Hope is the heat.

Hope purifies. This is a new thought to me. I've not always considered connecting my ability to hope ultimately leading to the purification of my mind, will and emotions. But the truth is that Hope does just that. Hope is the heat that burns away the dross. It clarifies purpose and passion. And to connect Hope to heat is only right.I was dropping all my people off to school early this morning in my usual school drop off wardrobe choice - my pjs - and listening to my current worship obsession - Mosaic - while drinking the coffee - Starbucks blonde roast - my sweet hubby had gone out early to get thanks to an unused gift card we'd found last night....all the feels for the start to my Friday....and yes, it is super important for me to set the scene to my morning narrative because I want so badly for you to notice when and where I encounter Jesus and His Voice....totally normal moments of life. Too often I talk to folks trying to overcomplicate hearing Jesus and ya'll He is so anxious to be caught up in my normal "school drop off in my pjs drinking coffee" moments. I'm thankful because normal is what most of my days consist of. However, when my heart responds to Jesus invading my normal moments it clicks the dial to extraordinary real quick.While driving back home I took a sip of my coffee and decided it needed a reheat. I do this all day until the coffee is gone. I am relentless in my reheats. Because who wants to drink lukewarm coffee. As I am thinking about my microwave and reheating my coffee the thought rumbles back around in my head I've been wrestling with for a while that Hope purifies and it occurs to me not only does it purify it heats up my life.Hope is the heat. It's the microwave agent to ignite my life with heated up passion to keep pursuing life abundant. Without it my soul cools off to lukewarm and unintentionally becomes indifferent about the Kingdom invading my reality. And ain't nobody got time to live lukewarm!There have been several places Toby and I feel in between decisions. Wrestling through belief can be tricky sometimes. We see some miracles we have believed for a long time beginning to formulate, but we are also tempted to believe they are so far off it's pointless to Hope in them ever coming to fruition. It dawned on me this morning through some scriptures the Holy Spirit reminded me of {I'll share in a sec} that not hoping keeps me lukewarm in my obedience to pursue God, life and spiritual activity with hot passion. Lacking a vivacious Hope life stalls out my pursuit of Jesus. Yikes! Hoping, no matter how risky and vulnerable it might seem, heats up my life with passion and possibility and before I know it I am on fire for the things of God and walking in spaces only possible with His activated involvement in my life!But man....Hope is hard. I plan to write this post the way I live it and friends hope is hard as heck to live out some days. I don't mean a "positive outlook on life unicorns and rainbows kind of hope thing", I mean HOPE. The enduring though days that seem like a string of hell you could never have anticipated. Hope that holds on past grief, death, financial weariness, betrayal, defeat, discouragement, loneliness, loss, resentment, hearing no too many times to handle, rejection, waiting...ugh, the forever purgatory of waiting is the worst. I'm talking about HOPE that will not let go no matter the white squall of erosion hitting your soul. Hope in the miracles of Jesus continuing to be in motion in your life when all of your circumstances say otherwise. I mean Hope to find the Good, the Right, the Peace deep inside your heart and see it taking root and growing fruit. I mean HOOOOOOPPPPPEEEE. I mean HOPE AGAINST ALL HOPE kind of Hope.As I connected these two thoughts this morning over my reheated coffee I realized the only way to obtain and live out REAL HOPE is to make it HOT and never in-between. Friends, this is so liberating! Jesus has created it to be where in order to live an overcoming life we MUST, to the alertness of our souls, HOPE HOT to allow its burning passion to purify us. I am still so blown away by the Flip the Furniture feedback and as promised I am circling back to the three areas I am specifically challenging us to look at. I previously jotted down some thoughts about Raising our Expectations.Next up : A Hope that purifies.A Hot Hope that purifies cleanses our minds, wills and emotions with a single realigned thought pattern - Jesus is mighty to save.Nothing shifts the atmosphere of my heart and reheats my Hope like when I remind myself "Cari, Jesus is mighty to save."Like a black poison that invades a clear glass of water THAT is what a spirit of discouragement is consistently  attempting to do with our lives, BUT a single thought of REAL HOPE - "Jesus is mighty to save no matter what my situation" - splashes purified liquid and clarifies the water of our lives to a pure place over and over again like magic.I'm not hanging out in Revelation a ton ya'll, but there are some seriously good nuggets I'm obsessed with in this season of life and needing to grab ahold of Hope with some big time intention. Revelation 3:14-22 is speaking to this idea of Hope being the heat that brings about the purification of our lives and ultimately the hot passionate way we should be engaging with our lives spiritually....Jesus does not want our lives to be in between belief He wants our love for life and belief to be on fire!"And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: "The words of the Amen, the faithful and the true witness the beginning of God's creation. I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, potable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." {Revelation 3:14-22}Nothing could be more consequential to our faith life like Hope."Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." {Hebrews 11:1}In-between believing God will or won't come through is just not a place Jesus wants us hanging out in! HE wants us alive to HOPE He is working ALL things for our good and His glory! And with every Hope promise includes His presence and as we Hope we open the door to have intimate relationship with Him!!! And ya'll there is absolutely nothing I want more! Because as I am with Jesus more, I hope more and as I hope more I am purified in my mind, my will and my emotions!Quick breakdown:My mind: Hope purifies my mind. Meaning as I give way to Hope it heats up my thoughts to be full of faith in whatever I need to see God motivate my mind with instead of drowning in poisonous thought patterns like depression, defeat and discouragement. As I allow my mind to stay focused on Hope in Jesus to be mighty to save my mind is purified. It's cleansed.My will: Hope purifies my will. Meaning as I give way to Hope by faith in the goodness of the future God has planned for me my will {another word for ambitions, projects, calling, and future} is purified. It's cleansed.My emotions: Hope purifies my emotions...wooooboy....ya'll nothing needs more purification than my emotions. Passion for Jesus can be a trusted aviation tool, unsanctified emotions are a horrible navigation device. Meaning as I give way to Hope it cleanses my emotions to be rooted in God's thoughts and plans for me and I redirect toxic emotions like offense, unforgiveness, or anger that could all threaten my healthy understanding of my circumstances. Hope purifies my emotions. And emotions need constant cleansing.Let's walk into the weekend with HOT HOPE sweet friends. No lukewarm meandering for us. Let's Hope hot for healing, for jobs, for dreams, for miracles, for relationships, for opportunity, for all the NEW works God wants to do in and through our lives....let's allow the heat of Hope purify our minds, wills and emotions to live passionate for the Kingdom of God.Let's get our Hopes heating up! Where is God inviting you into Hoping by faith this weekend?