Lori Hatcher's Blog: Refresh Blog, page 63

When You Feel Insignificant

The world is very big, and sometimes I feel very small.

Scientists estimate there are seven billion people living on the earth today. Walk through Manhattan or Tokyo at rush hour and you’ll have no trouble believing this.

“Scramble Crossing” in the Shibuya district of Tokyo, Japan, will convince you if you have any doubt. Dubbed “the world’s busiest intersection” for pedestrian traffic, Scramble Crossing can reportedly accommodate as many as 2,500 pedestrians with each rush-hour traffic signal change.





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I sat at this intersection last year when I visited my daughter in japan. As I watched the people scurry from one side of the street to the other, I gained a greater understanding that the world is very big, and we are very small.

It’s easy sometimes, in light of the world’s ever-increasing population, to sometimes feel insignificant and overlooked. Does God sees me, a single soul among billions? And if he does see me, do I matter at all?

Then I read Matthew 10:29-31: “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

“Even the very hairs of your head are numbered.” God knows everything about me.

“You are worth more than many sparrows. . .” God treasures me.

And because God knows everything about me, and because God assigns value to me (wonder of wonders!), I have no reason to fear.

 Think on this today.





If you're a writer, or  you think the Lord might be calling you to write, and you live within driving distance of Lexington, SC, I have an invitation for you. I, along with other industry professionals, will be teaching at the Lexington Word Weavers Winter Conference Saturday, January 21. This is an affordable, one-day conference with workshops on fiction and non-fiction writing. You'll receive excellent training, spiritual encouragement, warm fellowship, and LUNCH. 

For more information on the Lexington Word Weavers 2017 Winter Conference, CLICK HERE.



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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

The Difference Between Belief and Faith

“I believe with all my heart God is going to heal him.” 

“If I truly believe God is going to ___________ (deliver me from my financial troubles, give me a new car, send me a husband, release me from the job I hate), then he will. But I have to reeeeealy believe it.” 

“God wants you to be healthy, wealthy, and happy. If you’re not, it’s because you don’t have enough faith. James 1:6-8 says so: ‘But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord.’” 

Have you ever heard someone say one or all of these statements? I have. 

I’ve also seen people continue to experience illness, financial trouble, singleness, difficult marriages, and challenging jobs, even though they reeeeeeealy believed God was going to answer their prayers for deliverance. Was their faith not strong enough? Did they harbor a smidgen of doubt that hindered God from answering their prayers? 

How can we be sure we have enough faith to tip the scales in our favor when God decides which prayers to answer in the affirmative? And how do we “ask in faith, believing,” when we’re just not sure how God’s going to answer? 

Years ago I was scheduled to have surgery to remove a cyst/tumor. There was some concern that the growth might be malignant, but we wouldn’t know until the day of surgery. As I prayed about the outcome, I wrestled with “asking in faith, believing,” for a cancer-free report. I knew God could heal me if necessary. He certainly had the power. 

But the thought occurred to me that he might not choose to. I’ve lived long enough to know that sometimes God glorifies himself by delivering someone from a difficult situation. Other times he glorifies himself by empowering them to go through it. How could I know God’s will in order to believe with all my heart and get the answer I hoped for? 

Jennifer Kennedy Dean, in Live a Praying Life answers this question better than anyone I’ve ever heard. Listen to what she writes: 

“Faith is not ‘believing real hard.’ Faith is not shutting your eyes and drawing a long breath and willing yourself to believe something. You can make yourself believe anything, true or not. Believing something won’t make God do it. Belief is one thing; faith is something else.” 

Her observations are similar to mine, that because "many believers have mistaken belief for faith, they have had experiences in prayer that are discouraging and disappointing." She describes faith quite differently than belief: 

“Faith has only one focus: God. Jesus said: ‘Have faith in God’ (Mark 11:22). When your faith is in God, not in your own idea of what God should do and how He should do it, then faith has substance. The person who is living a praying life is living a life of faith. That person understands that prayer is always releasing the power of God for the purposes of God. Therefore, once prayer has begun, whatever direction as situation takes, it is taking the direction that will accomplish the purposes of God. That’s faith.” 


