Who are you so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself? He said, “I am a voice crying out in the desert, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ just as the prophet Isaiah said. John 1:22-23

In a world often filled with challenges and uncertainty akin to the wilderness of our lives, including anxieties, grief, depression, stress and resentment, the ability to inspire Hopeand speak life remains one of the most profound gifts we can offer.

In Today’s readings, you will encounter John the Baptist, who is being questioned about his identity from Jerusalem by the priests and Levites who sent the Jews. They ask him who he is, and he replies that he is a voice crying out in the desert, make straight the way of the lord. The role of John continues to unfold in the gospel of John as the primary witness of Jesus Christ. In retrospect, this reading is an opportunity to ponder through and identify your role as a person of Faith called by God to impact the lives of others through your gifts and talents.

And so you wonder, in a world full of different challenges and uncertainties, what does it truly mean to inspire Hope? Is it merely by giving out material things? Offering words of comfort? Being empathetic or offering a listening ear. Just like a drop in a water pond that ripples outward, you will be surprised how small gestures come a long way as an oasis in the desert of people’s lives. How do you become a beacon of light?

1. Check the Status of your Jar

In a society where you are conditioned to focus externally most of the time, you can get overwhelmed by the needs and demands of others at your own expense. Checking the status of your jar means self-introspection on your inner resources, such as your personal qualities, strengths, weaknesses, ability to navigate challenges, decision-making, resilience, adaptability, and so on. Moreover, it means understanding who I am, where my source is, and what my being is rooted in.

Secondly, ask yourself how far your jar is in terms of being replenished. What do you do to keep your jar full, and what self-care practices do you do? How do you keep your spiritual, mental and emotional well-being nourished? Remember, you cannot pour from an empty Jar. As you ponder this, jot down the areas you must work on.

• Lead by Example

Allow yourself to be a demonstration of Hope amid the challenges you are going through. It is easier said than done when you talk about Hope to someone. You model and lead by example by practising resilience, Proactiveness, and remaining hopeful during difficult situations. People pick on the nonverbal and actions as opposed to what is being said.

• Use your Gift

Every person has something they naturally excel at or an inherent talent, skill, or trait that sets them apart. When these are used intentionally, they become powerful tools for impacting the lives of others. For instance, as a writer, you can write stories that inspire Hope and resilience. The question to ponder is, what do I excel at? How can I tailor my approach or skill to solve a problem or impact someone in need?

• Ignite the spark in others.

Listening to someone without judging them is among the greatest gifts you can offer someone. You may often find yourself constantly interrupting someone to share your opinion or unsolicited advice based on how you view the world. But rarely do you give a listening ear. Moving forward, challenge yourself to listen to others and see how this will change the dynamics of your relationships with others.

In addition, they should express genuine confidence in their abilities, even when others doubt themselves. Say words like, ‘You can do it’ to support them and, ‘What one small step can you take towards your big goal?’ to challenge them.

Conclusion

Inspiring Hope in others is one of the most profound acts of kindness and leadership. Hope is contagious. When you are hopeful and ignite Hope in others, it creates a ripple effect, empowering each person to face challenges with resilience.

You can become a beacon of light in your journey by demonstrating self-care, resourcefulness, leadership by example, and deep listening.

Questions to Ponder

Who am I?

Who is my source?

What is my area of Gifting?

What Problem can I solve with my gift?

Prayer

Dear God, Thank you for life and your grace. Please open my eyes to identify my area of Gifting. Please give me the courage to use my gift to solve a problem and live in alignment with my destiny. Amen

Have you found yourself overwhelmed by the demands of work, family, life challenges, and personal expectations as you wrap up the year? You feel emotionally exhausted, struggling to stay present in the here and now. You are struggling to reclaim your peace.

For most folks, this period is a symbolic chance to leave behind the past and step into a future filled with possibilities. However, amid this excitement, it’s easy to get caught up in the rush and hype of resolutions and lose sight of one’s inner well-being.

Imagine a woman named Mumbi, who appears to be externally thriving but privately overwhelmed by life’s demands. She is searching for a way to put her life together piece by piece and create harmony between inward and outward life. Mumbi turned a simple yet powerful tool: Journaling. What started as a few scribbles each night transformed into a daily ritual and turned into a habit of clarity, reflection, and healing.

Journalingis far more than putting pen to paper; it’s a proven method to declutter the mind, process emotions, and enhance clarity in your life. It’s a means to connect with yourself, spend time with you, and audit your life intentionally. In a similar fashion, how can you explore journaling, as the cornerstone of your wellness journey and a tool to reflect on the lessons of the past, reset your mindset, and recharge your mental well-being?

