New Hope: December 2007

Self Worth: Feeling Inferior

Do you find your worth in what you do? Are you concerned that others will think less of you, if they knew what you do for work? Are you self-critical, because you are trying to win the approval of other people.

Galatians 1:10 Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.

It is vital to see ourselves through God's eyes. We are worthwhile to Him. He created us with a purpose.

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

He doesn't want us to get caught up in the world's values, but to value what Jesus says is priority. We are to be like Jesus. He came to serve, not to be served.

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.

2 Corinthians 3:5-6 It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant.

Dear Jesus,

I'm tempted to compare myself with others, even other Christians. Sometimes I think - I'm not as "spiritual". I'm not as likeable and outgoing. I'm not as thin and good looking. I haven't finished my college education yet. It's not that other people are being critical of me; it's that I am critical of myself. I give into the feelings of low self worth.

I need to remind myself that you value me. You know what's best for me; you have a purpose for me. How do you want me to serve and minister to others? I want to know Your will for my life and to follow Your way for me.

Love, Shari

True Self Worth

This is what I learned about Self Worth, today. Self worth is the belief that you have value and significance. My true self-worth is not based on what I do, or how I look. I have value, because God gave me value.

I was made in His image. Christ willingly gave His life for me, even though I didn't deserve it.

Romans 5:7-8 Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

John 15:13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

He designed me to need Him. Jesus needs to be my highest priority. In Him, I will find my true worth.

Colossians 1:15-17 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see - such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.

John 16:13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.

Our Family Christmas Traditions

This year, I've really tried to make the Christmas season fun for the family, and get the focus off of the commercialism. We've kept our family traditions and added some new ones.

Made Happy Birthday Jesus Cakes (our favorite tradition)
Shared Our Christian Faith (passed out stocking ornaments with a Santa Gospel tract inside.)
Participated in the church's canned food collection
Watched most of the Christmas TV specials
Made Christmas Crafts
Had a family snack food party and played cards
Made gingerbread men and hung one on the tree
Hung Christmas lights in the bedrooms
Had a slumber party next to the lighted Christmas tree
Added links, nightly, to the Thankful Paper Chain
Participated in our church's Nursing Home Gift Ministry

On Christmas Eve, we plan to:

Track Santa's Flight through the Internet
Go to our church's Christmas Eve service
Let the kids open one gift each
Leave cookies and milk for Santa inside, and Magic Reindeer Food outside

Hope: Thinking Back

Sometimes, I find myself going through a difficulty and doubting that things will get better. I forget to hope in God. So, I do a “thinking back” exercise. I remind myself of a time in my past that I didn’t have much hope. It felt like the problem would never be resolved, and that I would never recover. Then, I think about how God helped me through the problem and it’s emotional pain. God helped me to overcome it and therefore it became a part of my past. This gets me believing that the same thing will happen with what I am currently facing. This, too, will eventually be a part of my past. And I want it to serve a purpose, to be something that God can use in a positive way. I want to grow and learn during hard times, so that I will be able to help someone; have empathy for another person facing a difficult situation.

True Hope

Christians can have true hope. This hope isn’t wishful thinking, or hoping in someone to rescue them, or hoping in money or a material item. True hope is in Jesus and Him alone. The Bible is filled with verses instructing us to hope in Him. He promises us so much and His values are unchangeable. That doesn’t mean everything will work out as we want it to, but it does mean that we can trust God to work it out for us – His way, His will, to glorify Himself.

Hope in Jesus is not disappointing.

Romans 5:5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. NLT

We can trust that His hope is best for us.

Hebrews 6:19 This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. NLT

True hope is only in the Lord. We can get help from a caring person, but our dependence is on Him.

Psalm 39:7 And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you. NLT

Lamentations 3:25 The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. NLT

Prayer: Making Hope a Habit

Romans 15:4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

The following is from the Book: One Minute Prayers for Healing

Give me a deep desire for Your Word, Lord. Draw me to the source of strength and instruction that buoys and builds my faith. When I think, “I know what Scripture says,” humble my spirit and direct me to the passages written to bring me hope this very day.

During difficult times, endurance can be as basic as showing up. I’m here, Lord, with open Bible and hungry heart. I know You will do the rest. - Amen

Remembering Christmas Traditions

This is the time of year for Christmas Traditions. My family had them when I was growing up. These are the traditions that I can remember:

We each had a date night with Dad - to eat dinner and get a Christmas gift for Mom.
The kids got our own Christmas tree in the family room to decorate with our handmade ornaments.
We got to stick gumdrops on a plastic Christmas tree.
We stayed up later to watch the Christmas specials on TV.
As we decorated the tree, we talked about the ornaments and the memories.
We sang and danced to the Elvis Christmas Album.
Each family member was a secret Kris Kringle and did nice things for one person during December.
The relatives would come over for a Christmas party.
Aunt Betty always brought a cake and we sang Happy Birthday to Jesus.
We went to see Santa at the mall and have a yearly photo taken.
On Christmas Eve, the kids got to open one present each.
We frosted cookies and decorated them with sprinkles and red hots.
We had advent calendars.
The kids received a letter from Santa thanking us for the milk and cookies.

My kids are keeping busy this season with out family traditions. I've kept some of the ones that I grew up with and added some new ones.

If you would like to add some new traditions to your Christmas season, you may want to see my other site with 100 Christmas Tradition Ideas.

Help Me Change

Joyce Meyer writes in Starting Your Day Right Devotions

Pray: Lord, please help me to change. Show me the root of my problem and how to get over it. I want positive changes in my life.

We keep ourselves from the future plans God has for us, because we are caught up in our bad attitudes and excuses. What are we missing out on? Let’s give up our “right” to anger, bitterness, or whatever. God has a purpose for each of us. What if Billy Graham got stuck on a bad attitude and never became available for what God had planned for him?

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. (Proverbs 19:21)

Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. (John 16:24)

Christmas Evangelism Idea

Christmas is a great time to tell others about Jesus. It’s become a tradition for my family to do an evangelism project at Christmas.

This year, my girls helped me make small stocking ornaments out of craft foam. Then, we folded Santa Money Tracts and slid them into the stockings. When it gets closer to Christmas, we are going to hang them on doorknobs in our neighborhood.

There are many Christmas Ideas you may be interested in at

Easy to Evangelize

There's Only One Way!

"Steppin right up to the microphone
I say - Hey Girl*
There's only one way!

One God, one body, one Faith alone
If you don't know
Then ya need to be told."

Lyrics by Newsboys
Step Up to the Microphone from the Shine: The Hits CD

*I switched the word Man with the word Girl.

Are You Good Enough to Go to Heaven?