Truth Over Turmoil: A blog for renewed hope

Have you ever looked at someone else’s life and thought, If I had what she has, I’d be happier?  Maybe it’s her home. Her relationship. Her health. Her confidence. Her financial situation. Her ability to seemingly have her entire life together while you’re standing in the kitchen drinking reheated coffee and wondering why you walked into the room. Again. It’s easy to believe that if our circumstances changed, then we would feel differently. And sometimes circumstances absolutely do need to change. Mindset isn’t about pretending difficult situations are wonderful or convincing ourselves that legitimate problems don’t exist. But sometimes we don’t need an entirely different life. We need a different lens through which to see the one we already have.

Have you ever had absolutely nothing going wrong at a particular moment…and still managed to stress yourself out?I have. 😝  All it takes is one thought. What if this doesn’t work? Then another one joins it. What if I mess it up? And apparently those two thoughts invite friends because suddenly we’re mentally solving problems that haven’t happened, defending ourselves in conversations that haven’t taken place, and preparing for catastrophes that may never arrive.

Imagine your best friend sitting across from you over a cup of coffee. She looks exhausted. She tells you she made a mistake at work, forgot an appointment, snapped at someone she loves, or gave up on a goal she was trying so hard to achieve. Would your first response be:  “You’re hopeless.” “You’ll never change.” “You always mess everything up.” “Why do you even bother trying?”

I learned something this week that genuinely surprised me I’ve known the story of Moses and the ten plagues for most of my life. I’ve read it. I’ve heard it preached. I’ve watched enough versions of Moses parting the Red Sea that you would think I had the story pretty well covered. Apparently not. 😂 While studying the nature of God, I learned about the connection between the ten plagues and the gods worshipped in ancient Egypt. Wait… what? How had I never heard this before? The plagues weren’t simply a collection of increasingly unpleasant disasters designed to convince Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. There was a much bigger message being communicated. Throughout Exodus, God was revealing who He was. Egypt had many gods and goddesses associated with different aspects of nature and life. The Nile, the sun, fertility, crops, animals and even Pharaoh himself were connected to Egyptian religious beliefs. While scholars differ on whether every individual plague can be matched precisely with one particular Egyptian deity, the overall message of the Exodus account is unmistakable. The God of Israel was demonstrating that He, not Egypt’s gods, not Pharaoh, not nature, was sovereign. In Exodus 12:12, God says: “I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD.” Suddenly, a Bible story I had known for decades had another layer. And I loved it. Not only because I was learning more about God, but because it reminded me of something else I believe we sometimes forget as we get older: There is always more to learn.

“I’m just not a disciplined person.”

Have you ever decided that this time you’re really going to do it?  

In a world that celebrates independence, productivity, and keeping busy, it’s easy to convince ourselves that relationships can wait. We tell ourselves we’ll call next week, schedule coffee another time, or visit family when life slows down. But life rarely slows down on its own.  One more meeting, one more task and I’ll have the time to relax, but the sad part is that it never seems to happen. Without placing a time in my calendar for connecting, everything else fills in the time. The truth is, our hearts were created for connection. God never intended for us to journey through life alone. From the very beginning of creation, He said, “It is not good for man to be alone.” We were designed to laugh together, cry together, encourage one another, and carry each other’s burdens. Connection isn’t simply a pleasant addition to life; it is essential. When we spend time with people who genuinely care about us, something beautiful happens. Our minds become quieter. Our burdens feel lighter. We remember that we’re loved, valued, and seen. Science even confirms what Scripture has taught all along. Positive social connections help reduce stress, improve emotional well-being, strengthen our immune system, and even contribute to longer, healthier lives.  Perhaps that’s why a simple conversation with a friend can leave us feeling refreshed, or why a family dinner can remind us of what truly matters, or why praying together often brings a peace we couldn’t find on our own. Relationships have a way of restoring our souls. Of course, no family is perfect, and friendships sometimes require grace, forgiveness, and understanding. But even imperfect relationships can become places where love grows when we choose kindness over criticism and presence over perfection. Those seemingly small moments often become the memories we treasure most. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, or discouraged lately, perhaps the answer isn’t to work harder or isolate yourself until things improve. Maybe it’s time to reconnect.

If you’ve ever tried to change a habit, you’ve probably experienced the frustration that comes with it. You start off motivated. You make a plan. You tell yourself, “This time I’m really going to stick with it.”Then life happens. You miss a workout. You eat the cookie. You lose your patience. You scroll social media longer than you intended. Suddenly, that little voice in your head starts talking. “There you go again.” “You’ll never change.” “Everyone else seems to have it figured out.”

Habits are fascinating things. The more we repeat a behaviour, the stronger that pathway becomes in our brain. It’s a bit like walking through a field. The first time you walk across it, you have to push through tall grass. But if you take the same route every day, eventually you create a well-worn path that’s easy to follow. Our habits work much the same way. 

Habits are far more complex than they first appear… which is both comforting and mildly frustrating when you’re trying to change them.

Have you ever looked at someone else’s life and thought, If I had what she has, I’d be happier?  Maybe it’s her home. Her relationship. Her health. Her confidence. Her financial situation. Her ability to seemingly have her entire life together while you’re standing in the kitchen drinking reheated coffee and wondering why you walked into the room. Again. It’s easy to believe that if our circumstances changed, then we would feel differently. And sometimes circumstances absolutely do need to change. Mindset isn’t about pretending difficult situations are wonderful or convincing ourselves that legitimate problems don’t exist. But sometimes we don’t need an entirely different life. We need a different lens through which to see the one we already have.

Have you ever had absolutely nothing going wrong at a particular moment…and still managed to stress yourself out?I have. 😝  All it takes is one thought. What if this doesn’t work? Then another one joins it. What if I mess it up? And apparently those two thoughts invite friends because suddenly we’re mentally solving problems that haven’t happened, defending ourselves in conversations that haven’t taken place, and preparing for catastrophes that may never arrive.

Imagine your best friend sitting across from you over a cup of coffee. She looks exhausted. She tells you she made a mistake at work, forgot an appointment, snapped at someone she loves, or gave up on a goal she was trying so hard to achieve. Would your first response be:  “You’re hopeless.” “You’ll never change.” “You always mess everything up.” “Why do you even bother trying?”

Have you ever looked at someone else’s life and thought, If I had what she has, I’d be happier?  Maybe it’s her home. Her relationship. Her health. Her confidence. Her financial situation. Her ability to seemingly have her entire life together while you’re standing in the kitchen drinking reheated coffee and wondering why you walked into the room. Again. It’s easy to believe that if our circumstances changed, then we would feel differently. And sometimes circumstances absolutely do need to change. Mindset isn’t about pretending difficult situations are wonderful or convincing ourselves that legitimate problems don’t exist. But sometimes we don’t need an entirely different life. We need a different lens through which to see the one we already have.

Have you ever had absolutely nothing going wrong at a particular moment…and still managed to stress yourself out?I have. 😝  All it takes is one thought. What if this doesn’t work? Then another one joins it. What if I mess it up? And apparently those two thoughts invite friends because suddenly we’re mentally solving problems that haven’t happened, defending ourselves in conversations that haven’t taken place, and preparing for catastrophes that may never arrive.

Imagine your best friend sitting across from you over a cup of coffee. She looks exhausted. She tells you she made a mistake at work, forgot an appointment, snapped at someone she loves, or gave up on a goal she was trying so hard to achieve. Would your first response be:  “You’re hopeless.” “You’ll never change.” “You always mess everything up.” “Why do you even bother trying?”

The Junk Drawer in Your Mind

Before we learned the weight of bills, deadlines, and responsibilities, laughter came so naturally it didn’t even feel like something we had to “make time for.”