As I sit here on the very first morning of 2026, I am reflecting a lot.

When I went to bed last night, the first thing I did was pray. I prayed and thanked God for all he taught and did for me in 2025. I asked him to bless us with good health this new year. I really got into a deep conversation, which was a wonderful way to start this New Year. Lord knows 2025 was not easy, and I dealt with a lot of scary health issues. I started 2025 out with finding out I was in heart failure, and can you believe I ended 2025 in the hospital, again!?

You can’t make this up, folks, and it broke me.

I have been so strong all year by the grace of God! I always try to see the best in the situation and just give everything to God. I knew he had me. He always has a plan, and we have to trust him. But just because I love God and trust him, I am still human. I have a breaking point. That third hospital stay since October 2025 tried me. I had fought the tears since they told me they were admitting me to the hospital yet again, only two days before New Year’s Eve. It was my fear in December, thinking there was a reasonable possibility of my being admitted over Christmas. Thank God, he kept me out until December 29.

There was something that broke me that night in the ER, though, and someday soon I will share yet another wild and crazy but uplifting story about what happened. As I sat there in the ER room in a dentist chair (yes, you read that right) with my husband comforting me as I lay forward resting my head on his belly while he consoled me while I sobbed, it reminded me of something. Just because I am a Christian and give everything to God doesn’t mean life will be easy. We all will have our trials. But because of my faith, he gave me so much strength this year, and it truly grew my relationship with him. My prayers are stronger, and my faith feels like an anchor that can never be broken. God, well, he is my best friend. We talk every day. But you know what? If it weren’t for these challenging times, I wouldn’t have that strong anchor as I do. We have to have that good, solid rock at the bottom of the river to hold our boat. If it doesn’t grab onto something solid, our boat will just float downstream, and my hubby has to move our boat so we don’t float to shore. We have to trust that the anchor will hold and keep us strong and steady. But like a boat, we can drift. Just because we have an anchor doesn’t mean we can’t drift in life. The drifting is what makes us stronger, though! We have to lean on God and trust that his plan is never wrong. It might not be what we want, but it’s his plan.

I wish being a believing Christian in Christ meant no heartache or pain, but that’s definitely not the case. It does mean that through all your trials you are facing now in the present or future, he will be there. He will not let you down, and during that moment, while leaning on my husband, scared to death of what was happening to my body, I was reminded it’s okay to break. It’s OK to cry. I don’t always have to be strong because I have an anchor that won’t let me drift far. I still had so much to be thankful for.

This year, I wish you all the joy and happiness. I hope that you know that God can be your anchor, too. He will never leave you or forsake you. Just give it all to him! I never could have gotten through last year without him.

I have so much to write and share about the next few weeks. How my cookbook premiere went and sharing my heartfelt gratitude! A tribute to an amazing woman, and the story that broke me at the end of 2025. Are you ready for this ride? I sure am! Until then, stay strong in your faith and remember, the anchor holds in spite of the storm you are going through. God’s got you friends. God bless and Happy New Year!

Oreo Cream Puff Cake
• 1 cup water
• 1 stick of butter
• 1 cup flour
• 4 eggs (not beaten)
• 4 cups milk
• 1 (4.2 ounce) Jello Oreo Pudding
• 1 (3.2 ounce) Vanilla Pudding
• 1 (8-ounce) Cool Whip
• 10 crushed Oreos

Heat water and butter until it comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and add flour by hand until a ball forms. Stir in eggs. Spread in a 9×13 greased pan. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes; let cool.

Beat pudding and milk until thick.

Spread on the cooled crust; top with Cool Whip.

Add crushed Oreo, refrigerate until chilled.