Hello, God. It's me, Mara.

You know, Lord, without hope there seems to be nothing to fight for. Without hope we forget: "God is great. With HIM nothing is impossible." Hope, like seeds, can't grow unless they're planted.

Often when we lose hope and think this is the end, You, Lord, smile from above and say, "Relax, dear one, it's just a bend, not the end." When You solve our problems, we have faith in Your abilities and when You don't solve our problems, You have faith in our abilities.

Could be we're to see the Big Picture; be like Job who said, "He performeth the thing that is appointed for me." Hope is not the limited ground view; it's like flying at ten thousand feet where everything looks different. From there we're seeing what You see: The Big Picture."

We're to be like Mary at the wedding feast, when the wine ran out, she handed her problem over to You, Lord, which is always the best move, the best way, hand it over to You.

Life isn't easy but maybe we should think of it as a friend quipped: "Know why a car's windshield is so large and the rear-view mirror is so small? It's because our past is not as important as our future; so, look ahead and move on."

Lord, help us be mindful of others who have lost Hope; to pray that You would bless them – and when we're safe and happy, to remember that someone has prayed for us.

No matter what we're going through in life, no matter how we came to this point, it is important to remember that somebody loves us, respects us, cares for us and believes in our abilities and that this is hipe because, best of all, Lord, You love us and in You, there Is hope.

P.S.: "Sometimes, hope is what makes us smile. Other times, a smile is what can bring us hope."

Love, Mara