by Christian International | Jan 26, 2026 | Articles
I’ve heard it said many times that this is a year of new beginnings.
But the truth goes deeper than that.
Every day you wake up is a new beginning.
While you sleep, God designed your body to reset. Your brain rests. Your body repairs. Hormones rebalance. Your immune system strengthens. Your heart slows. Your emotions settle.
Renewal is built into your design.
When you open your eyes in the morning, you are not stepping back into yesterday. You are stepping into a fresh start God has already prepared.
Scripture reminds us:
“He grants sleep to those He loves.”
Psalm 127:2
Sleep is not only rest.
It is mercy preparing you for what comes next.
The Reality of New Beginnings
New beginnings often arrive quietly. Sometimes they come with anticipation. Other times they arrive in the middle of uncertainty. Either way, every new beginning requires something to end.
Change does not mean what ended was wrong. It simply means God is doing something different.
I have experienced several moments in my life where everything seemed settled. My direction felt clear. My plans appeared secure. Then in a moment, everything shifted.
What I thought would happen did not.
How I believed it would unfold never did.
God’s direction looked completely different than I expected.
That is why I have always held to this perspective:
Plan like you are going to live a long life.
But live each day aware that life is a gift.
We plan wisely. We prepare responsibly. But circumstances change. People make choices. And God sometimes redirects our steps.
One conversation can change everything.
One decision can shift a season.
One moment can alter a future.
Learning Where Control Ends
One of the most important lessons we learn in life is this:
You cannot make people fit into your plan.
God gave every person free will. You can pray. You can intercede. You can ask God to move in hearts and situations. But you cannot control outcomes.
That realization can be difficult. But it also teaches us trust.
Trust in God’s sovereignty.
Trust in His timing.
Trust in His ability to work beyond what we can see.
Seasons Change Without Warning
There have been seasons when my life appeared stable while others were facing hardship.
There have also been seasons when I was the one walking through difficulty while others seemed to be thriving.
At times, families appear strong. At other times, they are under pressure.
At times, health is steady. At other times, challenges arise.
At times, finances are secure. Then circumstances shift.
Life can change quickly.
New beginnings and reversals happen day by day.
Scripture shows us this pattern over and over again.
Joseph and the Unpredictability of Purpose
Joseph’s life is a powerful example.
One season, he was favored by his father. He wore a beautiful robe and lived with promise and expectation.
Then everything changed.
His robe was torn. He was betrayed by his brothers and sold into slavery. While they returned home, Joseph was carried into captivity.
Later, he was promoted. Then falsely accused. Then imprisoned.
And then, once again, God lifted him up. Joseph interpreted dreams and was placed in authority over Egypt.
His story moved through favor, loss, confinement, and leadership.
God was present in every season.
The Danger of Comparison
Because life shifts so quickly, comparison is dangerous.
Someone may appear to be doing well while you are struggling. But circumstances can change in a moment.
Judgment is just as dangerous.
I have seen people speak critically about another person’s family, ministry, finances, or health, only to later walk through similar situations themselves.
Scripture warns us:
“Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.”
Proverbs 27:1
None of us knows what tomorrow holds.
But we do know the One who holds tomorrow.
Mercy Is Waiting Each Morning
Every breath you take is a gift.
Every heartbeat is evidence of God’s faithfulness.
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is Your faithfulness.”
Lamentations 3:22–23
New beginnings are not limited to seasons on a calendar.
They are not dependent on circumstances lining up.
They are available every morning.
Living Well in Every Season
We are called to live with joy in the middle of difficulty.
To hold hope when answers are not yet clear.
To walk in peace that goes beyond understanding.
And when God’s favor is evident in our lives, we must guard our hearts. We remain grateful, humble, and compassionate toward others.
Because seasons shift.
Situations change.
And God remains faithful.
Every morning is mercy.
Every breath is grace.
Every day is a new beginning.
by Christian International | Dec 2, 2025 | Articles
This time of year, my inbox fills up with Christmas deals, countdown clocks, and “Only 3 left!” alerts.
Christmas shopping season is officially here — and if you’re anything like me, online shopping becomes a lifeline.
Instacart. Uber Eats. DoorDash. Amazon. Etsy.
If it can be delivered, it has probably made its way to my porch.
Life is full for me — caring for my 91-year-old father, loving on my four children and eight grandchildren, helping lead our ministry, and trying to keep up with everything in between.
