AnNoWriMo

THE SEASON OF ALL SEASONS

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:18

As we enter the Christmas season, Everywhere we look we see glitz and glitter, beautiful lights, and decorated trees. The sound of music and children's laughter in anticipation of the coming "day" is like little bells ringing across the land. In general, people seem to have a greater joy than any other time of year whatever their situation, whatever they're doing, or wherever they are.

But what was Christmas, or more accurately the time of Jesus's birth, really like? We know Jesus was placed in a manger after birth indicating the presence of stinky animals. In those days, animals were often kept within some part of the home in winter. Scholars largely believe Mary and Joseph stayed with Joseph's relatives but there wasn't much room. Perhaps they were consigned to the specific room where the animals were kept. Was there a fire to warm them? The Bible doesn't tell us. But my guess would be that the place was drafty and cold. There was no elegantly decorated fir tree, no twinkling lights adorning the buildings in Bethlehem, no joyful music playing. It was a dark and troubled time for Israel under Roman rule.

Nativity scenes often include the magi but they weren't present at the birth of our Lord; they came some time later, originally sent as spies by King Herod so he could find and have Jesus killed. Many scholars believe Jesus may have been as much as two years old before the magi arrived with their gifts.

The idea of putting up a lighted (with candles, yikes!) tree and giving gifts didn't come around until many years after the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ. I won't get into any specifics as there are many theories about when the December 25th celebration began and what that entailed. What we do know is that the birth of Jesus had nothing to do with presents under a beautifully decorated and brightly lit tree. In fact, much of Israel is desert land. While Bethlehem is a fertile land area, the evergreen trees that grow there are very different than the types of trees we decorate at Christmas.

Perhaps it would be more appropriate for us to decorate with a manger scene sans magi and a single light emanating from the body of the infant.

I would encourage you in this magical season of seasons to consider the Majesty of GOD in heaven as His Spirit descended into the cells of a human being in the most remarkable manner, to begin life as a human in dreary conditions. He stepped into darkness to illuminate Truth.

As the evergreen tree goes up, remember He is Everlasting God. As the lights are strung, remember He is the Light of the World and His light shines forever. As the ornaments go on, remember He is the King of Glory and the King of Kings. As the presents go under, remember Jesus is the most precious Gift ever given and He was given by Almighty God.

He said often, "follow me." The Good Shepherd has come to save the lost and care for His sheep in every season. "Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:18b

CAN YOU RELATE?

During a time of great anxiety a few years ago when Covid 19 exploded around the world, tension was palpable. We saw firsthand how selfish people could be (hoarding supplies.) We also saw how selfless people could be (first responders.) On the heels of all that tension we faced racial tension with the Black Lives Matter movement.

We all experienced the negative repercussions of our differences regardless of stance. People will always be in conflict with one another. We can't even agree on coffee or tea let alone on how to run a nation.

How do you think humanity looks from on high?

In the midst of all the turmoil, one of my favorite Christian music groups, For King and Country, introduced the song, Relate. It's a great reminder that we are all created in God's image and all have equal rights to God's love because of Christ's sacrifice.

What would life look like if everyone accepted the grace offered by Jesus and genuinely followed Him?

for KING + COUNTRY | RELATE (Official Music Video) Click here to stream/download "RELATE": https://forkingandcountry.ffm.to/whatarewewaitingforJoin us on tour this Christmas! https://tinyurl.com/fKCCHRISTMAS1...

BLIND FROM BIRTH

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him."

Somewhere along my lifeline I got the notion in my head that all birth anomalies were caused our desire for more; more pleasure, more conveniences, more stuff, and more. I postulated people were born different because a parent used drugs, or something in our environment - water and air pollution, food additives, in-breeding, maybe even the effects of electromagnetism. How scientific of me. Or not. 🧐

What made me think of the "blind man from birth" this morning is a mystery of God, but it hit me like bricks falling from heaven. Birth defects have been around since long before any of our modern issues arose from the use and abuse of our natural resources.

