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We’ve Closed The Book On 2023 

Today you might find yourself remembering some of the triumphs and trials of the past year. Even if you have had wonderful successes in the past twelve months, you can probably remember some low points. 

As you enter a new year, I hope you remember that God’s plans have always been to prosper you. He can transform ordinary events and difficult trials into key moments that help his plans to prosper. He is not out to harm us, but the dark moments we experience can be part of the most important lessons to help us grow nearer to him. 

Today ponder on this thought: God has a way of saving His world that we may find hard to understand. He introduced His Son into the world and brought about our salvation in a way that could easily be overlooked by this secular world. Yet He has changed the world, and His Kingdom keeps growing. That same God comes into our lives and draws us into His plans for a hope-filled future! Thank you, God! 

“I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11).

Let’s Pray 

Yahweh, my life is in your hands. Father, I praise you for the joys you have brought me in the past year, and for the ways you refined me through the trials in my life. Lord, prepare me to be part of your work in the year ahead. In Jesus’s name, Amen.  

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New Year Opportunities 

One day in March 2005, Ashley Smith came home to find a fleeing murderer waiting for her. He held her hostage for several hours at gunpoint. During that time, she did something extraordinary; she took advantage of the opportunity and witnessed to her captor. She cooked him breakfast, read from Rick Warren’s book The Purpose-Driven Life, and talked about God’s plan for his life and about Christ. Later the man peacefully gave himself up to the police. 

Scripture reminds us, “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity”. God often presents us with opportunities to witness, but we often let them slip by because we’re not wise enough to see them for what they are. 

The apostle Paul says we are “God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do”. God often places good works before us in the form of opportunities to share our faith with people who are outside the faith, but we need to be wise and willing enough to make the most of those opportunities. 

Today as we enter a new year, we need to remember that each new day brings opportunities to serve the Lord and express our faith to others, sometimes in strange and different situations. 

Be wise in the way you act … ; make the most of every opportunity. (Colossians 4:5).

Let’s Pray 

Yahweh, I have often let many opportunities pass by. Father in this New Year, give me the wisdom to see each opportunity you place before me, to do your will and share our faith. In Christ’s name, Amen. 

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Scandalous Discipleship 

Throughout December, we’ve looked at the scandals of the advent. The definition of the word scandal is an action or event regarded as morally or legally wrong and causing public outrage. From the King becoming to an unmarried teenager, to being born in Poverty, then the murders surrounding Jesus’ birth. What about the expensive elaborate gifts given to a humble king? Then having to be moving like a fugitive to avoid the law of the land. The greatest of all scandals must have been the insurrection at the cross. Jesus’ scandalous death on the torture instrument called the cross would cause outrage and cast a long shadow over his life and his followers. 

What makes the Christian faith different from any other, is how Christ’s followers all have scandalous lives just like the Advent and the crucifixion. The Christian faith has the boldness to declare that we were lost in sin and through Christ’s death on the cross the world was reconciled to God. The Christian faith has the audacity to declare that those who are Jesus’ disciples should take up the cross… 

I suppose the ultimate scandal is that suffering can be used by God for our good. Suffering is not only redemptive in the life of Jesus. It is redemptive in our own lives. Christ will use our sufferings to establish his kingdom, witness to his gospel, and work greater holiness in our personal lives. On this day as we kick off the new year, here’s a resolution worth keeping: Take up Christ’s cross of obedience, face the hardship that such a life of discipleship creates, and follow your Lord with everything you have – loving your neighbour as yourself. HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

“Anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” (Matthew 10:38).

Let’s Pray Yahshua, thank you for your willingness to bear my burdens. Father, give me the strength to bear the burdens of others and take up the cross of discipleship and all that it brings for your sake. In Christ’s name, Amen.

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God Has Come To Us

When Christ was born, a great company of angels announced his birth. He was the Son of God, after all, he deserved a grand supernatural entrance into the world. They sang a glorious song and must have looked amazing as they shone in the night sky. 

