Reflect on your sense of hope. Do you tend to be optimistic or pessimistic in most areas of life? How does that affect your faith? I think as I look at this topic, I fall into the optimistic category. I think that in the world that we live in, it is very easy to fall into the pessimistic side of hope; when that happens, I think people are more apt to disengage. We can easily come to a place of resignation, telling ourselves "what difference does it make?" The truth is that we must continue to put our hope in Christ! For me, I always come back to the promise found in Christ, that he will never leave me, and that he has overcome this world and all the dark and pessimistic things it throws at me. Christ is ready and willing to lead me in faith, and I have to put my hope and trust in him alone.