Lori Hatcher's Blog: Refresh Blog, page 8

Three Simple Ways We Can Hear God Speak

Have you ever heard God speak? 

If you ask this question, you’ll get a variety of answers. 

“I hear God speak all the time.” 

“I’ve never heard God speak.” 

“Sometimes I think I hear God speak, but I’m not sure.” 

“God speaks to super Christians, but he’s too busy to speak to ordinary people.”  

One day, I was struggling. Unexpected circumstances had caught us off guard, and a thousand thoughts were whirling through my head. 

“Lord, I need a word from you,” I prayed. 

Every morning I read The One Year Bible, so I opened it to that day’s portion of Scripture in Second Samuel 22 . The final words of the chapter read, “(God) is the tower of salvation to his king, and shows mercy to his anointed, to David and his descendants forevermore.” 

I know this passage was originally written about Israel’s King David, but my husband’s name is also David. Through this ancient passage, God reminded me that because my husband loves Him, he would show mercy to David and our family.

How sweet and comforting that God directed me to such a specific passage with my husband’s name in it. 

On the way to church, I checked my email. My friend Heather, who had no idea what was going on in our lives, sent an encouraging message, which she ended with a Scripture reference, Romans 15:1-13. I looked up the verses, and verses 4, 12, and 13 stood out: 

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. . . . Isaiah says, “The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him.” 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.” 

And when we reached church and settled into our Sunday school class, our teacher stood before the group and wrote four big letters on a dry erase board: H – O – P—E. 

Do you think God answered my prayer asking Him to speak to me?

This series of events is a classic example of a few of the ways God speaks to his children. 

1. One of the most common ways he speaks is through his Word. When I opened my Bible that morning, I heard a personal and powerful word from the Lord. 

2. God also speaks through his people. My friend who sent the email had no idea our family was struggling; she simply obeyed what God told her to do—send Lori an encouraging email and share this Scripture passage with her.



3. God also speaks through preaching and teaching. My Sunday school teacher presented material someone had written and published years ago, but God used it (and her) to remind me to have hope, even when circumstances say otherwise. 

I began this post by sharing several responses to the question, “Have you ever heard God speak?” My recent experience demonstrated three ways God has spoken to me. 

What if I hadn’t positioned myself to hear him?

I might have missed his voice. 

If I hadn’t read my Bible that morning, I wouldn’t have read the Scripture that used my husband’s name. If I hadn’t cultivated friendships with godly believers, I wouldn’t have received my friend’s encouraging email. If I hadn’t gone to church, I would have missed the HOPE-filled message from my Sunday school teacher. 

Our family experienced an unexpected challenge in that season, but we were not unprepared. Because we had built spiritual disciplines into our lives, we were positioned to be able to hear God when he spoke. The reassurance we received bolstered our faith, calmed our fears, and reminded us that he is fully in control. 

This, my friends, is what the Christian life is all about.



Have you ever heard God speak? How does he usually speak to you? Leave a comment below and join the conversation. 

Do You Live in the Columbia, SC area? Do You Love Tea, God’s Word, and Christian Fellowship?

Join Lori at Dunn’s Chapel, Saturday, May 11, at 10 am, (Mother’s Day weekend) for a Ladies Tea and Inspiration. Lori will share “5 Life-Changing Words Every Christian Should Know.” For Food, Faith, and Fellowship, invite a friend and RSVP by emailing DebbieWatford1@gmail.com. See you there!

A Word for Your Day — 66 Devotions to Refresh Your Mind

Allow God’s Word to change your life, one word at a time! Lori Hatcher’s newest book, a 66-day devotional highlights one relevant, sometimes unexpected, word from each book of the Bible. Lori, the best-selling author of Refresh Your Faith and Refresh Your Prayers, shares simple—but never simplistic—truths. She continues to remind us that every part of Scripture is active, alive, and applicable. 

From beginning in Genesis to new in Revelation, ponder each significant word as you move through your day and allow God to transform your heart and mind.

Order A Word for Your Day from these fine retailers:

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/34t5k7j9

Our Daily Bread Publishing: http://tinyurl.com/mwwhya9h

Have you subscribed to Refresh?


If you’d like to receive Lori’s weekly 5-minute devotions to help you rediscover

The post Three Simple Ways We Can Hear God Speak appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

              Related StoriesThe Unusual Gift of DesperationPowerful Hope When You’re Weary of PrayingTwo Women, Two Choices. Which Would You Make? 

Powerful Hope When You’re Weary of Praying

What is your most long-standing unanswered prayer? 

I have friends who have been praying for decades for their children’s salvation. 

And a friend who has labored for years over her daughter’s infertility. 

One of my neighbors prays daily for researchers to find a cure for a disease that has the power to kill two of his grandchildren before they reach age 30. He’s been praying this prayer for eleven years. 