But the angels announced the Saviour’s birth to a group of peasants, not the rich and famous. They were not a grand audience to receive the King of all nations, “Yahshua the Messiah.” Nevertheless, His birth was announced to the lowly. 

It’s fitting that Christ’s birth was announced to a lowly group of people. For the Messiah’s coming was to bring God’s love to the loveless, hope to the hopeless and help to the helpless like us and to fulfil the dreams of the lowly, meek, and humble. Another purpose of Christ’s coming was to restore people like us to a relationship with God. So, the shepherds were just the right kind of people to hear this news. 

This world desperately needs God. We desperately need God. But no matter how hard we try, we cannot get to God on merit. The good news of this season is that God has come to us. Hallelujah! The good news of the nativity is that in Yahweh, the hopes of the world are fulfilled. Let’s make this good news the focus of our New Year celebration! 

Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. (Luke 2:11).

Let’s Pray 

Yahshua, with the angels, I give you glory and praise. With the shepherds, I thank you that by your grace you have come to the lowly and alone like me and all my family and friends. Help me to never loose sight of this truth as I reflect on the birth of Jesus. In His name I pray, Amen.

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Lessons From The Nativity 4 An Invitation To The Shepherds

For the shepherds watching over their sheep, it started as a quiet night. Then suddenly an angel was standing in front of them! Of course, they were terrified, but the angel said, “Do not be afraid”. The angel announced that he was bringing good news that would give all the people great joy. 

This was not just good news; it was life-changing good news. The Saviour had been born, and he was going to deliver us out of all the trouble we were in. And how could the shepherds know who he was? The angel said, “You will find a baby wrapped in cloth and lying in a manger”. Without any notice, an entire army of angels appeared, not coming to terrify the world but to surround them with praise about God’s plan for a peace-filled world. 

As You enter the New Year remember the promise of Christmas: God’s peace, God’s invitation to the world to start over again. The invitation still stands… Come to Bethlehem. Come and be a part of something new: a new King, a new Kingdom, a new way of life. 

How do you respond to this invitation and become part of this new Kingdom? By faith- believing in Jesus. When we believe, we will want to start over. Then Jesus says, you must be born again. Jesus says, today come and have a new life and become a child of God. 

The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” (Luke 2:10).

Let’s Pray 

Yahshua, show me the way to the manger, so that in seeing you, I may believe and in believing, have eternal life. In Christ’s name, Amen. 

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Stay focused This Christmas

Nothing deterred the wilderness preacher John the Baptist from losing his focus on Christ. From the beginning, John made clear that he was not the Messiah. His ministry was about pointing people to Christ the Lamb. When Jesus came to be baptized, John’s said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”. Not even petty arguments, nor the fact that his followers left him to follow Jesus, caused him to lose focus. He simply said, “Christ must become greater; I must become less.”.

 

At Christmas time, children and adults often ask, “What did you get for Christmas?”. Unlike John the Baptist, how quickly we lose focus on Jesus, who came to give us salvation. Instead, we think of ourselves and the things we have or don’t have. Ask yourself, “Am I full of joy because I have heard the Savior’s voice and received His gifts?”.

 

Today, stay focused on Christ the Lamb because there is one event coming that is greater than Christmas – the day the Messiah will return. Then all who have heard His voice and have faith in Him as the Savior will join with God’s people, singing, “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory”! What a day that will be…

 

“He must become greater; I must become less.” (John 3:30).

 

Let’s Pray

Yahweh, help me to avoid getting caught up in my own interests and other distractions during this Christmas time. God, please guide me daily to stay focused on your Son and His amazing love, now and until He returns. In Christ name, Amen. 
https://godinterest.com/2023/12/stay-focused-this-christmas.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=wordpress

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If You Are Hurting This Holiday Season…

Remember: 

 

Christ is the hope for the broken-hearted. Pain is real. He felt it. Heartbreak is inevitable. He experienced it. Tears come. His did. Betrayal happens. He was betrayed. 

