. 

Trust is a big issue for some.  After different events in life it can be very hard to trust this God that you can not call or text on the phone.  To build trust can be a leap of faith at times.   I'm here to say ever time I trusted God, God was there for me.  I was not forsaken.   I was not looked over or passed by.  God was there for me.  God covered my needs. 

Many of us don't know the difference between a need & a want.  Some get them reversed.    Take time to review your needs/wants.  Is there any needs on your list that you feel are not taken care of?  Are you willing to trust God with your needs?  

If what I offer here is relevant to you in any way, please consider donating. As I tend to my family (disabled hubby and homeschooled kids) I write in my free time. No knitting here but I love Taco Bell now and then and your donations help keep the spicy food coming. Every donation is appreciated!!!

Donations are not tax deductible.

TBI Part 3

Part 3 of TBI.   TBI is an on going process.   So far I do see an end to this. This is not like a bone break.  Our life is forever changed.  Not to sound doom & groom.  It's just the facts. 

Here's a little update on our lives.    In January we were rear ended.  We all had whiplash from it & some damage to the car.   We could have taken the position of anger & hate towards the lady that ran into to us, mad that another bad thing happened when we are already at the bottom of what we can handle or deal with.  Not us, let me tell ya what we did.

I actually gave the lady not one but two hugs before parting our ways.  She was just as rattled as we were.  We are choosing not to be man & angry full of hate.    Guess what, none of us woke up & had that on the agenda.   But it's how we react in the moment that sets the tone of the situation.  

We did all the info swap & the police came etc.   We are dealing with the insurance companies, car repairs & all the paperwork.   Yes, its never fun but its what needs to be done.

Now, back to the whiplash....... with the injuries I received,  it has been able to help my husband with the TBI describe what he is feeling & going through.  With the TBI his ability to process information has been broken.   The silver lining in a rough time?!  Could very will be.    I get to experience some of what life is like for him.   In that crazy little nut shell, we hope this all will be able to make some form of progress in information about TBI.   Cause the folks with the TBI have problems getting out what they are feeling emotionally & physically. 

When your processing part in your brain stops working or works so slow stuff is unable to come out, its a prison.  My processing works great.   It's so freeing to a person to be able to speak about what they are feeling emotionally or physically.  Having language match up with it, is a freedom from the prison.  

We are all recovering slowly from the whiplash.  With help from Massage Therapy & Physical Therapy the muscles will unlock & heal.  The car is repaired, life will go on.   It may not go as we thought or as fast as we thought, but it will go on.    

If what I offer here is relevant to you in any way, please consider donating. As I tend to my family (disabled hubby and homeschooled kids) I write in my free time. No knitting here but I love Taco Bell now and then and your donations help keep the spicy food coming. Every donation is appreciated!!!

Donations are not tax deductible.