And So This Is Christmas

A Quiet Reflection for All of Us There’s a line in a familiar Christmas song that always seems to settle into the heart a little deeper than the rest: “And so this is Christmas… and what have you done?” Not as a judgment. Not as a measuring stick. But almost like a soft reminder —…

Resilience

My daughter and I landed in the Philippines a few years ago to visit and spend time with my family. As always, with any trip we take, I made sure to bring my camera. Four weeks into our six-week vacation, I realized I’d only taken a handful of photos. It’s not that there isn’t beauty…

Loyalty to Legacy

What Ruth and Naomi Teach Us About Women’s Strength Today… In the quiet pages of the book of Ruth, nestled between the lines of loss and famine, is a story that still whispers truth into the lives of women today. Ruth wasn’t born into Naomi’s world. She married into it—and then, after loss shattered their…

Why I Keep Writing

When Words Save You: Why I Keep Writing Even When It’s Hard There are days I sit in front of the screen and feel absolutely empty. No inspiration. No spark. Just silence, fatigue, and the heaviness of too much life. And yet—I write. Not because I always feel brave. Not because I have it all…

God’s Written Testimonies

God Writes Testimonies That Take Time We love the idea of a quick breakthrough, a fast-forwarded healing, or a neatly wrapped-up story. We long for the moment where everything finally makes sense, where the pain was worth it and the waiting is rewarded. But the truth is, God’s testimonies often unfold slowly—layer by layer, moment…

{Brave}

“The only way to being at peace with yourself is to be accepting and loving of who you are.” Let me share you a story. Before I started blogging fourteen years ago, I was in a woman’s group and from there I became aware of this thing called blogging. And I told myself, Charina…you can…

Spring of Hope

It’s been a while. So what should I write when the whole world is hurting. When isolating ourselves, social distancing, working from home for most and classes being held online becomes the norm. I am currently on administrative leave from work and I’m not really sure for how long. My daughter celebrated her eighteenth birthday…