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Thoughts from our Readers
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12/08/05 Sharon, |
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11/30/05 Yes, Sharon, I agree. Many times it is those in our
own household or our friends and neighbors that we love and admire that
get in the way of our relationship with Christ. We let what we want and
who we want to be with and do things with and for take precedence over
God. It should not be, but we are all guilty, me most of all. |
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11/16/05 I just read Timothy's Story. Praise God!! |
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11/10/05
Dear Sis Sharon - |
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11/9/05 I have been
encouraged, challenged and blessed by your messages these last few days.
Thank you my sister. |
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10/26/05 First of all, "Thank You," for this wonderful site that God must surely have laid upon your heart for helping other hurting people. My story is long and right now I won't go into many details but this is my question: Would it be OK if I start a support group at our church for people suffering from depression (for whatever reason) and use your name "From Woe to Wow - Wounds of Existence"? My husband is pastor of a small (125 members) country Baptist church in Tennessee. We have been married 36 years and our only son, Joel, passed away in 1997 at the age of 26 from a rare genetic condition. My mother has just moved in with us (she's almost 82) and needless to say at age 57, and feeling like I am pulled in a thousand different ways, I would like to help others and until I found your website I didn't know how to reach out to others. I thought maybe having a meeting once or twice weekly and working through your 30-day devotional would be a big help to a lot of us at our church. Margaret |
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10/19/05 Preach it, Sister! We all, from time to time, find it very easy to criticize someone for their difference from us rather than just looking at them as God does through His eyes of love. It is difficult, in this very critical and negative world, not to get swept away in being negative and critical, especially when there is so much sin everywhere. But we must remember that God did not call us to condemn. We are called to love and to bring others to HIM. As long as we focus on learning to know HIM, we will learn to let the things about others which annoy us slip away. Take care, Sister, and keep telling it like it is. |
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8/26/05 Hello Sharon, I just finished reading your story. It was truly touching. I say this because I too, have been where you've been and gone through at least some of what you have gone through. I am the pastor of a small country Methodist church in East Texas. I have to admit though, even after years of being a Christian and several of those years preaching the Word of God, I don't always feel like what most people have ministers built up to be, in their own minds. Someone supernatural, unbending, unyielding, strong as an ox, and all the other things that are often said concerning us. Yes, there have been times in my life, even as a pastor, when I just wanted to end it. Problems with our children, (grown) problems with finances, the lack of support from other family members, and other things that when combined, just seem like more than I can bear or should have to bear. But I've been a Christian long enough to know that the answer to any of the problems we can ever have, is contained in the True Word of God. And that is where I always turn for my counsel. My wife is great and no doubt, God sent, and she has the ability to make me fee better when I'm down, regardless of the reason. But there comes a time when a person needs more than just the counsel, however good it may be, of someone he or she is close to. A time when nothing will do except what the Lord has to say about it all. I have thought briefly in times past about suicide, but was never brave enough to try it. Moreover I could not bear the thought of spending an eternity in a place of darkness and continual torment. A place where love is not present, a place totally seperated from God. So the suicide thing was never something I dwelt on for very long. It was just something I thought about at times when I was really going through "hell on earth" that was an impossible alternative for me. I suppose I really haven't told you much here, but my main reason for writing is to just tell you that I admire you for "sticking it out" and finding the right answers to your problems from the correct source, the Word of God. I admire you for being determined to know the Heart of God. I want to encourage you to just "keep on keeping on," as you have already encouraged me to do the same. I thank you from the very bottom of my heart for your story. In Christ's love, Rev. Bobby Ryan |
