Lori Hatcher's Blog: Refresh Blog, page 66
September 4, 2016
There's Something Magical about Going Home

My mom describes it as “a time warp, where the buildings stay the same, but the people get older.”
Those of you who’ve followed my blog for any length of time know I’m a transplanted Yankee living in South Carolina. And while I happily live in the land of grits and boiled peanuts, my roots are deeply embedded in the rocky soil of New England.
Almost a century ago my Portuguese ancestors crossed the Atlantic Ocean in search of a better life. My great-grandmother, known to me as Vovo’, and her three children sailed from the island of San Miguel in the Azores to Ellis Island, New York. From there they traveled north to meet my great-grandfather, who had gone ahead years earlier to prepare a place for them. He’d found work in a textile mill in the tiny harbor town of Bristol, Rhode Island, and there they settled.
Great-grandfather worked in the mill. Vovo’ worked in the mill. As soon as my great uncles were old enough, they worked in the mill. My grandmother, the only daughter, dropped out of school in the fourth grade after she’d learned to read, write, and perform basic arithmetic, to work in the mill. It was there she met my grandfather, a first-generation Italian from immigrant parents.
They had one daughter, my mother, who married a sailor boy from South Carolina stationed three towns over, in Newport. I was born in that sleepy little town on Narragansett Bay. And it was there that I recently returned.
Life comes full circle, they say, and this trip proved the old adage true. Fifty-five years ago my mom married her sailor boy in Newport. Last week we traveled to reunite with my daughter, also married to a sailor boy, now attending school in Newport. It was a nostalgic, symbolic trip.
My little town, Bristol, Rhode Island, was established in 1680, making it a pre-Revolutionary War town. Home to the Wampanoag indians (remember Squanto, who saved the pilgrims?), a few of its claims to fame include being the site of King Philip's tribal council seat, (you may remember him from the war that bears his name) and the oldest continuously celebrated Independence Day festivities in the United States. The Herreshoff Boat company, housed in Bristol, built five consecutive America's Cup winners.
[image error] Taylor Swift and Conan O'Brien have homes in Westerly. Olivia Culpo, Miss USA and Miss Universe, calls RI home. The View cohost Elisabeth Hasselbeck was born and raised in RI. And soon-to-be New York Times best selling author, Lori Roeleveld, makes her home in New Hope. (She's just birthed a beautiful new book. Isn't it lovely?)
But I loved Bristol before Bristol was cool.
In the next few blog posts, I plan to share a few stories from the trip. I hope you enjoy the peek into my past. To whet your appetite, here are a few pictures. More to come.




“Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you” (Gen. 28:15 ESV).
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.
Enter your email address and VALIDATE the Feedburner email sent to your inbox.
Delivered by FeedBurner
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
Published on September 04, 2016 18:27
August 31, 2016
Christmas in August (A Sneak Preview of 3 Keys to a Spiritual Christmas)
Today may be the first day of September, but I'm already thinking about one of my favorite holidays, Christmas. With a little advance planning, it's possible to have a joyful, spirit-filled holiday that draws your family closer to the Lord and shares the love of Christ with our community.
Today I'm pulling back the curtain on a new women's ministry presentation I've developed to help families do just that.
3 KeysTo a Spirit-filled ChristmasKeeping the Spirit in ChristmasA Women’s Ministry Presentation
Description: We desire a spiritual Christmas, but sometimes the most beautiful parts of the season get crowded out. In 3 Keys to a Spirit-filled Christmas, I'll share how to unlock your celebration, your treasure, and your heart to welcome Christ into your holiday season.
Using humor, real-life stories, and examples, I'll offer practical suggestions to help you celebrate in ways that draw you and others closer to Jesus.
Planning Suggestions: Suitable for a Christmas Tea, Women’s Ministry Event, Holiday Celebration, or Ladies’ Night Out.
Presentation Ideas: Use the key theme for table décor. Secure door prizes that coordinate with some of the suggestions Lori shares for how to unlock your celebration, treasure, and heart. Print tickets or invitations on key-shaped cardstock. Give away antique keys tied with red ribbons as Christmas tree ornaments to remind attendees of the three “key” points of Lori’s talk. (Click here to order).
If you're interested in bringing 3 Keys to a Spirit-filled Christmas to your church or women's event, please pass along the information below to your women's ministry coordinator or contact me at LoriAHatcher@gmail.com.
To download or print a 3 Keys to a Spirit-filled Christmas flyer, CLICK HERE.
To visit my Speaking Ministry Page, CLICK HERE.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
Today I'm pulling back the curtain on a new women's ministry presentation I've developed to help families do just that.
3 KeysTo a Spirit-filled ChristmasKeeping the Spirit in ChristmasA Women’s Ministry Presentation
Description: We desire a spiritual Christmas, but sometimes the most beautiful parts of the season get crowded out. In 3 Keys to a Spirit-filled Christmas, I'll share how to unlock your celebration, your treasure, and your heart to welcome Christ into your holiday season.

