Genesis 2: 20-22 “ And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.”
 
The sixth day of creation was a busy one for God and Adam. Whipping up cattle and creeping things, making a human, and arranging a garden was easy-peasy for God, and when Adam showed up on the scene, he jumped right in, naming animals as God brought them to him. This is God’s way— inspiring us creatively, developing our abilities, showing us our value, involving us in His work—all to spend time with us so that we can enjoy relationship with Him.

But the story doesn’t end with naming animals and a hearty backslap of friendship. On this very busy day, God looked at Adam and said, “Night-night,” and while Adam slept, God stayed busy—working on Adam’s behalf, creating what would bring Adam pleasure.

God made Eve as Adam rested.

We can learn a lot from the story of this sleeping man. What if we, too, focused on the pure pleasure of God’s company? What if we thrilled over what God was able to do with and for us? What if we did only the things He called us to do—and then rested? Stopped all other toil and twisting of our thoughts and simply rested in His love?

Adam could have resisted rest. “No, God. I don’t think I want to go to bed. There’s still a little daylight, and I have this garden to tend. Whew! You sure did load me down with tasks. But I WILL get this to-do list done…” If God had replied, “Have it your way,” it wouldn’t have been in Adam’s favor. Either there would have been no opportunity for Eve to enter the picture, or her arrival would have been an incredibly painful process. But isn’t that what we do?

We shouldn’t. Like Adam, we have the testimony of God’s attention to detail in every aspect of His creation and in the work He has already done in our lives. Shouldn’t we trust Him with our needs, our desires, the unknowns, the what-ifs?

Adam didn’t look at the animals clustered in pairs and grow resentful. He looked at the blessing of male and female of every kind and rejoiced. He did what he was called to do and delighted in the doing. He enjoyed his Creator. And he rested. If we will do the same, God is likely to surprise us with the things that are designed to help us, with blessings that exceed our wildest imagination. He’s likely to do what’s never been done before—just to surprise and delight us. And He could use our rib to do it.

Tip/Tidbit: Is there an area of desire in your heart that has not yet been met? Focus on what God called you to do, bask in His presence, and rest. He did a good job with you; He has capable hands! You can trust Him to know best. Who knows? He may extract from you and work through you to provide for you in ways you never imagined and to grant the desires of your heart.

Hummingbirds are perhaps my favorite little creatures to watch. Thus, each year, I faithfully hang sugar-water dispensers around my yard. Having several edging my patio, I have been able to watch their interactions with one another. I love the buzz of their wings, their chatter, their effortless hovering while they drink, and their zipping around in a blur. While they remain inspiring to behold, I have also noticed that some of them have territorial tendencies that cause them to expend excessive energy keeping other sippers away from the feeders they've claimed as their own. They don't realize I am thrilled to replenish what they drink, that there's more than enough to go around. 
Humans can be just as territorial. In the writing industry, for example, I've come across those who are generous with their knowledge, helpful in promoting others, and eager to share opportunities. These authors are just as busy and just as "thirsty" for success as the rest of us "hummingbirds" that are working in the field of writing, yet they send out a chatter to gather others around their supply. However, not all human hummingbirds are equal. While some are so helpful, others expend their energy defending their space. These are fearful of encroachment. "What if there's not enough to go around?" they fret. At first glance, they're wondrous to behold with success to be lauded, but their feeder is heavily guarded. Their chatter is one of warning. "Keep away! Mine!" 
This same mentality is reflected in businesses, in neighborhoods, and alas, in churches. People tend to be one way or the other. Aiding and supportive-others focused--or protective and defensive of what's theirs, be it gifting, time, energy, knowledge, or means. Like hummingbirds, at first glance, anyone can inspire. A selfish singer may have a lovely voice. A financial guru may work magic with numbers. A stay-at-home mom may be an awesome parent.  But what is revealed upon closer inspection? 
While non-Christians can be among the selfless, I am discovering that those who experience wholeness in their spiritual faith understand that there is an endless supply, a Source to replenish what is freely given. They "get it" that no one can do their exact job or receive their personal promotion that God intended, so they aren't afraid of someone else's success. In fact, they can celebrate it. They grasp the ultimate truth that only in sharing will they know the fullness of multiplication. As a result, they experience joy in the process. People who give, get more in order to give more. People who reach out are ministered to in like manner. People who extend help receive help. They collect a harvest from what they have sown.
Things we possess--abilities, successes, resources, connections--are not ours anyway. They belong to Heaven's generous Gift Giver. Like hummingbirds, we can inspire most fully when we leave the perch of self-protection and share what God has supplied to us.

