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 Hello everyone and a “Happy Friday!” Welcome today, to “A New Day of New Hope Blog”…through the Risen Hope Ministries! I am so happy to have you with me, as we end this week together…and I pray that you will truly find God to be very real in your day!
Recently, I was sharing a quick rendition on Twitter; of a time when I had to face 2 major knee operations, within a six week period. I had just had a joint replacement…so to not upset those who may be facing a surgery like this…you need to understand that my situation wasn’t a normal knee replacement. In fact, I had faced multiple surgeries before I even got this far…for a congenital problem from birth. Anyways…a short time after the joint replacement was done, I began to experience pink blotches around the surgical site; so my husband called the doctor and they got me in right away. By time I had arrived to the doctor’s office, my temperature was rising and so they admitted me to the hospital and then they put me on IV antibiotics right away. From there they began to drain the knee and test it for infection. After a day or so, I began to stabilize and so they sent me home, while waiting a day or so for the test results. I would say that within 2 days, I received a phone call from the doctor’s office and they wanted me to come in and talk with the doctor…which we all know what that means. As I arrived back at the doctor’s office; they called me back to talk with my specialist and they had found infection but didn’t know exactly where it may be located; so from there, he broke the news that I would be facing 2 major surgeries…6 weeks apart. First, they would have to remove the knee joint and put an antibiotic box in the knee and keep me down and in a brace for 6 weeks. Also…a nurse was assigned to our home; where she would come and check my blood pressure and also check the pic line that they had inserted in my arm, to administer large doses of antibiotics. Once the first surgery was completed…it would be another 6 weeks of staying down, until the next surgery was scheduled. By time I had reached the end of that 6 week period; I was beginning to feel as if I was barely holding it altogether. In fact, by time they had admitted me once more, I was falling apart. After the nurses had put me in an isolation unit…preparing me for surgery, I was sitting in bed, with tears streaming down my face and by that time, I could barely find the strength to call out to God for help…but do you know what…He came to me instead…and it was through a nurse. While sitting there in tears…a nurse happened to walk by and she saw me crying and came in to see what was wrong. After I had shared my heart with her…and how I was so tired of these surgeries; she sat on the edge of the bed and wrapped her arms around me and held me close and said that everything was going to be alright…then she kissed me on the forehead. You know…maybe God doesn’t come down in human form; but one thing I do know…He will use other’s to display an everlasting love to us…and that is what took place that day…I have no doubt. No matter what you face; just know that God’s love is real for you…and He will come to you, at a time, when you can barely find the strength to call out His name; so never feel alone, in whatever you’re facing…because God will always be there for you! What a writing to end the week with! I just pray that you will ALWAYS know that you are loved! Take care and have a great day…and weekend and I will hope to be back with you on Monday! God bless! It’s Always & Only Because of Him… Diane
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 Hello everyone… “Happy Thursday”…and a big welcome today, to “A New Day of New Hope Blog”…through the Risen Hope Ministries! I am so glad that you came for a visit today…and I pray that as you begin another new day; that you will truly feel the loving presence of God…with every step you take!
