Category: The Lighter Walk

Fanning the Flames of Hope and Love in the Darkness

Post author By Maggie Marcum
Post date January 9, 2026
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I met with a small group of action-minded, concerned people recently. I listened as we went around the room and each shared their sadness, and their anger, over what’s been happening in our nation since the beginning of the new year. As each spoke about our shared grief over military violence in other countries, and in our own streets here in America, each had an undercurrent of hope and love.

That’s what faith does to us. Faith doesn’t say ignore the wrongs in the world. Faith is praying and seeking the face of God, and then acting according to his will. Faith says we have hope in a higher power to shine the light into the darkness we live. Faith says “Here I am Lord,” and means it.

I was also reminded that action in the dark times means different things to different people. Just as each of us who follow Jesus are given different gifts to share and to serve one another as a way to bring the love of Jesus to the world; each of us may be called into action in different ways in this dark time of our nation.

Start on your knees, or whatever your prayer posture is. Soak in the love of Jesus. Sit in the deep love of the Creator. Invite the Holy Spirit to fill you with wisdom and knowledge about what you are to do next. Are you called to be the prayer warrior? Are you called to be the protester on the street? Are you called to be a human barrier protecting the disadvantaged? Are you called to bring food to those afraid to leave their homes? Are you called to clap back against racism and negative comments about fellow citizens?

Answer the call.

Jesus spoke clearly about how God views the way we treat our fellow humans: “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭25‬:‭45‬ ‭NRSVUE‬‬

Th‬‬e same as true in what we do to one another. Are we looking for the face of God in every person? If we are to truly believe that each person is made in the image of God and loved by that same God, who are we to degrade them? Who are we to treat them as less than human? Who are we to disobey the Word of the Lord? And who are we if we fail to love and care for them and to protect them as we would want to be loved and protected? Are we showing the face of a loving God to them?

It breaks our heart when we see professing Christian treat each other in such inhumane ways. It tears us apart when we see a history of violence against one type of person, or one type of religion, that isn’t like ours. It overwhelms us to think that we are on the brink of repeating the cruelty of power-hungry violet leaders in our recent past. We weep for one another and with each other.

And in our weeping, we still have hope. In our weeping, we come to the Lord, confessing our own inadequacies and ungodly thoughts. We come to the Lord seeking forgiveness and restoration. We come to the Lord seeking love and compassion. We fill up all the cracks in our heart with love and compassion, and then we move forward with that same compassion.

Take the light into darkness today. Keep the light of hope lit. Be that light for someone today.

Tags Holy Spirit, God's will, purpose, psalm, Jesus, faith, hope, darkness and light, Chrisitan behavior, lighter walk, social injustice, love like jesus

Living Loving Serving The Lighter Walk

Epiphany: When Light Breaks Through in Love and Hope

Post author By Maggie Marcum
Post date January 6, 2026
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Today is January 6 – the traditional date when Christians celebrate the Feast of Epiphany. There are many traditions and interpretations surrounding this day on the Christian calendar. Epiphany is seen as a holy day of remembrance of the Wise Men’s visit to Jesus, often commemorated by attending church services. Many celebrate it as the last day of the 12 days of Christmas with a Christmas-like celebration of gift giving—similar to the gifts given by the Magi. For some it just signals the date to start taking down Christmas decorations.

Unfortunately, January 6 also has a new meaning in American history. It was a day of violence in our capitol. It was a day of turmoil. It was a sad day in American history. A day that should represent love and hope will forever be remembered in tandem with a day of hatred and violence.

We have a choice today. We who follow Jesus can spend our time rehashing that day, and what it meant for our political system. We can use today as a flashpoint for more anger; whether we believe the actions were righteous of whether we believe the actions were those of insurgents. We can spend our time wrapped in darkness or we can look upward to the light in love for that which is Jesus.

Epiphany is an invitation to encounter the illumination of God in our lives. The path of the wisemen led them to the Christ. It led them to the leader of love and peace. This too can be our path today.

In his Epiphany sermon this past Sunday, Rev. Bill Haley spoke about the darkness in which Jesus was born. A world of hate spread by their leader, Herod. It was into this world that God chose to send a bright light: The true light was coming into the world.”(Jn 1.9). Bill reminded us that “There is Epiphany’s second invitation. The first one is See It. The second one is Be It. Be a child of light.”

This past Sunday, Pastor Gina Anderson-Cloud said because of Jesus, we can “make a difference in our world.“ How can we be the light in the darkness today? How can we follow that light above and help illuminate the world with the love of Jesus? How can we bring hope to the hopeless?

