Resurrection Hope

Have you ever found yourself in the space in between hopeful expectation and bitter disappointment? Where reality seeks to pry your fingers loose from the tentative hold they still have in hope.

No One Told Me It Would be this Way

I was completely and utterly unprepared for the wave of emotions that consumed me. No one told me, warned me, or equipped me with how to handle the very challenging, life-changing event of my child leaving home to go off to college.

“You’re Out!”

I am not here to call myself or you a failure for falling short because falling short does not make us failures. This isn’t what this is. Rather, this is a moment to be real—honest. To call myself out when I mess up. And we all mess up! There is not one of us that has not made a mistake, done something, or said something we wished we hadn’t. This happened to me recently.

Are You Prepared?

Have you ever felt like that? You thought you were prepared, but then WHAM! Something unforeseen happens and it can leave you feeling like you are fighting a losing battle. Is this that season for you?…Unlike a hurricane that is detected by high tech equipment enabling us to plan accordingly, in life, there is no such radar that allows us to predict when and where the storms will hit. And they can leave us feeling unprepared to face a battle we never saw coming. But what if you’ve been unknowingly preparing all your life?

Another Year Older (And Hopefully Wiser!)

The usually packed mall was empty. Super weird. It felt like we were living in an apocalyptic movie! I know you all have your stories that ring very similar to mine. We, along with the rest of the world, waited with bated breath for the next bad report, the other shoe to drop, the closure of another state. It seemed the world had come to a standstill. But as we all know, whether in quarantine or not, life marches on.

Can I Help You?

I’m sure you’re familiar with the expression, “You can’t help those who won’t help themselves.” But I wonder… can’t we? Does this mean we don’t even try? And I’ve got to ask myself, “Have I ever used this old adage as an excuse to not help?” The hard truth—yes, at times, I have. Have you? Be honest, it’s just you and me here.

Finding Hope In A Hopeless Place

Ever find yourself in a hopeless place? Where you can’t see a way out of or through a situation? When it seems nothing will ever change or nothing seems to help? I know I have and if you’ve experienced this feeling, you know there is no place worse to be than a place without hope. So, where can we find hope?

And The Greatest Of These Is Love

“Love guides us into maintaining faith and holding on to hope, and when we do that, love helps us to see others as precious treasures to be loved. By choice. Not by feelings. Without love, we fan the flame of hatred. Without love, we fuel the fire of intolerance. Without love, we are nothing and gain nothing. Without love, we will struggle to endure through every circumstance.”

Stalemate

Maybe you feel like that now thanks to our current lock-in. You can’t advance and there’s nowhere to retreat. You’re stuck. Forward movement has been impeded. I would venture to say there have been and will be seasons in your life when you encounter stalemate.

Now More Than Ever

So what is it you need now more than ever? Do you need hope more than you did in the past? Face to face social interaction with people other than the ones who share your address? Maybe your “need now more than ever” is peace. Strength? Does it vary from day to day like me?

	Teresa Lyn Barton on Do You Know?
	Wendi Rader on Do You Know?
	Teresa Lyn Barton on Be Loved
	Patty on Be Loved
	Teresa Lyn Barton on Stalemate