The Constant

 

Welcome to 2026!  I believe the older I get the more quickly time passes.  I know, time is time.  Yet, it does feel as if the days move quickly.  As we enter a new year, I will be taking the month of January to focus on “new year” themes to get us kick-started into 2026.  This week we will focus on the constant.

Before we move to what is constant, it is important for us to realize that our time, no matter how quickly it passes, is filled with change.  Changes can originate in a multitude of ways.  There are changes that we may want to introduce into our lives.  A new year can orchestrate this for us with reflections on what was successful in the past year and what may have caused us time to pause.  It is those reflections that can help us to determine where we may want to embark on a new way of thinking, of doing!  

Along with ways we may want to introduce changes in our lives, we may also have change ‘gifted’ to us – areas where change comes into our lives that we may have not expected.   Some changes can be tough, a loss of relationship, job, or a loved one.  Some changes can be positive, such as a new job, new relationships, or new adventures.  Regardless of how we look at where our change originates, it can bring disruption to our lives.  It can be challenging to navigate change.

Often, it is while we walk through change that we may say to ourselves, “I wish just ONE thing would remain the same.”  Friends, we have that ONE thing – and His name is Jesus.  He is the same, yesterday, today, and tomorrow.  He will never change.  He will walk this life journey with us, regardless of what changes we may see.  He is faithful, loyal, and supportive.  He will guide us, protect us, and most importantly, He will LOVE us.  As we face the winds of change, whether self-induced or not, He will never leave us.  I find great comfort in that knowledge.

As we begin 2026, let us always be reminded that change will occur in our lives.  We can be guaranteed!  We also have the guarantee of a Savior who will be with us always during those changes, Jesus!  When we need to hold onto a simple truth, may we have simple faith that Jesus will provide the strength, the comfort, and the guidance we need on our journey!  Here is to 2026!

Video that complements this post:  The Constant

Dearest Jesus, thank you for being our constant amidst the change in our lives.  May we prioritize coming to you first for the support we need during these changes.  Amen!

God's Goodness

 

Here we are my friends, at the end of 2025.  I am certain that all of us experienced highs and lows during this past year.  Often, I have heard people describe their lives by the year that was ‘awesome’ for them.  They may say, “My best year was 1998,” or “2022 was the year for me!”  I have never been able to do that.  Each year has brought me great experiences and difficult challenges.  With each of those experiences, I have been able to learn something – something that makes me grow as a person.

My biggest lesson learned.  Whether I was standing on top of a mountain or wallowing in the bottom of a valley, my Lord was with me, standing beside me and walking with me through whatever journey I was on.  It is hard to see God’s goodness when we are in the lowest of valleys.  I find myself questioning God when I am in challenging times – can He hear me, can He see me, does not He know what I am going through!  My friends, He does hear us; He does see us; He certainly knows what we are feeling – even without us uttering a word to Him.

The beauty of our Lord is that His purpose is divine.  We cannot see the goodness that may be in store for us as we drudge through the muddiness of difficult moments.  Yet, we can firmly rely on the knowledge that He is with us and will get us to where we need to be. 

Now comes the challenge – think back over this past year.  Run through each month, each week, and see where God was good in your life.  Perhaps that work project that you sunk an incredible amount of time into went well.  Did your child achieve a milestone?  Were you able to make a purchase that you were hoping for (car, home, etc.)?  I can guarantee that there was a moment (probably numerous moments) throughout 2025 where God’s goodness shined.

Now, let us also review 2025 with an eye on the difficult moments.  Was there a loss in your life – a loved one, a job, a relationship?  Did you face a challenge – health issues, financial conditions?  Please know that whatever those difficulties were, our Lord was with you.  He guided you and walked with you.  The outcome may not have been what you or I had wanted, but the Lord guides us to goodness.  If we cannot see it now, we will get the opportunity to ask Him in heaven! 

My friends, reflect on God’s goodness in 2025 – and know that He will be with you as we walk into 2026.  Happy New Year – have simple faith that God is good – all the time!

Video that complements this post:  God's Goodness

God, thank you for your goodness – in good and tough times.  May I always sign your praises.  Amen!

The True Light

 

It is hard to believe how fast the time has gone—today marks the end of our journey through Advent, as we reach the fourth Sunday.   Hard to believe Christmas is less than a week away!  I pray that our focus on Jesus’ light and how we experience it has been a blessing during our time together this Advent season.

Our last verse is from John the Baptist.  Many believed that John was the Messiah.  He was quick to share that he was not the one who would be the Savior, but the one coming after him in His ministry, Jesus.  Here, John depicts Jesus as the TRUE light, who gives His light willingly to everyone.  This Godly light came into the world in Jesus.