 

He knows. He sees. He understands. He loves deeply, in ways we can’t even fathom. When your heart breaks at Christmas, when the pain comes, when the whole thing seems like more than you can bear, you can look to the manger. You can look to the cross. You can remember the hope that comes with His birth. 

 

The pain may not leave. But, His hope will swaddle you tight. His gentle mercy, will hold you until you can breathe again. What you long for this holiday may never be, but He is and is to come. You can trust that, even in your holiday hurts. 

 

Be patient and kind to yourself. Give yourself extra time and space to process your hurt, and reach out to others around you if you need extra support. 

 

Find a cause to invest in. There is a saying, “grief is just love with no place to go”. Find a cause that honours the memory of a loved one. Giving time or money to a suitable charity can be helpful, as it gives expression to the love in your heart. 

 

Create new traditions. Hurt changes us. Sometimes it is helpful for us to change our traditions to create a new normal. If you have a holiday tradition that feels unbearable, don’t do it. Instead, consider doing something new… Creating new traditions can help alleviate some of the added sadness old traditions often bring. 

 

Today, you may be overwhelmed, bruised and broken, but there is still goodness to be welcomed and blessings to be claimed this season, even in pain. There will be holidays in the future when you will feel stronger and lighter, and these very difficult days are part of the road to them, so accept whatever gifts God has for you. You may not fully open them for years, but unwrap them as the Spirit gives you strength, and watch the heaviness and hurt disappear. 

 

“And in the same way the Spirit is a help to our feeble hearts: for we are not able to make prayer to God in the right way; but the Spirit puts our desires into words which are not in our power to say.” (Romans 8:26).

 

Let’s Pray 

Yahweh, thank You for Your greatness. Thank You that when I am weak, You are strong. Father, the devil is scheming, and I know he desires to keep me from spending time with You and loved ones this holiday. Don’t let him win! Give me a measure of Your strength so that I might not give into discouragement, deception, and doubt! Help me honour You in all my ways, in Jesus’ Name! Amen. 
https://godinterest.com/2023/12/if-you-are-hurting-this-holiday-season.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=wordpress

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People Hurt At Christmas

While the rest of the world around us becomes excited and enamoured with our culture’s celebration of the Christmas holidays, some of us struggle through the holiday season. Overcome with clouds of depression, and battles with fear and dread, fractured relationships, divorce, dysfunction, compromised finances, loss of loved ones, isolation, loneliness, and any number of other circumstances. It becomes even harder to navigate, due to the often unrealistic expectations of the holiday. For many years in my life, loneliness magnifies, stress accelerates, busyness intensifies, and sadness overwhelms.

There is something about this holiday that intensifies all emotions. The hype begins in October and builds up in the weeks before Christmas and new year, often making it a very difficult time for those of us who have experience loss of any kind. If, like me, you find Christmas is a difficult time, then let’s see if we can figure out a better way of coping together.

Today, I write this word from the depths of my own pain and experience, in hopes of helping those who struggle with this season for various reasons. God’s Word and His principles of love, power, and truth are woven into every element of encouragement. Practical suggestions and challenges are presented to help navigate this and every stressful and difficult season. My passion is to bring hope and healing to hearts that are hurting, helping them break free from the burdens of stress, depression and dread, and find a new way of joy and simplicity.

 “The Lord is near the broken-hearted; He is the Saviour of those whose spirits are crushed down.” (Psalm 34:18 BBE).

Let’s Pray

Yahweh, I know only You can help this pain vanish away. Father, I plead for peace and serenity as I fight the pain I am feeling during this season. Send Your hand down to me, and fill me with Your strength. God, I cannot take this pain any longer without Your help! Release me from this hold and restore me. I trust in You to give me the strength to get through this time of the year. I pray that the pain will be gone! It will not hold me down, because I have the Lord on my side, in Jesus’ name! Amen.
https://godinterest.com/2023/12/people-hurt-at-christmas.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=wordpress

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Don’t Run The Race of Others

  

Many go through life competing with everyone around them. They see someone who’s more talented, better looking or has more gifts. Instead of running their own race and being comfortable with who they are, oftentimes they feel inferior and start thinking, “I’ve got to catch up to them.” The problem with this unhealthy competition is that it’s a continuous cycle. 

