Steve Byrd

We are already into the days of this new year, and we find ourselves at the threshold between reflection on the past and readiness for what is to come. I find myself in that sacred space between what was and what will be. It's a thin place, where memories of twelve months press close and the blank canvas of a new year stretches out before us, both inviting and unknown. This is the season when we are tempted to make our lists: accomplishment tallied, failures catalogued, resolutions drafted...

A Divine Promise Long before a young woman named Mary whispered her "yes," God had been speaking. Quietly. Faithfully. Through the generations, the prophets carried promises like lanterns in the dark. Isaiah spoke of a virgin who would conceive and bear a Son, calling His name Immanuel—God with us. Micah named the place before the people were even looking for it: Bethlehem. Small. Overlooked. A town most would pass by without noticing. Yet God marked it on the map of redemption centuries in...

Gratitude isn't always easy. Some days, life feels heavy, and the blessing we hope for seem distant. Holidays can make that weight feel even heavier. Maybe you've lost someone you loved, or family gatherings leave you tense instead of joyful. Maybe the people around you don't understand your struggles, or you don't understand theirs. Even then, there's a quiet presence reminding us we are not alone. That presence is grace. Grace is God showing up in your life even when you feel unworthy. It's...