Jesus is God.  Jesus is Light.  Jesus is Love, Truth, and Life.  The wonderful words of this verse jump off the page, stating that the only true light shines through our Savior, Jesus.  The next most important phrase is that He ‘gives light to everyone.’  You do not have to be a Jew OR a Gentile – His light is for all.  You do not have to be a certain race or color; Jesus gives His light to all.  Friends, the divisions of the day are man-made, not Christ-made.  Jesus brings his saving light to all who will have Him.

We need His light to shine over us so we can grow, thrive, and live!  Think about when a couple of cloudy days run together, we long to see the light.  The same occurs when darkness in our hearts and souls crowd their way in – we need light!  This light that brings us out of darkness only comes from the One who takes our darkness, the darkness of sin, and throws it away – only seeing who we truly are – God’s children.  What an incredible gift we are given in Jesus.

As Christmas approaches, may we spend some time reveling in the truth that our Jesus, the One True Light, is for us – for you and for me.  He came to earth to minister; to die and to rise again for each of us so we can live our lives in His light!  He came to us so that we may live with Him in paradise.  Our way to that paradise?  Believing that Jesus is our Savior is the only way to paradise. My friends, as we reflect on the light of the word, letting light shine and the light of the world, may we also remember the true light shines on us to provide us with hope, joy, truth, and love.  Merry Christmas to all!

Video that complements this post: The True Light

Dear One True Light, thank you for coming to earth so that we may have eternal life with you, Jesus!  May we always reflect on the light you so graciously give to us and may we be that light to others around us.  Amen!

Light of the World

 

Darkness—the quiet accumulation of negative thoughts that slowly overwhelm the spirit.  During the holiday season, when the world around us showers candy canes and lights on the trees, our spirit can be overcome by darkness.  This can surface for a variety of reasons.  Turning on the news and experiencing the darkness in our world (violence, wars, etc.), can bring us despair.  The grief of missing a loved one who has passed can bring a sense of emptiness.  Health challenges can bring a sense of hopelessness.  All of these situations and so many more can shower us with a heaviness we cannot explain.

Today’s verse brings us the light of hope in a world of darkness.  That light is our Jesus!  Jesus does not promise that our lives will not have dark moments.  In fact, John 16:33 states, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”  And indeed, He has!  Our dark moments are covered by Jesus’ light.  Our walk through the dark moments can be isolating and leave us believing that no other person is enduring what we are enduring.  Fear not!  Jesus tells us we will never walk in darkness if we follow Him!

Jesus brings us something that nobody else can, the light of hope.  This light may not take away all the darkness we are feeling, but He brings us the light that can burn brighter than the dark.  Jesus’ love covers us with a veil of light.  We may never understand why the darkness has entered our lives.  Yet, the hope that is brought to us by the light of the Son of God provides us with an everlasting Father who will never leave us, never forsake us.  He is greater than this world.  He overcame death so that we may live in His light.

Jesus also gives us the opportunity to be a light to others.  Look around you this Christmas season.  Is there someone who you could give the light of hope?  Is there something you can do for another that will bring light to their darkness?  It could be as simple as a phone call, preparing a meal, praying together, or sitting in silence.  Letting someone else feel your light may be all another person needs.  Bring Jesus’ light of the world to those around us!

Video that complements blog post:  Light of the World

Dearest Jesus, thank you for being the light of the world.  Your light overshadows any darkness we may be feeling with hope and love.  Help us to look around us to those who may need hope and love this Christmas season.  Amen!  

Let Light Shine

 

This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine!  Remember that song from Sunday School days?  As we continue our theme of light this Advent season, I had to bring this special verse to ‘light.’  Jesus gave us our marching orders with this verse, and it is our job to ensure we carry out His request to those around us.

Sit back with me for a moment.  What does it mean to you to be a child of God?  How does it make you feel to know you are loved by God Himself, that you are one of His children?  For me, that feeling is one of warmth and joy.  Thinking about it brings a smile to my face and a skip to my step!  When we reflect on all the goodness Jesus brought to earth, to each one of us and the multitude of blessings we receive on a daily basis, it is difficult not to shine with happiness.

What Jesus is asking of us in this verse is to shine that happiness with those around us.  The goodness that He has given to us needs to be shared with those around us.  Having Jesus in our hearts is too good to keep to ourselves and certainly cannot be hidden from others.  I remember when I was going through struggles in my life, people would say to me, “You are so strong.  How can you even smile while going through this?”  The strength that I had was not my own, it was the Holy Spirit in me.  That smile?  It was coming from God.