Lately, Satan has attempted to come at me in different ways, as a means of either taking me out of commission with God or as an attempt to stop the ministry; but as you can see…none of his tactics have worked. I think sometimes that when one thing fails; he just keeps thinking more and more, as to how he can keep me from doing the work that God has called me to do. One thing God has taught me over the years; is to pursue…and don’t stop pursuing, until the answer is found to the problem. To be honest with you, I never thought I’d be this kind of person because when I was younger; I never worked for the best…only second best; but as time has passed, it’s been the difficult times that have nudged me along and has given me that strength, to never give up. You know…we might as well understand; that the battles we face with evil, will never be easy battles…because they aren’t meant to only wound us…but to destroy us. While thinking on this today…my mind has gone back to an old rugged cross. As Jesus suffered a slow and agonizing death; He cried out… “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Through this time…the battle was raging between good and evil; but as Jesus gave up His Spirit and died…the battle was won over evil. One thing about this story that has truly been of inspiration to me; is that Jesus never complained or tried to escape these moments; but instead, He was willing to go the distance for us. You know…life definitely isn’t easy…and with every blow we receive from evil; it can seem as if we won’t be able to hang on, for even one more minute; but I have come to see that we can. As I get out of bed each day and strive to get these bad legs moving…and as I sit here to write, with extreme tiredness and sickness; I see that we too can overcome these moments, just as Jesus did, while going to the cross. You see…it’s not looking at the problem that’s going to take us anywhere; but it’s getting our focus on the prize awaiting us; that’s going to draw us beyond our own limitations. Sometimes, I just wonder how far we are willing to go with God. Do we find ourselves only going as far as our eyes will take us or are we willing to go way beyond what we could ever think or imagine; to experience a strength that can truly help us to press on, even during the most difficult times. Life may attempt to keep us from going the full distance with God; but I have come to see that this only happens, when we focus on where life is leading us. Maybe it’s time to get our focus adjusted, to where God is leading us instead. Once we have had a taste of God’s limitless power and strength…even while walking through the toughest moments of life; I’m sure that we will come to see that we can truly make it through anything that comes our way! Well…I don’t know about you; but I’ve been truly inspired today…through the words that God has given us! I hope that you will have a great day and that you will truly come to see how far God’s strength and power can take you in life! For now…take care and I will hope to be back with you again tomorrow…God bless! It’s Always & Only Because of Him… Diane  Hello everyone…and a big welcome, on this Wednesday…to “A New Day of New Hope Blog”…through the Risen Hope Ministries! I am so happy to have you with me today and my prayer is that we all will truly experience the fullness of God’s presence, in this brand new day!
Well…we have now hit the hump of the week! I don’t know about you; but for me it seems to take a lot of steam to get up to the top of that hump. In fact…by time I get there…I’m just ready to slide down the hump…through the remainder of the week. You know…isn’t it amazing, as to how we can experience a couple bad days and find ourselves convinced that we can’t make it anymore. It seems as though we get too caught up in what just took place; that we find it difficult to see what’s still down the road. One thing that I have learned over time; is that our circumstances are not only being used by Satan to take us down; but he’s also attempting to use them, to keep us down. In other words...I believe that after he afflicts us; he is also standing by…whispering thoughts in our minds that are only meant to convince us that we can’t go on anymore. I remember a time in this ministry, when I could make it easily to the end of the week. Now, I would say that by Tuesday night, I am beginning to feel the tiredness come on…probably due to a lot of work and chronic pain. I have found that when I reach these struggling moments of the week; that I can find it so easy to go with the flow of the tiredness, which I’m sure, is being controlled by Satan, as a means of taking me out of commission with God. One thing that I have found though; is that whatever Satan longs for me to do; is only an opportunity to turn it around and do the opposite, of what he expects me to do. In this way, he is not only defeated; but I am also gaining a new strength; that I never had before those difficult moments had entered my week. You know…we can either allow the struggles of the week, to take us by the hand and lead us further away from God and life…or we can take hold of God’s hand and allow His loving presence, to walk us away from the thoughts that may attempt to keep us from pressing on. One thing I know for sure; when we take hold of God’s hand…He never let’s go…and He not only takes us away from these debilitating thoughts; but He also walks us into new moments of hope and strength…a strength that can keep us standing, in the midst of it all…until we have come through the struggles of the week. May I encourage you today, to stand strong in the Lord…because when you do; then it’s going to make it that much harder, for Satan to convince you; that life isn’t worth it anymore. Remember…think on the things that bring a good report into your life and the God of peace will always be with you…no matter what you face in your week! Well…it’s been another good visit with you today! I hope that you will have a great day! Take care and I will hope to be with you again tomorrow! God bless! It’s Always & Only Because of Him… Diane  Hello everyone…and a “Happy Tuesday” to you! Welcome today, to “A New Day of New Hope Blog”…through the Risen Hope Ministries! It’s so good to have you with me today…and my prayer for you; is that you will truly experience Jesus…above all else, in your day!
