It is easy to lose heart and give up. We have all faced problems in our relationships or in our work that have caused us to want to think about laying down the tools & walking away. Remember, though we may think we are at the end of the rope, we are never at the end of hope.
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Whilst walking along the Singapore River one morning, I managed to snap a rare picture of the sun rising above the city (note Raffles City in the background). I found an appropriate poem to go with this "Sunrise Singapore" photo: 
When you have a goal in life
that takes a lot of energy
that requires a lot of work
that incurs a great deal of interest, and
that is a challenge to you
You will always look forward
to waking up to see
what the new day will bring.
Susan Polis Schultz
that takes a lot of energy
that requires a lot of work
that incurs a great deal of interest, and
that is a challenge to you
You will always look forward
to waking up to see
what the new day will bring.
Susan Polis Schultz
Most would agree that it is good to embrace a hope. Why? Because Hope steadies the faltering soul. It is the glue that binds the pieces of a shattered dream, making it shiny and whole again. Because Hope is what that energizes a rose to bloom beautifully amidst the thorns of life. Because a Hopeful heart is the difference between a person who quits and one who keeps on through the storm and struggle. Because it is the most effective medicine... There is no portion so powerful, no pill so amazing, no promised reward so alluring as the certain belief that something good can happen tomorrow. Yes, there is no priceless jewel or precious gem that can outshine Hope.
What would life be without Hope? And what is hope? Hope is about believing with a humble heart that tomorrow can be different. It's about knowing that light will come to chase away darkness. Hope is the joyful liberation of the heart from the darkest prison of despair.
photo: Vancouver (2006)
Hope is like the sun,
which, as we journey towards it, casts the shadow of our burden behind us - samuel smiles
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spiritual: "For I know the plans I have for you... plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future", declares the LORD (Jer 29:11).
......
When the darkness casts shadows upon us and the answers are nowhere in sight, hope lifts us up on a wing and a prayer and carries us back to the light. In short, hope is knowing that no matter how bad "all this" seems, God is still all good. God never abandons us.
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Our troubles should not diminish our faith or disillusion us. As Paul wrote to the Corinth church, "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). Like Paul, our ultimate hope when we are experiencing terrible illness, persecution, or pain is the realisation that this life is not all there is - there is life after death! Because Christ has won the victory over death, we have eternal life! And knowing that we will live for ever with God in a place without sin and suffering can help us live above the pain that we face in this life.
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source: The Silver Book of Hope (1999); LAB (1995)
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