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6/21/05 Just sharing ... the Lord gave me this 6/9/05 In the world we can rise up the corporate ladder, we can have great salaries, everything seems to be going our way outwardly. Then the time comes when we decide to fully surrender our hearts to God and dedicate our lives to Him. Sometimes the Lord will then allow the things that we used to do with such ease, in our own strength, to become difficult so that we will learn to depend on Him and His grace. He wants to move us from being god of our life to Him being our God and Lord. All of a sudden, one by one, the things that used to come so easy to us seem to begin to fall around us. The corporate ladder becomes our dread, the corporate bonuses and good salaries and popularity with peers seems to diminish. It appears to the world that we're just barely getting by, but what they don't know is that we've tapped into what true joy is all about...the riches of Heaven instead of those of this world. Daddy God wants to purge us of our flesh and those things which used to prop us up and cause us momentary & superficial happiness. Keeping up with the Jones' should no longer be on our agenda. God doesn't want us looking from paycheck to paycheck and depend on it. He doesn't want us looking at how much is in our bank account or counting the days left to the next payday. He wants us to look to Him, seek Him first, and what we need will follow. We have no idea what we really need in the first place, only He does. The wants of this world will never satisfy, for they were never intended to in the first place. Deuteronomy 8:2-4/NIV - Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. God wants us to simply trust Him and not lean on our own understanding ... and see Him supply our daily bread. Our daily needs. What we need today, we have today. If we don't have it yet we don't need it yet. When we need it, we'll have it. Today's provision comes today, tomorrow's provision comes tomorrow. As God's children, we lack no good thing. Psalm 37:25/NIV - I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.God supplies everything we need - one day at a time. Psalm 23:1/TLB - Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything I need. Matthew 19:29,30/MSG - And not only you, but anyone who sacrifices home, family (brother or sister or father or mother or child or wife), fields--whatever-because of me will get it all back a hundred times over (in this lifetime), not to mention the considerable bonus of eternal life. This is the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first. 'Dependence on Me is My requirement. You shall have no other gods before me.' Be content ... but expect more ... --------------------------------------------------------- May the Lord bless you, your family, and your ministry, Sharon. I pray that the Lord gives you peace and heals you everywhere you hurt. May He mend your broken heart ... for His promise is that He restores your soul. May God continue to bless you for being a blessing. God loves you. Michelle Walker |
| 5/11/05
Wow! I have been using your devotional & just discovered this one about your ruptured disc. I, too had a situation with much pain and loss of feeling in my arm and hand, only to find out I had 2 ruptured discs (between cervical 5, 6 & 7). It was so severe that when they discovered the problem the doctors were amazed that I wasn't paralyzed completely. Within 4 days I was having surgery to remove the discs, spinal fusion, and a titanium rod put in). There are many parts to this story, but the part I will share is this... This was one of the most painful things I have ever been through. Then God shared this with me. From the outside I looked normal, but my actions were strange. I was dropping things all the time, I was irritable, I had no strength, etc. Once we found out what was causing the problem, I had to agree to let the doctor cut me open and take out the "bad" stuff. Well, let me tell you, I was not miraculously better right away. I found myself in more pain than before the surgery! But eventually some healing took place. I have not regained all of my strength or feeling, but I am not at risk for paralysis from the slightest movement as I was before. The biggest point for me was that I had to allow the painful process of removing the problem to happen before any healing could even begin. I have a foster son (he's 18 & I have had him for 1 1/2 years) who has been through quite a bit in his life (a lot of abuse, discouragement, etc.) He is bi-polar with other complicating (they call them co-morbid) disorders. He is famous for outbursts and bad behavior. But he is also quite amazing if you let yourself see that side of him. He maintains that his past has nothing to do with how he acts or feels today. I was able to share with him that his actions on the outside are a symptom of the problem he has buried inside of himself, and not until he allows the counselor to "take out the bad stuff" will the healing begin. He has not come to the point where he is ready to give it up yet, but I believe some day he will understand this concept. I love him as though he were my own son. If you feel so led, please add him to your prayer list. His name is Evaristo, and he so desperately needs God's healing in his life. Thank you very much for your incredible website. Blessings to you, Lori |
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4/26/05 Sharon, Thankyou so much for the blessing you are, your devotional once again, ministered right to my heart, my heart's desire is to be more like Jesus, and I sense He is giving me different opportunities to be more who He wants me to be, I am looking forward to what you have to share the rest of week, because I know God is using you in my life, thankyou for making yourself available to Him. Joanne |
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4/13/05 Hi, I found your page as I was searching for the lyrics to "Trust His Heart" to share with a friend, and I just wanted you to know that your story and your sister's page touched me. I am so glad you restored your walk with God and that you use your story to help others. May God continue to bless you and use you in His work. Cynthia |
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4/12/05 Sharon,
Your piece about
complaining really hit home. I've been complaining about a situation with
my son and daughter-in-law even more issues. Thank you for your
honesty in telling me you've complained too. I'll have to confess and
repent!
Thanks
again.