I pray every day for beloved prodigals, broken relationships, and healing. 

Sometimes I grow weary.

When I don’t see results, I wonder if my prayers are accomplishing anything. Might my time and energy be better spent doing something? In my darkest times of doubt, I wonder if God is even listening. Or if he cares.

Do you ever feel this way? 

Then Luke 18:1 is a special gift for us today. 

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.”

I take great comfort in knowing that Jesus knew I’d grow weary in prayer. Not only that, but he inspired the gospel writer Luke to pen this Scripture with me (and you) in mind — so we wouldn’t give up.  

“Keep praying,” he says. “I hear you. Your prayers matter. I’m knitting them into the fabric of events, and one day it will all make sense. And it will be beautiful. Trust me. Don’t give up.” 

If you’ve labored long over a loved one, a circumstance, or a need, take a deep breath. Cry if you need to. Then ask God for the faith to persevere. He will have his perfect will and way, and I want to be a part of that. 

Don’t you?

A Word for Your Day — 66 Devotions to Refresh Your Mind

Allow God’s Word to change your life, one word at a time! Lori Hatcher’s newest book, a 66-day devotional highlights one relevant, sometimes unexpected, word from each book of the Bible. Lori, the best-selling author of Refresh Your Faith and Refresh Your Prayers, shares simple—but never simplistic—truths. She continues to remind us that every part of Scripture is active, alive, and applicable. 

From beginning in Genesis to new in Revelation, ponder each significant word as you move through your day and allow God to transform your heart and mind.

Order A Word for Your Day from these fine retailers:

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/34t5k7j9

Our Daily Bread Publishing: http://tinyurl.com/mwwhya9h

Do You Live in the Columbia, SC area? Do You Love Tea, God’s Word, and Christian Fellowship?

Join Lori at Dunn’s Chapel, Saturday, May 11, at 10 am, (Mother’s Day weekend) for a Ladies Tea and Inspiration. Lori will share “5 Life-Changing Words Every Christian Should Know.” For Food, Faith, and Fellowship, invite a friend and RSVP by emailing DebbieWatford1@gmail.com. See you there!

Have you subscribed to Refresh?


If you’d like to receive Lori’s weekly 5-minute devotion to help you rediscover the excitement of God’s Word, CLICK HERE to subscribe.

The post Powerful Hope When You’re Weary of Praying appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

              Related StoriesThe Very Best Parts of This Month—In Pictures!The Unusual Gift of Desperation“I’ll Never Forgive You as Long as I Live!” 

Do Christians Have Pollyanna Faith? How to Find Comfort with Teeth

A struggling friend once accused me of having a Pollyanna approach to life. You just think happy thoughts, look on the bright side, and focus on the good. You pretend the bad stuff doesn’t exists.

Seriously? Does she really think this is how Christians deal with trials?

If my husband came home with a frightening diagnosis or a pink slip in his lunch box, would I say, “Oh, don’t worry. Everything’s going to be fine”?

Probably not.

I would, however, speak biblical truth to him – comfort with teeth. And a backbone.

I would speak one of the most common phrases in the Bible, “Fear not.”

But I wouldn’t stop there.

You see, “Fear not,” even when it comes from the Bible, isn’t enough. 

“Fear not” is only half the story. God’s repeated command to his children is powerful because of what comes after the command. 

When we face times of trial, sickness, or loss, it isn’t enough to hear someone (even God) say, “Don’t be afraid.” We need to know why we don’t have to be afraid. 

Thankfully, when God challenges us not to be afraid, he also tells us why. 

Listen:

“Do not be afraid, (insert your name here). I am your shield, your very great reward.” (Gen. 15:1).

Genesis

“Fear not, for I am with you,” (Genesis 26:24).

“Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you,” (Deuteronomy 31:6).

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand,” (Isaiah 41:10).

When God says, “Fear not” to his children, he backs it up with offers of his help, presence, and protection. No matter what comes into our lives, we don’t have to be afraid, because God is our advocate. Whatever we face, we’ll face with him. And he is a mighty powerful ally.

Will he protect me from every sad, bad, hard trial? No. As long as we live in this sinful, broken world, we will have tribulation. “But be of good cheer,” Jesus said, “I have overcome the world.”

“Do not be afraid,” he commands in the final book of the Bible, “I am the First and the Last,” (Revelation 1:17). In the end all will be made right. In the meantime, God will walk beside me into every trial I face. And with him by my side, I need not be afraid.

To my friend who called me a Pollyanna, I say, 

I have powerful comfort – comfort with teeth.

And a backbone.

What do you say when you encounter someone who thinks Christians are Pollyannas? Leave a comment in the box below and share your thoughts.

For some musical reinforcement of “Fear Not,” I know you’ll enjoy Keith and Kristyn Geddy’s “Consider the Stars.” If you’re reading by email and can’t see the video, click here to listen to “Consider the Stars“ on YouTube.

