Written 04.27.2015, Monday, 1107 a.m.
I HAVE FOUND THE REAL HOPE
I have come to the place where I know and have an absolute hope that never fails me. It does not matter how dicey life gets, how challenging, how frustrating, stressful, or busy, I still know where my hope comes from... where my true, real, absolute, never-ending, eternal hope comes from.
It does not come from anything or anyone on this earth. Everything and everyone on this earth dies and will fail me at one time, whether accidentally or intentionally. But, I know a hope that never dies and never lets me down in any way. It's a hope that is an absolute firm, solid, steady foundation that never shifts or falters.
I have come to know this Real Hope that no matter how many challenges there are in my life, and in the world, I can rest assured and confident that in the end, everything will be alright. And, it will be better than alright. It will be for the absolute best. For, this Real Hope has never failed me and will never fail me.
My search for hope has been so blessed and so agonizing. The agonizing part has been all self-induced, let me add. However, I have gotten to the place where I stand confidently that my hope will never fail and all I need to do is stand on the promise of the anchor of my hope. I cannot tell you how much peace this brings. This is the true peace, not the manufactured, wishful or idealistic thinking peace. It's a peace that has its roots in my deepest parts of my heart, mind, and soul. It brings me contentment and joy. It helps me see how there are blessings in every single moment of my life, if only I stop and search for it. But, I only find these things because of my Real Hope.
I HAVE SEARCHED FOR HOPE IN ALL THE WRONG PEOPLE, PLACES, AND THINGS
I will not lie or feed you lines to help you feel better. I am not that type and you do not deserve anything less than truth.
It took me years to find this Real Hope.
I have tried everything (and everyone) under the sun to find hope in. And, none of it/them have worked. Maybe temporarily, but certainly not full-time. I failed miserably on this quest. It's been years, decades really, where I have searched for real hope in these sources of false hope.
Let me save you the time and get to source of Real Hope. It is one thing to know the answer and the source, it is another to really know it down deep in your heart and logically think it through entirely with your mind. That is the reason for this Bible reading and daily devotional series: "A Search for Hope: Journal the Word Series."
Let me share with you my journey of finding this hope. I will be brutally honest and share a picture of myself that makes me look ugly, like a fool, and flat-dab stupid at times. I have errored and made some huge, ugly mistakes. I am not perfect. I have made a mess out of my own life in my pursuit for Real Hope. However, I can try to spare you from making the same foolhearted thinking and mistakes. I can show you the error of my ways.
My biggest tip for learning about Real Hope is to do this blog post series and think things through morning, noon, evening, and night. Be thorough in your thinking. think through every single angle you can. Make sense of it. Use logic. Get out of the emotion and be sure to think things through, not obsess, if that makes sense.
THERE IS A REAL HOPE
Let give you the assurance that there is a Real, True, Eternal Hope. And, it is the same hope for everyone of us.
The difficulty comes in fully knowing, believing, accepting, and applying the belief and knowledge of this Real Hope. This blog post series will help you to to so.
HOW I WILL APPROACH THIS BLOG POST TO BOOK SERIES
I will share with you how to search for hope and go through verses (quotes) which provide the way and the answers. As I do, I will search for hope with you. I will do this in a daily devotional style as well as in my personal prayer journaling.
I have no idea how long or short this series will be. But, we will be thorough and will take out time to think things through to their completion, and that process takes time. Too often we rush through things and that is where we are most likely to error. So, let's take our time and think as we search for our Real Hope.
USE A JOURNAL
There is only one way to think something completely through. It requires seeing it and writing it, plus listening to it and speaking it. It requires us to use as many of our senses and ways or methods of learning possible. We will try to do this.
However, there is one sure-fire way to guarantee we think something through thoroughly and to its completion. It requires one thing: time and practice. It requires remembering and applying what we learn. It requires review and analyzing. The best and only way to accomplish these things is through journaling. Period. End of story.
You are sure free to try to do this "A Search for Hope" series without journaling, but I guarantee, without hesitation and unequivocally, that you will only get 5 to 10% out of it. Hence, you may be lucky enough to find 5 to 10% of Real Hope.
I am not kidding.
Please take this very seriously. And journal.
HOW DO YOU JOURNAL?
If you need more of an answer than I provide here, make sure to add a comment at the end of this or any blog post or send me an email. I can help. I have journaled for over 32 years.
There is no right way or wrong way to journal. Forget about grammar or if it makes total sense. It's okay to repeat things as they come to mind as well. Never cross anything out or erase or delete or clean it up or rip it up. Never. Journaling is a process and it is transformational. Therefore, you want to keep your complete record, regardless of how messy or ugly. Our journal is our safe place. It is better to be messy and ugly there rather than anywhere else in the world.
You will refer back to your journaling in the days to weeks, to months, to years and decades to come to review and analyze so you can learn and grow. If you don't, you will not be able to use this as the best tool you have in your toolbox to grow.
What is journaling and how do you do it?
Short answer: Journaling is putting your thoughts and memories on the page through writing.
Long answer: Journaling is writing your thoughts, memories, experiences, emotions, dreams, hopes, goals, fears, etc. down on the page.
I recommend doing online journaling at:
http://classic.penzu.com/r/34f16257
Penzu.com journaling is permanent and cannot ever be damaged, stolen, destroyed, or lost. You can lose your computer, cell, and tablet, and your journal will be safe. You can keep your journal for life and it will always be saved on the internet Cloud.
Also, you can use any of those devices to journal on Penzu.com.
The link if of the Penzu PRO edition, which costs, at the present, $19 per year. With that link, you get 20% off of that amount. And, I have used the PRO version since 2012 and the price has not increased once, if that helps.
But, for now, they offer a FREE version at Penzu.com. Use that one until you get familiar with it. Then, upgrade if you want fancier options or not. Just keep using Penzo.com. trust me. The free version is incredible and I cannot recommend it enough. The PRO version is prettier and offers more options.
I could tell you a million other ways to journal, probably literally, but I won't waste your time. Penzu.com is the only way to go because of the reasons why I shared with you ready.
If you don't like the idea of keeping a digital journal you have to write out and keep on your computer and over the internet then, think of this: Use it every single day without fail for 90 days and it will become a habit.
And, yes. That is the other key with this series on a search for hope. Think on it every single day, morning, noon, evening, and night without fail. Do so in your journal.
Now, let's start this series of "A Search for Hope."
~*~
OPENING THOUGHT AND PRAYER
I want an open, unbiased, clear mind and heart as I ponder Hebrews 6:19-20. I do not want to be distracted. I want to be focused on this alone as I search for a source of real, true, absolute, never-ending hope.
I want to think this through thoroughly and not just a little or off and on. I want to dissect it, look at it from every angle, and absorb fully what it means and the implications thereof.
I want to find and fully know this anchor of hope.
Lord help me to do so. Help me to grasp every single nuance of these verses, these quotes, word by word, part by part, and in their entirety.
The only way for me to be distracted is to make sure to write in my journal anything that distracts me, so I can let it go and return to it later if needed. Let me explain. If I am journaling about Hebrews 6:19 and in the middle of it I remember I need to go to the grocery store to get cat litter, I skip to the next line I. My journal, write exactly that, and then return to my original thought. Then, when I am finished with that journaling entry, I read through it to see if I need to remember and or do any of those "side-thoughts."
~*~
WORD OF THE DAY: HEBREWS 6:19-20
Let us more thoroughly look at these verses. And, as we do, we will write these in our journals and interact with the text. We will write our thoughts, feelings, questions, concerns, epiphanies, and the things that just do not make sense to us. We will do this with every verse first. We will look at three versions or translations of every verse and interact, and think things through, with each of them.
Now, if at any time something jumps out at you and grabs you, stop. Focus on that for a while. Keep thinking it and praying it through. Meditate on it, ponder it, contemplate and see what more you learn about hope as an anchor, Real Hope. Make sure to journal as much as possible as you do this.
If you keep feeling moved and inspired by that segment or word, then keep focusing on it. Read the rest of this post before tomorrow, but stop where you are and keep thinking and praying. Let it simmer. You will not believe how much you can learn as you open yourself to hearing everything the Lord has to say about these verses, each word, each segment.
Do this with every blog post of this hope series. Make sure you read the entire post, but make sure to focus on the things that really grab you.
Here is a thorough version of our Word of the Day today:
Hebrews 6:19-20 Expanded Bible (EXB)
19 We have this hope as an anchor for ·the soul [our lives], ·sure [stable; secure] and ·strong [reliable; unshifting]. It enters behind the curtain in the ·Most Holy Place in heaven [L inner place/sanctuary], 20 where Jesus has gone ·ahead of us [L as a forerunner] ·and for us [on our behalf]. He has become the high priest forever, a priest like Melchizedek [Ps. 110:4; Heb. 5:6, 10; 7:1–17].
Expanded Bible (EXB). The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
Now, let me share another version or translation of these verses:
Hebrews 6:19-20 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, 20 where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
New American Standard Bible (NASB). Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.
Here is our third version:
Hebrews 6:19-20 Living Bible (TLB)
19 This certain hope of being saved is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls, connecting us with God himself behind the sacred curtains of heaven, 20 where Christ has gone ahead to plead for us from his position as our High Priest, with the honor and rank of Melchizedek.
Living Bible (TLB). The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Also, go back and look at the versions shared in HOPE 001 and interact with those verses as well.
Then, if your favorite version of the Bible wasn't used, make sure to add it and interact with it in your journal.
Now, forget your favorite version or translation of the Bible for a minute. Be unbiased and look at these translations and pick your one or two favorites which speak to you the most. List them in your journal and share why they speak with you the most.
~*~
NEWS PRAYER POINTS
1
http://www.ijreview.com/2015/04/306758-u-s-officials-warn-possible-isis-attacks-u-s-soil-tsa-ramps-security-response/?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=morningnewsletter
2
http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/new-testament/is-the-gospel-of-jesus-wife-a-fake/?mqsc=E3795428&utm_source=WhatCountsEmail&utm_medium=BHD+Daily%20Newsletter&utm_campaign=E5B427
3
http://kdvr.com/2015/04/27/aurora-theater-shooting-trial-to-begin-1011-days-after-tragedy/
4
http://insider.foxnews.com/2015/04/27/video-avalanche-hits-mount-everest-base-camp-killing-3-americans
5
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/04/27/trial-century-killer-sanity-at-question-as-holmes-case-begins-in-colorado/
6
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/04/27/two-bodies-identifed-in-mt-everest-deaths-another-american-tour-group-believed/
7
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/04/27/gangs-vow-to-target-police-as-baltiomore-protests-spread/
8
http://nation.foxnews.com/2015/04/27/todds-american-dispatch-franklin-graham-defends-christian-bakery-persecuted-lgbt
9
http://kdvr.com/2015/04/27/theater-shooting-da-psychiatrists-agree-that-guy-was-sane/
10
http://kdvr.com/2015/04/27/fears-of-total-destruction-in-remote-areas-of-nepal-death-toll-surges-past-4000/
11
http://kdvr.com/2015/04/27/life-in-prison-means-no-martyrdom-for-tsarnaev-defense-argues/
12
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/04/28/un-says-14-million-people-victimized-by-nepal-earthquake-need-food-assistance/?intcmp=latestnews
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