HOPE IN TRIALS
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Jesus gives us another challenge today, to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. This is one of the most difficult teachings of Christ, but it is also one of the most powerful. Loving those who are kind to us is easy, but choosing love in the face of difficulty, hurt, or misunderstanding requires grace, humility, and deep trust in God. This is where hope in your trials is tested and strengthened.
Over the past week, you have reflected on the way hope anchors you in the midst of trials—how you are called to deeper righteousness (Matthew 5:20-26), to trust in God like Esther did in her fasting and prayer, and to seek healing and reconciliation in your relationships. Each of these reflections tells us that hope is not simply wishful thinking, it is a firm trust that God is working in and through all things, even when you don’t see it immediately.
Today, Jesus invites you to take this hope one step further by choosing love in all circumstances. When you respond to trials with love, whether that means forgiving, praying for those who have hurt you, or simply refusing to let resentment take root, you align your hearts more fully with Christ. Love is not always a feeling; sometimes, it is an act of faith, a choice to trust that God is working even in difficult relationships and circumstances.
Let Us Pray:
Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of hope that sustains me through trials. Teach me to love as You love, to extend mercy where it is difficult, and to trust in Your grace when my heart is weary. Help mes to be anchored in You, knowing that my trials are not without purpose. May my words and actions this weekend reflect Your love, bringing healing and peace to those around me. Amen.
HOPE For Your Health: Strengthening Discipline
Congratulations! You’ve completed a week of intermittent fasting with a 13-hour fasting window. This is a huge step in building both physical discipline and spiritual strength. Just as you have reflected on hope in trials this week, fasting is a good reminder that growth often comes through perseverance. By embracing the challenge, you have not only strengthened your willpower but also given your body and mind the opportunity to heal and function more optimally.
The Science: How Fasting Improves Brain Function
Intermittent fasting is not just about metabolic health; it has powerful benefits for the brain as well:
Increases Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF): This essential protein supports learning, memory, and brain plasticity. Higher BDNF levels are linked to reduced risk of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Reduces Inflammation: Chronic inflammation contributes to brain fog, anxiety, and depression. Fasting triggers anti-inflammatory processes, improving mental clarity and emotional resilience.
Enhances Autophagy in the Brain: Just as fasting helps the body clean out damaged cells, it also supports the brain’s ability to remove toxins and repair itself, leading to sharper cognitive function and protection against age-related decline.
Moving Forward
Now that you have successfully completed a week of 13-hour fasting windows, consider how this discipline has affected both your body and spirit. Have you been tying your fasting to a prayer intention? Have you felt more present, more mindful of your habits, or more aware of how your choices impact your overall well-being? Keep building on this foundation. Next week, you will continue to refine your fasting practice and integrate it even more deeply into your journey of hope and renewal.
HOPE For Your Marriage:
Listening and Speaking with Love
Loving those who love you is easy. But loving when it’s hard? That is where grace comes in. In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus calls us to love even our enemies, to pray for those who challenge us, and to rise above resentment. This teaching is not just for strangers, it’s for marriage, too.
Throughout this past week, we have reflected on the importance of communication, listening, and speaking with love. But at the heart of it all is love; the choice to listen with an open heart, to speak with kindness, and to respond with grace even when you don’t feel like it. Marriage is full of moments where you can either react in frustration or respond with love. When tensions rise, when miscommunication happens, or when you feel unheard, you can either build walls or bridges. Jesus’ words remind us that real love goes beyond emotions; it is a commitment to seek the good of the other, even in the difficult moments.
Challenge for the Weekend:
Be intentional about both listening and speaking with love. Set aside time for a meaningful conversation with your spouse. Practice active listening—giving your full attention, without interruption. When you speak, choose words that encourage, affirm, and bring peace. Let this be a weekend of strengthening your connection and reflecting Christ’s love in your marriage.
from: Savorthebest.com
St. Hildegard of Bingen sings the praises of spelt, calling it the ultimate grain. "It is warming, fattening, strengthening, and milder than any other grain," she writes. According to her writings in Physica, spelt nurtures robust flesh, invigorates the blood, and bestows a joyful state of mind.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup sourdough starter, (240 grams)
1-¾ cups lukewarm water, (413 grams)
4-¼ to 5-¼ cups whole wheat spelt flour, (550 to 680 grams)
2 teaspoons salt, (12 grams)
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine all the ingredients in the bowl and stir until it is well combined. The dough will have a rough, chunky look.
Dump the dough onto a work surface and knead the dough with your hands until it is smooth. Approximately 10 to 12 minutes. (Essentially, you are massaging the dough by stretching and pushing. This will help develop the gluten.) At this stage, it will be wet and sticky. Try not to add more flour or your finished bread will be dense and heavy. The dough will stick to your hands and feel messy but if you get your hands wet it won’t stick as easily.
Place the dough into an oiled bowl and turn it so oil coats the top of the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for 3 to 6 hours (see notes) or in the refrigerator overnight. (A longer proof time in the fridge will give the bread a more complex, sourdough flavor.)
Turn the dough out onto a work surface and form it into a round ball. (See notes)
Place the ball of dough into a proofing basket or any container that is the shape that you want your bread to be shaped. (See notes)
Let the dough rise again a second time for 3 to 6 hours** at room temperature until almost doubled in size. (Or you could let it rise in the fridge overnight for 12 to 15 hours)
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the Dutch oven inside so it gets hot. It should take 20 to 30 minutes to preheat the Dutch oven.
Place a piece of parchment on a board then lay it on top of the proofing basket. Flip the board and basket so the basket is on top then remove the basket.
When the oven is hot, use the parchment paper to place the bread into the Dutch oven. Make a slash in the loaf with a sharp knife. For an extra burst of steam and a slightly higher rise, spray the dough with a bit of water.
Bake for 20 minutes then remove the lid and finish baking for another to 30 to 35 minutes.
Let the bread cool completely before slicing it.
Even in a world that's being shipwrecked,
remain brave and strong.
~St. Hildegard of Bingen
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