Keith and Kristen Geddy’s “Consider the Stars”

A Word for Your Day — 66 Devotions to Refresh Your Mind

Allow God’s Word to change your life, one word at a time! Lori Hatcher’s newest book, a 66-day devotional highlights one relevant, sometimes unexpected, word from each book of the Bible. Lori, the best-selling author of Refresh Your Faith and Refresh Your Prayers, shares simple—but never simplistic—truths. She continues to remind us that every part of Scripture is active, alive, and applicable. 

From beginning in Genesis to new in Revelation, ponder each significant word as you move through your day and allow God to transform your heart and mind.

Order A Word for Your Day from these fine retailers:

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/34t5k7j9

Our Daily Bread Publishing: http://tinyurl.com/mwwhya9h

Have you subscribed to Refresh?


If you’d like to receive Lori’s weekly 5-minute devotion to help you rediscover the excitement of God’s Word, CLICK HERE to subscribe.

The post Do Christians Have Pollyanna Faith? How to Find Comfort with Teeth appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

              Related Stories“I’ll Never Forgive You as Long as I Live!”Two Women, Two Choices. Which Would You Make?The Very Best Parts of This Month—In Pictures! 

“I’ll Never Forgive You as Long as I Live!”

Before we dive into this week’s post, may I ask a favor? Tomorrow’s my birthday. If my blog has blessed you, would you share this post on social media or send it to a friend? I’d love to see REFRESH grow to reach more and more people with the life-giving words of Jesus. Thanks so much! Happy Birthday to ME 🙂

(And if you live in the Columbia, SC, area, don’t miss the special event announcement at the end!)

“I’ll never forgive you as long as I live!”

A “friend’s” adolescent betrayal, probably having something to do with a boy, incited me to spew these venomous words many years ago. She had wronged me, and I was livid. I determined never to forget what she’d done. 

And forgive her? No way.

I vowed to keep my anger alive, rehearsing the wrong over and over in my mind until it simmered like soup in a crock pot. Occasionally I’d crack the lid, and burning steam would leak out, injuring me and everyone nearby. To forgive would be to deny the offense had happened and negate my right to be offended. 

Many years have passed since that turbulent time, and I’ve learned much about anger and forgiveness.

I’ve been the one who was wronged, and I’ve wronged others. 

I had the pleasure of tucking my granddaughters into bed one night and telling them a Bible story. I chose the most dramatic one I could think of – the story of Jonah. When my telling was complete, probably as a tactic to delay bedtime just a little longer, then five-year-old Lauren offered to tell me a Bible story. 

“Once upon a time . . .” she said. ”No, I can’t say ‘once upon a time,’ because this is a real story . . . .” She looked to me for help. 

“How about ‘One day . . . ‘?” I suggested. 

“Yes,” she nodded. “One day, some bad men arrested Jesus. They took a crown made of HUGE thorns and smashed it on his head until he bleeded. And then they beat him . . . even though he never did anything wrong.” 

“Yeah,” her three year old sister chimed in, “Jesus never did anything wrong.” 

“And he died,” Lauren continued. “They put him in a cave . . .” she paused, searching for the unfamiliar word “. . . a tomb. But THEN, on Eachter Sunday, he came alive again!” 

I thanked her for her story, kissed them goodnight, and turned out the light. They were asleep in an instant, but I stayed awake for hours pondering their words. 

“Jesus never did anything wrong.” 

The knowledge that I’d often sinned against others was what finally led me to forgive my friend those many years ago. I’d let them down. Betrayed their trust. Broken my promises. An awareness of my own sinfulness allowed me to extend grace and forgiveness to her. I certainly couldn’t hold her to a standard I hadn’t kept myself. 

But Jesus. 

Jesus, who never did anything wrong, whose only crime was loving a messed up, sinful world, has every right to hold our sins against us. 

Yet he forgives. And forgives. And forgives. 

“’Return,’” he pleads in Jeremiah 3:12-13. “’I will not cause My anger to fall on you. For I am merciful. I will not remain angry forever. Only acknowledge your iniquity. That you have transgressed against the Lord your God.” 



“Only acknowledge your iniquity . . .” 

All God requires to extend forgiveness to his children is a simple, repentant confession. He’s justified in holding our sins against us, yet he doesn’t. If we’ve come to him once for salvation, Jesus’ death on the cross has already paid the penalty for our wrongs – once and for all. Now when we sin, all he requires to restore our fellowship with him is simple confession and repentance. 

“Just say you’re sorry,” he says. “I can’t wait to forgive you.” 

Unlike my adolescent self who vowed never to forgive, Jesus wipes our slates clean immediately.  

What a gift. 

If you’ve ever lived under the tyranny of unforgiveness, either in your own heart or in someone else’s, revel in this truth for a moment. God, who has every right to hold our sins against us, doesn’t. 

