If you had a freeway billboard, what would it say?
It would say;
- Jesus loves you
- Courage is going on when you don’t have the strength. Do the opposite of what you feel today.
A Note of Gratitude 🤍
As 2025 comes to a close, my heart is full of gratitude.
At the beginning of this year, I set a personal goal to challenge myself to show up consistently by posting on my blog every week. Some weeks flowed easily, while other weeks required more effort just to find the words. And yes, I missed a few weeks along the way. But instead of stressing myself, I chose grace. I acknowledged it, learned from it, and picked up again.
Through it all, you stayed.
You kept reading.
Some of you encouraged me openly with likes and comments.
Others supported me quietly behind the scenes.
Every form of support mattered, and I want you to know how deeply thankful I am for each of you.
As we slow down at the end of the year and take time to regroup, God willing, I look forward to continuing this journey with you in the New Year. Before then, I invite you to visit my website, where you’ll also find a link to my Amazon page. I’m grateful to share that I self-published a few books this year, a milestone I don’t take lightly.
Thank you for being here. Thank you for your presence, your encouragement, and your grace.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and yours. May God bless you richly, and may you continue to be well.
With gratitude,
iamsosasmama❤️
Elroi’s Place Counseling Associates, LLC – A Christian Faith based Virtual Private Practice https://share.google/rLLIiKJeenllkjQXO
DOUBT OR CURIOSITY? WHAT GOD HEARS WHEN WE SPEAK
Yesterday at my women’s Bible study, we were reading through Luke 1 when something unexpected leaped off the page for me. As I read, I suddenly saw a connection between the names Theophilus—“Friend of God”—and Emmanuel—“God with us.” The insight filled me with excitement, but it also lingered long after the study ended, stirring deeper questions in my heart.
Later that night, unable to sleep, I picked up my Bible again and reread Luke 1. I wanted to understand why this connection was affecting me so profoundly. As I prayed and did a bit of research, I sensed what the Holy Spirit had been trying to highlight: through Christ—Emmanuel—I am invited to become a true friend of God.
But as I continued reading, another question surfaced. Why did the angel Gabriel respond so differently to Zechariah and Mary when their questions seemed so similar? Zechariah asked, “How can I be sure?” and Mary asked, “How can this be?” On the surface, both appear to be asking the same thing.
But the more I sat with it, the more I realized that Gabriel was responding not only to their words, but to the heart behind their words. One question came from doubt; the other from sincere curiosity. Gabriel gently explained the miracle to Mary, but he disciplined Zechariah. Perhaps the angel expected more faith from a priest—someone who had spent a lifetime immersed in God’s promises.
The conclusion I came to was simple but profound: our tone and motives matter. God sees not just what we say, but why we say it. We can hide our true intentions from people, but not from Him. And even with people—while they cannot see our hearts—they can still hear our tone.
So let me ask you, as I asked myself:
When you speak, what do others hear—doubt and fear, or faith and trust?
God bless you 🙏🏼
Iamsosasmama ❤️
Thanksgiving
I hope you make it a daily habit to give thanks to the Lord. He is good, and His mercy endures forever. We were created for the purpose of worshiping God in the capacity He commands us to.
Enjoy your restful holiday with your favorite people. God bless you and be well.
Iamsosasmama ❤️
Diary of a Helper: A Quiet Appreciation for My Abba and My Community
There are days when my thoughts feel like pages from a diary I never planned to write-raw, honest, and unexpectedly revealing. Today is one of those days. A day to speak from the heart of a helper.
Who Exactly Is a Helper?
A helper is someone graced with a unique ability:
to see others beyond their struggles
and choose to show up for them,
gently, consistently, sacrificially.
Many natural helpers eventually turn this calling into a profession. They pour into people both formally and informally. Over time, this becomes their identity. Others look to them as the steady ones, the strong ones—the ones who always seem to be okay.
But here’s the truth we don’t often say out loud:
Helpers struggle too.
The Hidden Weight We Carry
I speak from experience. I have felt the full, shifting weight of that role. Helpers feel emotions deeply, even though we’re often expected to rise above them. We walk through seasons when we wish someone could see past our calm and recognize the trembling beneath.
We long to be poured into with the same care we offer others.
We desire to be seen, not for our strength, but for our humanity.
I’m grateful that in my own life, I am seen by some. My faith and my community have held me in ways I cannot fully express. Their presence reminds me that even helpers need shelter.
But I often wonder:
What about the helpers who don’t have that?
How do they carry their quiet burdens?
Who holds them when their hands are too tired to hold others?
When Seasons Feel Heavy
Life brings seasons that make us pause and ask:
How did I get here?
How long will this last?
And how do I keep showing up for others while navigating my own storm?
Yet somehow, we keep going. Masking fragility with courage. Offering comfort even while craving it.
Through all of this, my strength comes from one place above all—the presence of God. And second to that, the steady embrace of my believing community.
A Helper’s Gratitude
So maybe this entire reflection is simply what my heart needed to say:
This is a helper’s appreciation for her Abba
and the community that lifts her even while she lifts others.
To every helper reading this:
May you be seen.
May you be held.
May you never forget that the one who called you also sustains you.
God bless you and be well 🙏🏼
Iamsosasmama ❤️
OCHIENGfamily 