Remembering God’s Faithfulness Before We Turn the Page

Growth You Don’t Always Notice Right Away

One of the greatest gifts God gave me this year was growth in my walk with Him. Not the kind that happens all at once. Not dramatic, overnight change. Not spiritual fireworks that everyone can see. But real, steady growth that took place quietly, almost unnoticed at the time.

It showed up in how I pray now.
In how I pause instead of react.
In how I trust Him even when answers are slow or unclear.

This kind of growth didn’t come without stretching. There were moments when obedience felt costly. Moments when surrender felt uncomfortable. Moments when God gently invited me to release control and trust Him more deeply than I wanted to.

And if I’m honest, in those moments it didn’t feel like growth at all. It felt like tension. It felt like learning to sit with uncertainty. It felt like being asked to believe God was working even when I couldn’t see immediate results.

But looking back now, I can see it. I can see how He was shaping my heart, strengthening my faith, and teaching me to depend on Him in ways I hadn’t before.

You might pause here and ask yourself:
Where am I not the same woman I was at the beginning of this year?
Where has God softened me?
Where has He strengthened me?
Where has He steadied my faith, even in quiet ways?

Those changes matter deeply. Even if no one else notices them. Even if they don’t show up on the surface. God sees them, and He is faithful to complete what He begins.

“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 1:6

Provision That Didn’t Always Come Easily

This year, God provided a job for me. It has been challenging at times, and I want to be honest about that. There were days that stretched me, moments that tested my confidence, and times where I had to lean on the Lord more than I expected. But through every challenge, I have carried a deep, steady assurance that this is where He led me.

Sometimes God’s provision comes wrapped in ease.
And sometimes it comes wrapped in growth.

Sometimes provision looks like clarity and comfort.
And sometimes it looks like endurance, learning, and trusting God day by day.

If you worked forty or more hours a week just to make ends meet, God saw you.
If you balanced work, school, and survival, God saw you.
If you are a single mother giving everything you have and still wondering if it’s enough, God saw you.
If you stayed home pouring yourself into children and family, feeling unseen and exhausted, God saw you.

Provision does not always mean comfort or simplicity. Sometimes it means God giving you exactly what you need for this season, even when it stretches you - growing you, and teaching you to rely on Him in deeper ways.

And that matters. Your faithfulness matters. Your perseverance matters. And the God who sees you is faithful to meet you right where you are.

“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:19

Sweet Gifts I Never Want to Take for Granted

One of the unexpected joys of this year was a really special vacation with my parents, my brother and his family, and two of my children. It was such a gift. Time like that doesn’t happen as often as we wish it would, and I found myself holding those days a little more carefully, knowing how quickly seasons shift.

This year, some of my most cherished moments were the Sundays I spent with my grandchildren. Those Sundays became something I treasure deeply. The laughter, the noise, the small conversations that seem ordinary at the time but somehow stay with you long after the day is over.

Partway through the year, I learned that my daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren would be moving out of state. It caught me completely by surprise and, if I’m honest, brought a measure of grief with it. There is something tender about realizing that a season you love will soon look different.

But knowing that change was coming also did something else. It sharpened my gratitude. It helped me slow down and really be present in those moments with them and with my daughter, Katelyn. Moments I might have rushed through before suddenly felt sacred. I didn’t want to miss them. I didn’t want to take a single Sunday for granted.

Time together is precious. Seasons change so quickly. Children grow. Parents age. And moments like these quietly become memories we carry for a lifetime.

As you think back on your own year, I wonder:
Was there a moment of joy you didn’t expect?
A conversation that meant more than you realized at the time?
A day that felt ordinary then, but feels tender now when you remember it?

Those moments are not small. They are gifts. And often, we don’t recognize how meaningful they are until we pause long enough to notice.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.”
James 1:17

Watching God Work in the People I Love

This year, I have watched the Lord bless all four of my children in different ways. Each of them is walking their own path right now, facing unique challenges and joys, and it has been a gift to witness God meeting them where they are. As a mother, there is something deeply humbling about realizing that the seeds of truth planted years ago are still at work beneath the surface. I trust that what they have been taught about Jesus, who He is, how He loves, and how He remains faithful, will stay with them and continue to guide them, even as their lives unfold in ways I cannot control. Seeing God move in their lives has been a blessing to my own heart and a reminder that He is always faithful to finish what He begins.

I have also seen God at work in my husband and in our marriage, and this has been one of the quiet gifts of the year. It hasn’t always looked dramatic or obvious. Much of it has been subtle, unfolding in conversations, in patience learned, in understanding that deepened over time. God has been teaching us how to listen more carefully, extend grace more freely, and lean on Him rather than on our own strength.

There were moments this year when growth in our marriage didn’t come easily. Growth rarely does. But God met us there. He softened hearts. He reminded us that marriage is not sustained by effort alone, but by grace. He continued to show me that when Christ remains at the center, there is always room for healing, renewal, and deeper unity.

Watching God work in my husband’s life has been especially meaningful. Seeing the ways the Lord is shaping him, guiding him, and drawing him closer has strengthened my own faith. It has reminded me that God is always working, even when progress feels slow or quiet. Even when change doesn’t look the way we expect it to.

If you spent this year praying for someone you love, I want you to know that your prayers mattered. If you prayed through seasons of uncertainty, frustration, or waiting, God heard you. He is always at work behind the scenes, weaving together more than we can see in the moment.

