Being a Messenger of Hope

On this first Sunday of Advent, we celebrate HOPE -- the great expectation that something good is on its way -- by lighting the first candle (the HOPE candle) on the Advent wreath. Advent means a coming or arrival, especially of something or someone extremely important. In biblical terms we speak of the four weeks before Christmas as the Advent season, when the Lord left heaven and came to earth to be born of a virgin to dwell among man. It's a time when we prepare our hearts as we remember the birth of our Lord and Savior. While enjoying carols, visits to see Santa, chestnuts roasting, baking Christmas goodies and gift giving, we can still ponder Advent. It keeps us remembering the reasons for this glorious season. It's about hope.

The birth of Christ gives us the hope for living life trusting, believing, and expecting that all He’s promised will be ours if we patiently wait for His perfect plan for our lives. As we wait, we can deepen our relationship with God, knowing that the sweet infant in the manger is really our triumphant King of Kings. That precious baby grew up, and He sacrificed His life so that we can live a life of hope and great expectation.

So, do you have your hope up? Are you a hope messenger or are you a VDP (very draining person)? How do people feel around you? Do they feel more or less hopeful? Are we hope messengers who make people feel encouraged, cared for, and uplifted. In other words, do people feel more hopeful because they’ve spent time with us?

I can't help but think about the people who have given me hope over the years. Whether it was an encouraging word from a friend who helped me push through a day that seemed so overwhelming, or a boss who had more faith in me than I had in myself (true story) – who gave me so much hope in myself that I could attain that position that seemed beyond my reach. My husband was a hope messenger. I am positive, capable, strong, self-sufficient, peace and joy-filled because he was relentless in pouring into me hope and encouragement. I can be a hope messenger because I knew and know hope messengers.

One of the great things about getting older is the opportunity to share the lessons I’ve learned in life. Helping people to believe that tomorrow can be better than today is an incredible gift and can change lives in powerful ways. What about you? Do "your" people leave you feeling more or less hopeful? It's time to get our hope up and our "expectors" expecting. Let's be hope messengers so others become hope messengers, too!

Time is Flying at Breakneck Speed

A full six months have raced by already this year -- only 5-1/2 months until Christmas. Whew! Just think about how slowly time went for us in our childhood when we said: "I can't wait until school is out for the summer". "How many more days until Christmas?" Or, when we were so in love and counted down the days until our wedding day and what about that nine long months for our baby to get here?

You know the saying, “Time flies when you’re having fun!” Well, I had a lot of fun as a kid and time sure didn’t fly for me. You remember the movie “Back to the Future” where a teenager (Michael J Fox) is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time machine invented by his friend? The reality is – we don’t get to hit a “reset button” or go back in a time machine, but here’s the really great thing…..we DO get to start each new day with the wisdom and knowledge we gained from the past.

Instead of watching fireworks on the 4th, we decided to stay in, have popcorn, chocolate shakes and enjoy a movie in my children's theater room. We selected the sci-fi movie, “Arrival” in which linguistics specialist Dr. Louise Banks is brought in to decipher and communicate with aliens that have landed on earth. The most impactful line in the film to me was in a closing scene when Dr. Banks utters “If you could see your whole life laid out in front of you, would you change things?”

That question made me think about how I might have done things differently if I had known how things would turn out in my life beforehand. I might have withheld things I just felt like I HAD to say or did. I might have been kinder, less judgmental, made different decisions or reacted entirely differently to such incidental and did-it-really-matter situations.

We can’t do anything about the past, but we can sure do things differently now and in the future. We can take life less seriously and enjoy the ride much more. We're the pilot on this flight and in many ways, IT IS like a RESET button. Each experience – good and bad, has equipped us to be better, do better and appreciate time more. It is the dawn of a new day, today. I know one thing for sure -- we can’t live in the past, and the future isn’t ours to predict. But, we can make moments, minutes, hours and days really count for what matters most.

I speak a lot about it, but I repeat: Treasure THIS day – make memories for yourself and someone else. Live as if there were no tomorrow. Spread sunshine. Give love and laughter and life to those who need an injection of fun, faith, and friendship.

The BAD news -- time flies, but the GOOD news, we're the pilot in the hands of the MASTER PILOT Who holds our future in the palm of His hands! And, I assure you, if indeed “time flies when you’re having fun”, then I must be having a blast!

Advent is Hope -- the Great Expectation That Something Good is Coming!

Day 334 of Photo Inspirations -- Advent is Hope -- the Great Expectation that Something Good is Coming!

I took this photo inspiration at my church yesterday,  It's the Advent Candle Wreath and the first candle (the HOPE candle) was lit.  The word "advent" means a coming or arrival, especially of something or someone extremely important.     In biblical terms we speak of the Advent Season, referring to the four weeks before Christmas when we celebrate the Lord leaving Heaven and coming to earth to be born of a virgin and dwell among man.   It's when we reflect on God's promises and prophecies to His people.  And, it's a time of preparing our hearts in anticipation of the special day when we remember the birth of our Lord and Savior.  While enjoying the festivities -- sleigh bells, carols, chestnuts roasting, reindeer movies, parties, visits to see Santa, baking Christmas goodies, gift giving --pondering ADVENT, keeps us remembering that there is such greater reasons for this glorious season.  It's about a better day, a better life, it's about HOPE.

The word, HOPE, means “the exciting expectation that something GOOD is about to happen”. Charles Dickens is well known for his book, “Great Expectations”.  I love that optimism, but I love the reality of the absolute possibility that HOPE and expecting something good to happen is a much better way to live than saying "Don't get your hope up, because you don't want to be disappointed if it doesn't turn out alright!"  Ugh!  What a dismal outllook.  I prefer to live with my hope, with GREAT EXPECTATIONS for today and tomorrow.

Do you have your hope up and do you have great expectations for your life?   Like waiting for the birth of a child,  we know it’s a process, and if we patiently wait for “the appointed time” of delivery, we’ll be blessed with a precious bundle of love and joy.

The beautiful season of Advent is about expecting and waiting.  The birth of Christ gives us the hope, and possibility, that we can live life in a radical way – the way of trusting, believing, and expecting that all He’s promised us will be ours if we patiently wait for His perfect plan for our lives.     During this beautiful season, may we find that place of  loving, caring and deepening our relationship with God – delighting in Him.   It’s a radical way of living, but the infant in the manger, as sweet and mild as He seems, is really our triumphant  King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  That precious baby grew up, and He sacrificed His life so that we can live a life of hope and GREAT EXPECTATION.

Don’t give up!  Keep your hope up!  Get your EXPECTOR expecting!   Remember …..  it’s a process!   Your “baby” (your hopes, your dreams) will get here….and you’ll  soon  be blessed with God’s bundles of love and joy.  “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.”  Psalm 37:4