PODCAST · religion
Hope-Full Living
by Various Authors
Listen to Hope-Full Living! Hope-Full Living is a daily devotion written by seniors, for seniors. The devotion is released quarterly, and now is available to listen to as a Podcast. Listen anywhere today!
Episodes
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Who's Your Provider?
The day my husband, David, lost his job was one of the scariest days of his life. How would he provide for his wife and his two little girls? He was our primary wage-earner. A new job didn’t come quickly. David took on manual labor and temp work. He even dug graves for a friend in the funeral...
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Rock of Ages
It all started while climbing a ladder to clear debris from my gutter. It felt like when you bend over and quickly stand up. Except I hadn’t bent over. After a battery of tests, my neurologist said, “There’s nothing wrong with you physically. You’re just getting old. No more ladders for you.”…
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Promises Kept
I watched my granddaughter play volleyball, unaware that my husband, coaching a team in a different state, was collapsing from a heart attack. I didn’t know — but God did. God knew what my husband needed to survive. God had placed four health professionals there, watching their daughters near the...
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Some Assembly Required
In 2020, COVID-19 changed the way we do church. Many congregations began to livestream services on the internet. After the COVID-19 pandemic subsided, the advantages of this technology remained: shut-ins could “attend” services, travelers logged in, and unchurched neighbors could see what church...
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Loved by God
We are loved by God, not because we chose to be loved and certainly not because we deserve this love. It is simply because He loves us. When I fell in love with my beautiful wife and asked her to marry me, she said, “Yes,” and, in effect, chose me. God assures us that He loves us because He chose...
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A Package Deal
Read Psalm 22 and THEN read Psalm 23, and you will feel the hope that comes from reading on! These psalms appear in this sequence in the original Hebrew manuscript. First, Psalm 22 recounts our salvation that Jesus completed on Calvary’s cross, and then Psalm 23 gives a serene confirmation of…
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Sticks and Stones
Sticks and stones are usually not thought of as good or valuable. It wasn’t my birthday. It wasn’t Christmas. But my then 5-year-old grandson, Lukas, brought me a gift. It was simple, not of great worth. It was just a quart Mason jar that contained sticks and stones that he had collected. On it,...
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Puzzlemaster
My husband and I spent many hours sitting side by side assembling jigsaw puzzles. Our marriage of nearly 54 years was a huge puzzle that was sometimes fun and sometimes frustrating to work out. Now that I’m a widow, I’m starting on a new life puzzle. Though widowhood is not new under the sun…
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Unfailing
As children, my brother Dan and I delivered newspapers. Periodically, we could buy Mom a sweet treat at the drug store. Dad and Mom provided love, shelter, and food daily. They believed that God enabled and expected them to do that. Lamentations seems like an ironic title in the Bible because in...
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Look Back With Love
How often do we hear that it is better not to dwell on the past? You know, don’t look back — yesterday is gone. Well, that depends on how we look back. Whether we focus on the past, present, or future, let us do so in our Lord’s loving company. As you read the Bible each day, immerse yourself in...
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The Cookie Jar
As I think back, I admit I am a little confused about whether my childhood cookie jar featured “Little Red Riding Hood” or “Porky Pig.” I do remember that it was usually filled with one of my favorite cookies. With six children in the family, you always wanted to make sure you weren’t the last…
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A Renewed Spirit
As my husband lay in a hospital bed from an unknown condition, the uncertainty of his future overwhelmed me. Realizing that sometimes the unknown can cripple one’s spirit more than the known, I asked myself, “Where can one find hope during difficult times?” Within minutes, a local pastor entered...
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God Is Good
Life is full of ups and downs that include joyful moments and painful struggles. Yet through everything, one truth remains unshakeable — God is good. His grace and mercy surround us daily, even when we cannot see it or feel it. God’s goodness is not based on our circumstances because it is rooted...
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Safe With Jesus
A psychologist on the “Today” show mentioned that the root of anxiety is not feeling safe. I’m not sure if I agree, but it made me think. Have you ever felt the pins and needles of anxiety? I have quite a history of dealing with it. Like Paul’s thorn in the flesh, anxiety can be a thorn in my…
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God's Gift of Reading
My parents read to me and regularly took me to the library. I read in bed, on the sofa, and in our treehouse. What a blessing to fall in love with books. When I became a Christian as a teenager, God kindled a desire in me to read the Bible. Later, I shared my love of reading and God’s Word with…
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Don't Leave the Nest Yet!
Do the words of Deuteronomy 6 apply to grandparents as well as parents? I hope so. I want to share the message from Moses before our five grands leave the nest. In these Old Testament verses, Moses is speaking to a new generation. The time is before the Israelites enter the Promised Land. Many of...
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Never, Ever All Alone
Do you ever get the feeling that you are all alone? Maybe it seems like no one really cares what is happening in your life. Perhaps you live alone, and it is difficult to leave the house. It has been a long time since anyone has visited you or even called you on the phone. But remember, God has...
