As 2025 is coming to a close, I want to take an opportunity to say, “Thank you to God.” It is very easy to say thank you for all the good and pleasant things I received and experienced during the past year. The things I am most grateful for are the challenges/life situations that occurred during the year and the courage to face them with God’s guiding Spirit.
I found the verse for today as I was reading a devotional, it spoke to my spirit. Isaiah 43, speaks of “Israel’s Only Savior” verses 1-13; and of “God’s Mercy and Israel’s Unfaithfulness” verses 14-28.
“Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.”—Isaiah 43:18-19
There is only one Savior, Jesus Christ, the one and only Son of God. Jesus made it possible for all to be saved, to be freely forgiven. To use the biblical terms, we are neither “Jew or Gentile” we are all one in Christ Jesus.
Key Bible Verses “Christ is all and in all.”
Galatians 3:28: “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus”.
Romans 10:12: “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all and is rich to all who call on him”.
Colossians 3:11: “Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all and is in all”.
My experiences have taught me that life is filled with ebbs and flows. If we never experience sadness, how would we appreciate happiness? The balance of life is always in perpetual movement. We cannot live in the past and hope to move forward. We also must be cautious of looking into the future, we could very well miss the present. Learn from the past, live in the present and plan for the future.
This past year I have tried to be present, to be more aware of life and opportunities, grasping as many as possible. I have learned that there can be no comparison of my life with that of any other human being. God gave me life, He gave me skills to navigate life and only with His help will I be successful. Success means different things to different people, that’s the marvelous thing about being individual humans created by God, each of us on purpose and with a plan, from the Master.
During this past year, I have had to say goodbye to family and friends. Accepting the death of someone you love and care about, never gets easier. Grief changes over time, it cycles through several emotions and it’s all worth it because of the space that individual holds in your heart. As believers, we know that death is not the end, it’s the beginning of eternity.
God blessed me with several traveling opportunities this past year, my heart is grateful. In February, I attending a Susan Komen event in St. Louis, MO with friends from Pledge The Pink. In March, I went on a Girls Trip to Nashville, TN and attended Band As One Nashville: Concert for the Cure,” an annual benefit concert headlined by country superstar Trisha Yearwood benefiting Susan G. Komen. I traveled with Pledge The Pink friends. I also flew to San Antonio, TX to hang out with a friend for a couple of days, what an awesome, though short trip! In April, I traveled to Nashville, TN again, this time to meet my favorite author, Patti Callahan Henry at a local bookshop promoting her newly released book. It was such an amazing experience meeting her and getting her book signed. In June, I traveled to Naples, FL to celebrate my dear friend’s 40th wedding anniversary. We have been friends for more than 40 years, it was such a blessing to be part of their celebration. In July, a birthday present to myself, I traveled to Birmingham, AL for a weekend, I was able to meet author Patti Callahan Henry again, and this time was able to sit and have a conversation with you about her books. She is a local resident of the area and gave me lots of suggestions for my visit. I was able to see the Botanical Gardens and the Museum of Art, I loved the city and hope to visit it again. In September, I again visited St. Louis, MO to attend a luncheon with my Pledge The Pink Team and attend a Cardinal’s baseball game. In October, I attended the 2025 Pledge The Pink event at Fripp Island, SC. I love this annual event and all the good things it does concerning breast cancer! I also attended a play at Purdue University, “C. S. Lewis On Stage: Further Up & Further In” produced and performed by “The Fellowship for Performing Arts.”
Looking back…I did a lot! I’m so grateful to family and friends that support and encourage me to live in the moment and to be brave.
I hold no regrets of 2025, I am excited for a new year filled with opportunities to learn and grow. My prayer for all of us is more love and more forgiveness. Everyone’s life is worth it!
The Best Is Yet To Come—
—The Best is Yet to Come was composed by Cy Coleman to lyrics by Carolyn Leigh. It was originally written for Tony Bennett. It was the last song Frank Sinatra sang in public, on February 25, 1995, and the words “The Best is Yet to Come” are etched on Sinatra’s tombstone.
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog post. I hope you know that you matter, you are enough and you are loved.
Psalm 143:8-10
“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
for to you I entrust my life.
Rescue me from my enemies, Lord,
for I hide myself in you.
Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God;
may your good Spirit
lead me on level ground.”
~Charlotte, Striving Towards Genuine Authentic Living As A Child Of God 💞
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