Psalm 139:16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.

There was a week in November in which I almost lost two of my nieces.  Libby, in Texas, aged 12, and newborn Esther in England.

We started the week anticipating the birth of Esther.  Scans during pregnancy had shown that she had a malformed heart, but the heart had subsequently looked to have been developing well.  Suddenly, towards the end of that week, Libby, across the Atlantic, was rushed to the hospital for life-saving emergency surgery due to a twisted bowel.

Our family had barely started to process Libby's trauma when Esther was finally born and we learned that her heart condition was much worse than had been expected.  This meant that she had to have life-saving open heart surgery at only six days old!  Trauma on trauma!  Emergency surgery on emergency surgery!  

Our extended family turned to prayer for these two precious girls, joined by networks of people, quite literally around the world.  We prayed for safety, healing, strength, and comfort.  We praise God that both Libby and Esther came through their surgeries and have recovered well, and as I type this, Libby is visiting baby Esther in England.  What a turnaround!

That is not to say that all is completely well.  Libby has spina bifida, and has always had many health challenges. The nature of Esther's heart condition is that, barring a miracle, her life expectancy and quality of life will be reduced, we just do not know by how much.  Even though there have been no miraculous healings (yet!), we feel privileged to have seen how God's guiding hand was there to comfort and remind us of His Great Orchestration.  Here are two fun examples:

•The doctor that delivered baby Esther was called Dr. ThankGod.  That is not a name you typically come across in England, let alone English hospitals, and it was of timely comfort to Joey, Esther's mom.  

•My family in England had been praying that Libby's family in Texas would make some connections to the doctors performing the surgeries.  They made not one, not two, but three connections with doctors to our hometown of Exeter, 5,000 miles away.  Two of the doctors had spent years working at the hospital a mile from our house.  Exeter is not a city that often comes up in conversation here in the US!

We continue to Thank God for the precious gift of life, and for reminding us, at a very traumatic time, that He continually orchestrates and guides our lives.


Prayer:
Thank you, LORD, that each of our circumstances is known to You, and that Your ever-present hand is there to guide us and comfort us.  Give us the faith to pray for the miraculous, the humility to trust in Your purposes and timing, and the eyes to see Your provision.  May we continue to delight in Your orchestrations!

Psalm 27:13-14 “I am still confident of this:  I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.  Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”
 
 
This past year, a couple of the things we’ve been praying for have started to happen.  Things that we have been praying about for over 20 years.  As I reflected on that, it got me thinking – how do we keep believing when prayer goes unanswered for a long time?  How do we continue to hope against all hope when our hearts are broken and all we see is the “hope deferred” that “makes the heart sick” (Prov 13:12)?
 
I’ve always loved this passage about Abraham because it is so honest about his situation:
“Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’  Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead – since he was about a hundred years old – and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.  Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised.”  (Ro 4:18-21) (emphasis mine)
 
How did Abraham get to the place where he was “fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised”?  Not all at once – he too had to learn to trust.  Abraham had tried God over and over and had found Him always to be true to whatever He said.  God’s word was of value to him because he combined it with faith (Heb 4:2).
 
No wonder Abraham is called the Father of Faith – he believed that God was who He said He was, that he himself was who God said he was, and that God had power to do what He had promised.  Abraham took God at His word.  
 
In Psalm 130, the psalmist came to the same conclusion:
“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in His word I put my hope.
My soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning…
O Israel, put your hope in the Lord,
for with the Lord is unfailing love,
and with Him is full redemption.”  (Ps 130:5-7) (emphasis mine)
 
As Eugene Peterson put it: “The psalmist’s waiting and watching – i.e., hoping – is based on the conviction that God is actively involved in His creation and vigorously at work in redemption.”
 
While God is vigorously at work, we too are called to be active in our waiting/hoping: “But if we hope for what we do not yet see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.” (Ro 8:25, NKJV)
 
So what do we do while we’re waiting?  
 
First, we eagerly wait with perseverance.  Hope plays the long game.  We want what we want when we want it, and we want it now, but that is clearly not always the way of the kingdom of God.  My soul learns to wait actively for the Lord – He is at work and His timing is always right.
 
The second thing to do while we’re waiting is make sure that our eyes are working properly.  Do we see the problem or obstacle as bigger than God?  This is putting our eyes in the wrong place.  I love that centurion in Mt 8:8 who says to Jesus, “Just say the word and my servant will be healed” – he saw the power inherent in Jesus’ word – and could see the answer even before it happened!  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus.
 
The third thing to do while we’re waiting is to renew our minds in the Word – “…in His word I put my hope”.   Because God says “…so is My word that goes out from My mouth:  It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”  (Is 55:11)
 
Fourth, we praise and worship God while we wait.  This not only reminds us of who He is and what He has done for us in the past (our testimonies to His faithfulness), but also (and I say this with the utmost reverence knowing that I serve God, not the other way around) praise and worship “activate” His power on my behalf.  Praise Him in the battle and see what He does!  Think about this passage:
“Every stroke the Lord lays on them [our enemies] with His punishing rod will be to the music of tambourines and harps [worship], as He fights them in battle with the blows of His arm.” (Is 30:32)  Wow!
 
Finally, find someone or a few people to pray with, and pray together in the Name of Jesus. (See Matt 18:19-20 and Acts 3:6.)
 
The result of this in my life has been what I would like to call a defiant faith – I will believe the Lord and His Word and not the lies of the enemy, no matter what it looks like.  Although this defiant faith is definitely still a work in progress, this is my boast in the Lord:
 
“I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.  Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” (Ps 27:13-14)
 
Prayer:
Father God, how we praise and thank You for sending Your Word, Jesus Himself, into the world for us while we were yet sinners to live, die and be resurrected, to buy us back from the enemy, to enable us to have a relationship with You and to put Your very Life into us.  
 
Thank you for Your written Word – help us to take You at Your Word like Abraham, being fully persuaded that You are who You say You are, we are who You say we are, and that You have power to do what you have promised.  We put our hope in You, Lord, for with You is unfailing love and full redemption - of us and every situation in our lives.  We pray in the mighty Name of Jesus.  Amen!

Mark 11:4 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."
 
I turned forty this year. The world would say it is a milestone birthday- one to be celebrated for all one’s accomplishments. And we did! Together with family and close friends, I celebrated all the Lord has done and His myriads of answered prayers in my forty years of life. Specifically, I wanted to celebrate a few specific prayers He had answered over the past few years- since we move to my childhood home state of NJ. Almost six years ago, I prayed that the Lord would give us 3 things:
 
- A new adventure (specifically a job in Switzerland)
- A chance to move home (NJ- where I am from)
- Another baby
 
In God's faithfulness He answered each of those prayers above and beyond all that I could have imagined.
 
Our short season in Switzerland was redemptive and healing for our family. It provided an opportunity for time together during a very difficult time for the entire world. It was rewarding both professionally and personally and it also led us back “home”….my second prayer.
 
Not only did He send us home, but He gave us a beautiful community at Grace Chapel and an amazing school community for our boys. He also gave us a new home in which to bring our third answered prayer (Poppy), back to, after she was born!
 
And even still, looking back at 2025, I have felt frustrated by the Lord’s timing or lack thereof this year. I have been praying for several specific requests on a specific timeline. My timeline. These prayers have not been met... Yet!
 
2 Peter 3:8 says that “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.”
 
And so as I wait, and as it feels like a thousand years in my waiting, I choose to entrust the unknown, unanswered prayers to the Lord- “for He makes everything beautiful in His time” (Ecclesiastes 3:11) I thank Him that His ways are higher than our ways. I thank Him for all the “ebeneezer stones” (1 Samuel 7:12) in my forty years of life so far. And I thank Him that I can be confident that He hears my prayers asked according to His will, and He will answer. (1 John 5:14-15)
 
Prayer:
Lord, thank You that there is a time for everything. Thank You that You do not forget any of our requests, that You hold each tear in a bottle. Thank You that You work all things for the good of those who trust You. Thank You that in the waiting, You are preparing my heart to receive the good gifts You have in store for 2026. Thank You for Your faithfulness in my forty years of life so far and for Your faithfulness in bringing Your promises to pass. In Your precious name, amen.

