HOPE through chronic illness by Jackie Confalone

01/17/2026

A perfect day for Batuonal Nothinv Day…with a few inches of snow!❄️☃️ What obligation might you be cancelling today?

National Nothing Day. No rituals. No tasks. If you could cancel one obligation today guilt‑free, what would it be? 🚫

01/03/2026

Instead of resolutions that often end within weeks, try a reset where you begin the year with Christ at the center.

12/27/2025

The final devotion:
The Old Testament closes with longing—a people waiting, a promise lingering, a silence stretching for 400 years. Ezekiel, Daniel, Ezra, Esther, Haggai, Zechariah, Nehemiah, and Malachi each pointed forward, longing for a Savior they could not yet see.

But we live on the other side of the story.

At Christmas, we celebrate the moment God Himself came near. Jesus—the hope promised in Ezekiel, the peace Daniel saw, the joy in Ezra’s worship, the faith Esther lived, the devotion Haggai proclaimed, the humility Zechariah foretold, the purpose Nehemiah embraced, and the love Malachi promised—stepped into the world to restore what sin had shattered.

This is the gift we celebrate.

Not a restoration built by our effort, but a salvation secured by His character. Not a kingdom shaped by our strength, but one established by His eternal reign. Not a temporary rescue, but an everlasting redemption.

This Christmas season, may we not only remember what Christ has done—but join Him in what He is still building.

May we be people who carry His hope into hurting places. Who speak His peace into anxious hearts. Who embody His joy, His humility, His love. Who invite others to come home to the God who restores.

Because the Savior who came is the King who will come again—and until that day, Christmas reminds us to build our lives for Him.

12/26/2025

Day 9 Devotion
“I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty." Malachi 3:1

Tucked just before the New Testament, the book of Malachi offers a sobering message. “Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you” (Malachi 3:7). As Malachi examines the people’s disobedience, God warns of coming judgment, the day of the Lord, when “All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble” (Malachi 4:1).

But even in warning, Malachi holds out hope. Before judgment, God promised redemption. A child would be born in Bethlehem—His own Son—sent to stand between us and the judgment we deserve. Why? God tells us in Malachi’s opening words: “I have loved you” (Malachi 1:2).

This Christmas, as we remember Malachi’s warning, we also remember God’s rescue. The birth of Jesus is proof of a love so deep and enduring that it carried Him all the way to the cross. As we gather with family and friends, may we reflect the love of the God who stands in the gap between sin and judgment—a love that lasts through eternity.

12/23/2025

Day 8 Devotion:
"So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart." Nehemiah 4:6

God gave Nehemiah a purpose—to continue the work that others had started. Despite opposition, God’s people persevered in building the temple. But the city wall, which served to protect God’s dwelling place, lay incomplete. God’s people were weary. They needed a leader, they needed direction, and they needed purpose. God sent them Nehemiah.

What motivated this effective leader who inspired people to “work with all their heart”? It wasn’t the project or the plan. It wasn’t even the destruction or the building. Nehemiah was motivated by a deep understanding of God’s character. He prayed, “Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments” (Nehemiah 1:5).

Nehemiah recognized God’s authority, His power, and His deep and enduring love. He didn’t find purpose in God’s plan; he found purpose in God’s person. And that focus on the God of heaven motivated an entire nation to rebuild the wall in just 52 days.

As we look ahead to Christmas, we too are reminded of God’s authority and power. And as we celebrate His greatness, we remember that He keeps His covenants. Because wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger, Jesus’s birth reminds us that God keeps His promises.

In His steadfast love, God sent a Savior—not just for those who keep His commandments, but for sinners who seek His grace. So, this Christmas, let us remember the prayer of Nehemiah. Let us work with all our hearts to fulfill the purpose set before us: to share the good news about the God of heaven.

12/19/2025

Day 7 Devotion
"Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey, on a c**t, the foal of a donkey." Zechariah 9:9

As the people returned from exile and rebuilt Jerusalem, their hands were busy with God’s work. But still their hearts wandered. They hoped for a king who would overthrow their enemies. But God knew they needed more than a temporary kingdom—they needed transformation.

Zechariah paints a picture of a King unlike any the world had ever seen—a King righteous and victorious, yet gentle and lowly. Worthy of worship, yet laid in a manger. Strength wrapped in humility. Power expressed through peace.

Jesus was born to free hearts not just nations. To break the chains of sin. To offer peace the world is powerless to provide. And the same King who came in humility will one day return in glory—victorious still, yet unchanged in His gentleness and love for His people. As we celebrate His birth, we remember not only that Jesus came, but how He came—with humility.

And His humility isn’t just something to admire; it’s something we are called to practice.

In a world that rewards winning, asserting, proving, and pushing, Jesus invites us to lead another way:

· To listen more than we speak.

· To quietly serve rather than be seen.

· To choose gentleness over control.

This Christmas, let the humility of Christ shape the way you speak, give, parent, work, and love. Because in the kingdom of God, true greatness always looks like Him.

12/18/2025

Day 6 Devotion
“‘On that day,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” Haggai 2:23

When the exiles returned to Jerusalem, Zerubbabel led them with hope and resolve. But when opposition arose, fear took over. The people abandoned God’s calling, focusing on building their own homes while God’s house remained in ruins.

