I apologize for being absent for a couple of days. I needed the break time since my family was here. Both my son and daughter, their spouses and our grandchildren came over on Christmas Day. We had a full house and full hearts. I may skip a few days now and then as I wait for inspiration, but I will return and hope that you will continue to look for my posts.

This is a quotation I found from Charles Spurgeon when I was looking for another quotation. Isn’t this the truth? We hope that when we have a new government, things will get better, less chaotic. In some ways that is true. But the President and his men are not the source of our hope. Only Jesus offers hope that is there for us anytime we reach out to Him.

2025 has been a challenging year for me, with a broken foot and now a possibly messed up rotator cuff. The pain is teaching me a lesson about being patient and taking things easy instead of pushing myself. Not being able to reach up to get things is a real pain for me because I don’t like to ask for help. But I am learning that it’s okay to admit that I am not as self-sufficient as I would like to be. The foot is healing well, but it leaves behind a reminder of the almost three months I had to wear a clunky ortho boot. The reminder is also painful; my hamstring is pulled and causes frequent pain. Starting when I was wearing the book, I assumed the pain would dissipate once I stopped wearing it, but it’s still there, a constant reminder that I suffered an injury that is still healing. Whatever the last year brought you, I hope that you were able to continue to experience joy in the presence of the Lord. He is my joy, in spite of the pain. As I age, I find myself spending more time on reflecting on the gifts that God has given us, and one of them is joy. Just like hope, we have to spend time in God’s presence in order to feel the joy that bubbles inside us, ready to spring out.

God is present with us? Are we present with Him? Check your hope and joy; they are like barometers for your time with Him.