hope, Trust God

Be Careful Where You Put Your But.

Photo by Andreea Andrei on Pexels.com

Have you ever heard someone give you a compliment and then add the word โ€œbutโ€?

โ€œYou did a great job, butโ€ฆโ€

โ€œI appreciate what you did, butโ€ฆโ€

Suddenly, everything before the โ€œbutโ€ seems to disappear. One little word has the power to shift our focus from what was good to what was lacking.

I never expected a simple word to teach me something about my faith. But as I started paying attention to how we use the word โ€œbut,โ€ I realized it can reveal more than just our communication styleโ€”it can reveal where we place our trust.

Because sometimes we do the same thing with God.

โ€œI trust You, butโ€ฆโ€

โ€œI know You are faithful, butโ€ฆโ€

โ€œI believe You will provide, butโ€ฆโ€

Our โ€œbutโ€ can become the place where fear, doubt, or the need to control creeps in.

The word itself isnโ€™t the problem. Itโ€™s what comes after it. There is a big difference between โ€œGod, butโ€ฆโ€ and โ€œBut Godโ€ฆโ€

One keeps our focus on the obstacle. The other reminds us that God is greater than the obstacle.

Didn’t set out for this post to become a lesson in communication but there is something to be learned here spiritually as well. I was talking with someone a few weeks ago. If I remember correctly the topic was about planning. The person I was speaking with was concerned that not enough planning had been done for something. So I suggested, just trust God it will all work out. The reply was, “Trust God but…” that’s where I had to interrupt. Trust God but. Oooo, that’s dangerous. It sounded like God wasn’t big enough. We have a big God who sees the big picture. We have a God that goes before us and paves a way for us. We can plan six ways to Sunday, we can make all the plans we want BUT GOD, directs our steps. “A manโ€™s heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.” Proverbs 16: 9.

Check out this article.

See how this can be applied spiritually? Man can plan BUT the Lord directs. The “but God” negates whatever we plan. That’s not to say we shouldn’t, we should plan, BUT GOD will directs our steps and provide. And if for some reason if we have done all we think we can do to plan for something, we as humans can forget, we aren’t perfect. God will provide whatever it is we may have overlooked, He will make it work. Because, Romans 8:28 – “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

So be careful where you put your “but.” Whether you are giving praise or trusting God for something, stop and think, is going to be “God but…” or “But God…?”

encouragement, hope, rest, Uncategorized

Anchored Between Silence and Sound

Rusty anchor partially buried in pebbled beach with ocean waves and a colorful sunset sky
Maybe peace isnโ€™t found when the noise disappears.
Maybe peace is found when we know what holds us steady while the noise continues. โš“

Shortly after writing this blog post about being still I went over to IG since I hadnโ€™t been there in while. I came across a post by Dave Adamson a.k.a. Aussie Dave. In his IG post on June 29th he talks about how the Western Wall changed his perspective about โ€œquiet timeโ€ with God. And after reading his post and reviewing what I wrote – weโ€™re both not wrong or right. He always thought quiet time was just that and what many of us envision it to be. Silently praying,ย  silently reading and perhaps silently journaling. And he brings up a good point, perhaps quiet isnโ€™t how itโ€™s thought to be. It was when he visited the Western Wall Jewish men and boys werenโ€™t reading silently. They were reading the Torah aloud and discussing it, he says even wrestling with it – together. The Hebrew word we translate as โ€œreadโ€ actually means to call out or proclaim.ย 

He points out that Jesus read scripture in publicly in the Synagogue. And Paul told Timothy to devote himself to read scripture in public. He points out that โ€˜faith comes by hearingโ€ in Romans 10:17. Scripture is meant to be read quietly as well as be spoken out loud. 

Aussie Dave ainโ€™t wrong and Iโ€™m not right. Honestly itโ€™s when I am sharing and living out  my faith that the words I have read become real and anchored. 

Maybe the invitation isnโ€™t to choose between silence and sound, but to recognize that God meets us in both. There are moments when we need to be still enough to listen, to sit with His Word, and allow it to take root in our hearts. And there are moments when we need to speak it, share it, wrestle with it, and live it out among others.

