Month: November 2026

It was 1989, and Brian and I got married on this date that year.

I should be celebrating an anniversary today, and I sort of do, but it’s lonely.

I visited his grave on his birthday, the other day. With each year the ache grows duller.

I still feel a bit of anger, lostness, disappointment, loss, grief, wonder as I stand at the gravestone which repeats a hopeful phrase from Scripture: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard. “

Brian said that often.

I remember a pretty wedding, with lots of guests.

This year my mom would have called me to say something about this day.

She is probably talking things over with Brian up in heaven. They were great buddies!

I don’t know what they are experiencing, but I know it’s wonderful. They are with Jesus.

To be absent in the body is to be present with the Lord.

I am headed to school for the day, then to swim. As my body recovers from having cancer last year I am really struggling with staying well and fit. I have seen great decline.

Self discipline has been hard.

Truth, kindness, discipline. These are my 2026 words, and they are just perfect for this year! Never have I needed to emphasize these words more in my life.

I was telling my students about focusing on virtues, and how I picked three words each year to see how they crop up in my life, how interesting it is when they hit my radar. I mentioned that I needed to find three words for 2027.

One sweet boy said, “How about excitement!”

I laughed. “That is a good one!” I replied.

Excitement. Inspiration. Groundedness.

These words followed. Interesting?

I have Youth Group tonight. I am a leader now. What a blessing!

Loved the retreat that happened a couple of weeks ago at Camp Shamineau. It was at that camp, in third grade, when I prayed to have Jesus be LORD of my life.

I never forgot that.

So many camps in my life, but that was a memorable moment.

Jesus is Lord of my life. Completely, wholly. I am so grateful. I can face my pain knowing He cares.

He loves me. Amazing fact that that is!

I choose to honor Him and trust Him, even on the sad days.

He’s coming for me.

Do you have Him as your Lord and Savior?

MARANATHA!

Let me encourage you to read this lovely, hope-filled Psalm today.

I have been memorizing it, so I try to quote it every day. I am still using my cheat sheet, the first letters of each word, but I am making progress.

In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust. Let me not be put to confusion.

Deliver me!

It is just SO good!

You will find sweet encouragement by grafting it into your soul.

Although the midterm elections were a complete disaster for my people, conservatives with a Biblical worldview, somehow the results are exactly what we anticipate!

OUR HOPE IS IN THE LORD GOD, THE MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH!

He is in charge of every government. He wields the power through kings and lords, presidents and politicians.

He brings His plans to fruition, and when I see the salt and light diminishing I can only PRAISE GOD that He has a plan, and according to Scripture, the plan to catch us away from this mess. The Restrainer will be taken away, as prophesied. We are seeing this!

Persecution will come. Holding Biblical values is extremely unpopular in this ever increasingly Islamic world.

Fraud will abound.

The people have spoken: everyone is fine with fraud.

(I am not)

So, as one who gets easily discouraged in this difficult and troubled world, my tendency is to pray.

Keep a low profile and pray.

I will cry in my closet, focus on the sweetness in my life, and power through the persecution.

I will ignore the haters and love my enemies as I encounter them (which I will, every single day.)

I will find my “tribe” and be myself with them.

I will be kind and courteous to everyone.

I will fix my eyes on Jesus, and trust Him in every encounter.
I will hope in Him alone, tell His truth, and focus on sharing the simplicity of the Gospel: Jesus Saves.

We must begin to accept the terrible stories of the martyrs as our own, meeting rejection and pain with trust and love.

But I do hope that the Rapture comes soon. It is our blessed hope, His glorious appearance!

I am looking for a little sailboat these days. It’s the time to buy, and I want to get back into sailing. The Christopher Cross song is so appropriate today…

MARANATHA!