Hope

Scripture

Where then is my hope—who can see any hope for me?

~Job 17:15, NIV

Quote

The greatest need in our world today is for hope.

~Billy Graham

You never notice a particular brand of automobile until you buy one and then you see them everywhere. We named Hope after one of June’s cousins in Tennessee. I wanted all our children to have at least one bible name but both Bethany and Hope are from the Bible. My children insisted that I take off last Sunday and join them in worship at Danville. It was Mothers Day and we had two greats being dedicated. When we got to the praise and worship, the first song they put on the screens had the word HOPE in it. This prompted me to think of the many Christian songs that have the word hope in them. Many of the new songs {new to me} feature the word hope…

“Living Hope” – Phil Wickham

“In Christ Alone” – Keith Getty/Kristian Stanfill

“All My Hope” – Crowder ft. Tauren Wells

“Hope Darst – Peace Be Still”

“Hope in Front of Me” – Danny Gokey

“I Have This Hope” – Tenth Avenue North

“When Hope Came Down” – Kari Jobe

“My Hope Is Jesus” – Big Daddy Weave

“Hope Of The World” – Hillsong Worship

“Never Once” – Matt Redman 

Of course, I thought of the old songs, Whispering Hope, The Solid Rock and others. I do sing the Crowder one all the time…especially this one line…ALL MY HOPE IS IN JESUS, THANK GOD THAT YESTERDAY’S GONE. Not only does the word HOPE appear in many of our songs, it comes out in our conversations. I had never noticed how many times we use the word HOPE until now.

Viktor Emil Frankl was an Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist who survived two Nazi death camps during WWII. He refutes the work of Freud who taught that man is pleasure driven. Frankl says that man is purpose driven. According to Frankl the one factor that is essential for man to achieve his purpose is HOPE. A person without hope is hopeless. The Nazis were proficient at breaking a man’s spirit and driving him to despair. Frankl noticed that once a prisoner lost hope, he lived only a few days. If you have ever read PILGRIMS PROGRESS, you remember that HOPE stayed with Christian all the way to the Celestial City. Hope was the key that got him out of the dungeon of despair. We must never give up HOPE! Winston Churchill’s quote could be modified with one word…”Never, never, never lose HOPE.”

Extra

You will have to send me a bill for counseling. I will try not to make a habit of it. We never left the compound yesterday. We had a good day at home and got a lot done; more than I expected. We are getting ready for our Christmas Open House coming November 8. So many have helped us with the apartment and we want all of you to see it.

I am also excited about an invitation to go bream fishing with Jesse and John next week. John carried me three years ago this month and we caught the limit. We are going {Lord willing} to Duck River outside of Cullman.

My sweet sister found the blog and read it so we have another subscriber. I don’t know how to look at stats with this new system but serveral that came through during the visitation told me they read the blog. You will find more mistakes today because I wrote this one today. Tomorrow I will see the mistakes but my same day proofing is horrible.

God bless you and have a great day!

Extra/Extra

~May 20th Shrimp Boil at the Pavilion: too hot to cook in the sun.

Everybody that reads the blog is invited. We will be outside. May have a bean bad tournament. Just shoot me a text and let me know you are coming.

49er Luncheon May 22 at 11:30…KFC and pot luck.