Brooke
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4/11/2005 Hey, My name is Marissa and I just recently signed up for this. You said I could email you, if I had anything to share and such. Well, this specific devotional was AWESOME! This week I've been really struggling with my Bible reading and I've felt kind of down lately, and this devotion totally uplifted me! THANK GOD! Thanks so much for taking the time to write these every week and keep them coming! May God continue to bless you and your ministry! ~Marissa~ |
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3/21/2005 Sharon May the Lord bless you for not being ashamed. Your sharing brings healing, hope, and freedom to others. The Father says, well-pleased, My child. You have been faithful over a little, I will make you ruler over much. Job well done! May the Lord enlarge your borders, bless your home & finances, and keep you from pain. Just relax, trust, and walk in the anointing that the Lord has placed on your life. God has already gone before you. FEAR NOT! Step into the water ... wade out a little bit deeper. You have already received a double-portion from Him. You are beautiful, special, & precious to Him. He smiles over you. You hold on, honey. Don't you give up. God rewards the faithful. He WILL exalt you (& your family) in due time if you don't get discouraged and give up. Jesus is the lifter of your head. 2 Cor. 4:8,9,18/TLB - We are pressed on every side by troubles, but not crushed and broken. We are perplexed because we don't know why things happen as they do, but we don't give up and quit. We are hunted down, but God NEVER abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going. So we do not look at what we can see right now, the troubles all around us, but we look forward to the joys in Heaven which we have not yet seen. The troubles will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever. God loves you (& your readers do, too) Michelle |
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3/17/05 Hallelujah! This brought back WONDERFUL memories. I don’t tell you often enough how these devotionals bless me. Thank you for being obedient. I love you and bless you today! I pray the Lord would do something special for you today. He will. Mike |
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3/17/05 Thank you for this devo....wish more people, including me, knew how much power is given us ...like Luke 10:19 says we have the authority but most don't know about that? Am thinking about Jesus' resurrection too...John 2:19, 21 Jesus said he would raise himself up in 3 days...God our Father said the same, 1 Thessalonians 1:10. Again, thank you and God bless! AJ |
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3/8/05 Sharon, my dear, sweet sister in Christ, So true that we all struggle with trying to be obedient. For some reason, which I will probably never understand, God made us with the nature of wanting to do our own thing our own way, and this tends to lead us away from God and away from what we should do to stay close to him. James said,"get closer to God, and He will get closer to you." And it is true. He's waiting for us to take the first step. Many of us just want "fire insurance", we want to know that Christ died for our sins and will keep us from the fiery hell, but we don't want to deal with that if we love Him and if we are truly grateful for His sacrifice, we will strive to live with cleanliness and holiness. It's not a popular thought or topic these days. But that is why Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can empower us and give us the knowledge and strength to do what is right, even when we become confused as to which way to turn. And something else, that might help those who are struggling, please tell others to remember that God "is not the author of confusion." God is a loving and truthful God and Satan is the one who makes it seem as though all our decisions are muddled and confused. Holy Spirit, guide and direct us. Lead us where you would have us to go and make our mouths and feet and hands those of Jesus. We may be the only Jesus someone else ever sees. Laurie K. |
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3/4/05 Sharon, I appreciate the point you made in this devotional about our "saltiness" reflecting the love that flows through us from God, and that it is not about the externals. I have seen how Christians have a tendency to want to focus on the externals. I am afraid some have been driven away because of the emphasis on traditions or preferences rather than the Gospel. Thank you for the reminder that we are to add "life and light" wherever we go. Thank you for the continued writings of "Hope for Today." Peace. Dianne |
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2/18/05 Dear Sharon, I have seen zealousy and self-imposed self-righteousness tear up a church, too. I am the daughter of a minister. And although Daddy is not here on earth anymore, the principles he taught me about how to behave to others still live on. And I have ached and hurt in my heart when I witnessed people who put their own wants and desires and what they thought was true and just before what it was that God wanted. I even witnessed a church split because of it. And it is an awful thing when Satan can cloke himself in righteous-looking ways and destroy those of God because of their own egos. I pray daily for churches all over the US and I pray for preachers. I pray for you and your husband. It is not an easy job to minister to people that no matter how well meaning they may be, we all have the fatal flaw of wanting our own desires before God's. It is in our nature and a constant battle for me on a daily basis. I have to always stop myself and remind myself when I pray, I say, "Lord, I want this, this, this, and this, but YOU KNOW BEST, and YOUR will be done before anyone else's, especially mine. And help me to accept YOUR answer, even if I don't like it." I think your devotional today will probably step on a few toes, but the gospel was not meant to be a comfortable thing -- it was meant to be uncomfortable, to prick our consciences, and to get us closer to God and desiring HIS will and HIS ways above our own. HIS glory and HONOR above all else. Take care sister, and keep speaking the truth. It isn't easy, but remember that we have to ALWAYS tell it like it is, even if people don't agree or like it. May God bless you richly and encourage you daily in a job that has the highest stress level known to man. Laurie L |
