text: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” >Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)
  By the time you read this I will be cuddling a little boy bundle of joy – my grandson. Something about tiny fingers and perfect lips makes my heart swoon. New life, not yet marred by the harshness of our world.
  One thing we can all be certain of in this New Year – change. I think it’s human nature to resist change. We’re so much more comfortable in routine or in familiar ways of doing things. But when we’re comfortable and everything is just like we think it should be, we forget about our Hope.
  Last year, I can remember having lots of hopes about how things would go – I knew there were a couple of upcoming trips, my daughter was finishing her degree, my husband was entering his second year in his new business. I had the funny idea that it was going to be one of those memorable years.
  My idea of memorable and life’s ideas are a bit different. I got ill three times, very unusual for me. I seriously hurt my back and was out of commission for weeks. Along with many other unplanned ups and downs, it just wasn’t my idea of how things would go.
  Looking back, I can see how God used all those times. First he slowed me down, way down. My mother once told me I was like watching a puppy chase his tail – always in motion. It was in the slowness that my quiet time lost its routine. It became deeper, sweeter.
  Next, it reminded me that I, like all of us, am not above the calamities of life. Through that reminder, I became much more aware of those around me that were struggling and my compassion increased.
  Finally, God began to teach me to trust. I say began, because, oh yes, my heart trusts, but my head runs way ahead. I have to check myself when my thoughts race ahead to all the ‘what ifs’. I am learning to let go of what I think could happen and trust that in whatever happens, He is there.
  That is Hope. Hope stops us and redirects us and restores us. Our hope is eternity, knowing that Jesus is the Hope Giver and He will see us right into a glorious forever. We can be certain, even though we can’t see it, can’t exactly explain it, and can’t touch it. It is a promise, and He who promised is oh so faithful.
  So in all the ups and downs in the year ahead, maybe we can be Hope-Full – so full of the hope that is ours for always and ever that we overflow to those we love and those we meet. That would be a memorable year wouldn’t it!
  Oh Father, we are weak vessels. Thank You that in our weakness You are our strength. Regardless what awaits us later today or six months from now, You are there. An ever present help in joy and in trouble. Redirect our thoughts, Lord, when we tend to worry. Turn our eyes heavenward and remind us of our Hope. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
  "Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress." Psalm 107:13 (NIV)
  Feeling trapped, with no way out, is a horrible place to be. I know. I've been there several times in the past few years.
  When the housing market crashed in my hometown, our family-owned consulting firm almost crashed along with it. Contracts were canceled, potential jobs shriveled, credit maxed and investments bombed. Most of the trouble was out of our control, but some was from our unwise decisions.
  One month dragged into another. Some weeks we barely squeaked by. I didn't lose my faith in God's provision, as He took care of our basic needs. But His timing to pull us out of the depths of our trouble was not mine. I cried out for a quick fix; He had another plan.
  Before help came, God let us sit in the mess for a long time. In fact, we had to sit in a place of helplessness for longer than we wanted. All of our previous abilities to help ourselves were gone. Places that had previously been willing to extend a helping hand weren't able to help. At times it felt like we had been abandoned. Was it because of something we had done? Maybe our unwise choices? Questions abounded.
  But then God stepped in. And because we'd been sitting in that mess so long, our gratitude doubled. We clearly saw His hand at work. In hindsight, if we'd been able to help ourselves, we would have patted ourselves on the backs at our cleverness. Now, God gets all the glory.
  You may be trapped right now and wondering if God will rescue you. Maybe you've made bad choices. Perhaps you have disqualified yourself from being saved. If that's you, then I've got good news. No matter if your situation is of your own making or someone else's, God cares and has a plan to save you.
  Psalm 107 sings this truth. In this amazing passage we learn of God's faithfulness to people in all kinds of difficult places: deserts, darkness and the foolishness of their deeds. Yet no matter where they were or what they had done, when they cried to God, He heard them. And He hears us today.
  This Psalm isn't just literature. It's a message from the faithful of old, to the faithful of today. It was captured in writing so that when we feel lost, trapped, overwhelmed and afraid, we would read it and believe ... believe that the God who brought deliverance then, will do so today.
  Here's just a portion of that scripture. When you have time, please read the entire passage. Psalm 107:10-13 (NIV):
  Some sat in darkness, in utter darkness, prisoners suffering in iron chains, because they rebelled against God's commands and despised the plans of the Most High. So he subjected them to bitter labor; they stumbled, and there was no one to help. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.
  God specializes in rescuing the trapped – no matter how they got there. He did it for me and He will do it for you.
  Dear Lord, You alone know the fullness of my desperate situation. You know how trapped I feel right now. I haven't done everything perfectly, and I confess my rebellious ways. Lord, You said if we called out to You in our distress, You would answer. So I'm calling out now. Please help. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
  Visit Glynnis' blog for encouragement in tough situations, and how Glynnis has learned to pray differently because of those difficult times.
