my "hope pie"

This week in our bible study we are talking about what things that we set our hope on and the author/leader had us make a "hope pie" of what we have our hope set on. As she promised, it was a very eye opening experience for me. I like to think that I have it all together, that I have my eyes set on the prize of the coming of Jesus and that my real hope is set on Christ, but she showed us through this little exercise how we can't have our hope resting on Jesus and something else- it has to be an all set on Him or we aren't truly focusing our hope on Him at all!!

Here are a few of the things that I have been setting my hope on:

not getting the baby blues when the twins come, my friends and family helping me out when the twins come,

Hailey not freaking out like she did when Jackson was born and being a good helper, me being able to handle all 4 kids!

Kristina said in our study, "when we hope in that which is temporal, our hope will be dashed" And, she is so right- if I'm hoping in the fact that I won't be depressed and won't cry when the babies come I can probably almost gaurantee that's gonna be a failure- what mom who's running on zero amount of sleep isn't gonna cry at the drop of a hat?? If I'm hoping in the fact that my friends and family are gonna help me out I will be sorely disappointed, because as much help as they can offer- it will never be enough, because I am the mom to these four kiddos and I'm the only one who will be able to fill that role! If I'm hoping in the fact that Hailey will be good that will, too, be dashed, because she's only 2. That's too much to even expect from a child that age! And, if I'm putting my hope in the fact that I will be able to handle four kids at once I know that will not work out, because there are days when I can't handle the two that I have- let alone two more!!

Kristina, again, says it better than I can,

The goal that God has for us is that our hope pie has one large piece and that piece is Him....Hoping in Him is all there is!

As, these truths, and the truths in my heart have been revealed to me this week I have been trying to hide some more verses in my heart, so that when I am tempted to place my hope in something other than Jesus and when I am plagued by the thoughts of doudt and anxiety and worry about my future and my children's future I can quickly bring to mind a verse to combat those lies!

My two new ones are:

Isaiah 25:1

O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago.

Hebrews 10:23

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

I'm praying that you are all hoping in Jesus and His future coming this week, just as I am praying that I am and will continue to!! :)