People with disabilities have inspired me more times than I can number. Many have been a life-line for me in my darkest hours of pain from my own disability. Sure, there are famous people like Joni Eareckson Tada and Nick Vujicic who inspire me. But the real heroes who have and are overcoming all sorts of disabilities are not in the limelight and often feel unseen. The world around us is blind to what it really means to live with disability, whether from birth, like Nick, or injury like Joni, or acquired diseases some of my friends live with like Crohn's, MS, Lupus, or mental illness. Sometimes disabilities can't be seen on the outside and people can be insensitive toward us.

I have been blind from birth. Not in the sense of not seeing with my eyes, but not seeing with my mind. Before I encountered Jesus and committed my life to Him, I stumbled through life emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually blind. The mud has been washed away and Jesus has given me sight.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." 1 Corinthians 13:11-12 KJV

I was a blind infant without a clue when Jesus called me at the age of 38. Unlike the blind man at birth who met Jesus over 2000 years ago, when the filth was washed from my eyes, it took many years for me begin to see, and things are still not always clear. But I rejoice that now and then the Holy Spirit wipes away a spot on the glass to reveal a little more about who He is and who He's transforming me to be. Yet though I see through a glass, darkly, one day all shall be revealed.

How's your vision?

WHICH WAY
(Tap the photo to see the full image and get the impact of the message)

On the 23rd of July in 1984 The Cars released a hit single, "Drive". The Cars were not one of my favorite bands, but Drive had a lovely melody and rhythm I enjoyed.

Now, in October 2025, I've had that song running in my head day and night for the past week for what seemed like no reason. Unlike some tunes that won't let go, such as "It's a Small World" (sorry, now you probably have that annoying ditty playing in your head), hearing Drive in my head all day hasn't bothered me much. Yet, I began to wonder about the meaning.

What it meant to the song writer and to the world matters not to me. However, it was clinging to me like oily cat fur (my Cleo has the clingiest fur ever), so I asked God if He was using it to prompt me about something. In my life, whenever events or words repeat in short order, 99.9% of the time it's a nudge from the Holy Spirit. You do know if you ask God a question, you'll get an answer, right? The punch chorus line, "who's gonna drive you home, tonight?" was the pervasive thought I was given after asking God why Drive kept playing between my ears.

Approaching 70 in December, many songs of my youth have come back to haunt me recently. As Paul Simons wrote and sang in Slip Slidin' Away, "You know the nearer your destination, the more you're slip sliding away." I'm certainly nearer my final destination and what's ahead is often on my mind.

We're all on that road. We're all slipping away day by day. Your final destination will determine who your driver will be when your day or night comes. This is not our home.

If you knew you were going to die tonight, who's gonna drive you home?

There is heavy traffic on the spiritual highway and the signs along the way can be mighty confusing. Which is the right way to go? Catholicism? Universalism? Atheism? Satanism? Islam? Buddhism? Hinduism? Christianity.

Jesus said, "I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." John 14:6

Satan is the ruler of this world. He would love to drive you to his home for an eternal BBQ with you on the spit. The road to hell is paved with polished ease and lined with momentary pleasures which are but a small stipend in trade for eternal misery.

Jesus is the King of the Universe and His holy angels would rejoice to see you driven on the clouds to the open gate of heaven.

The path of life is a Long and Winding Road, as Paul McCartney wrote. It's a struggle all the way. But I can assure you, whatever your life experiences are, whether rich or poor or somewhere in the middle, whatever the shade of your skin pigment, regardless of your social media status, the road does not go on forever.

I prefer the contemporary Christian music of artists like For King and Country these days. God only knows the real you, what you've been through, and what you're going through in this moment. But as the song God Only Knows goes on to say, "There's a kind of love that God only knows." Do you know His love? Have you accepted His grace?

Who's gonna drive you home tonight? Will your long winding road take you up or down? God only knows.

WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?

In 1993 Tina Turner's song matching the title of this blog was released by Capitol Records. It was one of my favorite songs at the time. I was not yet a Christian.