  If you need some practical help in bringing order to your life, consider I Used to Be So Organized by Glynnis Whitwer.
  If you are in a desperate situation right now, first make sure everything is right between you and God. Humbly confess any wrong thoughts, words or deeds. Then pray and ask God for help.
  Has God ever let me sit in a difficult place for longer than I wanted to sit? What did I learn during that time?
  What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?… No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. —Romans 8:31, 37-39
  I stood ready on top of the kitchen counter in ready position. My mom, broom in hand, patiently waited at the pantry door. I screeched, “There it is!” I screamed and pointed to the tiny mouse running in circles around our kitchen, while she shrieked and swatted the floor with a broom. Chairs knocked over, pantry emptied, room in chaos, we chased this little mouse through the kitchen and the rest of the house. This mouse had my mom and me so worked up we could hardly think straight. We were operating out of an attitude of fear, not power and strength. Later, we sat around and laughed at ourselves. How could something so tiny get us so worked up and frightened?
  Cartoons and movies have depicted this scene for ages: Men and women jumping onto tables and chairs to hide from a mouse. Reflecting on that night in the kitchen, I started to wonder, how often do I make a problem bigger than it ought to be? In the moment of choice between strength or fear, too often I choose fear.
  The Apostle Paul assures us that through Christ we are more than conquerors. Nothing can separate us from God’s love. So regardless of the size of the challenges we face – from a mouse to a giant – we don’t have to fear. Like David, we do not need to be afraid of the Goliaths we may encounter. We have all we need when we have Jesus. We can stand tall, prepared and ready to work through life’s problems and struggles with the power and strength given to us in Jesus.
  2. What holds you back and keeps you afraid? How can you work to find the strength you need in Jesus?
  Weʼre raising £3,000 to To develop a service which offers holistic, emotional wellbeing support to children and families.	
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  CrowdStreet Launches $18.4 Million Core Multifamily Equity Fund Investment Sponsored by Olympus Property
  PORTLAND, OR–(Marketwired – Jan 19, 2015) – CrowdStreet, a crowdfunding marketplace connecting accredited investors with institutional-grade real estate investments, today announced it has posted an $18.4 Million equity fund investment opportunity, Olympus Fund IV, consisting of three Class A multifamily assets. The fund will add two to three more multifamily properties in 2015 for additional diversification. This opportunity is sponsored by Olympus Property, a full-service multifamily investment and property management organization headquartered in Pantego, Texas, with total property value exceeding $1 Billion.
  By listing on CrowdStreet, Olympus Property is targeting to raise $18.4 Million from accredited investors as part of a joint venture equity investment. Olympus Fund IV has an IRR target of 12 percent to 13 percent and an annual cash distribution target of between 6 percent and 9 percent.
  “We are excited to partner with Olympus Property to launch our first multifamily fund to our investor members,” said Tore Steen, CrowdStreet’s CEO. “This demonstrates CrowdStreet’s continued pursuit of high-quality opportunities and our ongoing effort to enable our investor members to diversify their portfolios with commercial real estate.”
  Olympus Fund IV provides CrowdStreet investors the opportunity to have direct ownership in a pool of Class A multifamily assets. The combined quality of both the fund assets and the sponsor, offered to CrowdStreet investors at a $25,000 minimum investment, marks the next step in the evolution of online commercial real estate investing.
  “Olympus believes in the future of online commercial real estate investing and we are thrilled to team up with CrowdStreet for our first online fundraising experience,” said Chandler Wonderly, Principal at Olympus Property. “We look forward to expanding our base of accredited investors by offering this unique opportunity to CrowdStreet members and leveraging the CrowdStreet solution.”
  CrowdStreet provides a crowdfunding marketplace solution that connects accredited investors with institutional-quality commercial real estate investments. Accredited investors access an intuitively designed portal to find properties, manage offers, track investment performance and build a commercial real estate portfolio. With its cloud-based fundraising and investor relationship management platform, CrowdStreet offers real estate operators, funds and private equity companies an online vehicle to raise capital and manage relationships with new and existing investors more efficiently and cost effectively. Based in Portland, Ore., CrowdStreet was founded in 2013 by a team with deep experience in commercial real estate, securities and finance, marketing, consumer Internet and software development. For more information, visit crowdstreet.com.
  Founded in 1992, Olympus Property is an innovative and growing full-service multifamily investment and property management organization headquartered in Pantego, Texas, with communities located within nine states throughout the Country including Arizona, California, Florida, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. Olympus’ portfolio includes over 10,000 apartment homes with a total value exceeding $1 Billion. For more information, visit www.olympusproperty.com.