Heart Hope by Olga

Do you ever wonder why bad things happen to good people? Do you ever question why God allows situations and circumstances into our life that cause pain and heartache? Why do relationships crumble? Why do people get cancer? Why are babies born with abnormalities? Why do businesses fail? Why do stock markets crash? Why do people suffer with depression? Why do loved ones die? Why are jobs eliminated?  The questions could go on forever if we are honest. God didn’t create this world to have the suffering that we experience. He created it perfect and wonderful; He described it as good and very good. He wanted to have the perfect sinless relationship with us. So what happened? Man in the form of Adam sinned, causing the perfection to be destroyed. And what does that mean for us? God is still in control of the brokenness. He allows it, but it is all sifted through His hands. He uses it to grow our faith. He uses it to build our trust. He uses it to make us ...

It was an amazing sight to behold…Roman soldiers walking down Highway 6 in our small community. That was the first thing that caught my eye, but then I realized that there was more. Jesus was just ahead of them carrying a cross. And as I continued my gaze, there were children following carrying posters with messages of hope, including John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that who ever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” I wondered who was reenacting this scene from Good Friday. So I quickly turned my car around to do a little investigating. I had my suspicions and they proved correct. As I got out of my car, I saw Pastor Dan from another church in the Valley and found out that it was the youth group from his church, making the 10 mile journey to proclaim the Good News of Jesus.  Pastor Dan informed me that many cars had honked and displayed thumbs up as they passed the group. However he also said that the...

It was Christmas night and we had a house full of guests—eleven to be exact. You can imagine the hubbub of activity going on in order to get the Christmas evening meal on the table. Turkey, dressing and all of the trimmings can be a difficult meal to get everything prepared at the same time. The green beans had been cooking at a very low temperature, so when I took them off of the burner to put them into the serving dish, I forgot to turn the gas flame off.  The meal was served, and the dishes cleaned and put away when we all decided to watch the movie, Dolphin Tale. All were crowded onto the sofa and lounge chairs to watch the heartwarming story. Some ended up sleeping through parts of the movie with snores or just a few minutes of shut eye, so when it was over we were all ready for bed. Just a quick visit to the kitchen was needed to flip off the lights and check the appliances. I glanced at the stove, and there were no flames, so I started to turn away, but something (or So...

The Potter took the damaged clay pot and broke it down even more, grinding it into dust then moistening it with water before He put it onto His wheel and began to remake it into a vessel pleasing to Himself. The cracks and chips and broken pieces disappeared as the clay became soft and pliable to the Potter’s touch. He firmly applied pressure on some areas, touched lightly on others, added more clay to a specific spot that needed filling and removed clay that hindered the shape that would make it useful for His ultimate purpose. As He turned the wheel, His loving and gentle hands never left the clay as He molded and made it after His will. He took it off the wheel, added color, placed it in a fiery kiln, keeping His eyes on it and removing it at just the right time. The clay had been radically transformed into an object of strength, of function and beauty. Is the Potter molding or remolding you, using…pressure or problems, stress or suffering, hurt or heartache, illness or injustice?...