not without hope

The more out of touch I get with the word of God, the more disheartened I seem to become.

This is a lesson I have had to learn over and over again, unfortunately. When I'm not reading the Word and turning it over in my soul each day, I'm listening to someone (or something) else. Our minds are active, sharp. But I've found that negative thoughts can hole up there and ferment for days if we let them.

In many small ways, God has been showing me that He is always, always, always a God of hope -- He is for me. And He is for you.

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." ~ Romans 15:13

For more on hope, I would highly recommend reading the first chapter of Ephesians. It's a great refresher on identity. It's not hard to forget who you are. Especially living in this world. So check out that chapter and just spend some time reading through it or praying it, because there's some solid truth in there, yo.

"I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe." ~ Ephesians 1:18-19a

You are not without hope.

I may or may not have gone rooting through old photos in a quest of nostalgia; this shot is from a 2010 trip to St. Augustine and was probably taken by my sister. If you're still reading this, you should check out Sophie's blog because she has some darn wonderful things to say.