Hello everyone…and a big, big welcome, to “A New Day of New Hope Blog!” I am so happy to have you with me today…and I truly hope and pray that you’re day will be a very special one…one that draws you even closer to the presence, of a God who loves you so very much!
You know…about a week ago, I was talking with God about the writings and feeling as if I really had nothing to talk about at times…and that just might be, because I was so busy working; that I wasn’t actually living…to tell a story. So what does God do after our little talk…He starts placing me in different…and sometimes difficult situations, which has now given me something to talk about…lol. One thing I should tell you; is that I have learned to be very careful, as to what I say to God…because He is ALWAYS listening. Anyways…there is one thing I can say about this week…and that is that God had full control…even of the curves in the road. What I mean by that; is that there were moments that He had allowed into my week; but yet, He had the control stick in hand…reminding me that He could make a way, through the most trying times of my week. You know…like I said the other day; it’s so easy to get caught up in our own way of thinking; that we forget who is really in charge…and who’s running the show…and that definitely isn’t me. Schedules and planning things out don’t seem to matter much anymore because with God in my life…the schedule and plans are going to be based on His will for my life each day…and that’s really the way it should be, in each of our lives. As this week is drawing to a close…I’m thanking God more and more, for new beginnings. Can you imagine a week; that is a continuation of one day? I wouldn’t even want to think of that happening in my life! Praise God…that He knew in advance; that we would need a new start every day! Just think…His mercies are new and fresh every morning…and each morning, as we wake up; becomes a brand new day…just created by God…a day, where we can put our yesterday’s to rest, while anticipating something new; that is, if we are willing to see it that way. Well…soon this week will draw to a close and the hard times we experienced this week, will be a thing of the past. As God brings down the shades to the days gone past…new days awaken before us…filled with new possibilities, which becomes a hope that keeps us pressing on; beyond the weak moments, we once experienced. I hope that you have enjoyed this time together…and my prayer for you, as we close is this…that you will be able to live with the hope that God does make all things new…and no matter what we face; He will always have control of everything that concerns us. Well…time for me to go; but I will look forward to spending some more time with you on Monday! I hope you will come back, as I not only share my days with you; but also the goodness of a God, who never fails! Take care & many blessings on your day! It’s Always & Only Because of Him… Diane
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Hello everyone…and a big welcome today, to “A New Day of New Hope Blog!” I am so glad that you stopped by for a visit…and my prayer for all of us; is that we will come to connect with a God, who longs to be everything…for every little thing we need!
Have you ever had a day, where you seem to be heading in one direction and then…out of the blue, you feel as if you are walking through a maze, rather than down a straight path? Well… that is how yesterday was for me. You know…it seems like we start a day…thinking that this will happen this way…and that will go that way; that is until we find ourselves on a path we never planned on being on. One thing I’m coming to realize more and more; is that once those feet touch the floor in the morning…you never know which direction God will take them. Before going to bed Tuesday night; I spent some time with God and asked Him to lead the way through my Wednesday and then I asked Him to help my husband and I with good taxi drivers and good buys at the grocery store…and you know what…God answered both prayers; but then we came home…thinking that our landlord would be coming over to fix a couple of things, which I was all set for…and come to find out; he had just come over, to see what him and his brother would need for the fix up job…then the bombshell landed on my head, when he said… “We’ll be over tomorrow, to do everything.” I think that it was right about then; that my heart and stomach hit my feet because Thursday’s are always my busiest days…and to top it off, I have to do a major writing, which would really require some quiet moments alone with God. I have to admit…after they left to go home, I started to panic and even try to figure out a way to get one of the writings done that afternoon; but there just wasn’t enough time in my day to do that. After calming down and thinking more rationally; I was reminded, as to how God has a plan for every moment in our day…and just knowing that He would be in charge…brought a peace that calmed my troubled soul. You know…it’s amazing, as to how we can become so caught up, in our own ideas and thoughts and what needs to be done and when it needs to be done; that we forget who is in charge. We ask God to lead us through our day; but somehow we get sidetracked in our thinking and then we start expecting Him to do everything according to our plans, rather than His will. I don’t know about you…but I want God to lead the way each day…for He already knows the way; which I would think could save us, from a lot of confusion and more problems. Maybe if we were to look more deeply, into what God is up to, rather than what we expect; then we would come to see how life could be less complicated. Today, I pray that we will begin this brand new day, by anticipating God’s next move. I truly believe that when we look for what God may have for us, rather than focusing on what we feel will happen next; then we will come to see how a powerful God, can truly come alive within us, while working in ways that we could have never imagined. Well…it’s time for me to go; but I have truly enjoyed our visit today! I pray that you will have a great day with God…and remember…anticipate His presence and you will find Him in your day! Take care and many blessings on your day! See you tomorrow! It’s Always & Only Because of Him… Diane Hello everyone! Welcome today, 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 for all of us; is that we will truly discover a peace that only comes from the Prince of Peace…a peace that can calm the most troubled times in our lives!
