Living Hope

12/14/2021

"Christmas cannot be bought.
Christmas cannot be created.
Christmas cannot be made by hand, lit up, set out, dreamed up.

Christmas can only be *found.

In the creche. In the cradling trough.
In the mire and in the stench and in the unexpected--
and only in the dawning of Christ.

Our God who breathes stars in the dark--
He breathes Bethlehem's Star,
then takes on lungs and breathes in stable air.
We are saved from hopelessness
because God came with infant fists
and opened wide His hand
to take the iron-sharp edge of our sins."
~ quote from -> bit.ly/GreatestGiftforyou


🎄 Get the whole set of 25 hand-lettered 5x7 art prints FREE to download and print right here: www.TheGreatestChristmas.com
🎄 Square images available to download and print FREE under "Frameables" at bit.ly/StickyNotesforYourSoul

12/02/2021

Be still on the first night of December and you can hear it, can’t you? If you listen with the inner ear of your soul? The hype ends and the hush enters in.

Less hype, more holy.

I will not let December become about making a production – when it’s simply about not missing you, Lord. Miracles happen whenever I look for shoots of Jesus’ love everywhere – because this grows deep roots in Jesus’ love for everyone.
~ excerpt from -> bit.ly/GreatestGiftforyou

🎄 www.TheGreatestChristmas.com

🎄 yep, all of these are FREE for you to download and print — 25 No-Stress Manifestos for every day of December, so we unwrap *Jesus* & not *stress* ... the whole set of these free Stress-Free Holiday Sticky Notes for Your Soul are right here: www.TheGreatestChristmas.com under "Free Tools"

11/26/2021

You get to linger on a day like this, linger with the miracle you can feel in all this.

The golden baked turkey can be gone, & the pie with the heaping whip cream can be finished off, & the sacred reality can begin to stir in us all again now:

All the other temple sacrifices are finished.
*Only the sacrifice of thanksgiving goes on now for forever.*

You get to sit here with the wonder of it: “… with Jesus, [we’re] no longer pouring out the sacrific[e] of animals, but pouring out sacrificial praises from our lips to God, in Jesus’ name”(Heb.13:15-16 MSG).

Jesus has made Himself all our sacrifice — thus the only sacrifice that remains is our thanks.

And yes, our thanks will be a sacrifice.

Not just on a holiday, but a sacrifice on all of our days, not just when things are going our way, but when we say, “Not our will, but God’s will be done.” Not just because of how we feel, but because of how He’s still faithful.

It’s an epiphany to realize: Every sacrifice ever laid on the altar in the Old Testament was ultimately meant to be food — because sacrifice is always ultimately about eating with God, communion with God, feasting with God. Which is to say:

Our continual sacrifice of thanks makes the Thanksgiving feast never end.

Thanksgiving is more than a day, it is more than than a feeling, *thanksgiving is a practice.*

And the only way to practice our faith is to make thanksgiving
for all God has done
our daily practice.

All other sacrifices cease in Christ,
only the sacrifice of Thanksgiving will now never, ever cease.

So now is when our joy feasting gets to go on & we get to actually live this practice of thanksgiving everyday & say:

Right here & now is where we get to bring our sacrifice of thanksgiving,
For all this light hope that still fills the sky above,
For all this sure earth that’s still beneath our feet,
And for all of everything in between,
For all is gift,
all is grace,
all is under God,
who has given Himself,
so now has our endless practice of thanks.
🍂
🍂
All ears: What’s your sacrifice of Thanks today?

11/24/2021

...so it kinda looks like: the one thing we must pray to be great at is thanksgiving — because it’s the one thing that makes God great in our lives.

And it kinda looks like: No matter what the headlines shout, the world only has two stories: bless God or curse God.

No matter what the world tries to sell, we all only get to choose from two shelves: Give God thanks or Give God the door.

No matter what we’re facing, there are always only two roads: thanksgiving to God or dismissing of God.

And you know -- if you let something steal your thanksgiving, you let something steal your joy, and if you let something steal your joy, you let something steal your strength.

Let nothing steal your thanksgiving to God – so that in everything you can stand strong in God.

Bottom line: We will give thanks to God not because of how we feel, but because of who He is.

No disaster, no storm, no cancellation, no termination, no catastrophe will stop us from giving thanks.

Because we know:

No matter where we are, every thanksgiving always brings us home — because giving thanks always bringing you home to the heart of God.

– from One Thousand Gifts: https://bit.ly/DareToLiveFully

11/10/2021

Quick!
One thing you are grateful to God for?
Best way to start this new day!

"The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies Me...” Ps. 50:23

May Thanksgiving be more than a holiday, but our *lifestyle* -- our thanksgiving becoming "thanksliving!"


[ this image — plus a whole library of graphics & resources — is FREE to download & print here: bit.ly/StickyNotesForYourSoul ]

10/25/2021

…let's just go ahead, Braveheart, & leap into this Monday, leap into this new week, take that leap of faith & do not be afraid — never, ever be afraid.

"The LORD is indeed going before you — He will be with you; He will not fail you or abandon you. Do not be afraid or discouraged!" Deuteronomy 31:8

Abandon the strangling fears & abide in the safe expanse of Your Father.

Sit with it: You can abandon all your cares because Christ will never, ever, ever abandon you. You can let it all go — it is safe to trust. *He* is safe to trust:

The most FREEING place for a soul is in the abandonment to the will of God.

07/14/2015

VBS 2015

12/10/2013

Dear Living Hope family,

If you're interested in supporting my team and I to serve in Ndola, Zambia you can do so by donating via credit/debit card to this website, more info here: http://projecttravel.com/ijtendero . If you're interested in getting a tax exempt and want to send a check, or pay by cash please contact me and I can formally send you a support letter. Thanks for much for your consideration and love. :) Please let me know if you have questions.

From Here To There: connecting people, places, and ideas

11/01/2013

Family Fest

11/01/2013