Proverbs 16:9  “A man’s mind plans his way [as he journeys through life], But the Lord directs his steps and establishes them”
 
Psalms 73:23-26, 28 “Nevertheless I am continually with You; You have taken hold of my right hand. You will guide me with Your counsel, And afterward receive me to honor and glory.  Whom have I in heaven [but You]? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the rock and strength of my heart and my portion forever...But as for me, it is good for me to draw near to God; I have made the Lord God my refuge and placed my trust in Him, That I may tell of all Your works.” -
 
 
Last year was my first full year as a stay-at-home mom. Even though I always hoped to be a mom, much of my life before marriage was focused on my career.  I attended a 5-year fast track architecture program in college, completed my required hours, took all 7 exams, and received my architecture license. I became a manager and was on a path toward leadership in the company. I was passionate and talented at my job, and some people have questioned why I would leave.
 
The simple answer is that I felt God calling me to do it, and my husband and I agreed it would be best for our family. It was an easy decision on the outside, but the daily reality was frequently difficult. For much of the year I felt extremely unprepared, unqualified, and downright confused. How could so many answered prayers be so difficult to navigate?
 
As an architect, there were benchmarks and feedback loops; bonuses, awards, accolades, performance reviews, task lists and project timelines. Being a stay-at-home mom was my new job and it had none of those things. Besides having little experience with young kids, I have also always operated in environments centered on productivity and achievement.
 
With two young kids, I felt like a fish out of water. Most days, there was nothing particularly grand to achieve, and there was very little “productivity.” At first, I tried to micromanage; fill our schedule and create systems to fit into what I knew, but it stressed me out more than it brought comfort. I became angry, impatient, and anxious when things didn’t go as planned. I was frustrated that a lot of the time there wasn’t something to “do,” rather just a person to “be”; mom. But then, I started to feel like God cared more about the person I was in Him, rather than about the things I could accomplish. I knew I needed God’s wisdom more than anything I could do in my own strength.
 
My Boast in the Lord is this: God carried me through some of my lowest points in postpartum recovery and in navigating this new season of life. He gave me wisdom and peace that I never could have gotten from a parenting book or “expert.” He showed me that He brought me into this season not only to disciple my kids, but for me to be refined and healed by His love. He is releasing me from years of performance and achievement-driven perfectionism, people-pleasing, and stress.
 
My Father showed me that He loves me because I am His daughter, not because of how productive or “successful” I am. He is parenting me as He is teaching me to parent. He has given me His strength to be a better mom than I could be on my own. Above all, He has given me joy on the hard days, peace on the stressful days, and hope for all our days ahead.
 
 
Prayer:
God, thank You that You are our perfectly loving Father. It is a privilege to be called Your sons and daughters. Thank You that You hear us when we call to You, and You answer us in our time of need. You have guided our steps through another year, and we thank You for Your provision and presence with us each day. Continue to remind us of Your love for us as Your children - we want to hear Your voice and depend on You more than anything in this world. We trust that You have good plans for us, and we trust Your hand in our lives. Amen.

Bob Ericksen
 
Praise The Lord!
                 
I was looking through my computer files today for a spreadsheet I created a few years back.  I found a much more valuable document.  One that spoke to my heart and refocused me to the Lord.  It was the record of a dream I had.
 
The Lord has spoken to me a few times in my dreams and I recorded this one back in March, 2022, so I could share it with my three adult sons.
                 
I have copied the record of my dream here:  
            “March 20, 2022. I had a VERY IMPORTANT meeting to get to, and I had to take the bus to get there.  The bus was at the bus stop across the street.  I was leaving the basement of the Staten Island house, going up the narrow flight of stairs to the landing by the side door.  I needed a quarter for the bus, but didn’t have one.  There was a bowl of pure silver coins sitting on the carpeted landing of the stairs, just where you would turn left to leave the house.  I started looking through the bowl of coins for a quarter.  There were pure silver coins from many nations and a pure silver quarter from the U.S.  I picked up that U.S. quarter, but did not want to spend a pure silver coin to ride the bus.  I continued looking through the bowl of coins, but could not find a regular quarter.  I called to have the bus wait for us. There were three men behind me waiting to get up the narrow stairs so they could get on the bus as well.     I finally ran out of the house, but the bus had already left.  I missed the bus, which meant I missed my VERY IMPORTANT meeting!  Worse yet, I caused those three men behind me to also miss the bus and the Very IMPORTANT meeting.
       I was desperate to find a way to get to the meeting.  A driver pulled up with a multi-seat golf cart and offered to drive to the meeting.  We jumped in, but the golf cart was not fast enough to get us to the meeting on time, and the weather was clouding up; a storm was coming.
      I missed the bus going to the meeting; there was no other way to get there on time. ”
                 
At that point I woke up and realized that the Lord had sent me a message through my dream.  
                 
This message from the Lord touches my heart right now as much as it did when I awakened from that dream back in March of 2022.  It convicted me about how much I value earthly possessions, and how that affects my value of God’s heavenly Kingdom.
                 
This dream is personal to me, and the references point to the house I grew up in with the narrow basement stairs, and my compulsion to collect old coins that were made of mostly silver.
                 
The silver coins in my dream represent earthly treasures.  Those earthly treasures could be my job, my bank account, my hobbies, my coin collection or anything else that the Lord has, one way or another, provided for me here on earth. To be clear, having these things is not wrong. It’s when we elevate them above God that it becomes a problem (aka sin).
                 
The fare to ride that bus was only 25 cents.  Not much considering where it would take me.  Yet in my dream I hesitated and waited too long to use a silver coin that was perhaps worth $5.00 to pay for that bus ride.  
                 
That bus I missed was taking me to the Lord in the Kingdom of heaven.  If I had grabbed any silver coin out of that bowl, no matter how much it was worth, I could have ridden that bus, and the three men behind me could have ridden that bus with me to meet the Lord in the Kingdom of heaven.
                 
In Matthew 13:44 The Lord told a parable about the man who discovered a great treasure in a field.  Then with joy, that man sold everything he owned to purchase that field so he could acquire that great treasure.  That great treasure is the Kingdom of heaven.
                 
The man in the parable had the right heart attitude!  Obtaining the Kingdom of heaven was worth everything he owned on this earth.  
                 
In contrast, my dream showed me that my heart attitude was just the reverse; that I valued my earthly treasures more than I valued the heavenly pursuits/fruits that come from living a life of faith in Christ.
                 
The message from my dream that pierced my heart is that I was so focused on not spending the pure silver quarter on the bus, that I lost track of what was most important, which was getting to the VERY IMPORTANT meeting.  That meeting was with the Lord!   In my dream I didn’t get there and I prevented three other men from getting there as well.
                 
I am glad it was only a dream.  I am glad the Lord pointed out to me that if I focus more on the value of earthly things, I will miss the most valuable treasure of all, the Kingdom of heaven.  
                 
Is there a “treasure” in your life that is preventing you from reaching God’s heavenly Kingdom? Or are you living in the fullness of faith in which Christ has called you?
                 
Is there ANY treasure on this earth that is worth more than obtaining the Kingdom of heaven?
                 
The Lord says: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.  (Matthew 6:21)
                 
Where is your heart?  Do you, as I am guilty of, spend more time with your hobbies and possessions than with the Lord?
                 
If so, ask the Lord to open your eyes and heart to see that nothing in this earth is worth missing eternity with Jesus in the heavenly Kingdom or missing all that He has planned and purposed for you.
 
PRAYER
“Lord, forgive me for focusing on earthly treasures instead of focusing on what is MOST IMPORTANT, God’s heavenly Kingdom!   Lord, help me to focus on You and help me to lead the way so my family and I can get on the bus to be with You, our Savior.”  Praise God for His mercy!

Jeremiah 29:11 “For 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.”

Hi! I’m a long-time online watcher. I was watching today’s service and I heard about the Boast in the Lord series and I’d love to share my testimony.

I was raised in the Catholic Church, and attended private school for 8 years.  Unfortunately, when I got into my early twenties, I became involve in many new age “occult” practices; astrology, tarot card readings, yoga, meditation, and using crystals. These practices are based in divination and witchcraft, but, of course, at the time I did not know that. The worst part is that at this point in my life I still would have still considered myself a Christian because I believed in Jesus.  

While I believed in Him, I also believed in things like “the universe”, “manifesting your reality”, and “self-love affirmations”. None of which involved the Lord and all of which glorified the self and really taught both myself and others that we rely on ourselves and the abstract “universe” to bring us fulfillment. I was deeply deceived… until Jesus rescued me back in 2019!

I was working in retail management at the time, feeling depressed and uninspired by my work and my life. It was definitely a toxic work environment, but the real trouble was that I felt very lost. My job wasn’t bringing me fulfillment, my new age practices weren’t bringing me joy, and I did not have any fulfilling relationships outside of immediate family. I remember driving home every night from work crying- sometimes pulling over on the side of the road from crying so hard.

