I've heard it said before that life is measured in seasons. Seasons of hardship, grieving, busyness, seasons of transition, seasons that mark the start of a new chapter, the list goes on and on.  But when it comes to GOD putting us through a SEASON OF WAITING in life, it can seem ten times worse and feel like an eternity. Why is the waiting so hard, and how can we get through it with patience and joy, knowing that God's plan is best?  To the Christian in a waiting season or knows someone in a waiting season... I pray that this week's devotional encourages and blesses you as we discuss what the Bible says about seasons of waiting, some encouragement, and reflection questions to think about.  CLICK HERE TO READ THIS DEVOTIONAL: https://meditatehope.weebly.com/blog/to-the-christian-in-a-season-of-waiting FOLLOW @MEDITATEHOPE ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/meditatehope/?hl=en QUICK LINKS TO EVERYTHING: https://msha.ke/meditatehope

Happy August, everyone! I'm back from my ministry break! July was a busy month for me as I focused on other commitments and priorities, but it was also filled with so many fun memories, and God's faithfulness was SO present throughout. This fall, on the blog and podcast, we will be bringing back an old series that we had last fall, "To The Christian." This time, we will tackle many everyday, relatable topics we all face as Christians. Today, we will kick off our series with "To The Christian Who Wants To Love Others Well." CLICK HERE TO READ THIS DEVOTIONAL (WITH ADDITIONAL RESOURCES): https://meditatehope.weebly.com/blog/to-the-christian-who-wants-to-love-others-well FULL “TO THE CHRISTIAN SERIES”: https://meditatehope.weebly.com/blog/category/to-the-christian OUR REDEMPTION STORY | EPHESIANS 2: https://meditatehope.weebly.com/blog/our-redemption-story-ephesians-2 1 JOHN STUDY: https://meditatehope.weebly.com/blog/category/study-in-1-john LOVING THOSE WHO ARE HARD TO LOVE DEVO: https://meditatehope.weebly.com/blog/attributes-of-god-loving-those-who-are-hard-to-love SALVATION PRAYER BLOG POST: https://meditatehope.weebly.com/freebies/salvation-prayer FOLLOW @MEDITATEHOPE ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/meditatehope/?hl=en QUICK LINKS TO EVERYTHING: https://msha.ke/meditatehope

This week, we are wrapping up our series in the Psalms! This is week 6 of this series, and in the past weeks, we have discussed: • How To Live a Blessed Life  • Being Thirsty For The Things of God  • Your 9-1-1 Scripture Passages  • Having a Heart of Repentance  • Believing God Is Good When Your Circumstances Are Not  In this week's devotional, we will discuss the familiar Psalm 23, as well as 62 and 16; all three are psalms of David.  As we wrap up this series, may we reflect back on what God has taught us through this series and what we can apply to our everyday lives.  CLICK HERE TO READ THIS DEVOTIONAL: https://meditatehope.weebly.com/blog/if-you-have-god-you-lack-nothing-psalm-23-62-16 FULL PSALMS SERIES: https://meditatehope.weebly.com/blog/category/psalms-series FOLLOW @MEDITATEHOPE ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/meditatehope/?hl=en QUICK LINKS TO EVERYTHING: https://msha.ke/meditatehope

If we opened our newsfeeds for just a few minutes, we could see the painful circumstances and situations our world is going through, from wars to shootings, to critical decisions being made, to loss and grief. We see it all around us every day. But more than on a global scale, you personally may be walking through a challenging circumstance right now. And with all the hate and worry the world can throw at us on a daily basis, it can cause us to question: Where is God in all of this? How can I believe that God is still good even when the circumstances around me are not? This week as we continue our series in the Psalms, we will be looking at Psalms 34, 100, and 150, which are all psalms of praise. We will be talking about the power of praise and how we indeed declare with confidence that GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME, even when our circumstances may not be. CLICK HERE TO READ THIS DEVOTIONAL: https://meditatehope.weebly.com/blog/believing-god-is-good-when-your-circumstances-are-not-psalm-34-100-150 FULL PSALMS SERIES: https://meditatehope.weebly.com/blog/category/psalms-series FOLLOW @MEDITATEHOPE ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/meditatehope/?hl=en QUICK LINKS TO EVERYTHING: https://msha.ke/meditatehope

