Hope Is Alive And Well Today And Always!

Hope and inspirational message and urge to never give up.

A simple message from me to you. Never Give Up! Even when it seems all is lost and the darkness has won, Never Give Up!

“Hope springs forever.” ― J.K. Rowling

Move Your Axe!

Never give up! Keep your axe of Hope moving!

 

“Hope is not like a lottery ticket you can sit on the sofa and clutch, feeling lucky…. hope is an axe you break down doors with in an emergency.”                                   ~ REBECCA SOLNIT, Hope in the Dark

Did you know Hope is an axe? Not just to break down doors, but to chop away at any obstacle that you may face now or in the future. Are you hoping for something right now and yet you feel like the obstacles are just too big? Well I say stand up, look up and Move Your Axe! 🙂

 

 

More Hope, More Achievement

Break Through Obstacles with Hope

Sometimes the obstacles we face seem almost impossible to overcome. Maybe it’s fear or health issues, doubt, despair, marital problems or the many other things we encounter throughout our lives. Believe it or not, there are opportunities in those obstacles.

How, you may ask. Well, when we face an obstacle and proceed towards it with determination, we prove to ourselves the strength we possess. This in turn increases our Hope that we can actually overcome difficult situations. The next time you face an obstacle remember that anything worth achieving will probably have them.

It’s when you proceed in the strength within you that your Hope will grow and miracles can happen. And if you are currently facing an very difficult obstacle may you be encouraged to gain a new life vision so that you may be filled with Hope! ❤ 🙂

Must We Always Move In Hope?

Resting In Hope

 

Must we always be moving towards our Hopes for them to be fulfilled? I think not. There are times in our journey towards whatever it we may be Hoping for that we just need to sit and rest.

Make sure you pick a good resting point, imagine one like sitting under the above tree. A place that will give you calm, relaxing, even rejuvenating feelings, surrounded by beauty. A place of rest like this allows us to renew our strength for the journey that is often uphill and at times treacherous.

If you are hoping for something and you feel out of energy, take a moment to rest. Then, before you know it, Hope will lift you off your feet as you soar towards the fulfillment of it!

The Beauty Of Having Hope

There is no beauty in life more than the beauty of having hope.

I recently captured this photo in my back yard. The beautiful butterfly had landed on the ugly patch of concrete and shell mixture. Until that moment, I had thought that patch had no redeeming value and I couldn’t wait to remove it. When he landed there, it reminded me of times in our lives when we hold onto hope even in the ugliest situations. Then, I got a glimpse of how Hope must appear in the unseen realm, a beautiful reminder of better times ahead. Often we struggle to hang on during the difficult times we experience in our lives. When you encounter one of those times remember, there is beauty just ahead ready to land right in the middle of the ugly. Hope and Blessings to you!! 🙂

Where Does Hope Lead Us?

Have you ever hoped for something so long that it made you wonder if it would ever come to pass? I know I have and yet something caused me to hang on for dear life. Now at times this may take you down the wrong road, but most often it leads you to the fulfillment of that which is hoped for!

I have experienced this many times. Once I held a hope for over 30 years that finally came to pass, another over 15. These were things I wanted with all my heart, things that were good for all involved. I am a firm believer that hope leads us to beautiful places, even if there are twists and turns in the road.

How about you?

Soul On Fire

“When you feel like hope is gone, look inside you and be strong and you’ll finally see the truth- that hero lies in you.”

― Mariah Carey

Inside of each and every one of us lies a hero. Sometimes it feels like all hope is lost. When these times occur we must go inside and tap into strength that lies within us. Hope springs eternal in the human soul. And the human soul on fire is the most powerful force on earth. If you feel like your hope is gone, look within, there you will find it. May your soul be on fire and FULL of HOPE! 🙂

Hope To Carry On

You can make it through this moment!

Stand By Me | Playing For Change | Song Around the World

I stand by you! Praying for change around the world!
Hope and Blessings everywhere!

 

The Darkest Of Times

“Even in the darkest of times hope shines through.”
-Unknown

The phrase “darkest of times” isn’t referring to being in the dark without any light. It is relating to those difficult times in our lives when it seems as though the end is near. Situations like the loss of a loved one or facing a serious health issue, the end of a marriage and so many more.

The difficult times can make us feel as though the sun will never shine again. It can drain us of most of our energy. However, even during life’s most trying times hope still shines through for us.

