Bible readings... 
God’s Way of Demonstrating His Love for You…(Always thinking of us)“How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them!” Psalm 139:17
(Always watching over us)“The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.” Psalm 121:5
(Always caring for us) “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” I Peter 5:7
(God is always thinking of us…watching over us and caring for us because He loves us.) “The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” Jeremiah 31:3
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Hello everyone…and a big welcome today, to Sunday Inspiration…through the Risen Hope Ministries! As we begin our time together today…I pray that we will truly come to see and experience a love that goes way beyond our own way of thinking…a love that truly comes from the heart of God!

You know…one thing I have come to see over my lifetime…and even experience myself; is how easily, we can find ourselves conformed to the worlds so-called love; that before we realize it; we have come to see God’s love in a similar way, to a worldly form of love.  We not only tend to compare God’s love to the worlds so-called love; but we also tend to see God, as one who would walk away from us…just like someone who had at one time claimed to love us… but walked away. You know…if we were to think more on this; then I’m sure that we would come to see that when we are thinking or reacting in this way; then we are weakening a powerful love, which to me is a form of deception from Satan…a deception that attempts to make us feel as if God doesn’t always love us.
 
Throughout my life, I have truly come to see that there is a love that walks way beyond the imperfect love we experience here on earth…a love that first went to an old rugged cross, to die in our place…a love that was willing to forgive us; no matter the fault…and a love that thought more about us, rather than the extreme pain and suffering that was about to take place.
 
As I think more on this…I remember many times in my own life, when I would doubt God’s love…and that was only because I was going through intense pain and deep heartache in my life. I had the hardest time figuring out, how a God of love could allow so much suffering; that before I knew it; I began to believe that He had walked away and had given up on me…just like we would see and experience in this world.
 
The circumstances we face in this life definitely have a way of conveying a message to us; that God no longer loves us; but actually, I have found…through a long lifetime of pain and heartache; that this also is one of God’s greatest ways of loving us; for through these difficult times, we learn to lean on a God, who can become strength during weakness…and as we watch Him gradually walk us out of these difficult moments; we also begin to experience a love that would go the distance for us. 
 
I think the thing we need to ask ourselves today is this…why would God take a long journey, from the cradle to the cross and give up every ounce of His own life, to suffer and die; to pay the price and debt for our sin; only to turn around and abandon us through His love?
 
No matter what we face…and no matter what that problem may be attempting to convey to us; we can quickly be reminded of the most powerful and giving love; when we are willing to take a trip back to the old rugged cross. Through this journey, we will come to see and truly experience a love that will not stop at the cross; but will continue on, as this perfect love walks us through every obstacle and struggle we may face, until His love finally leads us into a place of eternal love!
Blessings on your day!
It’s Always & Only Because of Him…
Diane
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Bible readings...
“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” Romans 8:26
“The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” Exodus 14:14
“The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.” Psalm 145:18
“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10
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​Hello everyone and a big welcome today, to Sunday Inspiration…through the Risen Hope Ministries! I am so glad that God led you here today and my prayer for you; is that you will truly come to connect with a God, who can be everything…for every little thing you need!
 
As I was listening to our music for the week…the lyrics in this song was taking me back to a time in my life, when I actually came to the place, where there were no words to say. My heart was so badly broken at the time; that it seemed to hurt…just to breathe.
 
After deciding to take a shower and relax, from the thoughts that seemed to be taking me down, I found myself writing in the steam of the shower curtain… “Oh God, help me!” You see, at this point in my life, there was nothing left…and even the tears that once flowed over my cheeks had now dried up and all that remained was a heart that felt so deeply broken; that I felt as if the pieces of my heart would never find their way back together again.
 
As I continued to finish getting around for the evening, I began to feel something different enter me…as songs began to fill my heart and thoughts…and the more that I sung them…it seemed as if I was being lifted up on wings of love. By time I left that room to go back into my office, I was feeling as if God had completely brought every broken piece together again…that had once lain in rubble at my feet.
 
As I look back to these moments in my life; I now know…that at a time, when I couldn’t think right or even speak a word…God had definitely read the tablet of my heart. At a time, when the painful moments had overwhelmed me and made me speechless before a powerful God…that is when I believe that God stepped in and read my message…and the heart that was crying out for help. From there…God began to go to work…to bring every broken piece of my heart back together again, while He soothed that wounded heart with songs from above.  
 
Through time, I have come to see a deeply embedded tablet within my heart; where all my thoughts and feelings are posted. When my heart…mind and spirit become deeply overwhelmed, by all that has come my way…and there are no words to say; I know that my God will always be there within the heart, and will be able to know and understand, every hurt…thought and feeling that I am experiencing at the time.
 