  

Remember, there will always be someone ahead of us. But, it’s a very freeing thing when you realise, “I’m not competing with anyone. I don’t have to have a big house like my friends to feel good about myself. I don’t have to keep up with my co-workers. I don’t have to be a certain size. I don’t have to have as many Christmas lights outside. No, I understand that I’m not in competition with my friend, my neighbour or my co-worker. Instead, I’m going to be the best me that I can be”.

  

Today, I remind you, contentment is an attitude God can work with. When you focus on being who God made you to be, and focus on running your own race, that’s when you’ll see things happen. That’s when you’ll rise up higher, and position yourself for every spiritual blessing God has in store for you! 

  

“…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…” (Hebrews 12:1–2, NKJV).

  

Let’s Pray 

Yahweh, I humbly come to You giving You all that I am. Father, I will stay in my God-given lane in life. I will keep my eyes on You and allow You to work in my heart and mind. I rebuke the self destructive attitudes of competition, jealousy and envy. I declare that I am free from negative, unhealthy competition today, in Christ’s Name! Amen. 
https://godinterest.com/2023/12/dont-run-race-of-others.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=wordpress

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And He Became Flesh

Each Gospel in Scripture gives a trustworthy account of Jesus’ life, but they don’t all repeat the same events. In Matthew and Luke we learn details about Jesus’ birth. Whereas  John doesn’t mention Jesus’ birth, but he instead explains its deep meaning. John links Jesus with the creation of the world: “In the beginning was the Word”. Who is this eternal Word? As the rest of John’s gospel shows, the Word is the one and only Son of God. But He did not create the world and then step back, remaining aloof from His creation. After sin, He entered the world He had made, took on flesh, and became just like us, offering us an eternal life line.

Today, we can’t explain it logically. God, who is not bound by ­human logic, sent His Son, who became flesh, to provide the very Saviour we need. Fully divine and fully human without sin, Christ makes us right with God by His sacrifice on the cross. Tracing the branches of Christ’s human family tree brings us to the first Advent many celebrate at Christmas, where we see as Joseph, Mary, and the shepherds saw long ago, the glory of the Son of God, who became like us to save us from our sins. Now that’s good news of great joy! Hallelujah!!!

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. — John 1:14

Let’s Pray

Yahweh, full of grace and truth, great Creator and gentle Saviour, be born in our hearts this holiday season. God, this Christmas, be real in our lives. Father, never have we needed Your joy and peace more than now. Thank You for the gift of Jesus, our Immanuel, the Word made flesh. In Christ’s Name! Amen.
https://godinterest.com/2023/12/and-he-became-flesh.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=wordpress

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Lessons From The Nativity 1 – True Celebration Includes Surrender

Some years ago, a Christmas musical included Mary saying, “If the Lord has spoken, I must do as he commands. I will put my life into his hands. I will trust him with my life.” That was Mary’s response to the surprise announcement that she would be the mother of the Son of God. Whatever the consequences, she was able to say, “May your word to me be fulfilled”.

Mary was ready to surrender her life to the Lord, even if it meant that she might be disgraced in the eyes of everyone who knew her. And because she trusted the Lord with her life, she became the mother of Jesus and could celebrate the coming of the Saviour. Mary took God at his word, accepted God’s will for her life, and placed herself in God’s hands.

That’s what it takes to truly celebrate Christmas: to believe what is completely unbelievable to many people, to accept God’s will for our lives, and to place ourselves in God’s service, trusting that our lives are in his hands. Only then will we be able to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas. Ask the Holy Spirit today to help you trust God with your life and turn your life’s controls over to him. When you do, your life will never be the same.

