“ Therefore, as God’s chosen people,
holy and dearly loved,
clothe yourselves with
compassion, kindness, humility,
gentleness and patience.”
Colossians 3:12
The Care Bears vs The Cloud of Uncaring
OK, so maybe this is a kids’ video. 🙂
But it’s deep with meaning for all ages.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we all worked together
to show love, kindness, and caring?
ABCs of Jesus’ Love
Visit this page anytime and let me know if you’d like to add to the words describing Jesus’ love along with a verse supporting it. Remember, there is also a print-out of the original list.
This month I have added another “S” Word:
❤︎ Steadfast Love ❤︎
“Know therefore that the Lord your God is God,
the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love
with those who love Him and keep His commandments,
to a thousand generations.”
Deuteronomy 7:9 RSV
Books
I am not always able to keep up with the abundance of books that promote hope, healing, and freedom, so I haven’t always read every one I post here and on the Books Page. Though many are on my long wish list. 🙂 Many will be from recommendations of online friends. If you ever know of a book that is not listed and that supports this website’s mission, please let me know. 🙂
The book I’m highlighting this month is:
Does your spirit feel empty, discouraged, and confused? Does it feel like you’re missing something important in your life? Do lies about God, yourself, or others torment you? Do you long to grasp your identity in Christ Jesus? Do you crave a deeper relationship with God?
Read the Rest of My Book Review Here
Hope Harbor
💞 Links That Inspire Hope and Healing 💞
💞 Chosen and Approved Series – An encouraging 6-week series: Three women explore what it means to be chosen approved. They write, share and question what it looks like to live in a world with a set of expectations that do not always match our own. Or how the world sets us up to reach a standard that as hard as we try to achieve, we cannot attain.
💞 Hope Mommies – A non-profit Christian organization whose sole purpose is to come alongside moms and families who have experienced infant loss, bringing comfort, encouragement, companionship, and hope, ultimately the Hope of Christ, as they continue to walk this side of eternity without their beloved son or daughter.
💞 The Day My Marriage Died: Healing In the Wake of Divorce – “It’s normal to try and numb the pain of divorce and get over the grief as quickly as possible. However, God created us to mourn the loss of anything to which we have attached ourselves. A person who does not process the sorrow associated with the death of a marriage is in jeopardy of never completely healing. Jumping into a new relationship, intoxicating with a substance, or becoming consumed with work or children will numb the pain temporarily, but later in life the hidden wound will rear its ugly head. Walking through the grief, not around it, is the only way to fully recover.”
Nature Retreat
“Adopt the pace of nature.
Her secret is patience.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson“
🐾 Colorful Sea Creatures – A photo gallery of 12 colorful sea creatures and photo links to other ocean galleries
🐾 Beauty of Nature: 100 Brilliant Examples of Bird Photography – Wow! Incredible photos!
🐾 Interesting Insects by Sayer’s Photography – “Insects up close and personal! It’s amazing how beautiful they can be when you take a closer look with a macro lens.”
Quotes
❤︎ “A thankful mind-set does not entail a denial of reality with its plethora of problems. Instead, it rejoices in Me, your Savior, in the midst of trials and tribulations.” ~ Sarah Young
❤︎ “One touch of Christ is worth a lifetime of struggling.“ ~ A.B. Simpson
❤︎ “When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free.” ~ Katherine Ponder
Freed to Fly 
What a lovely potpourri of inspiration you’re serving up here this morning!
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Thank you, Linda. May we together be daily inspired by the hope there is in Jesus! Hugs!
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Dear Trudy, These are such great links and morsels for pondering! The Sarah Young quote (as always) touches me deeply. And I may pass along the Katherine Ponder quote to a friend who has asked me to pray with her to be able to find forgiveness over past issues. Your Monthly links always have something that comes at just the right time. Thank you for being open to sharing God’s gifts with all of us! Blessings and Hugs my friend!
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Sarah’s quote really touched me, too, Bettie. I read it at someone else’s blog, and I knew I had to share it. I’m sorry your friend is having such a hard time with forgiveness. It can be so difficult, especially when the hurt runs so deep. I still struggle with it at times, so this quote spoke to me. I hope it helps her. Sometimes I think I have forgiven, but then all of a sudden it feels like I haven’t. It becomes a continual process. I ache for your friend, and I pray she will come to know forgiveness and freedom from whoever hurt her. May we both rejoice in our Savior in the midst of trials and tribulation! Hugs!
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Wow, Trudy. That quote about resentment is powerful. I always love your monthly round-ups … hugs to you today!
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Thank you, Lois. I’m glad you enjoy them. That quote really impacts me, too. I really do need more forgiveness in my life. May God remove all resentment from our hearts and set us free! Hugs to you, too!
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Thanks so much for the inspiration today, Trudy! Blessings!
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You’re so welcome, Martha. I’m so glad it inspired you. Thank you for the blessings! Back at you! 🙂 May God keep us in His tender loving care! Hugs!
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Goodness! Inspiring and so much work for you to put it all together! Thanks for the commitment!
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Thank you for your kind remark, Michele. I’m glad you were inspired. I love putting these end-of-the-month posts together. 🙂 May God give us a blessed Advent season! Hugs!
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I can’t imagine how much time and energy it took to put this together for us, Trudy! Thank you ever so much! I really enjoyed my visit here, so bright and encouraging! I watched the Care Bears clip..so sweet. I so appreciated your kind comment left on my blog today, and I trust God will bless you abundantly for all you do here. 🙂
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Thank you for your kindness, Cheryl. I’m so glad you were brightened and encouraged. 🙂 I felt I needed to share that clip. Yes, it is so sweet. And so meaningful. It reminds me of how we should lift each other up and support each other. 🙂 I loved your interview with Lovelle. I knew her story, but not to that extent. You asked such important, caring questions. May God bless us with His love and peace! Hugs!
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Those frog pictures are stunning Trudy! And thank you for all these links. I’ve been feeling a bit bluesy lately, and being here always is refreshing and add brightness (and hope) to my day!
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Thank you, Lynn. I’m so glad this place refreshes you and adds brightness to your day. I’m so sorry you are still feeling bluesy. I pray God will revive your drooping spirits. Never forget how very special you are to Him! To me, too. 🙂 May He dispel all the gloom in our hearts with the light of His love and favor! Hugs!
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Hi Trudy,
I’m laughing at Lynn’s comment above that the frog photos are stunning 🙂 because I would have chosen another word — scary! But I’m oh-so-grateful for the advance warning you gave me that allowed me to prepare! 🙂
I love the quote by Sarah Young. Her words are just inspired, aren’t they? They speak so vividly to me as I read them every day to start my day and I’m so glad you included her words in your round-up. It is in the midst of our trials that it challenges us to be thankful and trusting, but aligning our hearts with his through praise and grateful thanksgiving somehow changes us. So glad to read your words here tonight — and I’m hoping those frogs (even though I just glanced at them!) don’t give me any nightmares! xoxoxo
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At least you could still “hop” on over here and laugh that some people find frogs “stunnimg,” Valerie. It’s something how some find certain creatures amazing, others find them scary. I hope you didn’t have a frog nightmare!
Yes, Sarah’s words are so inspiring. I have her Jesus Calling devotional book, too. After discovering this quote, I am considering using her book again this next year. This year I’ve been using other devotional books. I find that when I go back to a book a couple of years later, I have a different, hopefully more open, perspective, and what I didn’t notice before jumps out at me. May we daily align our heart with God’s, trusting His plan with an attitude of gratitude! Hugs!
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Another beautifully curated collection, Trudy. Except the insects – I’ll pass on them. 😉 Hugs, friend.
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Thank you, Tiffany. So you don’t like insects, huh? I find them fascinating. 🙂 I learned to appreciate them already as a child as my big brother studied them in college and would teach me about them. He even gave me a net and a humane petri dish to put them to sleep, so he could use them in his huge bug collection for a class. I was so thrilled to be of help. 🙂 I’d rather see them alive though. 🙂 May we have a soul-searching Advent season! Hugs!
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Trudy, these look like wonderful resources. The verses you have shared have helped to lift my spirits today. I’m reminded of God’s unfailing love and kindness and how we are supposed to be kind and loving in our relationships with others.
Blessings to you! I’m your neighbor at #Glimpses.
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Thank you, Gayl. I’m so happy the verses lifted your spirits today. God’s love and kindness are so beautiful and unfathomable, aren’t they? May we be filled so full of His love that it will spill out onto whoever we meet! Hugs!
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Hi Trudy! I have always liked the Care Bears, my kids loved them too. The little video you have here brought back a lot of memories. It was a great message too about the power of caring. We need more people who will be willing to care about our earth and the people on it.
The point about processing sorrow about anything, including divorce, is such wisdom. How can anyone move on if they haven’t faced their feelings? I am glad for the good friends I have who listen to me, and pray for my concerns too.
Blessings to you as we enter the month of December,
Ceil
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Thank you for the blessings, Ceil. They are so appreciated. As are you! I couldn’t resist sharing that video. Two granddaughters and I were discussing Care Bears a couple of weeks ago. The 7-year-old wanted to use a Care Bears cup I have had for years. I said that it seems we don’t hear much about Care Bears anymore. The 15-year-old brightened up and said, “I still like them! I even have some Care Bear stuff yet!” That was refreshing to hear. They really did promote love and caring, didn’t they?
Yes, facing our feelings and processing our sorrow is so important. Without grieving a loss, the pain will fester inside of us and adversely affect our lives in so many ways. Yes, thank God for friends who care, listen, and understand. Above all, for our Best Friend Jesus who understands us more than anyone, even ourselves. 🙂 May we cling to the hope and healing in Him and be grateful for other friends He sends us! Hugs!
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What a beautiful treasure chest of resources you always offer here, Trudy! I’m stunned by the way you compile these monthly posts. It must take quite a while to pull together the varied strands into a cohesive and colourful whole. The photos alone are well worth a view, never mind the great content you curate. This quote, especially, sang out to me:
“Adopt the pace of nature.
Her secret is patience.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson“
It suggests a way of life appropriate for Advent and beyond, and one I often struggle with when fatigue stokes irritability rather than initiating patience! I love the quote from Sarah Young as well. Her books really speak to me. Thank you for this feast for the soul, my friend. Blessings of joy, peace, health and strength to you in the days ahead. xo ❤
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Your prayers are so appreciated, Joy. That quote by Emerson really spoke to me, too. It really struck me how nature actually does have so much patience and such a leaning-into-its Creator dependence. How true what you said that it suggests a life appropriate for Advent and beyond. And for our health conditions, too. It’s hard to patiently rest in God’s plan for us, isn’t it?
The quote from Sarah is so fitting for us as well, isn’t it? It’s hard to have a thankful mind-set when our energy drains away so quickly, and we don’t feel well. May we learn ever more deeply to rejoice in our Savior even when we are struggling! Hugs!
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Hi Trudy! I hope you had a good Thanksgiving! I am thankful for you!- Thanks for this post- I had not heard of Hope Mommies- That site is amazing- I wish I had know about it when we lost our baby- Thanks for always bringing hope and Jesus’ love to me! hugs
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Thank you, Susie. I am thankful for you, too! I have missed your poems and artwork these past two weeks. But no pressure. I do understand. 🙂 I thought Hope Mommies was amazing, too, and I was so glad I found it. Or maybe I should say God directed me to it. I thought about you! It looks like you can still find a lot of hope and empathy there even though it’s been a while. On those days when your heart aches and misses your child so much. I’m sure holidays and certain dates are especially hard. May God help us to cling to the hope and love found in Jesus! Hugs!
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Girl, this must take a lot of work to put together. What a wonderful resource, and so pleasing to the eye!
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Thank you, Barbie. I love putting these end-of-the-month posts together. 🙂 It’s interesting, too, how different parts of it bless different people. It’s a God-thing. 🙂 May we cling to the truth of God’s steadfast love that will never abandon us even when times are so hard! Hugs!
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Great collection of resources, Trudy! The Care Bears clip made me smile as I used to have a Care Bear toy which I loved! I like the photos and the quote about resentment and forgiveness too.
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Thank you, Lesley. I’m glad the Care Bears clip made you smile! 🙂 Apparently you no longer have the Care Bear toy? Yes, isn’t that resentment and forgiveness quote powerful? It’s so true in our lives, right? It’s hard sometimes when just when I think I’ve forgiven everyone who has hurt me in my life, bitter thoughts creep up on me and again enslave me. We need God’s grace daily, don’t we? May His forgiveness be so powerful in our hearts that forgiveness will flow from our hearts to others! Hugs!
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Trudy, such wonderful resources! I thinkmy favorite quote is the one about the importance of forgiveness. And I love all your picturns. The frogs bring out my happy. 🙂
Have a great weekend!
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Thank you, Jeanne. I smile when you say the frogs bring out your happy. I love them, too. Their acronym tells me to Fully Rely On God. 🙂 That forgiveness quote is so true, isn’t it? Not always easy to forgive, especially when the pain and damage is deep, but God gives daily grace for it. May we delve into a deeper relationship with Jesus this Advent season and beyond! Hugs!
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Trudy,
What a wonderful list and the photo of the frog…what grace gifts 🙂 Praying God gives you much joy this Advent, my friend…((hugs))
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Thank you for your prayers, Dolly. “Grace gifts.” I love that. May God fill us with His love and grace in a deeper way this Advent and beyond! Hugs!
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Fun frog pictures, Trudy! Great inspiration for the month! Blessings on your Sabbath, my friend!
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Thank you, June. I’m glad you enjoyed the frogs and were inspired. May God fill us with His love in a special way this Advent season! Hugs!
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So much of what you share speaks to me today. As I prepared my testimony for my baptism, I noticed for the first time that there’s one version of Psalm 23 that speaks of God’s steadfast love, rather than His mercy and now I see “steadfast love” again in your first Scripture. I think the word steadfast speaks to me so much because my soul is weary of loss and the idea that God’s love is always and ever present through every other loss is such a comfort and a balm.
I also love the pics of nature…soothing to the soul and the first two quotes of your final quotes. This idea that we are promised struggles, but more importantly promised His beautiful Presence through them that draws us into deeper relationship and a strengthening in who Christ is through it all.
Thank you for this encouragement. The steps I’m taking aren’t easy ones and I so needed these reminders this morning.
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Thank you, Anna. I’m so glad you found soothing balm to your soul and encouragement here. “Steadfast love” really spoke to me, too. It’s such a comfort to know His love is always present with us and will never abandon us. And He won’t abandon you either as you take these next hard but brave steps to follow His leading, my friend. My heart goes out to you, and I pray God will give you the strength and wisdom to go forward. I will really miss your posts. Will you be sending out an email once in a while to update us? If so, you have my email. God be with you and revive your weary soul and keep you in His tender loving care! May we cling to His beautiful Presence as He draw us through troubles into a deeper relationship with Him! Hugs!
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