A behind-the-scenes look at why preserving history matters—and why this place is one of Lima’s best kept treasures. When people hear “museum,” they sometimes picture a quiet building full of old stuff and dusty display cases. But working at the Allen County Museum in Lima, Ohio has shown me the truth: history is alive— andContinue reading “Working at the Allen County Museum: Where Lima’s Story Stays Alive”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Trusting God and Living by His Word (Even When I Fall Short)
Trust isn’t perfection—trust is choosing God again and again. Trusting God isn’t just something I say when life is going good. Trusting God is what I’m learning to do when I’m stressed, confused, tempted, tired, or disappointed. It’s what I’m learning to do when I don’t have all the answers, and I can’t see what’sContinue reading “Trusting God and Living by His Word (Even When I Fall Short)”
Devotional for Today: Where We’re Heading
God doesn’t just show us the road—He walks it with us. “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ…”— 2 Corinthians 2:14 Life has a way of putting us at crossroads. Some decisions are obvious, but a lot of them aren’t. Sometimes you’re not choosing between “good” and “bad”—you’re choosingContinue reading “Devotional for Today: Where We’re Heading”
Don’t Judge People: Respect, Boundaries, and Loving From a Distance
You can treat people with dignity without letting them disrupt your peace. It’s easy to judge people. It’s easy to look at someone’s attitude, choices, lifestyle, or mistakes and think, “I would never…” or “Why don’t they just…” But the truth is, we don’t know what someone has survived. We don’t know what they’ve beenContinue reading “Don’t Judge People: Respect, Boundaries, and Loving From a Distance”
Today’s Sermon: Wilderness, Temptation, and the Strength to Keep Going
A reflection on Matthew 4, fasting, and learning to stand firm when temptation shows up. Today’s sermon was one of those messages that doesn’t just sound good in the moment—it follows you home. It made me think about my own life, my patterns, and my temptations… and it reminded me that the Christian life isn’tContinue reading “Today’s Sermon: Wilderness, Temptation, and the Strength to Keep Going”
Letting Go of Cigarettes: 27 Days In, and I’m Still Standing
Quitting isn’t about proving toughness—it’s about choosing freedom, one day at a time. I’m going to be honest—quitting cigarettes is something I talked about doing for a long time. I’d say it. I’d mean it. I’d even plan it. But then stress would hit, routine would kick in, and next thing I knew I wasContinue reading “Letting Go of Cigarettes: 27 Days In, and I’m Still Standing”
New Year 2026: The Next Right Thing
A fresh start isn’t magic—it’s a decision, made one day at a time. There’s something about a new year that feels like a clean breath of air. Not because January 1st magically fixes anything. Not because we wake up and suddenly become a brand-new person overnight. But because the calendar flipping gives us a momentContinue reading “New Year 2026: The Next Right Thing”
Empathy, Compassion, and Trust: The Three Things That Hold People Together
A reflection on what keeps relationships strong, especially when life gets heavy. There are a lot of words we throw around like we fully understand them—empathy, compassion, and trust. But when life gets heavy, those three aren’t “nice ideas”… they’re lifelines. They’re what keep friendships from falling apart, families from breaking, and people from feelingContinue reading “Empathy, Compassion, and Trust: The Three Things That Hold People Together”
Joy That Doesn’t Depend on Stuff
Scripture:“Blessed are those who live in Your house; they are always praising You.”— Psalm 84:4 Devotional It’s easy to let my joy rise and fall with what I have—or what I don’t have. Some days I’m fine… and other days I notice what other people own, what they’ve accomplished, how “easy” their life looks, andContinue reading “Joy That Doesn’t Depend on Stuff”
Joy in the Lord: The Life We “Lose” to Truly Find
Verse of the Day “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will find it.” — Matthew 16:25 Devotion There’s a reason this verse can feel upside-down at first. It goes against everything our natural instincts scream at us: hold tight, protect yourself, keep control, andContinue reading “Joy in the Lord: The Life We “Lose” to Truly Find”
When God Asks You to Go Where You Don’t Want To
A reflection from church — December 28, 2025 Church this morning felt like one of those “God is setting the tone” kind of Sundays. It was the last Sunday of 2025, and you could feel that end-of-year energy in the room — grateful, reflective, and a little bit like, okay Lord… what are we doingContinue reading “When God Asks You to Go Where You Don’t Want To”
Serve the Lord Joyously — Daily Devotion
“The joy of the Lord is your strength.” — Nehemiah 8:10 There’s a certain kind of quiet that shows up when the holiday season starts winding down. The music fades, the busy days slow down, and sometimes that’s when grief tries to speak the loudest. It’s like the world gets still enough for our heartsContinue reading “Serve the Lord Joyously — Daily Devotion”
Daily Devotional — Luke 2:20
Verse (Luke 2:20, ESV) “And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.” There’s something powerful about the last part of the Christmas story that people don’t always talk about: the shepherds didn’t stay in the moment. They didn’t build a shrine. TheyContinue reading “Daily Devotional — Luke 2:20”
Merry Christmas Everyone!!!!!
Today’s AA Daily Reflection
RECOVERY, UNITY, SERVICE December 23 Our Twelfth Step—carrying the message—is the basic service that AA’s Fellowship gives; this is our principal aim and the main reason for our existence. THE LANGUAGE OF THE HEART, p. 160 I thank God for those who came before me, those who told me not to forget the Three Legacies:Continue reading “Today’s AA Daily Reflection”
Verse of the Day (Hebrews)
Today’s Verse:Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Running Your Race When Life Feels Heavy This verse hits me because it doesn’tContinue reading “Verse of the Day (Hebrews)”
Asking God for Forgiveness (and Letting It Count)
Guilt has a way of replaying our worst moments like they’re who we are. But the Bible doesn’t describe God’s forgiveness as “temporary” or “maybe.” It describes it as real, complete, and life-changing. God isn’t asking you to perform for forgiveness—He’s asking you to come honestly. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful andContinue reading “Asking God for Forgiveness (and Letting It Count)”
Finding a Hobby When Life Feels Heavy (or Just Boring)
There’s this funny thing about being an adult: you can wake up one day and realize your life is basically work, responsibilities, sleep (hopefully), and trying to keep your head above water. Somewhere along the way, the fun stuff gets pushed to the side. That’s why finding a hobby isn’t just “something to do”—it canContinue reading “Finding a Hobby When Life Feels Heavy (or Just Boring)”
Verse of the Day: “Be Strong and Courageous” (Joshua 1:9)
Scripture (Joshua 1:9): “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Some days don’t feel like a “fresh start.” They feel like a fight just to get moving. A fight to face the day,Continue reading “Verse of the Day: “Be Strong and Courageous” (Joshua 1:9)”
Self-Respect Comes First: Learning to Love Yourself So You Can Love Others
For a long time, I thought loving other people meant putting myself last. I thought it meant saying yes when I wanted to say no.It meant accepting disrespect because I didn’t want conflict.It meant over-explaining, over-giving, and over-apologizing… even when I wasn’t the one in the wrong. But eventually I learned something that changed everything:Continue reading “Self-Respect Comes First: Learning to Love Yourself So You Can Love Others”