When you do something wrong, do you feel guilty about it? When you sin, does it burden your heart as it burdens the heart of God? This week, we will be discussing Psalms 51 and 139 and how these psalms show us the importance of having a heart of repentance. Though we think of repentance to God (or confession to God) as something we only do when we do something wrong, it should also be a daily heart posture and practice for us as believers. We will also go through some reflection questions with some practical action steps as we learn how a heart of repentance can bring healing, restoration, and strengthen our relationship with God in the long run.  CLICK HERE TO READ THIS DEVOTIONAL: https://meditatehope.weebly.com/blog/having-a-heart-of-repentance-psalm-51-139 FULL PSALMS SERIES: https://meditatehope.weebly.com/blog/category/psalms-series FOLLOW @MEDITATEHOPE ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/meditatehope/?hl=en QUICK LINKS TO EVERYTHING: https://msha.ke/meditatehope

When worry and fear surround you in times of trouble and despair, and you don't know what to do, where do you turn? This week, as we continue our series in the Psalms, we will be discussing 9-1-1 SCRIPTURE PASSAGES, or in this case, our 9-1-1 Psalms. These four psalms (Psalm 91, 77, 46, and 121) that we will be looking at are psalms we can go to in times of trouble, knowing that we can rest in the promises God gives us in these passages. CLICK HERE TO READ THIS DEVOTIONAL: https://meditatehope.weebly.com/blog/your-9-1-1-scripture-passages-psalm-91-77-46-121 FULL PSALMS SERIES: https://meditatehope.weebly.com/blog/category/psalms-series FOLLOW @MEDITATEHOPE ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/meditatehope/?hl=en QUICK LINKS TO EVERYTHING: https://msha.ke/meditatehope

This week as we continue our series in the Psalms, we will be diving into three different Psalms- Psalms 42, 63, and 27. These psalms have different perspectives from two different psalmists, but all three blend in together with their common theme: THEIR LONGING AND THIRST FOR THE LORD. So get ready and grab your Bible as we dive into these Psalms, and may we reflect on this question- are we THIRSTY for the things of God? CLICK HERE TO READ THIS DEVOTIONAL: https://meditatehope.weebly.com/blog/are-you-thirsty-for-the-things-of-god-psalm-42-63-27 FULL PSALMS SERIES: https://meditatehope.weebly.com/blog/category/psalms-series FOLLOW @MEDITATEHOPE ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/meditatehope/?hl=en QUICK LINKS TO EVERYTHING: https://msha.ke/meditatehope

Throughout your life, you've probably prayed many different kinds of prayers to God- some asking for wisdom and guidance, some laying out your praise before the Lord, in some prayers you got on your knees desperate for a move of God, some asking for His forgiveness, and others where you just poured out your heart before the Lord and got honest with Him. Real and raw, you just laid it out before Him in the messiness of life, trying to remember who He is and what His Word says.  Many of the prayers throughout of lives reflect much upon the season we are in, what we are feeling at that moment, and what God is teaching us. This is exactly what we find in the book of Psalms- the book of the Bible we will be diving into in the several weeks as we get real with God, remember who He is, and find practical applications to apply to our everyday lives. ANSWERS IN GENESIS BOOKS OF THE BIBLE CARDS: https://answersingenesis.org/store/product/books-bible-flash-cards/ CLICK HERE TO READ THIS DEVOTIONAL: https://meditatehope.weebly.com/blog/how-to-live-a-blessed-life-psalm-1 MORE ON MY STORY: https://meditatehope.weebly.com/about.html FOLLOW @MEDITATEHOPE ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/meditatehope/?hl=en QUICK LINKS TO EVERYTHING: https://msha.ke/meditatehope

