What about you? Is this new year starting off like you thought it would?The news from California is awful; the pictures, heartbreaking. Then came the reports of too little response, not enough water, and lack of leadership. Total devastation for so many is mind boggling, not to mention maddening. I’m having trouble processing the amount of loss. Lives lost, and so many lifetimes of possessions and memories gone, burned beyond recognition.

Unlike the tragic loss from hurricanes several months ago, with North Carolina survivors still struggling to survive in winter weather, the scenes from California seem Armageddon-like. Santa Ana winds plus drought-like conditions occurring simultaneously, transformed mere sparks into roaring infernos. How do you recover from a tragedy like this? Will the magnitude of loss drive the insurance industry out of business? So many questions.

My prayers are with the survivors of this latest tragedy. It’s not the time to judge their lifestyle, wealth, political orientation, or laws. So many people have lost everything. God loves them and is waiting for them to turn to Him in their time of need. In the Bible God says that He can restore what has been lost through personal repentance and trust in Him. That’s my focus now – praying for God to comfort those who need Him so desperately as they learn to lean on Him day by day. Please join me.

God bless – Sue

Congratulations! We’ve made it to another year – 2025 is officially here. Each of our hourglasses are full, but even now the time is sifting through.

We each have a choice as to how we will use the time given to us in this new year. Will we be energetic or lazy, achieving or lackadaisical, helpful or self-serving?

One of my perpetual calendars has this encouragement for January 1st: “I asked the man at the gate of the year, ‘Give me a light that I may go forth into the unknown.’ And the man replied, ‘Put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than a light, safer than a known way.'” (Taken from a New Year’s message of Great Britain’s King George at the beginning of WWII. Credit to Heartland Samplers, Inc.)

I can’t improve on the king’s advice. Everyday is a new opportunity to do the right thing, make a difference, or just make it through a challenging experience. With God’s help and leading, we will take the right steps and make the better decisions. I wish you a blessed year, day by day and month by month.

Sue

At just the right time, God sent us a Redeemer – a perfect sacrifice. He was born in the humblest of surroundings, His cradle a feeding tough on a dirt floor. This blessed baby was God’s Son, sent to save all who believed in Him from their sins. We all sin – do wrong things, say wrong words, fail to treat others the way we would wish to be treated. We all need a Savior to bring us to God. Jesus Christ was that Savior. How like the God who created us, knows us intimately, and longs for a personal relationship with each of us, to design a way to make unholy individuals acceptable to Him through the blood of His Son. Jesus became the perfect, acceptable sacrifice for you and me, replacing the unblemished lamb that priests would offer on the altar of the temple for Israel’s sins. I invite you to accept Him today as your Savior and Lord, and worship Him – the perfect Lamb of God.

Have you been to the grocery store lately? Is all the pumpkin spice seasoning gone? I guess it’s that time of year when there’s a plump bird defrosting in your refrigerator, or you are traveling to visit relatives across town or even across the state. It’s time to be thankful.

What if it’s hard to give thanks because of illness, financial struggles, job loss, or worries that are troubling you? If you are facing such an outlook, I encourage you to look for something for which you can be thankful. I pray you will not be alone this holiday, but will reach out to help others with organizations like the Salvation Army or Union Mission who feed many people during this time of year. Perhaps you could go shopping for an “angel” from the Angel Tree at various stores or malls, providing a gift for a child who otherwise might not have one this upcoming Christmas season. Maybe you could call someone who you know is alone and brighten up their day. The idea is that by serving someone else, our day is improved as well.

I hope your Thanksgiving is a blessed one and you are indeed thankful.

God bless – Sue

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I’ve spent a very busy and exhausting week. My normal Bible study meetings on Monday and Tuesday usually require a slower Wednesday to recover, but this past week that didn’t happen. Due to a scheduled family vacation, I was in charge of granddaughter’s and granddogs’ care for seven days. I was glad to be able to help and enjoyed doggy snuggles and extra time with my growing-up-too-fast grand girl, but boy have I felt it!

Of course last week was also election time with the results being historic in terms of the amount of voters and the result. My prayers continue for this country as we move forward with new leadership. My hope is that people from both sides can come together in strengthening the U.S. as “One Nation Under God.” Many of us prayed for this election with some people voting for the first time in years. Now let’s continue to pray for the leaders of both parties to work for all of us.

As for me, I look forward to a good, long nap!

God bless – Sue