Tag: faithfulness of God

October Hope Breathers

Trudy Den Hoed39 Comments

Remembering God’s Faithfulness

“Everything about God is great, vast, incomparable. He never forgets, never fails, never falters, never forfeits His word. To every declaration of promise or prophecy the Lord has exactly adhered, every engagement of covenant or threatening He will make good.” ~ A.W. Pink

“There is more safety with Christ in the tempest than without Christ in the calmest waters.” ~ Alexander Grosse

“The same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you today and every day. He will either shield you from suffering or will give you unfailing strength to bear it.” ~ St. Francis de Sales

“In the darkest hour, when I cannot breathe
Fear is on my chest, the weight of the world on me
Everything is crashing down, everything I had known
When I wonder if I’m all alone

I remember, I remember
You have always been faithful to me
I remember, I remember
Even when my own eyes could not see
You were there, always there…”

Nature Retreat

“The natural world provides humanity with untold gifts.
It cleans water, pollinates plants and provides
pharmaceuticals, among others.
Thirty trillion dollars worth of services,
scot-free to humanity, every year.”
E. O. Wilson

Pollinators Are Important

I loved going to this pollinator plot. Sometimes we don’t realize the impact pollinators have on our environment. And it inspires me to be a pollinator of love and kindness in this world. 🙂






Did you know that squirrels stash away so many nuts that they forget where some of them are hidden? These forgotten nuts often grow into trees, meaning they play a role in conserving our ecosystem!

 “The squirrels hoard nuts
and the bee gathers honey,
without knowing what they do,
and they are thus provided for
without selfishness or disgrace.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Jesus Knows, Understands, and Cares About Each of Our Stories

Trudy Den Hoed28 Comments

“What was that?”

Some of the residents here at the 55+ condo association where we live had a hard time hearing me before masks. But now it’s even worse. I know they didn’t hear me when they change the subject or answer way off base.

Then last week I went for my first Covid vaccine. Same problem of not being heard. At the registration, I had to lean in so she could hear me answer her questions.

After the shot, I had to sit among some spaced chairs for at least 15 minutes in case of reactions. As I sat there, I looked around at the eyes above the masks. Some eyes appeared sad or defeated. Have they ever shared their story or their feelings? Were they heard? Really heard? Heard in a way that they felt believed, understood, and supported? Or did they try to tell someone only to feel rejected because of insensitive remarks, changed subjects, or turned backs? Were their burdens belittled and made heavier with Christian platitudes or judgmental opinions?

Whether it’s physical, mental, or emotional pain, everyone has a need to be heard. Really heard, not just on the surface, but at a deeper level of caring about what they’re going through. A lament for their pain. A coming alongside them with empathy, compassion, and respect.

Do you sometimes not feel heard, supported, and valued?
Do you feel alone in your pain?
Do you wonder if God hears your cries?

Jesus always hears us in the deepest way. He already knows the story behind our eyes and is always ready to give us His full, undivided attention. He reaches out with compassion for the hurting. If we’re overwhelmed by pain and sinking in the storms of life, He reaches down and pulls us up and revives us with His life-giving breath. Again and again. His hand is always extended towards us and He never tires of rescuing us.

Jesus invites us to keep pouring out our hearts to Him, even though answers seem slow in coming. He listens with love, not judgment. Jesus is a Faithful Friend who ALWAYS hears us with unbounded love, compassion, empathy, and understanding. He loves us so much that He laid down His life for us. He cares so deeply about our stories that He hurts when we hurt. When others abandon us, He never, ever will. When others don’t believe us or heap guilt upon us, He knows the truth of our stories and will never condemn us.

"He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—
how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? 
Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?
 It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. 
Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—
is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us."
Romans 8:32-34

"Because of Your great compassion
 You did not abandon them in the wilderness.
 By day the pillar of cloud did not fail to guide them on their path, 
nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take."
Nehemiah 9:19

"And the God of all grace, 
who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, 
after you have suffered a little while,
 will Himself restore you and make you
 strong, firm and steadfast."
1 Peter 5:10

“He counts the stars one and all
He knows how much sand is on the shores
He sees every sparrow that falls
He made the mountains and the seas
He’s in control of everything
Of all creatures great and small

And He knows my name
Every step that I take
Every move that I make
Every tear that I cry
He knows my name…”

Beyond Blind Faith

Trudy Den Hoed29 Comments

© Jack Dawson Painting – used by permission

Do you see the man walking across the log? Do you see his white cane? More importantly, do you see Jesus watching over him? How about the cross on the rock?

I live in one of 14 condo units, placed on either side of a hallway with a Commons area at the end. Some residents almost always have a puzzle in progress there. Many of these puzzles are framed and displayed on the hallway walls. Most of them relate to U.S. or state history, but there are occasional exceptions.

Earlier this year, Nathalie had a puzzle she wanted put together, framed, and hung up across from her door. One had to look carefully to see Jesus in it, but once I found Him, I was awed. Yes, He is with us even when we can’t always “see” Him. Not long after the puzzle was hung up, Jesus took Nathalie to Himself. Her family graciously left the puzzle there. Every time I see it when I take a walk in the hallway, it reminds me of Jesus’ promise to be with us always. We may not always see Him, but He’s there, faithfully watching over us, His loving heart channeling His sufficient grace into our hearts and lives.

“And be sure of this:
I am with you always,
even to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:20b NLT
“For God has said,
‘I will never fail you.
I will never abandon you.'”
Hebrews 13:5b NLT

Recently, I looked up the author’s name in the corner and found out it was titled “Beyond Blind Faith.” Finding out more about it has deepened the meaning. I hadn’t noticed the man using a white cane. I just figured it was a man balancing himself and walking across the log, taking it as meaning we sometimes have to go through risky trials, but we need to trust Jesus is watching out for us. When I realized the man was actually blind… Wow! Isn’t that how it is? Blind faith. Uncertain. Afraid of taking the wrong step, because we can’t see it. Depending on Jesus to guide us in the right way.

The website for this painting describes it:

“It would be almost impossible for this blind man to walk across safely to the other side.  Many times we feel like we are walking in uncertainty and confusion, without hope.  But just as Christ is seen watching over the blind man in the painting, He watches over us as we walk “Beyond Blind Faith,” in confident hope and faith in Him.”

The following 1-minute video about this painting is inspiring:

“Beyond Blind Faith”
by Jack E. Dawson

Sometimes in the midst of loss and troubles, we don’t see that Jesus is with us. We don’t feel Him warming our hearts with hope. But He truly is with us, no matter what situation we are in, because He is faithful to His promises. He is never going to leave us or abandon us! We may flounder in our trust and faith and may even fall and feel like we’re drowning, but He will always pick us up again!

“God Is With Us”
by Casting Crowns

“Love is raining down on the world tonight
There’s a presence here I can tell
God is in us, God is for us, God is with us, Emmanuel
He’s the Savior we have been praying for
In our humble hearts He will dwell
God is in us, God is for us, God is with us, Emmanuel”