Yet God did not turn away. Through Haggai, He called His people back, and they responded. Zerubbabel stood firm in humility and trust, and God honored his obedience—not only in the rebuilding of the temple, but by placing him in the lineage of Jesus, the Messiah.

Like the Israelites in the book of Haggai, we too are quick to lose sight of God when our plans and worries press close. But again and again, God invites us to return—to focus on building what matters most.

This Christmas, how will we be defined? By our gatherings and gifts—or by our devotion to Christ?

Like Zerubbabel, we are called to carry God’s work into our homes, friendships, and communities. And God’s same promise holds true for us:
“And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear” (Haggai 2:5b).

12/17/2025

Day 5 Devotion
"For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14

Esther faced an impossible choice: risk her life to plead for her people or stay silent and save herself. Unlike Ezekiel or Daniel, she received no vision, no dream, no clear instructions from God.

Yet God was not absent. He was at work behind the scenes—shaping events, guiding conversations, softening hearts. He placed Esther in the palace at the exact moment she was needed. And through one ordinary young woman, God delivered an entire nation.

But Israel’s rescue pointed to a greater need. Humanity needed more than temporary safety, we needed eternal salvation. So, God orchestrated another story—one that fulfilled every prophecy and arrived in the most unexpected way: through a seemingly insignificant child born in Bethlehem.

Esther’s courage and Jesus’s birth remind us that God’s ways are often quiet and mysterious. We may not always see Him move, but we can trust that He is working for our good. “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1).

Like Esther, we can place our faith in God—confidently, joyfully—knowing that the One who came for us also gave His life to save us.

12/16/2025

** JOY **

With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord: "He is good;
his love toward Israel endures forever.” And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. Ezra 3:11

After decades in exile, God called His people to return home. But what would they find when they got there? How could they rebuild when so much had been lost?

Throughout the book of Ezra, God made a way. Through unexpected offerings from kings and neighbors, God gave the people exactly what they needed. Before any walls were raised, they built an altar and praised the God who brings His people home. And when the foundation was laid, they lifted their voices—some in tears, some in joy—all in awe of God’s faithfulness.

Centuries later, God would make a way once more. But this time, He would not work through an earthly king. Instead, Jesus stepped into the world to rebuild our broken lives. The King of Kings came as “the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6).

We too face moments when we can’t yet see how God will provide. But Ezra reminds us that God equips those He calls. And Christmas reminds us that Jesus is more than enough.

So how will we respond? This Christmas, let us lift our voices in worship to the God who always makes a way.

12/15/2025

Day 3 Devotion
When God brought His people home from exile, He called them to build—not only their city, but their identity. The temple rose stone by stone, a sign of God’s faithfulness and His people’s renewed devotion. But even in their best efforts, the people’s hearts still wandered. A building—even one as sacred as the temple—could never save them.

They needed more than a temple. They needed a Savior. And the same is true for us.

We build our lives with schedules and responsibilities. We fill our days with good things—family, ministry, friendships, work. But sometimes, even our most meaningful efforts can leave us weary, stretched thin, or spiritually distracted. Especially at Christmas, our hands can be full while our hearts feel empty.

This season invites us to return to Jesus.
To slow down.
To remember who our souls were made to worship.

This Christmas, let’s lift our eyes above what we are doing and behold the One who came to make us new. Let us build what matters most, a life committed to Christ alone.

Come, let us make room in our hearts again.
Come, let us look to Jesus.

12/14/2025

Day 2 Devotional:
And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Daniel 2:44

Far from home, Daniel watched empires rise and fall. Jerusalem lay in ruins. Yet in the midst of chaos, Daniel found peace—because God revealed a truth greater than any king or kingdom: “His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom” (Daniel 7:27).

Daniel’s visions pointed to a different kind of King–not born in a palace, but in a manger (Luke 1:32-33).

Daniel prophesied about a different kind of kingdom—not ruled through armies or might but established in grace and truth.

Like Daniel, our world can often feel uncertain. We worry about our futures as we try to manage day by day. But God reminds us that when our hope is in Him, our future is secure. Even in turbulent times, we can find peace.

12/14/2025

I do a Bible study through Bible Study Fellowship (BSF), where people all over the world study the exact same passages of the Bible each week. They developed a Christmas devotional and I want to share some of the devotions with you. Todays devotion is based on Ezekiel 37:5 "Thus says the Lord God to these bones: 'Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live.'"

Ezekiel stood in a valley of dry bones — a haunting picture of hope that had died. Israel’s sin left them broken and empty, yet God spoke life: “I will put my Spirit in you and you will live."

Though God’s people would continue to stumble, He was not finished with them. He promised to restore them - not based on their own efforts, but on His character. Centuries later, on a silent night in Bethlehem, God breathed life into a broken world. But this time, He didn’t work through dry bones–He came down from Heaven Himself. As a lowly baby in a manger, Jesus’s birth brought the hope and promise of new life.

What might God restore in you this Christmas? A weary faith, a strained relationship, an uncertain future with chronic illness?

This Christmas, remember that the valley isn’t the end of our story. Remember the God who gives life.

And celebrate the hope only Christ can bring.