Happy 2026!

Aren’t you excited! We made it to 2026! That obviously means the Lord has more great plans for us in this world! He isn’t finished with me or you. We are to keep going and living our lives to the fullest until our time is done. Is it just me or have you noticed that on social media it is a constant reminder of how short life really is. For some reason I am getting these reels that show a time progression of famous people showing how old they were when they passed and then it goes backwards showing them at each age and stage of life to when they were very young. Maybe I’m getting so many because I watch them. It is definitely an eye opener. I wonder what would happen if you and I as “regular people” showed a time progression of our lives. Would we be pleased with how we spent our time and if we made each moment count? That thought is a bit convicting to me and this year I plan to continue to live life to the fullest and be grateful for each day I am blessed with. Yes, even the hard ones. We learn a lot about ourselves when life is a bit hard, don’t we? I’ve been working on writing my memoir. Yes, you read that right. (don’t laugh!) I can’t think of a person who would really want to read a memoir about me but it is very therapeutic for me and it shows how the Lord has taken care of me since the day I was born, how he sought me and has blessed me beyond comprehension. It makes me more thankful as I write through each segment of my life. The hardest part of writing a memoir is when you want to share something but knowing it could possibly hurt the person your are writing about. One of the kindest compliments I received while speaking to a group of ladies in Albuquerque, New Mexico a few years ago was from a lady who came up to me and told me how much my talk on “Daddy, Do You Love Me” meant to her. She proceeded to tell me that she admired the way I spoke in great respect for my father as I shared the ins and outs of life with an alcoholic father. Her comment has stayed with me since then. When I share things that have happened to me I never want to hurt anyone, only share what I went through. If only those that hurt cared that much about me to not want to hurt me. But, oh, well…that’s another story for another day. All, that to say, “Are you able to look back on your life and see the hand of God in your life?” Everyone has a story and I encourage you to use your story to help someone. Don’t let the things in your life be for nothing. Use them; the good and the bad! Find a way to let your life show that “all things do work together for good.” It might be by the way you live your life, the joy that you have that spills out to others, where you volunteer your time to help others along with so many other possibilities in sharing your story. If you put your mind to it, I have a feeling you will come up with a way to use the wisdom you have gained throughout your life to encourage someone else.

Have you set some goals for the new year? I always set goals throughout the year and especially at the new year. Some I accomplish and some I don’t. I don’t beat myself up about the ones I don’t complete and I don’t boast about the ones I accomplish. I love the saying that I’ve seen lately; “Keep it private until it’s done.” That helps me to stay focused and it helps me to not be too hard on myself. Goals aren’t just for the new year. I think we should always be challenging ourselves to be the best we can be all year long. If you have someone in your life that you can share your goals with that will challenge you to stay strong, you are blessed. Be sure to encourage them in theirs as well. “iron sharpens iron.”

That’s a long way to say….Thank you for being a reader of my blog! I’ve been blogging since 2007. I began on Blogspot and now on WordPress. My favorite thing about blogging is sharing thoughts and receiving comments either on my site or a private one over email. I’ve made many new friends over the years from around the country. I even had someone from Europe. I think it’s exciting to be able to communicate with other like minded people that I may have never been able to if I didn’t write on this platform. Who knows how long I will continue. I wait to get that tug, that it’s time to stop. I haven’t felt it yet. It could be tomorrow, or next year or another 10 years. That’s crazy to think about, isn’t it? This will be my 19th year to be writing on my blog. Wow! To think I was 47 when I began. I was just a baby! 🙂

I lift my glass of grape sparkling cider and say “Cheers to you! I wish a beautiful 2026 to you and your family!” I hope you will continue on with me as we share and encourage one another to keep on living life to the fullest! I have all kinds of things swirling in my brain that I can’t wait to share with you!

If you are a first time reader, you may be saying, “What do you write about, Beverly?” I’m so glad you asked! I love everything and I love writing about everything. Some of my favorite topics off the top of my head are, living a life for Jesus, all things home…from decorating to a love/hate with cooking, raising children, homeschooling, grandchildren, being a former pastor’s wife (the good, the bad and the ugly!), women’s ministry, crafting, traveling…..it just goes on and on….I might have something for everyone, well almost everyone. 😉

Again, Happy 2026! Let’s make this the year of years! I can’t wait!