Praise to God for a Living Hope

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

1 Peter 1:3  (NIV)

 Next week, we will celebrate Easter…the perfect time to begin a resurrection life… of renewal and hope.

Whatever we have or don’t have; Whatever we can…or can’t do; We can still have a resurrection life, a life of hope, because we have the blessed assurance that Jesus was crucified and raised to a new life; To take away our sins and invite us into His new life.

The most important step to our resurrection life is putting our hope and faith in our Savior, Jesus Christ. That means putting Him first in our lives: Above family; Above friends; Above work; Even above our personal ministries.We need to recognize that all these things are simply gifts from God. With all the priorities competing for our time, it’s often easy to confuse the Giver with the gifts.

Maybe we’re going through a hard patch; Maybe just a BLAH patch. Perhaps we’re just confused about our priorities. Sometimes, we just don’t know where to turn.

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

Psalm 42:5  (NIV)

Whatever life is throwing at us right now; putting our faith and hope in God will give us a sense of peace. We can breathe easier. We’re not in control anymore. HE IS! (He always was…we just had to turn it over to 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 28:11  (NIV)

So we can wake up with a smile each day knowing that He has it all under control. We can indeed live a resurrection life Right here and now!

“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though he dies.”

A blessed Easter to everyone!!!

Dear Lord,

At Easter, we celebrate the great sacrifice You made for all mankind. Remind us that You are always alive and well to all who look for Your influence and guidance in their lives

Help us to live the resurrection life daily, as we put our hope, faith and trust in You.

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because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment

James 2:13  NIV

We have all heard that we should forgive others for their sins against us. That’s easier said than done. We want justice! We want retribution! We want revenge!

Read this wonderful story of true forgiveness!

Immaculee Ilibagiza grew up in a country she loved, surrounded by a family she cherished. But in 1994 her idyllic world was ripped apart as Rwanda descended into a bloody genocide. Immaculee’s family was brutally murdered during a killing spree that lasted three months and claimed the lives of nearly a million Rwandans.

Incredibly, Immaculee survived the slaughter. For 91 days, she and seven other women huddled silently together in the cramped bathroom of a local pastor while hundreds of machete-wielding killers hunted for them. 

Just try to imagine 91 days without talking or being able to move around. I get muscle cramps just thinking of it! There was one single toilet in the corner of their cramped quarters. It could only be flushed when someone else in the building also flushed to disguise the noise, I could only imagine the odors they were forced to live with!

It was during those endless hours of unspeakable terror that Immaculee discovered the power of prayer, eventually shedding her fear of death and forging a profound and lasting relationship with God.

That’s not the way it started! Immaculee was confused and terrified like all the other women. She held fast to the rosary her father had given her, and passed most of her silent days in prayer with God. This is a prime example of how talking with God can become part of our daily…sometimes hourly existence!

In her bathroom hideout, Immaculee discovered the meaning of truly unconditional love—a love so strong she was able seek out and forgive her family’s killers.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Matthew 5:7  (NIV)

Her journey of FORGIVENESS through the horrific life conditions she endured will inspire anyone whose life has been touched by fear, suffering, and loss.

Immaculee’s story will remind all of us of the human capacity for compassion and forgiveness, even in the most trying circumstances. It also reminds us that we are given the choice to respond to darkness with light.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:13   (NIV)

In February, we put a special emphasis on celebrating LOVE. Of course love is the most important part of our life journey all year long. It is NOT flowers, candy or a box of chocolates. However, there’s been a long tradition of honoring the whole month…especially February 14 with these items of affection.

This past Saturday, I attended our monthly Louisville Christian Writers (LCW) meeting. The theme of our February meeting was, of course LOVE. These men and women are a group of writers, authors and publishers who use their craft in a way that magnifies and brings honor to our God.

LCW was very instrumental in both the writing and publishing of both of my books… The Light Through My Tunnel and The Afflicted Healer. See the tabs on my website (mvarga.com) to get more information or purchase copies.

LCW critiqued each chapter of my books to ensure that my verb tense was correct, my descriptions were appropriate and that I was giving glory to God. Basically, they co-wrote the books with me.

So I decided to get their help on this month’s Life Happens blog. I showed each of them a list of scripture verses on love, and asked for their insights on the best to use.