So yes… sometimes that “Order Now” button is a gift from Heaven.
But recently, while placing yet another Christmas-season order, the Lord whispered something that stopped me in my tracks:
“This is how faith works.”
Right there — in the middle of carts, checkout buttons, and tracking numbers — God started showing me a spiritual picture I had never considered before.
And suddenly… it all made sense.
🌱 Hope: The Picture That Starts the Journey
Hebrews 11:1 tells us:
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Every online order begins with hope.
Before the package ever exists in your hands, it exists in your imagination.
Hope is the desire.
The picture of something needed.
The vision of something better than what you currently have.
Spiritually, my life has been shaped by that same kind of hope:
hope for family restoration
hope for healing
hope for open doors
hope for God to transform what looked impossible
Hope gives direction.
But hope doesn’t deliver the package.
Something else has to happen.
1️⃣ Placing the Order: The Moment Faith Takes Action
When I click “Place Order,” something amazing happens:
I commit to something I don’t yet have.
I haven’t held it, seen it, or touched it.
In fact, it may still be in a warehouse across the country.
But the moment I place the order, I believe it exists — and I believe it’s coming.
That’s faith.
Jesus said in Mark 11:24:
“Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
When I stand on God’s promises, it’s just like pressing the Submit button in the spirit.
I’m not waiting for proof.
I’m believing because God already said it.
📦 Faith places the order. Trust waits for delivery.
2️⃣ The Confirmation Email: God’s Word as My Receipt
Seconds after ordering, a confirmation pops into my inbox:
order received
payment approved
process started
I still don’t have the item…
but I have proof it’s mine.
God showed me His promises work the same way.
Every verse in Scripture is Heaven’s confirmation email.
2 Corinthians 1:20 says:
“All the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen.”
When God speaks, that settles it.
His Word is my receipt.
3️⃣ The Waiting Period: When Things Happen Behind the Scenes
Now comes the part no one loves — spiritually or naturally.
Waiting.
Sometimes packages arrive fast.
Sometimes they seem to circle the earth for two weeks.
But even when I see nothing, I trust things are moving behind the scenes — processing, packaging, preparing, transporting.
Daniel knew this feeling. He prayed, and the answer took 21 days because an angel was fighting unseen battles on the way (Daniel 10).
I’ve prayed through seasons like that too.
Seasons where I cried out and believed with everything in me… and yet nothing changed immediately.
But delay never meant denial.
🕊️ Just because I don’t see movement doesn’t mean God hasn’t already started working.
Habakkuk 2:3 tells us:
“Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come.”
4️⃣ The Tracking Number: The Holy Spirit’s Inner Updates
Eventually, the tracking number arrives.
And suddenly, those small updates bring reassurance:
“Order processed”
“Shipped”
“In transit”
“Out for delivery”
Spiritually, the Holy Spirit does this for me every day.
He gives me peace.
Assurance.
Joy.
And that quiet inner knowing that God heard me.
Romans 8:16 says:
“The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit…”
He whispers, “It’s on the way.”
5️⃣ Delivery Day: When Hope Turns Into Reality
Then finally — the knock on the door.
What started as hope…
What shifted into faith…
What survived the waiting…
arrives in my hands.
Jesus said:
“If you believe, you will see the glory of God.” (John 11:40)
I’ve experienced that knock in so many ways — healing, provision, restoration, protection, breakthroughs I prayed for with tears in my eyes.
God is faithful.
Every time.
🎁 What This Journey Taught Me
Online shopping — especially during Christmas — reminded me:
Hope gives me the picture.
Faith makes the request.
Trust carries me through the waiting.
God brings the answer.
I don’t email Amazon begging for reassurance.
I don’t panic-text DoorDash.
I don’t stalk Etsy like something went wrong.
I simply trust the process.
Rest.
And expect the knock.
If I can trust earthly companies with my orders…
how much more should I trust the God who has never failed me?
“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
— Mark 11:24 NIV
🕊️ A Prayer for You
Father, I lift up every person reading these words. You see their hopes, their needs, their longings, and every prayer they’ve whispered in faith. I ask that You strengthen their hearts in the waiting and remind them that You are already working behind the scenes. Let Your peace be their confirmation, Your promises be their certainty, and Your Spirit be their daily reassurance.
Increase their confidence to believe before they see, and let this be a season where prayers, long held in faith, finally arrive at their doorstep. Let hope rise, let faith grow, and let trust deepen as they walk with You.
Amen.