Recently, I was having a day, where I felt as if nothing could go wrong. The morning went great and by time I went into the kitchen, to make a pot of homemade soup; it just seemed like everything was coming together, in such a perfect way. Later after lunch, I had some personal things to take care of in the office and as I sat on the daybed and began to go to work online…I kept thinking to myself…what a great day this has been…and then before I knew it, my head began to feel as if everything was going out of control. Now as I look back on those moments…I never really saw where anything went wrong…it was just a feeling…as if all that joy and peace was being taken away from me. At one time, I bowed my head and asked for God to enter these moments with His perfect peace…and that did work for the moment; but then all the unsettled feelings began to come back later, as if a war was taking place within me…between good and evil. Once I got alone with God…and began to quietly focus on Him and what He had for me at the moment; that is when the raging storm within me…ceased to rage no more. As I think on these moments that took place recently in my week, I’m also thinking on a Bible verse, which is found in John 16:33, which reads… “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." You know…Jesus never promised that we would ever be free from these troubling times; but He did say that we could find peace in Him. I think sometimes, we just need to get away from life for a moment and sit quietly in the presence of a peaceful and loving God. It’s amazing how these quiet times with God, can bring about a calm…that can relieve us of these troubled and out of control moments within our lives. You know…we might as well face it…we are never going to be able to escape the hand of evil; but the hope we do have; is that we can find God to be our safe haven…a place, where we can run away from the moments that attempt to bring us low. When we truly look to God, as our remedy…for whatever is ailing us at the moment; then His perfect peace will become the medicine that can sooth our minds…hearts and spirits. As we close, let me take a little time to encourage you and say that you don’t have to take the blows from evil and allow them to put you in a place of needless suffering…for moments such as these will only bring you lower and lower and lower. Let God be your cure…the complete remedy and even more…the peace that can bring a calming feeling to your soul. Well…I have truly enjoyed our time together today! I pray that you will have a great Wednesday and that you will truly experience a peace; that only comes from the Prince of Peace! Take care and I will look forward to our time again tomorrow! Many blessings on your day! It’s Always & Only Because of Him… Diane Hello everyone…and a big, big welcome, to “A New Day of New Hope Blog”…through the Risen Hope Ministries! I am so glad you stopped by today and I pray that as we spend some time together; we will come to see and experience a God, whose love holds no boundaries!
