Who’s excited?!
So today’s the day! The first day of the winter Hello Mornings challenge. And if you feel like you already “failed” because you hit snooze 18 times, well that’s just discouragement from the pit and tomorrow’s a new day. So press on, my friend.
I also want to say hello to those joining us in the Abounding Hope study. For the next thirteen weeks we’re going on a journey to discover our Source of hope…regardless of the circumstance.
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
Romans 15:13
I know that some of you are absolutely desperate for a glimmer of hope. I know that some of you feel like the weight of despair could crush you at any minute. And I know that all of us have some situation, some relationship, some unknown that aims to steal our hope.
But there. is. hope. And we can abound in it. So let’s dig into His Word, confident that hope can abound.
What does it mean to abound in hope?
In what situations or struggles could you use some hope?
Anyone is welcome to join in this 13 week study of hope! Just grab your copy of Abounding Hope (available as a PDF download or on Kindle) and join us back here on the blog every Monday!
Lara Williams
Latest posts by Lara Williams (see all)
- one way to be a great friend {Abounding Hope :: Week 4} - February 18, 2013
- And It Begins {Abounding Hope :: Week 1} - January 28, 2013
- Abounding Hope is officially available (sorta) - January 17, 2013
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Wow!! I got up an hour ago well an hour and 20 min. ago I feel surprisingly great but I also know this is the first day and I was super,mega siked up too.I did the bible study and read a bunch in my bible and prayed. I did not realize how much I needed this time.Thank you Jesus for touching my heart and everything around me to make this poss. for me to do.
Love you all!!:)
Yay, Brandy! So exciting. Keep on, friend.
Good Morning! I learned that hope is to anticipate, usually with pleasure, expectation or confidence. I think to abound in hope means to anticipate God doing extraordinary things in your life. Believing and trusting that He can do what He says and will. Living each day of your life with confidence because He already knows and has it planned out.
I work full time outside the house and we homeschool our 3 boys, we have been praying for God to bring me home full time. I keep hearing Wait on me, Trust me, Obey, be faithful. I need to believe He can do this for us on His time and His best way.
I homeschool my son he is 8 and in the 2nd grade when we started this it was not easy and we have ALOT of hard times especially when my husband get’s laid off and all we have to live on is his unemployment but we knew that it was what we needed to do and we all make sacrafices and God does provide for our needs we may not allways have our wants but we have what we need.
Keep praying and God will provide so that you can do what you need to for your boys.You are right Wait on the Lord and Listen.It’s scary to trust and obey because we all think well how am I going to do this. Trust the Lord.
Stacey, I love your definition of hope. Hope in Him! He will faithfully lead. He promises. Looking forward to seeing how He unfolds His plans for you.
This was exactly what I needed to read this morning. Seriously moved and was exactly what I prayed for prior to reading the verse. Thank you!
Praying His blessings all over you today, Heather.
What a perfectly timed study – in a season of refinement, needing the reminder that there is Hope, that our God keeps HIs promises, and that He hears me & knows my heart. Lara & Katie, thank you…thank you for getting this night owl outta bed & into fellowship with the Father. It’s a blessing. Wishing I could hug you both & sing a little “10,000 Reasons” with you this morning
How awesome would that be, Crystal!
Hope will forever live embodied in the form of our two year old daughter, Emory Hope. We miscarried her brother, Riley, and it was a time of despair. The Lord led us to the Hebrews 11:1 kind of hope that endures; even past our own understanding. As long as we believe in Christ, we can have certainty in that which we can not see. We could not see Riley, but we were certain he was safely back in the arms of His Father. So, when The Lord gave us another pregnancy, we prayed away all the fear with the hope that she would be born, and the certainty that God was in control. When she was born, there was no other name for her but Hope.
I was reminded that hope is a gift of the Holy Spirit and not something I have to create in myself. That is SO comforting! God is so gracious!
What a fantastic study and a true challenge for me! I am just not at all a morning person! BUT I did wake up only 10 min later than I wanted today (which is more than an hour earlier an usual – so I’m counting that as a HUGE success!
“By the POWER of the Holy Spirit you may abound in HOPE!”