And then, she writes the words that parted the faith curtain for me: “You do not have to be able to predict how God will act in order to have faith.” 

What we must know to be able to ask in faith, believing, is that God is all knowing, all powerful, and all loving. Everything he allows into a believer’s life is to accomplish two purposes: my good and his glory. Knowing this allows me to yield my will to his and trust him to accomplish his ultimate and best purpose in every situation. 

Richard Foster, in the book, Prayer, says this: “Frequently we hold on so tightly to the good that we do know that we cannot receive the greater good that we do not know. God has to help us let go of our tiny vision in order to release the greater good he has in store for us . . .” 

This is why the true prayer of faith lifts our requests to him, then ends with, “Lord, not my will, but yours be done.” When we pray this way, we can rest in faith, knowing we can trust the God who has all the power of the universe and all the wisdom of the world at his disposal. Knowing that he loves us and is working for our highest good and his glory allows us confidently to yield our will to his, “asking in faith, believing.” 

I’m so thankful we don’t have to figure out what’s best and then work ourselves into a belief frenzy before we can pray. Instead, we can come before the Lord and acknowledge, “God, I don’t know what the best answer is in this situation, but you do. I trust you. Please work for my good and your glory.”

Now it's your turn. What does this explanation of the difference between belief and faith mean to you? Leave a comment in the box below and share your thoughts. If you're reading by email, CLICK HERE to visit Hungry for God online, scroll to the bottom of the post, and leave a comment.



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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

3 Books on My Bedside Table, Part II

Books can change our lives. 

They bring us joy, move us to tears, and affect us in ways nothing else can. In my last post, "Three Books on my Bedside Table, Part I," I shared the first of three books that sit on my bedside table, New Morning Mercies, by Paul David Tripp. Today, I'll share Book #2 and Book #3. If you're looking for life-changing reading, these three are it.

Book #2: Live a Praying Life – Open Your Life to God’s Power and Provision, by Jennifer Kennedy Dean 

[image error] I can list on one hand the books that have dramatically and permanently impacted my spiritual life. Experiencing God, by Henry Blackaby, is one. Let Prayer Change Your Life, by Becky Tirabassi, is another. The Power of Praying for Your Adult Children, by Stormie Omartian, is another. Live a Praying Life is the most recent addition to my personal Book Hall of Fame.

For the past 20 years, I’ve studied prayer extensively, intensively, and experientially. I’ve taken classes, participated in Bible studies, and led weekend prayer conferences on the subject. I’ve grown tremendously in my prayer life and seen God do amazing and miraculous things in response to my prayers.

Yet I still have questions. Bible verses on prayer sometimes still don’t make sense. I continue to find some aspects of prayer confusing and contradictory. Jennifer Kennedy Dean, in Live a Praying Life, tackles some of the deepest, most perplexing questions about prayer. She uses simple illustrations and explanations to make complex concepts clear without over-simplifying the principles.

Personally, one of the most enlightening chapters is the chapter called “Faith Is Required.” In it, Dean examines the promise of James 1:6-8:

“But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord. . .” 

She talks about the difference between belief and faith. “Faith is not ‘believing real hard.’ Faith is not shutting your eyes and drawing a long breath and willing yourself to believe something. You can make yourself believe anything, true or not. Believing something won’t make God do it. Belief is one thing; faith is something else.”

Her insight in this chapter and others helped me move past some of the confusion that hindered my prayer life and gives me confidence to approach God’s throne with boldness and trust, even though I have no idea how God will specifically answer my prayers.

Dean’s book has an accompanying Bible study that is perfect for small groups, large groups, or churches. I’m prayerfully hoping to lead a session in the future. Now more than ever, we need to be mighty prayer warriors who can do battle for our families, our communities, and the world.

Book #3: The John MacArthur Daily Bible 

[image error] British New Testament scholar N. T. Wright said, “The Bible is the book of my life. It's the book I live with, the book I live by, the book I want to die by.” His conviction is my conviction, too.

