THIS TIME NEXT YEAR

While cleaning our room the other day, I came across a journal that my sister-in-law gave to me and my husband last year. Next to it was a printed copy of our photo captured on the same day and place where she got the journal for us. It was taken at the Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas during our 12th wedding anniversary.

The journal was similar to our version of the Novena to God’s Love booklet at the Feast, where we write our God-given dreams, only in a larger format.

A year had passed, and we are now celebrating our 13th wedding anniversary. Yet, when I turned the pages of the journal, I saw that I haven’t finished writing on it yet.

Suddenly, there was a spark in me to begin writing on it once more and to dream again. It’s mid-year of 2025 and I realized, it doesn’t always have to be the start of the year to write new dreams and resolutions. Because God’s love is always new, we can always co-author fresh dreams with Him over and over again.

The journal is anchored in 2 Kings 4 – the story of Elisha and the barren woman who warmly welcomed him into their home. Because of her generosity, Elisha prophesied to her, “𝑩𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒙𝒕 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒔.” A year later, God had fulfilled that promise.

Friends, it is never too late to dream again. And who knows, this time next year, your answered prayer might just be right in front of you.