Tip/Tidbit: Let's purpose to put our energy toward inviting others into our territory rather than into defending what is ours. What do you have that you can share? A skill? An opportunity that others may find beneficial as well? A recommendation? An investment of time or money? How can you share YOU with others today?

I got home from an extended vacation to find the weeds overtaking my flowerbed. And not just in my yard. While there was definitely the thrill of having spent time traveling with family, my return home was met with sorrows. A dear friend passed away, two other friends had major family setbacks, yet another experienced a devastating amputation, and a family member needed cancer treatment. Though the blossoms of joys I'd recently experienced were there for the viewing, these weeds blocked their visibility. A friend's sorrow has a way of sharing the space designated for personal joy. But just as the ache throbs, demanding attention, seemingly stark and ugly, the joy remains. Not just in colors of the blooming hibiscus, not only in the thrills shared with the ones we love, but also in the memories that linger, the hopes that lie ahead, and in the present comfort Jesus so freely gives.  Yes, I'd love to have a flowerbed free of weeds, a life uncluttered with trouble, uncomplicated with difficulties, but since that wouldn't be life, I choose to see the buds tucked in the shadows of the overgrowth. And I find peace and beauty in the pain.

Tip/Tidbit: Though my heart is heavy, I find reasons to hope: The thrill that my friend no longer suffers, possibilities for resolution of my friends' family issues, potential for recovery...and most of all, peace, that God is present through it all. If you, too, are experiencing heartache, look for the blossoms amid the weeds. They are there, even when they are difficult to see.

She had just traded the bar stool for a church pew when I met her. Prickly as a pear cactus, she would have been more comfortable cast in Burr Singer's "Dock Workers" painting than in Duccio's "Madonna and Child." Still, she assumed the role of mother to 16 know-everything college students who needed a place to rent. She ran what was fondly called, Mercy House, like any good captain mans his ship: no-nonsense, practical, stern, and with a heart of love that provoked respect and obedience. That was who she was, through and through, to all who called her friend or acquaintance, and the Kingdom of God was richer because she didn't flinch, didn't compromise, and didn't withhold her real self from those in her world. Natured thus, she could accept both the warts and beauty marks in others. Countless lives were enriched by her willingness to share, to give, and to be steadfast. I was one of them. 
Raised much like an only child, I did not want to rent from her. The spaces were dormitory style with private quarters shared among four students and communal living/kitchen/dining areas. I wanted freedom, and everything about this arrangement screamed captivity to me. But God knew what I needed. And WHO I needed. So, when all my renting options dwindled to nothing, I plastered on a fake smile and suitcase in hand, moved in with the queen of authentic. Her unrelenting care didn't coddle; it forced me to strip away the facade, even the deceit, and take a firm hold on truth. In the process, delusions that had taken me away from God were corrected, allowing complete restoration with my loving Savior. When all was said and done, I was convinced God had urged her to open Mercy House just for me. I told her so. "It wasn't you kids needing me," she'd always reply. "It was me needing each of you." And that's often the way of God's work: mutually benefiting. Even so, she was the purest testimony of just how someone without means, money, or distinction can influence a life, and lives, too numerous to count, were touched by her in a way that left an eternal imprint. 
Through her genuine, unadorned investment in people, she's  been accumulating spiritual treasure for a long time. Today, she's enjoying some of those treasures while we participate in her memorial service. Like the atmosphere she generated in the Mercy House, the air is stirred with challenge. I take another honest look at myself to see if I"m being the purest me, the one through whom Heaven is introduced to others' hearts.
Tip/Tidbit: Challenge any mindset that keeps you from serving others in a way that lifts their spirits to God.

