Welcome 2026!

What does God have in store for 2026?

We are still in the throes of damp, dark winter here on the west coast of Canada, but I am delighting in the first morning of the fresh new year. I was able to wake up naturally today because Ryan and I are still in holiday mode. The Lord, and the excitement of the new adventure we all share today, woke me at 6:45 am.

Ryan and I had already determined that we would begin the new year with a three day fast, to be followed by a dry and sugar-free January. My morning began with a cup of warm lemon water (was I supposed to omit the lemon?), followed by a cup of King Cole tea. We were in Halifax in December, and I got into the spirit of it. I already love a bracing cup of Orange Pekoe (either organic or Red Rose). King Cole is neither, but it comes from Nova Scotia, and thus reminds me of my dear Youth Group leader, Betty Park (along with her husband Bob), who hails from Cape Breton Island and used to serve us tea prepared with four bags in the pot when we incessantly dropped in on her family, as teenagers are wont to do.

Then I sat down to read my Bible, as I do every morning. I received some encouragement for our dry January in the second chapter of Habakkuk:

⁵ “Moreover, wine is a traitor, an arrogant man who is never at rest. His greed is as wide as Sheol; like death he has never enough. He gathers for himself all nations and collects as his own all peoples.”

Next I moved on to email. Imagine my delight when one of the first emails I read came from TheCRY Canada inviting me to consider joining them, along with many of their readers, in a three-day fast. I had already more than considered this; Ryan and I had pre-planned to fast for three days, starting today. Reading that other believers independently shared our intention was hugely encouraging. God created us to thrive in community: "It is not good that the man should be alone," (Genesis 2:18), "so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another" (Romans 12:5). Knowing that other believers were likewise led to begin 2026 with a 72 hour fast

reinforced my belief that God was leading our intention. To Him be the glory!

And thanks to another email, I was reminded of the perfect wisdom of our Creator. While the days are gradually becoming longer, it was still dark at 6:45 this morning. The sun is up now, but nowhere to be seen. It is overcast today in British Columbia. God planned for us to get our Vitamin D from the sun. How do we do that when it is cold and cloudy? I learned today that "Regular exercise, even without supplements or weight loss, helps activate and protect stored vitamin D, making it a natural way to sustain healthy levels during winter months."[1] How great is our God?

Happy New Year!

[1] https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2025/12/01/vitamin-d2-vs-d3-supplement.aspx?cid_source=takecontrol&cid_medium=email&cid_content=art1Bttn&cid=20260101_TC&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email)