Yesterday…after a sleepless night; the alarm went off, after only two hours of rest. The first thought that went through my mind; is probably a thought that we all would jump the gun to, after only several hours of rest…and that would be to say… “Oh my goodness Lord, how am I going to get through this busy day?” Once I woke up enough, to get out of bed; I began to get around and then I headed for my office, to begin the day. At first, I just sat on the daybed and starred out the window and remained quiet before God…where normally, I would have a talk with Him, before beginning my day. As I sat there, in the quietness of that moment, I began to feel as though God had stepped in and was beginning to nudge me along. There was no music on the headset…no specific words to say or write…just an open heart…longing for God’s help. After a few minutes; I went on Twitter and just starred at the screen and it was as if God was telling me to write through the discouraging moments; so I began to open my heart up and let God enter my spirit…and before I knew it, I was hearing that still small voice within me…coaching me along. One thing I’ve come to see, through tough moments such as these; is that I write from the depths of my heart…the lowest part…where the hurt is, which only allows my fingers to type thoughts that are truly coming from within my own heartfelt feelings. You know…there have been many times in the past, when I wonder why God never healed me; but then I experience moments such as these…and from there, I begin to understand His reasoning, behind everything I experience in life. One thing I know for sure…it’s the pain and difficult moments; that takes me down to His level, where I can truly experience the fullness of His presence. What a beautiful gift God has given me…and I think that if we all would allow God to use our circumstances…we’d stand amazed, as to what He could do, through these difficult moments. I think the greatest thing I experienced yesterday…was just watching a powerful God at work within my life…for I had not asked anything of Him; but yet He came to me…out His great love and made a way, through the pain…tiredness…and a busy schedule; so I could experience more of Him…and from there…the day ended, in a way that I could have never imagined! I hope that you have enjoyed this time that we have spent together…just as much as I have! I have truly found writing…to not only be used, for God’s honor and glory; but I have found these times to be healing to my own heart and soul. Thanks for stopping by today…and I pray that these words will encourage you, in your daily walk with God! Take care…have a great day and I will look forward to being with you tomorrow! Many blessings on your day! It’s Always & Only Because of Him… Diane Dear Reader…
Hello everyone and a big welcome today, to my newest blog…“A New Day of New Hope Blog!” I am so glad that you came to join me today and my prayer for you…as you begin this new week; is that you will truly come to know God’s presence, above anything else you face in this week! After a very busy week…it sure was nice for me, to be able to slow down and even get a few extra hours of rest. One thing I’m coming to see…more and more in my life; is how God truly cares for His own. This past week may have had its struggles and challenges; but God took me above it…each step of the way, by giving me His strength…peace and rest. I don’t know about you; but there can be days, when I feel as if I’m going on fumes…for the strength that was once given to me, has now been drained, from work…pain and tiredness…and any other thing that may have entered my path throughout the week; but one thing that has truly awakened my thoughts lately; is how fast God can step in and take us, from moments of weakness…into His marvelous and awesome strength…that is, if we are willing to ask Him for His help. After finishing a long and busy week, I had decided to relax and start decorating the house on Saturday, for the greatest birthday party to come…the birthday of Jesus Christ! Keith and I don’t exchange gifts and our Christmas’ have become truly centered on Jesus; but I do like to put up some decorations, for this great time of celebration. Anyways…I was working with our nativity scene…trying to make something very special, for us to enjoy this Christmas. I had a rustic scene all set up on a wide shelf; but I wanted to add some clear lights under the shelf above it; so the nativity would be illuminated with light. After struggling over and over again, to get these lights fixed just right…I began to get a little frustrated with my project…and to top it off…the tiredness was really settling in. After a few minutes of just letting go of everything, I asked God to give me added strength…and you know what…within a few minutes, I was ready to begin, from where I left off and the lights now look beautiful…and especially the nativity scene. You know…I have truly come to see that we don’t have to put ourselves through moments of needless suffering, when there is a God, who can renew the strength that we have lost…through times of struggle. We just need to be humble and come to a place, where we truly know…that being tough and strong on our own, won’t take us anywhere but down. As we begin this brand new week…my prayer is that we will truly come to experience God, rather than ourselves. When we can just stop, in the middle of the chaos; that may be surrounding us at the time and just take a moment, to ask God for His help; then I’m sure that we will come to see a God, who longs to run to us and love and care for our every need. There is old hymn that goes a little like this… “What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear; what a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer. Oh, what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pain we bear; all because we do not carry, everything to God in prayer.” Let this brand new week…be a time, when we look to the One, who can relieve us, of the moments that can sometimes attempt, to bring about needless moments of suffering! Have a great day and may you truly experience God! Take care and I’ll see you tomorrow! Blessings on your day! It’s Always & Only Because of Him… Diane Dear Reader…
