Manna for the Soul

  What a year 2025 has been. I have had my fair share of good times and tough times in 2025 and in the midst of it all, God has remained faithful, just like He has for each person reading this. As I write this, I am moved to tears recognizing that the raging battles of 2025 left some defeated. But if you have breath and you are still standing at this point, you have a reason to lift up praise to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. For He is good, and His mercy endures forever. (Psalm 136:1) When I look back, I think of the moments that looked ordinary on the outside but felt like spiritual warfare on the inside. The long days where I was handling responsibilities from every direction. The moments I needed wisdom for decisions that affected my family. The seasons of pressure where I had to keep showing up anyway. Times I had to fight for peace in my mind, fight for integrity in my work, fight to stay steady while building and planning, and fight to keep my heart soft. One moment...

On the night of July 10, 2025, I came across a deeply moving story shared by a family affected by the devastating floods in Central Texas. The floods had struck suddenly and violently on the morning of July 4th—a day meant for celebration, marked by independence, family gatherings, and joy. Instead, communities faced overwhelming tragedy as historic flash floods swept through the Texas Hill Country, submerging homes, camps, and entire neighborhoods. With over 100 lives lost, many still missing, families shattered, hearts broken, and a region in unimaginable grief, the weight of the tragedy settled heavily on anyone who cared to follow the events from Central Texas. Sitting quietly in my living room, the depth of the family's loss and the broader tragedy of the floods from July 3-4, gripped my heart, and tears began to flow freely.  Camp Mystic, a cherished haven for generations, became an epicenter of sorrow with profound loss—but the grief didn't stop there. Surrounding commun...

  “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ Many times in life, we experience anxiety as one season ends, and we wonder what lies ahead. This is much like what the Israelites felt as they prepared to enter the Promised Land. Despite God’s promise of a land flowing with milk and honey (Exodus 3:17), they were filled with trepidation, knowing they faced new challenges, enemies, and uncertainties. In this pivotal moment, God Himself spoke directly to Joshua, commanding him to be strong and courageous, assuring him of His unwavering presence. As we stand at a crossroads, transitioning into a new year, God’s promise remains as true for us as it was for Joshua and the Israelites. He commands us to be strong and of good courage because He knows we will face challenges that require boldness and faith. He tells us not to be afraid or dismayed because fear and disco...

A Year of Trials and Triumphs What a year it has been! Like each person reading this, I have had my fair share of experiences in 2023. It has been a year filled not only with moments of joy and triumph but also with pain, uncertainty, anxiety, challenges, sickness, and betrayal. There were times when the only thing I had left was to cling to God for strength, especially when navigating uncharted territories in my life's journey. As I pen this, my eyes well up with tears, recalling some of those moments, some still vivid in my memory. What has continued to keep me going is God's presence and mercy, which has remained constant throughout the year. God's Promise: I Will Never Leave You Nor Forsake You As a believer who walks daily with Christ, I want you to know that when you have nothing left, remember that God's got you. In Hebrews 13:15 and Deuteronomy 31:6 & 8, we read about God's promise to never leave or forsake us. This promise assures us of His ever-present...

As a parent, I have become accustomed to desiring and often requiring complete obedience from my children, even when I've felt some rules I have made for my children are unreasonable. Biblically, we as parents must be intentional about instilling this character trait in our children. Unfortunately, the culture we now live in is lax in raising obedient children. But we need to recognize that a child with difficulty subjecting him/herself to designated authority will undoubtedly have trouble obeying God's word ~ both the Logos (written word of God in the Bible) and the Rhema (God's spoken word at a specific time).  I have felt the burden on my heart for some time now to write about obedience. It is a subject that every true child of God must honestly confront in our Christian walk. It is no wonder that in Ecclesiastes 12:13, we are told in no uncertain terms that it is everyone's duty to fear God and obey His commands ~ That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclus...

" After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen ." ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭7:9-12‬ ‭KJV ‬‬ Are you seeking a renewed and deeper relationship with your Savior? This was me a couple of weeks ago. My life felt mundane and empty. Even though I religiously followed my daily routine in God's word with consistent prayer life, the Christian walk felt routine, with marginal passion and excitement. It just didn't...

One spring morning in April 2021, around 2 am, I woke up from what seemed like a nightmare. This was the third night in a row that I struggled to go back to sleep after waking up in the middle of the night. I felt unsettled in my spirit so, I reached for my phone and opened my bible app to read and meditate on God's word. I have found it often useful to review the community page on the YouVersion bible app, where new passages highlighted by some of my friends on the app appear. This particular time, I came across one striking passage highlighted by two friends. The passage was from 2 Corinthians 12:8-10: " 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.  9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.  10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in pe...