Yesterday, I was talking with someone I know and they seemed very concerned about my health…especially since I work long hours with pain and sometimes sleepless nights…due to the pain. The answer I gave them…is to trust God; because one thing I definitely know about my life; is that He has control over every part of my being. I remember a time in my life, when I never thought this way. In fact, I was so caught up, in every little detail…of every little problem I was going through; that there would have been no way; that I could have ever seen my situation through God’s eyes. You know…sometimes I just sit here and wonder where our faith is? We need to remember that no matter what God may allow within our lives…He’s got it…and that’s for sure! This is what I hold to every day of my life…because even though He’s allowing this pain to remain…I know without a doubt that He’s got control over that pain. Some of my favorite and inspiring Bible verses are found in Job 1:6-12. In this part of the chapter of Job…God and Satan are having a conversation about Job and Satan seems to think that Job has done well because God had placed a hedge of protection around him…so Satan says to God…take that hedge of protection away and let’s see what happens; so God agrees; but at the same time; God sets up a boundary line, by saying that Satan wasn’t allowed to touch Job or destroy him; so we see where God had control, over what He had allowed within Job’s life. We may not always understand why God allows us to go through so much in our lives; but I have come to see that He does have a reason for it all…and even though He may allow Satan to step in and afflict us…He still has control over our lives, just as He did for Job. You know…if we were to look beyond…what we have to face in life and truly know that God has control over everything; then I think that we would see a different side to these moments of affliction. One thing I can say for sure…the pain I have had to endure in my life, has not only brought me closer to God; but it has caused me to turn to Him more and lean on Him continually. I’ve also seen others turn their lives around, due to the way God used the pain, as a testimony; so you see…we don’t have to be miserable and always find ourselves thriving on the bad side of affliction, when something good can come forth, from these difficult moments we face. Well…I have truly enjoyed our visit today…and my prayer for you; is that God will give you the strength to look beyond what you see with your own eyes; that you may truly find a connection with God; that will bring hope, into whatever you may be facing right now! Take good care and have a great Tuesday…and I will hope to be back with you again tomorrow! God bless! It’s Always & Only Because of Him… Diane  Hello everyone… “Happy Monday”…and a big welcome, to “A New Day of New Hope Blog”…through the Risen Hope Ministries! It’s so good to be back with you…and my prayer for you today; is that you will experience God, in a way that you never thought you could ever experience Him!
Yesterday was a great day off for me! I was able to sleep for about 3 hours in the afternoon…and you’re probably wondering why I need so much rest? Because I work 12-14 hour days, during my week and it’s amazing, as to how quickly a person can get worn down. Also, I see these moments of rest, as a time to get refreshed and renewed in God’s Spirit, as I prepare for another week ahead. Anyways…after waking up in the afternoon; I was sitting in the living room…having a talk with my husband and somehow, we got on the subject, as to how far God has brought me. You know…there was a time in my life…in 1991, when I had fallen down to nothing…and due to a very bad past, of a dysfunctional home life and sexual abuse; I fell into a depression that I just couldn’t get out of. I was seeing a Christian counselor at the time; but for some reason…he wasn’t able to help me either. Eventually, I was put in the hospital…in a locked in unit…because I was going down fast…to the place of being suicidal. By time I was admitted and was put in bed; I had pretty much fallen all way down to nothing; but later, I came to see that God allowed that; so He could rise up with me the next time and make my life brand new….which He truly did! These memories of my past aren’t always easy for me to remember; but when I see how far God has brought me; then I see a good ending…to what seemed to be hopeless moments of deep despair. You see…I truly know a God, whose words aren’t just words; but rather, they are words that are full of promise and hope. The other day, I was thinking on a verse in Philippians 4:13, which says… “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”…and as I was thinking on each word; I was also thinking on how easy it is to speak these words…compared to living them. In fact, I’m sure we have all memorized this verse; but if we were to slow down and focus on this verse; do we truly believe that we can do ALL things through Him? As I look back to these painful moments in my life; I do remember times, when I truly took God’s word for granted…and I never really came to see and experience His words in action, until I was willing and ready, to allow God to work in such a way within my life. Now God’s word has become hidden treasures to me, which means that I find more meaning to His word…below the surface of each word and sentence…and each meaning becomes a treasure to my heart…one that can truly help me through this life. As you begin this new day and this brand new week, may I encourage you to seek God and His word, with all your heart…because when you do, I believe that this is when you will truly come to see how God can do all things for you! Have a great week…take care and I will hope to be with you again tomorrow! God bless! It’s Always & Only Because of Him… Diane  Hello everyone…and a “Happy Friday!” Today, I want to welcome you, to “A New Day of New Hope Blog!” Well, we have now made it to the end of the week…and we all seem to still be alive! Praise God for that! Today, I thought I would just shoot the breeze with you and see where God takes me; so sit back and let’s enjoy some time together, as we prepare to walk through another new day!
