Some of you know that I take more than a minute on my birthday, so let me share a true story with you:
I know a woman who grew up in a loving family, but her dad had a job that caused them to move frequently. By the time she was 12, she'd lived in 20 different locations in North Dakota, South Dakota, California, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Then her family settled down in her birth state, Colorado, where her father started his own business.
When she was 19, she married a wonderful man who became a career soldier, and the moving began again. Being away from her extended family made her think more about life, and when she had their first child at age 22, her search for life's meaning became stronger.
She'd attended church growing up, and her mother and other family members had been godly witnesses in her life. But she'd never fully understood her need to repent and accept Christ as Savior and Lord. Her search for meaning continued when her husband was assigned to Ft. Knox, Kentucky.
Typically when you mention Ft. Knox, people think of the Gold Reserve where billions of dollars of gold are stored, but this 23-year-old Army wife ended up finding treasure far more valuable than gold at Ft. Knox.
While pregnant with their second child, she continued to have an unsettling feeling in her soul, so she decided to attend a Bible study. This was something she’d never done before, and there was no logical reason for her to make this choice, but she’d later understand that it was the leading of God’s Spirit.
The small women's Bible study she chose was at the military chapel, and they were studying the book of Romans. Each week, this young wife sat through the study wondering what the other women in the study had that she didn’t have. They had their problems for sure, but there was something different about them.
Sometimes she would go home sad, more unsettled and more aware that something was lacking in her life, but she couldn’t put her finger on what it was.
But the study made her start reading the Bible, and she was amazed at how relevant it was and how many questions it answered about the meaning and purpose of life. Her whole perspective began changing. Later she would understand that this was the beginning of “mind renewal” as described in Romans 12:2.
When
she read God's Word, she felt like scales were falling from her eyes and
she was seeing her sins for the first time. Then one afternoon in the quiet of her bedroom while reading a Christian biography, she repented of her sins and asked Christ to be her Lord and Savior (Romans 10:10). Finally she understood what the other women at her Bible study had. They had a real relationship with Jesus, and now she did too.
One thing that had kept her from accepting Christ in the past was her unanswered questions. She had such an analytical mind. Her husband called it a blessing and a curse because it helped her better understand certain things but drove her crazy when she couldn't fully grasp a difficult truth.
Before accepting Christ, she'd wanted to understand everything about Him, but that wasn't possible. Scripture says we can't even understand His love because it is so great and wonderful that it surpasses human knowledge (Ephesians 3:16-19).
In order to accept Christ, she had to trust God with her unanswered questions, and that's what she did. That's why 1 Corinthians 13:12 became one of her favorite verses:
“For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”
When her daughter was born and her life became busy with two little ones in diapers, she couldn’t wait until their nap time so she could grab her Bible and her journal and spend time with the Lord.
As you've probably already guessed, that young wife was me, and while I’ve had my ups and downs, I’ve never lost my love for God or His Word. Scripture has become my “lifetime lifeline.”
Because I've moved so often during my life (at this point more than 40 times), I don't have the “roots” that many people have in life, and that's one reason Colossians 2:6-7 is so important to me:
“Just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”
I've learned (and continue to learn) that wherever I am, Christ is my home.
Yes, 50 years ago, I found something far better than gold at Ft. Knox, and it has helped me navigate life like nothing else could.
But before I conclude my testimony, don't suppose for a moment that the Lord has made my life easy. Not at all. In fact, in the last 15 years, I've had to deal daily with enormous difficulties and sorrow. I actually began writing Bible Love Notes in 2011 because of great sorrow regarding a family member's choices, and those choices have gotten worse. I knew I needed to stay in God's Word to overcome my sorrow and discouragement, and Bible Love Notes has helped me do that. I guess you could say that it is a ministry to my soul first and foremost, but I'm glad that it is benefiting others as well.
When I published Wisdom for Life in February of 2023, I realized that I couldn't have written it with any depth if I hadn't experienced the hard things in my life. They've taught me more about the love and comfort and wisdom of my Savior than anything else ever could.
And when I published Lies in Disguise in December 2025, I realized that living some of my sorrows had made me more keenly aware of some of the lies that have drawn my loved ones away from Scripture to worldly deceptions. And because I've had friends and family members reject me because of my faith, I've learned that my purpose is to please God, not man.
God doesn't promise us an easy life. In fact, we are living in times when most genuine believers are experiencing persecution and difficulty (2 Timothy 3:12). That's why the Bible Love Notes devotions are focusing more on standing firm, understanding God's truth, and persevering in our world. I need those reminders, and I think you do as well.
We currently have 15,000 subscribers, but we had far more when my subjects were gentler. We believe God has called us to speak to people who want to be challenged and prepared, so we make no apology for those losses. But we do encourage you to tell your like-minded Christian friends about Bible Love Notes and encourage them to sign up for a free subscription. Stay Connected is a good link to send them.
But no matter what happens to us, we have Christ's love and comfort to sustain us and His promises to give us hope.
To offer a bit more background, my husband's salvation followed mine by a few years, and our love and friendship have grown together in the Lord. He is truly my best friend and the head of our home.
Since his retirement from the military, we've done volunteer mission work in Budapest, Hungary, worked with ITEC, a wonderful ministry in Florida, and we've done ministry for military families at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. And, for the past 15 years, we've published Bible Love Notes together. I do the writing, but Michael is an essential part of the ministry.
Tomorrow (7-18-26) when I celebrate my 75th birthday, I will also be celebrating 50 years as a child of God, walking with my Lord and Savior Jesus. He alone can give us joy in the midst of trials. My husband and I recently memorized this verse that Jesus shared when he told his disciples of their future hardships:
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
I love all of my faithful readers in the Lord, and thank you for the encouragement you bring me!!
Love, Gail
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