Today we are about to discuss the most incredible love story ever told- our redemption story. This week we are continuing our two-part series ''The Journey To The Cross'' as we talk about what happens after the Last Supper- Jesus's death and resurrection. We will also discuss WHY Jesus had to die on the cross and WHAT EASTER MEANS FOR US today. So as we go through, may we have humble hearts open to what God has to teach us as we remember Christ's sacrifice for us. Feel free to send this week's devotional to a friend, and let's meditate and reflect on the most important event and sacrifice for mankind. CLICK HERE TO READ THIS DEVOTIONAL: https://meditatehope.weebly.com/blog/what-is-the-meaning-behind-good-friday-and-easter SALVATION PRAYER BLOG POST: http://meditatehope.weebly.com/freebies/salvation-prayer FOLLOW @MEDITATEHOPE ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/meditatehope/?hl=en QUICK LINKS TO EVERYTHING: https://msha.ke/meditatehope

This week we are starting a brand-new two-part series called ''The Journey To The Cross'' as we dive into the true meaning behind Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter while also seeing the character of Jesus through it all.  As Palm Sunday is coming up this Sunday, we will be asking ourselves this question: What is the meaning behind Palm Sunday? We will discuss a bit of a background of Jesus's life and ministry leading up to this point, Jesus entering into Jerusalem, His Last Supper with His disciples, and we will also end with a little recap of this week, a peek into what we will talk about next week, and some reflection questions to think about even if you’ve already heard the story of Palm Sunday so many times— there’s so much we can reflect upon from this passage! CLICK HERE TO READ THIS DEVOTIONAL: https://meditatehope.weebly.com/blog/what-is-the-meaning-behind-palm-sunday-the-journey-to-the-cross-part-1 TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS DEVO: https://meditatehope.weebly.com/blog/to-the-christian-or-really-anyone-trying-to-understand-the-true-meaning-of-christmas SALVATION PRAYER BLOG POST: http://meditatehope.weebly.com/freebies/salvation-prayer ENDURING WORD COMMENTARY FOR MATTHEW 21: https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/matthew-21/ FOLLOW @MEDITATEHOPE ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/meditatehope/?hl=en QUICK LINKS TO EVERYTHING: https://msha.ke/meditatehope

I am finally back on the podcast after taking a break in the month of March! Today is a special one because it’s the podcast’s OFFICIAL 100TH EPISODE!!! In the week’s episode, I share bit of my story in founding the ministry where this podcast branches out of, Meditate Hope, and also what God has taught me along the way. Stay tuned for new episodes, God-willing, every Friday! OFFICIAL WEBSITE WITH ALL THE THINGS: meditatehope.weebly.com FOLLOW @MEDITATEHOPE ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/meditatehope/?hl=en QUICK LINKS TO EVERYTHING: https://msha.ke/meditatehope

Today we are wrapping up our series ''Choose This Day'', all about being devoted disciples in today's world. In this series, we have discussed making the choice of who we will serve and why it's a daily choice we must make, how we can clean up the idols in our lives in three practical steps, and what WHOLEHEARTED devotion to God looks like in our everyday lives. Now we come to our final week of this series which is really the second most important topic after choosing to serve the Lord and accepting Him as our personal Lord Savior: living out the Great Commission. this week we will discuss: • the #1 calling we all have as believers • three things to remember as we live ON MISSION in our everyday lives • how Joshua's declaration of ''as for me and my house'' back in the Old Testament is a declaration for generations CLICK HERE TO READ THIS DEVOTIONAL AND THE WHOLE “CHOOSE THIS DAY” SERIES: https://meditatehope.weebly.com/blog/category/choose-this-day FOLLOW @MEDITATEHOPE ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/meditatehope/?hl=en ENDURING WORD COMMENTARY ON JOSHUA 24: https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/joshua-24/ QUICK LINKS TO EVERYTHING: https://msha.ke/meditatehope

