December 2024
Issue 225

How to keep going in hard times

That's why we're following up our November issue on determination with a practical approach to persevering when you're feeling your lowest.

As a guy who has beaten cancer twice, bounced back from a job layoff, survived failed relationships, and known almost constant rejection as a writer, I know a few things about staying the course.

I believe this month's feature article will show you a crucial perspective on the disappointments in your life.

Here's some real-world experience on how to keep going.

As Long as There's a Christmas

Instead, you think about a time

 when someone laughed with you,

 and the love you shared then filled your soul.

But too soon it was through.

So Christmas comes with sadness,

and a yearning deep inside,

 a thirst for love and peace and hope

that will not be denied.

Late one night you hear a voice,

 so soft, and without blame,

 and then, surprised, you realize,

 He's calling you by name.

"I know your hurt and loneliness,

the heartache that you bear.

 I listen and I cry with you

 through every single prayer.

"I promised in the manger

 and fulfilled it from the cross.

I built a home that's filled with love

for all those who are lost.

"So let me come and heal your heart

 and give you rest within.
For my way is kind and gentle

 and will bring you joy again."

His words still echo through the years,

a vow that He made true,

"As long as there's a Christmas,

I will be in love with you."

~ Jack Zavada, www.inspiration-for-singles.com, 2024 ~

When you feel so lonely you don't know what to do…

Here's the truth: Roughly 40 percent of the U.S. population is single, widowed, or divorced. It's not unusual to be single. Satisfying relationships are possible but still challenging.

Sometimes loneliness feels more pronounced when we ask ourselves the wrong questions. Our self-talk does have a lot to do with it.

Here are some practical tips to help when you feel so lonely.

"Without hope, you feel like the walking dead."

If you have been living like a zombie, Hope for Hurting Singles is what you need.

Author Jack Zavada compares hope to water: Just as water is necessary for a healthy body, hope is crucial for a healthy spirit.

How's your hope level right now? High? Low? Nonexistent? Or is your hope placed in something that can't deliver?

Hope for Hurting Singles shows you how to put your hope in Jesus Christ and how to turn to him for the minute-by-minute strength you need to live a fulfilling life.

This is a book of biblical principles, hammered out on the anvil of the real world. The advice here is something you can start using immediately.

If you enjoy these newsletters, you'll appreciate the encouraging insight you'll find in Hope for Hurting Singles. It's solid, it's real, it's written by a single person who's been where you are right now.

Treat yourself this Christmas: $10.99 in paperback and $3.99 for Kindle version. You'll be glad you did!

QOTM: Queen of Romance

When you live as long as Barbara Cartland, you can't avoid going through some misery. You and I, who are far from 98, have already had our share.

I believe the secret to being able to keep going despite what life throws at us is an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. Think about it. What else lasts forever? What else can we count on throughout our entire life and then into eternity?

It's what we receive through Christ that makes the difference: salvation, unchanging love, forgiveness, hope, and encouragement. I feel sorry for people who don't have that. Do you have it?

If not, now is a great time to start. Here's what to do.

Adversity is inevitable in 2025

How we respond to it makes all the difference. Nobody likes pain, but if we take a mature attitude toward it, we can lessen its impact. Initially we're shocked when hard times come. That's normal. It's what we do next that matters.

One of the mistakes I've made is getting angry or resentful. I've often felt as if God is picking on me. Single friend, that's not a helpful attitude.

Now I try to take a deep breath, figure out what I need to do to get through it, and ask Jesus to help. He always does.

Here are some lessons that may help you get through adversity.

You're all right with Jesus…

And by the way, you are too.

Most of my life, I was on the performance treadmill, trying to do things to earn Jesus's love. What a shock to discover I already had it. No treadmill required.

We singles can be especially guilty of this misunderstanding. We strive to please our boss. Our parents. A romantic partner. Even people we don't know. We want to be loved, and often we think doing something is the way to achieve that.

But not with Jesus. Yes, Jesus does command us to obey him, but he doesn't quit loving us when we don't. He forgives us. Remember, that's why he went to the cross. We don't have to be picture-perfect Christians so Jesus will love us. He already does.

You don't have another relationship like the one you have with Jesus, and that was the mistake I made. I thought his love was conditional, like human love. It's easy to offend other people to the point they want to drop us as a friend or quit talking to us. Not so with Jesus. He's the solid rock, always consistent, always available.

Romans 8:1 says so: "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,"

That's some awfully good news, fellow singleton. Don't be like I was. Get off that performance treadmill NOW! Bask in the love of your Savior. Enjoy all the good things he has for you. Thank him every day for loving you just the way you are.

That's the Christmas g'ift that keeps on giving!

If Christmas gets you down, try these tips

No wonder Scrooge said, "Bah! Humbug!"

Try to enjoy the lights, the decorations, the music, and the food, but try not to let TV commercials and programs pound the square peg that you are into their round hole. Get out of the hub-bub for a while and think. And don't go over your budget to be a people-pleaser!

Here are some tips that can help if you're having a hard time with the holidays:

How to appreciate Christmas…

Tips for getting through Christmas…

How to have a better Christmas…

Chase away those holiday blues…

That wraps up our December newsletter. Thanks for reading. If you'd like to drop me an email, our secure contact form will forward it directly into my personal inbox, and I will reply to it myself. My elves are all on vacation!

Best wishes for a blessed 2025, single friend! See you in January,

PS: Not a Christian yet? Find out how to become a Christian.