On the morning of January 29, 2021, friends and family gathered on Zoom to watch and listen to the much-anticipated ruling of the court. I was humbled and privileged to be asked to witness her adoption hearing.

After nearly 50 years of taking outstanding care of people in the Midlands through his work as a surgeon, Charles W. Harmon, MD, FACS, has retired f rom Lexington Medical Center. Throughout his career, Dr. Harmon has served as Lexington Medical Center Chief of Staff, a member of the hospital’s board of directors, physician at Lexington Surgery, and a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine.

Late last year, as my husband and I were waiting on the Lord for a word of encouragement from Him heading into 2021, we sensed Him impressing upon our hearts the promise of “restoration.”

On New Year's Day, 2019,  I woke up overcome with sadness. This overwhelming emotion caught me off guard. 2018 brought tremendous personal growth, and I was looking forward  to an outstanding 2019. I immediately blamed myself for not being strong enough to overcome this feeling. I thought it had to be a reflection of my lack of spiritual maturity and/or mental strength. 

God’s gift to me, as we’ve navigated through uncertainty and inescapable confusion due to COVID-19, has been a welcome mat to enter into His presence; an invitation to affirm His faithfulness through speaking His own words back to Him. His Word is the truest thing we know.

Suffering is not a word we typically associate with modern Christian life (especially in the USA). The reality is, suffering not only occurs through sickness, disease, and death because of the curse of sin, but more importantly, our suffering through persecution, because of our faith in Jesus Christ, is something we’re all called to.

People, and their needs, never seemed to overwhelm Karen. She gave of herself freely. She never turned anyone away. She always had time to invite someone into her home. Her unselfish life was a true reflection of the pure radiance of Jesus Christ. 

How many of you chose a word to focus on this year? Mine is Amen! When I shout Amen, I’m putting my faithstamp on the behind-the-scenes redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ. I’m proclaiming out loud that I’ve put my complete trust in my Redeemer, Savior, and Lord. Even when I can’t see what He’s up to, I can still trust Him to fulfill His promise of completing the work He’s doing in the world and in the lives of those who belong to Him. The more established my faith, the stronger my Amen!

Muhammad Ali, one of the greatest boxers of all time, coined this phrase. Now, I’m not much of a sports fan, but boxing intrigues me. I’ve watched many-a-fight through the cracks of my fingers with my hands over my eyes. Isn’t it strange how something so gruesome can be so appealing?

The views in the mountains are always beautiful from the passenger seat. Growing up in the South Carolina Upstate, this was always my thought as a child.

Every so often, our family or church group would head up the road into western North Carolina where the views were always spectacular with majestic mountains, green gorges, and rolling rivers.