Category: Personal Reflection

Forgiveness Through Tears

September 25, 2025 0

When I heard Erika Kirk’s statement of forgiveness, spoken in the shadow of her husband’s assassination, I was struck silent except for tears. Her words carried a weight I cannot imagine bearing—the weight of losing the one dearest to her, and yet choosing not to let bitterness be her companion. She drew strength from the…

By John Rains

A Different Kind of Adventure

September 7, 2025 0

There was a time when adventure meant motion. With my first wife, it was road trips across the United States and days spent water skiing. With my second wife, it was sailing into Chesapeake Bay, taking to the water in our 25-foot O’Day, and bareboat charters across the Caribbean. Adventure then was about new places,…

By John Rains

When Respect is Lost

August 11, 2025 0

Sometimes, what starts as a good moment can change in an instant. A single choice, a careless allowance, or an unguarded action can reveal more than a thousand words ever could. I’ve learned that disappointment often comes when you’ve hoped for respect but are met with the opposite. There are people who, rather than build…

By John Rains

Not Afraid of Dying

August 7, 2025 0

“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”— Philippians 1:6 I’m not afraid of dying.I’ve made my peace with the end of this earthly journey. I trust where I’m going and Who’s waiting for me there. But I do wrestle with what I…

By John Rains

Still Here. Still Loving. Still His.

July 9, 2025 0

I’ve gone back and forth about whether to share this. I’m not one to put personal things out there lightly—especially when they carry weight. But I’ve learned that silence can sometimes leave people guessing, and that honesty, even when it’s uncomfortable, has a way of helping others feel less alone. This isn’t easy for me…

By John Rains

Finding Patterns That Don’t Define Me

July 8, 2025 0

I’ve never put much stock in numerology. It always seemed a little too much like horoscopes—vague, flexible, and conveniently flattering. Still, I’ve found myself occasionally raising an eyebrow at the strange little patterns that trail through my life like breadcrumbs. The street number of our first house was 23. The next one was 41. I…

By John Rains