It was around this time I began to call on Jesus to help me, and to guide me on a better path. I began listening to worship music; specifically, the song “Breakthrough” by Red Rocks Worship. I kept asking Him to give me a breakthrough in my life; to guide me on a path where I could find purpose and meaning, to help me find a life-partner so that I could stop feeling so alone. I would listen to that song for months and cry deeply- but I was also feeling a deep healing taking place.

Around 2020, Jesus put on my heart to start researching YouTube “day in the life” career videos. I somehow stumbled on occupational therapy. I researched various videos and articles on this field and felt very drawn to it. I had only one year of college under my belt so I did not anticipate being accepted into a program, but of course, our Lord had other plans!  I was accepted into the program!  With each class, I was becoming more and more intrigued with the field and for the first time in my life, I was getting straight A’s!

When I got into my fieldwork, I realized just how hands-on it was, and how much of a tangible impact I was making on the lives of others by aiding them in their recovery.  Deep-down I always wanted to be in a helping profession, but for so long, had no idea what that would’ve looked like or how to make it happen, until Jesus stepped in. Also, around this time Jesus was working on my heart and teaching me the truth about sin.

In my early twenties, I was a “love is love” person and did not take sinning seriously, however, Jesus taught me that He rebukes those He loves, and that being loving is being truthful; that sin leads to death and destruction. I never touched another crystal, looked at another tarot card, or was involved with the occult again!

Around a year into the program, I met my current husband, who is also a man of God. Today, we are very happy- us and our dog!  Every good thing I have is because of the Lord Jesus. I have many more examples of how He has worked in my life, but I will leave it there for now.

For anyone going through a difficult season, or even what may seem like an impossible situation, our Lord is faithful and mighty. He performed miracles when He walked on this Earth and He is performing miracles today. Please call on Him!  He is faithful and kind!

Prayer:
Dear Jesus, Thank you for all of the beautiful things you’ve done in my life. You have done ____, _____, _____, ______, and _____. (The more, the better ?) You are so faithful and so good. Thank you for being my first line of defense always. You are my Father and friend. Thank you for always taking on my burdens and relieving my troubles. I love You. I know that apart from You I can do nothing. Please help me to flee from sin and be a good and faithful servant. Please bless, protect, and cover with the full armor of God me and my family, our friends, everyone that we know. Please help no harm to befall us, please help no weapon formed against us to prosper, please protect our physical bodies, our minds, and our souls. Please protect our homes, our vehicles, our pets, our places of work, our neighborhoods, our towns, and our state. Please cover them with the full armor of God. Thank You Jesus. I love You.

Psalm 119:90 “Your faithfulness endures to all generations.”


God’s Faithfulness

One night about a month ago, I had trouble falling asleep, which is quite a rare situation for me.

For some reason, I decided to occupy my mind trying to remember as many names of teachers I had as possible that I had growing up, starting all the way back from kindergarten through high school. To further challenge my memory, I added the challenge of trying to recall an event from the year in which I had that teacher.

And so, the thought process began, and I actually was quite surprised how much I could recall    . . .  from as long as sixty years ago. Losing my yellow raincoat in Mrs. Fitzgerald’s kindergarten class somehow. Winning a spelling be in third grade in Mrs. McLellan’s class. Playing kickball on the playground with fourth grade teacher Ms. Smart. How the flu came through the school in six grade and there were only five of us in a class of thirty-one. Mr. Resatka’s memorable sayings in seventh grade math class.

People I hadn’t thought about for years popped into my mind. This process continued all the way up through twelfth grade, and then I would loop back and start over again. More memories emerged from over the years, some quite vivid.

It suddenly dawned on me – that this exercise was less about memories and more about God’s faithfulness to me. I was not raised in a churched home, so my mind was not on things of God and His plans for me until later – yet His eye was on me the entire time, sometimes when I was “a long way off” . . . from when He formed me in my mother’s womb and knitted all those circumstances together all the way through those early years, grade and middle school, high school, and college. He protected me from myself until at age twenty-seven I became a Christian. Praise God!

His faithfulness is unwavering, and He is true to Himself and His word. Even more so, He is always working towards the good of those that are called according to His purposes – oftentimes when one is not even aware of it. When one becomes aware of His faithfulness through the embedding of His Spirit, it causes a sense of amazement at the gift of His protection and blessings.

I hope you don’t have insomnia – but instead of counting sheep – count your blessings, and His faithfulness will quickly become apparent to you also!


Prayer: Your word, Lord, is eternal;  it stands firm in the heavens. 90 Your faithfulness continues through all generations;  You established the earth, and it endures. 91 Your laws endure to this day,  for all things serve You. 92 If Your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. 93 I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have preserved my life.

Jen Carey

1 Peter 5:6-7 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time He will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.


As I’ve been slowly helping my toddler memorize 1 Peter 5:7, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you”, I’ve realized this verse may be even more for me than for him.

Scripture memorization feels like a lost art in a world of constant noise and distraction, yet there’s something deeply grounding about hiding God’s Word in our hearts. Peter reminds us that humility isn’t weakness, it’s trust. To humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand means we admit we’re not meant to carry everything on our own. At the right time God lifts us, but first, He invites us to lay our worries and cares down. And in this season, with baby number two on the way, there are many things on my mind.

I once heard that the word worry comes from an old English term meaning “to be strangled,” and honestly, that feels pretty accurate.  Worry can tighten its grip and trap us on a hamster wheel of anxious thoughts that lead to nowhere. Sometimes it pushes us to try to solve everything ourselves (often making things worse), and other times it leaves us paralyzed, unsure of what to do next.

But Peter gives us a better way. He tells us to cast our cares, almost like throwing them onto God. Why? Because He cares about you and me so intimately and completely! Every time worry starts to choke the joy out of our day, this verse calls us back to truth:  

We are seen, held, and are never alone. For this I boast in the Lord!

2 Kings 6:17-20  “And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”  


When 50 years of praying came to pass….

Sometimes five minutes of praying may seem daunting or even five days of praying on one theme can stretch our concentration, or patience. Fifty years on one topic can seem an unending journey. Did God forget? Do I need to log in more prayer? Does God care? These thoughts can come when God’s perfect timing interacts with our requests.

Watching the Lord orchestrate His forces in a life to answer a fifty-year prayer journey is my clear boast in the Lord.

Some of us grew up with a strong Christian heritage around us, but I wasn’t one of them. Two generations of unbelief evaporated hundreds of years of faith on my mother’s side of the family. Becoming a believer at age twenty placed me in an extended family with limited faith understanding. But one by one each member of my family came to understand the Gospel, (except for a few). We prayed continually for each one.

But in that fiftieth year, something began to happen in a life.

It was like the story of Elisha and his servant. Their situation seemed hopeless with troops against them at every corner. Elisha prayed for the servant’s eyes to be opened, and suddenly the servant saw the hills filled with horses and chariots of the Lord! His army was already in place.

We all go through times that seem daunting. Sometimes it can seem lonely and we wonder where God is. We pray and wonder how the Lord could even turn things around.

But we saw it. We saw the hills filled with the Lord’s army that came streaming in from all sides, crowding out the noise, and not allowing unbelieving chatter to distract.

The Lord answered our prayer in His timing…a fifty-year old prayer in the making.

Prayer:
Lord, help me to pray and not give up. I know You are with me and that You hear my words. You have given me standing in Your presence. Help me to wait on You and continue to understand Your lovingkindness and goodness.

Psalm 23 “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.”

I am absolutely loving the season of life I’m in right now! Joshua is learning to speak with his adorable voice and I just
love getting to stay home and spend these days with him.  Being a mom is the best job in the entire world, and I’m so grateful that God blessed me with the cutest boy with the most adorable, calm, sweet personality who loves to sing Sunday School songs, dance, play every instrument, pray, read books, and hand out tracts to everyone he sees wherever we go! He loves people and makes sure to smile and say hi to everyone he passes.

This past year has been so amazing for our family. Until May, we were still living with my husband Jonathan’s parents in
Somerset, NJ for almost two years, praying we would be able to afford a house of our own. We trusted God’s perfect
timing, but started getting discouraged when God said no to a few houses we really liked and put bids on.

Little did we know that God would lead us to Bethlehem, PA at the end of May! (We love that this was part of God’s plan
for us, being that my husband’s middle name is Joseph, mine is Marie, and our baby boy’s name is Joshua!) God is so
incredibly detailed and mind-blowing! We were praying specifically for so many things we wanted in our home and God went above and beyond to give us even more than we could have imagined!

