Welcome to Hearts of Hope
Welcome to Hearts of Hope (formerly Christformed)
Hello! I am Greg M. Cole, author and creator of the Hearts of Hope newsletter. I am a Christian Poet, Author, and Teacher who is dedicated to living as an apprentice of Jesus Christ and becoming more like Him. At Hearts of Hope, you will find poetry, prayers, and articles that bring hope and encouragement. Over the past few years, I have come to the conclusion that there is a tremendous need for hope in our world today. As I interact and listen to people (both those who follow Christ and those who do not), I continually hear the need for hope. The underlying scriptural foundation for this newsletter is Romans 15:13.
I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
— Romans 15:13 NLT
What You Will Find Here
I consider myself a poet first. Although I enjoy writing prose, I am in ”my happy place,” as they say, when working out the exact wording of a poem. Poem ideas and words just seem to come to me. I can’t explain it. It just happens. That doesn’t mean that finding the exact word or phrase isn’t difficult. It is, but at the same time, it is invigorating.
I also enjoy writing prose, although it is more difficult and time-consuming. Sometimes, thoughts need to be expanded beyond the words of poetry to fully convey the nuances and depth of the concepts being communicated. So, you will find both my original poetry and articles that lean into the hope we have in Christ.
You will also find prayers here. I see written prayers as a specific form of poetry directed to God. Today, most Christian Faith expressions have moved away from reading prayers. I think that reading a well-written prayer brings the reader into a focus on God that may otherwise be missed.
Here is what you will find most weeks on the Hearts of Hope website. Or, in your email inbox, if you subscribe.
Monday Missives: Each Monday, there will be a Poem, A Prayer, and A Passage of Scripture with a specific focus.
Friday Articles: On most Fridays, there will be an article of about 1,000 - 1,200 words, or a three to five-minute read. Your time is valuable, so I try to keep my articles short and to the point.
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Thank you for being here and spending the time to read about Hearts of Hope!
A Little About Me (if you are interested)
I am an old guy with a young heart and attitude. For the last nineteen years, I have taught ministry students as a seminary professor. I am currently semi-retired, teaching part-time in a Doctor of Ministry Program. One of the DMin seminars that I teach is “Spiritual Formation.” I teach it because I am passionate about people deepening their relationship with Jesus and being formed into His image. Before I became a seminary professor, I pastored local churches for over twenty years.
I have been writing poetry since my college days. I merely “dabbled” in writing poems for many years because life got in the way. In my final year of college, I married my high school sweetheart. We have raised two sons and have been in ministry together for over forty years. Now that I am semi-retired, I feel led to lean into writing more poetry, articles, and books that help people experience hope and encouragement as they become more like Jesus.
Christ calls us to a life of transformation—a life continuously being formed into His image. This is the basic “why” we are called to make a faith commitment to Jesus—not so that we will go to heaven when we die, not to live a life of trying not to sin, not to live a good life. These are all important, but the primary reason for being a follower of Jesus is to become like Him — to be formed in His image!
My prayer for you is that you will experience abiding hope as you become more like Jesus today than you were yesterday!
By the way, I love coffee, so feel free to buy me a cup anytime.