Perhaps stillness isnโ€™t about the absence of noise. Perhaps itโ€™s about creating space for Godโ€™s voice to become clearer โ€” whether that happens in the quiet of a room, the conversation around a table, or the faithful act of proclaiming what He has placed on our hearts.

The words we read are not meant to remain on a page. They are meant to transform us. They are meant to be carried, spoken, and lived.

So maybe the question isnโ€™t, โ€œAm I doing quiet time the right way?โ€ Maybe the better question is, โ€œAm I making room for God to meet me โ€” and am I allowing His Word to work in me and transform me be it in the sounds or in silence?

Because whether whispered in stillness or spoken out loud publicaly, His Word is alive.

encouragement, hope, prayer, Uncategorized

Anchored in the Silence

Silence. It can be deafening sometimes. It can be uncomfortable. Many times in conversation we feel the need to fill the pauses. Many times silence speaks louder than words. 

Psalm 46:10  – โ€œโ€ฆBe still and know that I am Godโ€ฆโ€ In Hebrew,  according to biblehub.com โ€œBe stillโ€ means sink, relax. Sometimes that can be the hardest and the last thing I want to do. 

Yet, itโ€™s in the chaos, in the storm I need to be still. Jesus isnโ€™t always going to calm the waters, maybe not right away, maybe in a while – in His time.

Most times, even when I am choosing to be still, shutting out the wandering thoughts, the to do list, the what ifโ€™s, the noise of the day – itโ€™s hard. Focusing is hard especially after a migraine my brain is foggy and tired. All I can think about is what I need to catch up on.

Being still and sitting in silence to me is like staring at a blank canvas or a blank page in a journal. It can be paralyzing and scary. Why is it my mind can blank at that but in silence I can come up with the worstest (itโ€™s a word, I just made it up) scenarios. But that is neither what I want to write about, paint on a canvas or think about. Philippians 4:8 – โ€œFinally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthyโ€”meditate on these things.โ€ 

โ€œMeditate on these things.โ€ Prayer is a form of meditation, just remember to leave some space for God to respond. Recalling scripture and Godโ€™s faithfulness are always a good things to meditate on. 

Maybe silence isnโ€™t meant to be filled. Maybe it is meant to be surrendered. (Thereโ€™s that word again).

The blank space that feels uncomfortable, the pause that feels awkward, the stillness that makes our minds race,  those are often the very places where God invites us to meet Him.

An anchor does not prove its strength when the waters are calm. It proves its strength when the storm comes and the waves are pulling hard. Maybe being still is not about having a quiet life or a quiet mind. Maybe it is about knowing where we are anchored when life is anything but quiet.

So today, I want to practice sitting in the silence,  not because I have everything figured out, not because the noise has disappeared, but because I know Who is there with me.

โ€œBe still and knowโ€ฆโ€

Not be still and understand everything.
Not be still and have all the answers.
Just be still and know.

Know that He is God.
Know that He is faithful.
Know that even in the silence, He is near.

hope, Uncategorized

Intentional Living, One Step at a Time

Open door leading to a cozy living room with an armchair, bookshelf, lamp, and fireplace

I used to think showing up was the win. Now I think itโ€™s just the doorway.

Since my last post, I have been intentional about showing up. And as usual, when I do that, when I sit down to do anything I need to do, especially creative work or time with God, voices enter the scene.

I hear: โ€œYou shouldnโ€™t be doing thisโ€ฆ what about laundry?โ€ Like Lisa Simpson having to organize her CDs first. IYKYK. Or โ€œWhy bother, no one cares.โ€ And the classic: โ€œYouโ€™re not good enough.โ€

All distractions. All lies.

Showing up requires intention and preparation. My corner of our shared office, or really my little studio corner, needed organization. I didnโ€™t want to work in a space where I couldnโ€™t access my art supplies. There was no room to spread out, and it became frustrating.

So I changed it.