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Gain or Loss?
Remembering: At the end of April 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, I “retired” after 17 years as volunteer leader of “LifeLight,” an in-depth Bible study. I led Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning groups of couples, men, and women at our church. At age 80, would I experience gain or loss after...
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Surely Goodness and Mercy
When I was directing handbells, one of my favorite ringers was Shirley. As she walked into a rehearsal, I would say, “Shirley, goodness and mercy is here.” Not only did God’s goodness and mercy follow Shirley into our rehearsal, but they live in her heart forever. Recently, Shirley and her…
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I Am From ...
My daughter assigns her college-level poetry students this icebreaker on the first day of class: Write a free-verse poem, each part beginning with “I am from ….” Recall the street you grew up on — the music, smells, foods. Recall people, activities, expressions. Try it! It’s interesting what...
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Remember
According to one commentator I read, the word “remember” appears 137 times in the Bible. One interesting passage in Deuteronomy is when God exhorts the Israelites to “remember.” They were on the verge of entering the Promised Land — a daunting and scary prospect. God reminds them of how He’s been...
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Our, Us, We!
When Jesus taught the crowd to pray the Lord’s Prayer, He used plural pronouns: our, us, and we. Why didn’t He teach, “My Father, who art in heaven, give me this day my daily bread, and forgive me my debts”? Jesus emphasized that our neighbors, too, strive to follow our Father more closely. Most...
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Hymn Singing Connects Us
The word “hymn” derives from the Greek word, hymnos, which means a song of praise. The act of singing is a complex physiological and emotional experience that engages our emotions as well as our brains. Twentieth- and 21st-century scientists have uncovered the scientific reasons why singing helps...
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Connected
I am often connected to my phone. Through it, I hear from coworkers, family, and friends. Pictures, videos, and texts might come my way, or I can search for faces of loved ones I miss. Though I value this phone connection, I have a more valuable, eternal connection with Jesus. Faith enables this...
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Dysfunctional
The women picked up their books and prepared to leave Bible study. “These Bible stories are not the same as the ones we learned in Sunday school,” one woman commented. “Adultery, bigamy, lying, human trafficking ... and that’s just Jacob’s family! It’s more dysfunctional than a soap opera. Why is...
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Safe at Home!
During the summer I enjoy watching baseball. I especially like to see the play when a man is on third base, and the batter makes a sacrifice bunt so the man makes it home safely. This reminds me how we Christians long to be at our heavenly home with God. We depend on Jesus Christ to make the...
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We Are Family
Imagine you’re at a wedding reception, and you hear the song, “We Are Family” by Sister Sledge. You flock to the dance floor with everyone else and find yourself belting out, “We are family. I got all my sisters with me. We are family. Get up everybody and sing.” (Admit it; you’re singing it…
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Watchers Debrief
The weekly foursome sits around the dining table, settling in for another Bible session. Four years and it still starts, “God-sightings, ladies?” One in conflict says, “Going to work after another morning argument, I wiped off angry tears. A semi pulled in front of me with a huge up arrow on the...
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Joy, Joy, Joy
Recently, my grandchildren came into my house singing, “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart …” It is an old song. They learned it that day in Sunday school. I heard them singing earlier as the chorus of voices drifted through the doors of their classroom into our adult Bible class....
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Hold My Hand
We chose the hymn, “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” (LSB #739) for my daughter’s memorial service. “Precious Lord, take my hand, Lead me on, let me stand; I am tired, I am weak, I am worn. Through the storm, through the night, Lead me on to the light.” This beautiful hymn was written by gospel…
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Dropped in Place
Dotty was training to be a nurse; she married a newspaperman. Soon, she was delivering newspapers on her bicycle and writing a regular column. I asked her once if she ever wanted to pursue nursing, and she said she was content to be where God placed her. Whenever I wonder about turning points in…
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Embracing Arms
It was in the narthex of church. She saw the woman, recognized her needs, outstretched her arms and warmly said, “Bring it in.” And a holy hug ensued. A simple hug is a personal expression of compassion — understanding and extending the grace of God to another human being. Although there are no...
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Share and Taste
As the women left my home, each expressed thanks for a refreshing and hope-filled time. While I loaded the dishwasher, my friend Alicia removed tablecloths and rearranged chairs. “We met needs today,” she commented. “Women were encouraged and I saw a lot of joy.” Twenty-two widows attended our...
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Quotes From My Neighbor
Quotes my neighbor has said to me: “Every time I am at the hospital undergoing another test or treatment, I think of our Tuesday morning Bible class, and it gives me comfort. I know that every member of the group is praying for me.” “Battling cancer has been a blessing for me. My faith is so much...
