Loneliness

Loneliness: The Silent Weight We Carry

Grab your coffee and let’s talk about something we all feel but rarely admit: loneliness. It’s not just about being alone. It’s that quiet ache of feeling unseen, unheard, or disconnected, even when you’re surrounded by people. It sneaks in during the endless scroll through social feeds, in the pause after a conversation that didn’t go deep, or in those moments when you wonder, Who would I even call right now?

The Bible acknowledges this ache of the human heart. In Psalm 25:16, David cries out, “Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.” Loneliness is not a new struggle; it is part of the human experience. Yet, scripture also reminds us that God is close to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18) and never leaves us alone (Deuteronomy 31:6).

Here’s the good news: loneliness isn’t permanent. It doesn’t define you. Sometimes all it takes is a simple text, a shared laugh, or stepping just a little outside your comfort zone to start building a bridge. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 reminds us, “Two are better than one…If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.” Connection doesn’t have to be big or flashy. Often, it’s found in the small, ordinary gestures—a hello, a smile, a listening ear—that remind us we belong.

If you’re feeling lonely today, know this: you are not the only one, and you are never truly alone. God promises His presence in every season, and someone out there is waiting for the kind of presence only you can offer. Maybe this is your sign to reach out, say hello, or share a moment. You might just change someone’s day—and your own—in the process.

Remember the words of Isaiah 41:10: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Take heart, step toward connection, and trust that even in your quietest moments, you are seen, loved, and never forgotten.

Photo by Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash

Achieve Your Goals

Well we have nearly finished half of the first month of the new year! Congratulations! It's always a good time to take a look at your goal list and determine if you were in your right mind when you created it at the end of last year! I'm not talking about your new year resolutions that you had-you've probably already abandoned many of those!
Oftentimes, our goals fall by the wayside too because we make some mistakes when we put our goal list together. I want to share three things that help me each and every year to achieve my goals and I hope they also benefit you to not only make the right goals, but accomplish them as well.

1- write them down
When we right them down we create a way for us to periodically review them. Writing them down in a journal or notebook creates a way to help hold YOU accountable. You can track your progress bi-weekly or monthly too. This deliberate action will bring immediate results.

2- be specific and add the details
This year one of my goals was to begin a Gratitude Journal. If I stopped there, it's pretty wide open and way too vague. I could lose traction and fall of the rails because there are no measurable details. So I enhanced my goal by adding details: start a Gratitude Journal and write in it each morning before work and place at least 3 entries per day on that list. Specific and detailed gave this goal substance.

3- don't be realistic...DREAM BIG!
I have always been a bit of a dreamer. People will often tell you to write down realistic goals because that way you can achieve them. The problem is that a simple, realistic goal provides very little excitement in achieving it. Who wants to run after something that you could probably hit with little or no effort. That's not a goal, that's a to-do list! I need things that will only be possible if the Lord shows up to help! I like to be creative and let my imagination soar!
When you write down your goal list, full of specific, detail-oriented dreams that may even be a bit audacious and outlandish, you are ready and positioned for an amazing year.

I want you to realize that you are gifted in ways that you may never have imagined. You are creative and innovative. And as you go through this year, you will see that you are quite a bit stronger and productive than you give yourself credit for. This IS going to be YOUR year. Set incredible goals. Be amazing. And may your cup always be filled to overflowing!

Review it…Add to it…Go DO it

When Failure Brews Success

Grab your coffee and lean in because today we’re talking about something no one really wants to talk about, but everyone needs to hear: failure.

Yep, that messy, frustrating, sometimes soul-crushing feeling when things don’t go as planned. Whether it’s a failed relationship, a business that didn’t take off, or that time you stepped out in faith and landed flat on your face - it stings. But here’s the twist: failure isn’t the opposite of success. It’s part of the process.

“Though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again…”

Proverbs 24:16 (NIV)

Did you catch that? Righteous people fall. Not once. Not twice. Seven times. And what do they do? They get back up. Again and again.

See, in God’s economy, failure isn’t fatal. It’s formation.

Think about Peter. One of Jesus’ closest friends. Passionate, bold, and… well, let’s just say impulsive. This guy swore up and down that he’d never deny Jesus. But when pressure hit, Peter folded like a lawn chair three times.

Total failure, right? And yet, after the resurrection, Jesus didn’t cancel Peter. He called him. Restored him. Gave him a job to do.

Peter’s failure became the launchpad for his greatest mission.

“And on this rock I will build my church…”

Matthew 16:18 (NIV)

Your failure isn’t where your story ends. It’s where your faith deepens. It’s where God refines your purpose.

Success isn’t built on perfection. It’s built on persistence.

It’s built in the moments you get up off the ground, wipe off the dust, and say, “God, I still trust You. Use even this.”

So if you’re in a season where it feels like everything’s falling apart, take heart. God doesn’t waste pain. He repurposes it. Your failure might just be the very thing He uses to shape your future.

So pour another cup, take a deep breath, and remember: the next time you fall, you’re in good company. The heroes of faith didn’t make it by never messing up. They made it by never giving up.

Stay grounded. Stay growing. And never be afraid to start again.