I don’t know if many of you remember the old cassette players…but I had a red one, which has always been a favorite color of mine. Anyways…this cassette player was given to me…just before I had my first knee surgery…and it even had earplugs to wear, for when I was in the hospital. After receiving this gift…I remember going to Zondervan’s with my older brother and buying a cassette tape to listen to, by a group called “The Renaissance.” They were actually a sister and two brother group…and I came to love them right off the bat! One of the songs they sang on the tape was called… “There is a Place to Begin Again” and it goes a little like this… “There is a place to begin again…where everything becomes new. There is a place, where you’ll always have a friend…Jesus is the One who purchased life for you. Come with me to a lonely hill…bring all the worst of your sin. Now ask Jesus, your life to fill…and you will have found the place to begin again.” It’s hard to believe that all those years have passed me by; but one thing that sticks with me; is how God had implanted little things within me, along the way…like this song; as a means of helping me through moments that I never thought I’d experience in my life. To me…this is how God truly loves and cares for His own and as I look back…over the past 50 years, since I was diagnosed, with a congenital problem in both of my knees; I see many instances, where God had stepped in…and was truly with me, every step of the way. You know…sometimes we don’t actually experience the journey with God, until we have stood on the mountaintop…where we can look down and see every moment that we shared with Him. It’s amazing how we can become so caught up, in the pain and heartache of life; that we completely bypass the moments, when God stepped in…to be there for us. In Psalm 34:19, we read… “The good man does not escape all troubles—he has them too. But the Lord helps him in each and every one.” This verse has been a close companion to me in life and has been a great reminder to me; that even though we may not always be able to escape the troubles in this world…the Lord is there, to help us through every difficult moment that we may face. No matter what you walk through in life, may I encourage you to look beyond the problem; for the footprints of the One, who longs to be there for you. It’s amazing how we can come to truly experience God’s loving presence, when we first choose to see more than the problem. Have a great day everyone…take care and I will hope to be back with you on Monday! Meanwhile…I hope you will join us for church, at Sunday Inspiration, which will be posted by Saturday morning! God bless! It’s Always & Only Because of Him… Diane  Hello everyone… “Happy Thursday”…and a big welcome today, to “A New Day of New Hope Blog”…through the Risen Hope Ministries! It’s so good to have you with me today…and my prayer for you; is that you will truly come to understand God’s reasoning, for whatever you may be walking through at this time!
After coming on Twitter this morning, I had someone leave me a little message and he wanted to know if I could write sometime, on the subject of God’s reasoning and purpose…behind moments of suffering; so with God’s help; this is what I would like to write on today. One thing I have come to see…through an insurmountable amount of suffering…and I mean suffering that I never thought I’d walk out of; is that God does have a purpose and a plan; but I think that sometimes we completely bypass that purpose because we are caught up, in our own way of seeing the circumstance. I had to learn personally; to look and seek and pursue that reason, with all my heart; rather than going after the problem. In my situation…I think that I would have caught on earlier, to what God was up to; but instead, I got caught up, in feeling sorry for myself and focusing more, on what was actually taking place at the time, which actually caused me to completely bypass what God was up to. Now today, if you were to ask me about the reason for these very difficult times in my life; then I could easily piece it all together and show you what God was up to. You see…the little things that we tend to bypass...due to getting caught up in the problem; is what is actually coming together…bit by bit, as a means of revealing the true plan and purpose, behind these moments of suffering. You know…sometimes we don’t always understand or know God’s reasoning, for a problem in our life…because I believe that it’s also tied into His timetable; but one thing that God has been teaching me lately is this…when we can’t understand the reasons why; then we need to remember that God has control…even over the things that He allows within our lives. In other words…Satan may be the one afflicting us; but God is the One who has control over the affliction…and just knowing that alone, should give us peace of mind. In Acts 17:27, we read… “His purpose in all of this is that they should seek after God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us.” Do we realize that when we stop pursuing a problem and start pursuing the reason behind the problem; then we are actually feeling our way through the darkness of that circumstance…to the One, who can truly help us to understand these uncertain and very trying moments in our lives. Today, if you are facing a problem, with no answers…may I encourage you to not sit in the darkness and let that darkness overtake you; but start feeling your way through the darkness…just as I did…and I know that God will meet you there, with the answers that you so desperately need! Wow…what a writing! I thank God for sharing His heart with us today! I pray that these words will truly reach the depth of your heart…to bring hope, during a time of need! Have a great day with God…take care and I will hope to be with you again tomorrow! God bless! It’s Always & Only Because of Him… Diane  Hello everyone…and a “Happy Wednesday” to you! Welcome today, to “A New Day of New Hope Blog!” It’s so good to be back with you…and my prayer for you, as we begin today; is that God would truly bless every moment of your day, with His very best!
