Lori Hatcher's Blog: Refresh Blog, page 9

TADA! It’s HERE! It’s HERE! Come Celebrate with Me

You’ve heard the whispers . . .

You’ve read the excerpts . . .

You’ve watched the countdown . . .

Some of you have even prayed for a safe delivery . . .

While I’d love to be announcing the arrival of a new grandbaby, that’s out of my control.

The next best announcement I could make would be to announce the arrival of my new BOOK BABY.

Ushered into the world at 5 a.m. Amazon time, A Word for Your Day, 66 Devotions to Refresh Your Mind weighed in at a diminutive 9.6 ounces. At nine inches long, it stands spine to spine with its Refresh siblings.

But don’t let its premie stats fool you. This full-term, 240-page devotional burgeons with high-impact stories that will make you laugh, cry, and worship. One special word at a time, one from each book of the Bible, will invite you to learn more about God and His Word, comfort and strengthen your faith, and warm and cheer your heart. And when you’re not expecting it, I’ve snuck in a chuckle here and there, because life gets way too serious, and we’ve just gotta laugh.

I’d love for you, my most faithful readers, to have one of the earliest copies of A Word for Your Day.

I hope you’ll place your order today—one for you, and one for that special friend who needs gentle, heart-warming spiritual encouragement.

Click on the box below (the one with the question mark in it) to watch a short video of the new arrival.

And please pray. Ask God with me to send this newborn book far and wide and connect it with everyone He knows needs a fresh breath of spiritual refreshment.

Click the Box to See a Video Preview of A Word for Your Day
A Word for Your Day: 66 Devotions to Refresh Your Mind is available from:

Our Daily Bread Publishing

Christianbook.com

Amazon

The post TADA! It’s HERE! It’s HERE! Come Celebrate with Me appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

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Do You Need a Glorious Reason to Rejoice Today?

On hopeless days, we all need a reason to rejoice.

Last week I shared an excerpt from my new book, A Word for Your Day, 66 Devotions to Refresh Your Mind. This devotional 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.

One of the benefits of being a faithful reader is early access and sneak peeks, so today I want to share an excerpt from the book I hope will make you laugh, maybe cry, and, if I’ve done my job right, REJOICE. I pray it blesses you big time and remind you of all we have waiting for us.

Rejoice

Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him,  that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited  for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.

Isaiah 25:9 esv

Remember a time when you waited for something. Something you wanted badly. Something you knew would be the most wonderful thing in your life.I waited for college graduation. This event, I was sure, would launch me into the glorious world of adulthood and autonomy. With that precious piece of paper in my hand, I could leave behind the limitations of youth and rise to take my place in the world.

Several months later, I waited for my wedding day. No longer would I be lonely and incomplete. My husband would supply everything that was missing in my life and devote himself to making me happy.

Five years after we said “I do,” we waited for our first daughter to be born. The baby who stood on my bladder, pinched my sciatic nerve, and awakened me with her hiccups in the middle of the night would bring joy and happiness to our world.

Isaiah the prophet waited too. He waited for Israel to repent. He waited for the world to recognize the one true God. He waited for the Messiah to save His people from their sins. Most of all, he waited for God to usher in His forever kingdom.

The day I received my much-awaited college degree was a glorious one. My family gathered at a local restaurant and celebrated. That thin piece of parchment unlocked the door to my forty-year career as a dental hygienist. It also unlocked the door to long workdays, a stiff neck, and patients with cigarette breath.

And that marriage license? One hundred people gathered to witness our joy. It began almost forty years (so far) of learning to live with my best friend. It also began the challenge of trying to love each other well despite our tendencies to hurt and disappoint each other.

My nine-month wait for my precious daughter culminated in such overwhelming feelings of love I thought my heart would burst. David and I laughed, cried, and praised God for His goodness. Three days later colic began. Love covers a multitude of evils, but colic tested it to the limits.

Everything I’ve waited for and celebrated in this life has brought with it a mixture of joy and sorrow, triumph and trial.

But one day, Isaiah declares, Jesus will return, trials will disappear, and we will begin a celebration that will never end.

Someday, Isaiah wrote, Israel’s eyes will be opened and they will embrace Jesus as their long-awaited Messiah. “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness” (Isaiah 42:6–7).

God will usher in His kingdom with shouts of joy. “To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance” (45:23 esv).

The good news of salvation will spread on grateful tongues across all the world. “You will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth” (49:6 nlt).

And, finally, “He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces” (25:8 esv).

It’s not only okay but appropriate to celebrate the long-awaited things of this world. But are we also actively waiting for Jesus to come back? Do we live each day eager to celebrate His coming? Do we hold the things of this earth loosely, knowing a better world awaits us?

Be assured, something far superior is coming—something that will cause the things of this earth to grow strangely dim. No longer a mix of joy and sorrow, our forever lives will be more satisfying and marvelous than we can imagine.

Ponder this. Hold fast to the faith. Imagine what it will be like to celebrate with Isaiah, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation” (25:9 esv).

No matter how long it takes for Jesus to return, wait. Be glad. 

Rejoice.

Will you pray with me that God will use A Word for Your Day: 66 Devotions to Refresh Your Mind to draw my readers into a richer, fuller relationship with God this year? And if you’d like to be one of the first to read A Word for Your Day, 66 Devotions to Refresh Your Mind, click HERE to order. Word has it that advance copies will begin shipping BEFORE its official release date of February 3. Wouldn’t you love to have one of the first copies?

The post Do You Need a Glorious Reason to Rejoice Today? appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

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Disappointed with New Year Resolutions? Try This Unusual Approach

“Shoot for average and fail cheerfully.”

Not the advice I expected from Stanford School of Business lecturer Dan Klein. Apparently, his odd words also unsettled his high-achieving students. But over the course of the semester they—and I, vicariously—learned the wisdom in his advice.

I stumbled across Dan’s words in a podcast called “Think Fast, Talk Smart,” but his insight reminded me of principles from the Old Testament book of Zechariah. Written to the Israelites who’d returned from exile to rebuild God’s temple, the book records instructions and encouragement for Israel and its governor, Zerubbabel. As they faced the enormous task before them, He reminded them, “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin” (Zechariah 4:10 NLT).

Personally, I lean toward overachieving, not underachieving. To big accomplishments, not small. This mindset especially manifests itself at the start of every new year. I set big goals and lofty resolutions. And fail almost every time.

My failures made Dan Klein and Zechariah’s advice seem especially appealing as I approached January 1, 2023. This and the age-old adage that insanity is doing the same thing the same way and expecting different results. I knew something had to change.

Wise mentor Mary Hunt, in an article called “Foolproof Secrets to Guarantee You’ll Keep Your New Year’s Resolution,” suggests four steps: 

Read the rest of this post on God Hears Her blog by clicking here: “Why Not Shoot for Average?”

Tired of being disappointed by prayer?
If you live within driving distance of Columbia, SC, this workshop is for you:

Praying with Power will answer the questions, “Does prayer work? Is there a secret to effective prayer? How can I grow my relationship with God and experience more power in my prayers?”

Saturday, February 3, 2024

9 am – 3 pm

Kittiwake Baptist Church

420 Kittiwake Dr., West Columbia, SC

The workshop is free and includes lunch, childcare, and a personalized prayer journal to help you draw closer to God in prayer this year.

Registration is required by January 20, and can be made by calling (803)345-7482 or emailing donna.jeff.dj@gmail.com.

Click on the box for more details.
A Word for Your Day, 66 Devotions to Refresh Your Mind

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Who Doesn’t Love a New Beginning?

Faithful readers, I’m so excited to share my new book with you! Available for pre-order now, 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.

Because I’m grateful for your faithful readership, I want to share with you a sneak peek at the very first devotion in the book. I pray it blesses you big time.

Will you pray with me that God will use this book to draw many into a richer, fuller relationship with God this year? And if you’d like to be one of the first to read A Word for Your Day, 66 Devotions to Refresh Your Mind, click HERE to order. Word has it that advance copies will begin shipping BEFORE its official release date of February 3. Wouldn’t you love to have one of the first copies?

beginning

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 

Genesis 1:1

Who doesn’t love a new beginning? Especially the beginning of a new year. With the orbit of the earth and the turn of the calendar page, we bid the old farewell and greet the new with a welcoming kiss. Only a second separates the previous year from the following, yet there it is—a fresh start. A do-over. A reboot.

Three hundred sixty-five days stretch promisingly before us, shining in their unmarred splendor. We breathe in their scent, crisp and clean, and we feel hope. A new year invites us to archive the difficulties of the previous year and turn our faces toward the dawn of new beginnings.

Like children on the first day of summer vacation, we look ahead to days fertile with promise, and our imaginations soar. Will this be the year our prodigal turns to the Lord? Or the year a long-awaited dream comes true? Will the prayer of a decade come to fruition? 

Will God reveal himself in ways we can only imagine?

At the dawn of time, the Bible tells us, God was there. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). Hebrews 1:10 fleshes out the details: “In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.”

I wonder if God’s heart beat hard as He peered out over the vast expanse of nothingness, knowing that very soon, something spectacular would take its place. A sparkling world filled with promise only He could create. As we face new beginnings, do our hearts beat with similar anticipation?

Sometimes mine does. Other times, a niggle of fear gnaws at the edges of my excitement. If the previous year has been hard, I wonder if more heartache will follow. If the year overflowed with joy and blessings, I wonder if the tide will turn, pummeling my life with storms.

Whether you greet a new start with anticipation or trepidation, it’s comforting to know that God has been present in every beginning. The early verses of John 1 affirm this truth. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning” (vv. 1–2).

Revelation 22:13 tells us that Beginning is one of His names: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”

Whether your new year holds tragedy or triumph, you can rest in confidence that God is there. Not just in the beginning, but all the way through. Unlike the deists—who believe God set the world in motion, then stepped back to watch it play itself out—we know God goes behind us and before us, hemming us in with His presence and protection (Psalm 139:5). Nothing comes into our lives that isn’t filtered through His hands of love.

We can be confident God will accompany us every step of the way—through our new year, our new venture, our new beginning.

*This post is excerpted from A Word for Your Day, 66 Devotions to Refresh Your Mind, published by Our Daily Bread Publishing.

A Word for Your Day, 66 Devotions to Refresh Your Mindhttps://amzn.to/41O6K8O

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If You’re Grieving the Loss of Someone You Love

Sometimes we find the greatest comfort in the simplest truths. If you’re grieving the loss of someone you love today, or you know someone who is, allow me to share some comfort.

But first, a story to set the stage.

My friend and his wife have an ongoing bet. If he fails to notice her haircut within 24 hours, he has to take her out to dinner.

 Sometimes he wins. Sometimes he loses.

It’s crazy, really, how someone who lives in the same house, sits at the same breakfast table, and sleeps in the same bed can miss something as obvious as a haircut. And it goes both ways—it took her two days to notice that he’d shaved the mustache he’d worn for six months.

There is a danger in the familiar. It’s possible we become so familiar that we fail to really see.

This happened to me at church recently. The worship leader announced the hymn for the day: “It Is Well with My Soul,” and launched into the familiar story behind the song.

“Horatio Spafford’s wife and four daughters were sailing to England when a horrible storm arose. . .”

I’ve heard the story a hundred times. But that day, as I sang the words from the hymnal, I noticed something I’d never seen before.

Not a haircut or a mustache, I saw something that makes this precious hymn even more meaningful and deep: two quotation marks.

The last verse of the hymn reads:

And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,

The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;

The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,

“Even so,” it is well with my soul.

A writer uses quotation marks to show he’s quoting words from another source. And what was the source that brought Horatio Spafford comfort as he mourned the loss of his beloved daughters?

The Word of God.

“Even so,” is a quote from 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14.

As Horatio sailed the ocean that had swallowed his children, broke his wife’s heart, and plunged him into a deep, gut-wrenching grief, the Word of God spoke hope and comfort.

“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.”

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14

God used the truth Horatio Spafford had stored in his heart to speak comfort to his broken heart.

You will see your daughters again, the Holy Spirit whispered. Grieve, but don’t grieve as those who have no hope. You believe in Christ—that he conquered death, hell, and the grave. His resurrection proved that death could not hold him. Mourn your loved ones. Mourn them deeply, but fear not. You will see them again. They rest safely in the bosom of Jesus, and he will bring them with him on the last day. 

“Even so,” it is well with my soul.

If you’re grieving the loss of someone you love today, may God give you eyes to see the familiar. May his Word give you comfort and hope.

May it be well with your soul. 

“It is in the quiet crucible of your personal private sufferings that your noblest dreams are born and God’s greatest gifts are given in compensation for what you’ve been through.” ~Wintley Phipps

If you’re looking for more words of hope and comfort, I encourage you to check out my friend Marilyn Nutter’s new book, Hope for Widows.

The post If You’re Grieving the Loss of Someone You Love appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

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My Totally Awesome Working on This Forever Bodaciously Exciting Gift

Want to know a secret?

In 2020 (yes, during COVID), I wrote a sister book to my best-selling devotional, Refresh Your Faith. Like RYF, it contained 66 devotions, one from every book of the Bible. But instead of spotlighting a VERSE from every book, it spotlighted a WORD from every book.

Glorious words like:

Beginning, Pleasure, and Rejoice

Curious words like:

If, But, and Wait

Unexpected words like:

Infirmity, Wresting, and Surprised

It was to be my gift to you during a very trying time.

But the wheels of publishing moved curiously, and instead of immediately following Refresh Your Faith, the book queued up behind Refresh Your Prayers and Refresh Your Hope in the publishing line.

A Word for Your Day Cover Image

But

It’s finally time. A Word for Your Day, 66 Devotions to Refresh Your Mind is poised to release on February 4!

Here’s the description from the back cover:

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.

Soooooooo, I Need Your Help

Will you help me launch this book? I’m looking for 50 readers who will be a part of my Launch Team. Not sure what this involves? Here’s a job description:

Click to hear details about A Word for Your Day https://youtu.be/IJyk677nrwY

A launch team member commits to:

Pray for the launch, the author (that’s me), and A Word for Your Day , that we’ll connect with every person God intends this book to reach.
Read an advance copy of A Word for Your Day (I’ll provide an electronic copy you can read on your computer or phone) and post an Amazon review.
Post about A Word for Your Day on social media in the weeks surrounding the book launch.
Purchase a copy of A Word for Your Day (if you’re able) on or before launch day. (This ensures that Amazon will accept your review as a Verified Purchase.)

What’s in it for you?

You’ll get to read A Word for Your Day before it releases to the public (YAY! Who doesn’t love to be at the front of the line?)

You’ll help me connect with every person God intends this book to reach. (A launch team member is ON MISSION to share the good news of the gospel and the life-changing message of God’s Word. I’m reasonably sure there will be rewards in heaven for helping share the good news 🙂

You’ll earn my deep, deep gratitude as we partner together in the faith life. (The writing life is lonely. But dedicated readers keep me writing :).

Will you pray about this? And if you feel the Lord leading you to be a part of launching A Word for Your Day, email me at LoriAHatcher (at) gmail.com. I’ll add you to the team, and we’ll get busy!

If you’re not able to help in this way, would you pray for me, the book, and my publisher, Our Daily Bread? More than anything, we want God to be glorified, and may to be drawn into a richer, fuller relationship with our precious Lord and Savior.

To hear more about A Word for Your Day, click HERE or on my picture above to watch a brief YouTube video with more details.

Happy New Year!

The post My Totally Awesome Working on This Forever Bodaciously Exciting Gift appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

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Would you Like to Draw Closer to God this Year? Here’s the Best Way

The headline read, “Ten Ways to Draw Closer to God this Year.” As I looked down at the long list, I sighed. I was a young mom overwhelmed with the responsibilities of caring for two young children, homeschooling, serving in church, and working outside the home part time. I didn’t need ten more things to do. 

Why doesn’t anyone write an article giving ONE way to draw close to God this year? I wondered. I could do that. 

Twenty years later, this is that article. ONE WAY TO DRAW CLOSER TO GOD THIS YEAR. 

And here’s the one way: read your Bible.

If you’re super busy and need to move on, you can stop reading now. You know what to do. If you’d like to hear my story (and read several reasons I believe this is the best way to draw closer to God), read on. 

I’ve been a Christian for almost forty years. I’ve done Bible studies, joined women’s groups, attended retreats and conferences, and practiced all the spiritual disciplines, but only reading the Bible has revolutionized my life and drawn me closer to God. 

I’m not saying Bible studies, women’s retreats, and all the other things I just mentioned aren’t helpful. They are, and I recommend them all. But nothing has transformed my life and drawn me closer to God than reading His Word. 

Fits and Starts 

For years, I treated the Bible like my favorite piece of jewelry. I’d pick it up and put it down based on the occasion. During times of trial, I wore it close to my heart. During times of busyness or prosperity, I left it on the dresser. 

Every December when our pastor or Sunday school teacher encouraged us to commit to read the Bible in the new year, I’d sign on the pledge card and make a good start. 

Many years I sailed all the way through Genesis and Exodus only to shipwreck on the rocks of Leviticus. My relationship with and commitment to reading God’s Word was as fickle as a toddler at a buffet. Some days I’d feast, and other days I’d snack. Some days (months), I’d fast completely. 

My spiritual life mirrored my commitment level. In some seasons, I grew and flourished. Other times, I struggled, languished, and fainted. 

Many times, my motivation for reading was off base. I used it to bargain for God’s favor. “Lord, I read my Bible every day this week. Haven’t I earned a blessing?” I used it as a lucky rabbit’s foot. “Well, nothing bad can happen to me today because I checked off the Bible Reading box on my Good Christian scorecard.” 

Sometimes I used it to prop up my weak self-esteem and sense of worth. “I’m super spiritual. I read my Bible every day.” 

Then one day, I heard a Bible study leader tell her story. As a fairly new believer, she had joined the Campus Crusade for Christ (now Cru) staff as a college leader. One day, a speaker challenged the Cru leaders to commit to read the Bible for five minutes a day. Just five minutes. Every day. “See if it doesn’t change your life,” he said. 

She and the other students took the challenge. Some days she’d read more, but she never read less. She read her Bible every day for at least five minutes. The habit drew her closer to God and transformed her life. 

Twenty years later, she said, the group of college students, now middle-aged adults, held a reunion. Every person who had kept the commitment to read their Bibles for at least five minutes a day was still passionately walking with the Lord. Many were serving Him in full-time ministry. 

When I heard her story, my heart stirred. I want the kind of faith that lasts, I thought. I want to be like Jesus. I’m tired of wobbling around like a toddler, spending more time picking myself up off the ground than moving forward. I want to know God.

So I committed to read my Bible every day. 

Much later, I discovered Psalm 19:7-13, which gives fourteen reasons to feast on God’s Word:

God’s Word: 

Converts the soul (v. 7). 

Makes the simple wise (v. 7). 

Brings joy to our hearts (v. 8). 

Enlightens our eyes (v. 8).

Is pure and enduring (v. 9). 

Can be trusted (v. 9). 

Is more valuable than fine gold (v. 10). 

Adds sweetness to our lives (v. 10). 

Warns us of danger (v. 11). 

Bestows a special reward (v. 11). 

Reveals error in our lives (v. 12). 

Keeps us from presumption (v. 12). 

Guards us from becoming enslaved by sin (v. 13). 

Protects us from great transgressions (v. 13). 

Don’t you want these blessings? I do. 

If you’re sick of half-hearted Christianity and up-again-down-again spiritual growth, commit to read the Bible every day. Not to check off a box, acquire knowledge, or impress those around you. Read it to learn more about God. 

Ask the question, “God, what will you show me about yourself today?” and then look for His answer. You’ll draw closer to God, and your life will be transformed. 

I know. It happened to me.

A Christian cannot look sincerely into the Word of God—the whole word of God—and remain the same. And you cannot know God without knowing His Word.

But once you do, oh my. You’ll never look back.

On January 1, 2024, I will commit again to read my Bible through this year. Although I’ve done this for more than a decade, God has already shown me exciting new insights and glimpses of His heart, His love, and His character on these familiar pages. 

Do you want to draw closer to God this year? Do you want to know Him intimately and love Him deeply? Do you want to experience His power in your life?

Read your Bible. 

Now it’s your turn. Do you read your Bible regularly? Has this practice helped you draw closer to God? Leave a comment below, and share your experience. If you’re reading by email, click HERE to visit Refresh online and share your thoughts in the comment box.

A SNEAK PREVIEW

And now . . . a sneak preview to what’s coming in 2024! Click on the box to see the image and read the description below for my newest book, A Word for Your Day, 66 Devotions to Refresh Your Mind.

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.

The post Would you Like to Draw Closer to God this Year? Here’s the Best Way appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

               
CommentsMy Totally Awesome Working on This Forever Bodaciously Exciting Gift by LoriAHatcherWould you Like to Draw Closer to God this Year? Here’s the Best Way by LoriAHatcherMy Special Christmas Gift from the Lord by LoriAHatcherWondering How to Have Joy this Christmas? Live Generously by LoriAHatcherCould God Be Testing You? How to Know by LoriAHatcherPlus 5 more... 

My Special Christmas Gift from the Lord

It happened when I wasn’t expecting it. 

In fact, for a few moments during that lovely Christmas Day service, surrounded by all the trappings of the season, I had forgotten I was pregnant. I’d moved past the queasy months of early pregnancy. In a comfortable interim, I hadn’t yet entered the awkward, uncomfortable final months before our baby was born. As yet, there was no visible evidence of the child growing within me.

And so it came, quietly, unexpectedly, so subtly that by the time I realized what was happening, it was over.  The choir reverently sang the songs of the Christmas season, and the pastor proclaimed the glorious hope of Christmas, “For unto us, a Child is born. Unto us, a Son is given” (Isaiah 9:6), but my focus was internal, tense and waiting.  

And then it happened again. 

Deep inside me, I felt the tiniest flicker.  Like the flutter of a butterfly’s wings, I felt my baby move for the first time.

Enthralled by the miracle of life exhibiting itself so personally, I gradually became aware of the pastor’s words, “At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth.  When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb” (Luke 1:39-41).

Like Elizabeth, the cousin of Mary and pregnant mother of John the Baptizer, I felt my baby leap inside of me. Over two thousand years ago, Elizabeth had stood in the presence of the woman who carried her unborn Savior and cried, “When the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped for joy inside of me!” (Luke 1:44). 

That Christmas day, hearing God’s word preached and singing songs of praise, I, too, had stood in the presence of my Savior. His name is Emmanuel, God with us.  And in the quietness of our worship, my baby leaped for joy.

My prayer for you this Christmas season is that you, like Elizabeth, will recognize that you stand in the presence of your Savior. May you, too, be filled with joy.  

 Merry Christmas!

About Refresh Your Hope,
60 Devotions for Trusting God with All Your Heart

How can you hold on to hope in an uncertain world? Especially when experiencing disappointments, setbacks, and discouragement? In Refresh Your Hope, Lori Hatcher invites you to renew your confidence and courage by calling attention to the remarkably good news—you have a hope greater than you could ever imagine.

 

An unshakable hope.

 

In this uplifting, Scripture-driven 60-day devotional, Lori returns to our rock-solid foundation—God’s amazing promises and His faithful character. Each warm, story-based reading will help you grow closer to God as you reflect on His assurances, His generous nature, and His unwavering commitments. Strengthen your prayer life with thought-provoking prompts. Replace anxiety with joy, peace, and trust while encountering Bible truths about the ultimate Source of hope.

Available now on Amazon.com, Christianbook.com, and other fine retailers.

Why not share a copy with a friend who could use a fresh dose of hope?

Have you subscribed to Refresh?

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

The post My Special Christmas Gift from the Lord appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

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Wondering How to Have Joy this Christmas? Live Generously

I assumed the crackly voice I heard through the intercom correctly repeated my order. It was simple enough. “One small chocolate Frosty.” And I think the faceless voice instructed me to drive around to the second window.

I must have correctly deciphered speaker-ese, because when the second window opened and a cute girl with spiky hair and a tiny nose ring greeted me with a smile, she announced my total: $2.06.

I handed her a five-dollar bill and waited for change. Instead, she handed me a Frosty and my money back.

“Keep it,” she said. “Merry Christmas.”

Before I could say a word, she’d adjusted her headset and begun punching in the next customer’s order. I blinked my eyes to clear the tears and pulled away.

In the grocery store later that day, I smiled at a woman standing beside me on the bakery aisle. Apparently, we were both deciding between walnuts and pecans.

“I’m so sorry,” she said as she maneuvered her cart out of the way. When she grabbed her bag of pecans (me too), she stepped past me. The back of her shirt said Live Generously.

Our Story

My family and I have been the recipient of more than a few lavish gifts. Someone gave us a piano when my six-year-old wanted to learn to play. Someone else paid for every class my husband needed to complete his degree. When our house was affected by the 1,000-year flood in 2015, a dear friend gifted us with thousands of dollars to make the repairs needed to sell it.

Each gift crumbled me to the ground in worship and thanksgiving. Our Father God saw our need and sent someone to meet it.

He’s still sending someones to meet our needs. Last year He sent an oncological surgeon to heal my loved one of breast cancer. And then He sent a cardiologist to zap her heart back into rhythm. He sent a publishing company to help me share the message God has placed on my heart with as many people as possible.

And He sent a spiky-haired teenager with a tiny nose ring to hand me my favorite treat.

Wonderful gifts don’t have to be extravagant.

Live Generously.

During the month of December, I invite you to join me in the Live Generously challenge. Each day, from now ‘til Christmas, let’s look for an opportunity to give something away.

If you have the means, give generously to your favorite charity (My two favorites are Sister Freda’s Foundation to the sick and impoverished in Kitale, Kenya, and A Moment of Hope, a crisis pregnancy ministry in Columbia, SC.)

But don’t focus on lavish. Every day, look for small ways to give generously.

Live Generously Ideas

Give a smile and a greeting to the grumpiest person in the room, office, or elevator.
Ask the cashier at the grocery store what his favorite candy is and buy it for him.
Drop dollar bills and change into the Salvation Army kettle.
Send an I’m praying for you text or message to someone you haven’t spoken to in a while. And then pray.
Select five items of clothing from your closet and donate them to a charity thrift store or women’s shelter.
Perform a task for your coworker that you know he/she hates doing.
Write a note to your boss or tell them in person how grateful you are for your job.
Leave a water bottle, a snack, and a note in the mailbox for your mail carrier.
Put a basket of snack food and bottled water on the porch with a sign that says, UPS, FED EX, USPS–THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. PLEASE ENJOY A SNACK.
Go through your kitchen cupboards and pull out dishes, bowls, utensils you don’t use and donate them.
Buy someone a Frosty. You never know what it might mean to them.

Live Generously

Whether you’re dreading the holidays and struggling to find the Christmas spirit or you’re full of excitement and bubbling over, commit each day to live generously.

This is the Christmas spirit.

“Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

Acts 20:35

How have you lived generously or been blessed by someone else living generously? Share your thoughts in the comments to inspire someone else.

About Refresh Your Hope,
60 Devotions for Trusting God with All Your Heart

How can you hold on to hope in an uncertain world? Especially when experiencing disappointments, setbacks, and discouragement? In Refresh Your Hope, Lori Hatcher invites you to renew your confidence and courage by calling attention to the remarkably good news—you have a hope greater than you could ever imagine.

 

An unshakable hope.

 

In this uplifting, Scripture-driven 60-day devotional, Lori returns to our rock-solid foundation—God’s amazing promises and His faithful character. Each warm, story-based reading will help you grow closer to God as you reflect on His assurances, His generous nature, and His unwavering commitments. Strengthen your prayer life with thought-provoking prompts. Replace anxiety with joy, peace, and trust while encountering Bible truths about the ultimate Source of hope.

Available now on Amazon.com, Christianbook.com, and other fine retailers.

Why not share a copy with a friend who could use a fresh dose of hope?

Have you subscribed to Refresh?

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

The post Wondering How to Have Joy this Christmas? Live Generously appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

              Related StoriesCould God Be Testing You? How to KnowLosing the Battle? What to Do When Life Seems Impossible11 Simple Ways to Cope When Grief and Loss Interrupt Your Holiday Season 

Could God Be Testing You? How to Know

“With money so tight,” Granny said, “why would he leave money lying around?”

My grandmother was a Portuguese immigrant. The daughter of textile mill workers, she was much older than the English speaking students in her class, and they mocked her. She quit school after the fourth grade when she learned to read, write, and do simple math. 

At 14, she lied about her age so she could join her parents and eldest brother in the mill. When mill work became too strenuous, she hired herself out to babysit other mill workers’ children.

She once told me a story about the first man for whom she worked. “Money was always tight,” she said. “They had five children. But every now and then Mr. P. would leave money lying around on a table or a dresser. I wondered why he would be so careless. . .”

Peering at me over the top of her over-sized reading glasses, she raised an eyebrow and shook her finger. “THEN I figured it out. He was testing me. He wanted to see if I was honest.” Her eyes looked beyond mine and into the past. “I never took anything,” she said softly. “Not even a coin I found in his pocket when I was doing the laundry.”

The concept of testing is biblical.

God tested Abraham when he told him to sacrifice Isaac on the altar (Genesis 22:1). God tested Hezekiah, too: “But when envoys were sent by the rulers of Babylon to ask him about the miraculous sign that had occurred in the land, God left him to test him and to know everything that was in his heart” (2 Chr. 32:31).

Because God is omniscient (all knowing), he knew Abraham would trust his promises and be willing to sacrifice Isaac on the altar, so why did he test him? He knew what was in Hezekiah’s heart and how he would respond to the test set before him, so why did he test him?

And why does he test us?

Maybe because Abraham needed to know whether he loved God more than anyone and anything else. And maybe because Hezekiah needed to know whether his heart was wholly committed to the Lord.

Times of testing, when circumstances are overwhelming and God seems far away force us to make a choice: will we believe God’s promises, or will we allow our circumstances to steal our faith?

Joshua summed up the choice in one sentence: “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve,” (Josh. 24:15). 

Mr. P. didn’t leave money around because he hoped my grandmother would steal. He left money around so she could prove she was honest. God doesn’t test our faith because he hopes we will fail. He tests us so we can stake our faith firmly on him.

If you’re going through a faith crisis, I challenge you to keep your eyes on Jesus. Trust him with your past, your present, and your future. Throw in your whole lot with the one who loved you enough to die for you.

I can say with confidence, God will not disappoint you. 

When you weather a crisis and come out on the other side with your faith not only intact, but stronger than ever, God will use your testimony to strengthen and encourage others. He’ll give you authentic and indisputable faith stories. He’ll use your tears to water others’ fledgling faith, and he’ll use your obedience to accomplish spiritual deeds on his behalf—all because you passed the faith test.

So how do we pass? By mustering up our own courage, strength, or trust?

No.

We pass God’s test by clinging tightly to his hand, asking him to strengthen us, and trusting his will for our lives. We say with Joshua, “as for me and my household, (no matter what) we will serve the LORD.” 

I hope one day I’ll hear God say the same words he said to Abraham: “Now I know that you fear God.”

What about you? Are you experiencing a trial? Could it be a test from the Lord to strengthen your faith? God’s given you the power to pass the test, and he’s rooting for you.  How are you going to respond?

The post Could God Be Testing You? How to Know appeared first on Lori Hatcher.

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