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

John 13:34-35  (NIV)

This is the Bible verse they thought most closely mirrored the true meaning of love. We show love for each other because God first loved us. Because of this love we become a part of His family.

So love is NOT getting goose bumps or having a special feeling for someone. It IS putting others’ feelings above our own. It is considering their welfare above our own welfare.

Love is a commandment from our heavenly Father.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

Matthew 22:36-39  (NIV)

Dear Lord,

Thank You that we get to celebrate Valentine’s Day every day of our lives. You command us to love others as You have loved us.

Show us how to live this love story every day. Help us to put our love into action.

HAPPY VALENINES DAY!

“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done
Revelation 22:12 (NIV)

We’ve had plenty of time already in 2025 to pause & ponder. The snow and ice storm gave most of us over a week to do just that. But did we do that? Maybe we just sat around complaining of all the tasks that weren’t being completed.

We could’ve been reflecting on the beauty of the falling snow and thanking God that we had a warm roof over our head.

Living by myself, I was especially grateful that my adult son, Andrew was snowed in with me for the week. Since our streets were not drivable, able-bodied Andrew walked up to a cleared main road to Uber to the grocery store. Then he walked the half mile of unplowed road back to my home.

In a past blog post, I wrote about how Jesus always has our back. HE’S GOT YOUR BACK! – MARY VARGA    He certainly had my back by bringing my son over to keep me company during what could’ve been a very lonely, frustrating week. I like to think Andrew was equally blessed, as he would’ve been sitting alone at his place, So God had both our backs during the January 2025 snow storm.

I believe God gives us alone time to reflect on our life and where it’s headed. Sometimes He makes us be alone (like in a snow storm) so we can do just that. So consider next time you’re forced into being alone, that perhaps that’s just where God wants us.

I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”

Psalm 77:12  (NIV)

Perhaps that is how the Lord is speaking to you right now. That is surely one way to ponder and think about what He’s trying to do in your life.

Who knows what reward He’s trying to give us! If we believe that God is working in our circumstances, we’ll stay open to any blessing He’s trying to send us.

 “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”

Jeremiah 17:10  (NIV)

So pause & ponder what the Lord is trying to teach us during the unexpected pauses in our life. He could be sending us a mighty blessing!

Dear Lord,

Help us not to fight and resist the quiet times You give us to reflect on our lives and all the blessings you have brought us.

Let us instead, use that time You’ve given us to ponder what You want us to do next,

Thank You for using Mother Nature sometimes to show us where we need to be.

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Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

James 1:17   (NIV)

The Christmas season is already upon us. We’ve all been busy with gift-buying and planning our perfect holiday celebration. Let’s take a moment to remember who Christmas is really all about and try to be someone’s Christmas light.

We can be someone’s Christmas light in so many ways. Our mere presence is a light for those we love. Make a point to notice and acknowledge them. Letting our own light shine gives others permission to do the same. We can all illuminate each other’s gifts and talents and by doing so, allow them to really sparkle.

So NOTICE and ACKNOWKEDGE!

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:16   (NIV)

Always remember that our light comes from Jesus, whose birthday we celebrate at Christmas. It is His presence in our life that allows us to be a light to those around us. So let’s keep our hearts focused on our savior during this holy time of year. He is with us ALWAYS.

Then your light will break forth like the dawn, ….. then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

Isaiah 58:8   (NIV)

We can indeed be someone’s Christmas light! Think of those we can take time to notice that are not on our regular radar. Our acknowledgement may be just the spark they need to keep going forward.

Everyone please have a blessed and holy Christmas! See you in 2025!

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But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.

2 Corinthians 8:7  (NIV)

As we look upon the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday…let’s think about how we can give generously for all the favor AND the gifts that God has so generously poured forth into our lives.

We’re thankful for our family, our friends, our talents, our opportunities,…our nation. None of those gifts are perfect. They may even be a thorn in our side….but any of those gifts could be gone in the blink of an eye!

God has a plan for us, even if we lose our gifts!  I’ve told the story of the loss of my physical balance due to a brain injury numerous times. That was 27 years ago! Let’s see a more recent example of how God can bring good things out of tragedy.

Officer Nick Wilt had just completed his training in the police academy.  The first week on the job, Nick responded to a bank robbery and ended up being shot in the head while he was trying to protect those around him. He lived. PRAISE GOD!

