”Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” Psalm 25:4-5 (NIV)
I’ve been on a writing hiatus lately—listening for that “still small voice.” Now that the rush of the holiday season is over and the stress of publishing a book has passed, I am asking the Lord to show me what’s next. For several years, I had a conviction and the strong desire to publish my writing someday, hoping to encourage others with what the Lord had given me. It was a LOT of work, but 84,000+ words later, with messages from my heart centered on God’s Word and guided by the Holy Spirit, that goal has been accomplished. So now, I end 2025 with gratefulness for God’s love, guidance, and mercy. It has been a year of challenges and spiritual growth, but I am thankful to have experienced more joyful moments than sorrow or disappointment. God has been so good to me, and I praise Him for loving me through it all. I hope that, above all else, in 2026, I will please Him with how I live my life and handle everything that comes my way as Jesus would do.
I ran across the poem below and wanted to share it. It expresses much of what I feel at this moment.
Happy New Year! I am very grateful to have had each of you along for this journey. May the Lord give you His strength and blessings in 2026.
This Is How I Enter 2026
I enter 2026 slowly.
Like someone who has learned
that rushing only blurs
what matters most.
I don’t need this year
to prove anything to me.
I’ve already been tested
in ways numbers can’t measure—
and I’ve learned that Jesus
was steady beside me
even when I didn’t know
how to stand.
I’ve learned how grief hides
in ordinary days.
How joy often arrives quietly,
hoping we’re paying attention.
I’ve learned that God is found
not only in the miracles,
but in the moments
we almost miss.
I enter with gratitude in one hand
and grace in the other—
for the years that shaped me,
the losses that softened me,
and the strength that grew
when I leaned on Him
instead of my own understanding.
If this year finds me quieter,
it’s because I’m listening more—
learning to recognize
the voice of Jesus
in the stillness.
If it finds me slower,
it’s because I finally understand
that life isn’t something
to outrun,
and faith isn’t something
to force.
I don’t know what 2026 will take.
I don’t know what it will give.
But I know who walks with me now.
And that feels like enough
to step forward—
hand in hand with Jesus—
without fear. From: The Grandparent Club
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, as we end another year, we recognize how each moment of life is precious. You gave us Jesus to save us from ourselves, and we are forever grateful. Help us to live out our days trusting You and sharing that love with others. Our prayer is that 2026 will be the best year of our lives as we seek to make a difference in the lives of family members, friends, and those we meet each day. May we honor you in all ways. We pray these things in Jesus’ name. Amen
