Martin Luther King Jr’s Courage
The third Monday of January invites us to pause and remember a man whose courage still echoes through history — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He was a Baptist minister with a prophet’s voice and a pastor’s heart. He dared to believe that love could outshine hate and that light could still win. Just before…
It’s a Promise Package
Somewhere between the alarm clock and the first cup of coffee, fear and worry like to sneak in when we least expect it. It whispers, What? When? Where? Why? But God has a gentler, stronger voice. He says, “You and Me — you are loved and We’ve got this!” Scripture puts it plainly:“Where God’s love…
Our Emotions Serve a Purpose
And, oh how my emotions can be topsy-turvy! But, thank God — He knows me well. In fact, He never asked for polite affection. He asked for passionate love.“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.” (Mark 12:30) That’s not a Hallmark-card kind of love. That’s a whole-life, all-in, no-holding-back…
Clear Vision
Have you ever tried to walk through your house in the dark — confident you know where everything is — only to stub your toe on a chair that never moved? That’s what life can feel like without clear vision. Ouch! The Bible puts it plainly: “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” (Proverbs…
Restore — All Things New
I recently wrote about a dear friend recovering from brain tumor surgery. Thanks be to God, she continues to improve day by day. But what truly gave me pause was watching her husband — her steady, faithful caregiver for more than four months. His eyes light up as he tells us about each small victory,…
He Holds Tomorrow
On the little shelf outside our apartment door, I change out a bit of décor each month — nothing fancy, just something meant to encourage passersby by giving my voice to faith and calm in a noisy world. This January, I placed a simple sign that reads: “I don’t know what the future holds, but…
An Angel in the Garden
Our word for the year is encourage—and wouldn’t you know it, God keeps giving us pop-up reminders everywhere we turn. Right outside our garage, no less. Our community has shared garden beds—wood-sided spaces meant for flowers, vegetables, and herbs. Most of them shine through spring and summer, then quietly rest. But not Cherry’s. Oh no. Cherry…
Epiphany: When the Light Keeps Leading
Yesterday, January 6th marked Epiphany — the celebration of the manifestation of Christ to the world. It gently closed the Twelve Days of Christmas and opened our eyes a bit wider to what God was doing all along. Tradition tells us that the Wise Men arrived later than our nativity scenes suggest. Jesus may have…
The Beautiful Surprise of Being an Encourager
A few days ago, I wrote about being an encourager. Funny how God does that — once we speak a word out loud, He hands us an opportunity to live it. Like I often do, I asked God for a “word” for 2026. As Carl and I prayed our way into this new chapter, we…
The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow
“Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow, there’ll be sun…” Thanks, Annie. Turns out she was onto something eternal. A brand-new year arrived, but aside from the clock striking midnight, nothing really looked different. The first minute of a new day is just as dark as the last minute of the old one. No fireworks. No…