More than 15 years ago I made the commitment to read the Bible through in a year. And I failed. The next year, I failed again. I’d start out strong, then wreck on the rocks of Leviticus, or Deuteronomy. Or, heaven help us, NUMBERS. 

One year, however, fifteen months after I began, and for the first time in my life, I read through the whole Bible. I discovered amazing passages, and verses, and characters, and stories I had never read before. I fell in love with minor prophets whose names I still can’t spell. And I read every word of Leviticus. And Deuteronomy. And NUMBERS.

What made the difference? I discovered The One Year Bible.

Available in several translations, The One Year Bible compiles a portion of the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs for each day of the year. Each daily reading takes about 15 minutes to complete. 

Because each day’s reading contains portions of the Old and New Testament as well as Psalms and Proverbs, if I hit a particularly challenging or dry portion of the Old Testament, the passage is relatively short and balanced by a more dynamic or interesting selection from the New Testament. This is what helped me read through Leviticus without giving up. 

Since that year, I’ve read through the Bible at least eight more times. And every time, it gets better. Reading through the Bible means I encounter books and passages I wouldn’t normally choose to read, and in them I find treasure. There’s also often a surprising parallelism between many of the Old and New Testament passages. Since the New Testament is the fulfillment of the Old, there’s a beautiful synergy. 

I don’t read through the Bible every year. Sometimes the Lord leads me to use a different Bible reading method. But when I do, The One Year Bible is the most effective way to help me reach my goal. 

I hope you have some excellent books on your bedside table to read and learn from in 2017. If you don’t, why not choose one or more of the ones I’ve mentioned here? And if you’re already read one of these, please leave a comment in the box below and tell me what you thought of it.  I’d also be interested to hear what your Bible reading plan is for 2017. 

If you’re reading by email, CLICK HERE to visit Hungry for God online, scroll to the bottom of the post, and leave a comment there. 

As you begin the new year, my prayer for you is that your faith will grow deeper, your love for God and mankind will grow stronger, and your witness for Christ will grow braver and stronger. Who knows, perhaps this will be the year that Christ returns. Will he find us faithful?

If you missed Part I of "3 Books on my Bedside Table," CLICK HERE.



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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

3 Books on my Bedside Table, Part I

From the time I was two years old, my father would let me pick out a new Little Golden Book at the grocery store each week. Then every night for a next week, I’d ask him to read it, until I had the words memorized.

In kindergarten I learned to decode the mysterious squiggles and began to read for myself. The Rogers Free Library in Bristol, Rhode Island, became a magical place. As soon as I was old enough for my own library card, I’d walk the mile to the library and check out as many books as I could carry. Lugging them home, I’d grin with anticipation. Over the next few days, I’d devour them as eagerly as most kids devoured Pop Tarts.

I’d read at the dinner table, in the lunch line, in bed, and even in the bathtub. When my sisters got in trouble for playing too much and reading too little, my transgressions were the opposite.

In middle school, when social interaction was awkward and filled with adolescent nonsense, I found warm and welcoming companionship in books. Although part of me wished to be popular, the greater part of me loved my quiet life filled with reading, writing, and thinking.

Today, several decades later, my heart still beats faster when I open a new book. Ever since my first book was published, I’ve approached books a little differently. When I read aloud to my granddaughters, I always begin by reading the title AND the author’s name. I know now what it costs an author to birth a book. Skipping over his or her name is like enjoying a delicious meal without thanking the chef—it’s ungrateful and rude. I read the introduction too, and the forward. These places give me a glimpse into the author’s heart.

This year, as I welcome in the new year, three books sit on my nightstand. One is a perpetual favorite, and the other two have already begun to change my life. I want to share them with you in the hope that you might consider adding them to your list of Must Reads for 2017. 

Happy New Year, and happy reading.


Book #1: New Morning Mercies, a Daily Gospel Devotional by Paul David Tripp

[image error]
Every morning at breakfast for more than ten years, my husband and I have read a brief selection from a devotional book. In the past we’ve read various couples’ devotionals, several of John Piper’s works, and even a daily devotional app. This year, when I heard a friend talking about a new devotional, I took note and bought it.