After two years of intensive therapy, Nick is able to walk with a cane. On Nov 15^th, he was honored at the 22^nd annual Brain Ball benefiting the Brain Injury Alliance of Kentucky (BIAK), for his courage and determination. Nick is only 27 years old. That’s a decade younger than I was when I had my car accident & traumatic brain injury. Because of his ‘youth’, I’m confident that he will recover further and faster than I did.

Like me, Nick has been overwhelmed with the good wishes and ACTIONS of friends, families and total strangers who have wanted to help him on his journey.

Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.

Deuteronomy 15:10  (NIV)

Why should we give to organizations that help the lives of those facing unforeseeable challenges? If we give generously, even when we don’t feel like it, the Lord will reward us.

Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

2 Corinthians 9:7  (NIV)

I’m sure that Nick does not feel blessed by all the hardships he has endured. Yet we can both be thankful that our obstacles have brought out the compassion and generosity of others as they try to make our lives a little easier.

I can’t think of a better example of Giving Generously.

Dear Lord,

You’ve given us all so many gifts. Forgive us when we do not appreciate them or acknowledge that they came from You.

Please inspire us to give generously to those who need our assistance. Help us to always remember that You love a cheerful giver!

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How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?

Psalm 13:2  (NIV)

We’ve all heard of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob from the Old Testament. Abraham is called the father of our faith. His grandson Jacob, however, was given a name that means ‘deceiver’.

The Bible tells us that at one point, Jacob wrestled with a man that represented God…all night long. All Jacob wanted was for God to bless him. Jacob had some issues though. He WAS a deceiver. He manipulated others to get his own way. God didn’t approve of that, yet Jacob continued wrestling with Him to get His blessing.

Ultimately, God DID bless Jacob…but not before He dislocated Jacob’s hip. With His blessing, God gave Jacob a new name too. He changed his name to Israel.

Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”

Genesis 32:28  (NIV)

Somehow Jacob knew that the man was from God.

So Jacob called the place Peniel,^[g] saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”

Genesis 32:30  (NIV)

God doesn’t mind if we wrestle and complain to Him. King David cried out to God all through the book of Psalms. God would much rather have us complain to Him. What He finds unacceptable is when we complain ABOUT Him.

So complain to God! We are his children and He knows that we need to vent our feelings. He’d prefer we take our problems to Him instead of family and friends.

As humans, none  of us really like a complainer…usually because we can’t do anything to change the situation. But God can! He can work on others’ hearts. He can turn things around for us…or change OUR outlook about the problem.

And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?

Luke 18:7  (NIV)

In wrestling with God, we must be sure to also give Him praise and thanksgiving for all that He is…and has done in our life.

Dear Lord,

Thank You for being a loving Father who takes it in stride when Your children moan and complain to You. You can and will change others’ hearts (including ours) to bring peace that will remedy any situation.

Help us always to remember to bring our grievances to You first. Thank You also for all the good and prosperity You have brought to our life.

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Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

Isaiah 30:21  NIV

I was shopping at Hobby Lobby a few weeks ago to get supplies for a project I was working on. I saw the BELOW trinket sitting near the cash registers and grabbed it! I wanted to place it somewhere in my home to be a constant reminder to me. So it’s sitting on my kitchen counter just over the dishwasher and next to my little TV.

It’s there to remind me that I AM CRAZY BLESSED regardless of what the news on my TV is telling me OR how difficult it is for me to unload a dishwasher. Life will continue to give us things that are hard…opinions we don’t agree with…tasks we don’t want to do.

My blog last month was entitled TERRITORY ENLARGED( https://mvarga.com/spiritual-insights/territory-enlarged/). Remember that Jabez asked God to bless him indeed. He was asking the Lord to give him abundant blessings. He was asking God to make him CRAZY BLESSED.

Wouldn’t we all like that? Regardless of what is going on in our life, God can and WILL give us crazy blessings….look for them…EXPECT them. Many times the blessings we see come directly from a challenge…even a tragedy we are facing.  See my Jan 2021 blog post on Being Transformed. Be Transformed – MARY VARGA (mvarga.com)

 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33  (NIV)

Can I be crazy blessed even with the physical challenges I face? ABSOLUTELY! I have to be constantly cautious as I move through my daily life…for fear of losing my balance. Yet the very brain injury that caused my physical disabilities is the same one that prompts others…even total strangers to be kind and helpful as I go about my day.

