The Hope Collective Podcast
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The Hope Collective Podcast

Welcome to the Blog

I hope you kick up your feet and stay a while, friend!

To The Girl Who Is Tired of Waiting
To The Girl Who Is Tired of Waiting
Depression and Anxiety, Fear, Purpose, DevotionalsDana ArnoldAugust 10, 2018brokenness, Christian, christian girl, Christian woman, Jesus, loneliness, purpose, season of waiting, waiting
When It Feels Like You're Living In The Land of Dreams Unseen: A Devotional
When It Feels Like You're Living In The Land of Dreams Unseen: A Devotional
Confidence, Depression and Anxiety, Fear, Identity in Christ, Millennial Girl, Purpose, DevotionalsDana ArnoldJuly 20, 2018
To The Girl Who Is Tired Of Trying To Figure Out Her Purpose
To The Girl Who Is Tired Of Trying To Figure Out Her Purpose
General, PurposeDana ArnoldJuly 13, 2018Calling, Christian, confidence, Jesus, purpose
From "Who" to "Do:" A Devotional on Kingdom Callings
From "Who" to "Do:" A Devotional on Kingdom Callings
Confidence, General, Goal Setting, Identity in Christ, Millennial Girl, Purpose, DevotionalsDana ArnoldMay 25, 2018
The Complete Guide to  Believing In Your God-Sized Dreams
The Complete Guide to Believing In Your God-Sized Dreams
Confidence, Fear, General, Goal Setting, Identity in Christ, Millennial Girl, PurposeDana ArnoldMay 15, 2018big dreams, Christian, Christian purpose, dream, God sized dreams, How to Believe, how to believe in my big dreams, how to believe in myself, Jesus, purpose
To the girl who doesn't feel beautiful: a devotional on knowing you're enough
To the girl who doesn't feel beautiful: a devotional on knowing you're enough
Beauty, Body Image, Confidence, Fear, Fitness, Health, Identity in Christ, Self Care, DevotionalsDana ArnoldMay 4, 2018Christian, fitness, Jessie B Christensen, Jesus
Don’t believe everything that you think: A devotional on taking your thoughts captive
Don’t believe everything that you think: A devotional on taking your thoughts captive
Confidence, Depression and Anxiety, Fear, General, Identity in Christ, Purpose, DevotionalsDana ArnoldApril 27, 2018Christ, Christian, Christian woman, Jesus, thoughts, thoughts captive to Christ, Truth over Thoughts
To the girl who feels stuck: a devotional on getting free
To the girl who feels stuck: a devotional on getting free
Confidence, Depression and Anxiety, Fear, General, Identity in Christ, DevotionalsDana ArnoldApril 23, 2018Bible, Christ, Christian, free, freedom, getting unstuck, Hope Rises Ministries, Jesus, millennial, stuck
To the Girl Who Wishes She Had More Clarity: A Devotional on Trusting God
To the Girl Who Wishes She Had More Clarity: A Devotional on Trusting God
Fear, Identity in Christ, Millennial Girl, Purpose, DevotionalsDana ArnoldApril 20, 2018
My husband doesn't make me happy, Jesus does
My husband doesn't make me happy, Jesus does