In the iconic hit written by Graham Lyle and Terry Britten, the question of what love has to do with lust is answered with "who needs a heart, when a heart can be broken?" That song, like so many in our culture today, venerates s*x for the sake of self-pleasure, love be damned. Why shouldn't we satisfy our lusts without love and marriage when giving one's heart to another might just end in misery?

My friends, the me-first do what pleases me attitude of this world is what will truly end in misery. Guaranteed. It's called hell.

Some 2000 or so years ago, the greatest Man who ever lived brought us a different song. His song begins and ends with Love. When asked what is the greatest commandment in the Law, Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40

What Jesus was and is teaching us is that that all love begins with God and is poured out from those who love God.

John said, "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." 1 John 4:8. He goes on to add, "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." 1 John 4:10

What's love got to do with it? Everything. If GOD IS LOVE, then LOVE is sacred above all else. When we say yes to Jesus's love entering our hearts in the person of the Holy Spirit, we no longer lust for the pleasures of this world, but seek after whatever pleases our loving, merciful God. And what pleases Him? That we love others, of course!

How do we know if God's love lives in us? Jesus said, "“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5 What kind of fruit is your branch producing? Are you loving others enough to show them the way of Truth thereby offering the opportunity for them to avoid everlasting torment in hell?

Check your fruit and etch Paul's words on your heart. Although we often think of these verses in regard to marriage, to me they are the true test of fruit for all believers. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

May your fruit always be the sweetest on the Vine, pressed with care, and poured out with love!

GOD EQUIPS

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

Our theme verse today is one that Christians hear often. There's a reason we need this frequent reminder. When we're unsure of what God is leading us to, the Holy Spirit is our guide. We all need to trust God, lean into the Bible, and watch for confirmation.

Have you ever had a nagging sense you were supposed to do something? This happens when God is calling you into service. Maybe every time you hear an announcement for help at church you feel like you should volunteer but don't think you have what it takes, there's an expression based on Exodus 4:10-12 that says, God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called. Think of David, a simple shepherd boy who was sent to give his brothers and the battle commander food. No one believed he could do it but by faith in God David saved his people from the Philistines when he killed Goliath with a slingshot and a stone. (1 Samuel 17:45-50) Peter, who denied the Lord three times and was rebuked by Jesus for his lack of faith at times, was called by Jesus "the rock" on whom He would build His church. (Matthew 16:18)

I always look for confirmation when I sense God is calling me to do something For Him. First, in Scripture. Is what I desire to do Biblically sound? Second, what am I hearing from godly people in my life? Third, by what I hear listening to apologetic podcasters or sermons online or even at times unrelated non-Christian sources. When I keep hearing the same thing over and over in the least expected ways, I can be sure God is in the mix.

For several years God whispered in my heart He wanted me to write daily devotional content. After repeatedly hearing about the importance of daily devotions using Scripture in context, I created the AnNoWriMo page and began posting my journal of devotions here. I also posted some at https://christiandevotions.us/viewauthor/3533. However, posting on another's website gave them strict editorial control of my content and changes to my submissions sometimes altered the meaning. So I began praying about creating/writing a pictorial devotional and when confirmation tapped me on the shoulder at every turn, I moved forward with the project.

It literally (no pun intended) took a couple of years to compile and polish the devotionals and find the right complimentary images for meditation. Even after publishing, I still found a few typos that need to be corrected: my next project. Typos and all, you can find the book on Amazon in two versions. Just search for Clinging to the Cross Holding onto Hope by Anne Leigh Hughes.

What are you feeling God calling you to? Pay attention. Pray. Listen and look for confirmation. When certain, move, God will equip you.

Clinging to the Cross: Holding onto Hope Clinging to the Cross: Holding onto Hope

GUIDING LIGHT

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread? Psalm 27:1

Transparency is vital for a healthy Christian life. Sometimes I feel trapped, unsettled, and weary. Anxiety and depression close in on me with suffocating darkness. Whatever obstacles life presents us with, sharing openly with a pastor, counselor, or trusted friend can alleviate worries and help us find constructive ways to deal with it. Confessing sin to someone we trust holds us accountable to seek God’s strength and wisdom to overcome the next time we’re tempted.