Read what St. Paul has to say about it…

Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong

2 Corinthians 12:7-10  (NIV)

I must admit, I don’t boast gladly about my weaknesses. I do believe though that God has given me the gift of inspiring others. Maybe He’s given that gift to you too! So don’t be embarrassed to try something unnatural for you. We never know who we can inspire by our actions.

 Just remember that as life gives us increased blessings, increased temptations and troubles may often come with it.

It’s so easy to just coast through life without pushing for more abundance! We’re already doing more than most. Can’t we just relax and enjoy what we have? . This is how Satan keeps us from going for the gold! 

 Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you;
    therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.
For the Lord is a God of justice.
    Blessed are all who wait for him!

Isaiah 30:18  NIV

 We can’t let Satan fool us though. God DOES offer us abundance. He wants us to be crazy blessed. For our part, we need to continue living a life that pleases Him as we wait for His perfect timing.

Dear Lord,

Some days we feel crazy blessed by You. Some days we don’t. Help us remember that our feelings are often not in the same ball park as Your reality. The Bible tells us over and over of Your love for us.

Remind us of what Isaiah tells us….

but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40:31   (NIV)

 Give us the hope and patience to wait for your wondrous blessings.

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 Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me indeed and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.

1 Chronicles 4 :10  (NIV)

This opening scripture is about an ordinary man that showed extraordinary faith…and God answered his prayer.

Jabez is highlighted right in the middle of a long list of names (a geneology) in 1 Chronicles. The only thing we know about him from the previous verse is that his mother named him Jabez because he was born with great pain. Jabez means pain. How would we like it if our mom gave us a name that meant pain? That would give me a self esteem problem! Then we never hear his name again.

Jabez asked God for His POWER in his life. Jabez wanted God to REALLY bless him AND to enlarge his sphere of influence in life (his territory). Apparently God likes those bold kind of prayers because He answered it.

I remember the very first year after my brain injury, a dear friend gave me a little booklet called, ‘The Prayer of Jabez.’ I certainly wanted God’s blessing at that time in my life. Most importantly, I wanted Him to enlarge my territory. Actually…I wanted God to GIVE me a territory…any territory. I had lost so much, it was hard to imagine what the Lord wanted my purpose to be now. How was I supposed to ever help people? They were always helping me!

God answered my prayers a dozen years later when I started teaching exercise classes for seniors. Yes, it’s a job…but it also defines my happiness. Being able to inspire these men & women everyday makes me look forward to Mondays every week. I am finally able to do something good for others. They’ve become like a second family to me. And be assured. I get more from teaching these classes than they get from attending!

What do we want God to do for us? Improve our health, our finances, our marriage, our influence? Just ASK HIM! He wants to give us our heart’s desires! We can expect Him to answer our prayers…many times not in the way we were expecting!

Remember that God is not a genie either. Time usually transpires between our prayer…and God’s response. Life will continue to happen, but keep asking and keep trusting that our heavenly Father’s timing is never wrong. So pray for patience. God is never late. He may even end up changing our heart’s desires.

The 2^nd thing Jabez asks for is God’s PRESENCE in his life. (Let your hand be with me.)

They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.”

Luke 7:16  (NIV)

When we ask for God’s power in our life…it will most likely come with added responsibility AND tests. Jabez realized this too. That’s why he prayed for the Lord’s presence to guide him and keep him on the right path.

The 3^rd thing Jabez prayed for was God ‘s PROTECTION in his life.

But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

Psalm 5:11  (NIV)

With God’s POWER & PRESENCE in his life, it only made sense to also ask for His PROTECTION over his life. Just like us…Jabez was only a man capable of getting full of himself and not thinking of the greater good. So he asks God to keep him from evil and harm that he may not receive OR inflict pain.

The more territory we have…the more successful we are…the more we open ourselves for others to challenge us. They won’t bother us much with just a little bit of influence (a small territory). Jabez was wise to ask God to protect him!

We can do the same! We can ask God to protect our belongings and reputation as we lean into Him…trusting the He will show us how to enlarge our borders by staying in constant contact with God…and expecting Him to protect what we do.

Dear Lord,

Show us how to be influencers for Your kingdom by allowing our personal boundaries to grow. We invite Your presence in our life so we don’t start believing we did it all by ourselves.

We know that all things are possible with You. Help us to never forget the…wih You…part of that promise.

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