Hope Restored Ministries

Today's Devotion:

LIFE’S TROUBLES DOES NOT DEVALUE WHO YOU ARE!

You may have heard the story of the $20 bill. A well-known speaker started his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200 people, he asked, “Who would like this $20 bill?” Hands started going up.
He said, “I am going to give this $20 to one of you, but first, let me do this.” He proceeded to crumple the dollar bill up. He then asked, “Who still wants it?” Still, the hands were up in the air.

“Well,” he replied, “What if I do this?” And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. “Now who still wants it?” Still, the hands went into the air.
“My friends, you have all learned a precious lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.

Someone who heard this story made the following statements, ”Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. You are special – Don’t ever forget it!”

The truth is your worth is not in jeopardy because life has put you through some stuff. You have not lost your value because your body bears the scars of the troubles you have experienced. Your experience may show evidence that you have been battle-scarred, but rest assured that you are still priceless.

The writer of 2 Corinthians puts it this way, ”But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.”

So, regardless of what life has put you through, stand tall because your value as a human being and a child of God is not affected. You are still God’s prized possession because you were made in His image.

Have an awesome Tuesday!

Dean & Nisa

Good morning HRM and Friends

THE MILLION LITTLE PIECES:

At any given moment, I am processing several things in my mind all at the same time. Thinking about my family, work, church, health, bills, the future, life, and on and on. Sometimes though, I am worried about the simple thing from yesterday that has become so complicated today. Then I wonder about how I am going to face tomorrow, since my health issues have the potential to affect my family life severely. Or will this financial situation that I am going through cause me to lose everything I have worked so hard for? What about the stress at work and the changes that seem to complicate life even more? Don't forget the other stressors that come with the daily commute, taking the children to this practice and that rehearsal, and the host of other stuff that comes with life.

Now consider the fact that while all this is going on in the present, my mind has not gotten over the loss of that family member last year or even a few years ago. What about the hurt from that breakup or divorce that still lingers even though it has been a while? Remember that I am in remission as well, and that brings with it panic and fear because I am wondering if that lump I feel or weird pain is a sign that the cancer is back?

You are probably wondering what is going on here. But think about it, at any given moment in our lives we are dealing with all or some of those issues as we try to make sense of living in the here and now. The truth is, we never know what is going on in someone's mind when they seem detached, or look out of it. Maybe they are acting a little irrational today, and yes they seem out of it, but the truth is, we may have no idea of why they are behaving that way.

So often we don't take time to find out what is going on in that family members life, or co-worker or classmate or neighbor or whomever. We have no idea that they just received a phone call that a family member or friend just died or that someone they know was in a serious accident, or they are facing foreclosure on their house or their vehicle might get repossessed or they didn't get accepted to the university they dreamed of attending. Every minute of every day, we are dealing with so much, that keeping our heads above water is in and of itself a daunting task.

Therefore, when we see someone acting out of character, or they may look like their mind is in outer space, consider the fact that they may just be overwhelmed with life. From my experience, people generally act out of character when they are bombarded with so much on their plate, and they are unable to process the million little pieces of life that can come at them all at the same time.

The thing about life is that we are all in the same boat trying to do the best we can for ourselves and the people we love. And like everyone else we too have things coming at us from every angle. Being mindful and taking time to listen and being supportive goes a long way. Today, when you meet that person who doesn't seem like himself/herself, remember that they too might just be dealing with a million little pieces of life, just like the rest of us.

Have a caring Thursday!

Dean & Nisa

Join HRM @
7100 Foxcroft Dr.
Frederick, MD
Saturday's 10:00 am

4th and 5th Saturdays we volunteer at Frederick Mission

Good morning HRM and Friends

DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO!

Have your parents ever spoken those words to you? Some may have said it in jest, ”do as I say, not as I do.” As a parent; however, experience has taught me that this type of warning does not convince anyone to obey, much less take such advice seriously. It is a faithful saying that ”action speaks louder than words.” So, if I tell my children to do something that I know I won’t do, they will learn to distrust me. In their eyes, I would appear to be hypocritical since I am commanding something of them that I won’t do myself.

In the New Testament, we encounter such a situation in Matthew 23: 2-3. The texts reads, “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. So practice and obey whatever they tell you but do not follow their example. For they don't practice what they teach.” This type of situation was not unique to New Testament times, it still prevails today. In reality, it’s unfair to ask someone to do what you know you will not do.

Now compare the above rhetoric with the wording of this text, “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them” ( Matthew 7:12). The goal here is to treat others the way you would want them to treat you, which means that this opens the door for friendship and dialogue. Additionally, it commands respect because I won’t treat you unfairly or take advantage of you or discredit you or look down upon you since I don't want you to treat me that way. Whatever I don’t want for myself, I should not want for someone else. If something is hurtful to me, then more than likely it will have the same effect on another person.

From my perspective, respecting others the way I want to be respected has the potential to build and grow relationships. I also believe that it leads to this kind of thinking we have recorded in Leviticus 19:18- “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD." From this passage I learn that treating others the way I want to be treated opens up the door for love.

When people see that we don’t practice what we preach it causes them to discredit us. However, when they realize that we treat them the way we want to be treated, it makes a world of a difference. Think of what our communities, work-places, churches, and schools would be like if we treated others the way we would like to be treated.

Since change starts with us, let us “do unto others as we would want them to do unto us,” rather than saying to them, “do as I say, not as I do.”

Have a great day!

Dean & Nisa

Join HRM @
7100 Foxcroft Dr.
Frederick, MD
Saturday's 10:00 am

4th and 5th Saturdays we volunteer at Frederick Mission

Good morning HRM and Friends

THE PROCESS!

Several years ago, a friend of mine caught a virus while she was out of the country on a business trip. On returning home she started to experience severe pains all over her body, and had to be admitted to the hospital for observation. One of the things the doctor told her family was that there was nothing they could do to alleviate her suffering because the virus she had must go through her system without outside interference. Nothing they did would make things better, and no medication would stop or speed up the process the virus had to take to clear her system. After a few days of dealing with this terrible ordeal, the infection was finally gone, and she was well again.

I have learned that everything in life is a process. There are no shortcuts, no alternate plans, and no other way to get the results that we desire. While there are some things that one can get done at a faster rate, there is still a process that one has to go through. To get a degree, one has to spend several years in a higher education institution, to become board certified, medical doctors must pass their board exams, to fix a broken bone, the patient has to endure the process of being in the operating room.

Life is a process that we all must endure, and while there are some things we can opt out of, some others are inevitable. When I find my myself having to endure and go through the process, so as not to get discouraged, I consider these words.

”No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Hebrews 12:11). Going through the process, I have observed, is a part of life I don't enjoy, but the truth is, it is a necessary step for me to arrive at my destination. The writer of the Hebrews says, but afterward, it produces a harvest of blessings.

When I was a child, I remember being sick, and the medicine the doctor prescribed was so unpleasant to drink that I preferred to remain sick than drink it. But I remember my grandmother telling me that if I wanted to get better so that I could play with my friends, I had to drink it. Everything in me wanted to resist, but because I wanted to feel better, I drank it. In no time I was better, but the process from being sick to well again was as painful as the illness itself, but it was worth it in the end.

I don't know what you are going through today. The process may seem hard and tedious. You may want to quit or stop trying, but remember that this too shall pass. The Psalmist reminds us that ”weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Psalm 30:5).

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

Dean & Nisa

Join HRM @
7100 Foxcroft Dr.
Frederick, MD
Saturday's 10:00 am

4th and 5th Saturdays we volunteer at Frederick Mission