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2/8/05 Again Sharon you have ministered to my heart and life!! Thank you. My husband, Al, has really struggled with having Jake (21 yrs) and Jeremiah (22 years old) still living at home. (Al's been ready for them to be out on their own for a few years now) Just before Jake was diagnosed with the brain tumor (March 8, 2004), I put a list of prayer needs in my 'something for God to do box' and at the top of the list was Al's relationship with our sons. Boy......did I ever expect things to get so crazy? No.... After Jake's diagnosis, Al was back in church for about a month, Praise the Lord! Last night the three of them had a blowout. (You'll have to picture this scenario) Jake threw a stuffed giraffe at Jeremiah and hit him in the eye, Jeremiah squirted Jake with a water bottle, Jake then threw a glass of water at Jeremiah........I think you can create a picture, right? I'm on my treadmill TRYING to take care of my health, and have to stop and try to break up the nonsense. Oh my gosh. Al comes into the picture and tells Jake to get out and that I have to find him a place to live. Jeremiah needs to go also!! By this time, I am praying for God to take over, etc........Jake went to his truck and since he can't drive, I grabbed all of the keys. An hour or so later Al apologized, but all of this stress caused Jake to start having seizures. I really have felt weary today, (I did get in the Word and had time with the Lord which helps ALOT) but am thankful for your message and have to remain in my unwaivering FAITH that God is in control and is taking care of all of it. It is hard at times to know exactly what He is up to and how this all will come into HIS perfect plan. In my eyes sometimes it looks so hopeless, but I am so thankful that I have the Lord to bring me back to His reality plan to bring salvation to my/His three men(sometimes 'children') I thank you for your wonderful ministry and appreciate your messages so much. Blessings to you Sharon, Beth |
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1/26/05 Hello Sharon You are a blessing to us all. The loving care you put into your ministery and Hope for Today is a soothing balm of fresh air in all the lives you touch. I am like you I believe that all demoninations have different ways to worship Our Father but the bottom line is they all believe that Jesus is our Saviour and he died on the cross to save us from our Sins. I too get upset when Christians put down those who are not Baptist, Pentecosal, Catholics etc. God's will and desire is for us all to believe in Jesus Christ, God, the father, and the Holy Spirit. I am fortunate here in the Cowchian Valley, we have many different demoniations, and we all gather together several times a year to Praise Our Lord in unison. Our Churches pray for each other and their Pastors all the time and encourage us to pray for each other, not because we are Presbyterian, Christian Reformed, Baptist etc., we are Christians in God's service. While I was in Ontario for Christmas, we attended a wonderful Christmas Concert that included all the Churches in the Cochrane Area all joining together to Praise and share the Birth of Jesus Christ. It was such a Blessing to see a community that is predominately French and yet all worship Our Lord in various churches and demoninations. After the concert a time of felowship was shared and I met many Christians from all the churches in Cochrane. I talked to them and shared about the churches in Cowichan Valley were I live and I met a Lady who asked where I was from on Vancouver Island, her Mother lived in Duncan and her Sister. As it turned out I do not know her Mother, but I do know very well her Sister and her husband and family. They are teachers at the Duncan Christian School that I drove a school bus for two years. I also have attended their Church on many occasions Duncan Christian Reformed Church. I have many friends who are members of this church. In fact my Granddaughter goes every other Tuesday to a youth Group there for young girls called Gems. She really enjoys it and is learning about our Lord and Serving her community in God's Service. Thank you for sharing Hope for Today with us and leading us to learn and grow in love hope and faith through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Loving
Yours Sister In Christ Jesus |
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1/5/05 Sharon, thank you for this beautiful message, I look forward to the devotionals each day. I love the new name. It is so appropriate. Debra Billingsly |
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1/5/05 Sharon, Like the new title. Can't remember if I sent you the thumbs up about it. I cling to the word "hope". I have just starting reading "The Message" and like it. While I would not use if for my primary study Bible, I have found I need encouragement for daily Bible reading. I have the translation because it was left at my house (long story) but it has some very good notes from a godly man, so I am getting an extra bonus. I remember a pastor making a comment about "The Way" translation (not the group) and saying he had yet to ever meet anyone that was negatively swayed by it. The Gospel came through. I liked his perspective and feel the same way about "The Message" but consider it more credible. I started reading it by turning to Acts, which has always been an arduous book for me. I know it is the story of the early church and has so much in it, but for me, it has always been hard to get through--I lose steam, and yet I know it contains so much as far as the history of the early church. I am feeling a bit cynical today, so my first thought (and not necessarily one I am proud of is--"Get over it, and just read it" ). I just joined my first "yahoo group--splashes of joy" and am trying to get a feel for it. I like it except can feel overwhelmed by the mail--must be sort of what you experience non-stop. I even filled out one of those on-line questionnaires about myself. One of the questions was "Do you like the person who sent this survey?" Everyone else said a simple "yes/no" but I said I saw everyone with worth as a child of God, and was looking forward to knowing them better. I know--way to read too much into a survey....but Sharon, I do like you and said "yes" because I feel like I have grown to know you through your devotionals, thoughts, and even (bless your heart) personal comments to me. I encourage your gift for ministry and prayed you don't get "given out". God's blessings on your life. Dianne |