No matter what you may be facing today…and no matter how overwhelming life may seem; just know…that at a time, when you can’t even pray or speak a word; that God will read every hurt…thought and feeling; that you have written upon the tablet of your heart.
Blessings on your day!
It’s Always & Only Because of Him…
Diane
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Bible readings... 
“The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” Deuteronomy 33:27a
“The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.” Psalm 145:14
“Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.” Psalm 37:24
“When I said, “My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O Lord, held me up.” Psalm 94:18
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​Hello everyone…and a big welcome today, to Sunday Inspiration…through the Risen Hope Ministries! I am so glad to have you with me today and my prayer is that we all will leave this time…feeling truly loved by a very caring God!
 
Did you know that God is even closer than you could ever imagine, while walking through the difficult times in your life? In fact, I have come to truly see how God can actually hold us close to Him, even when our problems take us down to a place, where we feel defeated.
 
You know…many times, we seem to get caught up in what the circumstance is conveying to us; that we can’t even feel the presence of God. It’s like the circumstance has drawn us into a foggy cloud…where all we can feel; is what is going on around us. How many times have we cried out to God, while wondering where He is…never realizing that He’s been there all along.
 
I remember a moment in my life, when I felt as low as I probably could have been at the time. As I stood before a mirror in our bathroom, I began to pour out my heart to God…and as tears began to stream down my cheeks, I said… “God, I’m just not making it.” Within a short time, God reminded me that I was standing…walking and breathing…and even though my problems had brought me down; they had not defeated me and taken me down to the grave.
 
Have you ever had a moment, when you felt as though you weren’t making it in life; but yet, you were still alive and functioning? Well…I have come to see that these are the moments, when God is truly holding us close to Him, with a sustaining power that can keep us above the problem, rather than face to face with it.
 
It’s amazing to know that at a time, when we feel the most defeated and abandoned by God…actually becomes the time, when God is closest to us. A very special Bible verse that has truly touched my heart through the difficult times; is found in Psalm 34:18a, which reads… “The Lord is close to those whose hearts are breaking…”
 
You know…if we were to stop for a minute and think…we probably would find that we feel the most distant from God, when we become caught up in the circumstance or when we view the circumstance in a defeated way. Today, we need to get away from the negative thoughts that are being conveyed through the circumstance and get our thoughts on God and His word; for this is where we will find hope and arms of love; that will always hold us close…no matter what we face.
 
No matter what you’re facing right now, just know that God has not forgotten you; but rather, He is holding you, in His strong…loving and powerful hands and He will never allow you to fall defeated, into the hands of evil!
Blessings on your day!
It’s Always & Only Because of Him…
Diane
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Bible readings...
“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”
Jeremiah 33:3
“This plan of mine is not what you would work out, neither are my thoughts the same as yours! 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than yours, and my thoughts than yours.” Isaiah 55:8  
“Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.” Psalm 62:5
“In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Prov. 3:6
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Hello everyone and a big welcome today, to Sunday Inspiration…through the Risen Hope Ministries! It’s so good to have you with me today and my prayer for you; is that when you leave this time with God; that you will have taken hold of a piece of hope that will truly see you through the struggles and challenges of this life!
 
You know…I don’t know what you have faced in your life…or what you are even facing at this time; but through my own life experiences, I have come to truly understand what it’s like to walk down a darkened path…and I mean a darkened path.
 
These paths that we fall prey to…through a circumstance, can be pitch dark and a feeling can surround us, as if we will never see the light of day again. We can even feel as if we are always stumbling over life…and even feeling our way through life; in hopes of finding a glimpse of light that can lead us safely out of these troubling times.
 
One thing I remember the most, while walking down a darkened path, were the moments when I would cry out to God for help, until there were no more tears to cry. It seemed like life had gone silent and the presence of God could barely be felt. Many times I wondered where He had gone to and it appeared as though my life was just one continual mess, rather than a master plan…designed and ready to live out by God.
 
After many months of begging God for His help, I came to see that if I couldn’t understand what He was up to…or whether He was up to anything at all; then I would have to simply trust His heart, to help my heart through the darkness that stood before me.
 
Through this life experience, I came to see one reason why God wasn’t answering my prayer…and that was because He had a plan…a plan that only He could know and understand and that plan would first have to teach me how to lean on Him and trust Him…to walk me through the darkness, until I was able to once more reach the light…the place, in which I could truly see what He had in store through these difficult moments that I was walking through.
 
You know…sometimes, when we can’t see a light through the dark moments of circumstance and when we just can’t see a plan unfold before us…for all we are going through at the time; then we must simply trust the heart of God, to bring us through these troubling moments…and it must be in His way and in His time.
 
A circumstance can definitely make it difficult for us to see what’s ahead and these moments can even make us feel as if God has abandoned us; but we must remember that His light can enter these darkened moments and see what we can’t see…and that’s why we need to trust His heart, rather than our own.
Blessings on your day!
It’s Always & Only Because of Him…
Diane