Gratitude has a way of softening the heart. It slows us down long enough to notice what has always been there—God’s steady hand, His quiet provision, His goodness woven into both the beautiful moments and the hard ones. Today, I’m writing from my heart about gratitude—not the polished, picture-perfect kind, but the daily, practiced, sometimes tear-filled kind that whispers, “Thank You, Father,” even when I don’t fully understand.

Prayer.It’s the daily friendship God desires to have with you—the kind where you can show up in your slippers with messy hair, coffee breath, half-awake, offering up a simple, “Good morning, Lord,” and He beams like you just gave Him the greatest gift.

I watched Pope Leo speak today in front of an auditorium filled with 16,000 young people right here in America. Sixteen thousand. Just imagine that many hearts gathered together—not for a concert, not for a celebrity meet-and-greet—but to praise God, ask real questions, and grow in faith. It moved me more deeply than I expected. When the students began asking questions, one that stood out was about AI, because honestly… how could it not?

Have you ever sat in the quiet, wondering if God really hears you? Or maybe you’ve thought, I wish I could hear Him the way other people say they do. I know that feeling well. We want God to feel near, to speak clearly, to guide us like a loving Father. The beautiful truth is—He does. The question is often less about if He’s speaking and more about how we’re listening.

Sometimes life feels like a race we weren’t fully prepared to run. We stumble, fall, get back up, and keep moving forward even when it feels like we’re walking through mud. And yet, through all the chaos, God’s hand is steady. His timing is never rushed, never delayed—it’s perfect. I’ve seen this truth play out in my own life, and maybe sharing a bit of my journey will encourage you not to give up on what God has planted inside you.

Temptation doesn’t always show up wearing red horns and carrying a pitchfork. Sometimes it’s dressed in a perfectly reasonable excuse, a harmless little “just this once,” or even a shiny opportunity that looks too good to be true (because… it is). The enemy is sneaky like that — he custom-tailors temptation so it fits just right for you.

Have you ever had a season where you just felt… lost? You know, the kind of season where your prayers feel like they’re bouncing off the ceiling, you’re not sure which way to go next, and no matter how hard you try to “figure it all out,” everything feels foggy and unclear?