Who would have imagined, this same time in 2019, that we will be living through a pandemic in 2020 that has changed life as we know it? Indeed, for most of us, the year 2020 has been a year like no other. The unprecedented changes to our work and social lives, not to mention the devastating stories about the significant loss of lives due to COVID-19, the growing despair due, in part, to racial injustice, climate change, and in part to the pandemic, and increasing cases of depression and suicides, are all enough reasons for us to worry about what the next year will bring. While we cannot downplay the terrifying ways the pandemic continues to wreck lives and how our individual lives have been impacted by other events that shaped 2020, it is important to acknowledge that the enormity of life's uncertainties is not peculiar to 2020 or any other year because uncertainty is a fact of life. So, how do we deal with anxiety from the uncertainties of life, you may ask. Obviously, there are s...

It is no news that many people, including some Christians, are discouraged and seeking answers amid the Covid-19 global pandemic. As some look to political leaders, medical professionals, and scientists to provide answers, some have resigned to their fate, evidenced by the revolt to imposed stay-at-home orders. Like the Psalmist (Psa 10:1 KJV), most Christians cry out to God, " Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble? " As we all know, stay-at-home orders have meant that religious groups, including Churches, are restricted from gathering to allow Christians to worship together and fellowship with one another. If you profess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then know that the absence of fellowship does not mean the absence of the presence of the Most High God wherever you may be. The name of our Lord and Savior, Immanuel , means "God with us" and that should give us solace that He will never leave us nor forsake us. In I...

“Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing  every sickness and every disease  among the people.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭9:35‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ How pleasant to know that my Savior can heal every sickness and disease. All that’s needed is faith that he can heal you. We read below:  “When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!” And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.” And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, “See that no one knows it.” Matthew‬ ‭9:27-30‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ I don’t know what disease or sickness has plagued you but what I know is that there’s a healer who is ready to touch and heal you if you will on...

Ever wondered how you can grow in wisdom? There are different kinds of wisdom, but the focus today is on godly wisdom. The primary source of godly wisdom is the Bible. Suffice to say that with the help of the Holy Spirit, wisdom-seeking Christians are led into a deeper understanding of God’s word when they seek it with their whole heart. The word of God says in ‭‭ Jeremiah‬ ‭29:13‬, “Then [with a deep longing] you will seek Me and require Me [as a vital necessity] and [you will] find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” AMP‬‬.  Now, there are several other ways God gives us wisdom. Through our own and others’ daily life experiences. But I always have to point out that any knowledge or wisdom derived from such experiences must align with God’s word.  Knowing God intimately requires a commitment that involves setting aside a time to meet Him daily to commune with Him. Even when we have dates with our loved ones we set a special time to do this. God desire...

Imagine for a moment that you light up a lamp with the intention of uncovering the darkness around you. Then you place the lamp under a basket. Of what good is a lamp under a basket? There’s a talent in each one of us and the goal of this post is to encourage you not to fear rejection. You see in high school, I sang in the choir but had no confidence that I could sing solo. Every opportunity to sing solo had me balking out for fear of failure or rejection. While a young girl, I wrote many songs, composed many songs but had no confidence to go public with those songs. But who knows, maybe these songs could have lifted someone from the pit and drawn someone to Christ.  God is telling someone reading this to take off the basket covering your light and begin to shine it to the world. There’s too much darkness in this world so every little light is needed to reduce the darkness.  In Matthew 5:14-16 we read: ““You are the light of [Christ to] the world. A city set on a ...

The year 2019 has been full of ups and downs. Through it all, El Shaddai (The Lord God Almighty), El Elyon (The Most High God), El Olam (The Everlasting God), The Lifter of my head, Abba Father, my Redeemer, my Shield and Glory has remained ever faithful. To Him alone be the glory!

In the last few months, God has laid on my heart the story about Mary and Martha. I believe that there is a powerful message God has for His children from that story. We read below: Luke 10:38-42 (38)   Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. (39)   And she had a sister called Mary, which also s at at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. (40)   But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. (41)   And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: (42)  But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. A few days after I read and studied this scripture, our Pastor preached using this same story. I asked God what He wa...

It’s so easy to praise God when we experience blessings, whatever forms they may take. The challenge for most Christians, however, is maintaining this attitude when the storms come. Storms of life, often unexpected, are realities faced by everyone, believers in Christ, and non-believers alike. Some storms of life may last only over a short period of time while others may prolong over one's lifetime. Despite the availability of several books claiming to have the blueprint for dealing with life's storms, the sad reality is that there is no easy way out of life's storms. You may be wondering, what are life's storms anyway? In Mark 4:35-38, we read:   Mark 4:35-41 KJV  And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.  (36)  And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.  (37)  And there arose a great storm of wind, and t...