Hello everyone! Welcome today…to “A New Day of New Hope Blog!” I am so happy to have you with me and my prayer; is that we would truly experience God…in a way that will keep us lifted high above the despair; that attempts to take us down! The other day, as I was ending my afternoon of work and was beginning to prepare to get around for the evening; I was really feeling the weight of the day upon my shoulders. After a long day of doubling up on my work…I really began to feel an extreme tiredness come over me, which had been mainly brought about, by very little sleep during the week. I don’t know about you; but I have moments, when I’m so overtired; that Satan actually attempts to use that against me…in a way where he tries to convince me that I really don’t need to write…or I really don’t need to do something else for the ministry. Anyways, as I was finishing up in the bathroom…I could feel the overpowering presence of Satan really coming my way. Finally, I had enough of his face in mine and left the bathroom…turned on the computer and began to press on…right through the thick of it all. As I look back on that moment, it was as if the weight of the day had begun to fall off my shoulders, as I kept moving forward, while making myself distant from what was attempting to take me down. You know…we’re all going to face these struggles and challenges in our lives. Some days will be fine, while other days seem to bring us relentless moments of struggle. One thing God has truly taught me; is to not get caught up in moments such as these…because when we do; then we find that the struggle increases with strength, which makes it that much harder to press on. Today, I would like to share a favorite Bible verse with you, from 2 Timothy 2:4, which reads… “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” In other words…we can’t press on and do what God is calling us to do, from one day to the next, if we find ourselves caught up, in the moments that are attempting to take us down…which only makes me believe that this is what Satan is attempting to do within my own life. You see…he’s probably thinking that if he can get me caught up into moments of tiredness and a very busy day; then I will remain there…for just the time needed, to keep me from doing the things that God longs to be accomplished, for that moment in time. One thing I can add to this today; is that I’m so glad that God gives me the strength, to plow through these very difficult moments of struggle; because later…I do come to see that the work needing to be done, was actually used to help a person in need. As we close our time together today…let me encourage you with this thought; that when Satan seems to be working overtime…to take you down; just know that God has something in mind for you…right around the corner. Instead of sitting, in the muck and mire of it all…get up…press on and never stop pressing on, until God reveals what He has…just for you; otherwise, you may just miss out on the best that God longs to give you…and maybe someone else too. Well…this has been another great week…and a great Thanksgiving! My prayer for you; is that you will always find the strength through God, to plow through the difficult struggles that attempt to take you down! Until we meet again on Monday morning…please take care and may you truly experience the presence of God…above any circumstance that may come your way! Blessings on your day! It’s Always & Only Because of Him… Diane Dear Reader…
Hello everyone…and a big welcome today, to “A New Day of New Hope Blog!” As we begin, I would like to take the time to say “Happy Thanksgiving” to all of you! I pray that your Thanksgiving will be a very blessed one and that you will truly…truly experience God in your day, as you give thanks to Him! One thing that God has laid upon my heart…these past couple of days; is that we should put more time into counting our blessings, rather than always counting every little thing that is wrong with us. Can you imagine what a day would be like, if we were more deeply focused on the blessings that God brings into our day…even if they were only little ones? There was a time…just a while back, when I had been through a rough day, due to the pain in my legs. Instead of complaining to God…I thanked Him, for providing a soft daybed, for me to sit on and work. As I began to thank Him, with all my heart…I began to see that this blessing may not seem like much to another person; but it was a very special blessing for me…because life could have been much more difficult that day, if I would have had to stand…sit on the floor or even work at a desk. Why is it that we are always looking for the big blessings that we desire God to bless us with, while completely bypassing the little blessings that enter our lives? Just think…if we were to count all the little blessings that God brings into our day; then just maybe those little blessings would become stepping stones; that would eventually lead us to bigger blessings. Sometimes, I think that God is testing us with the little blessings first; to see if we truly do appreciate all He longs to do within our lives. You know…there have been times, when I have longed so much, to have normal legs, like other people have. It’s been so long, since I have