Hope

"May the God of 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

I have been reading a beautiful book called, Winning Him Without Words, by Lynn Donovan and Dineen Miller. This is a book that gives hope and encouragement to the woman who finds herself in a spiritually mismatched marriage.

Because, you see, my beloved husband is an atheist.

However, God is good, and daily He empowers me to love my husband with all of my heart, respecting and honoring him as if he were a believer - as if Christ lived in him.

He is a wonderful man, full of amazing qualities, and I am forever thankful for him.

But, like all marriages, we have our ups and downs.

In fact, it is during our most difficult times that my faith and trust in the Lord has grown immensely. When trials come, I turn to Him, seeking to be nourished by His Word and comforted through His promises. His faithfulness is perfect, and His love abounds. He has given me an inner peace that surpasses all understanding and a love that goes beyond even the strongest human love.

The verse I quoted above is one that authors Donovan and Miller include in an opening chapter. It has been incredibly comforting to me, as I remind myself of the riches found in our great and holy God.

And with Him, there is hope. There is always hope.

Your Love

I have to admit something to you.

I feel so inadequate.

The decision to start a blog did not come easily. I battled with it for months.

Would my thoughts really make an impact? Would it be worth it?

My heart has been in deep pain recently. I worry I won't have anything uplifting to say.

But even in life's hurts and disappointments, our God is there.

Perhaps that is why He wants me to write.

Perhaps that is why my blog's theme is Love.

He loves us through our trials. He is there with us even when we don't feel Him.

"Let Your steadfast love be upon us, O Lord, even as we hope in You." 
-Psalms 33:22

The Journey

The Lord has been taking me on a journey. A journey to show me what is truly important.

"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?"

And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

This is the great and first commandment.

And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

-Matthew 22:36-39

My story began less than five years ago, when the Creator of the universe ignited within me a desire to know Him. Not just mentally, but intimately. Like a lover desires to know her beloved.

This journey took me to places I had never known before. I let go of certain things I knew my Beloved did not like, and added practices I thought would please Him. I met people who encouraged me on my quest, people who loved Him as I did.

I sought Him diligently, and He sought me too.

Then, suddenly, my journey came to a stop. In my desire to know Him, I lost track of what love is. I stopped seeking Him. Exhaustion and weariness overcame me. Fear struck.

But He did not stop. He sought me. He continues to seek me.

He picked me up, and into His arms I ran.

His perfect faithfulness never ceases.

Oh, how He loves us so!

It is here my story resumes.