Do you think of your devotion to God and choice to serve Him as a commitment? Will you let NOTHING get in the way of WHOLEHEARTED DEVOTION before Him? And when the world tempts you to commit to its ways, will you say, ''nope, on I'm God's path, and I'm committed to Him.''? In week 3/4 of our “Choose This Day” series we discuss: • why choosing to serve the Lord is a COMMITMENT • what having wholehearted devotion to the Lord looks like in our everyday lives • reflection questions and encouragement CLICK HERE TO READ THIS DEVOTIONAL: https://meditatehope.weebly.com/blog/commit-to-wholehearted-devotion-ctd-week-3 FOLLOW @MEDITATEHOPE ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/meditatehope/?hl=en ENDURING WORD COMMENTARY: https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/matthew-16/ QUICK LINKS TO EVERYTHING: https://msha.ke/meditatehope

After choosing DAILY to serve the Lord, we then have to take another key step: clean up the idols in our lives. This week as we dive into week 2 of our series ''Choose This Day,'' we will be discussing: • what are idols • why do we sometimes look to idols rather than God • what the Bible says about idols w/ a quick study in Deuteronomy 13 • how we can clean up the idols in our lives in three practical steps CLICK HERE TO READ THIS DEVOTIONAL: https://meditatehope.weebly.com/blog/clean-up-the-idols-in-your-life-ctd-week-2 FOLLOW @MEDITATEHOPE ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/meditatehope/?hl=en QUICK LINKS TO EVERYTHING: https://msha.ke/meditatehope

Happy 2022, everyone! I hope you had a blessed time celebrating Christmas and the New Year while reflecting on God's faithfulness in the past year. This week we are back, diving into week 1 of our brand new four-part series called "Choose This Day Whom You Will Serve'' (or you will see abbreviated as CTD for ''Choose This Day''). In this series, we will discuss how we can be devoted disciples in today's world. We will be talking about making the choice of who we will serve, cleaning up the idols in our lives, committing to wholehearted devotion before the Lord, and living out the Great Commission. Join me as we dive into week one: “Make The Choice Of Who You Will Serve.” CLICK HERE TO READ THIS DEVOTIONAL (salvation prayer and ending application prayer attached): https://meditatehope.weebly.com/blog/make-the-choice-of-who-you-will-serve-ctd-week-1 FOLLOW @MEDITATEHOPE ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/meditatehope/?hl=en QUICK LINKS TO EVERYTHING: https://msha.ke/meditatehope

Updated trailer for 2022 on what this podcast is all about! MEDITATE HOPE’S OFFICIAL WEBSITE: https://meditatehope.weebly.com FOLLOW @MEDITATEHOPE ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/meditatehope/?hl=en

On December 5th, we had part one in our ''mini-series'' within our ''To The Christian'' series, where we discussed what the TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS is. In this week's devotional and podcast episode, we will be diving into ''Part Two: To The Christian Trying To Be A Light This Christmas Season.'' This week's devotional will be a bit shorter than usual, as we will not be diving so much into the Christmas story (as we did previously), but instead, we will be discussing four main points to remember as we share the Good News and be a light to those around us this Christmas and also a special freebie/announcement included with this week's devotional! May the story of Christmas never be something we overlook and forget to share with those around us. The story of Christmas (the celebration of God sending His Son, Jesus, into the world to pay the punishment for our sins) is not something we should keep to ourselves. When someone knows and believes the true meaning of Christmas, it can be life-changing; and who would want to miss out on receiving the greatest gift of all time? Will you share the most important, life-changing story with those around you? Let's dive into this week's devotional with an open heart, ready to receive what God has in store for us in being a light this Christmas season. CLICK HERE TO READ THIS DEVOTIONAL: https://meditatehope.weebly.com/blog/to-the-christian-trying-to-be-light-this-christmas-season DOWNLOAD CHRISTMAS BIBLE READING PLAN: https://meditatehope.weebly.com/freebies/christmas-bible-reading-plan SHINING YOUR LIGHT BEFORE OTHERS DEVO: https://meditatehope.weebly.com/blog/shining-your-light-before-others LEAVE A RATING & REVIEW: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/encouraging-words-to-give-you-hope/id1506500357 FOLLOW @MEDITATEHOPE ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/meditatehope/?hl=en “CHRISTMAS IS HERE” SPOTIFY PLAYLIST: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3miLXflVj6eACkGXk1UUVJ?si=-5WymzXBRliCbCgRiqkYDQ

