09/26/2025
Hey friends, it’s been far too long.
I’ve missed being here—encouraging you, hearing your stories, and reminding you that God has you. This past year, though, my heart has felt heavy. I didn’t want to add to your burdens when I know so many of you are already carrying so much.
But today, I felt led to share what I’ve been learning in this season. My prayer is that these words lift your heart, lighten your load, and remind you that you are seen and deeply loved.
It started last January with a decline in Jon’s health.
8 CT scans (Jan–June): abnormal
2 endoscopies: abnormal
Colonoscopy: abnormal
CBCs: abnormal
Heart condition: abnormal
Gut: horribly abnormal
So many “abnormals”… it made me ask, what even is normal anymore?
Ever been there?
Weeks have rolled into months, and the abnormal continues. But here’s what I’ve come to see: Jesus’ life on earth was abnormal by every human measure.
He was the “fish out of water,” the “Rudolph with the red nose,” the “Charlie-in-the-box” misfit, the last one picked, the one who gave His time freely but sat alone at the lunch table.
In fact, we only hear about Jesus’ childhood four times—and three of those moments were deeply abnormal:
Born in a manger to a virgin
Visited by Eastern wise men as a toddler
Asking deep questions in the temple at age 12
Yet this was God’s chosen one. Our Savior. Our gift.
Abnormal strips away everything but who you really are.
It reveals what you value, where you find your footing when life quakes, and who you listen to—how others define you, or how God defines you.
Jon may carry many “abnormal” labels. But to God, he is His child, fearfully and wonderfully made. I choose to define Jon by who God says he is—not by what people say.
And in these hard seasons, Jesus shows up in quiet but mighty ways:
In a text from a friend saying you were on their heart
In a ray of sunshine breaking through the clouds
In a note left on your desk
In a child’s giggle in the grocery aisle that made you smile
He is near to you now.
Here are two verses that have brought me strength and peace:
“I will proclaim the name of the Lord. He is the ROCK, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong.”
— Deuteronomy 32:4
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
— Romans 15:13
May these words refresh your hope and bring rest to your heart today.
I love you all so much.
—Colleen 💛