I hate snakes. Harmless ones. Plastic ones. Clip art ones.  The garden variety that got in my neighbors' house. Yes. IN MY NEIGHBORS' HOUSE!! Eeek!!! When they told me about this, my senses moved to high alert. The dead Elephant Ears looked like snakes. The belt in my son's floor became a snake. The thread on my hem rubbing my ankle--a snake. My skin was in a perpetual state of creepy-crawly, and I was ready to jump with the slightest provocation.  
Looking for boogers everywhere has this effect. When we are in a constant state of expecting the bad, we see it--even when it's not there. This wrong mindset robs our lives of potential joy.  Philippians 4:8 gives us a counter approach to life: "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."  Applying this principle doesn't diminish the fact that there are bad things in life, but it does take our focus off of them so that we can see the good, which is likely more predominate than the bad.
Tip/Tidbit: Today, let's seek out the butterflies, the rainbows, the blossoms in life rather than the critters that cause us to fear. 

Fear is a stronghold that can cripple our lives.  It brings with it insecurity, anxiety, a controlling nature, and a host of other negative mental and emotional conditions.  One of the most practical ways of overcoming fear is exposure therapy.  In laymen’s terms that simply means “facing your fears.”  For example, people who have arachnophobia, which includes a fear of spiders, overcome that fear by gradually introducing themselves to spiders.  They look at pictures of spiders, they go to the pet store and let a tarantula crawl on their hands, and they leave the spider web hanging in their living room, until finally, fears that once sent them over the edge become normalized and manageable.  Granted, they may still want to smash the multi-legged creature with a steel-toed boot, but they no longer feel like they have to flee a house where a spider is in residence.  Like riding a roller coaster, the first time to face a fear is the most difficult, but repetition will erode it into nonexistence.  An unseen part of the overcoming-fear-equation is trust.  If we trust the mechanics of the roller-coaster, we can more easily climb into the bucket seat that will carry us through the ride.  If we trust the clerk to rescue us from an angry spider or trust that our handy-dandy broom will make havoc of arachnid invaders, then we’re less fearful of the creepy crawlies.  Scripture says, “…Perfect love casts out fear…”  Simple realization that God’s love, the only perfect love, is able to hold us through trying times and lead us through uncertain places can erase many of the fears that threaten to strangle our lives. 

Tip/Tidbit:  Exposing our fears to Jesus and removing the curtain of the uncertainty so that He is exposed to us is "exposure therapy" at its best.You can take action against fear today by beginning the practice of trusting God with the small things.  Take a leap of faith and face an uncomfortable unknown with full assurance that God is facing it with you.



To talk with a professional about clinical exposure therapy, call (337) 302-0801.

We all face temptation; for some temptation is a moment by moment struggle.  It can be the daily battle of eating healthy, the struggle with persistent, negative thoughts, or a stronghold like a sexual or chemical addiction.  Scripture gives insight on how to handle temptation.  1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”  From this we learn the following:  1.Everyone has an issue to overcome.  2.God doesn't leave a person alone to deal with that struggle.  3.There is often a path around the temptation. 4. When a person can’t handle the temptation himself, God will shoulder some of the weight so that the issue can be managed.   

Applying this Scripture, we realize that we’re not alone.  No one is a temptation odd-ball.  When we look at someone else who appears to have a life of ease, we can know that person has already come through difficult times, is going through difficulties, or will one day face a struggle.  Therefore, the tendency to excuse ourselves based on the erroneous thought “no one has it quite like I do” will only serve to keep us tethered to things that will limit us. 

Secondly, when we set our sight on God, we eliminate a lot of trouble up front.  It’s harder to give in to weaknesses when our minds are otherwise occupied with the goodness of God and His work.

Thirdly, some temptation can be avoided.  Scripture says, “flee fornication.” This indicates there is a window of opportunity to steer away from temptation.  Avoiding certain places, particular people, and specific activities can be a path around temptation.  Instead of denying the possibility of failure, recognizing potential weakness and recalling past failures can be a set-up  for success for it allows us to prepare ahead of time for what may come our way.  That preparation includes eliminating secrecy by seeking an accountability partner.  One person who struggled with pornography said he agreed upon a “sin date” with his pastor.  He marked on the calendar a day he’d give himself permission to fail.  Every other day he’d say, “No.  I have to wait until (that day). I can’t give in today.”  By the 3rd “sin date,” he decided he didn't have to give in to the temptation at all.  Each person's plan of action may look differently; its just important to have one. It may be to practice what to say in the heat of the moment, to get professional help, or to push out the bad with a better choice (thoughts/foods), but the plan can help in the moment of encountering temptation.

