Power

Sometimes powerful statements come from the most unlikely of places.

Ashley has been having some tests done the past few weeks.  Routine stuff.  Triennial review things - which we are a year behind in doing.  Neuro-Psychological profiles, educational norms.  Real fun stuff.  And we top celebrate it all with an EEG!

That means sleep deprivation for her.  And Me.  And Chris.  and David.

This time we headed to a late movie.  We saw The Hunger Games.  A tale of post-apocolyptic America where the nation is divided into districts which send two children from each area to an annual competition to fight to the death as a means for reminding them that rebellion is futile.  The children are offered as a sacrifice to the nation for the peace.  (okay, that'll preach.  To what do we offer our children as sacrifice?  Popularity? Media?  Fame?  Money?  Ahh, another day.)  

I've read the books.  Time for the movie.

Sidenote:  This is NOT a Children's movie.  It is PG-13 for a reason!!!  There is violence.  Children are killing each other!!!  Please use wisdom in taking your children.


At one point, the villainous President states, "The only thing more powerful than fear is  Hope."

Wow.   I grabbed my phone to type that down.


The only thing more powerful than fear is Hope.


That Hope is what keeps us going.  Allows us to take our kids for testing knowing that the results may not be what we want to hear but we HOPE it's better than we think.   We HOPE that the meds will work.  We HOPE that surgery will fix this problem - this time.  We HOPE.  We BELIEVE>

HOPE.

An Anchor for the Soul.

Place your HOPE in God today.

Meds will fail.  Tests will be inaccurate.  Only Christ will be sure and steady each time.

Keeping Hope Alive

Hope - the greatest gift ever given to us.


We have HOPE in our Salvation through the work Jesus.


We have HOPE in healing through the blood of Jesus. 


We have HOPE for a better tomorrow - the sunrise will start a new day.


But how the heck to you keep HOPE alive?  Somedays, the reality of the today, tomorrow and the next;  the list of decisions we must make;  the prognosis of doctors;  the diagnosis of specialists;  the reality of where we live in this fast continuum of space and time - all defeat that little spark of HOPE!


I don't have an answer today.  I'm not discouraged.  I'm just wandering.


I do hurt today.  Hurt for my child who heard me say the same lesson 5 different ways over 2 days and still didn't get it.  Hurt for her frustration.  Making tough decisions - must she know a predicate nominative?  What in her future will require that knowledge?  If she writes correctly and descriptively, what does it matter if she can name every part of speech in one of de Tocqueville's 500 word, grammatically correct sentences?


Probably doesn't.  Not at all.


Lord, give me the words to keep HOPE alive in my child's heart.  When she sees only the wall, let me show her the staircase.  When she sees only the failure, let me show her success.  When she hurts, let me show her healing.


Thanks God.