3.17.13 St Patricks Day... may this day bring you hope

Bountiful Blessings          

March 17^th, 2013

Good morning, friends and family. Happy St Patricks Day! Spring is in the air. Warm weather, flowers blooming in the yard, birds singing, the sound of motorcycles, kids laughter. Yep. Its great, isn’t it? Spring brings hope, new beginnings. Last night I was watching this movie, “Rise of the Guardians”. It is an animated movie probably, well, most likely, well, it is a movie for children. (BTW, I loved it.) But anyway, the point was Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, Sandman and Jack Frost are battling the Boogeyman. If the children quit believing in them, the children lose hope. Can you imagine the light that hope puts in children’s eyes. Another movie, “Miracle on 34^th Street”, look at the light in that little Dutch boy’s eyes as Santa talks to him in his native language. Hope. Are these children hoping for gifts or presents? I don’t think so. I think that they are hoping for good in the world. What are we hoping for? Could it be that we are also hoping for good in the world? In the Bible, hope is described as a “strong and confident expectation”. So as the seasons change and spring rolls in, we embrace hope. We strongly and confidently expect good things in our future, in our world. We walk, no run, into God’s open arms and wrap ourselves in his love. So for this week, please enjoy this Irish blessing.

I wish you not a path devoid of clouds,
Nor a life on a bed or roses.
Nor, that you might never need regret,
Nor that you should never feel pain.

No, this is not my wish for you. My wish for you is:
That you might be brave in times of trial
When other’s lay crosses upon your shoulders.
When mountains must be climbed and chasms crossed,
When hope scarce shines through.
When every gift God gave you might grow along with you,
And let you give the gift of joy to all who care for you.

That you might always have a friend who is worth that name.
Whom you can trust.
And hope will be, in times of sadness,
Who will defy the storms of life by your side.

One more wish for you:
That in every hour of joy and pain, you may be close to God.
This is my wish for you and those who are close to you.
This is my hope for you, now and forever.

 

 

Bible verse for the week:

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”    Romans 15:13

Prayer for the week:

Dear Lord,

As we head out into another week, please give us the tools to serve you - faith, love, patience, mercy and hope. May we discard our doubts and fears and enrich ourselves with the gift of the joy and innocence of a child. Hope abounds in their joy and innocence. Hope for today, tomorrow and eternity. Lord, we pray that we always recognize the importance of hope. In Jesus’s name, Amen.