When temptation cannot be avoided, God has promised us His strength to help bear the load.  His strength comes from His word and His presence.  Worshiping Him brings His presence near and shifts our desire away from distractions and onto God.  Scripture is a sword that cuts away the desire bit by bit until one day the struggle with temptation no longer exists.  Reminding ourselves that Jesus bore the flesh struggle so we don’t have to is yet another way that God bears our trouble with us.  “I want to smoke,” one man said before adding, “but Jesus doesn't want to.”  I used to have these mental sparring matches with people who’d offended me.  Wow! I could slice and dice with the most profound phrases.  This went on for a while before it even dawned on me what I was doing.  I was harboring ill feelings, nurturing a grudge, and wasting my thoughts on angry outbursts no one but I could hear.  By the time  I saw what was happening, I had a mental stronghold.  I couldn't change my thinking until I started quoting Scripture every time I caught myself having ugly thoughts.  I’d speak blessing instead of anger in my thoughts.  I’d imagine myself loving and showering gifts on the person who’d aggravated me. One day I was cleaning house, and I realized I couldn't remember the last time I  had a mental confrontation or an offended thought.  God had given me support through my temptation until I had victory.

Tip/Tidbit:  Are you struggling with a temptation?  Make an over-comer’s plan of action that includes an accountability partner, Scripture, and a reminder that your story can be one of victory.

Overcoming is not a picture of a sail boat pushed by gentle winds across crystal seas.  Instead, it indicates the presence of adversity, some frothing waves and turbulent winds whipping at our sails.  Over-comers land in a special category that interests us.  We have to go no further than our televisions to see this is true. Seldom do TV programs portray the perfect person living the perfect day in his or her perfect life, but the channels are loaded with compelling stories of those who did not cave in to their circumstances, who fought the odds and won, and who rose above what should have been to lay hold of something better.  Television captures these stories because they sell.  They sell because inside each of us is the desire for that to be our truth.  No one wants the epitaph “she collapsed under the pressure of life and never reached her potential.”  Instead, our hearts ring out with the desire to be victorious, so we celebrate others who are.  The good news is that we can all claim the label “over-comer” if we simply handle life’s challenges with the right mindset, the one that says, “Persevere. Don’t quit. Keep going,” and grab hold of tomorrow’s joy with a tenacity that won’t let go when the winds of trouble blow.

Tip/Tidbit:  Make a list of people who have overcome hardships.  Let one of them know you admire how he faced his challenge. 

Surrender is throwing our hands up in a non-verbal demonstration of resign.  It signals the realization that we know we can’t go any further, that we’re shoved in the corner, or that we’re facing a double-barrel shotgun in an Old West shoot out.  People seldom surrender if there are other options.  As long as the getaway car can speed through traffic, no surrender.  As long as the fastest horse in the West stamps its feet under a sturdy saddle and a dusty trail winds away from the posse, no surrender.  As long as we think we have other options, alternatives to what we deem less desirable, we don’t surrender.  We like what we like.  We want what we want, and usually that means handling things ourselves, hopeful for a fabulous outcome.  We’ll cut back on sugar and hope that takes care of diabetes before we resentfully surrender to insulin. We’ll finagle with bills and credit cards before surrendering in frustration to debt collectors. We will manipulate, excuse, and ignore until it’s blatantly clear we are out of options.
We view surrender as the unpleasant, distasteful choice, but there’s a problem with that mindset.  It means we’ve gone too far on our own.  The robber should have surrendered to his conscious, the cowboy should have surrendered to ethics, and the diabetic should have surrendered to a healthy lifestyle early on.  It’s not a matter of surrender that makes us uncomfortable.  It’s a matter of WHEN we surrender.  Surrendering early in a situation keeps that situation from escalating to the point where we have no other options.  It is exercising wisdom and humility to step in to do what is right before pride or neglect  insists on taking things to a whole new level.  For instance, we stop insisting we are right and avoid a heated argument, we service our vehicle and avoid an engine problem, and we plan ahead and forego last minute stress. If we choose a life of surrender, we avoid many of those uncomfortable, no-other-option situations.  So let’s take the first step in doing what’s right in life; let’s throw our hands in the air and surrender.