“I’m sorry, Lord.” 

“I forgive you.” 

It’s that simple. 

Think on this today.

Now it’s your turn. Is there something you need to ask God to forgive you for? Don’t wait another minute. Talk to Him right now and experience the glorious freedom that comes from being forgiven.

SPRING WOMEN’S MINISTRY EVENT

SATURDAY, APRIL 20 FROM 10 – 12 AM

Life-changing Words Every Believer Should Know

featuring Lori Hatcher

Temple Baptist Church

805 Universal Drive, Columbia, SC, (off Sumter Highway)

The event is free, but RSVP’s are required by April 17 (RSVP to linda.cothran@outlook.com)

The post “I’ll Never Forgive You as Long as I Live!” appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

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Facing and Embracing 60 — Life Is a Gift

Thank you, Lord, for so many years.

I remember when my parents were this age—and my grandmothers!

So old in my young eyes.

Now I’m the parent—and the grandparent.

Ancient, I suspect, in my grandchildren’s eyes. 

Thank you, Lord, for my salvation.

You sought me when I wasn’t seeking you.

Cared for me when I couldn’t care less.

Loved me when I was unlovable,

And continue to love me despite my failures and feeble faith.

Thank you, Lord, for my husband.

That faithful man who has cherished and provided for me for forty years.

The one who points me to you, prays for me, and reminds me of the Truth.

He’s loved me—and you—despite grief, toil, hardship, and loss.

I’ve disappointed him so many times, yet he loves me still. 

Thank you, Lord, for my daughters.

When I held each tiny girl for the first time, I knew I would die for them.

And I understood, for the first time, why you would die for us.

You’ve used parenting to chip away at so many of the selfish parts of my life, and I am grateful.

Keep chipping, Lord. There is still much to be done.

Thank you, Lord, for my grandchildren.

It’s true—what they said—all of it.

These precious ones who have brought so much laughter, love, and joy.

So many opportunities to share how marvelous You are.

Help me accurately represent your love so they’ll want to love you too.

Thank you, Lord, for my sisters and brothers in Christ.

How lonely the faith walk would be without their friendship.

They’ve stood beside me when grief ripped out my heart and joy filled it to overflowing.

They’ve labored beside me, cheered me on, and prayed for me.

They’ve pointed me to the truth. And they have loved me. 

Thank you, Lord, for protecting me, all the days of my life.

From my pre-born days when the surgeon operated on my mother.

to the car accident on the night of the military ball,

to the thousands of miles I’ve traveled by land, air, and sea.

You have preserved and sustained my life, and I am grateful.

Thank you, Lord, for my health.

The older I get, the more I realize that health is a gift.

I watch godly friends suffer, and I’m humbled that you would grant me 60 health-filled years.

When I feel the aches of advancing age, help me rejoice that I can still walk, see, and think. 

Help me never take my life for granted. Enable me to spend it well.

Thank you, Lord, for these good gifts and many others. 

Help me love and serve you all the days of my life.

Amen.

A Word for Your Day Is Here!

 A Word for Your Day, 66 Devotions to Refresh Your Mind takes you on a grand and glorious journey through every book of the Bible. Each story-driven (often hilarious) devotion captures the essence of one important word. Starting with Beginning in Genesis and ending with New in Revelation, we’ll journey together through the highs and lows of life on this earth. We’ll laugh, cry, and praise God together for His faithfulness to walk with us all the days of our life.

The post Facing and Embracing 60 — Life Is a Gift appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

              Related StoriesTwo Women, Two Choices. Which Would You Make?The Unusual Gift of DesperationDisappointed with New Year Resolutions? Try This Unusual Approach 

Forgiveness Means the Most When We Don’t Deserve It

My Accident.

When Steve’s email hit my inbox with this header, my heart sank. Oh no. What happened? Did he fall?

Steve is one of my spiritual fathers. An elder at our church decades ago, he and his wife, Pat, modeled godly parenting to my husband, David, and me as we sought to raise our young children in the faith. They had raised six boys and “adopted” many of the young couples in our church, modeling faith, family, and friendship. We’d connected further over our New England roots. When I felt homesick for Rhode Island, I’d seek out Steve and “talk some Yankee.”

When Pat died in her early sixties, Steve resigned his job at the Bible college in town and went back to the mission field in Micronesia. He served there until a stroke partially paralyzed the left side of his body and rendered his left arm useless.

Now eighty-something and frail, he walks with a shuffling step and a cane. “But the Lord’s not finished with me yet,” he declares, “so I keep going. It isn’t fast, and it isn’t pretty, but I get there.”

Except this time, he didn’t get there. Walking through a grocery store parking lot, he was struck by a car and knocked to the ground. “But thankfully not run over,” he wrote in his email. In his characteristic “in everything give thanks” style, he described his injuries: a fractured hip repaired with three screws, a fractured shoulder doctors said would heal on its own, and “quite a concussion.”

