James 1:16-18

Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first-fruits of all he created. - James 1:16-18

Dear Heavenly Father, 

God I know that you give me so many blessings but I rarely think about it the way James puts it here.  All good things are from you.  Life itself is a gift to me from you.  My spouse, children and grandchildren are a gift from you. My friends, my church, my home, my car, everything is a gift from you.  But the greatest gift is the gift of eternal life.  I am eternal as a gift from you. I want to be the hope filled light you want me to be for others.  Drive disappointment and despair far from me and make hopeful in all situations.  Give me an optimism from faith and not from circumstances that encourages others to seek and find you because they see you in me.  

Amen

Pastor Don Patterson

Hope is knowing you will survive the worst and live to talk about it - forever.