Tag Archives: hope

The Way out of Despair

Lamentations is not exactly the book you expect to find hope and encouragement. Its very name implies otherwise and yet there are some great verses filled with hope and joy. The writer of Lamentations is not identified, though many believe it was Jeremiah. If you read Jeremiah and all that happened to him and read Lamentations with that in mind, it’s more than likely. The writer of Lamentations was doing it hard. He felt he had been given suffering and affliction by God, Lamentations 3:1. He felt completely in the dark, Lamentations 3:2. In his view God had repeatedly turned … Continue reading →

Fight Feelings of Hopelessness with Activity

Feeling hopeless? Maybe you’ve got the economy on your mind. Maybe it’s the crummy job market in your area, or worries about losing your job. We live in stressful times! New research from Kuopio University Hospital in Finland shows that an active lifestyle may help improve your outlook on life. Researchers interviewed nearly 2500 men between the ages of 42 and 60. Participants were asked about their mood and physical activity levels and were tested for physical fitness. The more active the men in the study were, the less likely they were to experience feelings of hopelessness. The more vigorous … Continue reading →

Making Faith Your Focus

In these difficult times it is especially hard to let go of your worries and put your trust in the Lord. One of the most difficult things to do is to let go of the worries that assail us as we deal with difficult circumstances and personal trials. Instead of putting our trust in the Lord, and knowing that he will go with us through our trials, we often fight against the situation and end up feeling alone and scared. In his talk in Sunday morning session of April 2009 General Conference, President Thomas S Monson spoke about people who … Continue reading →

Finding Hope in Difficult Times

When you are faced with difficult times, it can be difficult to find the motivation to keep moving forward. It can seem as though you have been abandoned or that your prayers are not being heard. Hope is an essential part of the gospel. It gives us the strength we need to continue forward on a daily basis. It gives us a glimpse of the future and a something to strive for. So how do we find hope in difficult times? It is important that hope comes as we put our trust in the Lord and have faith that He … Continue reading →

The Defining Marks of Those Who Have a Real Experience of God

What are the defining marks of those who have had a real experience of God? Yesterday we looked at some of them. Here are some others. A predominate mark of those who have had an experience of God, is love, Colossians 1:4. Because God is love and as believers seek to become more godly, I John 2:6, they will also reflect the same attitude of love. I John: 2:9-10 and I John 4:7-12, say we cannot claim to love God if we do not love others. So, if we have had an experience of God we will become people who … Continue reading →

Author Interview – Abel Keogh

Last September, I had the opportunity to review a nonfiction novel entitled “Room for Two.” I was impressed by the story and today I’m pleased to bring you an interview with the author of the book, Abel Keogh. Abel, your book, “Room for Two,” talks about a tragedy that took place earlier in your life, the suicide of your seven month pregnant wife. How did you arrive at the idea to write a book about this? Most of the motivation to write “Room for Two” was because of the lack of well-written, compelling books about losing a spouse. The books … Continue reading →

Give Your Child Hope

We live in a fast-paced world and we have access to so much information about what is going on all over the world. Our children see images of war, genocide, global warming and hear dire messages on a daily basis. They cannot help but be a generation who is skeptical and wary to say the very least. As parents, it is up to us to combat all of those negative messages and to try to give our children some hope that they can carry with them into the future. I truly do believe that our children need some strong doses … Continue reading →

Are You Putting Your Life on Hold?

Are you waiting for something to happen? Are you waiting for another person to do something for you or to arrive in your life or waiting until you lose weight, get that promotion, or are able to afford the right house or car? After a person has been through a tough, traumatic event or suffered a loss it can feel absolutely natural to put everything on hold and wait for a better day. Somehow, however, we have to find a way to move on with our lives and NOT put everything on hold in hopes that “something” will change or … Continue reading →

RS/EQ: Tragedy or Destiny?

Lesson #2 in the Spencer W. Kimball manual for this year’s course of study is about death and sorrow, and is entitled “Tragedy or Destiny?” The subtitle reads, “When we face the apparent tragedies of sorrow, suffering, and death, we must put our trust in God.” The first part of the lesson shares a story from the life of Spencer W. Kimball. He endured much sorrow in his young childhood as a result of the death of loved ones. At the age of eight, his baby sister died shortly after birth. Only a month later, Fannie, the five-year-old, also passed. … Continue reading →

Hope

When it comes to persevering through a trial, hope is one of the most important things that you can have. Faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and in the plan of salvation allows you to hope. When we have the correct perspective we know that things will work out eventually and that we will have the strength to endure the trials that we are facing. Peace will come as you focus your hope on the eternal and understand that Heavenly Father does know the best outcome. There are times when you may be hoping, praying or wishing for the … Continue reading →