New Morning Mercies found its genesis in daily Gospel tweets Tripp would send out to his followers. The well-received tweets caused several readers to suggest he use the tweets as a basis for a 365-day devotional. Tripp took the challenge, and New Morning Mercies is the result.

Each one-page devotion begins with one of Tripp’s famous tweets. Here are some examples:

“Your rest is not to be found in figuring your life out, but in trusting the One who has it all figured out for your good and his glory” (Jan. 2).

“Hope is not a thing, not a location, not a situation, not an experience. Hope is a person, and his name is Jesus” (Jan. 23).

“God is unwilling to be your means to what you call the “good life.” Your relationship with him must be your definition of the good life” (June 24).

Tripp’s words are wise, biblical, and applicable to the challenges we encounter every day. I’m very much looking forward to my husband and I starting our days with his truth-filled challenge to find God’s mercies in every day.

For Part 2 of "Three Books on my Bedside Table," CLICK HERE.



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If this post was meaningful to you, would you consider sharing it with a friend by clicking on one of the buttons below? Did you know you can receive bi-weekly Hungry for God posts sent directly to your email inbox? Visit http://www.lori-benotweary.blogspot.com and click on the link in the right hand corner to Subscribe Via Email.

Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

Three Books on my Bedside Table, Part I

Beginning when I was two, my father would let me pick out a new Little Golden Book at the grocery store each week. Then, every night for a next week, I’d ask him to read it, until I had the words memorized.

In kindergarten I learned to decode the mysterious squiggles and began to read for myself. The Rogers Free Library in Bristol, Rhode Island, became a magical place. As soon as I was old enough for my own library card, I’d walk the mile to the library and check out as many books as I could carry. Lugging them home, I’d grin with anticipation. Over the next few days, I’d devour them as eagerly as most kids devoured Pop Tarts.

I’d read at the dinner table, in the lunch line, in bed, and even in the bathtub. When my sisters got in trouble for playing too much and reading too little, my transgressions were the opposite.

In middle school, when social interaction was awkward and filled with adolescent nonsense, I found warm and welcoming companionship in books. Although part of me wished to be popular, the greater part of me loved my quiet life filled with reading, writing, and thinking.

Today, several decades later, my heart still beats faster when I open a new book. Ever since my first book was published, I’ve approached books a little differently. When I read aloud to my granddaughters, I always begin by reading the title AND the author’s name. I know now what it costs an author to birth a book. Skipping over his or her name is like enjoying a delicious meal without thanking the chef—it’s ungrateful and rude. I read the introduction too, and the forward. These places give me a glimpse into the author’s heart.

This year, as I welcome in the new year, three books sit on my nightstand. One is a perpetual favorite, and the other two have already begun to change my life. I want to share them with you in the hope that you might consider adding them to your list of Must Reads for 2017. 

Happy New Year, and happy reading.


Book #1: New Morning Mercies, a Daily Gospel Devotional by Paul David Tripp

[image error]
Every morning at breakfast for more than ten years, my husband and I have read a brief selection from a devotional book. In the past we’ve read various couples’ devotionals, several of John Piper’s works, and even a daily devotional app. This year, when I heard a friend talking about a new devotional, I took note and bought it.

New Morning Mercies found its genesis in daily Gospel tweets Tripp would send out to his followers. The well-received tweets caused several readers to suggest he use the tweets as a basis for a 365-day devotional. Tripp took the challenge, and New Morning Mercies is the result.

Each one-page devotion begins with one of Tripp’s famous tweets. Here are some examples:

“Your rest is not to be found in figuring your life out, but in trusting the One who has it all figured out for your good and his glory” (Jan. 2).

“Hope is not a thing, not a location, not a situation, not an experience. Hope is a person, and his name is Jesus” (Jan. 23).

“God is unwilling to be your means to what you call the “good life.” Your relationship with him must be your definition of the good life” (June 24).

Tripp’s words are wise, biblical, and applicable to the challenges we encounter every day. I’m very much looking forward to my husband and I starting our days with his truth-filled challenge to find God’s mercies in every day.