Christian Marriage, Dating, Fear, Heartbreak, Identity in Christ, Meet the Arnolds, Millennial Girl, Prepare for Marriage, Proverbs 31 Wife, PurityDana ArnoldApril 4, 2018Christian, christian dating, christian marriage, Christian single, Jesus, singlehood ministry
Dear Christian, You've Been Lied To
Dear Christian, You've Been Lied To
Faith Pillars, Identity in ChristDana ArnoldApril 4, 2018Christian, Christianity, Discipleship, Francis Chan, Heaven, Jesus, popular lies christians believe
If I had ONE more day, this is what I'd say ...
If I had ONE more day, this is what I'd say ...
Depression and Anxiety, Faith Pillars, Fear, Heartbreak, Identity in Christ, PurposeDana ArnoldMarch 31, 2018Christian, identity in Christ, Jesus, Jesus Christ
To the girl who struggles with self worth after a breakup: a breakup devotional
To the girl who struggles with self worth after a breakup: a breakup devotional
Dating, Depression and Anxiety, General, Heartbreak, Identity in Christ, Millennial Girl, Prepare for Marriage, DevotionalsDana ArnoldMarch 19, 2018breakup, Christian, christian dating, christian girl, confidence in Christ, devotional, heartache, heartbreak, identity in Christ, Jesus
The Gospel: Explained
The Gospel: Explained
Faith Pillars, General, Identity in Christ, PurposeDana ArnoldFebruary 16, 2018
Worth The Wait: A Christ Centered Love Story
Worth The Wait: A Christ Centered Love Story
Christian Marriage, Identity in Christ, Meet the Arnolds, Prepare for Marriage, Proverbs 31 Wife, PurityDana ArnoldFebruary 9, 2018Christ Centered Wedding, Christian Engagement, christian marriage, Godly Marriage, Godly Relationship, Godly Wedding, Mint Springs Farm, Wedding Day
How To Get Past Hurt & Deal With Difficult People
How To Get Past Hurt & Deal With Difficult People
Depression and Anxiety, Fear, Friendship, HeartbreakDana ArnoldFebruary 2, 2018difficult people, get past hurt, how to deal with difficult people, how to deal with mean people, tough relationships
10 Perfect Galentine's Day Gifts For Your BFF
10 Perfect Galentine's Day Gifts For Your BFF
Friendship, General, Millennial GirlDana ArnoldJanuary 23, 2018Christian gifts, Galentine, Galentine's Day, gifts, valentine, Valentine's day
How to Overcome Comparison: You Were Born To Stand Out
How to Overcome Comparison: You Were Born To Stand Out
Body Image, Confidence, Fashion, Identity in Christ, Millennial Girl, Peer Pressure, Proverbs 31 WifeDana ArnoldJanuary 15, 2018Christian, comparison, fear, influence, set apart, stand out
To The Girl With An Anxious Heart
To The Girl With An Anxious Heart
Body Image, Confidence, Depression and Anxiety, Fear, Identity in ChristDana ArnoldJanuary 15, 2018anxiety, bible verses
To The Girl Who Wishes She'd Stayed Pure...
To The Girl Who Wishes She'd Stayed Pure...
Christian Marriage, Dating, Heartbreak, Identity in Christ, Millennial Girl, Peer Pressure, Prepare for Marriage, PurityDana ArnoldNovember 1, 2017Christian, christian girl, christian marriage, christian resources, fiance, girl, Jesus, love, marriage, millennial girl, purity, redeemed, redemption, sexual purity, wedding, woman, women
Older
Hours

