Hope Chest

Hope is a powerful thing! It replaces panic with peace, fear with strength, anxiety with comfort. It calms the “what if’s” in life and is simply a game changer. Hope is contagious! I am excited to share nuggets of hope with you from my personal “Hope Chest”! It may be through a scripture, a quote, a short story, or a photo. We hope the result is a nugget of hope you can carry throughout the day to make your day a little more “hope filled and joyful!”

What's in your cup?

You are holding a cup of coffee when someone comes along and bumps into you or shakes your arm, making you spill your coffee everywhere. Why did you spill the coffee? "Because someone bumped into me!!!" Wrong answer. You spilled the coffee because there was coffee in your cup. Had there been tea in the cup, you would have spilled tea. *Whatever is inside the cup is what will spill out.* Therefore, when life comes along and shakes you (which WILL happen), whatever is inside you will come out. It's easy to fake it, until you get rattled. *So we have to ask ourselves... “what's in my cup?"* When life gets tough, what spills over? Joy, gratefulness, peace and humility? Anger, bitterness, harsh words and reactions? Life provides the cup, YOU choose how to fill it. Today let's work towards filling our cups with gratitude, forgiveness, joy, words of affirmation; and kindness, gentleness and love for others.

Jojo Bennington

A lesson from Job

I love the verse that comes at the end of Job. “My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you!” I pray this prayer when the winds of life threaten to knock me to the ground, and life seems at its most bleak. I don’t want to only hear about God; I want to see Him and commune with him in the dark places of my life. Sometimes we must let go of our well-laid plans—the ones we make for safety and security—so we can grab hold of God’s purpose for our lives. His purpose and the story He wants to write with your life are always good. Trust Him. You have an author Who is intimately acquainted with the story and is writing those restoring chapters at this very moment.

"My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you." Job 42:5 (NIV)

The Journey to Soon

I have learned that what we do with “The Journey to ‘Soon’” is vitally important. Waiting does not necessarily mean passivity. Waiting works us over, making us pliable in the Potter’s hand. He molds the wet clay and forms a real grown-up person out of the child in me. So I am learning to take action while I wait. “Waiting on the Lord” does not mean putting on hold everything else in life until the prayer is answered, the situation redressed, or the nightmare over. “Waiting on the Lord” means cultivating an attitude of trust, casting the bundle of personal cares on Him while we busy ourselves with whatever duties we must do. And then He takes care of the rest!

Lisa Bain

Encouragement from Lisa's Blog

Our Miracle Maple: When Faith Stands Taller Than Fear

Over twenty years ago, when our new home was just taking shape, we planted a tree. Little did we know that this small maple would become more than just landscaping – it would grow into a symbol of hope and perseverance, gracing our front yard with a breathtaking display of autumn colors. The story of this tree took a dramatic turn several years ago when we received unsettling news: our ...

The Pearl of a Veteran’s Heart

The smell of cigar smoke told me Mr. Earl was near, and before long, I could hear his loud mumbling. My gruff, elderly neighbor reminded me of Walter Matthau in the movie Grumpy Old Men, but Mabel always perked up when she saw him coming. She would pull on her leash to catch up with him, and I'll never forget the first time Mr. Earl noticed her. In his grumbling ...

Porch Moments

Every morning, my elderly neighbor sits on his front porch and greets everyone who passes by. He and his little dog sit together, and with a wide smile, he waves to everyone with a friendly “Hello!” I’m one of those people who passes by and enjoys his familiar, warm greeting. I can tell he is enjoying life. One morning, I stopped to tell my neighbor how much I appreciated his ...

Green Beans and Grace

As the rain tapped against the windows, I found myself craving the comfort of Grandma's kitchen: green beans simmering with potatoes and ham, the aroma of home filling every room. There really should be a candle that captures that smell - "Simmering Green Beans and Ham.” I'd buy it! Since losing Mom and Dad, the meaning of "home" has shifted in my heart. On days like this, when the rain ...

When Justice Feels Out of Reach: Finding Peace in Life’s Unfair Moments

Questions flooded my mind as I sat on my porch swing after a tough day. God, where are you in this situation? What is the lesson here? I want to see your hand in this, but I’m struggling. Injustice can blindside us, especially when it comes from people we love. Whether a family member, close friend, organization, or leader, it feels soul-crushing. We’ve all felt those blows at different times ...

Small Gestures, Big Changes: The Ripple Effect of Kindness

In our neighborhood, there was a man everyone avoided – gruff, serious, and never talkative. The neighbors always commented that they were scared of him. I knew there was a story, and I prayed for him daily as I walked by his house on my morning strolls. I would see this man out in his lawn, never looking up, seeming very focused on the job at hand. He seemed sad. ...

Lessons from Childhood Art and Chicken Suits

Every holiday season, we climb into our attic, which we call “the black hole,” and do a thorough cleaning. It’s a scary place—we could get trapped in the mess and no one would hear us scream. I tell Skipper if I go into the attic and he doesn’t hear from me in three hours, begin the search. How do we manage to accumulate all that stuff? I’m convinced the junk ...

The rowboat and your tribe

Lately, I have been thinking about my tribe and who is in it. It seems that the longer we journey in life, the more we refine our circles; we grow wiser about who surrounds us and who we bring into our tribe. I picture a rowboat gliding across the sea. I’m in the boat, and as I look around, I notice the people around me. Some are rowing along with ...

“Beautifully Broken: Embracing Grace in Our Imperfections”

Life can sometimes surprise us with its sharp edges, can't it? Those moments when trust breaks and our world feels like it's falling apart. It's a pain that can linger, leaving invisible marks on our hearts. But what if I told you that these very wounds could become doorways to something truly beautiful? This year, a dear friend gifted me these stunning paintings by Paige Payne. It wasn't just art; ...

Fierce Love

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So, when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. – John 10:11-1 There are days when I need God to remind me that His love is fierce. This photo hangs in my prayer closet and is one ...

The lost art of lingering

We live in a swipe-and-scroll world. Our thumbs flick through seemingly endless images, videos, and snippets of information, consuming content in bite-sized pieces. How many people have I missed, opportunities lost, or conversations overlooked because I'm scrolling on my calendar to check the next meeting or visit? I lost some dear friends to cancer recently, and I realized that time stops when loss hits. We look back and wish we ...

Happy National Dog Day!

In honor of National Dog Day, I can’t help but reflect on the incredible lessons I’ve learned from my trusted fur companions. Over the years, my therapy dogs have taught me more than I ever imagined, often outshining even the wisdom found in human connections. Don’t judge people. We are so quick to make judgements about people based on their outward appearance. Dogs don’t do this. When we judge other ...