In my next blog post, I'll share two more books that sit on my bedside table. If you haven't yet subscribed to Hungry for God, now's a great time to do it. You don't want to miss the details on the other two books that have changed my life.



If you enjoyed this post, why not subscribe? I'll send you twice-weekly 5-minute devotions to help nourish your soul. 
Because women need to connect with God in the craziness of life. 

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If this post was meaningful to you, would you consider sharing it with a friend by clicking on one of the buttons below? Did you know you can receive bi-weekly Hungry for God posts sent directly to your email inbox? Visit http://www.lori-benotweary.blogspot.com and click on the link in the right hand corner to Subscribe Via Email.

Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

2016 My Year In Review

In some ways, 2016 was one of the most challenging years of our 32-year marriage. My husband and I experienced tremendous change, deep loss, and profound joy.  I suspect your year was similar—a bittersweet mix of tears and triumph. 

It is good, at significant junctures like the start of a new year, to look back and to look forward. Looking back reminds us of God’s faithful and sustaining presence. Looking forward reminds us that the same God who walked with us in the past will continue to walk with us in the present and into the future. 

We gain great comfort in tracing the hand of God through the days of our lives. It reinforces our hope and calms our fears. I take great comfort in the promise of Isaiah 46:4: 

“Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” 

So here’s my year in review. As you listen to my family's story, I hope you'll remember that the same God who carried us will also carry you if you put your trust in him. Happy New Year. 

Our year began with a huge change—we put the house where we’d lived for 29 years on the market. We’d lived in this home longer than anywhere else. We’d reared our daughters there, welcomed our friends, held Bible studies, extended hospitality, and shared happy family gatherings. In some ways, it was a hard decision, but God gave us peace that it was time to move. 







Right before we moved, we lost Winston, our rescue dog. Only nine years after we adopted him, Winston's death was sudden and unexpected. As only he can do, God helped us focus on the nine wonderful years we had with him instead of deeply mourning the years we lost. He was my faithful walking buddy, patient writing companion, and ever-present comic relief. He also had the softest ears of any dog I've ever petted. I still miss him a lot. 








In March we celebrated my dad’s 80th birthday. After several years of serious health challenges, he felt good enough for us to honor him with singing, gifts, and CAKE. 






In the spring, I competed in the Toastmasters International Speech Contest. I shared a message called “I Am Rich,” based on Psalm 37:16. Even though it was my first year competing, I won first and second place in our club contest, area, and division. It was a great learning experience, and a wonderful way to remind people that it isn’t money that makes us rich. 






After much searching and prayer, God led us to our new home in early April. It has a better layout for extending hospitality (very important, as we like to host prayer meetings, Bible studies, and other gatherings), and is in a much safer neighborhood. Best of all, we moved much closer to our daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughters. Now it’s much easier to be a regular part of their lives. 



 











My husband and I started walking daily in our new neighborhood, something we feel much more comfortable doing now. We also began praying while we walked the 2.8-mile route, which was great preparation for what was to come next . . . 

In May David lost his job of 17 years. It was a tumultuous time as we prayerfully sought God’s will for a new job. Although he was out of work for 3 months, God provided for all our needs, including expensive medication we were unable to afford because of the loss of his health insurance. We learned how intimately God knows and meets our needs—the medication ran out the week he became covered under health insurance at his new job. Jehovah Jireh—God provided. 


 Also in May, I had the honor and privilege of speaking at a Lifetime Achievement Award ceremony for my agent, Les Stobbe, at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. It was a joy to speak for the dozens of authors he has helped along in their publishing journey and pay tribute to his behind-the-scenes prayer and life partner, Rita.

The summer brought opportunities to spend time with family and friends, culminating in a trip to my hometown of Bristol, Rhode Island to welcome my daughter and son-in-law back from a 2-year assignment in Japan. We had the opportunity to reconnect with extended family and visit the little town about which I write so often. 




