Abiding Hope and Love by Connie Arnold

This poetry collection is filled with optimism, revealing hope and love that may be found throughout life. Included are poems about hope, love, children, music, the Bible and nature. Life is filled with difficulties and trials, and finding hope and love can help you overcome these problems and find peace in your life.



Interview With Connie Arnold:

Why did you write this book?

My first book, Beautiful Moments of Joy and Peace, has been so well received, and hearing from so many how much the poems have helped them encouraged me to continue writing as the inspiration continued to flow. Abiding Hope and Love was written to uplift and encourage others through all circumstances of life. These poems express the hope, comfort and peace that I have discovered through difficult times. Some challenges I face in my life come from having lupus and fibromyalgia with resulting pain, fatigue, weakness, and various other problems. Everyone has challenges to face, pain, suffering, sorrow or other difficulties, and these poems share the great source of hope and love to bring joy into our lives.

What was your favorite part?

The section of poems about children was probably my favorite. I have three small grandsons, and they give me so much joy! All children are such special blessings and miracles of love. In fact, one poem in this section is titled “A Tiny Miracle.”

What was hardest to write?

That’s a good question! The poems of hope and love seemed to flow fairly effortlessly, and the ones about children, music and nature are things which bring me great delight. I guess the ones based on the Bible were the hardest because of the importance of the words of scripture. Trying to capture what a great treasure the Bible is, the joy and praise from Psalms, the story of creation, a couple of parables and some of the names for Jesus and their meaning required much prayerful reading and meditating.

What do you hope folks get from reading your book?

Hope is one thing that is offered through the poems, and feelings of joy, peace, beauty and love. I hope that readers will find, as the title poem says:

When troubles and trials of life
Like winds are howling around,
A place that is quiet and sheltered
Is what needs to be found.

As in the hurricane’s eye
The destructive winds cease,
So also within the soul
Is a haven of calm and peace.

When the winds of fear and hatred
Rage and roar along their course,
Through prayer their strength is weakened,
As faith subdues their force.

There’s a safe, secure retreat,
A place down deep inside,
The center of life’s storms,
Where hope and love abide.

Abiding Hope and Love by Connie Arnold

What's next for you?

Two more inspirational poetry collections are in the works, one with the subjects of compassion and grace, and the other poems of the seasons and different holidays. I have also written children’s books that were to be published last year but due to complications are still awaiting publication. I am hoping these books will be available for my grandchildren and many other young children in the near future.