One day while my husband was at work (he had to be for me to do this, his allergiesโ€ฆ OY!), I rearranged the layout and organized my supplies. Itโ€™s still a work in progress, but I have to admit, it is so much better. (I have a few photos Iโ€™ll share in another post.)

Once things were more organized and accessible, I felt more encouraged to actually go in there and create.

Some days I have a specific project in mind. Other days, I just make marks on paperโ€”paint, markers, or hand-letter a verse of Scripture. And there are days when a migraine shows up, and thatโ€™s when I give myself grace. Pushing through migraine pain has never benefitted me, or anyone else, for that matter.

I used to think showing up was the win. Now I think itโ€™s just the doorway.

Iโ€™ve started applying the same mindset to my time with God. Iโ€™m not just โ€œshowing upโ€ – I come prepared, usually with my Bible and a favorite pen. There was a time I would simply open Scripture anywhere and read whatever landed in front of me. But now I have a plan.

One of my goals was to read the Bible all the way through. My mom gave me a chronological Bible a few years ago for my birthday, and I only made it halfway through.

Now Iโ€™m more intentional. In January, I bought a journal and decided I wanted to create a kind of junk journal as I read. I write notes on passages that speak to me, not as a theology student or someone in seminary, but simply as someone listening for God along the way. I add notes, doodles, and small decorations to the pages. It helps me remember, and it draws me back in later.

Showing up in my office/studio space has become more inviting. Iโ€™m more prepared to work on projects and to journal.

โ€œThe prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.โ€ โ€“ Proverbs 22:3  To me, this speaks to being intentional and aware with how I use my time, choosing what deserves my attention, instead of moving forward on autopilot.  Iโ€™m trying to be more discerning with my time, intentional about when I create, when I rest, and when I simply let an idea come through.

hope, salvation

Steady, Present, Anchored: Your 2026 Reminder

Photo by Peggy Anke on Pexels.com

Happy New Year! Time really flies as we become more seasoned in life and when we are having fun. I am thankful for another day, another week another month and another year. And just like I am not one for bucket lists I am not one for resolutions. I would rather be focused, present and intentional about my goals and projects. LOL I guess that is a resolution of sorts. 

Challenges

My family has had a few challenges over the past three years. Itโ€™s been a struggle making the season merry and bright. But God, has been through it all with us. It didnโ€™t always feel like He was there. However, I know He has been. Focusing on God and His Word have been key. There were days I didnโ€™t feel like it or wanted to. So, those days may have been reflective and creative. So if your holidays have been challenging and short of merry and bright, I wish you New Year Blessings. 

The challenges our world has faced in 2025 have made me become more aware of the โ€œlabor painsโ€ in Matthew 24:8 – โ€œBut all these things are merely the beginning of birth pains.โ€ I began to think; this could have been said 50 or 60 years ago. Whatโ€™s the difference? Like a mother in labor, they become stronger and closer together. The events that are unfolding have been happening for centuries, the only difference is, these events, wars, rumors of wars, immorality, etc., itโ€™s just happening more frequently and in some cases more intensely. 

New Hope

But there is hope. Hope came in the form of a baby over 2000 years ago. We just celebrated His birth. Jesus came to be born as a baby, grow up and start His ministry, die on the cross, be buried, rise again and ascend to Heaven. He did all that for us while we were still sinners – Romans 5:8. Jesusโ€™s death and resurrection, His blood that was shed is for us. But itโ€™s only for those who acknowledge their need for a savior, who confess they are sinners and receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  One day Jesus gather us up and we will meet Him in the clouds –

โ€œThen, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.โ€ – 1 Thessalonians 4:17

Thereโ€™s our Hope. Then one day all this, the earth, all that we know here on planet earth will pass away –

โ€œHeaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.โ€ – Matthew 24:35

Then God will create an new Heaven and new earth –

โ€œSee, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.โ€œ Isaiah 65:17

When I look back at the challenges and the state of our world, I am reminded of Godโ€™s sovereignty, His omniscience and His redemptive plan for us and all of His creation. Itโ€™s all in the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation and all in between. It even tells us how it ends. (Read the book of Daniel if you want to read about what has been prophesied and what has already passed and whatโ€™s to come). Today we all have a choice. We can choose God, His plan of salvation and His Hope or not. Itโ€™s that

Anchored in Hope

Here we are, stepping into 2026. Iโ€™m not chasing perfect days or forcing resolutionsโ€”just staying anchored. Anchored in truth. Anchored in Hope. Anchored in Christ. Life will throw highs, lows, and everything in between, but Heโ€™s faithful, Heโ€™s present, and He is sovereign.