“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.”
Ephesians 3:20

A Calling That Started With a Simple Desire

At the beginning of this year, I felt a quiet desire to do something for the Lord. It wasn’t loud or dramatic. There was no clear direction attached to it. I didn’t have a plan, a timeline, or a checklist. I just knew the desire was there, steady and persistent, gently tugging at my heart.

I didn’t know then that God often begins His work in us this way. Not with all the answers, but with a willingness.

Later in the year, I started this website. That still feels a little surprising to say out loud. I had never done anything like that before. I didn’t feel qualified, prepared, or particularly confident in my ability to write. Most days, I felt like I was learning as I went. But God met me there. He gave me words when I didn’t know what to say. He gave me courage when doubt tried to hold me back. He helped me take small steps of obedience even when I felt unsure and unsteady.

That simple yes opened doors I could not have imagined. Doors I didn’t even know existed when the year began.

This year, God also made a way for me to become involved in my church’s Women’s Ministry, and soon I will be leading a women’s Bible study. That still humbles me when I say it out loud. It reminds me that God does not call us because we are fully ready. He calls us, and then He equips us along the way.

If God placed a desire in your heart this year that you haven’t acted on yet, I want to gently remind you that it may not be pressure. It may be preparation. God often plants the seed long before He reveals the full picture.

“For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose.”
Philippians 2:13

The Quiet Moments That Meant Everything

Some of the most meaningful moments this year cannot be listed or neatly explained. They were quiet, sacred pauses between the Lord and me—moments no one else saw, but that shaped my heart and strengthened my faith.

Moments where He whispered comfort when I didn’t even have the words to pray.
Moments where He gently corrected me, nudging me toward patience, humility, or forgiveness.
Moments where He reminded me of His presence, steady and unwavering, even when life felt chaotic or overwhelming.

These quiet moments are easy to overlook. They don’t come with announcements or fanfare. But if you stop long enough to notice, they are where God often does His deepest work.

This year, I have seen relationships restored, lessons learned, and prayers answered in ways I did not expect. And through every season—joyful, difficult, ordinary, or chaotic—God has remained faithful. Loving. Patient. Gracious. Merciful. Kind. Generous.

Even when I couldn’t feel it fully, He was at work. Even when I couldn’t see the full picture, He was weaving it together.

“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.”
Psalm 103:8

Take a moment and think: What quiet moments this year made a difference in your life? What little signs of God’s faithfulness might you have overlooked while moving through the busyness?

Choosing to Remember Before Moving Forward

This year was not perfect. There were hard days, doubts, unanswered questions, and prayers that still linger. There were seasons where waiting felt heavy, and seasons where sorrow or fatigue threatened to overshadow joy.

But as the year comes to a close, I am choosing to remember what God has done. To intentionally pause before rushing into the next year.

Before we move on, it’s worth asking ourselves some reflective questions:
Where did God protect me this year, even when I didn’t notice?
Where did He provide in ways I only recognized later?
Where did He carry me when I felt weak, overwhelmed, or unsure?
Where did He show up in ways that were quiet, subtle, or behind the scenes?

Gratitude doesn’t deny the difficult moments. It doesn’t pretend hardship didn’t exist. But it does refuse to let the good—the blessings, the growth, the answered prayers—be forgotten.

This reflection matters because it reminds our hearts that God is always present, always faithful, and always working for our good, even when life feels ordinary or hard.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.”
Psalm 107:1

Stepping Into the New Year With the Right Heart

As we look forward to a new year, I know that every woman reading this carries a unique story, filled with both triumphs and trials.

Some of you are exhausted from long workweeks, pouring energy into careers, families, and responsibilities that rarely pause.
Some of you are raising small children, feeling stretched in every direction, giving more than you ever thought possible.
Some of you are single mothers, holding everything together with courage, grace, and persistence.
Some of you are in college, working, and trying to build a future while balancing countless demands.
Some of you are walking through grief, change, or uncertainty, unsure what the next chapter will hold.

And yet, all of us have the same invitation: to grow closer to the Lord.

Growing closer to God does not look the same for everyone—and that is okay. It may look like praying quietly in the car during your commute, listening to Scripture while folding laundry, reading one verse before bed, or whispering a short prayer between tasks. It might look like faithfulness in small, unseen moments, or simply choosing to trust Him again when life feels heavy.

God is not asking for perfection. He is asking for presence. He is asking for your willingness to lean into Him, even when the year ahead is uncertain or busy.

“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”
James 4:8

Looking Ahead With Hope

As I step into the new year, I do so with hope. Not because I know what will happen, but because I know who will walk with me.

I am looking forward to growing closer to the Lord. To leading women as He has called me. To seeing lives changed, healed, and saved by His truth. And to whatever else He has planned—even the things I cannot yet imagine.

If you are uncertain about the year ahead, take heart. The same God who carried you through 2025—through every joy, challenge, blessing, and heartbreak—will walk with you into 2026.

And one day, when you look back, you may realize that He was doing far more than you ever noticed. That every small moment of obedience, every prayer whispered in secret, every bit of faithfulness in the ordinary was part of a greater story of His love and faithfulness.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
Hebrews 13:8

Step forward with confidence and hope, knowing that God is already at work in your story. Let your heart carry gratitude for the past year, trust in His guidance for the year to come, and faith in His steadfast presence every single day.