1. Reflect On the lessons of the past.

Taking stock of how the year has been, by writing the highs and lows, is a great step towards growth. You will gain clarity and identify your learning curves what is normally termed mistakes. Write a year-in-review highlighting key movements. What lessons did you learn? Who did you become in the process of achieving what you desired? What do you need to shed off? What are you grateful for? What challenged you the most? What brought you joy? How did you overcome those challenges? Answer these questions as you write them down in your journal.

• Reset your mindset

The new year offers you a chance to reset your mind and write a new chapter in your life book. What regrets, fears, and disappointments do you wish to leave behind? What do you want to feel in the coming year? What self-talk do you want to have that aligns with your desires?

• Reignite your emotional well-being.

Once you’ve reflected and reset, journaling will help you recharge your emotional and mental energy. It allows you to reconnect with yourself and reignite your creativity. Describe your ideal year in vivid detail; what values do want to uphold? What countries do you wish to visit? What self-care practices do you want to incorporate? What business do you want to start? How will you celebrate your small victories? By writing down the answers to these questions, you will visualize your ideal future and this will start the thought process of how to go about achieving your desires.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, journaling offers a powerful way to reflect on the past, reset for the future, and recharge your energy. Whether you’re new to journaling or have kept a diary for years, this practice can transform your life by fostering mindfulness, self-awareness, and inner peace.

Like Mumbi, you, too can find solace in the pages of a journal space you can rediscover yourself, heal from the past, and step boldly into the future. Let this new year be a time of intentional growth, fueled by the simple act of writing. After all, the greatest stories begin with a blank page and yours is waiting to be written.

People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. 28 Now, when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads because your redemption is drawing near. Luke 21: 26-28

Have you ever found yourself in a moment when hope felt out of reach, buried beneath the weight of a storm you were facing? I can imagine the despairing moment when everything seemed uncertain, and felt like the darkness would never lift.

In Today’s Reading, from Luke’s gospel, the passage draws our attention to two distinctive prophecy lenses: one of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Roman armies in 70 A.D., the other of the second coming of Christ at the end of the time. Looking back, this passage is deeply relevant to our daily lives. It reminds us that even amidst chaos and destruction, redemption, renewal, and joy can be just around the corner. No matter how frightening life may seem, God’s care and protection are always nearby. Jesus uses signs from nature to point to this truth.

In times of chaos, whether it’s personal challenges, global crises, or the uncertainty of life, fear and doubt can often cloud our sense of peace. So, how can we hold on to hopein such moments?

1. Sit in The Feeling: Embracing Your Emotions During the Storm

Amid a storm, it’s natural to want to push away difficult emotions like fear, sadness, or frustration. However, true hope often begins when you fully experience these emotions instead of avoiding them. By sitting in the feeling, you acknowledge your pain, uncertainty, and vulnerability, which can ultimately create space for healing and growth. This doesn’t mean you remain stuck in despair, but rather that we permit ourselves to feel without judgment. Doing so helps you move through the storm with a deeper sense of resilience, allowing hope to gradually emerge from accepting our emotions.

• Focus on What You Can Control

Focusing on what you can control is crucial in a world of unpredictable events. It might include your daily routine, your response to challenges, or your relationships. When external circumstances seem overwhelming, taking small, manageable actions can provide a sense of stability and purpose. Control over the little things empowers you to face the bigger uncertainties with a clearer mind.

• Practice Self-Care

In times of hardship, people often forget to prioritize themselves, becoming so consumed by external challenges that they neglect their well-being. Yet self-care isn’t a luxury; it’s a vital necessity that helps restore energy, soothe minds, and restore balance.

Self-care can take many forms, from physical activities like exercise and adequate rest to emotional practices such as journaling, meditation, or therapy. By intentionally nurturing your body, mind, and spirit, you build a foundation that helps you face life’s chaos with greater resilience and clarity. Caring for yourself strengthens your ability to endure, heal, and find moments of peace even amidst the storms.

• Practice Gratitude

Focusing solely on what’s going wrong is easy when life feels overwhelming. However, practicing gratitude and focusing on the positive aspects of your life can significantly shift your mindset. It doesn’t mean ignoring hardship but making space for joy and thankfulness moments. Even in difficult times, finding small things to be grateful for can foster a sense of hope and remind us that there is always light, even in darkness.

• Seek Support from Others

Hope can often be rekindled through connection. During tough times, it’s vital to surround yourself with a supportive community—whether family, friends or a broader network of people who understand your struggles. Sharing your fears and hopes with others creates bonds of empathy and collective strength. Even in the darkest moments, knowing you are not alone can be a source of profound hope.

Conclusion:

Remaining hopeful amid chaos and turmoil is a challenging yet essential journey. We can stay grounded in hope by focusing on what we can control, remembering the larger purpose, nurturing our faith, seeking community support, practicing gratitude, building resilience, visualizing a brighter future, and taking action. In times of chaos, hope is not just about waiting for things to improve—it’s about finding meaning, purpose, and strength amid the storm.

Questions to Ponder?

How have I been handling the storms in my life?

What inner resources can I tap into when I am going through a difficult season?

Extending grace to ourselves can be problematic and transformative in a demanding and fast-paced world. While many of us find it easy to be compassionate with others, we frequently struggle to treat ourselves with the same kindness. Practicing self-grace is about understanding, accepting, and forgiving yourself, even when things are unplanned. Here’s a guide to help you bring more grace into your life and embrace yourself fully.

1. Recognize and Challenge Your Inner Critic

One of the most significant barriers to self-grace is the voice of your inner critic. This voice can be harsh, unrelenting, and quick to judge when we make mistakes or fall short of expectations. To extend grace to yourself, start by recognizing these critical thoughts and understanding where they come from.

How to Challenge Negative Self-Talk:

• Notice your self-talk when things don’t go as planned. Write down your thoughts to distance yourself from them.
• Question the accuracy of your thoughts. Ask, “Would I say this to a friend?” or “Is this thought actually true?”
• Reframeharsh statements into compassionate ones. For example, replace “I’m such a failure” with “I’m learning and growing, and it’s okay to struggle.”

Giving yourself grace involves being gentle with yourself, especially when things are hard. By challenging your inner critic, you make space for kindness and understanding in your mind.

2. Embrace Mistakes as Part of Growth

Mistakes are inevitable but often come with a heavy dose of self-criticism. Extending grace to yourself means accepting mistakes as a natural part of learning. Rather than punishing yourself for these missteps, try to see them as opportunities to grow.

How to Use Mistakes for Growth:

• Reflect on what you learned from the experience. Ask yourself what went wrong and how you might approach it differently next time.
• Practice self-compassion by reminding yourself that mistakes are human. It’s okay to be imperfect.
• Write about your experiences to track how you’ve grown from these moments. Over time, you’ll likely see patterns that show your resilience.

When you view mistakes as stepping stones rather than obstacles, you can better extend grace to yourself and continue moving forward.

3. Forgive Yourself and Let Go of Past Failures

Holding onto past mistakes can prevent us from feeling whole and worthy. Self-forgiveness is a powerful form of grace, allowing you to release past failures and open up to new experiences.

Steps to Self-Forgiveness:

• Acknowledge what happened without judgment. Accepting responsibility is part of healing, but remember to do so gently.
• Express forgiveness to yourself. One way to do this is to write a forgiveness letter, acknowledging your regret but also extending understanding.
• Focus on the lesson rather than the pain. Remember, growth often comes from the most challenging experiences.

Self-forgiveness isn’t about forgetting what happened. Instead, it’s about freeing yourself from the weight of regret and permitting yourself to move forward with grace.

4. Set Realistic Expectations and Boundaries

Sometimes, we’re hardest on ourselves because of unrealistic expectations or overextending our energy. We’re more likely to feel disappointed when we expect perfection or push ourselves too hard. Extending grace is understanding your limits and permitting yourself to set boundaries.

Setting realistic standards frees yourself from the burden of constant self-criticism and creates room for self-compassion and grace.

5. Celebrate Small Wins and Progress

Often, we focus so much on our shortcomings that we forget to acknowledge our achievements. Recognizing and celebrating your accomplishments, no matter how small is a form of grace that reminds you of your growth and resilience.

Celebrating progress allows you to see the positive aspects of your journey, helping you appreciate yourself even when you face setbacks.

6. Practice Regular Self-Compassion Exercises

Self-compassion is a skill that can be cultivated over time. By building a routine of self-compassionate practices, you’ll be better equipped to extend grace to yourself, even during challenging times.

Making self-compassion a daily habit can help you develop a healthier relationship with yourself, allowing grace to become a natural part of your treatment.

Conclusion: Grace Is an Ongoing Journey

Learning to extend grace to yourself is a journey, not a destination. It’s about recognizing that you are a work in progress, worthy of kindness and forgiveness. By practicing self-compassion, setting realistic expectations, and celebrating your growth, you cultivate an environment where you can thrive with less pressure and more understanding.

Remember, each step toward self-grace is toward a healthier, more compassionate relationship with yourself. Embrace this journey, give yourself room to grow, and know that every moment of grace you extend to yourself is an investment in your well-being.

It is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in the garden. When it was fully grown, it became a large bush, and ‘the birds of the sky dwelt in its branches. Luke 13:18-21

What if the secret to achieving big goals lies in minor actions? How much could you accomplish if you committed to small, consistent habits over time instead of aiming for instant transformations? Could tiny, daily efforts make a difference in the grand scheme?

The parable of the mustard seed beautifully illustrates how even the smallest beginnings can lead to remarkable growth. In ancient texts, this tiny seed—one of the smallest in the garden—transforms into a large, sheltering tree over time. Its story invites a reflection on the power of small, consistent actions or atomic habits in our lives.

Imagine each atomic habit as a mustard seed: a tiny, almost imperceptible effort that, when tended daily, can grow beyond our expectations. Personal growth and change demand patience, care, and commitment, as the mustard seed doesn’t become a tree overnight. With every small action you take- whether it’s a few minutes of self-care, reading a page of a book, or choosing gratitude over frustrations- you are planting seeds for future transformation.

This meditation on the mustard seed reminds us that it’s not the grand gestures but the consistent, tiny acts that shape who we become. Over time, these atomic habits can redefine your life, helping you cultivate a space of resilience, growth, and meaning. Like the mustard tree, your small, steady actions create an impact far more prominent than we initially imagined.

In conclusion, the parable of the mustard seed teaches us that actual growth often begins with the smallest of actions. Just as the mustard seed grows into a towering tree, providing shelter and sustenance, your atomic habits– though seemingly insignificant- hold the power to transform your life.

Are you mentally overwhelmed or out of shape due to stress or life challenges? You think constantly, are stuck in a rut, and are always taking care of everyone else but yourself. In a world where you are continually taught and conditioned to put other people’s interests but yours, you wonder how do I get to take care of myself? You jot down what you should do but rarely follow it.

What can you do to keep your vision clear and your nervous system intact and keep you whole as a person? Remember, stress attacks the nervous system and can predispose you to autoimmune diseases. Akin to keeping fit physically by exercising and having a healthy diet, so is Self-care for your Fundamental being emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and socially.  There are four critical self-care practices.

1. Resourcing

One of the core self-regulation strategies that comes in handy is resourcing. Moreover, it is a strategy or an action that can be fully adopted in adverse circumstances. You are not immune to life challenges; once in a while, you will face challenges or life stresses. The only way to ensure you don’t succumb or become dysregulated is by practicing resourcing.

Resources make you resilient by allowing you to bounce back from adversity. Inside of trauma work, this is one of the biggest paradigm shifts in EMDR therapy. Borrowing this concept from EMDR, for you to work through life challenges skillfully, you need to have a sense of what gives you resilience. The question to ponder is, what works for you? To support with what is overwhelming or stressful.

2. Journaling

Journaling is the way to get your mind and heart off life pressures. In addition, it formalizes your thoughts, actions, and feelings, giving you more clarity where confusion breeds. The questions to ask are: what are you feeling? What do you want? Who are you? There is no particular formula to journal. Allow yourself to write what flows through your mind and write without fear of judgment.

Journaling is a powerful self-care practice that encourages self-reflection and emotional release. The beauty is that it doesn’t require a significant time commitment; even 5 to 10 minutes a day can provide benefits. This is consistent, as regular journaling deepens self-awareness, improves emotional regulation, and strengthens one’s ability to cope with stress.

3. Breathing

The most accessible and effective self-care practice is breathing. How you breathe can directly influence your mental and physical state, helping you reduce stress, improve focus, and regulate your emotions. Examples of some ways you can incorporate breathing as self-care include

• Mindful breathing
• Deep Belly Breathing
• 4-7-8 breathing for relaxation
• Alternate Nostril Breathing

These breathing exercises can be done almost anywhere and are a powerful way to manage stress and recharge.

4. Physical Activity

Regular movements can relieve stress, elevate mood, improve energy levels, and promote better sleep. Exercise releases endorphins, the body’s ‘feel-good hormones, which can help reduce feelings of anxiety and depression. Taking a short, brisk walk or a few minutes of activity can make a noticeable difference in your mood. Physical activity is one of the most holistic forms of self-care, offering benefits beyond the body and nourishing your overall well-being.

Conclusion

Incorporating self-care into your daily routine invests in your long-term health, happiness, and resilience. You build a foundation of balance and well-being by making time for practices that nourish your mind and spirit- whether through mindful breathing, journaling, resourcing, or physical activity. Self-care is not a one-size-fits-all approach; it’s about finding what works for you and committing to small, consistent actions that support your needs. In a world that often demands more than you can give, self-care empowers you to stay grounded, focused, and better equipped to handle life challenges. Embrace self-care as a vital part of your journey to a healthier, more fulfilled life.