Although sometimes it’s so dark all around us that we cannot see with our human eyes. We must reach down and find the hope that lies within us to navigate our way through the darkness. Hope is a powerful force that whispers “get up, keep going.” It is our assurance in the dark that the light will return.

Are you facing one of life’s darkest of times? Hold on, your current situation is not the end of the story. Grasp hold of hope and the light will begin to shine through the darkness, growing brighter by each passing moment. Sharing hope with you to help see you through to the other side!

Hope Partner’s – Love

“Love comes to those who still hope even though they’ve been disappointed, to those who still believe even though they’ve been betrayed, to those who still love even though they’ve been hurt before.” ~ Unknown

Love is a human virtue that comes through the heart. And the heart has reasons which reason does not know. Love is an incredibly powerful force. Sometimes love hurts and it is then that we must hold onto our hope of a brighter day. When we do, love is certain to return to us. Love and hope are partners for sure!

Sending lots of hope your way! 🙂

Symbols of Hope

AP Photo/Mark Lennihan). In this photo taken Sunday, Nov. 18, 2012, Ray Marten poses with the street number sign he recovered from the ashes of his fire-destroyed home in the Belle Harbor section of the Queens borough of New York.

In the blackened ruins of his home that burned to the ground in the Rockaways neighborhood of Belle Harbor, Ray Marten held up a plaque that shows his house number: 418. The plaque was pulled from the smoldering wreckage the day after the storm. Now it has become an emblem of the family’s determination to rise up from the ashes. “This is going on our new house,” Marten said. “Because we do plan on rebuilding.”

(AP Photo/Mark Lennihan). In this photo of Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2012, Paul Ciccarello views a Kodachrome slide outside his home in the oceanside community of Breezy Point in New York.

NEW YORK (AP) – The storm that took so much from so many people left behind little fragments of homes and lives destroyed by flood and fire. Pulled from the wreckage, these objects have become symbols of hope, reminders that not all was lost. The Associated Press has compiled a slideshow of people with the objects that have given them comfort after the storm.

(AP Photo/Seth Wenig). In this photo taken Friday, Nov. 18, 2012, Joanne McClenin holds a baptismal certificate for her father, Joseph Pompa, in her home, which was damaged by Superstorm Sandy, in the New Dorp section of Staten Island, New York.

Her late father’s baptismal certificate was washed out of Joanne McClenin’s backyard shed when Sandy came to Staten Island, carried off by the rapids that wove through the low-lying streets. But days after the storm, the document reappeared on her doorstep. Discovered by a Good Samaritan who recognized her father’s name, the precious piece of paper made its way back home.

“I was there for them in their time of need,” McClenin said of her parents, who lived around the corner from her until they died. “I feel like now he’s there for me.”

(AP Photo/Kathy Willens). In this photo taken Nov. 19, 2012, Roseanne Schnoll holds her parents’ wedding album, a keepsake item she recovered from workers were cleaning out her flooded basement and garage in the Belle Harbor neighborhood New York.

 

(AP Photo/Mark Lennihan). In this photo taken Nov. 18, 2012, Glenn DiResto poses with a photograph he took after Superstorm Sandy, in the Far Rockaway section of the Queens borough of New York.

The sight of a tattered American flag flying high above the destroyed boardwalk in Far Rockaway gave comfort to retired police officer Glenn DiResto, who owns several homes that were flooded in the storm. He snapped a photograph of the image as a reminder to keep faith.

“Although our little beach front town was devastated by the storm,” DiResto wrote in an email, “this flag demonstrates the inspiration and spirit of the American people and the people from the Rockaways.

It would be wonderful if hope were something you worked hard to get and then kept at the ready like a smooth stone in your pocket. But hope has a life cycle of its own – sometimes strong and palpable, sometimes weak and vaporous. And it is often not very smooth. Hope requires reflection, courage, perseverance, faith and the support of others. It is not just one thing or found in just one place.

Every culture – modern and ancient – has found the need to make a mark trying to express this concept. It is no easy task. We are all so individual about what inspires us, what speaks to our hearts. Symbols of Hope are important to all of us.

 

 

 

Hope Springs Forth!

See the caterpillar eating the plant?

The caterpillar has now changed shapes and gone into it’s chrysalis. This encased form will be where the butterfly takes shape. The process takes about 10-14 days.

The butterfly is about half way complete here. If you look closely you can see the wings inside taking form.

It’s now only minutes from emerging!

Hope Springs Forth! The butterfly emerges from it’s chrysalis as quickly as it goes into it. It takes only a moment for it to change shapes into it and break out of it.