Planning Suggestions: Suitable for a Christmas Tea, Women’s Ministry Event, Holiday Celebration, or Ladies’ Night Out.
Presentation Ideas: Use the key theme for table décor. Secure door prizes that coordinate with some of the suggestions Lori shares for how to unlock your celebration, treasure, and heart. Print tickets or invitations on key-shaped cardstock. Give away antique keys tied with red ribbons as Christmas tree ornaments to remind attendees of the three “key” points of Lori’s talk. (Click here to order).
If you're interested in bringing 3 Keys to a Spirit-filled Christmas to your church or women's event, please pass along the information below to your women's ministry coordinator or contact me at LoriAHatcher@gmail.com.
To download or print a 3 Keys to a Spirit-filled Christmas flyer, CLICK HERE.
To visit my Speaking Ministry Page, CLICK HERE.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
Published on August 31, 2016 18:52
August 28, 2016
6 Silly Words to Make You Smile
Life is too serious.
Politics, terrorists, natural disasters, scandals—they make me want to pull the covers over my head and never get out of bed. Today, however, I’d like you to set all that aside for a few minutes and have some fun.
I love the English language. As crazy and illogical as it sometimes is, it’s also beautiful, poetic, and sometimes downright funny. Today I’ve chosen six words, courtesy of alphadictionary.com, that are hilarious, either in their spelling, meaning, or pronunciation. I hope they bring you a smile.
#1 Anencephalous
Pronunciation: æn-en-se-fuh-lus
Definition: To be anencephalous is to be brainless, empty-headed, to have a skull with an echo.
Sample: The current election cycle has proven again that anencephalous humans elect other anencephalous humans to high public office.
#2 Formication (Read this one carefully. It’s not what you think.)
Pronunciation: fôrmiˈkāSHən
Definition: The sense of ants crawling on your skin.
Sample: Seeing one bug climbing the table leg was enough to stir up my proclivity for formication.
#3 Pandiculation
Pronunciation: pan-dik-yuh-ley-shuh n
Definition: A full body stretch.
Sample: My dog, Winston, always began his day with leisurely pandiculation.
#4 Sialoquent
Pronunciation: sai-æ-lê-kwênt
Definition: Spitting while speaking.
Sample: The sialoquent preacher never understood why his congregants refused to sit on the front row.
#5 and my personal favorite: Abibliophobia
Pronunciation: uh-bib-li-uh-fo-bee-yuh
Definition: The fear of running out of reading material.
Sample: When my Kindle library of new books dwindles, my abibliophobia rears its ugly head.
Musicians will love this final word, but even if you’re not musically inclined, have fun trying to pronounce it. Take it slowly and don’t miss a syllable.
#6 Hemidemisemiquaver
Pronunciation: hemēˌdemēˈsemēˌkwāvər/
Definition: A musical timing of 1/64.
Sample: My fingers can’t move fast enough to play a selection in hemidemisemiquaver.
Well, there you have it—six funny words from the English language. Since we’ve barely scratched the surface, I invite you to share your personal favorite by leaving a comment below. If you’re reading by email, click here to visit Hungry for God online, scroll to the bottom of the post, and comment there.
Remember, just because the world is filled with serious things doesn’t mean we can’t lighten things up every now and then with a little laughter. I challenge you to incorporate one of these silly words into your conversation today and watch what happens.
“A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones,” (Prov. 17:22).
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.
Enter your email address and VALIDATE the Feedburner email sent to your inbox.
Delivered by FeedBurner
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
Politics, terrorists, natural disasters, scandals—they make me want to pull the covers over my head and never get out of bed. Today, however, I’d like you to set all that aside for a few minutes and have some fun.
I love the English language. As crazy and illogical as it sometimes is, it’s also beautiful, poetic, and sometimes downright funny. Today I’ve chosen six words, courtesy of alphadictionary.com, that are hilarious, either in their spelling, meaning, or pronunciation. I hope they bring you a smile.

Pronunciation: æn-en-se-fuh-lus
Definition: To be anencephalous is to be brainless, empty-headed, to have a skull with an echo.
Sample: The current election cycle has proven again that anencephalous humans elect other anencephalous humans to high public office.
#2 Formication (Read this one carefully. It’s not what you think.)
Pronunciation: fôrmiˈkāSHən
Definition: The sense of ants crawling on your skin.
Sample: Seeing one bug climbing the table leg was enough to stir up my proclivity for formication.
#3 Pandiculation
Pronunciation: pan-dik-yuh-ley-shuh n
Definition: A full body stretch.
Sample: My dog, Winston, always began his day with leisurely pandiculation.
#4 Sialoquent
Pronunciation: sai-æ-lê-kwênt
Definition: Spitting while speaking.
Sample: The sialoquent preacher never understood why his congregants refused to sit on the front row.
#5 and my personal favorite: Abibliophobia
Pronunciation: uh-bib-li-uh-fo-bee-yuh
Definition: The fear of running out of reading material.
Sample: When my Kindle library of new books dwindles, my abibliophobia rears its ugly head.
Musicians will love this final word, but even if you’re not musically inclined, have fun trying to pronounce it. Take it slowly and don’t miss a syllable.
#6 Hemidemisemiquaver
Pronunciation: hemēˌdemēˈsemēˌkwāvər/
Definition: A musical timing of 1/64.
Sample: My fingers can’t move fast enough to play a selection in hemidemisemiquaver.
Well, there you have it—six funny words from the English language. Since we’ve barely scratched the surface, I invite you to share your personal favorite by leaving a comment below. If you’re reading by email, click here to visit Hungry for God online, scroll to the bottom of the post, and comment there.
Remember, just because the world is filled with serious things doesn’t mean we can’t lighten things up every now and then with a little laughter. I challenge you to incorporate one of these silly words into your conversation today and watch what happens.
“A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones,” (Prov. 17:22).
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.
Enter your email address and VALIDATE the Feedburner email sent to your inbox.
Delivered by FeedBurner
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
Published on August 28, 2016 19:04
August 24, 2016
3 Ways to Jazz Up Your Prayer Life
Sometimes prayer is boring.
If you pray often and conscientiously, you know this is true. Perhaps you use a prayer journal to list the people and ministries you want to pray for. Or maybe you have a structure for your time of intercession, like one of my favorites, P.A.R.T. (Praise, Admit, Request, Thanksgiving). You might have a simple method, like praying daily for your family, friends, and missionaries. However you structure your prayer time, if you pray often, you probably battle boredom from time to time.
One of the unexpected benefits of my husband’s recent unemployment has been that he's been able to walk with me in the mornings. In almost 32 years of marriage, we’ve never had schedules that allowed time to exercise together. For the past three months, however, we’ve been walking for an hour every morning, and while we walk, we pray.
After a few weeks, I noticed we were praying the same prayers, in the same order, for the same people, day after day. I knew repetition was necessary, but boredom was not. We put our heads together and brainstormed ways to infuse new life and joy into our times of intercession.
Today I’d like to share three ways that helped jazz up our prayer time.
1. Use the alphabet to praise God.
We begin most of our prayer times by praising God. Reminding ourselves of who God is is a powerful reminder that he is quite capable of answering our prayers and working on our behalf. Using the alphabet, we list a character quality or attribute of God for every letter (X is tough). Then we turn each attribute into something for which to praise him.
Here’s an example: “God, you are our Advocate. Thank you for interceding for us when we are unable to help ourselves. You are also Benevolent, providing all we need, every day, in just the right amounts. I praise you for being Compassionate. You are a God who feels our pain, sympathizes with our weaknesses, and collects our tears in a bottle. . . .”
2. Use the alphabet to pray for people.
Like chronicling the attributes of God with the ABCs, praying for people using the alphabet can also take your prayer time in a fresh new direction. Use the sequence of letters to prompt you to pray for a person whose name (first or last) begins with the next letter.
Here’s an example: “Father, today I’d like to pray for Aaron. Strengthen him in his faith. Help him love his wife as Christ loves the church. Help him parent his daughter wisely, and bless their unborn baby. Be with Bethany, too. Help her grow to love you more every day. Inspire her to read her Bible every day and work hard in school. Thank you, Father, for Chris, draw him to yourself. Save him and make him a mighty man of God for your glory.
3. Pray for people for whom you don’t regularly pray.
The only rule for this prayer approach is that you can’t have prayed for the person recently. Ask God to bring people to mind, and then pray for them as the Spirit leads you. When my husband and I pray this way, we’re always amazed at the people who pop into our minds—friends we went to church with 20 years ago, other people’s children, even patients of mine.
Trusting that the Lord knows these people need special prayer, we lift each one to the Lord. We’ll probably never know how God used our prayers, but we can be confident that he took note of them.
God calls us to prayerful persistence, and oftentimes such repetition can be a little dull. Thinking creatively and mixing up our routines every now and then can jazz things up and renew your enthusiasm. If your prayer life needs a spark, why not try one of these ideas or share one of your own
What do you do to keep your prayer life dynamic? Leave a comment below to share your ideas. If you’re reading by email, click here to visit Hungry for God online, scroll down, and leave a comment at the bottom.
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.
Enter your email address and VALIDATE the Feedburner email sent to your inbox.
Delivered by FeedBurner
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 you pray often and conscientiously, you know this is true. Perhaps you use a prayer journal to list the people and ministries you want to pray for. Or maybe you have a structure for your time of intercession, like one of my favorites, P.A.R.T. (Praise, Admit, Request, Thanksgiving). You might have a simple method, like praying daily for your family, friends, and missionaries. However you structure your prayer time, if you pray often, you probably battle boredom from time to time.
One of the unexpected benefits of my husband’s recent unemployment has been that he's been able to walk with me in the mornings. In almost 32 years of marriage, we’ve never had schedules that allowed time to exercise together. For the past three months, however, we’ve been walking for an hour every morning, and while we walk, we pray.
After a few weeks, I noticed we were praying the same prayers, in the same order, for the same people, day after day. I knew repetition was necessary, but boredom was not. We put our heads together and brainstormed ways to infuse new life and joy into our times of intercession.

Today I’d like to share three ways that helped jazz up our prayer time.
1. Use the alphabet to praise God.
We begin most of our prayer times by praising God. Reminding ourselves of who God is is a powerful reminder that he is quite capable of answering our prayers and working on our behalf. Using the alphabet, we list a character quality or attribute of God for every letter (X is tough). Then we turn each attribute into something for which to praise him.
Here’s an example: “God, you are our Advocate. Thank you for interceding for us when we are unable to help ourselves. You are also Benevolent, providing all we need, every day, in just the right amounts. I praise you for being Compassionate. You are a God who feels our pain, sympathizes with our weaknesses, and collects our tears in a bottle. . . .”
2. Use the alphabet to pray for people.
Like chronicling the attributes of God with the ABCs, praying for people using the alphabet can also take your prayer time in a fresh new direction. Use the sequence of letters to prompt you to pray for a person whose name (first or last) begins with the next letter.
Here’s an example: “Father, today I’d like to pray for Aaron. Strengthen him in his faith. Help him love his wife as Christ loves the church. Help him parent his daughter wisely, and bless their unborn baby. Be with Bethany, too. Help her grow to love you more every day. Inspire her to read her Bible every day and work hard in school. Thank you, Father, for Chris, draw him to yourself. Save him and make him a mighty man of God for your glory.
3. Pray for people for whom you don’t regularly pray.
The only rule for this prayer approach is that you can’t have prayed for the person recently. Ask God to bring people to mind, and then pray for them as the Spirit leads you. When my husband and I pray this way, we’re always amazed at the people who pop into our minds—friends we went to church with 20 years ago, other people’s children, even patients of mine.
Trusting that the Lord knows these people need special prayer, we lift each one to the Lord. We’ll probably never know how God used our prayers, but we can be confident that he took note of them.
God calls us to prayerful persistence, and oftentimes such repetition can be a little dull. Thinking creatively and mixing up our routines every now and then can jazz things up and renew your enthusiasm. If your prayer life needs a spark, why not try one of these ideas or share one of your own
What do you do to keep your prayer life dynamic? Leave a comment below to share your ideas. If you’re reading by email, click here to visit Hungry for God online, scroll down, and leave a comment at the bottom.
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.
Enter your email address and VALIDATE the Feedburner email sent to your inbox.
Delivered by FeedBurner
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
Published on August 24, 2016 19:00
If this post was meaningful to you, would you consider sh...
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
Copyright 2012 by Lori Hatcher
Published on August 24, 2016 19:00
August 21, 2016
Six Words When You Feel Frazzled

"Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard."
Even though creation surrounds me, sometimes I don’t really see it.
Most days the busyness of my life convinces me I don’t have time to stop. To gaze at the sunrise. To savor the cool breeze. To notice a tiny flower.
I find, too, when I busily whiz past God’s creation, I also whiz past its Creator.
It’s ironic, because it’s during these supersonic, speed-of-light-days that I most need a glimpse of God. I need a reminder that he's the center of the universe, not me.
So today I chose to linger long and marvel at the earth’s masterpiece of praise to its Creator. I invite you to come with me.
May you have eyes to see and hearts to receive what God is saying to us.

When I see ripening grapes hanging on an arbor, I am reminded that He is the vine, and I am a branch. Connected to him, I can bear much fruit. Apart from him, I become a raisin.

When I see variety in a sea of sameness, I am reminded that I am a unique creation, perfectly designed for the Master's use.

When I see towering cliffs and lofty trees, vast expanses of sea and soaring heights, I am reminded that God is big, and I am small.

When I see flashes of lighting and hear the crash of thunder, I experience a tiny portion of God's great power. I am awestruck and strangely comforted.

When I see the bond between humans and animals, I am reminded that God knows what I need before I even ask him.

When I see the beauty of a sunset, I am reminded that the sky is God's canvas, and all the world is his gallery.

When I see a sleeping child resting safely in her mother's arms, I am reminded that I, too, can rest securely in my heavenly Father's embrace.
If you're whizzing past creation and whizzing past the God of creation, I have six words for you:
Slow down.
Breathe deeply.
Look around.
Not only will you see the beauty of creation, you'll also see the beauty of the Creator. And that, my friends, changes everything.
Happy Monday.
Now it's your turn: What does creation tell you about its Creator? Leave a comment 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 blog post, and leave a comment to encourage us all.

Five years ago, after a 17 years of homeschooling, I wrote a devotional book to encourage homeschooling moms.
Every year since then, I've offered Kindle copies for free at the beginning of the school year.
TODAY ONLY, Monday August 22, IS THE DAY!
Will you please help me reach as many homeschooling moms as possible with this free offer?
Click here to share the link on Facebook.Click here for the direct link to the Amazon offer.Or simply share this post with your friends or on social media.
THANKS for helping me encourage as many homeschooling moms as possible. You're the BEST!

Cost is $35, which includes lunch, a t-shirt, and a copy of my book, Hungry for God…Starving for Time. For more information and to register, contact Kathy Shaffer at flokat1990@gmail.com.
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.
Enter your email address and VALIDATE the Feedburner email sent to your inbox.
Delivered by FeedBurner
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
Published on August 21, 2016 19:00
August 17, 2016
4 Reasons Why You Can't Quit, Part II

In my last post, I shared Part I of 4 Reasons You Can't Quit. Today I'll share two more. If you missed Part I, click here.
Reason 3: A breakthrough may be just around the corner.
My husband, David, became a Christian at age 17. Excited about his newfound faith and eager to pass along the joy and life transformation he was experiencing, he shared the Gospel with his older brother, Luther.
Luther was a rough and tough man’s man who wasn’t interested in “religion.” He liked his life the way it was, and he didn’t need his little brother “preaching to him.” One day he got so mad that he threatened him.
“If you ever talk to me about religion again, I will punch you in the face.”
David stopped sharing.
But he didn’t stop praying.
He prayed for his brother for 26 years. He continued to ask God for opportunities to share the Gospel again, but he knew it would have to be with Luther’s permission and on Luther’s terms.
One day Luther received news he didn’t want to hear: “You have lung cancer.”
David went to see him. With fear and trembling, he shared the Gospel one more time.
“I’ll think about it,” Luther said.
Two weeks later he confessed his sin to God and asked Christ to be his Savior.
What if David had quit?
I know God could and would have saved Luther another way, but David would have missed out on the joy of being part of persevering in faith.
You can’t quit, because a breakthrough may be just around the corner.

Reason 4: Others are watching you.
Just like we don’t sin in a vacuum, we also don’t struggle in a vacuum. It’s easy to think that our difficulties only affect ourselves, but they don’t. We are part of what Hebrews 11 calls “a great cloud of witnesses.” As you persevere in prayer and faith for your prodigal, others are watching you.
As you refuse to give up on your marriage, others are watching you. As you trust God for financial provision and see him meet your needs, others are watching you. As you suffer for doing what's right, others are watching you.
There are two groups of people watching you struggle: the believers and the skeptics.
Those who share your faith are watching to see if God is going to enable you to persevere and see how he answers your prayers and meets your needs.
Those who are skeptical of your faith are watching you, too. They’re watching to see if God is going to enable you to persevere and if he answers your prayers and meets your needs.
They’re wondering too, if you’ll continue to believe in God when trials come. They want to see if the faith you’ve proclaimed in the good times is strong enough to carry you through the bad times.
If you quit, both groups lose, because faith is contagious, and so is unbelief. If you not only survive your trial, but meet God in the midst of it, others’ faith will grow. They’ll know that the same God who met your needs, carried you through, and worked on your behalf can do the same for them. Every time you exercise your spiritual muscles, other believers will grow stronger because of your example.
The unsaved will also benefit when you choose to persevere. As they watch you weather your trials, they’ll see a powerful example of how God can and does work in his children's lives. Even if nothing changes, you'll have the opportunity to demonstrate the genuineness of your faith.
Like Satan when he tested Job, people expect Christians to serve God when he is blessing them. Trials, however, have a way of weeding out the nominally committed. A Christian who remains steadfast despite difficulties shines a bright light into an unsaved person’s soul.
When you’re tempted to quit, look around you. Think of the Christians who are watching your example. Then think of the people you love who don’t know Christ.
You can’t quit, because others are watching you.
"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain" (1 Cor. 15:58).
As I conclude this challenge not to quit, I’d like to leave you with my favorite passage of hope from the book of Isaiah, 43:1-3:
“…this is what the LORD says—he who created you, __________ (insert your name here), he who formed you,:
"'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;'”
If you're reading by email and can't see this video, CLICK HERE to be encouraged by Kari Jobe's "You Are For Me."
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.
Enter your email address and VALIDATE the Feedburner email sent to your inbox.
Delivered by FeedBurner
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
Published on August 17, 2016 19:16
August 14, 2016
4 Reasons Why You Can't Quit, Part I
Some of you are thinking about quitting.
It’s too hard. You’re tired. Nothing’s changing. In fact, things may be getting worse.
You’ve prayed for that prodigal child for so long with no apparent results. Or your marriage is broken into a million pieces. Maybe your financial situation is a wreck, your health is fragile, or your spiritual life is hanging by a thread.
You’re losing hope, and you’re weary. So weary.
I know how you feel. I’ve been in hard places where every day is difficult and some days I don’t even want to get out of bed. My emotional wires are strung so tightly that I fear I might burst into tears at the slightest provocation. And sometimes I do.
I’ve prayed, and prayed, and prayed, and I've wondered if anyone was listening, cared, or was working on my behalf.
Today and in the next blog post, I’d like to give you four reasons not to quit.
Reason 1: Things are happening in the spiritual realm you can’t see. We are limited to only what we can see with our eyes, but God works in places and in ways we can’t see. Jesus said he is always at work (John 5:17). One of my favorite examples of this is the story of Elisha as told in 2 Kings 6:14-17.
The prophet Elisha was in trouble with the king. So much trouble that the king had ordered his soldiers to go to Dothan and capture him.
“When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city.
“‘Oh, my lord, what shall we do?’ the servant asked.
“‘Don't be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’"
Are you crazy? the servant must have thought. I see soldiers with scary weapons and more horses and chariots than I’ve ever seen in my life. More with us than with them? Uh, in case you can’t count, there are two of us, and there are hundreds of them. Any way I figure it, we’re outnumbered—badly.
“And Elisha prayed, ‘O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.’ Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”
If you’re honoring and obeying God as best you can, he promises to work on your behalf. Though you may not see his hand at work, you can be confident that he is moving heaven and earth to ensure that his perfect will is done in your situation.
You can’t quit because things are happening in the spiritual realm you can’t see.
Reason 2: God will honor your commitment.
Galatians 6:9 is my go-to verse when I consider quitting:
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Sowing seeds we hope will sprout into a spiritual harvest in our children, our families, our marriages, our work, our communities, and our ministries is an act of faith. We work and work and work, and sometimes we see absolutely no results. But that doesn’t mean nothing’s happening.
One of the rarest flowers on earth is a plant called the Amorphophallus Titanum. It’s also one of the largest flowers on earth and takes 40 years to bloom. Scientists who cultivate it say there are no visible signs to tell them anything’s happening with this flower until almost immediately before it blooms.
But when it blooms, whooooeeeee! It’s so big and beautiful that people line up and wait for hours just for a glimpse of it.
This is often true when the seeds we’ve sown finally bear fruit. It’s big, beautiful, and dramatic enough that people can’t stop talking about it.
Franklin Graham is another powerful example of this. Headstrong and worldy, he wasted the early years of his life as a prodigal. He forsook everything his parents modeled, taught, and preached and lived in rebellion and disobedience.
Then the seeds his parents had sown into his life began to take root. And sprout. And grow. One day the Holy Spirit convicted him of his sin, and he surrendered his life to Christ. Now he is the founder of Samaritan’s Purse Ministries and Operation Christmas Child, a world-renowned speaker, and a powerful force for Christ in today’s dark world.
You can’t quit because God promises to honor your commitment.
In my next post, I'll share two more reasons why you (and I) can't quit. In the meantime, please know I am praying for you.
For a little added encouragement, here's Mandisa.
If you're reading by email, click here for "He Is with You."
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.
Enter your email address and VALIDATE the Feedburner email sent to your inbox.
Delivered by FeedBurner
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
It’s too hard. You’re tired. Nothing’s changing. In fact, things may be getting worse.
You’ve prayed for that prodigal child for so long with no apparent results. Or your marriage is broken into a million pieces. Maybe your financial situation is a wreck, your health is fragile, or your spiritual life is hanging by a thread.
You’re losing hope, and you’re weary. So weary.
I know how you feel. I’ve been in hard places where every day is difficult and some days I don’t even want to get out of bed. My emotional wires are strung so tightly that I fear I might burst into tears at the slightest provocation. And sometimes I do.
I’ve prayed, and prayed, and prayed, and I've wondered if anyone was listening, cared, or was working on my behalf.
Today and in the next blog post, I’d like to give you four reasons not to quit.

Reason 1: Things are happening in the spiritual realm you can’t see. We are limited to only what we can see with our eyes, but God works in places and in ways we can’t see. Jesus said he is always at work (John 5:17). One of my favorite examples of this is the story of Elisha as told in 2 Kings 6:14-17.
The prophet Elisha was in trouble with the king. So much trouble that the king had ordered his soldiers to go to Dothan and capture him.
“When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city.
“‘Oh, my lord, what shall we do?’ the servant asked.
“‘Don't be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’"
Are you crazy? the servant must have thought. I see soldiers with scary weapons and more horses and chariots than I’ve ever seen in my life. More with us than with them? Uh, in case you can’t count, there are two of us, and there are hundreds of them. Any way I figure it, we’re outnumbered—badly.
“And Elisha prayed, ‘O LORD, open his eyes so he may see.’ Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”
If you’re honoring and obeying God as best you can, he promises to work on your behalf. Though you may not see his hand at work, you can be confident that he is moving heaven and earth to ensure that his perfect will is done in your situation.
You can’t quit because things are happening in the spiritual realm you can’t see.
Reason 2: God will honor your commitment.
Galatians 6:9 is my go-to verse when I consider quitting:
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Sowing seeds we hope will sprout into a spiritual harvest in our children, our families, our marriages, our work, our communities, and our ministries is an act of faith. We work and work and work, and sometimes we see absolutely no results. But that doesn’t mean nothing’s happening.
One of the rarest flowers on earth is a plant called the Amorphophallus Titanum. It’s also one of the largest flowers on earth and takes 40 years to bloom. Scientists who cultivate it say there are no visible signs to tell them anything’s happening with this flower until almost immediately before it blooms.
But when it blooms, whooooeeeee! It’s so big and beautiful that people line up and wait for hours just for a glimpse of it.
This is often true when the seeds we’ve sown finally bear fruit. It’s big, beautiful, and dramatic enough that people can’t stop talking about it.
Franklin Graham is another powerful example of this. Headstrong and worldy, he wasted the early years of his life as a prodigal. He forsook everything his parents modeled, taught, and preached and lived in rebellion and disobedience.
Then the seeds his parents had sown into his life began to take root. And sprout. And grow. One day the Holy Spirit convicted him of his sin, and he surrendered his life to Christ. Now he is the founder of Samaritan’s Purse Ministries and Operation Christmas Child, a world-renowned speaker, and a powerful force for Christ in today’s dark world.
You can’t quit because God promises to honor your commitment.
In my next post, I'll share two more reasons why you (and I) can't quit. In the meantime, please know I am praying for you.
For a little added encouragement, here's Mandisa.
If you're reading by email, click here for "He Is with You."
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.
Enter your email address and VALIDATE the Feedburner email sent to your inbox.
Delivered by FeedBurner
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
Published on August 14, 2016 18:47
August 10, 2016
I Never Expected That to Happen