been able to run and enjoy life; that I sometimes sit and think about what it must be like, to be carefree once more. Even though I would like so much, to be free from the rod in my right leg; so I could bend my knee once more…and even though I would like to be able to walk without a cane…or be free from holding onto walls, when the legs are weak…I thank God today that I can walk. You see…I have found that when I look for the little blessings; then life appears to be much better; then what it may seem at the time. You know…Thanksgiving can be a great time of the year, as family and friends come together; but let us not forget to take a little time and thank God, for the blessings that He has brought into our lives. I think that if we could truly look deep within the heart; then we would find a blessing that would cause us to rejoice and praise God for. As we end our time together today…I pray that you will have a very blessed Thanksgiving…no matter what you may have planned and I also pray that we all will experience the real and true meaning of this holiday in our hearts! May God always bless and keep you! It’s Always & Only Because of Him… Diane Dear Reader…
Hello everyone…and a big, big welcome, to my newest blog…“A New Day of New Hope Blog!” It’s so good to have you with me…and my prayer right now; is that God will truly become the healer of our hearts…no matter what we may be facing at this time! Lately, I have been dealing with some very difficult moments from my past. For those who may not know a lot about me…I’ve not only dealt with multiple knee surgeries, due to a congenital problem in both knees; but I also grew up in a dysfunctional home and went thru sexual abuse. It’s been quite some time now, since I spent about 2 years of my life…working with counselors, to overcome these difficult moments from my past. When I was in counseling; they did teach me how to cope with the past…but they also said that the memories would still remain with me. Overtime…with God’s help, I began to create new and happy memories that would put the past, in the back files of my mind; but one thing I have come to see; is that no matter what we do…some things still remain a point of weakness, for Satan to feast on. It seems as though the past couple of months, have been filled with flashbacks of the past…and I don’t know if you really understand what I’m talking about; but these flashbacks can actually make a person feel, as if they are real. It was just the other night, when another flashback began to hit me…just as I was going to sleep; but once I opened my eyes and looked around the room; I began to see that what was coming at me wasn’t real. One thing I’ve come to know over time; is that God doesn’t allow these moments to enter our lives, for no reason at all. In fact…these should be the moments, when we take our focus away from the problem, to take hold of a God, who can exchange these troubling times, for a peace that can help and sustain…and that is just what I did. Instead of allowing Satan to use these moments against me and take me down…I turned away from the problem that he wanted to use against me and I used the problem, as an excuse to turn my mind away from the abuse…to focus on a God, who could hold me and bring me peace, during those troubling moments…and do you know what? It worked! I have come to see that we tend to suffer needlessly; because we allow our problems to abuse us, rather than learning and growing through them. One thing I can say to you today is this…the problems…pain and heartache of my past was what actually nudged me in God’s direction…and as I began to see how my problems could draw me closer to Him, while teaching me to lean fully on Him…that is when I began to turn to God even more. You know…Jesus never said that this life would be an easy life…or that we would be free from the attacks…brought on by evil; but He did say that He would be with us…that is, if we choose to have Him with us. I have truly come to see that the way we react to the problems we face, will either keep us tied into the problem or they will draw us closer to a God, who longs for us to lean on Him, during these difficult times. Well…I hope that these words have encouraged you today…just as they have become a reminder to me…to always turn away from evil and draw closer to God! Before we end our time together, I would like to also invite you to come and spend a little of your Thanksgiving with me, at “Diane’s Place!” I now have it all set up for you…and I hope that you will take a little time, to stop by and check out the page! Well…until tomorrow, I pray that you will truly experience God in your day…and even more, as you walk through the struggles and challenges of this life! Take care and I will look forward to another visit tomorrow! May God truly bless your day with His best! It’s Always & Only Because of Him… Diane Dear Reader…
Hello to everyone…and a big welcome today, to “A New Day of New Hope Blog!” I am so glad that you stopped by for a visit today…and I am really looking forward to our time together! My prayer; is that we will truly come to find a hope that can keep our heads above the troubled waters of circumstance! Well…my Monday was a good one…but a little confusing, as I am moving a few things around this week, due to Thanksgiving. I think it was about a week or two ago; that I began to feel my stomach slide down to my feet, as I began to realize that Thanksgiving fell on one of my biggest and busiest days of the week; so thank God that He was there to help me shift everything around, before it was too late! I don’t know about you; but where would I be without that still small voice within me; that guides me through my day! I truly believe that when we invite God into our day; then He stays with us throughout the day. Usually, when I get up in the morning and enter my office…after getting around; I have a heart to heart talk with God…and before I finish, I’m saying… “Ok Lord; come on into my day because you are more than welcome!”