In the fall, when my eldest daughter and son-in-law left Japan permanently, I received the fulfillment of a promise God had given me two years prior when I sent my beloved daughter 7,000 miles away:

“This is what the LORD says: ‘Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for your work will be rewarded,’ declares the LORD. . . . ‘Your children will return to their own land’” (Jer. 31:16-17). Great was his faithfulness. 

2016 also granted me many opportunities to encourage women through women’s ministry events. I shared “Dressed for Success,” “Stepping Out, How Our Footwear Impacts Our Faith,” and “A Hat for All Seasons, Serving God in Every Stage of Life” at churches in Savannah, Columbia, Lexington, and as far away as Brookville, Pennsylvania. 




 In November and December, I shared a brand new Christmas-themed program, “3 Keys to a Spirit-filled Christmas” at several churches, including ours, which hosted a lovely Christmas tea for the occasion.




And on December 28, Hubby and I celebrated our 32nd wedding anniversary. During the more than three decades of our marriage, we've laughed, cried, mourned, and rejoiced. We've struggled and triumphed, despaired and persevered. We haven't always liked each other, but we've always loved each other. Our commitment to God and the truth of his Word has been the glue that has kept us together through the ups and downs of life.




In between these highlights, we’ve had spiritual, relationship, and financial challenges, but God has carried us through them all. He’s given us wisdom when we’ve asked, comfort when we’ve cried, and hope when we felt hopeless. 

As we begin a new year, my prayer for your family and mine is that we will draw closer to God, be further conformed into the image of Christ, and shine ever brighter for his glory. 




“Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:21-23).



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If this post was meaningful to you, would you consider sharing it with a friend by clicking on one of the buttons below? Did you know you can receive bi-weekly Hungry for God posts sent directly to your email inbox? Visit http://www.lori-benotweary.blogspot.com and click on the link in the right hand corner to Subscribe Via Email.

Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

If Your New Years' Resolutions Always Fail - 4 Steps to Take

A year ago I shared these thoughts on successful new year's resolutions. I'm happy to say they worked. If you're taking stock of your life and realize you want to make some positive changes in 2017, I think these tips will help.


“It will make your back feel better, protect you from injury, and give you great abs.”

The physical therapist was making a compelling case for why I should make time every day for the exercises she was prescribing. Years of working in awkward positions as a dental hygienist, combined with the hours of computer work I do every day was causing me discomfort—enough discomfort to seek medical advice. The exercises she prescribed would take less than ten minutes a day, and I should feel better almost immediately. I eagerly embraced her recommendations. After all, it was my idea to seek help.

Yet I didn’t do the exercises.

Oh, I thought about them every day. I agreed they were good for me. I acknowledged I should do them. I even bought an exercise ball and put it in the family room so I’d have everything I needed to follow her plan.

Yet I didn’t do the exercises.

One of my dental patients shared a similar story. “I know I need to floss,” she said. “When I do, my mouth feels cleaner, my breath smells better, and my gums don’t bleed. I read just yesterday how having healthy gums can help prevent heart and kidney disease, which is really important since my father died of a heart attack.”

Yet she doesn’t floss.

I even hear this in regard to spiritual disciplines. “I know I should ________________(read my Bible, pray, give, serve). When I do, I feel less fearful, more fulfilled, and more productive. I handle stress better, and my husband and I fight less.”

Yet many don’t have regular times of Bible reading and prayer. 

Why?

Why do we struggle to do the things we should? Even the things we want to do and acknowledge are good and helpful?

Even the mighty apostle Paul struggled with this. He expressed his frustration in Romans 7:18-19:

"I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.”

If Mary Hunt, the brain behind the money-saving blog, Everyday Cheapskate, had been around in Paul’s day, he would have benefited from her advice. Thankfully, Mary IS around in our day. She shared a post called “Why 88% of New Years Resolutions Fail and How to Make Them Work.” It’s a practical, helpful read, and one I suggest you print and keep.

Without copying and pasting the whole article here, she and B.J. Fogg, Ph.D., director of the Persuasive Tech Lab at Stanford University, share four steps to new year resolution success:


1. Pick only one resolution. Instead of vowing to lose 30 pounds, exercise daily, and cut out everything but vegetables and tofu from your diet, choose one goal. My goal is to do my physical therapy exercises.