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I’m guest posting today over at Our Daily Bread’s God Hears Her blog. To read the rest of this post, click the link below.

https://www.godhearsher.org/blog/life-changing-power-of-forgiveness

SPRING WOMEN’S MINISTRY EVENT

SATURDAY, APRIL 20 FROM 10 – 12 AM

Life-changing Words Every Believer Should Know

featuring Lori Hatcher

Temple Baptist Church

805 Universal Drive, Columbia, SC, (off Sumter Highway)

The event is free, but RSVP’s are required by April 17 (RSVP to linda.cothran@outlook.com)

The post Forgiveness Means the Most When We Don’t Deserve It appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

               

Two Women, Two Choices. Which Would You Make?

Join me in welcoming Guest blogger Lori Roeleveld to the Refresh blog. Lori and I share more than a first name. In addition to about a hundred other similarities, we share a home state (RI), an agent (the amazing Bob Hostetler), and now a publishing house.

Most of all, we share a love for God and His Word. Lori’s celebrating the release of her first book with Our Daily Bread Publishing, Graceful Influence: Making a Lasting Impact through lessons from Women of the Bible. She’s gracefully (see what I did there?) allowed me to share an excerpt with you today. Enjoy!

Women of Our Times or Timeless Women of God?

Are you under pressure?

Women face countless pressures in our times, especially if they are determined to follow Jesus.

Our culture is rife with temptations to love the world more than we love our God. Our faith is often mocked in movies, on television, and even by the news media. Some consider the people of God a threat. And there is even division in the church, sometimes presenting new temptations for compromise. How are we to make godly choices in the midst of this?

Two Old Testament women lived in times like these. In the days of the Judges, the Bible says there was no king in Israel and “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Judges 21:25b ESV. This sounds a lot like the “Be true to yourself” or “Follow your heart” philosophies in our days.

Delilah and Ruth were women navigating their lives in the midst of this self-centered time. One made choices completely in line with a narcissistic culture but the other defied the times and chose to follow God and serve others.

We don’t know if Delilah was Jewish or a Philistine. All we know is her name and that Samson, a judge of Israel known for his great strength and also for his unfortunate choices with women, loved her. The Philistines approached Delilah and offered her 1100 pieces of silver if she would seduce Samson and learn the secret of his strength. 

There is no evidence in Scripture that this was a hard decision for Delilah. She went for the money. It’s easy to judge her but everyone around her was doing what was right for them. She was simply a woman of her times. Samson had a reputation with women. Others probably encouraged Delilah on this path, perhaps even admired her opportunity to prosper from what would probably be a short-lived romantic relationship.

Delilah did seduce Samson and after lying to her several times, Samson finally disclosed that his strength was his hair. Delilah then had a man cut Samson’s hair as he slept. The Philistines ambushed him, blinded him, and took him captive, leaving Israel without their defender. Delilah’s choice to serve herself left the people of Israel at the mercy of their enemies.

Except for God. His plans are never thwarted. Samson’s hair grew back during captivity and his final act, even captive and blind, was to destroy many of the Philistines by tearing down the poles of their celebration gathering. He lost his own life in that final act but he did fulfill his purpose. We never hear of Delilah again once she took her silver. 

Ruth was a Moabitess. She married an Israelite but after a time was widowed along with her sister-in-law and her mother-in-law. Three widows in those times were at great risk of destitute poverty. Ruth’s mother-in-law, Naomi, freed both women to return to their families and perhaps find new husbands. Orpah left but Ruth chose to follow Naomi’s God and care for the older woman.

She followed Naomi to a land foreign to her, Israel, but she remained faithful and was blessed with a kinsman-redeemer, Boaz, and a son, Obed. Obed is in the godly line from whom Jesus came. Ruth’s godly choice had eternal impact.

Christian women today live in times of great pressure but we have the choices of the godly women who went before us as examples and within us is the power of the Holy Spirit. We, too, can make decisions that are counter-cultural, Christ-like, and other-centered.

Don’t despair. God is with us as surely as He was with Ruth. He sees us. Hebrews 11:6 ESV says this: “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Just as He rewarded Ruth for her faithful decision, so He rewards us for seeking Him in times when others seek only their own gain.

Each woman made a choice. One choice provided the woman silver for the moment. The other choice provided the woman a family, a people, belonging, and a part of God’s plan to bless the world. Her choice had eternal impact. What impact will your choices have today?

Lori Stanley Roeleveld is a traditionally published, award-winning author, speaker, coach, and disturber of hobbits. Learn more of the choices of women of the Bible in her newest release, Graceful Influence: Making a Lasting Impact through Lessons from Women of the Bible. Though she has degrees in Psychology and Biblical Studies, Lori learned the most from studying her Bible in life’s trenches. She speaks her mind at www.loriroeleveld.com and manages her coaching/freelance business at www.takeheartcoachingandfreelance.com .

The post Two Women, Two Choices. Which Would You Make? appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

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The Very Best Parts of This Month—In Pictures!

Wow! Has this been a month. So many fun, exhausting, and glorious things going on. Really, the best way to share this collection of totally random but joyously connected is through pictures.

BUT, IF YOU’RE READING THIS ON AN APPLE PHONE OR COMPUTER,

you won’t be able to see the pictures unless you click on the title of this post. The title is a live link that will take you to my website where you can see all the smiling faces.

For some reason, Apple devices don’t play nice with the pictures I insert into my posts. If you don’t click on the title, all that shows up in your email is a blue box with a question mark in the middle. Haven’t you wondered what in the world that’s about? Yeah, me too. SO, click on the title and you’ll be able to see everything that’s been going on behind the scenes— February fun, family, and faith.

The biggest news was the launch of my fifth book with Our Daily Bread Publishing, A Word for Your Day. Because of amazing readers like you, the book hit the Top 10 New Release in its category on Amazon. Yay!

On the heels of the launch, I had the opportunity to lead 111 women from the Lexington, South Carolina area in the workshop, Praying with Power. It was a glorious day at Kittiwake Baptist Church, with lots of laughter, tears, and amazing testimonies of how God uses the faithful prayers of His people to accomplish His will in the world. Isn’t this a beautiful group?.

David and I visited Seattle (in August), but we resurrected this photo when we joined host Linda Goldfarb on the Staying Real About Faith and Family Podcast. We had a blast sharing “5 Ways to Spend Quality Time with Your Spouse.”

Then our friend Will spotted our book, Moments with God for Couples in The Blessings Bookstore in West Monroe, Louisiana. Makes me want to take a trip even farther down South to thank those kind folks in person!

We’ve been fulfilling our grandkids’ Experience Gifts we gave them for Christmas. Each child gets to spend the night by themselves at Gigi and Papa’s (a very big deal when you’re one of four). They choose the activities (lots of board games, sewing, cooking, reading, and staying up late), their favorite breakfast (chocolate chip pancakes and BACON have been the favorite selections so far), and a special treat (think ice cream sundaes, Krispy Kreme doughnuts, or a Sonic Slushie). We laugh a lot and make special memories.

Last weekend, I taught at the Carolina Christian Writers conference in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Several members of the Lexington, SC chapter of Word Weavers International, my writer’s group, joined me there. This group keeps me sharp, motivated, and encouraged.

Another highlight of the conference was getting to meet one of my favorite authors, NC writer Robert Whitlow. He gave the keynote at the conference (and included a very kind mention of how much he was enjoying A Word for Your Day. He also told us the background for one of my favorite of his books, Jimmy. If you haven’t read it yet, add it to your Must Read list.

Next week I’ll be back to sharing a devotion, but I thought it might be fun for you to catch a behind the scenes look at what I’ve been doing. Leave a comment and let me know what the highlight of your month has been.

Thanks for reading!

P.S. I’m working hard to reach 50 reviews on Amazon. As of this posting, 40 kind readers have shared their thoughts. If you’re reading A Word for Your Day, I’d be so grateful if you’d leave an honest review on Amazon. Click here share your thoughts.

The post The Very Best Parts of This Month—In Pictures! appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

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The Unusual Gift of Desperation

The man standing on the front porch of our dental office didn’t have to say a word. We knew exactly why he was there, thirty minutes before we were scheduled to open. Pacing. Clutching his cheek. Wiping away tears.

People suffering from abscessed teeth do desperate things to relieve the agony. Remember actor Tom Hanks using an ice skate to extract his abscessed tooth in the movie Castaway? I haven’t witnessed any ice skate extractions, but I have encountered people who have burned their gums with powdered pain relievers, bruised their faces, and drunk themselves into a stupor. One man admitted he’d considered using a Black and Decker drill in his mouth.

I’ve never had an abscessed tooth (praise God), but I have been desperate. I suspect you have, too. 

Desperation

I was desperate when my husband lost his job, leaving our young family without income or insurance.

I was desperate when I faced a health crisis with an uncertain outcome, and I was desperate when my marriage struggled under the strain of anger, apathy, and disappointment.

I was desperate when a prodigal child turned their back on God, me, and everything I held dear.

My Greatest Desperation

When I was 18 years old, I experienced my greatest desperation.

On the outside, I had everything that should have made me happy. I’d graduated fourth in my high school class, had a steady boyfriend, and a full-tuition scholarship to the college of my choice. 

On the inside, I was miserable. Unexplainably miserable. So miserable that I’d look in the mirror every morning and sob.

When the cloud failed to lift and instead threatened to swallow me, I became desperate. I knew I couldn’t live this way much longer. I had to relieve the pain and begin to heal.

But heal from what?

I’d been attending a Bible-believing church—not because I cared about God, but because I cared about my boyfriend. He attended three times a week, so I did, too. Besides, his ex-girlfriend also attended, and I had to be sure she stayed his ex.

But for all the hours I spent there, nothing in my life changed. I sinned, and it didn’t bother me. I had little interest in the Bible or spiritual pursuits. I served others only when it served my purposes. I was selfish, self-centered, and self-absorbed. And did I mention I was selfish? Oh, my goodness was I selfish. I’d argue with my mom for fifteen minutes over doing a chore that took five.

One Dark Day

On the darkest day of that horribly glorious summer, I stared into the mirror at my red-rimmed eyes and snotty nose and knew something was desperately wrong. I needed help.

But who could I turn to? I couldn’t tell my parents (why, I have no idea, except that I was also prideful). I needed to talk with someone. A counselor. But counselors cost money, and I didn’t have any.

Then a realization struck me. I could talk to my pastor. Pastors are like counselors, right? They listen to people and try to help.

I called the church office and made an appointment for the next afternoon.

I don’t know what I planned to say to my pastor that day, but neither he nor I was prepared for what came out of my mouth.

In the presence of that kind man and in response to his gentle questions, an overwhelming sense of my sinfulness washed over me. I confessed the self-centered attitudes of my heart and the impure actions of my life. 

“I’ve been living my life my way,” I sobbed, “and I’ve made a mess of it. I’m making decisions that will impact the rest of my life, and I have no clue what I’m doing. Life is too big and too scary, and I don’t want to be in control anymore.”

With my pastor’s guidance, I surrendered my life to Christ that day. I left his office changed.

Dependent not Desperate

Fear of the future no longer lurked in the shadows of every day. Peace enabled me to sleep at night and awaken joyful. The Holy Spirit inside me began to transform my thoughts and actions. Suddenly, I loved God’s Word, God’s house, and God’s people.

I faced each day dependent on God, not desperate to figure out life on my own.

I now had a Father who promised to love me no matter what, meet my needs, order the days of my life, and, one day, take me home to live with Him forever.

Are You Feeling Desperate Today?

Maybe you’re feeling desperate because you’ve never surrendered yourself—your whole self—to God. Today can be the day. 

Seek the Lord. Ask Him to help you understand your sin and your need for His redemption. He’s designed your desperation to help you seek His salvation.

Maybe you’re feeling desperate because you’ve asked Christ to be your Savior, but you’re not following Him. You’ve been living your life your way, and it’s a mess. Surrender it to Him—all of it. Confess your independence and promise to follow Him as He reveals himself to you through His Word and wise counselors. Give Him the broken pieces of your life and trust Him to make something beautiful.

Maybe you desperately want God to work in a situation that seems too big and too ugly for even Him to fix. Trust Him. Pray. Seek wise counsel. Pray some more. Surrender the outcome to His all-wise and all-loving will and faithfully obey what He tells you to do. Don’t lose heart. God is always at work.

Desperation Is a Good Thing

Our dental patient’s desperation was a good thing, because it caused him to seek out someone who could ease his pain and help him heal. 

Spiritual desperation is a blessing, too, if it presses us into God. He and only He can ease our pain and help us heal.

If you’re feeling desperate today, run to Jesus. He’s calling you.

This post first appeared on Revive Our Hearts blog.

Lori’s Brand New Book: A Word for Your Day

Are you always on the go, but when it comes to faith, you still want to grow?

In 66 days, refresh your understanding of God’s message in Scripture with one word from each book of the Bible. Starting with Beginning in the book of Genesis and ending with New in Revelation, A Word for Your Day will help you stay in Scripture and bring daily reminders that the entire Bible is active, alive, and applicable today and every day.

The post The Unusual Gift of Desperation appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

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Powerful Comfort When the Answers Are Slow in Coming

Last week, A Word for Your Day, 66 Devotions to Refresh Your Mind released. Because of kind and supportive readers like you, it ranked as a Top Ten New Release on Amazon!

Today, I’d like to share one more excerpt as a thank you. If it blesses you, I hope you’ll add A Word for Your Day to your reading list.

Wait

For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. 

Habakkuk 2:3

Winter lasts forever in New England. 

We used to say my home state of Rhode Island has three seasons, not four—June, July, and winter. From the first frost of October to the last frost of May, the landscape shivers under grey skies, damp air, and icy blankets of snow. The growing season is short. Farmers and amateur gardeners often wait until after Memorial Day to sow their seeds and plant their tender plants.

Every year at Easter my mother would gather my sisters and me, dressed in our holiday finery, for a picture. One snapshot stands out in my memory. Taken during the first week of April, the grainy image shows the three of us huddled together on the front porch with purple crocuses poking through the snow at our feet.