Today, as I’ve been sitting here…just looking out my window; I’ve been talking with God and saying… “I can’t believe that I am a writer.” Then I said… “Although…you are really the writer…and I’m just the one going along for the ride.” The reason why I say this is because I did so poorly in school; that God has to be the One doing all this work through me. In fact, if my English teacher was here…we would either have to get her a chair or we’d find her on the floor…lol! Anyways…to this day, I’ve been wondering…how on earth, could a person like me…who never liked short stories or any other kind of story; do all these writings…and the answer I have for you; is because God is in it all. I can tell you 100%; that there would be no words to write without Him. You know…it truly amazes me, as to how God can take a person, who has struggled for so many years and use them, for His honor and glory. When I first began writing for God; I remember many times, when I would write a paragraph and think in my mind…this is what God must want me to write…never realizing that it was more about me than Him. Once I came to see that I was leading the way, instead of following His lead; that is when the whole paragraph got erased and I was back to the drawing board…only this time with Him. As I look back on my life…I see how each weak moment had to take me down to a level, where I could be in tune with God, rather than myself. It was through the weak moments and the moments of failure; that actually put me in a position to serve Him…for if I would’ve been above Him, rather than in sync with Him; then He would have never been able to use me, in such a way. You know…sometimes we can feel as if God is being too harsh with us…but that is only because we are viewing what is taking place, with eyes that are expecting something different; then what God has planned for us. In other words…our expectations…as to what we feel God will do, can end up taking us to a place, where we can even feel as if God has abandoned us, while all along…it was our own expectations of God; that led us away from Him. I have come to truly see that life can be much easier, when we stop trying to figure God out. Sometimes, we need to just slow down and go for the ride. When we choose to go with the flow, rather than against it; that is when we begin to see what a great…strong and powerful God can do, through moments of weakness. Well…I have truly enjoyed our visit today…and I really hope that your Wednesday will be it’s very best! Take good care and I will hope to be back with you again tomorrow! God bless! It’s Always & Only Because of Him… Diane  Hello everyone…“Happy Tuesday”…and a big welcome today, to “A New Day of New Hope Blog!” It’s so good to be back with you again today and my prayer for you; is that you will truly experience the depth of God’s love, in every moment of this day!