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Healing the Brokenhearted
Sometimes, at the loss of a loved one, it feels as though the heart breaks into so many pieces that there could never be enough cardiac glue to put it back together, at least not in any coherent or recognizable way. At that moment, kindness and compassion within a faith community help gather…
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An Encouraging Community
I was devastated when my son died. I was angry with God. I wondered why my son was taken when he was doing so much for the Lord. The days following my son’s death helped me greatly. Many people from our home church, from our community, and many we didn’t know, came to the funeral home and the...
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Unity in Christ
Soulard is an old neighborhood in south St. Louis city. Trinity Lutheran Church, the oldest Missouri Synod church west of the Mississippi and the “mother church” of all Missouri Synod churches, is situated in the heart of Soulard. Two blocks from Trinity is 149-year-old Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic...
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Time in God's Word
Over the years I’ve been blessed with friends who have helped me with various issues and undertakings, and I am grateful for their love. Yet, as I’ve aged, I realize true help comes from God. He knows me, what and who I need, sometimes before I even think I need help! He grants me the gifts of...
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Don't Go It Alone
It is striking how many of Martin Luther’s personal letters to various individuals deal with the subject of melancholy — that complex mix of emotions, including loneliness, a sense of being forgotten or unseen, overwhelm, even despair, and loss of meaning. The Reformer’s consistent advice — don’t...
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Remembered
It is so nice to be remembered, to know someone is thinking of me. Getting a card in the mail, an email, or a text from someone lifts my spirits because I know I am at the front of another person’s thoughts. The senior pastor at my church, the Rev. Thomas Eggold, is really good about sending a…
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Titus 2 Opportunities
I glanced around the room and observed Titus 2 in action. Women in a multigenerational group were building relationships as they chatted around the snack table or in knee-to-knee conversations. These groups from our church gather monthly to pray, visit, and study a Christian-living book.…
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Cul-de-sac Encounter
One morning, in a rush to an appointment, I forgot my phone. Turning back, I noticed an ambulance at a neighbor’s house. Bob and Bea lived there with an adult daughter with special needs. Could be any of them. I retrieved my phone and thanked God for my blunder so I could pray. Later that week, I...
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Pray for Our Children
School is back in session! As parents, grandparents, neighbors, and friends, we pray for inspiring teachers, good health, fertile imaginations, and welcoming communities for students. We may know children who have struggled to survive “mean girls” or bullies. It hurts to see children being...
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Comfort One Another
By the time most of us have reached 70 years of age, we have experienced occurrences of grief and sorrow. It may be the death of a loved one, the loss of material things, or on-going health issues. Because we often desire kind and thoughtful words from another, we are disheartened when we don’t...
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A Joyful Noise
I have been a pastor for 25 years and nothing gives me more joy in worship than when I hear or see someone singing along with the hymns or songs. I get especially giddy when I see or hear a child doing it, following the example of their parents or grandparents. Even if it is off-key, I still love...
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Grace in a Garage
My husband’s first pastoral call was to a three-car garage! Though, it did have a small kitchen and bathroom. On Confirmation Sundays, we opened the garage doors and set up chairs in the driveway! Yet it had all the qualities of a Christian community: God’s Word, the Sacraments, fellowship, and...
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Invest in the Next Generation
Having spent my ministry career primarily with youth, I have always been drawn to this story. Unfortunately, I suspect I have put a few teens to sleep with some of my long-winded talks. We might be quick to point fingers. Who was responsible for allowing Eutychus to fall asleep and fall from a...
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Woven Roots
Plans to replace a low retaining wall in my yard became a comedy of errors when a neighbor removed the “ant farm” of old timbers only to conclude that the blocks I had purchased were not suitable for the job. Then he moved away. Winter slammed into Michigan before a new handyman could begin...
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A Costly Peace
When Jesus spoke of division in Luke 12, He named the most tender bonds — parent and child, mother and daughter. His words remind us that following Him is not always met with harmony. Sometimes, faith in Christ sets us apart from those we love most. Many parents and grandparents know this pain....
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Company of Heaven
Inside the room, blinking lights and rhythmic beeping come from a machine. From the solitary bed, a tired man smiles as I walk in. This small room is filled with a lifetime of sanctuaries: from the glorious cathedral with robed choirs to the simple, white-walled church with the stark, wooden…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Listen to Hope-Full Living! Hope-Full Living is a daily devotion written by seniors, for seniors. The devotion is released quarterly, and now is available to listen to as a Podcast. Listen anywhere today!
HOSTED BY
Various Authors
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How many episodes does Hope-Full Living have?
Hope-Full Living currently has 1000 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Hope-Full Living about?
Listen to Hope-Full Living! Hope-Full Living is a daily devotion written by seniors, for seniors. The devotion is released quarterly, and now is available to listen to as a Podcast. Listen anywhere today!
How often does Hope-Full Living release new episodes?
Hope-Full Living releases new episodes frequently with a large back catalog of 1000 episodes. Check the episode list for recent publication dates.
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Who hosts Hope-Full Living?
Hope-Full Living is created and hosted by Various Authors.
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