Happy first Sunday of December, everyone! The last month of 2021 is among us, and wow, how this year has flown by! Not only does entering December mean wrapping up 2021, but it also means that we are officially entering the Christmas season. The weather is getting cold out (if you're like me and live in the Midwest/Northern parts of the US), people are putting out their Christmas lights, going gift shopping, and making plans to gather with family. But in the midst of all our world does today to celebrate what they call ''the happiest season of all'' for the Christian, CHRISTmas has a much deeper meaning than that- and knowing and believing that meaning can be life-changing. So in today’s special edition of our “To The Christian” series, this week’s devotional and podcast episode is TO THE ONE trying to understand the TRUE MEANING of Christmas- this week we will discuss what truly is the big deal about Christmas, three prophecies tied into the story of Christmas, what the focal point of all history is, and the greatest gift anyone could ever receive.​ And even if you have heard the story of Christmas dozens of times in your lifetime, I pray that you would still choose to have an open heart to what God has to say this Christmas season. God can reveal new things to us if we just have AN OPEN AND AVAILABLE HEART to what He has to say. CLICK HERE TO READ THIS DEVOTIONAL (SALVATION PRAYER INCLUDED): https://meditatehope.weebly.com/blog/to-the-christian-or-really-anyone-trying-to-understand-the-true-meaning-of-christmas LOVING THOSE WHO ARE HARD TO LOVE DEVO: https://meditatehope.weebly.com/blog/attributes-of-god-loving-those-who-are-hard-to-love LEAVE A RATING & REVIEW: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/encouraging-words-to-give-you-hope/id1506500357 FOLLOW @MEDITATEHOPE ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/meditatehope/?hl=en “CHRISTMAS IS HERE” SPOTIFY PLAYLIST: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3miLXflVj6eACkGXk1UUVJ?si=-5WymzXBRliCbCgRiqkYDQ

Are you currently struggling with discontentment? Maybe you're struggling with it, and you may not even realize it. I know I have been there. We have all hit that point at one time or another- we are discontent in some area of our lives, whether that be in our finances, relationships, or material things. As we head into this Thanksgiving week, let us remember something that goes hand-in-hand with thanksgiving: contentment. To the Christian currently struggling with discontentment, this week's devotional is for you! We will be discussing what contentment is all about, what God's Word has to say about contentment, Paul's secret to contentment, practical ways to get out of discontentment, and more! CLICK HERE TO READ THIS DEVOTIONAL: https://meditatehope.weebly.com/blog/to-the-christian-struggling-with-discontentment LEAVE A RATING & REVIEW: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/encouraging-words-to-give-you-hope/id1506500357 THANKSGIVING WORSHIP SPOTIFY PLAYLIST: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5N9ScHJJ3C4ayc1a5AU06k?si=Yl2qVnTmTh-FbLV6kZ79Iw FOLLOW @MEDITATEHOPE ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/meditatehope/?hl=en

Have you ever had a conversation with a friend you haven’t talked to for a long time, and you are trying to get caught up on each other’s lives, but then the conversation just goes dry? ​ Maybe you’ve felt that same way in your prayer life and time talking to Jesus— you’ve felt like your prayers got nowhere, you didn’t know where to start, and how to get back up again. ​ To the Christian currently struggling in their prayer life, this week’s devotional is for you! We will be talking about how we can get back into communion with the Lord, some practical prayer tips, and how we can continue to stay steadfast in our prayer life. CLICK HERE TO READ THIS DEVOTIONAL: https://meditatehope.weebly.com/blog/to-the-christian-struggling-in-their-prayer-life DIGITAL AND PRINTABLE FREEBIE P.R.A.Y. ACRONYM: https://meditatehope.weebly.com/freebies/digital-and-printable-freebie-pray-acronym INSTRUMENTAL WORSHIP PLAYLIST: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7IaFswJjtCxv2A2LQ5f0Nz FOLLOW @MEDITATEHOPE ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/meditatehope/?hl=en LEAVE A RATING & REVIEW: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/encouraging-words-to-give-you-hope/id1506500357