Here we are, a few weeks into the year 2023. Based on events over the last couple of years, it feels like people are tiptoeing into the new year. We’re dipping our toes in the water to see if the temperature is favorable for swimming. Do we just wade in the water for a bit? Should we be adventurous and swim into the deep and see where the current takes us? Is it safe to climb up on the boat and journey to the middle of the ocean or will a storm happen upon us? The world was taken by surprise in 2020, a year most were looking forward to a clear vision and blessings upon measure. Yet, 2020 was a year of sickness, death, fear, isolation, and an uncertain future for the entire world. Since that time, the new year has been a time of apprehension. Will we be surprised again? Will this year be better than the last? Is it safe to let our guard down? Some Christians seek prophetic words to help them navigate new beginnings, to understand what God has in store for us or our country. Th...

  'For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you.' 2 Corinthians 1:12 ESV   My husband and I found ourselves in the emergency room several days into our long-awaited summer vacation. It had been five days since my husband noticed a sore on his leg, he cleaned it out and did his best to take care of the sore, but it quickly evolved into a severe bacterial infection. Had we not sought medical attention, the infection could’ve caused permanent damage to his joints or even worse traveled through his circulatory system causing life threatening sepsis. Four days before leaving for a vacation we planned a year in advance, my husband, Joe, was installing a small sprinkler system. The weeds were quite tall in some places, but he still managed to get it installed prior to our departure. The next day at work he noticed his leg was s...