…and from there…His presence never ceases to be with me. You know…I remember a time, when my husband and I had taken a taxi to the grocery store…as neither one of us can drive. For some reason…they were very busy that day…and we were going to have to wait a little longer for someone to pick us up. Well…as time went by, my legs began to really feel the pain of standing…and I remember saying under my breath… “Oh Lord, we sure could use your help.” I would say that within a minute or two; a very nice lady approached us and said that her and her husband noticed us standing where we were, for quite some time. I mentioned to her that the taxi service was very busy that day and we were going to have to wait. Well…to make a long story short…God had heard my prayer and sent this Christian couple to come and take us and our groceries home. I will never forget this time because I knew that the God that I had invited into my day, was still with me and my husband and was making a way for us…where there seemed to be no way. There has been many times, when I have heard that still small voice within my spirit…reminding me of this or that…or even giving me the words to write. Each day, I see God as my boss, while I remain His simple secretary…and that is because I want Him to lead the day and walk me through the moments that I may miss out on or end up falling prey to. We all might as well realize…that in these troubled times; we just can’t make it on our own. If you are going through some tough days, maybe you need to stop and ask yourself, if you have invited God into your day. One thing I can say for sure; is that you will truly see a change in what you experience in a day…just by having God close by. Well…I have truly enjoyed our visit together…and before I forget…tomorrow, I will be posting a very special Thanksgiving page, on “Diane’s Place”…and I hope you will stop by for a visit! I should have everything completed, by later in the afternoon, if you want to stop by! So…until tomorrow, I pray that you will have a very blessed day, as you begin your day with God! Blessings… It’s Always & Only Because of Him… Diane Dear Reader…
Hello everyone…and welcome back to “A New Day of New Hope Blog”…through the Risen Hope Ministries! I am so happy to be with you today…and I’m praying that as we spend this time together; that we will truly find God to be very real in this brand new day! Yesterday, I decided to lie down and get a little rest. I had been through a hard and difficult week and I finally found an opportunity to lie down and take a nap. I had planned on about several hours of rest…that is until our neighbor began to gun his lawn mower. I guess he was getting it ready; so he could grind up the leaves in his yard…but at the same time; this moment of rest ended up being a great disappointment for me…that is until God reminded me once more, of how His strength can be made perfect through weakness. As I was thinking on all that had taken place…God began to lead me to a Bible verse in Isaiah 41:10, which reads… “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” I’m so glad that God led me to this Bible verse today because it has been of great encouragement to me in the past…and even to this day! Just think…we don’t have to fear anything…we don’t have to hang our heads and give up on the hope of making it through the difficult times because we have a God that will not only strengthen us…but will also help us through these hard times. I remember a time in my life, when I never truly took hold of God’s hand. It was me all the way and I always felt the need to keep going on my own so-called strength…that is, until a time came in my life, when I completely collapsed and found myself on the floor. It didn’t take long…before I came to see that my strength wasn’t strong enough, to get me through the very hard and overwhelming moments of life. Today’s the beginning of a brand new day…and what a better way to start out this week; then to lean on a God, who can carry us through any difficult situation that may come our way. I have come to see that when we, as God’s children, begin to humbly lean on our Father; then our Father…God almighty, will always be there, to catch us when we fall and He will also be there, even more; to lift us out of weakness, with arms of strength. As we begin this week together…let us not focus on everything that needs to be done…or on how tired we may feel…or even on what we may be going through; but let us turn our attention, to a God, whose strength can be made perfect, through these difficult times of weakness. I truly believe that when we start out our week, by taking hold of the great…mighty and powerful hand of God; then weakness will fade into the background of our lives, as God’s strength overrides any form of weakness; that may attempt to take us down! I have truly enjoyed this time with you today…and I’m sure that Satan is feeling the “thorn” that I have now placed in His side, through this powerful writing! My prayer for you today; is that you will have a great start to your week and that you will truly experience a strength that only comes from a powerful God! Take care and I will see you again tomorrow, as we share the challenging moments of life…but also the hope that can truly help us to rise above these moments of despair! Blessings so much on your day! It’s Always & Only Because of Him… Diane |
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May 2019
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