Give joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:12-14

And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” Matthew 2:12-15

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The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17

When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Matthew 2:10-11

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We fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. Matthew 2:9

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… a gateway of hope.

Hope has been “my word” since my cancer diagnosis back in 2006. The word jumps off the page whenever I’m reading, and I’m fascinated by any articles or quotes or sayings focused on HOPE. So when I began considering putting my cancer journey thoughts and emails together in some sort of book, I knew that the title had to include the word, HOPE. My first choice, way back in the beginning, was “Hope for the Journey” since I had perceived my experience as a journey and had used that metaphor in my emails. But, alas, a friend who was also a breast cancer survivor, wrote her book first and snagged my title! That’s what happens when you stall out. Anyway, I’ve played around with a lot of different ideas, but none of them really clicked with me until one day last week when I was reading a passage in Hosea.

The book of Hosea in the Old Testament is one of the Minor Prophets. It’s not minor because it’s unimportant, but because it’s short. And although it’s short, it’s very powerful. God called Hosea to confront the Hebrews about their sin – he told them in no uncertain terms that they had sinned against God, and as a result God was going to bring judgement upon them. God had Hosea marry a prostitute and give their children strange names, among other things, as a way of illustrating how the Hebrews had turned from God, but also how He was going to redeem them and bring them back to Himself. Having warned them about their sin and coming judgement, in Hosea 2:15, he says: God will “transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope.” In other words, in spite of their sin and unfaithfulness, there was hope for a renewed relationship with God.

As I read Hosea 2:15, I realized that my own dark place of cancer was where I had renewed my relationship with God and that Valley of Trouble had become a gateway of hope for me. There isn’t anyone who hasn’t been to the Valley of Trouble. Some of you have experienced deeper, darker places than I could ever imagine. And yet, we all can trust God to turn our Valleys of Trouble into gateways of hope.

During the months of treatment and the years of recovery since, I’ve learned to lean on the promise of Romans 8:28, “And we know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into his plans.” (TLB) Trusting God’s promise has made it possible for me to follow the advice of Romans 12:12, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” (NIV) My prayer is that by sharing what God has taught me, I will be able to give hope to others who find themselves in a Valley of Trouble, as well as give glory to Him who has turned my Valley into a gateway of hope.

So I have found my book title: “A Gateway of Hope.” Now to get rolling before someone else snags it!

Watch for an email announcing the availability of my ebook in January. The ebook will be like a first draft. Later I’ll be fine-tuning and adding more than just my journal emails in order to produce a “real” book. But for now, I’m pushing myself to produce the simple little ebook before the 10th anniversary of the beginning of my journey! Don’t hesitate to hold me accountable … hound me ‘til you see the ebook!

Thanks for joining me on this new leg of my journey! And remember to “Be very happy because you have a hope. Be strong when you have trouble. Keep on talking with God.” (Romans 12:12 from the Worldwide English New Testament)

We are in His Presence,
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He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth… Luke 1:14

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:8-14

Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” Matthew 2:7-8

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Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 1 John 4:7-16

When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written: “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” Matthew 2:3-6

This week we have read scriptures that focused on the LOVE God showed us by sending His Son into this world to die for us. Now it is your turn: How will you respond to this LOVE?

Next week we will focus on the JOY that comes from knowing Christ was born and is alive today.

If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. John 15:10-12

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2:1-2

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Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. 1 Corinthians 2:9

On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived. Luke 2:21

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Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. Luke 2:20

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God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. Luke 2:19

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