I was 18 years old, and unlike many of my friends who knew it all, I felt the weight of my ignorance. Major life decisions, hitchhiking on the backs of well-meaning friends and relatives, lurked around every corner waiting to pounce on me.
Where will you go to college? What course of study will you choose? How are you going to pay for it? Will you live at home or on campus? And what about that boyfriend? Is he the one you should marry?
I knew one thing. After eighteen years of living my life my way, I knew I was doomed if left to my own wisdom. Or lack thereof. I looked good on the outside, but on the inside I was a school bus full of kids headed toward a railroad crossing.
“I don’t want to be in charge anymore,” I told my pastor that day in his study, tears streaming down my cheeks. “I need someone wiser than I am to run my life.”
And then there was the matter of my sin. I hadn’t intended to talk about that. Our counseling appointment was supposed to be more of a self-help therapy session than a come-to-Jesus meeting, but somehow the conversation took a turn.
It was a no-brainer, really. I’d sat under enough sermons in my two years of faithful but disinterested church attendance to know that my life didn’t please God. Like a wart on the nose of a beauty queen, there was no hiding the ugliness. Thankfully God’s people had loved me anyway, by faith.
“God,” I prayed, “I surrender. I don’t want to run my life any more. I want you to be in charge.”
I prayed other things, too, on that glorious/horrible day. A blubbery confession of sin. An earnest repentance. A promise to obey whatever God told me to do.
I naively gave no thought of the consequences of my action. I didn’t think to ask, “If I become a Christian, will I have to give up ________?”, because I hadn’t intended to become a Christian that day. I thought I was one.
Then the Holy Spirit opened my eyes. And my heart. And all of a sudden, he started changing me. First Corinthians 5:17 was happening without me even realizing it.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
My music and my bikini were the first to go. No one told me to get rid of them. I just knew. I broke off a relationship that didn’t please God. I made different choices about what I watched on TV and which movies I attended.
When I disobeyed the voice of the Holy Spirit, I felt bad. Which made me feel good, because it proved that something within me had changed. My new attitude toward sin proved that the Holy Spirit really had come to live inside me—just like the Bible said.
God was gently and patiently teaching me to avoid the bad and embrace the good. He was changing me so that instead of having to pry things out of my hand, I was willingly releasing what he knew wasn't best for me.
God was changing my want to's.
That was many years ago, and the truth of Philippians 1:6 has continued its faithful march across my life.
“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
More than 30 years later, I still struggle with wanting my way, but I have three centuries of examples that God’s way is best. I’m thankful that he continues the good work he began in me.
What about you? Over the course of your Christian life, how have you seen God change your want to’s? Leave a comment below and share your story. 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.

Cost is $35, which includes lunch, a t-shirt, and a copy of my book, Hungry for God…Starving for Time. For more information and to register (discount registration deadline August 10), contact Kathy Shaffer at flokat1990@gmail.com.
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.
Enter your email address and VALIDATE the Feedburner email sent to your inbox.
Delivered by FeedBurner
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
Published on August 10, 2016 18:26
August 9, 2016
Good news - free books!

For a limited time, Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas is giving away Kindle copies of my 5-Minute devotional, Hungry for God ... Starving for Time. And to make the deal even sweeter, he's throwing in 7 other LPC titles. ALL FREE.
I know many of you already have a paperback copy, but do you have one on your Kindle? Or your iPhone?
Here's your chance to make HFG even more portable--you can carry it with you so that whenever you have 5 minutes of quiet, it's there to help you spend that time with God.
Hurry on over and grab a copy (CLICK HERE) before the publisher realizes what a great deal this is and changes his mind, then please share this post (or the Facebook post, or both) with your friends. They'll love you for it, and I will too.
Thanks for being the best readers on the planet. I thank God for you every day.

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.
Enter your email address and VALIDATE the Feedburner email sent to your inbox.
Delivered by FeedBurner
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
Published on August 09, 2016 11:42
Refresh Blog
A place to refresh your faith, hope, and prayers with 5-minute weekly posts.
- Lori Hatcher's profile
- 100 followers