This makes me FEEL His power! I will be reciting this to myself all through out my day! We’ve had a lot thrown at us over the last 7 years and I have felt my heart trying to harden. THIS gives me the strength to continue to put my hope in God!
What bible translation is that?
ESV
A scripture about hope is exactly what I needed this morning. I’m feeling overwhelmed in many aspects of my life. I need to relax, let go, and let God fill me with joy, peace, and hope
Don’t hate me for this but I’m up at the crack of dawn naturally….I’ve learned I cannot survive without some time at the beginning of the day to read my bible and exercise
. This blog has really made me appreciate that part of me! I can say that God blesses our endeavors–if there’s a day I know I won’t be getting enough sleep, I give it to Him and He makes it enough!,,
I wasn’t able to get into a group, so I don’t have the study. But, I’m up, I’ve read the blog post and posted on the main Facebook page. The thing I need hope most for is our financial situation. My husband has been unemployed since January 2010 and I work from home. I’m thankful that I have the job I do, but it’s tough to make ends meet when I’m not always paid on time. Bills get behind and late payments are added. It’s a vicious circle and I’m stressed about it all the time. I KNOW the Father knows my situation, and that nothing happens without His approval, but I’m really struggling.
Thanks for sharing. I’m praying right now that His Spirit overwhelms you with peace as you lay those anxious thoughts down, one by one. He sees every tear and so tenderly ministers to us when we struggle. Just struggle at His feet, sister friend.
As is God, this is a timely verse for me. As a family we’re making/facing an exciting and scary commitment/change in life direction. Reading this verse I saw that if we’re believing in God and his promises He will fill us with joy and peace even if what we’re called to looks crazy in human terms. ( I’d like to expand this thought but it’ll have to wait as my hubs needs some breakfast!)
Even though two littles got up 15 min before me when I got up 50 min early I pressed on
What a great study! I’m wanting more joy. My husband needs more hope and struggles with trusting where I find that easier. I’m praying that with increased faith I will get the increased joy I’m seeking and the resulting overflowing hope will spill onto my family.
As we seek to prepare and start homeschooling this fall to our autistic son and in another year, our autistic daughter, I pray He will provide financially and give my husband HOPE that it won’t always be this tough
HE is a God who can. Amen.
Anyone else breathing deeper this morning?
I have failed to get the pack. My country is not on paypal. I just feel I will lose out on this.
Just found this today but I am starting tomorrow with this challenge.. This is exactly what I need right now ♥
I am not in a group as I don’t do facebook or twitter, so I am thankful for the blog to share and get encouragement from. Well, this morning my snooze button won, but my amazing husband came home from night shifts and took all the kids to school and was the parent helper at the boys preschool this morning, so I got some time with God just now, before I’m off to the grocery store. It was something I needed. God’s hope is confidence in knowing that he will bring me close to him as I cling to his hope. He will give me the confidence in Him and in me, that I will take the time to spend with Him and he will strengthen my relationship with him. He has been faithfully nudging me in the right direction for a long time. God is amazing!!!
God spoke out loud to me through meditating today’s verse! Hoping tomorrow will wake up earlier than this morning
What a blessing to join the HelloMornings!
For me, I learned last year that hope came when I began getting into God’s Word consistently and then began to believe what He has said. I have felt pretty hopeless in the past (though I was a believer) because of dealing with fear and anxiety. What a difference being in God’s Word has made in my life. I know have the peace of God in abundance.
Got to bed very late last night, but was able to get up at a decent time this morning to begin my “HelloMornings” session. God is good.
I was actually so excited I didn’t get any sleep so was up early l
Got a great Word from The Lord too
I was late downloading this to read so read it today instead. I am thankful for the opportunity to be a part of this as well. I am not in a group either but I am going to make the committment to participate in this daily. I have been through a lot of things in my life and if it wasn’t for the hope that I have of something greater than I do not believe I could have gotten through it. It is that in the worst of times that the hope will save us. Just have hope and knowing that God will see us through all of these things is a wonderful blessing. I am excited to begin each day with this special time and dig into things more. Thank you all for this great opportunity. I do not have twitter either.