Paul praised and glorified God even from prison. He wrote about his own deficiencies and his willingness to bear his “thorn,’ maintaining firm trust in God. He was transparent about his faith in the face of persecution (even at risk of being imprisoned or death.) And throughout his writing we see him being transparent about his shortcomings: “For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.” Romans 7:19

David praised and glorified God even as he hid in a cave from Saul. The boy who killed a giant with a stone (1 Samuel 17), as a man had opportunity to kill the king who betrayed him when Saul came into the cave. But David demonstrated mercy (1 Samuel l24). Later He bowed before Saul knowing the king could end his life, but David trusted God to protect him. Although David was a sinner just like us, he was a man after God's heart and he was a gifted musician and writer. He journaled his praises, triumphs, regrets, and sorrows in the psalms.

It’s important to think about how Jesus would handle the things in life that I allow to control my emotions. He treated all people with wisdom and grace, offered kindness to the broken, and inspired hope in the hopeless. He never turned His back on difficult people and prayed in all circumstances.

When I am in a cave of despair, even when I can’t see light, I know God is with me. He prompts me to share my concerns and release the anger, frustration, anxiety, or whatever it is I’m experiencing. He employs the Scripturally sound Christians I love to guide me.

Maybe you’ve been carrying a dark secret, bearing a grudge, or just feel like a failure as a Christian. Perhaps you feel persecuted or misunderstood. Whatever troubles you today, He is our light and salvation, and we have nothing to fear! Cast your concerns on Him who cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). Pray, meditate on Scripture, and share your concerns with a wise and trusted friend. The Holy Spirit is always with God's children, and He illuminates darkness when we call on His name.🙏❤️

Signs and Wonders Every Day

“Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.” John 4:48

Imagine the world before humankind made a mess of things. Every night was filled with brilliant stars glinting against cloudless, inky, black space. Lakes, rivers, oceans, and streams were teeming with healthy fish and crustaceans. Dense green forests provided ample material for fires and building. The sun against a canopy of clear cerulean adorned the day. Wildlife was abundant and roamed freely.

Today, a haze from mechanical emissions dirties the sky during the day, and the wash of lights throughout cities blots out the glitter of stars. Beaches are littered with dead fish filled with mercury. Wild animals wander into cities in search of food that was once abundant in their natural habitat.

We’ve made a mess of this magnificent world God gave us because of our lusts, greed, discontent, lack of foresight, and ignorance. But there are still wonders to behold all around us.

The Cambridge Dictionary defines a miracle as an unusual and mysterious event that is thought to have been caused by God because it does not follow the usual laws of nature. The very first miracle happened when God created the world. What greater sign or wonder could there be to confirm the existence of Almighty God?

Let me challenge you to take a walk. You don’t have to go far. Maybe not even out of your home. But the goal is to find the signs of God’s wonderful creation around you. Admire a velvety sweet-scented rose, marvel at the sparkle of dew on the grass, listen to the twitter of a songbird outside your window, or gaze with awe at glittering snow weighing down a tree branch. Just take a few minutes to take it all in.

Revel in the joy of the birth of any newborn creature, the beauty of a mountain landscape, or crashing waves on the beach. Ponder the sweetness of fresh fruit, the pungent delight of ginger spice, or the depth of flavor enhanced by salt.

We demand that God show Himself, and yet we miss the fact that He is literally all around us in His magnificent creation. We don’t need to see miracles performed because our very existence and everything provided for us are miracles!

Have faith that whatever it is you need has already been provided. No signs and wonders needed, just believe God at His Word.

I've been busy working on my pictorial devotional, which I expect to submit for publishing this month. That means it will be close to a year before it's actually published.

I'm posting a few samples from the book here and hope you'll be blessed by them.

PROMISES

I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Genesis 9:13

People make promises all the time. But do we take them seriously?

It’s easy to make a promise to someone, not so easy to keep our promises.

