Author: Barbara

My passion is to encourage women wherever they are on their life journey. In everything I write and in every opportunity to speak, my goal is to offer hope. May the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 NIV

Stand… and Stand

~ Barbara ~ Leave a comment

Stand, #1

Put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes,
you may be able to stand your ground,
and after you have done everything, to stand.  Ephesians 6:13

The last few years have challenged us physically, financially, socially, mentally, and, might I add, spiritually. Widespread disease, a diminished economy, anxiety about socializing, intrusive depressing thoughts, and the challenge to our confidence that God is in control, have weakened us. Will 2023 be different?

As I contemplated the arrival of a new year, the Lord dropped a word in my heart: Stand. Don’t cower, don’t weaken, don’t tremble. Stand fast, firm, fixed. The Lord reminded of my own words, written in 2019 and too easily forgotten. They are an antidote to fear that allow hope to once again flow.

  • Hold your eyes higher—above troubling circumstances.
  • Open your heart to God’s opportunities—this is not a dead end, but a turn in the road.
  • Ponder the positive, not the problems—replace negative fears and worries with assurances of God’s love and sovereignty.
  • Expect grace—don’t wait for the other shoe to drop, but anticipate God’s blessing. He’s all about grace!

These practices will feed our hope and enable us to stand in 2023.

*I Was Broken, Too

Light Paramount

~ Barbara ~ Leave a comment

12/22/2022

Christmas Light, #4

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.” Isaiah 66:1-2

The light of God’s glory illuminates the darkness of our thoughts and the fears of our souls. His light within, fills us with hope for a future light brighter than any we’ve seen—clearer than we can comprehend, glorious beyond description, lacking shadow and haze, intense but not glaring, elating and refreshing our souls.

The light that guided wisemen to the Savior, guides us to kneel before Him. We worship Him now but anticipate living in the light of His glory, when darkness no longer covers the earth. His light in us urges our hearts to anticipate life in His kingdom.

The celebration of Christmas offers us a respite from our stifling darkness as it points us to a realm undimmed by sin. Think for a moment about the dark effect of our current dwelling place: distrust, insecurity, fear, hostility, intimidation, inferiority, bitterness, offence, jealousy, anger, uncertainty, suspicion, tension, threats, instability, and so on. It is hard to imagine living in a world of light where God will erase every shadow.

There will be no negative words, questionable glances, or critical comments. We will believe the best, attain the most, succeed in our efforts, excel in our gifts, rejoice unrestrained.

At Christmas, may our anticipation of happy company, shared meals, and joyous gift-giving, pique our longing for the full, unhindered, and pure joy that awaits us.

Light Predominant

~ Barbara ~ Leave a comment

12/15/2022

Christmas Light, #3

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby,
keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them,
and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. Luke 2:8-9

An angel appeared and the Lord’s glory shone. Astonishing! Miraculous! Overwhelming! But there’s more. “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel” (v.13, emphasis mine). However far we stretch our imagination, we cannot envision the sight and sound of angels singing and glory shining—the splendor of light, the radiance of a heavenly host, the crescendo of celestial voices. It’s almost as incomprehensible as the truth of 2 Corinthians 4:6:

God… made his light shine in our hearts
to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory.

            The light of God’s glory… in us. The knowledge of Him shining from within, glowing in our clay vessels, lighting our way, exposing darkness, revealing truth. Jesus called us the light of the world, emitting light as a city on a hill, light that cannot be hidden (Matthew 5:14).

In your Christmas visiting, let your light shine. Speak truth, testify to God’s grace, offer words that encourage. You are the light of the world.

“This little light of mine; I’m gonna let it shine…
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.”