Hope
 

Hope is the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops at all. ---Emily Dickinson


Sometimes we know hope as much by its absence as by its
presence. When we're depressed, hope seems almost
unknowable, a total illusion. We feel inwardly flattened,
unable to move, or as if we are just going through the
motions. The song of hope of which the poet speaks is
muted. Yet the will of the spirit, as well as of the body, is for life,
even for zestful life. Then something happens - a friend calls and
we mobilize ourselves, making an effort to be useful, to ourselves or
to someone else. The energy quickens. At least the moment
has some meaning again and that persistent note of hope,
without which we cannot live, starts thrumming in our minds once more.


Sometimes, all I can hope for is that I'll feel more hopeful tomorrow.

***********

Healing After Loss by Martha Whitmore Hickman

I'm glad you started this thread Alffe, because it has been very much on my mind: :hug:

"Love, in all its manifestations, is an eternally popular theme, featured more often than hope. In truth, however, we might want to stress hope even more than love, for it is hope that energizes love, hope that lends love its spirit, hope that transforms despair into healing. As much as love, if not more than love, hope is the emotion that brings forth motion. It is the balm of wellness dispatched on angels' wings."

Out of, "Secrets From The Lost Bible" by Kenneth Hanson, PH.D.

hope...
 

What a great thread. I have been thinking about hope a lot of late. When we thought for sure Mom was not going to make it the night,,,, when they told us she might not make it the week... etc etc... I never gave up hope. People all around me where fatalistic, but I refused to give up hope. More important, I let her see my hope.

I believe, hope is something you must strive for and work towards. Hope alone, is not what made my Mom survive when many thought she had no chance, but it surly didn't hurt! Hope is contagious... she saw mine and it gave her some. I know it gave her strength, you could see the effect.

Life is a war. You can fight or surrender. I believe hope plays a large part in your choice. Me, I will never surrender. I crash and burn, I fall apart... but I will never give up. I will fight until I just know I have nothing left, and then I will dig deeper to find more strength. Right now, I am in many battles - I am battered and scarred to my core.... but I will find a way to pick myself up and march on.

Never give up my friends :grouphug:
http://i330.photobucket.com/albums/l...eworldsays.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93Mfl...eature=related

Nikki, we will pick you up and march with you. :grouphug:

I refuse to give up hope that I will have more hope :o

How is it that one can feel joy and love, and then despair all at the same time????? Its confusing. But, somewhere there is a steadfastness that can be held on to. :grouphug:

if you take away the "H" in hope and replace the "O" with an "A"

you get....http://worldofliz.files.wordpress.co.../small-ape.jpg

and we need a lot of those also.... :p

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

but seriously, the great ape of hope is something that no one can afford to give up....without hope, there's just be a lot of apes and that'll just be a lot of none sense...

you all give me hope everytime I come here...thank you....

think we can strike it rich by making hope on a rope on a soap?? Maybe CTena will make us a photo of it. ;)

bump because you never can have enough of hope. :grouphug:

Finding an Anchor for the Storms of Life

The old sailor looked at the skies and saw a dark storm coming. As the sea became rough and choppy, the old salt calmly lowered the heavy-chained anchor link by link, battened down the hatches and went to bed for the night.

He knew the storm would be rough. But he had faith in the grasp of the anchor. He knew his boat would be there in the morning.

Like that sailor, we have an "anchor" for our lives that can help us stand fast through the storms of life. It's called hope.

(found on cbn.com)

I did a devotion on hope last week. This was the introduction to it...

"HOLD ON"

There have been times in my life when all seemed lost.
Life just wasn't worth living through another day.
Then you need to remember things that are important to you.

For as low as we fall there is always something or someone, somehwere
to help pull you back from the deep pits of darkness.
Once you feel yourself slipping grab onto that something or someone.

We wonder why life has given us such a bad deal. That is not the question.
Love, Hope, and Faith will guide us.
Look around and find the things you need to live for.
If we look hard enough, we will find the place we need to be.

Hold on for your loved ones, hold on for yourself.
God will take you when He needs you.
Until then make the most of what you have.
Give the most that you can, love the best that you can, and never lose hope.

Each morning you wake up, Thank God you are still alive,
to live another day to find your way.
Life is truly worth living for, if you look.
Find that place you need to be and just hold on.

Author Unknown