I published my first book in October and the newness of it all leaves me with mixed emotions. I planned as many signings and readings as possible with one cancellation due to my mom’s illness. One thing about releasing a Christmas picture book is shipping can be delayed in December! Yet amid every struggle God was faithful and His grace was sufficient. I was busy, God provided me help with my mother who has dementia, and sells were good for “Whose Manger is This?”.

January is here and I’m feeling a bit weary with another book to be edited and illustrations to be completed. As I enter 2024, Elk Lake Publishing Inc., Tatiana Kochan, and I will work through the process to publish an Easter book in February 2025. This new publishing journey and each new stage of dementia will be unfamiliar, but as I celebrate birthday number fifty-seven, I expect God will grant grace to complete His purposes.

The apostle Paul lived a life of constant newness. As he evangelized the gospel of Jesus Christ, mentored Timothy, and others, and planted new churches, Paul never knew what was next. Beaten, imprisoned, and left with limited material goods Paul learned to be content and reliant upon the grace of God.

Even more, beset Paul as he experienced a thorn in the flesh or a messenger of Satan. Whatever or whoever buffeted Paul affected him enough to seek the Lord’s deliverance three times. The answer he received was, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” Paul knew this kept him humble and he chose to glory in his infirmities to experience the power of Christ.

We can choose to be like Paul and rely on God’s sufficient grace for every new experience in life. Let’s choose to glory in our ailments so we live in the power of Christ as we experience the constant newness of life.

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

2 Corinthians 12:9