2. Take baby steps. “Make it tiny, even ridiculously so,” Hunt advises. The characteristics of a truly tiny step is that it’s quick and easy. For me, it would be doing one set of my PT exercises (there are 10 in the overall plan). For my floss-flunking patient, it might be to floss one tooth.

3. Become accountable. Write it down. Tell someone else. Enlist a partner to work on one resolution of her own and compare notes at the end of each week.

4. Give yourself positive feedback. Reward yourself, do something that makes you happy, or celebrate with your accountability partner.

After sharing our mutual self-improvement failures, my dental patient and I agreed to make ourselves accountable to each other. “I’ll work toward doing my exercises regularly,” I told her, “and you work on developing a regular floss habit.” She agreed, and when she comes back in 6 months for her checkup, we’re going to compare notes.

I’ve been working Mary Hunt’s plan for about a month now. Instead of trying to do all the sets of exercises my physical therapist prescribed every day (ten in all), I decided to exercise on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. On those days, I might not do all the exercises, but I at least do something.

Four weeks into my experiment, I'm still exercising. There’s something delicious about giving myself the freedom to skip a day in between. And take the whole weekend off. One day this week, I chose to do my exercises on Tuesday instead of Wednesday, because I knew Wednesday would be busier. SCANDALOUS!

Instead of experiencing defeat and a totally failed resolution, I’m successfully building a habit. And you know what? I feel great. No back pain. No muscle cramps. And I think maybe, just maybe, I see a hint of an ab muscle forming . . . imagine that.

As you move into the new year, I hope you’ll choose one discipline to work on. Begin with baby steps, make yourself accountable, and reward yourself for progress. At the end of the year, you’ll be delighted with what you’ve accomplished.

And if spending time with the Lord every day is your goal, may I suggest a resource that will help?


I wrote my devotional book, Hungry for God . . . Starving for Time because I know busy women struggle to make time for the Lord in the craziness of everyday life. Each devotion takes less than five minutes to read. The book is small enough to carry with you and pull it out whenever you have a few minutes for quiet reflection. 

And it’s available on Kindle, so if you carry your phone with you, you can also carry my book. At $2.99 for the Kindle version, it’s cheaper than your favorite latte and will be a great investment in your spiritual life in 2016. 

Whatever your goals for the new year, I pray God’s blessings on your efforts. And if you’d like to make yourself accountable, leave a comment below, and I’ll pray for you. Happy New Year!



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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

6 Things that Are Right about the Church

I bet you could list five things you don’t like about your church. Maybe ten. 

The pastor preaches too long. 
Or not long enough. 
The music is too loud, 
or too traditional, 
or too contemporary. 
It doesn’t have enough programs. 
It’s too hot. 
It’s too cold. 
The service starts too early. 
Someone’s always asking you to volunteer.

Or maybe you haven’t joined a church, because churches are: 

Full of hypocrites. 

Always asking for money. 

Unfriendly.

If you google “complaints people have about church,” you’ll find dozens of articles. In response to the sometimes overwhelming negativity against the church, I’m going to be counter-cultural and tell you what’s right about most Christian churches. 

The pastor preaches God’s Word. 

He studies. He thinks, and he prays. He’s always wondering, how can I make this principle come alive? He worries, too, when he has to say hard things. But he says them anyway, because he loves his congregation and God more than he loves being popular. 

The pastor loves you. 

You’re seldom far from his mind. He carries you like a lamb on his shepherd shoulders everywhere he goes. Some nights he doesn’t sleep well, because he’s thinking and praying for you. That wayward teen? He’s praying for him. That broken marriage? He prays about that, too. He notices when you miss a week, or two, or three. 

Many people there love God with all their hearts. 

They’re trying their best to follow him. They serve selflessly, give sacrificially, and invest their time and talent into the church. They don’t always get it right, but they try. They clean bathrooms, vacuum floors, and set up tables. They teach your children, bring meals when you’re sick, and lend a hand when you need help. Their actions are motivated by their love for God, and as they serve you, they’re serving him. 