Tip/Tidbit:  Do you need to surrender something: a habit, a friendship, an investment of time/energy, a Twinkie?
Or do you need to surrender TO something: a healthier lifestyle, devotion to a relationship, a budget, sound advice, conviction, or God’s voice?

The roar of the bus motor and its grinding gears drown out our conversation, but it did not blot out the sight of the homeless man eating out of the trash.  It was a spectacle that unsettled my full stomach as the bus lurched up the steep hill.  He stood out, his ragged, earth-tone tatters and sun-weathered face stark against the sea of smartly dressed shoppers with their colorful shopping bags. 
The sultry wind whipping through the open bus windows, carried with it the scent of diesel, fresh baked bread, and delicacies reminiscent of carnival treats; I stirred as if under its influence. But it was notice of the homeless man that caused me to squirm on my seat.  I glanced at my daughter. She wore an expression semi-alarm, then whispered above the din, “Did you see that man?”  

This man bothered us even though we’d seen beggars sprinkled throughout the city.  Some, I’d easily dismissed: the woman with the two well-fed dogs and her cardboard sign, the man who’d carefully unloaded branches from his bike to make a lean-to in front of a restaurant, the man reeking of whiskey and cheap wine, the men snoring loudly on the shaded park bench.  I’d stuffed down my concern for these social misfits by reasoning away their need. If their need wasn’t valid, then I had no responsibility to them. 

As my daughter expressed her concern, my brain sought an explanation for the beggar’s behavior, and I pulled from a testimonial I had read about a homeless man who would put fresh, bagged food in the trash to eat later-when he felt he had the best chances of garnering pity from sympathetic bystanders. With this thought, I tamped down my concern for the man on the sidewalk, and then I turned to let the balmy wind blow away the remnants of my discomfort. My daughter, however, kept the issue alive long after the bus had carried us away from the disturbing sight.  Her grief for the man was palatable. 

“That man needs help,” she insisted. 

“Yes.  There are a lot of homeless people in this city.” I tried to neutralize, if not normalize, the situation.

“I sure wish there was a way I could help him.” Her voice was strained, perplexed, caring.  Then as if speaking to herself, she muttered, “I don’t have any money.” Her shoulders slumped forward.

I nodded understandingly, then dismissed her concern with a shrug and some well-oiled platitude about doing for one would require doing for all—or some other such nonsense meant to sooth her angst while easing me back into my comfort zone of apathy.

My daughter’s compassion, however, could not be quickly silenced, and it swelled into a consuming need to alleviate the homeless man’s pain.  A crease deepened between eyebrows that arched over her troubled eyes.  She stared unseeingly out the bus window as we rode past beautiful landscape, interesting shops, and a tangle of humanity. Suddenly, her forehead smoothed and her eyes lit.

“I know!” she shouted above the groan of the bus engine. “I’ll give him this food I was saving for later.  It has to be better than garbage.”  The doggie bag carried leftovers and a slice of cheesecake she’d planned to savor after we got back to the hotel, but as is true of real compassion, self got lost in the desire to ease someone else’s ache. 

The opening created in her heart in that moment created a portal for outflow.  Long after we had returned home from vacation, our daughter pondered ways to help the hurting.  Her ideas regarding food for the homeless were shot down by restaurant laws, but that didn’t block the flow of compassion.  It found new ways of expression. Compassion caused her to stand up to a bully who was harassing another student.  It provoked her to challenge a youth being rude to an elderly couple.  It motivated her to befriend a youth whose hygiene and poor behavior kept others at a distance.  It prompted her to write sticky notes of encouragement and put them on junior high lockers after an 8th grader had committed suicide.  Her compassion moves her to help, and it challenges my excuses with the truth that I can give more.

Tip/Tidbit:  Examine your heart today.  Are you making excuses for not helping others?  Challenge your self-preservation by helping someone else today.

C-caring for
O-others and
M-mentioning them in
P-prayer while offering practical
A-assistance
S-so that their
S-suffering might lose its
I-intensity as they gain
O-optimism, knowing they are
N-not alone to face their need

Tip/Tidbit: Try putting into words what compassion means to you.