Finding hope in the least expected places.

This handsome little boy needed to make an appearance. He is so sweet and cuddly and I just have to say that I think Jesus would have been a dog person 😍 Nash, you are such a special doggie. You light up the room and make us smile and laugh all the time. Your love is relentless and sometimes I think God gave us dogs to show us what unconditional love looks like. ❤️
We've stretched grace into being a thing that allows for a gray area, an area where we can just be "chill" about our faith. It causes us to live in a state of comfort rather than a state of risking our very lives for the Gospel. This Christianity thing, like the REAL Christianity thing, isn't about comfy church chairs, and dressing up on Sunday to be pumped up for another long, rough week.
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Oh my gosh. It's so not that. It's not about saying a prayer and knowing you're "good to go." God didn't send His Son so that we could say a prayer and go to heaven. He sent His Son so that we could be restored back to our original - pre-Adam - nature. He sent His Son to TRANSFORM our very nature, that is the meaning of being born again. In Christ, we die to our sinful, "Adam" nature, and are alive to Him. Dead to sin. Alive to His righteousness. No longer slaves. That kind of love isn't to coddle you. Yes, it absolutely comforts us, but it doesn't give us a hall pass to kick back and live like the rest of the world. Grace doesn't excuse you from sin, it actually lifts you into holiness. It catapults us into a constant state of risk. Risking our relationships, our reputations, our very lives for cause of Christ.
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But we've made it casual. We spend our time arguing about doctrine rather than seeking the lost and broken. People are dying. people are hurting, all around you. They need to encounter the absolute transformative love of Christ. So friend, if you are a believer, receive His love for you, know His love for you, bathe in His love for you, but be TRANSFORMED by His love to a point where you're no longer concerned with what the world thinks of you. You are no longer bound, if you're struggling with issues (and we all do from time to time), it's because you're FREE but you don't believe it. It's all good - just decide to believe in the finished work of the cross. Over and over again.
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Father, I thank You for letting us see the world through Your eyes - with deep, outrageous, compassion and love for ALL - especially the ones who the rest of society doesn't want to touch!
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Who is with me? Who will join me in risking it ALL? All of Him. None of me. That’s my ❤️ desire!
Reading another Christian book will never satisfy the hunger and thirst you have to know God better. A book written by the next trending author will never substitute for time spent in the secret place, alone, with your Father. I promise!
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This is something I've been SO convicted of lately. I love a good book, and I can recommend a ton, but if we read a few chapters of a "Christian book" and check off our "spiritual checkmark" for the day, we're crippling our growth and honestly, it can make us very susceptible to being deceived. Read the books (I have a pile of them to go through myself!) but keep seeking special time with the Father throughout each and every day! Reading the latest book will not get you closer to the Father. Being with the Father will get you close to Him. Duh! ;) Amen!
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Photo cred: @elysebullardphotography
So upside down and inside out from what we're taught, right?! Truly though, I read the bible, and I can't find anything about justifying ourselves. I can't find anything that says it's ok to live in a state of offense or hurt. I can't find anything that says it's ok to slander or gossip IF that person really hurt your feelings. Even when we're "technically in the right."
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The more I pursue Christ, the less people can hurt me. Not because I'm immune or have control of my feelings, far from it. Rather, because I know who my Father is. I know He loves me. Like, He really loves me!! I know if someone is trying to destroy me, He is FOR me. And if He is for me, I can actually be for the person who is against me. Not out of a biting of my tongue or out striving to control myself, but I become what I can't be on my own by faith, through His grace alone. And He gets all the glory.
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Tag a friend who you know could use this message.
I love loving you. Our first year of marriage was really tough. I can’t lie about that. But Jesus answered our prayers in a huge way. He said to me, “if you stop justifying your anger / resentment / whatever, I will exchange it for my peace.” And He wasn’t kidding. When I stopped wallowing in self pity that my husband wasn’t meeting all of my “expectations,” it actually freed me to love him without expecting anything in return.
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Jesus never complained or wallowed in self pity when His friends abandoned or rejected Him, He just loved them, and turned to His Dad for all the love and power He needed. So simple. So profound. Our home is filled with Peace and an abundance of love ever since the day I was able to lay it all down. When love no longer is something we give to receive, it can truly shift the atmosphere and set us free.
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In Christ, I’m not rejected, I’m accepted. I’m adored, not a disappointment. His love is more than enough for me. His love sets me free from myself (self pity, anger, bitterness, offense, hurt, pain, traumatic memories) and in turn sets me free from others. We can’t really love others unless we’re free from them, or it’s always got strings attached. When we’re free, the love we give has the power to transform everything around us. Wow, has He displayed that to me more clearly than ever.
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My prayer for everyone today is that God unleashes freedom in your love relationships — which is every relationship — through the power of forgiveness, radical ownership of your weaknesses, and a relinquishing of justification. In exchange, Father, give my friends an encounter with Your Peace. In Jesus’ name, amen!
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Photo cred- @elysebullardphotography

© Dana Marie Arnold, 2019