Ephesians 3:20 has been such a staple verse for us since we met each other in 2021. God is truly able to do exceedingly
abundantly above all that we ask or think, and we couldn’t be more grateful for His awesome provision each day! This
house is designed exactly the way we hoped for (down to every tile and painted wall) and was move-in ready!! It is
absolutely perfect and even more beautiful, warm, welcoming, and peaceful than we could have imagined!

Before I even met Jonathan, I always told my family that I dreamed of one day having a house where each room was painted a different color and I would have Bible verse wall decals everywhere; and here I am living my dream! God has been blessing us so abundantly!

The week after we moved into this house, Jonathan was told by his boss at Schneider Electric that they were letting him
go (after eight years of working there). I was actually happy about this and knew God would answer our prayers for
Jonathan to find a job closer to our new home here in PA rather than having a really long commute two/three days a week.

A few months went by, and Jonathan kept interviewing with different companies. Surprisingly, Schneider Electric called him and hired him back (this time with a new team, new position, and it would be fully remote!) Praise God!! We were so
thankful again that God answered our prayers!

After a few weeks training for this new remote position, Jonathan got another job offer from PPL (a different electric company closer to where we live now!) Jonathan and I prayed that God would make it clear whether he should stay with Schneider or take this local position and have to go to the office three days a week. Praise God— He made it very clear.  PPL’s offer to Jonathan was greater than he had asked them for. Again, God has given us exceedingly abundantly more than we could ask or think!

He is a God who hears us when we pray. He is a God who knows what He’s doing and we can always trust Him no
matter what season of life.  He is a God who is faithful in every season, and we just feel so blessed to be in this one and to live right where we’re supposed to be.  We know that in every season, we’re in the hands and will of God, our Almighty, Infinite Father and our Lord and Shepherd, King Jesus!

Prayer
Lord Jesus, How could we ever thank You enough? Your ways are higher and Your plans are always best! We trust You,
Lord, in every season. Thank You for being our God, our Provider, our Guide, our Comforter, our Savior, our help and
strength, our Sovereign King. Thank You for hearing us when we pray and for answering every prayer. Thank You for
knowing our deepest desires and always giving us what’s best for us! You are an amazing God—so incredibly gracious,
loving, patient, and kind—and we worship You alone! You are always worthy of ALL our praise! You promise to provide
all our needs, but we know we have all we need because we have You. You are so much better than anything in this world,
and we look forward to our eternal home in Your presence! “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of
my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” ~ Psalm 23:6

Psalm 68:28 Your God has commanded your strength; show yourself strong, God, You who acted on our behalf.

An Answered Prayer and A Lesson Learnt:
One of my biggest prayers that was answered this year was for my family to find a church to call home. We moved to New Jersey in the fall of 2017 and had been searching for a church for a long time. We utilized online services and did a lot of church hopping, but we struggled to find a place where we felt truly fit.

I am so grateful that a young man from this church, Erick Cubas approached my teenage son at the gym earlier this year. My son came home and said, “Mom, let’s go to Grace Chapel in Bedminster.” I vividly remember the very first time we came this summer; we sat right in front of the mural, and I felt God’s peace fill me. Since then, we have been blessed each week by Pastors James' and Dave’s messages. The Holy Spirit truly uses their words to help me re-calibrate each week, no matter what frame of mind I show up in. We have also been so incredibly blessed to have Eric in our lives.

As a research scientist in Medicine and a Professor, I am in constant awe of the intricate design God placed within our bodies. I do enjoy my work, but it tends to be heavy, involving long hours not only during the week but often on weekends as well. This isn't for a monetary reason; it's simply the nature of the work. God has been so faithful to me, carrying me through the 20 years I’ve been in this job, but this past year has been the hardest, academically.

This fall, work became even busier due to massive deadlines. As a goal-oriented person, I felt I had no choice but to work both days every weekend, starting right after church on Sunday. These deadlines persisted right through to Christmas week. Predictably, I started to experience heavy burnout. There were periods when I was so fatigued that my head and body felt like lead; I felt so washed out.

But then, on Sunday, November 16th, Pastor James’ message on keeping the Sabbath impacted me greatly. It was a powerful reminder that the Sabbath is one of God’s commands i.e not optional, and that God Himself ceased from work for a day. This day is for intentional time apart with Him, family, and for reflection. I specifically remember the phrase Pastor James mentioned: that not keeping the Sabbath is ‘committing violence against yourself.’ That really resonated with me.

Since then, I have kept the Sabbath. I’ve had to intentionally learn to lean on God for more efficiency, wisdom, and for Him to multiply my efforts at work. God has been faithful and enabled me to meet my deadlines. He has carried me and given me strength.

I never truly knew that God has commanded my strength, until this past Fall. I have started to ask Him to show Himself strong and to remember that He acts on my behalf, that He fights for us so we can hold our peace (Exodus 14:14), which is a favorite verse of mine, stuck on our fridge door.

Prayer
Abba Father, I just pray that we will continue to know that You work on our behalf. Sometimes it doesn't seem that way, and everything just seems so bleak, but You are always there, always working, always fighting for us.  And we just have to hold our peace, which is You, and not give into the fretting and turmoil that comes from the enemy. I pray You give me a fresh hunger for You, Father, and for Your Word, so that Your glory which is what Jesus prayed for each of us to have, will envelop us and make us more like Jesus. Make me more aware of your Presence in 2026. Use us to be Your hands and feet on earth. I also pray that You continue to bless this church, for unity, and help us to form beautiful friendships and to find community. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Psalm 94: 17-19 “If the Lord had not been my help, my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence.  When I thought, ‘My foot slips,’ your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up. When the cares of my heart are many Your consolations cheer my soul.”

This year has been a challenging one on multiple levels. Some contributing factors are behind me and some are not. Walking alongside my aging mom who has endured multiple health issues this year will continue into 2026.  What started as a stress filled journey that felt like it would break me, has become one that includes the peace and renewal that only the love of God can provide. I am also learning so much about who God is and who I am through Him.

These three verses are written in both past and present tense. That’s important. The writer (David) reflects on God’s faithfulness and love in past situations in his life. After he reflects, David moves to present tense and acknowledges that God’s faithfulness and love are and ever will be unshakeable.  

When the “cares of my heart” were many this year (and sometimes still are), I see God’s faithfulness and love providing for me. When I am physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausted, He provides moments of rest. He has surrounded me with believers who breathe truth and love into me. When I can’t reach out for help, He has placed me on the hearts of brothers and sisters in Christ who pray for me and my family. He settles my spirit and breathes His word into my heart. I find great comfort and peace in all of that.

I’ve also seen God’s transforming power in my mom, my sister, and me. My mom has been a believer as far back as she can remember. She is the one who introduced us to Christ and made sure we were raised in the Truth. God has used the events of this year to search each of our hearts, convict us, forgive us, and, subsequently, mend the pieces of our relationship that were not the best.  

We are leaning even closer into our Lord and Savior than we were before. We have been blessed with precious moments that we would not have had without this journey. My most favorite memory this year was sitting next to my mom with my arm around her, listening to worship music and singing together as the tears just rolled down our faces.

God has given me different eyes through which to experience this journey. He has replaced my expectations, hurts, and frustrations with renewed compassion, wisdom, and insight. His timing and provisions have been miraculous and, of course, perfectly timed. I don’t’ know what 2026 will bring but I know that my God is faithful and goes before and behind me. He hems me in on all sides.

There’s no safer place to be than walking obediently with our Lord and Savior.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You told us we would have trouble in this world, but to take heart because You have overcome it. I am so grateful that my well-being and survival do not begin and end with me. Help me remember that You are my rock and my safe harbor in all situations. I find rest in You. Use my circumstances to search my heart and reveal any offensive way in me. I ask Your forgiveness, and want only to be obedient to Your will. Thank you for the healing and peace that only Your love can provide. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

The impact Jesus has made on my life is not tied to any one experience or specific time but rather a decades-long journey of building a relationship with Him while He has remained faithful, patient and showed me more grace than I ever deserved.

Raised Catholic, I did what I was supposed to do - went to church every week, received all of my sacraments and said my prayers each night. However, I never formed a genuine relationship with Jesus nor did I understand the importance of doing so. I didn’t live my life with Jesus as my center, as my atmosphere. I chased what the world portrayed as love, happiness and fulfillment. Naively I couldn’t figure out why I kept falling short or why I was always plagued with self-esteem issues, fear and anxiety.  I blamed it on childhood trauma and that this must be how I was ‘wired’.