After a great day on Sunday, I was feeling as if everything that I had recently been walking through in the previous week, was now about to take a big U turn and take me down a better path…and you know what…it happened. I don’t know about you; but I can always seem to tell, when a trying time in my life is about to end; because I have this feeling that comes over me, which makes me feel, as if the dark clouds are moving out, while making room for the sun to shine once more. One thing we always need to remember; is that God knows the way much better than we do…and even though we may have these down days; that doesn’t mean that we have been defeated…it just means that God is shifting us to another path; that will continue to lead us to His complete will for our lives. I remember many times in my life, when it wasn’t as easy for me, to understand the way God was at work within my life. Every time His answer was “No;” His response only made me feel more defeated and less of a person…and that was only because I was looking at the situation through my own eyes…not His. You know, I have come to see that when I look at my situation, in the way He longs for me to view it; then there is less disappointment, when the answer is no…and that’s because I now know that whatever direction He’s taking me; that means that He will always have control…because He knows the way and the final outcome, for that direction, in which He is leading me. You know…so many times, I think we try to fight God’s will, rather than go with the flow of things. I wonder why we get it in our minds; that we know what’s best. Many times, I’ve wondered why we turn to God for help…especially when we’re desperate…but then, we turn around and try to make the situation work our way. Now that just doesn’t make sense to me. How can we cry out for help; but yet ignore the help we desperately need…just to choose our own pathway out of a situation…a pathway that will really take us nowhere, except deeper into a problem we already can’t handle. These past few days, I have learned one thing…or should I say I’ve been reminded of something I already knew…and that is that sometimes we just have to wait out the storm and let God do what He’s going to do. You know…moments like these aren’t always easy…believe me I know; but one thing I’ve truly come to see; is that the pain or heartache I experience never takes me down a road to total defeat…never. Yes…I may experience a lot of pain and tiredness, along with other struggles in my life; but when the storm comes to an end; I see where the hand of God led me…and how he kept me from being battered and beaten to pieces. I think we all need to remember who we placed in charge of our lives, as Christians…and that wasn’t ourselves. You know…it’s so easy to want to step in and take charge; but we must remember…we don’t know the way and even more; we don’t know how to make the problem better. Let’s face it…we need God! As you begin your day, I pray that you will just let go of everything that’s surrounding you and take hold of a God, who can walk you down the right paths of life…a God who already knows the right direction for your life! Have a great day…take care and I will hope to be with you again tomorrow! God bless! It’s Always & Only Because of Him… Diane  Hello everyone…and welcome back to a brand new week of “A New Day of New Hope Blog”…through the Risen Hope Ministries! I am so happy to be back with you today…and I pray that God will give you the strength, to take the first step, into this brand new week with Him!
Last week was one of those weeks, where I felt weighed down and overwhelmed, by what was taking place around me. There were even moments, when I could feel the hands of evil trying to pull me down. You know some people think that serving God is so easy…but may I say; that no one will ever really know what goes on, when it comes to serving God, until they have walked in the shoes of a person who is already doing this. The thing about serving God; is that Satan always seems to be on my tail…and that’s because He doesn’t like what I’m doing. He doesn’t like that others are finding hope…and He doesn’t like that others are leaving him behind, to draw even closer to God. Anyways…as each struggle was building up throughout the week…and even into the weekend, I began to share my heart even more with God. By Sunday morning; I sat in my office…starring out the window…feeling still overwhelmed by the moments that just seemed to keep stacking up…one by one, on my shoulders. Finally, I just said to God… “Help”…and I would say that within minutes; this simple childlike prayer was being answered, as God was beginning to use another person in my life…as a response to my prayer. Have you ever had a situation, where someone you never knew just seemed to say the right words; that gave you a feeling, as if you were truly standing in the presence of God? Well…I did on Sunday morning. As I talked with a person that I barely knew; words came out like… “God has touched my heart to pray for you…and to have my family and church pray for you.”…and “He will never leave you or forsake you.”…and “always keep the faith no matter the situation God is always listening.” Remember…I have never talked with this person before…and they seemed to have all the words; that truly made me feel, as if God was talking directly to me. Wow…what a feeling, to experience a response like that, from the Most High God! You know…I have come to see that it’s so easy to talk with God; but do we ever stop to think that He has ways of responding to our hearts? I think that sometimes we get into a habit of just talking with God; that we never take the time to listen for His response. We must remember that He is God and He can help us to feel His loving and compassionate heart for us…at moments, when we truly need Him the most; but we will never experience a presence like His; if we are only talking and never looking for His response. As you begin this brand new week…there may be struggles and challenges that you never expected to have happened; but don’t lose hope. Keep the faith…and anticipate His presence…no matter the circumstance and always know that God is listening and longing to be there for you, just as He was for me! Well…it’s been another great day with you…and I pray that as you begin your week; that you will also include God in every aspect of your life…and remember…look for God’s response to your prayers; because He is listening! Have a great day and I will hope to be with you again tomorrow! God bless! It’s Always & Only Because of Him… Diane |
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