By Mark Maher
“For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?” (Isaiah 43:19) Don’t let what’s behind you, make you miss what’s before you. “Often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.” Helen Keller
In 2024, I was able to retire from a 30 year teaching career. The “new thing” found in this has been availability. I now have the margins in my life to maximize the faith opportunities. I still work for Brad Strunk Farm Bureau insurance Agency and sell auto and home insurance (mmaher1@fbins.mi.com) but my primary focus has been on life insurance. This has allowed me to meet a lot of new people. I am grateful for Ryan Welser, who has been a tremendous mentor and friend.
2024 saw the beginning of a “speak life” podcast. This seed was planted by Valerie years ago, speaking many times that she wanted to do a “Speak Life” podcast. She even did a few of them at the house. She wanted to share her faith and allow others to share their faith. I had an opportunity to do a podcast with a local pastor, John Highstreet, to share our journey of faith. A few days later, Grant Smith, and “Blue Water Healthy Living,” asked if I would like to host a podcast, and because of the seed planted by Valerie, I felt led to continue her seeds of faith and do a “Speak Life” podcast and now there’s a platform for people to share their faith and encourage others in their daily walk. I thank all the guests who’ve already been on the podcast and I look forward to sharing faith with others in the future. Feel free to reach out to me if you would like to share your testimony.
February 24th, 2024, was the close of five years of sharing messages every single day on Facebook. To celebrate this occasion, I wrote about how it has transformed my life. This was the first time where I put my name in my writing or even use the pronouns; I or me, as the first five years, I refrained from putting my story into the writing. But in 2024, on the start of the sixth year, Christ was ready for me to do a new thing. I began to write from the heart, and the words that I’ve been writing the previous five years bled out in the sixth year. This has led to longer writing (sorry some), more in depth, and more messages from the heart. This led to some suggestions that you should write a book.
That seed began to get planted, and throughout 2024 three books; “Forever 46” (in March-April) “Complete The Circle” (May- August) “Faith Fortifies” (Sept-Nov) and now “Hope Sings Out” (Dec- March). Writing these books really began with the seeds of faith planted six years ago. Had no idea I’d be writing books, but will continue to do another three this year.
2024 began a Men’s group at the house. I had never led a Men’s group before. But by faith, we began this in October. We meet at the house from 9 to 10:30 am on Tuesday mornings. This will continue until June. This has been a tremendous opportunity to fellowship and gain close, spiritual friends. Currently God is pressing on my heart to do another one on Thursdays next fall. With retirement became opportunity. Opening up the house is a path I want to continue to walk. Fellowship is a primary objective of our faith. You’re always welcome to attend the men’s group. We must choose to meet together and do it often. We shall see where this all leads, but this year, this was “a new thing.”
This year, I began to attend the “Kingdom Men” on Thursday nights at Colonial Wood. This was a new thing. I’ve enjoyed many lessons and gained fellowship with other men. The group helps me calibrate my faith and learn from other people. Our motto is “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17)
Also attended widow-care this past year. We learned that grieving has no pace, that you must heal before you can move forward, and that we all grieve differently, and to allow grace. She taught me to be easy on myself. That there’s a lot of layers to grief and it’s a lot of uncertainty and there’s a lot of unpacking that we must do and that it takes time. I have great respect for someone that leads grief counseling. I respect that they follow Christ’s prompting to come alongside other people who are hurting and who are right in the middle of grief, which is a very raw time.
This year I either led or participated in little faith groups. We use the devotions out of the books that I’ve written. We share for about an hour. We grow in our fellowship and as we are called to meet people face-to-face. “Let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another.” (Hebrews 10:25)
This year I’ve met so many new people. I’ve been able to meet with people in coffee shops and restaurants throughout the day. This has been a new thing. I met such great faith filled people. I never anticipated this as I’ve been searching for faith-filled friends and mentors over the past five or six years. This has been a breakout year as God’s been sending them often this year. Fellowship is now a cornerstone of my faith. “I thank God through Jesus for every one of you. That’s first. People everywhere keep telling me about your lives of faith, and every time I hear them, I thank him. I so want to be there to deliver God’s gift in person and watch you grow stronger right before my eyes! But don’t think I’m not expecting to get something out of this, too! You have as much to give me as I do to you.” (Romans 1:8,12)
This year I began speaking at four or five different churches. This has been a new thing. I’ve never spoken at a church before. It began when a friend asked me to speak at his church. This has then led to others asking for me to speak at their church. This has been a little out of my comfort zone, but I will not miss the opportunity to share my faith. (1 Corinthians 9:16)
So 2025, I have no idea what you have in store but I trust you. I won’t even try to guess or limit you. I know you can go above anything I can “ask, think or imagine.” (Ephesians 3:20) 2024 has proven to me that God is always “doing a new thing” (Isaiah 43:19) and we can’t anticipate or know what may happen each day, and I love not knowing because I trust him so much.
Always hopeful that life will be struggle free, but you never know when adversity can strike you out of the blue, so always prepare for the trial you’re not yet in. I know life doesn’t have to be perfect and that we can do hard things. The key to it all is staying “strongly connected to the vine.” (John 15:1-8)
So now you know why I preach Isaiah 43:19 “For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?” That “this” always leads to “that.” And that we must always “walk by faith and not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7) “Never quench the spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19) and let God lead.
2025 and beyond
The seeds that I feel in my heart from God that I’d like to do in the future are to come alongside people that are in hospice care and those that are dealing with a dire cancer diagnosis. To maybe lead a grief share group. To make home visits and spend time with the elderly, who may not be able to leave the house as much. But my primary objective is to raise four growing independent teenage children. They are their own people, but I hope to always be able to come alongside them in their faith walk and in their journey through life.