I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” (Luke 1:38).

Let’s Pray

Yahshua, please give me faith to believe that the child I celebrate today is your Son, my Saviour. Father, help me to acknowledge him as Lord and to trust him with my life. In Christ’s name, Amen.

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Release This New Year

How would you feel if someone came up to you today and said, “Give me all of your monthly bills; I’m going to pay them.” You’d get pretty excited wouldn’t you? But it wouldn’t happen until you did your part to actually hand that person your bills. They can’t pay them for you if you never release them. In the same way, when we release our cares and concerns to God, He promises to take care of them. So hand them over.

As this year draws to a close and we look towards the new year, God wants to give you rest. He wants to refresh and restore your soul, mind, will and emotions. It’s so easy to get caught up in the busyness of this stressful life, and before long, your mind, will and emotions are so spun that you can barely think straight! Remember, even in the hustle and bustle of life, you can find rest, ease and relaxation. During 2024 God wants to take care of everything that concerns you, so that you can find rest in your innermost being when you come to Him.

Today and throughout this new year, release your cares to the Lord. Let Him fill you with His peace and joy. Receive the rest, relaxation and restoration that He promises. Enjoy the total fulfillment and blessings for your body, mind and emotions He has in store for you.


“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28, NIV).


Let’s Pray

Jehovah, I humbly come to You. I choose to cast my cares on You, so that I can live in Your rest and break free from the stress of this life. Father, thank You for Your goodness to me. I give You my mind heal it and take control of all my emotions. Please God, lift my burdens and refresh my weariness. God, help me find ways to share Your rest and goodness with those around me. In Christs name. Amen.

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Your Prince Of Peace

Based upon the Word of God, the birth of Christ gave us our Prince of Peace. No matter what may be going on around you today, you can still live in peace. Scripture encourages us not to let our hearts be troubled. In other words, don’t meditate on all the negative things in this world to the point that it steals your peace. 

 

During this season, if you have fear, worry or anxiety about anything, recognise that those feelings aren’t from God, because He has promised to give you a spirit of Peace, power, love and a sound mind. There is tremendous power in peace. When you are at peace internally, you can think more clearly. You can hear the voice of God more easily. You’ll make better decisions. Even your physical body responds to peace.

 

Today, the enemy knows this, and his goal is to steal your peace. He tries to set you up to get you upset. But when you choose to receive God’s peace, then no weapon formed against you shall prosper!

 

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27, NIV).

 

Let’s Pray

Yahweh, thank You for Your gift of peace in my life. Father, I choose to receive Your Son as my Prince of Peace. I carry Your peace in my heart and hold it close to me always. God, I receive Your Word as truth and life to my soul, in Jesus’ name! Amen.

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Stay focused This Christmas

Nothing deterred the wilderness preacher John the Baptist from losing his focus on Christ. From the beginning, John made clear that he was not the Messiah. His ministry was about pointing people to Christ the Lamb. When Jesus came to be baptized, John’s said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”. Not even petty arguments, nor the fact that his followers left him to follow Jesus, caused him to lose focus. He simply said, “Christ must become greater; I must become less.”.

 

At Christmas time, children and adults often ask, “What did you get for Christmas?”. Unlike John the Baptist, how quickly we lose focus on Jesus, who came to give us salvation. Instead, we think of ourselves and the things we have or don’t have. Ask yourself, “Am I full of joy because I have heard the Savior’s voice and received His gifts?”.

 

Today, stay focused on Christ the Lamb because there is one event coming that is greater than Christmas – the day the Messiah will return. Then all who have heard His voice and have faith in Him as the Savior will join with God’s people, singing, “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory”! What a day that will be…

 

“He must become greater; I must become less.” (John 3:30).

 

Let’s Pray

Yahweh, help me to avoid getting caught up in my own interests and other distractions during this Christmas time. God, please guide me daily to stay focused on your Son and His amazing love, now and until He returns. In Christ name, Amen. 

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If You Are Hurting This Holiday Season…

Remember: 

 

Christ is the hope for the broken-hearted. Pain is real. He felt it. Heartbreak is inevitable. He experienced it. Tears come. His did. Betrayal happens. He was betrayed. 

 

He knows. He sees. He understands. He loves deeply, in ways we can’t even fathom. When your heart breaks at Christmas, when the pain comes, when the whole thing seems like more than you can bear, you can look to the manger. You can look to the cross. You can remember the hope that comes with His birth. 

 

The pain may not leave. But, His hope will swaddle you tight. His gentle mercy, will hold you until you can breathe again. What you long for this holiday may never be, but He is and is to come. You can trust that, even in your holiday hurts. 

 

Be patient and kind to yourself. Give yourself extra time and space to process your hurt, and reach out to others around you if you need extra support. 

 

Find a cause to invest in. There is a saying, “grief is just love with no place to go”. Find a cause that honours the memory of a loved one. Giving time or money to a suitable charity can be helpful, as it gives expression to the love in your heart. 

 

Create new traditions. Hurt changes us. Sometimes it is helpful for us to change our traditions to create a new normal. If you have a holiday tradition that feels unbearable, don’t do it. Instead, consider doing something new… Creating new traditions can help alleviate some of the added sadness old traditions often bring. 

 

Today, you may be overwhelmed, bruised and broken, but there is still goodness to be welcomed and blessings to be claimed this season, even in pain. There will be holidays in the future when you will feel stronger and lighter, and these very difficult days are part of the road to them, so accept whatever gifts God has for you. You may not fully open them for years, but unwrap them as the Spirit gives you strength, and watch the heaviness and hurt disappear. 

 

“And in the same way the Spirit is a help to our feeble hearts: for we are not able to make prayer to God in the right way; but the Spirit puts our desires into words which are not in our power to say.” (Romans 8:26).

 

Let’s Pray 

Yahweh, thank You for Your greatness. Thank You that when I am weak, You are strong. Father, the devil is scheming, and I know he desires to keep me from spending time with You and loved ones this holiday. Don’t let him win! Give me a measure of Your strength so that I might not give into discouragement, deception, and doubt! Help me honour You in all my ways, in Jesus’ Name! Amen. 

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People Hurt At Christmas

While the rest of the world around us becomes excited and enamoured with our culture’s celebration of the Christmas holidays, some of us struggle through the holiday season. Overcome with clouds of depression, and battles with fear and dread, fractured relationships, divorce, dysfunction, compromised finances, loss of loved ones, isolation, loneliness, and any number of other circumstances. It becomes even harder to navigate, due to the often unrealistic expectations of the holiday. For many years in my life, loneliness magnifies, stress accelerates, busyness intensifies, and sadness overwhelms.


There is something about this holiday that intensifies all emotions. The hype begins in October and builds up in the weeks before Christmas and new year, often making it a very difficult time for those of us who have experience loss of any kind. If, like me, you find Christmas is a difficult time, then let’s see if we can figure out a better way of coping together.


Today, I write this word from the depths of my own pain and experience, in hopes of helping those who struggle with this season for various reasons. God’s Word and His principles of love, power, and truth are woven into every element of encouragement. Practical suggestions and challenges are presented to help navigate this and every stressful and difficult season. My passion is to bring hope and healing to hearts that are hurting, helping them break free from the burdens of stress, depression and dread, and find a new way of joy and simplicity.


 “The Lord is near the broken-hearted; He is the Saviour of those whose spirits are crushed down.” (Psalm 34:18 BBE).


Let’s Pray

Yahweh, I know only You can help this pain vanish away. Father, I plead for peace and serenity as I fight the pain I am feeling during this season. Send Your hand down to me, and fill me with Your strength. God, I cannot take this pain any longer without Your help! Release me from this hold and restore me. I trust in You to give me the strength to get through this time of the year. I pray that the pain will be gone! It will not hold me down, because I have the Lord on my side, in Jesus’ name! Amen.

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