More than Unbroken

In all honesty, the holidays can be a struggle for me. This is nothing new. When I was sixteen, I lived through Christmas knowing that my Daddy planned to leave after one last holiday together as a family. Despite this, I hoped he would change his mind. When he didn’t, I was devastated. Later in life, we lost loved ones and had to navigate the difficulty of moving forward with an empty place around the tree. It’s bittersweet, especially when we recognize that those we love are with our Savior in Heaven. So how do we beat the holiday blues? We fix our eyes on the hope that Jesus brought when He left His throne in Heaven to make His home among us. This hope is our comfort that, even in this fallen world, we can have the profound peace and joy that Christ came to give us. This year, I’m grieving the loss of my Daddy in a new way. He passed from this life in April. It’s not been easy to cope with his loss. We had a strained relationship for many years, but God restored our connection over ...

I recently had a week that was one of those difficult stretches that felt like too much to bear. I don’t need to go into the specifics—those close to me and those who have been praying for me already know what I’ve been facing. But I wanted to share something with you. As a believer, I’ve learned that even in our darkest moments, there’s something powerful about being open, vulnerable, and transparent. So today, I’m sharing what God taught me during a tough season, hoping it might help someone who’s walking through their own struggles. I’ve been a Christian for years, but the truth is, believers still go through hard times. Sometimes, it feels like everything is out of our control, and in those moments, it’s easy to forget where our help comes from. It was Friday morning, after a week of heavy emotions, that I stepped outside onto my back porch with my coffee and journal. It had been cooler, and the calm was a relief. Journaling has been such a tool for me—something I learned in therap...