This month has been… well… it’s been a month.
Sometimes, we think we’ll know a bit how time will go. We get used to our routines, the mundane, the day-in-and-day-out.
And then something comes along that shakes things up.
This month, school has started back up for many of us. We had an solar eclipse that likely disrupted the normalcy of the day. The Dallas Texas area experienced an earthquake. And then Hurricane Harvey hit the Texas gulf coast with unrelenting force. Tornadoes and flooding have caused so many people to lose so much.
When you add in the stresses of life that aren’t related to natural disasters– sick children, caring for family members, injuries, grief and loss… well, life is tough.
When we planned our series here at DND this month, we didn’t know that all these things would happen. But I look back at our review of words, shalom (peace), yada (to know), and tiqvah (hope), and I’m amazed! All three of those words fit “the theme” of the month so perfectly. God wants us to have peace and hope as we know Him (and He knows us).
So whatever you’re facing, I pray that you’ll rest in Him. He is trustworthy and faithful!
Series Recap
– This month, I wrote about shalom and pursuing God’s peace. “With God’s shalom we can have internal completeness even when our lives feel incomplete or broken. We are offered welfare when we feel the stinging hurts of life. And while our struggles are real, we are still offered beautiful tranquility and contentment of spirit, by our truest Friend.”
– Lisa taught us about yada, knowing God and being known by Him. “Being known by God and knowing God are what we are made for, how we are designed. It opens us up to receiving all the grace He longs to give us. Instead of being dangerous, knowing God allows us to live with more security, more satisfaction, more hope. Truly knowing and experiencing God is our open invitation to the greatest freedom imaginable.”
– Patti shared the word tiqvah with us and told us how it means both “expectation” and “cord.” She said, “When we are in the middle of a terrifying storm, whether it is a physical storm like Harvey, or a figurative storm, what we want more than anything—what we desperately need—is hope.How powerful that image is—my hope, or expectation, in the Lord is as solid as a cord binding me to Him. A cord that rescues me.”
Also This Month
We had two additional posts this month.
In our Let the Children Come monthly feature, Patti gave us back to school Scripture printable cards to tuck into a lunchbox or even mail to your college student. Use these cards to encourage your child with the Word of God!
This month we had Jaime Hilton share with us Bible study tips that she’s learned from her work in the theater. This was a great post full of new ways to gain perspective while we study! She tells us, “When I view Scripture as the source material for building a character, like I would a script, I find myself remembering that they were real people in a real place and time. It helps me to ask better questions as I study God’s Word and use my imagination to fill in the details.”
We pray that our words helped point you to peace and hope in the knowledge of our mighty God!
Be blessed, friends! (We continue to pray the Texas gulf coast. We hope you’ll join us!)
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