Stay focused. Stay present. Stay intentional. And above all, stay anchoredโ€”because thatโ€™s where real hope lives.

hope

Waiting on God: Strengthening Faith Through Patience

Waiting on God can feel slow, heavy, and confusing but the Bible shows that โ€œwaitingโ€ is one of the most powerful spiritual practices we have that is often perceived as an inconvenience. In Scripture, the words for wait in Hebrew and Greek go deeper than simple patience; they are defined by expectancy, hope, perseverance, and a deep trust.  The Bible often pairs hope with waiting. The Hebrew words for โ€œhopeโ€โ€”qavah and yakhalโ€”are often translated as โ€œwait,โ€ describing patient, trust. We attend to Godโ€™s promises, remember his track record, and let that memory strengthen our expectations. The psalmist waited for God โ€œmore than watchmen for the morningโ€ (Ps. 130:6). The apostles spoke of a โ€œliving hopeโ€ anchored in the resurrection of Jesus and the renewal of all things (1 Pet. 1:3). 

Waiting has a way of stretching us. It has a way of producing patience, which is a fruit of the Spirit. – Galations 5:22-23. The Hebrew word is Qavah -waiting with tension., to wait with an expectant tension, like pulling a rope tight. (Isaiah 40:31). God isnโ€™t asking us to sit still and do nothing. Heโ€™s inviting us to lean into Him, trusting that strength is being woven into us as we do. Waiting can be the spiritual act of being pulled together, not pulled apart. Like God is tugging on the loose threads of our hearts, pulling them taut so He can weave something stronger in us.

When it comes to waiting on the Lord, the time is never wasted. God is intentional about the pauses He gives us. Biblical waiting is never passive. It is one of the most active spiritual postures there is. The Bible uses several descriptive Hebrew and Greek words for โ€œwait,โ€ and each one peels back a layer on what God is doing in the quiet seasons of our lives.

A few days ago I started a devotional plan on the Bible app – Anticipating Christmas – An Advent Overview. It was this paragraph that struck a cord -โ€œOver the next four days, we will walk through the key Advent themes of hope, peace, joy, and love. Each one reveals an aspect of Godโ€™s character and calls us to live in light of the world he is making. Between the first advent and the second advent, Jesusโ€™ return, our lives take their shape from the story God is telling.โ€  โ€œBetween the adventsโ€ is what caught my eye.

(Side note:the words I highlighted, hope, peace, joy are three words I felt the Holy Sprit gave me for 2026. And now I believe Heโ€™s tossing in the word wait.)

Whilst I was reading the first day of this devotional plan, I couldnโ€™t help but think about what was prophesied in Isaiah about Jesusโ€™ birth, His first arrival to earth and His return.  I have to be honest, the world is craaaaaazzzzeee right now. None of which has taken God by surprise, however, I never thought or imagined in a zilllion years the events of evil, lies and division that has taken place over the past few decades, much less past few years. I ask God often, โ€œHow much longer? How bad is it going to get before Jesus meets us in the clouds?โ€ At which point, I realize, I really donโ€™t want to know.  I just know that things arenโ€™t going to get any better until Jesus returns to the earth again. The world waited, like 700 years from the time of the prophesy in Isaiah to the birth of Jesus. Itโ€™s been over 2000 years since Jesus gave His life and shed His blood for us on the cross. And with all thatโ€™s going onโ€ฆ I canโ€™t help but be aware of Christโ€™s return. (Read the book of Daniel if you want a time line of the events that have already taken place). 

Waiting is hard. Well, it is for me sometimes, ok most times. Sometimes I enjoy and appreciate the anticipation. Sometimes thereโ€™s anxiety in the wait, sometimes itโ€™s pure excitement, sometimes I can wait patiently. What matters most is what I am doing in the wait? Which made me think of another devotional I read about the virgins waiting for the bride groom and tied into the sermon my pastor spoke on a few Sundays about waiting and things started to merge. Yep, waiting is a word for 2026. 

So I am mainly focused on waiting for Jesus to open up the sky and meet us in the clouds. What do I do, we do, whilst waiting for His return. 

Ok back to the ten virgins who were instructed to keep their wicks trimmed and lamps full of oil. The trimming of the wicks – important because for the oil to burn efficiently and clean, otherwise the oil would burn faster and be smokey. To me that symbolizes trimming the things that will cloud my focus on waiting, specifically for Jesusโ€™s return. Maybe I need to trim my time on social media or say no to things that will overload my schedule and cloud my focus on God.

Keeping my lamp fill with oil symbolizes staying filled with the Holy Spirit. I can only do that by staying in close proximity to God, reading His word daily and serving Him. In order to keep something filled, we have to keep an eye on it. For instance to keep gas in your car you need to pay attention to the gas gauge. In waiting for Jesusโ€™s return we have to keep our eyes opened, minds alert ready to hear Jesus (Psalm 130:6 – more than a watchman waiting for morning). Keeping our lamps full we are preparing by storing scripture in our hearts. See waiting isnโ€™t passive. I guess I need to be aware of what I am doing when I am waiting. I can be passive or active in my waiting and focusing on God and serving Him are a few ways I can actively wait for Jesus to meet us in the clouds..

This could be applied to waiting for anything God has you waiting for. I can also apply this to everyday waiting and be more productive by choosing to spend less time on social media in my waiting and read something or maybe sketch or take time to memorize a verse. Are you waiting on an answer from God? What are you doing in your wait? Are you staying active and waiting with expectant hope?  Keep you lamp full and your wick trimmed. Keep your heart and mind focused on God, His word, recall the the times He has been faithful to encourage you and remind you.

Waiting is never wasted when you are waiting on God and serving Him in the wait and there are so many ways to serve Him. The hope that comes with waiting faces the dark and keeps watch. It acknowledges the difficult season without surrendering to it. There are things we can do in our spiritual wait and our everyday waiting. Practice waiting this week. When anxiety rises, pause and remember a moment of Godโ€™s faithful care. When youโ€™re tempted to grasp for control, choose a small act of trust, cast your cares (1 Peter 5:&7). Hope and faith grow through small daily habits and becomes a signpost for others who are searching for light.ย 
Morning is coming; the cross and empty tomb guarantee it.

healing, hope

Surrendering Doubt: Finding Peace in Faith

Today, I want to share something thatโ€™s been sitting heavyโ€”but beautifullyโ€”in my heart. It was sparked by a devotional my pastor in Rhode Island, Pastor Dave, shared this morning on Instagram. @therrien6034 

Every day at 6:00 a.m., Pastor Dave posts a short but impactful video devotional called The Bible Cafรฉโ€”a time where we receive โ€œa serving of Scripture and a cup of caffeine (or the beverage of your choice).โ€ Each week he focuses on a new topic, and many of us are keeping topical journals based on the Scripture he shares each morning.

This weekโ€™s theme is doubt.

In Luke 24:38โ€“39, Pastor Dave pointed out that the disciples doubted they were really seeing Jesus after His resurrection. Despite walking closely with Him, they quickly forgot what He had already told themโ€”and that forgetfulness opened the door to doubt.

Doubt often leads us to lean on human reasoning, which I know too well. In my own experience, doubt hasnโ€™t just led to overthinkingโ€”itโ€™s brought discouragement, disappointment, and sometimes even depression. When we doubt, we start trying to make sense of everything on our own, and it rarely leads us closer to God.

Earlier this year, in a season of deep grief, I found myself overwhelmedโ€”like I was drowning, searching for a way out. Thatโ€™s when a word began repeating in my heart: surrender.

It was simple, but powerful.

Surrendering my grief to Jesus didnโ€™t make the pain disappear overnight, but it created spaceโ€”a holy emptinessโ€”for Him to step in and carry what I couldnโ€™t. And lately, another word has joined that inner echo: seek.

Maybe itโ€™s an โ€œahaโ€ moment from God.

When we surrenderโ€”whether it’s a habit, addiction, grief, doubt, or anything that weighs on us and pulls us away from Godโ€”weโ€™re not just letting something go. Weโ€™re making room.
Surrender creates a void. But that space is not meant to stay empty. It becomes an invitation for Jesus to move in.

Letting go may feel like a loss at first, but in reality, it’s the beginning of something greater: peace, clarity, healing, and deeper intimacy with God.

The disciples were incredibly blessedโ€”they saw the resurrected Jesus with their own eyes. His glorified body stood before them, scars and all. Sometimes I find myself wishing I could have a visual like that. But the truth is: we do.

We may not see Jesus physically, but we see Him in His Word, in creation, in the love of others, and in the quiet moments of prayer. His presence is still near. – Joshua 1:5 โ€œ No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.โ€ We may not walk beside Him like the disciples did, but we can still walk with Him daily.

And just like the disciples, after their doubt, were filled with faithโ€”we too can be filled.
When we surrender, we make space.
When we seek, we find Him. Jeremiah 29:13 – โ€œYou will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.โ€

So today, I invite you to do the same:
Surrender whatever is pulling you away.
And seek the One who is always ready to fill the voidโ€”with His truth, His presence, and His peace.

Anchor Angel Project, hope, prayer

Free Downloadable Prayer Images for Inspiration

โš“ โ€œWe all need encouragementโ€”an anchor in the storm, a reminder that weโ€™re not forgotten. Sometimes the simplest way to lift someoneโ€™s spirit is to let them know theyโ€™ve been prayed for. Thatโ€™s what the Anchor Angel Project is all about and is here to help make it easy. ๐Ÿ’™

Below youโ€™ll find free prayer images you can download, save, and share with anyone who needs a reminder of hope and encouragement today.โ€ Just right click and save to your device. The next time you are praying for someone, let them know, send one of these images with or without a short message of your own. I will never forget the day a friend of mine dropped by my office at work to have lunch with me. It was a wonderful surprise and really lifted my spirits. We donโ€™t always have that ability to surprise a friend at work, but we can still let our friends and family know we are thinking about them.

While I have you here, please head over to my YouTube channel and check out my crafty Christmas card DIY videos repurposing old Christmas cards giving them new life. Check them out

God sees us, nothing goes unnoticed by him. Sometimes we just need to reminded in the storm when we canโ€™t see past it. (2 Chronicles 16:9 โ€“ โ€œFor the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.โ€)

healing, hope

The Impact of Charlie Kirk: A Voice for Our Time

Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

On September 10, 2025, many of us were shaken by the news of Charlie Kirkโ€™s passing. I was in disbelief when I first heard the news. My husband texted me and told me that Charlie Kirk had tragically lost his life. I was crushed. How? Why? A husband, father, and bold voice in our generation, his presence was felt not only in politics but in the realm of faith. In our home, Charlie was a staple in our YouTube news feed. Day after day, his voice popped up alongside pastors, analysts, artists, animal videos and storytellers, becoming part of the rhythm of our daily life. While the world remembers his speeches and debates, we remember a man who, for such a time as this, stepped into arenas others avoided and spoke with conviction.

Charlie embraced his moment in history. He was not perfect, none of us are, but he understood that the times we live in call for courage. Whether one agreed with him or not, there was no denying that his anchor was firm, and his willingness to stand was clear. “If you believe in something, you need to have the courage to fight for those ideasโ€”not run away from them or try and silence them.” Charlie was created for โ€œsuch a time as thisโ€ Esther 4:14.

As believers, we grieve his sudden loss, but we do not grieve as those without hope. Hebrews 6:19 reminds us, โ€œWe have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.โ€ Charlieโ€™s voice has not been silenced here on earth, but his ultimate hope was in Christ, and that hope is eternal.

Charlie knew his calling and was given a platform, and he used it boldly. The challenge now rests on us, to boldly rise up in faith, to speak truth with love, to love others regardless of what they believe and to anchor our souls in the One who gives life beyond the grave.

Like many, I still have questions. Why, Lord? I asked God. And in His gentleness, He reminded me of His sovereignty, that He ordains our days. โ€œAll the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to beโ€ (Psalm 139:16). What shocked and saddened us was no surprise to God. From the day He gave Charlie life, God already knew the day He would call him home.

Even Jesus knew, while He walked this earth, when, where, how, and why He would lay down His life for the sins of the world. My heart aches for Charlieโ€™s wife, children, and family, I can only imagine their grief. And yet we serve a Savior who does understand grief: โ€œa man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.โ€ – Isaiah 53:3.

So I trust God, and yet I still struggle. My prayer for Erika and the entire family is that as they walk through this valley, they will continually seek the presence of God. As Psalm 16:11 promises: โ€œYou will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.โ€

Charlieโ€™s voice is not gone, in fact, it continues to echo through us, in the lives he touched, the convictions he stirred, and the courage he inspired. For such a time as this, we are called to step boldly, to speak truth with love, to love others as Christ loves us and to anchor our lives in Christ. May we honor his memory not by clinging to sorrow, but by living faithfully, loving deeply, and standing courageously in the moments God has given us.

Though we grieve, we do not grieve without hope, for our ultimate anchor is in Jesus, who gives life that never ends. May His presence bring comfort, guidance, and strength to all who mourn, and may we each rise to live fully, for the days God has entrusted to us.

art, encouragement, hope

Anchored in Style: The Kedge Anchor Meets Mid-Century Modern

What happens when you blend the timeless truth of scripture with the timeless style of Mid-Century Modern design?

You get something honest, grounded, and beautifulโ€”just like our generation.


โœจ Gen X: Born in the Middle, Built for Purpose

If youโ€™re part of Gen Xโ€”born between 1965 and 1980โ€”you know the feeling of being โ€œin between.โ€ Weโ€™re not Boomers. Weโ€™re not Millennials. We grew up analog and came of age digital. Weโ€™ve watched the world change at lightning speed.

But we werenโ€™t an afterthought.
God placed us right here, right nowโ€”on purpose, for a purpose.

Like Esther, we were created โ€œfor such a time as this.โ€
We carry the resilience of those before us and the vision for those ahead. And we have something to say.


๐ŸŽจ Faith Expressed Through Design

For many of us, art is how we speakโ€”how we pray, how we process, how we encourage. And thereโ€™s no more fun or nostalgic way to express it than through Mid-Century Modern style.

With its clean lines, calming tones, and energy, MCM feels like a visual echo of our faith:

  • Order in the chaos.
  • Beauty in simplicity.
  • Hope anchored in something timeless.

When we pair scripture with this design style, weโ€™re not just making something prettyโ€”weโ€™re putting truth in motion. Weโ€™re taking Godโ€™s Word and wrapping it in a visual that speaks across generations. And it doesnโ€™t matter if youโ€™re older or younger, thereโ€™s a spot for you. We were all created for a purpose and are placed here in this very moment by God


๐Ÿ“– Hebrews 6:19 โ€” Our Anchor and Esther 4:14

Thatโ€™s what inspired this visual devotional:

โ€œWe have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.โ€
โ€” Hebrews 6:19

โ€œโ€ฆ for just such a time as this? โ€œ – Esther 4:14

In a drifting, shifting world, Godโ€™s Word holds. And as Gen X believers, weโ€™re called to share that anchorโ€”with beauty, with boldness, and yes, with a little retro flair.


๐ŸŽฅ Watch & Reflect

Whether you’re a designer, a dreamer, or a Gen Xer rediscovering your voice, this space is for you. Letโ€™s create, encourage, and stay anchored, together.

Please leave a comment how you share your faith and encourage others.