There are also baby Christians there. And non-Christians. 

This is good, and as it should be. A church should attract people in every stage of spiritual growth. Keep this in mind when someone disappoints you, or behaves “unspiritually” or immaturely. Breathe grace and remember how mature believers nurtured you in your spiritual infancy. Set the example, come alongside, and don’t judge. 

It’s imperfect because people are imperfect. 

“They that are well need not a physician,” Jesus said long ago, and the principle holds true today. The church isn’t a finishing school. It’s a hospital where the dying receive new life. It’s where the broken are mended, and the wounded are healed. Like a hospital, it’s messy and sometimes painful. It’s also one of the most hope-filled places around. Its doors are always open, and there are people who care. 

Jesus lives there. Jesus didn’t die for the para-church organizations. He didn’t die for podcasts, and he certainly didn’t die so people could look down their self-righteous noses and criticize his family. Flawed as the church is, Jesus chose to ordain it as his hands and feet. “Upon this rock, I will build my church,” he said, “and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” 

He entrusted to the church the Holy Scriptures, the sacraments, and the mission of sharing the Gospel with the world. In the church he inhabits the praises of his people and transforms both baby believers and spiritual saints. 

I’ll be the first to acknowledge that the church isn’t perfect. But it is God’s family. Maybe instead of criticizing, we should identify what’s wrong and try to make it right. Or if we can’t change it, we should just accept it. Like the family member who’s socially awkward and a little slow, we should look past the superficial and into the heart. If we do, I bet we’ll see Jesus there. 

Now it’s your turn. What’s right about your church? What do you love about it? Leave a comment in the box below and share your thoughts. If you’re reading by email, click HERE to visit Hungry for God online, scroll to the bottom of the post, and leave a comment.



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Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

Guaranteed to Banish Scrooge Forever -- 4 More Favorite Christmas Videos

If the Grinch is trying to steal your Christmas joy, these gems will send him packing. Enjoy. Merry Christmas!

Soulful, hopeful, poignantly beautiful.


   
  Casting Crown's "I Heard the Bells." If you're reading by email, click HERE.





  John Lewis Christmas Advert "Buster the Boxer" will make you smile all the way through. If you're reading by email, click HERE. 

 I'm not sure how I've lived as long as I have without ever hearing "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas," by Gayla Peevey.







The Wikipedia story behind this catchy tune tells how the Oklahoma City Zoo capitalized upon the popularity of "I Want A Hippopotamus for Christmas" with a fundraising campaign to "buy a hippo for Gayla". The fund raised $3,000 (equivalent to $27,552.12 present day), and a baby hippopotamus named Matilda was purchased and given to Peevey, which she then donated to the zoo. 
 If you're reading by email, click HERE to listen.

And the grande finale':
 

If you're reading by email, click here to watch the Grinch's heart grow. 


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Because women need to connect with God in the craziness of life. 

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If this post was meaningful to you, would you consider sharing it with a friend by clicking on one of the buttons below? Did you know you can receive bi-weekly Hungry for God posts sent directly to your email inbox? Visit http://www.lori-benotweary.blogspot.com and click on the link in the right hand corner to Subscribe Via Email.

Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher

4 of My Favorite Christmas Videos

Today, as we enter the final week before Christmas, I thought it might be fun to share some of my favorite Christmas videos. If you have a favorite I missed, please share the link in the comment box below so we can all enjoy.



 A commercial, of all things, that depicts the true story of the 1914 Christmas Truce. If you're reading by email, click HERE.



  Yo-Yo Ma and Alison Kraus perform the Wexford Christmas Carol. If you're reading by email, click HERE.




  Pentatonix performing "Mary Did You Know?" If you're reading by email, click HERE. 





"Joseph's Song" by Michael Card. I love this. If you're reading by email, click HERE.





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If this post was meaningful to you, would you consider sharing it with a friend by clicking on one of the buttons below? Did you know you can receive bi-weekly Hungry for God posts sent directly to your email inbox? Visit http://www.lori-benotweary.blogspot.com and click on the link in the right hand corner to Subscribe Via Email.

Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher