February Hope Breathers

February 27, 2023 Trudy Den Hoed31 Comments

Someday We Will Understand

Her little body wracked by RSV, Covid, and pneumonia, our 1-1/2 year old great-granddaughter, Lily, was struggling to get enough oxygen. Filled with worry, we begged God for a miracle. In the same week, God gave us the precious gift of a new great-grandson, Caynen. Grief and joy. Fear of loss vs. new life. (Thank God, the grief over Lily turned to joy when God healed her.)

As I reflected on the coexistence of grief and joy in life, I thought of how both painful experiences and God’s faithful love are a part of His weaving for our lives. We often see a messy blur of trauma, trials, evil, and injustice in the world and in our lives. But if we step back and see it from God’s perspective, we see how God is interweaving those dark times with the brightness of His new-every-morning mercies, His amazing grace, and the golden threads of His unconditional love even during those times when we didn’t see it.

We can never fully understand everything that happens, but one day we will see the full picture and be amazed by how God brought all things together to create the beauty of His purpose.

“Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.”
Lamentations 3:22-23

Jesus replied, “You do not realize
now what I am doing,
but later you will understand.”
John 13:7

“For I know the plans I have for you,”
declares the Lord,
“plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11

It’s the Size of Our God That Counts

“It is not the size of your faith, but the object of your faith that matters.”
~ Tim Keller

“While faith is a very precious grace, yet it is only the medium of the communication of God’s infinite love and power, and we must never put it in the place of God Himself.”
~ John Alexander Dowie

“Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand at the time.”
~ Oswald Chambers

Nature Retreat

Photos Courtesy of My Brother

Amazing photos of a Hooded Merganser pair and of the female downing her goldfish lunch

I sure hope these robins are coming our way! I’m longing for spring!

I just came across this collage I made
years ago from some of my butterfly photos
and thought I’d share it again.
FLY FREE in JESUS!

New Year Hope Breathers

January 5, 2023 Trudy Den Hoed30 Comments

Were you devastated from heartaches or losses of one kind or another as you closed out 2022? Has it continued into 2023? I’m so sorry. No matter what you’re suffering, I pray God strengthens you with His measureless grace and pours His peace into Your hurting heart.

🦋 “God has a heart. And it hurts.
Not with just a few drops of ache,
not just with a slow drip of sadness —
His whole massive heart fills, swells,
burns with this raw, relentless pain.”
~ Ann Voskamp

God’s Grace Is Immeasurable

❤️❤️❤️
“So here’s what I’ve learned through it all:
Leave all your cares and anxieties at the feet of the Lord,
and measureless grace will strengthen you.”
Psalm 55:22 TPT

As I look back to 2022, God truly has been generous with His boundless love and His all-sufficient grace. Does that mean it was free sailing without any struggles? Not at all.

There will always be trials on this earth, but God has promised His measureless grace to get through them. I am such a worrier and feel so helpless to “fix” things, but God is infinitely patient with me. I continue this life-long learning process of more deeply trusting God and leaving all worries and troubles in His Hands. To repeatedly surrender my heart and past, present, and future life and that of others to Him and His faithful love and infinite and powerful grace. To remember to relinquish the things I can’t change and to believe they are better off in God’s hands than mine. But also to seek His wisdom, guidance, and strength to have courage to make a difference wherever He places me.

❤️❤️❤️
“The Lord Himself goes before you
and will be with you;
He will never leave you nor forsake you.
Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.“
Deuteronomy 31:8

Nature Retreat

I’m so grateful to receive photos from warmer climates during these cold and snowy winter months! The first 6 photos are of Arizona birds from my brother. 🙂 The rest of the photos are ones my niece took recently on her trip to Hawaii to visit her daughter who lives on the Big Island and studies and rescues sea turtles. 🙂

Advent Hope Breathers

November 28, 2022January 2, 2023 Trudy Den Hoed30 Comments

Advent – A Season of Anticipation

We wait, we watch, we hope:

⭐️ As we celebrate the Lord Jesus’ humble birth on this earth because He loves us so deeply

⭐️ For our hearts to open wide to receive the Tidings of Great Joy, either for the first time or by renewal

⭐️ In eager expectation for the second coming of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ

“And the Word became flesh,
and dwelt among us,
and we saw His glory,
glory as of the only begotten from the Father,
full of grace and truth.”
John 1:14

Advent Bible Verses

⭐️ 6 Passages to Read for Advent

⭐️ 25 Hope-Filled Advent Bible Verses

⭐️ Bible Verse Advent Countdown for Kids – Free Printable from Happy Home Fairy

Advent Quotes

“The Lord is coming, always coming. When you have ears to hear and eyes to see, you will recognize him at any moment of your life. Life is Advent; life is recognizing the coming of the Lord.” ~ Henri Nouwen

“A prison cell, in which one waits, hopes – and is completely dependent on the fact that the door of freedom has to be opened from the outside, is not a bad picture of Advent.” ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“You could more easily catch a hurricane in a shrimp net that you can understand the wild, relentless, passionate, uncompromising, pursuing love of God made present in the manger.” ~ Brennan Manning

“Let’s approach Christmas with an expectant hush,
rather than a last-minute rush.”
~ Author Unknown

Songs of Hope

🎶 10 Songs of Hope to Prepare Our Hearts for Advent

🎶 12 Traditional Christmas Carols

🎶 I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
by Casting Crowns

Tag: nature retreat

February Hope Breathers

Someday We Will Understand

It’s the Size of Our God That Counts

Nature Retreat

Like this:

New Year Hope Breathers

God’s Grace Is Immeasurable

Nature Retreat

Like this:

Advent Hope Breathers

Advent – A Season of Anticipation

“And the Word became flesh,
and dwelt among us,
and we saw His glory,
glory as of the only begotten from the Father,
full of grace and truth.”
John 1:14

Advent Bible Verses

Advent Quotes

“Let’s approach Christmas with an expectant hush,
rather than a last-minute rush.”
~ Author Unknown

Songs of Hope

Nature Retreat

The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of His hands.”
Psalm 19:1

Like this:

Someday We Will Understand

It’s the Size of Our God That Counts

Nature Retreat

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

God’s Grace Is Immeasurable

Nature Retreat

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Advent – A Season of Anticipation

“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”John 1:14

Advent Bible Verses

Advent Quotes

“Let’s approach Christmas with an expectant hush, rather than a last-minute rush.” ~ Author Unknown

Songs of Hope

Nature Retreat

The heavens declare the glory of God;the skies proclaim the work of His hands.”Psalm 19:1

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

“And the Word became flesh,
and dwelt among us,
and we saw His glory,
glory as of the only begotten from the Father,
full of grace and truth.”
John 1:14

“Let’s approach Christmas with an expectant hush,
rather than a last-minute rush.”
~ Author Unknown

The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of His hands.”
Psalm 19:1