It wasn’t until I began to take active steps to not only build a relationship with Jesus, but seek Him for everything, that my life truly started to change.  In trusting Him, He showed me His way and guided me in every decision.

I’m still a work in progress, tripping in faith everyday, but I’ve experienced first-hand the immense impact continually talking to God can have.  Seeking His wisdom, guidance, strength, forgiveness, healing and love brings inner peace and happiness, no matter the circumstances or seasons of life.

Prayer
Lord, You are so faithful and good. You have patiently waited for me. With You as my center, I feel peace and joy even in the toughest times. Help me to continue to seek You and Your guidance in every circumstance and every aspect of my life. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

2 Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭5‬ ‭ “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬
‭‭‬‬‬‬‬‬
I have to admit, I’m nervous writing this, mostly because I am not someone who seeks attention. This is a moment I hope gives praise to the Lord, and helps others who may be in a similar situation.

I was extremely lucky to be raised in a household of faith. My mother is a devout Christian and has been walking with the Lord her entire life, my sister and brother-in-law both live a life of faith. My walk with the Lord, while I never questioned my faith, was not a priority for me a few years ago. I became obsessed with worldly matters; my career, standing, finances, and other materials. I spent almost 3 years chasing after things I thought would make me a better person but it only intensified negative thoughts and it led to feelings of intense anxiety, depression and never being enough. Last May was the most intense those feelings ever felt from a combination of things and it felt like I was just stuck and I could do nothing about it. I cared too much about how the world saw me and lived my life that way.

Last spring after a Sunday service, I spoke with wonderful people from our church, the Mulcahys. We prayed over these feelings that dictated my life and it was at that moment, I experienced God for the first time physically. I felt this intense pressure building in my head and in a moment, it released and a radiating sensation started from my head to my feet. My body started trembling uncontrollably, and I felt every thought in my head that did not belong to the Lord wiped away. I was overcome with profound gratefulness because I realized what it was in the moment, the Holy Spirit moved in me and God healed me, setting my mind free from everything holding it captive. May 4, 2025 was the day my faith became its own, that day my mind, body, and soul was changed forever!

Our thoughts can be our biggest strength and our biggest downfall. We are warriors of Christ, we are not subject to our thoughts but we control what fills our minds. No worry is too great for the Lord. Nothing else matters in our lives but our relationship with Him. Putting a priority on materials that cannot come with us to eternity will lead to our destruction.

Since last year, joining the Men’s and Refined ministries have helped me prioritize my walk with Jesus. The fellowship and hearing from other men and like-minded people have reshaped my views on life and reorganized my priorities.

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians‬ ‭2‬:‭20‬. We are never alone in life.  When we surrender ourselves to Christ, He lives in us and nothing can stop the endless pursuit of His love for us, and that includes ourselves. ‬‬‬‬‬‬

If you are dealing with things that you feel are too big, throw your burdens onto Christ, trust He will deliver strength and comfort, because He will. Let go of control and find peace in His presence.  That life changing day last year was the Lord not only healing me, but reassuring He lives in us all, and no thought can separate us from our Savior.

Prayer
Lord, thank you for everything you have done in my life. Each day, help remind us that you are in control, remove any thought that keeps us from becoming the person you made us to be. Give us the strength to cast our burdens onto You and find strength and peace in You and You alone. Keep us strong and help us seek You more clearly every day. Amen.

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

My Boast in the Lord is a bit strange, since in the physical, I’ve had an awful year, filled with months of pain so bad that led me to receive care from a pain management specialist, all the way to having two hip replacement surgeries: one scheduled and one done on an emergency basis from bone and soft tissue damage as a result of a fall.

My question was where were/are you, God?  I see You in the little things, but what could I boast of You in this “bad” year?

His response has been clear, although perhaps not entirely to my liking!  The fruit of the spirit includes patience (or longsuffering); an attribute that not all of us have in abundance, especially me.  His call to rest in Him could not be clearer, nor His kindness to me that He will always remain by my side and not give me more than I can bear.  

Was this year His response to my concern expressed a few years back?  When I was losing hope about many things in my life?  Maybe.  God’s ways are not our ways, rather, they are far above ours!  I know that He heard me and I believe that even these physical ailments are being used by Him to expand my perspective in life.  

As a result of this year, I have more compassion for those physically challenged as well as hope when I see and experience the love and compassion of others who are kind, in both word and action, whether saved or unsaved, towards my challenges.  To others, I marvel that He has made me a beacon of hope, an encouragement to friends and even strangers who approach me to comment on the light they see in me.

Have the circumstances that make me feel hopeless at times changed?  Unfortunately, no, but God is giving me a better perspective and ability to walk through life’s difficulties, to cling to Him through it all and to know that He is with me and will not leave nor forsake me.

So where is my Boast?  It’s in the ultimate victory I already have in Christ Jesus.  I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 15:54-55; 57: “When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”  “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”  But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Prayer
Yes, praise be to God for His Son, Jesus Christ, who has brought us from death into life; rich, abundant life forevermore.  My Boast in the Lord is for His goodness and faithfulness to me, the daughter of a king, the King of Kings, who loves and cherishes me beyond measure.  Truly, as I am able, I marvel at His goodness and rest in His loving arms.

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 8:38-39

Psalm 42:8 By day the Lord directs His love, at night His song is with me—a prayer to the God of my life.

I trusted in Christ at age 16 when I was introduced to the Word of God at youth group and received a Bible from my friend Joyce who had invited me.  This began a chapter of my life that would change it forever.  My boast is in the Word of God.  As a child, I had a card with the Fruit of the Spirit printed on it.  I tacked it above my light switch and saw it every day.  God’s Word was drawing me before I even knew what the Bible was.

Later, I found the verses in Galatians 5:22-23 and a friend, Ron, explained that in the KJV patience was described as long-suffering.  When the trials came, I held onto this.

Another verse that made a strong impression on me was one that I heard the first time I went to youth group; 2 Corinthians 6:14.  The pastor was explaining the importance of being equally yoked in relationships and I took this to heart.  This guided me to a marriage partner of 49 years, Ed.  Verses like this help us to understand that God is with us and He guides and directs our lives.

Another favorite verse with a practical application is in James 1:22-25 “Be doers of the Word…” Look it up. :)  

I love to read and write the Word of God.  There are Scripture verses in every room of my home.  If you have a favorite verse, I will write it and laminate it for you.

Jesus said, “If you continue in My Word, you really are my disciples. You will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free.” John 8:31

This month I turned 70 and I could boast all day about the Word of God.  I am standing on It’s Truth.  John 17:17, Sanctify them by the Truth. Your Word is Truth.

Isaiah 40:8 The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the Word of our God stands forever


Prayer
I would like to echo this verse from the Amplified Bible as a prayer:
Colossians 3:15-17  Let the peace of Christ [the inner calm of one who walks daily with Him] be the controlling factor in your hearts [deciding and settling questions that arise].   To this peace indeed you were called as members in one body [of believers] and be thankful [to God always].   Let the [spoken] Word of Christ have its home within you [dwelling in your heart and mind—permeating every aspect of your being] as you teach [spiritual things] and admonish and train one another with all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or deed, do everything in the Name of the Lord Jesus [and in dependence on Him], give thanks to God the Father through Him.

Hebrews 4:16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.  There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

What could be more rewarding than discovering you had a part to play in the answer to someone else’s prayer?  How amazing is it that God Himself would invite us to partner with Him to pray for another one of His children?  This is the opportunity we’ve embraced at Grace Chapel the last few years. We’ve been able to witness God touch many lives.

Some have received a physical healing, some a personal word of comfort or hope, others have experienced restoration within strained relationships, and strongholds have been broken. The Lord, in His great kindness, has even freed some individuals from symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Outcomes aren’t always what each person prayed for or within the timeframe they preferred. Nevertheless, the Lord hears each cry and releases a blessed assurance as we trust He will respond in His great love, wisdom and timing.

It’s been such an honor as a married couple to participate in this ministry as two individual people, led by the Holy Spirit, in union with God and one another.

We boast in this wonderful privilege God gives to all of His children to communicate directly with Him. It is both a gift and a weapon of spiritual warfare.

Now to Him who by the power that is working within us is able to do far beyond all that we ask or think, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations. (Eph.3:20 & 21)

Prayer
Heavenly Father, I surrender and consecrate my spirit, soul and body to You alone. You are the Source of Life.  May the Holy Spirit flow through me releasing spiritual truths, mental resilience and physical strength where it’s needed. Restore my union with You in all things.  In Jesus Name. Amen!

Matthew 7:13-14  Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

I pray my testimony serves as a reminder that true meaning in life comes from choosing the narrow path, that only few people take, instead of following the road everyone else seems to be on. As teenagers and young adults, it is easy to get caught up in the path most people travel, but real value and purpose comes from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Growing up, I was very blessed. I lived in a wonderful town and had an amazing support system around me. As an only child, my parents looked out for me, kept me involved in activities, and surrounded me with good friends. I was always active. I played baseball through my sophomore year of college and was working from a very young age. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was laying the foundation to one day be the head of my household.

All of this kept me away from the typical college scene. Partying, drinking, hook-up culture, and sleeping until noon pulls so many people into a cycle that brings them closer to what feels good instead of what is good.  While I am far from perfect, I realized early on that this crowd wasn’t for me. I wanted college to be a time of growth for my future family; a time to build, not waste. I put my future ahead of the temporary pleasures around me.

After two years as a college athlete, I stepped away from the game to fully pursue finance. God opened a door and blessed me with a job at a financial planning firm during my junior year. Seeing my work begin to pay off motivated me even more. I worked full-time around my school schedule, then used weekends to catch up on homework and study for financial certifications. This passion kept me busy, focused, and away from the road that so many people wander down.
 
Eventually, after all that work, I reached what I thought was the peak: I landed a job on Wall Street. For someone in finance, that is supposed to be the ultimate achievement, the place where you have “made it.” But after I got there, I still didn't feel the satisfaction I expected. I kept setting goals, achieving them, and then immediately chasing the next thing. Nothing ever truly fulfilled me.

It wasn’t until I found Jesus that I discovered real, lasting joy and satisfaction. As I continue growing with Him at the center of my life, I am reminded daily that yes, I must work hard and serve as a provider for my future family, but true meaning, identity, and purpose only come from knowing and serving Him.

Prayer
I pray and encourage you to seek Him. Buy a Bible, go to church, join a Bible study, and take that first step. He brings a value, clarity, and peace to your life that nothing in this world ever can. Stay on the path that leads to life, and He will make your ways clear.

James 5:16a Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.

Jeremiah 17:14 Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise.

I think I could write volumes on the things that the Lord has done for me throughout my life, even before I knew Him. But this January 2026 is a special commemoration of the Lord delivering me from addiction.

My personal relationship with Christ began when I was a senior in college in October 1994 and even though I was saved, I found myself in bondage to alcohol in my 30s; a decade after I received Christ!  Just FYI, you never know what the person sitting next to you in church is going through. I was deeply involved in my church, (and my husband was even an elder), yet I held the shameful secret that I was an alcoholic .

I knew my drinking was problematic and so I would pray almost nightly. My prayer would be "Lord, if You don't deliver me from this… then I will never be delivered."

And one night while I was praying I heard a familiar still small voice telling me to go to Alcoholics Anonymous. That was completely off the table for me, in that I found going to an AA meeting more shameful than being an alcoholic evangelical Christian wife and mother… Go figure!

Periodically, over the course of 10 years, I would hear the same whisper from the Lord ... and to make a long story short, I finally surrendered and went to my first meeting, a women's meeting in New Vernon.

I was terrified and full of shame walking in the door and I cried throughout the meeting. But by the end I knew why the Lord sent me there.  That day, He not only delivered me from alcohol, but He delivered me from shame; the shame of my addiction, the shame of confessing my sin out loud. That was January 2016 and this year I am 10 years sober!!!

I didn't understand why the Lord sent me to AA at the time, but I know now that although I was forgiven even while I struggled, it was in confessing my sins one to another that I was healed. (James 5:16)

I praise the Lord for His goodness grace and mercy and that His love for me has never diminished even during my 10 years in the wilderness. He was never nearer to me than in my affliction. He has also redeemed the time.  The time lost from sharing Christ with others and time lost with my children. I praise the Lord every day that I am delivered, redeemed and forgiven.  I can (and do) boast that I am the healed of the Lord! Amen!


Prayer
Father God, Thank you that You have set my sins as far apart from me as east is from west. I know I am forgiven but I feel so broken because of the shame of continual sin. Show me a faithful friend/s who I can confess my struggle to … Who will protect my heart and my information and will come alongside me with prayer and Godly counsel that I might be healed.  I know that the enemy who hates me delights that I keep my sin in darkness… Give me the courage and boldness to shine light, Your light, Jesus, on it in within a Godly community. I thank You in advance for setting me free. I pray this in the powerful, matchless, mighty name of Jesus, amen.

Isaiah 43:2–3  “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”

2025 has been a year filled with uncertainty, change, and challenges that have stretched me in ways I never anticipated. Career-altering events brought ongoing stress and anxiety that lingered far longer than I expected.  Demanding work weeks—often spilling into weekends, holidays, and vacation days—combined with weekends packed with activities for our four young kids, left me with little time to recharge. There have been many moments when I’ve felt overwhelmed, carrying a weight that’s been much harder to shake than in the past.

Yet, in the midst of this, God’s Word reminds me of His presence: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.” Notice it doesn’t say IF you pass through the waters or IF you walk through the fire—it says WHEN.  Trials are inevitable, but so is His presence. And verse 3 gives the reason for this promise: “For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” His identity guarantees His faithfulness. He doesn’t promise to remove the fire or the flood, but He promises that they will not consume us. His presence is our protection, and His character is our confidence.

In seasons of stress and uncertainty, it’s easy to lose sight of how God has carried us before. Looking back, I can see moments where God provided strength, opened doors, and gave peace even when circumstances felt overwhelming. Remembering His past faithfulness gives me confidence for the future. If He has carried me this far, He will not stop now.

In 1 Samuel 7:12, after God gave Israel victory over the Philistines, Samuel set up a stone and named it Ebenezer, saying: “Thus far the Lord has helped us.” The word Ebenezer literally means “stone of help.” It was a physical reminder of God’s faithfulness—a marker that said, God showed up here.

Why is this powerful? Because when life feels overwhelming, our minds often forget what our hearts know: God has been faithful before. Raising an Ebenezer gives us comfort as we remember God’s faithfulness in the past and gives us confidence He will be faithful in the future.

During this season I’ve found myself singing these lyrics to myself declaring it until I believe it fully:
“And I've still got joy in chaos, I've got peace that makes no sense
And I won't be going under, I'm not held by my own strength
'Cause I build my life on Jesus, He's never let me down
He's faithful through every season, so why would He fail now?”

Prayer
Lord, thank You for Your promise to be with me in the waters and the fire. Thank You for sustaining me through a demanding year and for the reminder that I am never alone. Help me to raise my Ebenezer today—to remember Your faithfulness and trust that You will continue to guide me. Give me peace that surpasses understanding and strength for the days ahead. Amen.

Blessed are those whose strength is in You, in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
As they go through the Valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools.
They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion.
Psalm 84:5-7

Words usually come so easily for me that I have a hard time stopping somewhere, but here I am in late-January struggling to find words to put on paper to Boast in the Lord. This past year, my father was diagnosed with a combination of vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, and is already well into the moderate stages of his cognitive decline. His diagnosis came with a range of emotions, and it was a breaking point in great sense for me, which I have spent so much of this last year navigating.

I had experienced the sudden loss of my stepdad at the end of 2022, and now I am having to experience the other side of that coin through the slow demise of my earthly father, who will one day forget who I am before he is ever gone from this world, the thought of which brought the painful realization that so much of what once had the hopeful potential to be redeemed and restored in our relationship one day is no longer a possibility.

Most of this year for me has been spent wrestling with God, but also drawing far closer to Him as a result. Suffering, as a human concept, seems so utterly pointless and is usually one of the first reasons someone will give as to why they don’t believe in God. But God is sovereign over everything, our suffering included.  He tells us in Isaiah 55:8-9, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts”.

God made us in His image, and so like Him, we are able to grieve, weep, mourn, and lament as Jesus did as we journey through this life. It’s a comfort that because of who I am in Christ, there is always purpose in my pain, and in view of eternity, all of our human sufferings can be viewed as “light momentary afflictions” (2 Corinthians 4:17).

I came to faith much later in life than most. My life before salvation was miserable, but these past four years I have experienced more pain and loss than I would have been capable of handling prior in my own strength. I see God’s wisdom in His waiting to give me the greatest gift I have ever received and spent a lifetime never fathoming how badly I needed, knowing all that would be coming my way these past four years. But as someone who spent 90% of her life completely separated from God, it can be a struggle to not head towards that singularly human emotion of despairing. There is great comfort that if we are in Christ, we can never actually reach the point of despair, for we know that hope is another gift we receive from God, (and one of the three virtues that will last forever (1 Corinthians 13:13)), yet still we can get dangerously close to despair sometimes.

We read the book of Psalms as poetry, but we don’t often stop to consider that the Psalms are a songbook. The Psalmists words of praise, joy, and thanksgiving were sung out loud together in corporate settings, but so were laments like Psalm 88, the last line of which ends on a declaration of “Darkness has become my only companion”.

Before I ever got to the events of last year, I lamented that the Christian Church as a whole is not encouraged or taught how to lament enough. There is great strength in knowing that lament is a form of prayer, praise, and proof of our personal and intimate relationship with God.  But we can struggle with viewing God as our Father, who we can unashamedly run to like a hurting child for comfort, and so often instead, we apply our worldly knowledge to situations, fleeing from God, putting on a brave face with a smile that doesn’t extend to our eyes, answering “I’m fine” when asked, yet in reality, as a Church, we are commanded not only to rejoice with those who rejoice, but also to weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15).

Intentional and daily time spent in the Psalms has been one of the ways that I have deeply grown in my relationship with God in the last few months, and without a doubt has been the most important book of Scripture for me this season, which came about through a series of events and conversations that let me know the idea was entirely God’s and not mine.

God isn’t just aware of our sufferings, but He Himself collects and accounts for every tear we shed (Psalm 56:8) and also sees each one that we wipe away when we can’t bear the weight of the pain in that moment.  But He doesn’t just comfort us in all of our afflictions alone.  He also gives us a family of believers so that we may comfort each other with the comfort we have received from God in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:3-5).

When I stop to truly reflect on this past year and take my eyes off of all the painful circumstances, all I can see is the magnitude of God’s love for me. He has blessed me with a closer relationship with Him, purposing this pain and suffering into something so beautiful.  God has also blessed me this past year with relationships and friendships that have been aid stations, allowing for wonderful moments of respite and light to shine through the dark valley of this past year which has been the hardest stretch of the race I have been called to run in this life thus far.

God in His infinite wisdom knows what we need and delivers those things right when we need them most. Sometimes it’s hard to sit in the power of the true hope we have in Christ, but we can be sure that whatever we may be going through, it is nothing that the resurrection won’t be able to repair. I boast in the Lord today knowing that whatever I am going through, a day will come when the promise of the new heaven and the new earth in Revelation 21:1-7 will come to pass, and all of the pain and brokenness we endure in this world marred by sin will be no more.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, I thank You that as we travel through the Valley of Weeping in this life filled with so much sorrow and difficulty, the tears we shed are received as offerings of praise to You, watering the barren ground we travel along. Thank you for giving us the hope we have in You, Jesus, knowing in full confidence that we are headed towards an eternal life spent with You that will be free from tears, mourning, crying, pain, death, and sin.  Thank You for faithfully bringing us from strength to strength as we continue along the path You have laid out for each of us.  May we never forget how privileged we are that it is You we are running towards, and that it will all be worth it when we are one day finally standing face-to-face with our Lord and Savior. In Jesus name, Amen.

“Praise the Lord, you his angels, you mighty ones who do His bidding, who obey His word. Praise the Lord, all His heavenly hosts, you His servants who do His will. Praise the Lord, all His works everywhere in His dominion. Praise the Lord, my soul”
Psalm 103: 20-22

I went back and forth a million times trying to figure out the perfect thing to share to “boast” and glorify the name of the Lord. But the truth of the matter is, that everything single good thing about me and in my life, is because of the Lord, because He chose me, because He dug me out of the pit I was living in.

Both big life-changing things and little day to day things have happened this year, and I could not find a way to narrow it down. So here are my “boasts”, my moments of praise and gratitude.

The Lord has shown me His character over and over this year. He has shown me that He is so good, He is faithful, He is compassionate, He is merciful, He is our provider, and that He is sovereign over ALL!

I’ve seen His mighty transformative power as I sat singing worship music and praising His name with a friend, who a year prior, struggled with alcohol addiction and did not know God’s name.

I’ve felt His compassion and peace surround us as we walked through the deep grief of suddenly losing a friend.

I’ve seen His goodness and faithfulness in the provision and abundance our family has walked in this year.

I’ve seen Him answer prayers for healing, restoration, and transformation.

I praise His name for the discernment and wisdom He has provided me to navigate situations.

I praise His name for the ways His word has come alive in me and for the revelations He shows me as I spend more and more time with Him.

I praise His name for protection, for the waiting, for the “not yets”, for the seasons of fire that have brought me closer and closer to Him.

I praise His name for the “Aarons” and “Hurs” He brought along side me to storm Heaven’s gates, to fight battles on their knees, to hold me accountable and remind me of truth, and stand in the gap for me and my family this year.

I praise His name for the ways He is moving and will move, for the captives we will see set free in His mighty name, and for the lives we will see completely transformed.

I praise His name for all that He is.


Prayer
Father God, thank You for ALL that You are. Thank You that You alone are sovereign over all things and we are safe in Your sovereignty. Thank You for the ways You have moved and for the ways You have protected us. Open our eyes to see You in all things. May not a day go by that we’re not praising Your name for all You have done and all You will do. We ask all of this in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.

Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them. Glorious and majestic are His deeds, and His righteousness endures forever. He has caused His wonders to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and compassionate. Psalm 111:2-4

He replied, "Whether He is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind, but now I see!  John 9:25


Forgive the length brothers and sisters.  My boast is not bound by 2024 or any year. It dates back almost a decade now. While long past, the overwhelming joy surrounding the gift God gave me is very real today. I can’t speak it or think about it (or write about it…as I am finding out right this moment), without being emotionally overwhelmed.

My son was a football player and quite a good one briefly. I admit I am biased, and I lived vicariously through him. In his first six varsity games, playing as a sophomore, he was 5th in the county in scoring. I was proud of him for how he played. But then the injuries came. An ankle. Torn knee ligaments – twice! Concussions. All the surgeries, the pain, the rehabs. It felt endless. Before long he was a graduating senior and never was able to play more than a couple more football games in between all the injuries.

I wasn’t angry with God about what happened, but I asked Him why this had to happen to me. Yes, to me. There was no answer. What was put on my heart instead was guilt.  Philippians 2:3-4 says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but also to the interest of others.”

I was self-centered.  What happened, happened to my son, not to me. Once my perspective was corrected, I still asked God why all this had to happen to my son. Today, I am still curious but at peace in the knowledge that it is an awesome answer from God even though I don’t know what it is. There is something truly wonderful in that.

Over time, around this same period, my son’s behaviors and actions started to change. It progressed from emotional outbursts, to cutting, suicide threats and actions. I have always said, there is no instruction book on how to be a parent each day, and my wife and I had no ideas.  Nothing. We had no clue why the behaviors started, what was going on, or what to do. Zero.

While we could step in and fix just about anything up to this point with our children, we were absolutely and completely helpless this time. After one episode, we had no option but to call an ambulance. Eventually, New Jersey said he had to go to a mental health facility for a few days or a week.  I don’t even remember how long.  

My son was gone, and we had no idea why. It was worse when I realized that the facility was even worse for him because of what the other patients were doing and saying. I turned back to asking God why this was happening. I was begging and pleading with him. I’d do anything to have my son back. There was nothing from God.

As my son’s stay was potentially ending, a practitioner was set to interview both him and me. I prayed the eyes of the practitioner would open just so my son could come home. I prayed they wouldn’t take him away for longer or potentially forever. I’m so thankful that prayer was answered and while my son was still gone, he was physically home.  All the behaviors were still there, but it was better than longer term care. I am so grateful to God and the unknown practitioner who gave us our son back. I can’t fathom an outcome had that prayer not been answered.

One day during this ordeal, with the help of my father-in-law, who is a physician, a new theory emerged that my son’s behavioral change was due to a brain injury – specifically the concussions from football. My father-in-law indicated that he heard there was a new, experimental brain center in California that was having some success in treating certain issues like PTSD and concussions. Maybe, just maybe, it could be helpful. There was hope. I prayed again that this might be the answer.

The brain center explained that my son’s brain waves could be off and that they could be moving in the wrong direction or out of phase. That sounded pretty crazy to me. They had a nice picture of a red brain before treatment and a blue brain after treatment. For $1000, not covered by insurance, they could test their experimental system which involved projecting waves or rays into his head to correct the direction or phase of his brain waves and see if that could help.  

Hope was gone.  I am a skeptic. With no training at all, I could make blue and red brain pictures and send some invisible waves into someone’s brain for $1000 and then let them know it didn’t work? What a scam! Of course, we would try and do anything to help our son, and so we paid the $1000, flew to California, and then waited for the expected and obvious answer - that it didn’t work and we were out $1000!

Lo and behold though, the scam wasn’t over. The system could help him. But now for $20,000, still not covered by insurance, he could come back for 10-12 treatments over 3-4 weeks in California and there was a chance that would help. Even if it did help, there wasn’t a guarantee it would last, and so in the future we might need to go back for another set of sessions for another $20,000 (and so on and so on).

I didn’t trust it.  I didn’t trust God. Who ever heard of shooting rays into someone’s brain to recalibrate their brain waves? Complete and utter nonsense and a waste of time and money!

As you probably can anticipate, God provided an absolute miracle!!! It was like night and day. Shoot some waves into my son’s brain and my son was back. Just like that!  Just like normal! The switch was flipped. Medically, his brain waves were going the right direction and in the right phase and that made him a different person. The person he was…for a decade now.

Praise, Praise, Praise!  I could type it 1000 times.  Praise! Thank you, God! So thankful! Every day, every month, every year! So much joy!  Overwhelming joy!!!!  That is the power and wonder of God.

He does things that can’t be comprehended. God has given me overwhelming joy! It is so much, that I cannot bear it. I know that sounds crazy, that someone can’t bear the amount of joy. We hear about unbearable pain, but I am here to witness that God provides completely overwhelming joy!


Prayer
Heaven Father, thank You for Your amazing gifts. I cannot understand or comprehend Your power and mercy. You are so good to me. Thank You for providing a small glimpse of Your power. I don't have the words to express my gratitude for Your blessings, but You know my heart. You are a great God. Help me to use my experience to tell others of Your greatness. All praise and glory to You. Amen.

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.  Psalm 104:33


My Boast is a partial continuation of last year's, where God gave us a new back deck, which ended up being a perfect backdrop for the pre-wedding photos for our son Christopher and Karen's wedding in October.

Since our children were born, Brian and I have been praying for their future spouses, that they would be kind, smart, funny, adore our sons and have a heart for Jesus. Christopher’s wife is all this and more. She is pretty, personable, strong, insightful, practical, fun to be with and very creative. Their joy is contagious, and we rejoice with them that God is good and so faithful!

Although satan continues to put physical problems in my flesh, I will boast in the Lord all the more. Weeks before the wedding, a tendon ruptured and completed severed in my foot; the one that stabilizes the ankle.  This happened as a result from taking a medication for a different problem. I ended up having surgery and wearing a cast on my foot for their wedding, but God! Despite the setback, I was able to dance at their wedding anyway; the joy was so palpable!

It warms my heart to see our son in a blessed Christian marriage where they mutually adore, respect, encourage and love one other. There’s peace and strength in their union. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.”



Prayer:
Dear Father God, thank You, for the kindness and goodness You add to our lives. Help us to always be grateful, in whatever way Your blessings come, and to be patient. Thank You for our families and for Your son Jesus, in whose name we pray.

"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you." Ephesians 4:32

George:
On November 3rd at 11:15pm I was in the back room and Cathy was asleep in the master bedroom on the first floor in the front of the house. Suddenly there was a large BOOM and the sound of the fire alarm going off.  I jumped up and tried to open the door to the master bedroom, but there was debris all over the floor, which prevented me from fully opening it.  I heard my son, John, upstairs calling out, "Is everyone all right?" as he ran down the stairs. As I forced the door to the master bedroom open, I couldn’t see Cathy.  I couldn’t tell if the room was full of smoke or dust, but I disconnected the fire alarm and yelled for her to get out of there and call 911.

As we ran to the front door, John and I realized that a car had hit the front of the house. The car was on its side and had punched a hole into the front of the house about six feet from where Cathy had been sleeping.  John and I ran to the front of the house to see two guys climbing out of the vehicle.  Within minutes the first responders arrived to secure the safety of all involved, and the word MIRACLE began to fill the air. (Shout out to the Bernardsville police and fire departments, who were amazing.)

The first of two storylines in this incident through which we want to bring glory to our God, is that of the miracles.  
There was debris all over the bed, broken glass, 2x4’s with large nails sticking out of them, large pieces of sheetrock scattered over the bed and floor.  The bedroom looked like a bomb had gone off inside of it.  But there in the bed was Cathy sleeping comfortably.  Not one piece of the debris landed on her.  She never heard the crash, and the two pictures that hang over the bed didn’t even move, let alone crash down onto her.  She got up out of the bed and walked across the floor littered with broken glass without any injuries.  How was any of that possible?  The two young men in the car climbed out of their car as well without a scratch. MIRACLES!

The second storyline had to do with God’s ordering of events so that I could be free.  
After the emergency crews left and the house was secured at least for the night, I was not able to go back to sleep and walked through the house going over what could have happened, and attended a small “pity party”, where the enemy was serving up resentment and unforgiveness.  I found myself unable to move on from that way of thinking as the following day began.  

The insurance company sent over a team to clean up all the debris and support the areas of the house that had been damaged.  One member of the team was a big guy sent to patch up the hole in the front of the house with plywood.  He asked to see the damage inside and out, and while he looked around the house, he made several references to “God”.  It seemed like the opportunity to ask him if he was born again.  He quickly responded NO, but said he had a “Higher Power” and had been sober for thirty years.  I congratulated him on his sobriety and we spoke most of the morning while he made his repairs.  

A couple hours later, two young men approached the front yard, and my repairman friend called to me, “The guy who ran into your house is here to apologize and ask for forgiveness."  I looked at the driver and said, "Wow, that takes guts."  Now in my mind I’m asking the Lord, “What do I say?”  And I heard - say this, “Do you believe in God?"  

I took the driver to the street, told him how fast he was driving, how his car sideswiped a tree, went airborne over our front lawn for over 70 feet and crashed into our house, and he and his passenger walked away without a scratch.  I said his mom and I could be making funeral arrangements today for him and for my wife, but instead here we were talking.  "You just participated in a MIRACLE, and you need to ask God why he spared your life and for what purpose."  (I railed on him pretty good, but not in anger.)  

After all that, I paused and said, “If my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, can forgive me for all the dumb stuff I’ve done in my life, I’m sure I can forgive you"...and I did!  ("Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Eph. 4:32)  I hugged him, and he and his friend walked up the street.  

After they left, the guy who was making the repairs on the house stopped, and said, “Dude, that was so cool how you did that”.  He finished up his repairs, and as he was leaving, we hugged and he thanked me for, (his words not mine) not shoving my faith down his throat, but was blessed by my response to the young man.  

A while later I realized that the Lord sent that young man to me for ME, so I could see firsthand how He would respond in this situation through me, and so I could be free of the burden of unforgiveness.  If we are walking in resentment or unforgiveness, we are walking in darkness, "But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)


Cathy:  
After the dust had settled, literally and figuratively, the miracle aspect of the incident hit me hard - if the car had hit the house several feet to the left, I probably would have been killed. Since none of the debris even touched me, I am convinced that I was shielded at that moment by an angel, and I surely Boast in the Lord for His protection.  

This incident highlighted to me the fact that any one of us can be taken from this life at any time.  That's why it is so important to consider and come to terms with eternity.  What happens after you die?  The Bible says there are only two possibilities - eternity with God or eternity without Him.  God is Holy and we are not - that presents a problem if we want to spend eternity with Him.  But God has provided a solution to that problem: John 3:16, some of the most amazing words ever spoken: " 'For God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son, that whoever believes in Him WILL NOT PERISH BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.' "  

Jesus took on all the sins of the world on the cross and paid the awful price for them.  I have believed this and received forgiveness for my sins. Even with all my flaws and failures, I am right with God, not because of anything I have done, but because of what Jesus did on my behalf.  He died in my place and when He rose from the dead, I rose with Him to new life, eternal life.  

So if I had died in the accident, I would have been with Him for eternity.  It is the ultimate Good News, but it gets even better.  Eternal life does not begin when we who have put our faith in Christ die, it begins right now.  Jesus said, " 'Now this is eternal life: that they may know You [Father], the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.' " (John 17:3)  

My dear friends, if you have not yet put your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, I "...implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God". (2 Co. 5:20b)  Believe me when I say, it is just the START of a great adventure!


Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of Jesus Christ, through whom we can be reconciled back to You!  Thank You that not only do You forgive our sins and make us righteous in Your sight, but You actually come and make Your home in us, making possible an intimate and on-going relationship with You, and You live through us so that we can forgive as we have been forgiven. What a great salvation, both for now and for eternity!  We love You and we pray in Jesus' mighty Name.  Amen!