When we get married, we vow to one another to stay together whatever we face, whether we’re sick or healthy, whether we’re wealthy or poor, when things go well or if everything falls apart. Life is full of unexpected challenges but under God’s authority, if we promise to stick together through thick and thin, God expects us to honor that vow.

When we sign a any kind of contract, it’s a binding agreement between us and the party to whom we’re contracting with. Whether the contract is between us and a builder, an employer, an employee, or any other, there may be a penalty for breaking the contract.

It’s easy to forget the oaths we take and the agreements we make despite the consequences of breaking them.

But God never forgets or reneges. Our Father in heaven promised He would never again destroy life because of our sin. He promises us strength, peace, rest, and hope. Just as God has been faithful to keep His promise to Noah, we can trust He will always keep all of His promises to those who believe in the saving power Jesus.

Next time you see a rainbow in the clouds, remember God’s covenant of love to us. He will never leave nor forsake us.

TORRENTIAL TIDES

He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. Matthew 8:26

Although he’d seen a car in the parking lot with a trunk full of potatoes, there were none in the produce aisle in the supermarket. My husband returned home with just a corned beef brisket but no potatoes for our Easter dinner.

The onset of the Covid 19 pandemic in 2020 revealed the myriad ways people manage to rise above circumstances. Some take all they can get. Others simply adapt. There’s no such thing as life without loss and difficulty so we adjust as best we can.

Did the Coronavirus take us through a winnowing? Or did nature simply impart a brutal blow? Only God knows. The good news is, God is the source of our strength, hope, and endurance. God is with us. Because His Spirit lives in us through the grace of our Savior, we are never alone.

Humanity has survived polio, smallpox, hurricanes, tsunamis, terrorist attacks, wars, and countless other catastrophes. Despite the worst circumstances, people have learned to cope.

During the time of Covid-19 quarantine and isolation, we witnessed both selfishness and goodwill. The greed of some left others in need. Yet the outpouring of empathetic love between individuals with whom we may not have otherwise connected such as first responders and missionary outreach organizations carried us through that torrential tide. As Christians, we’ve had many opportunities to demonstrate the love of Jesus to those in need.

Although at times our existence may feel like a raging sea, in the vast ocean of the universe every sparkling droplet of life has its place, and the hand of God tethers us to His love and grace like an anchor.

When rising waters threaten to capsize your vessel, hold fast, and have faith that He who commands the waves, will calm your storm.

It has been quite a while since I've posted any musings here. My devotions are published at https://christiandevotions.us/viewauthor/3533 If you'd like to read them. However, I'll be posting here going forward until I get my own devotion webpage up and running.

Offended
By Anne Hughes

So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27

Perhaps there is nothing more controversial than talking about racial differences. And I am about to step out on that narrow tenuous limb.

I read a statement in an online artistic forum that said, “Let’s celebrate black creators.” I was immediately offended. First, because there is no black skin. All of us contain pigments in our skin that produce varying hues. Should a particular people group be celebrated because of their skin tone? I believe it only perpetuates segregation, racism, and animosity.

God created all of us in His image. The only difference noted in the word of God is gender. We are male and female beings all members of the human race and all deserve the same degree of respect. So, to me, when any one racial or ethnic group is singled out to receive some recognition over the rest, it does not serve to encourage community but rather, division.

My concern is that we should all embrace cultural differences in a natural way by developing and nurturing relationships with people who are different from us. When I meet new friends, I'm drawn to them because of things we share in common such as love for God or creative learning. Whether my roots are Asian, Irish, African, Mexican, Indian, Egyptian, or some other genetic heritage, everyone would benefit from connecting with all kinds of others. There will be prickly people we don't get along with and wonderful people we enjoy spending time with, but skin color has nothing to do with personality or commonality.

When Jesus said to love your neighbor as yourself, he never said, “If their skin tone matches yours.” If we were all without sight, we would never consider skin color when judging anyone. How much brighter the light of Jesus would shine from us if radiating from our hearts, not how the sun reflects our skin tone.

How rich our individual lives would be if we learned about and shared in the joy of the cultural differences we each have to offer. It's how God created us and we are all created in His image.