Getting Ready for Take-Off!

It has always fascinated me to witness the various stages a butterfly goes through to become its true self. From the moment it’s hatched from the egg, the caterpillar must begin eating everything in sight. Once it’s big enough, it must make the long journey to just the right place. Then, it must hang upside down and liquefy to become a chrysalis. After 10-14 days it springs forth and must hang out to dry for several hours before it can take flight. When you think about it, that is an incredible journey! A journey that provides great hope. For even when the caterpillar liquefies and all would seem lost at that point, it is a necessary step in the transformation. We can take heart, that even when all seems lost, where there is breathe, there is still hope! Hang on and Hope will spring forth!

Audrey Mabrey, Local Domestic Violence Survivor and Hope Messenger

Audrey Mabrey, Domestic Violence Survivor and Hope Messenger

Under burns and scars, a Hillsborough woman finds herself – St. Petersburg Times.

The Hope 4 Us Now staff just finished reading an article in The St. Petersburg Times about a truly inspiring woman named Audrey Mabrey who seems to know quite a bit about hope.

You might have already heard about Audrey. She’s the beautiful young local woman from Apollo Beach who survived a monstrous domestic violence attack on November 17th, 2009.

Her husband, a former police officer, and the father of her two children, attacked her with a butcher knife, beat her with a hammer, and then poured gasoline on her and set her on fire.

At first she prayed for forgiveness, then she prayed to survive for her children.

She survived. So did the husband who tried to commit suicide and is now charged with attempted murder and arson.

Though her physical beauty has been altered, she’s convinced her inner beauty radiates ever more brightly.

She hopes to go back to school, write a book, and start a charity for women, and she’s presently volunteering with Hands Across the Bay.

Hope 4 Us Now is very interested in doing a feature story on Audrey and perhaps organizing some assistance for her. What do you think?

Here’s a few questions out of many we’d like to ask:
What does the word Hope mean to you?
What is your greatest challenge to being hopeful everyday?
Why do you think you’re so driven to help others now?

Are there any questions you would like us to ask?

Heroic Japanese Workers Remain at Nuclear Site As Conditions Worsen

Workers Are Now Exposed To Dangerous Radiation Daily

Not enough people are hearing this important story being reported by the BBC (click here) and NPR (click here).

Every day, the so-called “Fukushima 50” are exposing themselves to dangerous radiation levels in order to rescue their country from nuclear disaster.

It’s reported that there are actually 180 of these heroes hard at work and taking great risks.

Talk about giving hope to the hopeless! These are the front lines, and it may cost these Hope Messengers their lives!

Images and Music of Pain and Hope Used to Inspire Students

A Darfur child survivor’s drawing of what he’d seen

We’ve discovered a couple of Hope Messengers in this story about an inspirational presentation for high schoolers in New Jersey.

The original story was reported by Graelyn Brashear on barnegat.patch.com. You can view it here.

Dr. Jerry Ehrlich, who volunteered with Doctors Without Borders in Darfur in 2004, returned with powerful pictures he secretly snapped and the innocent and powerful drawings of children he treated. He shared both the tragic and hopeful images with the students who were deeply moved. He shared a message of hope and the power of involvement.

Dr. Tamara R. Freeman performed the music of Holocaust, which sustained Jews in the ghettos and concentration camps of World War II Europe.

Chilean Miracle Miners provide hope and aid for Japanese earthquake survivors

Mario Sepulveda emerges from deep Chilean mine after 69 days.

“I am strongly affected by the suffering and destruction caused by the earthquake and tsunami. My heart goes out to the victims of this disaster and to Japan, I understand what they must be going through and it breaks my heart. I feel as though I am still trapped in that mine and that I must make efforts to help Japan in this struggle. I not only wish to build homes in Chile but to also bring aid to Japan in the spirit of international unity.”  This quote is from Mario Sepulveda, head of the Miner’s Miracle campaign.

Since his miraculous survival from the great depths of a dark Chilean mine last year, Mario has dedicated his new life to building the dreams of the Chilean people and instilling hope worldwide.

You can learn more about Mario and the Miner’s Miracle campaign at minersmiracle.org.

Sustaining a Caregiver’s Hope Through a Loved One’s Recovery from Traumatic Brain Injury

What an inspiring article about giving hope to survivors of traumatic brain injury and their families! U.S. Representa­­tive Gabrielle Giffords continues to improve.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost