“Now I Know” For years I felt a little lost, Like something missed, some tangled cost. I did my best, I played the part, But never quite fit heart to heart. I wondered why I seemed so strange, Why noise could cause my mood to change. Why crowds would drain, why rules felt tight, Why silence soothed me late at night. I blamed myself. I tried to bend. I wondered if the twist would end. But answers came one quiet day— A path appeared, not far away. It wasn’t me that broke or failed, Just patterns I had never hailed. And with those truths, the weight grew light— The world made sense, and so did I.

  They didn’t see the strength it took To stand when every hilltop shook. They didn’t see the hidden fight, The weary prayers I breathed at night. They measured me by shallow things, By broken clocks and broken wings. They said I’d fall, they said I’d fail — But God said that we would prevail. They didn’t see the seeds I sowed, The quiet faith that only grows When watered not by pride or cheer, But by a love that fights through fear. They saw the cracks — but not the core, The heart that chose to try once more. They saw the wounds — but not the flame That carried hope in Jesus’ name. So let them doubt, and let them flee — Their words have never anchored me. For I am held by hands unseen, And grace will fill the in-between. Their disbelief won’t be my end — My strength comes not from them, but Him. And when the time of harvest nears, God will redeem these hidden years.

  ‘Strength in the Storm’ The wind may howl and twist the trees, It bends their limbs with ruthless ease, But every gust, each stormy test, Drives roots down deeper in their quest. For trees that stand when tempests roll, Are anchored by a weathered soul. The mountain’s heart is crushed and torn, By weight and fire it is reborn. A lump of coal, so black and plain, Becomes a jewel through time and strain. A diamond’s gleam, so bright and rare, Was carved by pain most couldn’t bear. The river carves through rock and stone, Not swift, but steady, all alone. Its gentle force, through countless years, Wears down the peaks, dissolves our fears. For strength is not just sharp or loud— It’s quiet, sure, and never cowed. The fire refines, the storm reveals, The broken soul that slowly heals. Each scar a map, a tale, a mark, Of battles fought through light and dark. We rise not despite the nights we knew, But because we faced them—and pushed through… (Chat GPT w/ my prompts)

Family photos are a funny thing. You get all dressed up in matching clothes, hoping beyond hope that you get a keeper. More often than not, life doesn’t cooperate as you expect it to. It started with a grape juice stain and went downhill from there... I’m trying to be ok with it. Getting the nice photo is nice, but what’s more important is how I respond... Our kids will remember how we treated them in those moments, like when those little brown eyes looked at me with such sadness - like they had ruined everything. I could’ve gotten mad and scolded them and made them feel horrible, but I paused. I looked at the stain and said, 'It's okay.' Wardrobe change, and we took some photos anyways. It’s cold. Another child doesn’t like to look at the camera. Someone had an accident. Clothes ruined. Oh well. What’s important is that we were all together today and got to enjoy breakfast and an Easter service together as we worshipped God. Choose calm today. Remember why we’re celebrati...