I’ve weathered quite a few long winters. Some I’ve marked on the calendar, crossing out days with big red Xs as the months creep by. Others I’ve marked with tear-filled journal entries and agonizing seasons of prayer.

A prodigal child, a struggling marriage, or a relational conflict can cause even the steadiest hope to wobble. A long season of unemployment or a loved one battling addiction invites Satan’s icy fingers to clutch at our hearts and squeeze the breath from our lungs. 

Years of unanswered prayers for a baby, a spouse, or a dream rattle the leaves of hope, scattering the precious few that cling to the branches.

When you’re in the middle of a long winter, spring seems very far away. It’s easy to imagine, as C. S. Lewis wrote of the fictional world of Narnia, that it will be “always winter and never Christmas.”

This is why I take comfort in these verses in the tiny book of Habakkuk. They remind me that though God’s answer seems long in coming, it will come.

The prophet Habakkuk groaned under God’s seeming disinterest in the chaos that surrounded him. Evil acts, lawlessness, and injustice troubled his world. 

“How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?” he wailed to the sky. “Or cry out to you, ‘Violence!’ but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?” (Habakkuk 1:2–3).

I’ve often prayed Habakkuk-type prayers, asking God, “How long?”

How long will it take for a loved one to recognize the self-destructive path they’re on and repent? How long will the godly suffer with no one to rescue them? How long will people struggle with cancer, or Parkinson’s, or depression before they experience a breakthrough?

“Look at the nations and watch,” the Lord replies to Habakkuk’s question, “and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told” (v. 5).

God reminded Habakkuk that though answers seem slow in coming, he could trust His timing. 

And he could trust that the means God used would accomplish His good and perfect will, even when they weren’t what he expected.

Long before my sisters and I glimpsed the crocus petals pushing through the snow that Easter day, God was at work.

When last year’s blossoms died, He’d already begun the process of rebirth.

All seemed frozen and dead to the watching world. But God was working where we couldn’t see. First the roots emerged, drinking in life-giving water, and pushing deep into the icy soil. Then the leaves unfurled. Finally, the stalk pushed through the snow. “Though it linger, wait for it,” God said to Habakkuk. “It will certainly come and will not delay” (2:3).

Then, one snowy day no different from all the rest, beauty erupted from the ground.

And we marveled.

Crocuses in the snow.

You may have sown the seeds of faith into your children, but the soil of their heart seems frozen solid. Perhaps you’ve planted snips of kindness into relationships that shiver with cold. Maybe you’ve watered the ground with your prayer-soaked tears, but the landscape stretches before you like a polar expanse.

Don’t give up. Believe that the God who is always at work is working for you. Sight unseen. Accomplishing His purposes, in His way, in His timing.

“The Lord is in his holy temple,” Habakkuk declares (v. 20).

Lori and A Word for Your Day

“The just shall live by his faith” (v. 4 NKJV).

Trust in the Lord. Don’t give up hope. Wait.

This post is an excerpt from the book, A Word for Your Day, 66 Devotions to Refresh Your Mind, by Lori Hatcher, published by Our Daily Bread Publishing and used with permission.

Order Your Copy from One of These Fine Retailers:

Purchase your copy on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/34t5k7j9

Our Daily Bread Publishing: http://tinyurl.com/mwwhya9h

ChristianBook.com: http://tinyurl.com/rwp9yt2c

A Word for Your Day Is Here!

A Word for Your Day — 66 Devotions to Refresh Your Mind

Allow God’s Word to change your life, one word at a time! This 66-day devotional highlights one relevant, sometimes unexpected, word from each book of the Bible. Lori Hatcher, the best-selling author of Refresh Your Faith and Refresh Your Prayers, shares simple—but never simplistic—truths. She continues to remind us that every part of Scripture is active, alive, and applicable. 

From beginning in Genesis to new in Revelation, ponder each significant word as you move through your day and allow God to transform your heart and mind.

Order A Word for Your Day from these fine retailers:

Purchase your copy on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/34t5k7j9

Our Daily Bread Publishing: http://tinyurl.com/mwwhya9h

ChristianBook.com: http://tinyurl.com/rwp9yt2c

The post Powerful Comfort When the Answers Are Slow in Coming appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

               
CommentsPowerful Comfort When the Answers Are Slow in Coming by LoriAHatcherTADA! It’s HERE! It’s HERE! Come Celebrate with Me by LoriAHatcherDo You Need a Glorious Reason to Rejoice Today? by LoriAHatcherDisappointed with New Year Resolutions? Try This Unusual Approach by LoriAHatcherWho Doesn’t Love a New Beginning? by LoriAHatcherPlus 5 more...Related StoriesTADA! It’s HERE! It’s HERE! Come Celebrate with MeWho Doesn’t Love a New Beginning?Disappointed with New Year Resolutions? Try This Unusual Approach