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Light, Love, Hope

Light in the Darkness Surrounded by Love with Hope for those in need.

Tuesday At Ten

Equestrian Ministries

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If you have been with us for any length of time, you know that we have a special fondness and love for gentle giants, aka horses! These massive creatures leave us in awe each time as we watch them in all of their greatness and marvel at these gorgeous animals that God has given us.

Here at Light Love Hope we strive to share the message of God’s light in the dark world that we are living in, His unconditional, never ending love for us, and hope for a future and for eternal life in Heaven with Him!

Last year we became horse owners.  It is something that we have always dreamed of and had an interest in, but we hadn’t taken that step.  When we did, though, we jumped in with both feet into horse ownership and now have two paint horses, a dark bay quarter horse, a pinto pony, and a Shetland pony.  We feel we have a good mix, and oh boy do we love to gaze out at them in our yard as they are grazing.

Our HorsesDuring this past year as we’ve adjusted to life on the ranch tending to our beauties, we wondered if there was a way to incorporate the two things that our family is passionate about: Jesus Christ and our horses. After researching this topic, we found that there IS a way to do both, and so we have just recently joined the Equestrian Ministries in our state!

What, exactly, is the Equestrian Ministries and what do we do?  We are a nonprofit, nondenominational organization consisting of individuals and fellowships throughout the state that have united under a mutually agreed upon statement of faith for the purpose of fellowship and ministry to our local communities. We believe there is one God who exists in three persons:  the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  We believe in the Bible and the words that God has given us to live by.  We believe in the virgin birth of Jesus, that He walked the face of this earth and lived a sinless life.  We believe He performed miracles, and we believe that He died on the cross for all of our sins so that we may have eternal life through Him.  We believe that He rose from the dead, is now in Heaven, and that one day soon, He will come back for His children.  We also believe that we were made in the image of God, but we have been corrupted by the sin in the world.  However, there is still hope for lost souls if they believe in Jesus, have faith in Him, and ask Him into their hearts.  Their sins will be washed away, and they will have the gift of Eternal Life through Jesus Christ!

We are very excited as we embark on this new journey with the Equestrian Ministries.  We ask for prayer as we reach out to those in the community.  Everyone needs Jesus, even people that ride horses!  Why not try to reach as many people as we can, in whatever ways that we can?  That is what we are here on this earth to do – to share Jesus with lost souls.

Shirley and Arizona

Joining the Equestrian Ministries wasn’t just a move to ensure that we get to go trail riding. No, no, no.  It’s a much bigger picture than this.  Sure, we love trail riding like the next horse person, but it’s about believers coming together to share the message of Jesus.  Do I like the fact that we will be camping out and riding the trails with people of faith?  Yes!  Absolutely!  I don’t have to worry about what my ten year old will be subjected to while on a trail ride now, nor do I have to worry about conversation around the camp fire.  I have the assurance with the company that we will be keeping that there won’t be anything that her little eyes shouldn’t see or her little ears shouldn’t hear.

Tiff and Daddy

But, there’s more.

My daughters will get to share in this with us as much as they would like to be involved.  We will use our horses not just for pleasure, enjoyment, and the thrill of the ride.  Now we will be using the strong and mighty creatures that God has given us for His Honor and His Glory as we try to lead people to Christ.

Pray for us as we embark on this new journey.

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 After writing this post, I saw where Karen used the prompt word “Dream” for Tuesday At Ten.  It seems to fit right in with our post, so I am sharing it on her blog as well for the link up today.   Join us!

What Do You Have To Give?

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You may be sitting there asking yourself on this Christmas Eve, “What do I have to give?”  It’s quite simple, really, as the biggest treasures cannot be found on the shelves.  They are not stocked in any store, nor can they be found with a few clicks of your mouse on the internet.  Instead, they are found deep within the chambers of our hearts.

What do you have to give?

How about love, deep love.  A lasting love, a devoted and dedicated love.  A true love.  A love that will not betray, nor deceive, nor lie.  A love that will be honest and loyal.

Consider truth.  Giving the gift of honesty by being a man or woman of your word.  A person of integrity.  One with good morals and values.  An upstanding citizen, but even more importantly, the kind of person that you would want your daughters to marry.  One that would protect their little hearts and never ever do anything in the world to break them.  One that would shelter and love through all the years, never ever forsaking them for another.

Faithfulness.  Deep within your being, right to the very core … having your heart beat with love for only one person on this earth – the one you married.

Making your loved ones feel treasured and cherished. Important and valued.  Heard and appreciated.  Validated.  Connected and bonded together.  Just the two of you, heart to heart, united as one as God intended.

You have so much to offer and so much to give not just this holiday season but every day.

Drop to your knees and beg for forgiveness if you have not been any of the above or a select few of the before mentioned this year or in the past several years.  You can turn from your wicked ways right here, right now.  You can be a person of good character.  You can rewrite who you are starting today.  You have it in you to make a lasting change.  Turn from any sin that you have held on to in your life.  Let go of any lies you’ve been telling and replace it with truth.  Leave the deceitful, lustful ways of the past and be more.  Be a man or woman of God!

Tomorrow is the day we celebrate when Jesus came to this world, to save the world all those years ago!  As a little tiny baby lying in a manger, He was our truth and life.  He was our future, our forgiveness, our Savior.  Jesus can still save you right here, right now – today – where you sit reading this – if you only allow Him into your heart.

Jesus came to save the world!

Turn all of your sins and darkness over to Him.  Run into His outstretched arms and sin no more!  Turn away from that life you were living.  You have a lot of making up to do for lost time.  To the loved ones you took so much from in years past due to your behavior, the sin you had in your life, the way you mistreated them and took them for granted.  Start today repairing things in your life, in your marriage, in your family.

What do you have to give?

The gift of renewal; a fresh start with true love and devotion to your one and only on this earth and to God above in Heaven.

Give the gift that will be treasured all the days of your loved ones’ lives.

Give them the best that you can be from here on out.  Give them love like they’ve never experienced before.  Give them truth and honesty.  Give them the gift of ONLY having eyes for them.  Give them a bright future ahead for the family with love, devotion, truth, dedication, loyalty, and faithfulness.

That’s what you have to give.

Family Christian1

Truth

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As we enter into the holiday season with snow beginning to fall and temperatures dropping even in the South, we prepare for our Thanksgiving feast and then Christmas festivities shortly thereafter.  When we’re supposed to be filled with holiday cheer, the truth is that a lot of people are dreading the holidays.  Either they are fighting depression, are in the mist of a crisis, or they do not have any family to gather with during the holiday season.  There are a whole list of reasons why people are not in the holiday spirit and actually end up dreading this time of year!

Will you take time to remember them?  The ones that feel like they have lost hope?  The ones with no cheer left within their hearts and souls right now?  The ones that are struggling to put their feet on the floor in the mornings and pull themselves out of bed to greet the day?

Some hide it so well that you’d never truly know that they dislike the holiday season.  They will force a smile, hum a Christmas song, all the while they feel like they are dying inside.

Maybe they are like so many that have lost loved ones this year.  Maybe they will have one vacant seat at the dinner table this year, or maybe, like in our case, there will be several vacant seats when our family gathers around after having lost my sister, granddaddy, and grandma in years past.  Along with the empty chairs are hearts that feel as if they have holes in them as they miss their loved ones so much that memories of holidays past leave trails of tears streaming down their cheeks.

The truth is that not everyone feels like celebrating.  Some would even like to hibernate, if that were even an option, until after the first of the year.

Will you take time to remember those individuals in prayer?  Will you silently speak to God on their behalf asking Him to wrap His loving arms around them?

God, provide them comfort as only You can, Father.  They need you …

 

Prayer

This post was inspired by the prompt word of Truth for this edition of Tuesday at Ten.

Grateful

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This is the most wonderful time of the year, in my opinion.  There is a crisp coolness in the air that lets you know that Thanksgiving and Christmas are on their way.

Several of my Facebook friends started at the beginning of November with their, “I am thankful for …” posts.  They intend to write what they are thankful for each day on their Facebook status until November 30th.  This is wonderful and definitely sets your day off in the right direction when you take time to appreciate the things that you do have in this life.  I applaud everyone that is sharing with a grateful heart during the month of November, but why stop there?  Why meditate on the things that you are grateful for only in the month of November?  Wouldn’t it be better if we all got into the mindset of being grateful and thankful each and every day?  Imagine the difference this would make and the change of perspective you would have in your daily life if you would intentionally put on the attitude of gratitude!

We are so blessed in this life.  We have far more than we ever truly need, and yet we seem restless at times.  We seek to gain more, which doesn’t enhance our character or make us people of integrity.  It only makes us people with more material possessions!  You could have all of the money in the world, a mansion on a hill with a garage full of every kind of “toy” ever made, and yet you would not feel complete.  Money does not buy happiness.  Money cannot fill your heart, but love can.  And who better to fill your heart with love than our Heavenly Father.  We love because He first loved us!

If you surround yourself with people that support you, uplift you, and encourage you that’s half the battle right there!  With your own personal team of cheerleaders in your corner, ie: your family, you know that they believe in you and have faith in your abilities no matter what comes your way in life.  If you ever had anything to be grateful for – that’s it right there!  That should be on the very top of your list!   So often we take those closest to us for granted.  Don’t.  They deserve to be treated as the jewels that they are!  Value, treasure, appreciate, and be grateful for them!

As we go into this holiday season, consider all of the things that you have to be grateful for that money cannot buy.

They are there looking at you with those bright beautiful deep blue eyes each morning as you gently wake them from their slumber to get ready for school.

My Gifts From God

They are there each evening as you kiss them gently on their forehead as you stroke their long blond hair and give “just one more” mini facial as their eyes get heavy and they drift off to sleep.

My Gifts From God1

They are there each morning as the sun rises in brilliant colors as God, The Greatest Artist of All Time, paints a masterpiece.  And they are there as the sun sets in the evening as all grows quiet, and we stand in awe of all of God’s creations.

God's Masterpiece

 

From the simplest things such as the air we breathe to the food we eat; the shelter over our heads and the clothes on our backs; for the gift of another day to share with our loved ones and hear their laughter once more.  We have so much to be grateful for.

We are blessed in this life!

 

This post was inspired by the prompt word of “Grateful” given by Karen as part of Tuesday At Ten.  Join her for this link up to build community!  Karen visits everyone that links up and comments on their page to show her appreciation for your participation.

 

Seek

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The bible is full of verses on the word “seek” … here are just a few:

Deuteronomy 4:29 ESV

But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him,

if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Proverbs 8:17 ESV

I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.

Jeremiah 29:13 ESV

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

When you feel lost, seek Him out … call upon the name of the Lord, and you will find Him there waiting on you.  Oh how he loves it when you call out to Him.  When you speak His name and ask for His help.  When you wish to see His hand upon your life, seek, and you shall find Him!

What I especially love are the verses that speak of seeking him with all of your heart and soul or seeking with all of your heart.  There is a difference in saying, “Okay, God, where are you?” and crying out to Him, “Oh God, I need You!  Show Your mighty presence in my life.  Let me see Your hand guiding, shielding, and protecting me on this path.  Change me, oh Lord, to be a better person!  Oh Father, shine Your love upon my heart. Forgive me of my wicked ways and transform me!  I turn from my sins and focus my mind and heart on YOU, oh Lord!”

 Job 5:8-9 ESV

“As for me, I would seek God, and to God would I commit my cause,

who does great things and unsearchable, marvelous things without number:

A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;

my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you,

as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you;

may those who love your salvation say continually,

“Great is the Lord!”

Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,

who seek him with their whole heart

If my people who are called by my name humble themselves,

and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways,

then I will hear from heaven and

will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Seek Him, friends … while there is still time.

 

Isaiah 55:6-7 ESV

Seek the Lord while he may be found;

call upon him while he is near;

let the wicked forsake his way,

and the unrighteous man his thoughts;

let him return to the Lord,

that he may have compassion on him,

and to our God,

for he will abundantly pardon.

 

Hope

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When times are hard in your life and there seems to be trouble all around, please do not lose hope.  It is so easy to feel as if all hope is gone and to allow that hopeless feeling to rush in, but please … hold on, my dear friend.  Help is on the way.  God has given us faith, hope, and love.  He said it in His word.  Cling to it!  Use your faith in God above to pull you through each and every situation that attempts to steal your joy and peace.  Hold on to hope in those trying times and know that God is not going to leave you nor forsake you.  He is right there with you although He may seem silent at times.  Just keep holding on.  His love will see you through!

He did not promise that you would not have heartaches in this life.  Oh, how we all wish it could be smooth sailing ALL of the time, but that just cannot be.  There is sin in the world, and due to this, there is a tremendous amount of suffering.  Bad things happen to good people.  It’s a heartbreaking reality.

I know of a sweet lady that would do anything for anybody that is suffering with cancer at this moment in time.  It is literally eating away at her, and yet, she is full of hope … and she has faith … why?  Because of God’s love!  She is suffering and yet puts on this strong face for us all.  She speaks so matter-of-factly about what is taking place, and she puts plans in place for beating this thing!  She has faith, and she’s full of hope!  WE are full of hope WITH her.  We know that, if it is God’s will, a miracle can happen to turn this thing completely around.  It CAN happen!  We are clinging to hope at this time especially and ask God to comfort this sweet lady as only He can.

If this woman can hold on to her faith and still have hope as she’s relying on God’s love as she’s fighting cancer … what, exactly, is our problem?  If she’s staring this in the face and still continuing to march full speed ahead, what is our excuse?

We have SO much to be thankful for and yet we take so much for granted.  Stop right now and thank God for ALL of the many blessings in your life.  They are there, dear ones.  Recognize them, even in the face of trouble.  Thank Him and praise Him for how He is working in each one of our lives.

In times of trouble, think of this woman that is suffering and yet remains hopeful.  Then realize that your situation is not hopeless either.  Keep fighting the good fight.  You CAN do this.

Please … don’t ever lose hope.  No matter what comes your way, remain hopeful, lean on God’s great love, and keep the faith!

This post was inspired by the prompt word of Hope for Tuesday At Ten.  Link up your post here.

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