Friends, our lives are not perfect, and I am certain we all experience difficult days.  Yet, when we have Jesus in our lives, the light will always be in us.  Let us share that light with others.  It can be as simple as a smile to a stranger, a kind word to the grocery clerk, or a hug to a family or friend that was not expected.  Want to share light on a grander scale?  Find a family that needs help and offers to buy groceries.  Babysit for the single mom down the street who could use a break.  Bring some cookies to the new neighbor who just moved in.  There are many ways for us to shine Jesus’ light to others.

During this Advent season, may we be the light of hope and truth that others are seeking.  When they ask us where our light comes from, may we proudly share that our light comes from Jesus – and would they like to attend church services or a Bible study with us.  Now that is shining Jesus’ light!

Video that compliments this blog is: Let Light Shine

Dearest Jesus, help us to remember to shine the light that YOU gave to us.  May we be the light to others as you are to us.  In your shining name we pray, Amen!

Light of the Word

 

Advent 2025 is here!  I aim to select a theme for each Advent season that will bring home the meaning of Christmas.  This year I have selected ‘light.’  Talking with so many of you, 2025 has brought wonderful and happy circumstances, yet, it has also yielded dark and disappointing moments.  I felt ‘light’ would help us to remember the light that was gifted to us during Christmas.

Today’s verse focuses on the words of light.  The Bible is chock full of books, chapters, verses, and words that help give us light.  Reading the entire Bible like a book can seem daunting.  Yet there is something in there for each of us, in every dark situation we may have.  The beauty of God’s Word shines in each page. 

The complexity of life today can seem overwhelming.  Technology, with all the positive aspects it has brought to life, has also made life more difficult.  The speed by which we live our lives can prove too much to bear.  God’s Word provides us what we need when we need it.  Reading His words gives us understanding of the complexity of life.  We do not need to be scholars in theology to have God’s Word touch us and bring us hope in the darkness.

I have had moments when I did not know where to turn or how comfort would surround me; moments when the light of life has dimmed.  This is when I turn to the only One who can provide me light – light in His Words.  When I open my Bible, I find what I need to bring comfort and light in my darkest moments.  God’s Words provide us the hope to move on, in a way that directly connects with my heart and soul.

Dear friends, as we explore the light of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit this Advent season, I pray you will see the glory of the light that shines around us and in us.  Remember, always, that God’s love and light shines bright from the pages of His Word.  Open the Bible that is sitting on your bedstand.  Read about God’s light – and how He fills us with hope.  Here is to a light-filled Advent 2025!

Video that compliments this post:  Light of the Word

Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us Your Words to light up our lives.  Please guide me to the words that will light my heart to new heights and bring brightness to darkness.  Amen!

Small Thanksgivings

 

Here we are, a few days before Thanksgiving!  Families have a variety of traditions to help bring forward the importance of taking time to be thankful on this special day.  When our children were little, we used to pass out construction paper strips at dinner.  Each would write what they were thankful for, and we would make a paper chain.  I always enjoyed hearing about thanks from our children’s perspective. 

Last week, the blog discussed ways for us to be watchful in thanksgiving, seeking out times throughout our days where we were blessed and ensuring we provided praise to God, immediately.  This week we are focusing on the little blessings in our lives.  Today, we highlight the small things in each of our lives that provide us with a sense of peace.  This may be a small experience or a small item that provides you with a pause at that moment and a heart of gratitude.  I am certain that we all have these, throughout the day, small thanksgivings.

What do small thanksgivings look like?  It could be the five minutes a busy mom finds before the family wakes up – her ability to breath in deep the day ahead.  Perhaps it is the executive about to enter a meeting and grabs a coffee for comfort.  Envision an elderly member of our community who receives a smile from a passerby.  I have experienced being in the grocery store in the flower section and seeing a flower that reminds me of my father who passed.  Small thanksgivings – moments where our hearts were full and we found peace in the simplicity of our days.

Friends, small thanksgivings are a vital part of the numerous ways God blesses us.  God drops these moments into our day to remind us of His goodness.  I have often found myself moving so fast that I did not stop and enjoy the small thanksgiving He gave to me.  It takes nothing out of our day to move our thought to appreciate the moment, breathe in peace, and provide thanks to God. 

I pray, as we walk through the days ahead of us, especially during the busy holiday season, we take the time to experience small thanksgivings.  What has been placed within your day that brings a smile to your face?  What has been shared by God that brought you peace?  Those are the treasured moments where providing thanks is so important.  May you take the moment to say, “Thank you God, I needed that!” 

I pray that Thanksgiving provides you with an opportunity to be thankful for the small blessings in your life along with those that were seen through a ‘watchful eye.’  May the grace of God fill your heart and homes with thanksgiving and joy.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Video that Compliments Blog Post:  Small Thanksgivings

Dearest God, thank you for the small thanksgivings in my life.  May I take the time to ensure I pause long enough to realize the blessings you have bestowed upon me.  Amen!