The root word in compassion is passion.  People have feelings, strong feelings. They are passionate. About sports. About kids. About rights. About money.  Compassion is harnessing that element of the human spirit and directing those strong feelings toward someone else in an effort to alleviate that person’s pain.  You can’t have compassion without passion, and you can’t have compassion without taking action.  Just like you can’t feel passionate about a sports team and never utter an opinion about it, watch one of its games, or buy its paraphernalia, you can’t have compassion for someone and contain it inside your heart.  Compassion must be vented.  Compassion reaches out with a touch.  It offers comfort.  It meets a need.  Compassion isn't  for yourself.  It is by definition directed at someone else.  Compassion requires thinking about others instead of your own trouble. It demands that you view their need with such intensity that you are compelled to do something about it. 

Tip/Tidbit:  Look around today.  Who’s in crisis?  Who has a need?  Who is bogged down with trouble?  Take a minute to absorb their pain as your own, and let your compassion move you to pray, to comfort, to help them in their hour of distress.

Light and dark are juxtapositions we see, but they are also influencers of more than the visible.  Words with light and dark tones can capture the essence of emotion in literature.  Notes, rhythm, and instrument choice give music a sense of light or dark. Internally, people experience areas of light and dark as well.  In each instance, light works to convey that which is joyful, peaceful, and hopeful while the darker elements produce suspense, suspicion, and sorrow.  Our lives are a blend of the two, but God has given us a promise that through Him, we can experience greater light in our lives. 1 John 1:5, 7 “... God is light, and in him is no darkness at all…But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”  My husband* tells his fearful, young clients, “Darkness is afraid of the light. Turn on a flashlight and watch the darkness run and hide.” We can do the same.  When darkness creeps into our souls, our minds, or our lives, we can turn on THE LIGHT and watch the shadows disappear.

Tip/Tidbit: Let the light of God’s love and presence chase the shadows of the past, of pain, and of problems away.  Standing with the Light of Jesus on, you can have a more joyful, peaceful, and hopeful perspective today. 

*Eddie Windham is a licensed clinical social worker. For more info about his practice visit eddiewindham.com

A cheap, battery-operated tea light graces a prominent place on our kitchen bar. It’s there because of its unusual, lasting flicker.  Christmas night, at a candlelight service, the little flame-shaped lights were given to everyone. My son’s candle was broken.  Without a switch, it was on when he received it, and it remained in full operation throughout the celebration, on the drive home, and after the Christmas decorations were stored in the attic.  Over a month later, it still flickers.  At first the little light was so bright, it illuminated the entire room; now it looks like the light has gone out.  However, put it in a very dark place and peer at it closely, and sure enough, its little light still shines.  

Like the candle, hope can sometimes light a situation so brightly that gloom of discouragement is completely dispelled.  Yet, at other times, hope can seem lost. When hope has grown dim, oddly enough, it is the darkening of situations that can reveal a light lingers still.  There’s something about reaching a hopeless place that resurrects a desire to hope.  It’s not always the moments of bold, brilliant faith that stand out; sometimes it is those moments when faith feels weakest, when it’s mustard-seed sized, that we realize God’s strength must prevail. Knowing that He will triumph is what keeps hope flickering through the darkest night.  Hold on, for joy will come in the morning.

Tip/Tidbit:  The other candles with their on-off switches conserved their energy or burned out shortly after the Christmas service.  Useless and ordinary, they were tossed in the trash.  My son’s tea light, with its persistent, around the clock flicker, remains on the counter top.  In like manner, people who choose to hope in impossible situations stand out as individuals. They are the Helen Kellers, the Martin Luther King, Jrs., the Nick Vujicics.  They are the single moms next door, the mentally ill client struggling with schizophrenia, the jobless.  As long as they refuse to give in, they flicker with hope.  Their persistence make a difference that is both lasting and lingering, whether to one or to many; they receive the position of honor.  Look up videos of one of those heroes of hope, and choose to hope today.

Love them unconditionally.  When people know their mistakes don’t have the power to sever them from your love, they have hope.

Offer your presence.  When others know they don’t have to do things alone, they feel hope.

Offer your provision.  When people know you will give freely of your prayer, time, means, they don’t feel hopeless.

Speak your encouragement:  When people hear your positive words, your understanding, and your empathy they can draw strength to move on.

Proclaim God’s Word:  When you speak what God has to say over a situation, you speak life. This brings hope.

Pray for them:  You may feel on the outside of a situation and unable to contribute physically, but you can make a difference in someone’s life through prayer.