The career you chose because it felt safe. The relationship you stayed in because you were afraid to be on your own. The version of yourself you perform because it's what everyone expects and you believe they love. It all works on paper. But inside, you start to feel hollow. The worst part is that you're not even sure when it happened. When you stopped listening to yourself. When fear, obligation, and other people's voices drowned out your own. This is what avoidance does.
In the back of my mind, in my oldest childhood memories, I remember sitting in the Hebrew school classroom and reading books we borrowed from the synagogue library. My favorites were always the pop-up books. There were books about Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob, and Leah and Rachel (as well as all of their children). Those books were impactful because they told the history of my faith family, and how Israel came to be. There were other books such as David and Goliath, Noah and the Flood, and Samson and the Philistines.
This is your moment to run! The year 2026 signifies the opening of the Highway of Glory into God's House—a gateway providing divine access into our nations. Twenty-six is a sacred number for the Jewish people, as it equals the name YAHWEH—YHWH. Yahweh is rising within His people and, consequently, within the nations, giving empowerment to run the race! God has been guiding His people on a clear path, step by step, with those who have obeyed and followed His direction. The Fall Feasts, marking 5786, represented a time of crossing over and moving forward to occupy the Promised Land—territory promised to us by God.
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." Luke 2:14 This Christmas, it is time to hit the pause button. Not on joy, not on celebration, but on all the noise that tries to replace the reason we are celebrating in the first place. Christmas is not about the jokes, the gifts, the shopping lists, or whether everything turned out the way you hoped. It is about Jesus. It is His birthday. And the response of heaven was clear and unmistakable: Glory to God in the highest.
Every year as Christmas approaches, I like to write about the incredible story of Jesus' birth and the parallel of being filled with the Holy Spirit. Can you imagine the overwhelming emotions Mary must have felt as she cradled Jesus in her arms, knowing that He was the long-awaited Messiah, God incarnate. He wasn't just a human being with divine qualities; He was God, embodying both divine nature and human nature simultaneously.
There is a very small member in our body that boasts great things, yet it is an uncontrolled evil. Why is this small member so important, and why can it be considered evil? Man can tame every creature on the earth but cannot tame or control the tongue. It is full of poison. We can bless others by what we say, or we can curse others by what we say. We actually speak death or life out of our own mouths.
There's a subtle danger in faith that doesn't get talked about enough: the moment when defending Christ causes us to stop reflecting Christ. Most of us don't set out to do this. In fact, it often begins with good intentions. A desire to honor Jesus. A frustration with how casually His name is used. A concern that truth is being compromised or ignored. But somewhere along the way, something shifts.
Why is self-devaluation such an epidemic? Every human being is born with innate core needs to be loved, valued, and to experience healthy, trusted relationship. However, because we do not live in a perfect world and this often is not our felt reality, as children we develop beliefs and behaviors in an attempt to meet these unmet core needs. We will do whatever it takes for us to feel loved, valued, and accepted.
Words are wonderful when they are used in a good way. They can encourage, edify, and give confidence to the hearer. A right word spoken at the right time can actually be life-changing (Proverbs 15:23). But words can also keep us from experiencing God's plans for our lives. Proverbs 18:21 (NIV) says, "The tongue has the power of life and death…." Words are containers for power, and we need to choose them carefully.
Everyone wants to progress. Everyone wants to grow, to expand, to increase. It's human nature to desire advancement—but Kingdom nature demands response. Growth is not automatic; it's activated. Increase isn't achieved by ambition—it's unlocked through obedience. When God draws your attention to something, He is giving you a stepping stone—a path forward into destiny, maturity, and impact. What He reveals is not for your curiosity but for your calling. Every revelation is a divine invitation: Will you respond?
