Good Morning Girls!  Todays verse is Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.  I used to understand this verse to mean that waiting on our dreams, not seeing them come true, was what makes the heart sick.  This week the Lord has shown me otherwise.  You see, it says hope deferred, not dreams deferred makes the heart sick.  Websters defines deferred as: postponed or delayed,withheld until a future date.  So in the context of the verse I believe it to mean that it is not the postponement of our dreams that make our heart sick, but the postponement, or withdrawal of our hope.  If we lose hope, we lose heart.  Hope is what gets me out of bed in the morning.  Hope is what keeps a smile on my face in the midst of our financial situation.  Hope is what keeps me writing, believing that it is an encouragement to others.  Hope is what tucks me in at night and assures me there are big plans for my life.  Now some of you may be reading this thinking "Poor Jen, all she has is hope for these things, she didn't even day she has faith in these things".  Well let me give you a few definitions of hope, as I know it: 1. to look forward to with confidence and expectation 2. to wish for something with expectation of its fulfillment 3. the assurance and intense anticipation that what you wish for will be delivered.  Girls, hope is not some wimpy word thrown out there when you have nothing left.  NO!  It is a very basic statement of our faith in the Lord.  My faith that my dreams will come true.  The reason a dream fulfilled is a tree of life is because it builds our faith.  Sure, the fulfillment of the dream is awesome, but it's the increase in faith that makes it a tree of life.  As our faith increases, our witness increases.  As our  faith in God increases, we will be able to go confidently before the throne and ask for bigger things.  We will be able to encourage others while they are still on the hope side of their dreams.  Our dream will be a tree of life; a place where others can seek shelter in a storm, get in the shade when life gets to hot, and rest in, when they are weary.  So Girls, do not defer your hope......there are others out there in need of the tree your dream will bring!

Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life

Love you all-
Jen