I found recently that as I look deeper into the scriptures and revel in the way in which God loved us so much that he first created us in his image, and when we failed, he sent his son in our image to demonstrate love we could relate to in human form. Jesus came not just to forgive our sins and bring salvation for our souls, he came to model how to love like the God in whose image we are created.

I encourage you to find a community where they are all about the love of Jesus in action. Find a place where you feel the hope of the Holy Spirit to transform lives and to bring the wholeness of a God whose immeasurable love lights the way. Find a place where you can love and serve others and bring the light to them. Be God’s light and gift to others this Epiphany. Allow God’s love to shine through you that lives may be transformed and set free to love others.

“I will brighten the darkness before them and smooth out the road ahead of them. Yes, I will indeed do these things; I will not forsake them.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭42‬:‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Tags community, Epiphany, Holy Spirit, hope, image of God, january 6, Jesus, light, love, path, serving others

The Lighter Walk

Returning to Hope this Year

Post author By Maggie Marcum
Post date January 1, 2026
1 Comment on Returning to Hope this Year

Reading the lectionary for this past Sunday I kept returning to the words in John 1:

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.”

Such a gift of hope we have been given.

I know many of my friends feel as if they have been walking in darkness the past year. It has been a troubling year for many reasons. Some political. Some personal. Some beyond our control and some of our own making.

Darkness can feel so overwhelming. For some it is blanketed in a shame that you can’t seem to see beyond current circumstances. In the darkness, it can be difficult to find hope. And yet it is hope that brings us out of the darkness. It is hope that shines a light on our circumstances and gives us the strength to take that next step forward.

I am obsessed with the sunrise. There is something so incredibly life-giving to me to watch the sun rise as it pushes out the darkness out of the night. Some mornings, the skies are bright and colorful, other days the sun can barely break through the cloud of haze. And yet each morning I get up in time to see that sunrise. Mornings when I sleep in and miss it, I feel like I have missed the best part of my day. It is as if I have missed the renewal of life.

Equally so, sunset with its bright colors reminds me that as we go into the dark of the night, God is still present with us. The slow setting of the sun helps us let go of the day. Maybe that day was full of joy, or maybe that day was full of despair. Maybe we feel we did all the good things that day and maybe we feel the weight of the ways in which we wish we had acted better. And so in the sunset, I find myself letting it go and asking God to forgive me as we walk into the dark of the night, together.

Stepping into the new year, I want to focus on the light that shines even in the midst of darkness. I want to focus on hope and how to bring that hope to others. I don’t want to lose sight of trusting in God. I don’t want to forget to breathe in the Holy Spirit and let her guide me. I don’t want to forget the love that Jesus showed us and commanded us to give to one another. I want to focus on those things instead of the darkness.

We have the power to bring darkness or light into our world through our beliefs and actions. We can either tear down someone or lift them up. We can see only disagreement or we can find common ground. We can wallow in despair over current events or we can take steps to change things for the better. We can bring the light of Jesus’ love…or disregard his purpose for coming to earth as a person to teach us love and goodness and give all hope.

So I encourage you in this new year to have a new season of light. Find people who are seeking to bring light into the darkness and partner with them. Find a program that inspires you and brings you joy, and then share that joy with others. Let the light of the Lord be the light that others see as you let go of the darkness. It isn’t going anywhere, unless you bring light into it. We can sit in despair and darkness and moaning; or we can move towards the light and hope that Jesus brought to us. Let that not go to waste in our day. Let us choose light for ourselves and others.

Tags 2026, faith, hope, kindness, light, lighter walk, love, prayer, purpose

friendship The Lighter Walk

The Value of Friendship

There was a time in my life that I thought I would never have girlfriends. My childhood abuse twisted my thinking and I had mostly guy “friends.” I just didn’t know how to be friends with a woman.

Thanks to years of therapy and some incredible women who helped me heal from the trauma in my life- that all turned around in my late 40s. It was partly tied to being a mom and meeting other moms. But mostly, it was a change in my needs from needing a man to notice me, to having someone I could have an authentic life-sharing relationship with.

I have four life-long friends. We live in scattered parts of America and don’t have the day-to-day relationship we wish we did. I’m so thankful we were childhood friends. It reminds me that God places people in our lives when we need them, and boy did we need each other growing up! We trusted each other as teenagers do, with most of our inner secrets.

When I had my daughter, and took some time to deal with the childhood wounds, I had one friend who stood by me through all my emotional ups and downs. Who knew when we met as school-moms that we would be blessed to become such true friends. I met another sweet woman when my husband was in a major accident, who thought me to lean on a woman and trust them to walk with me. I also had the gift of a sister who protected me when I was young, and still walks through all the good, and not so good, moments of my life. It is a gift to share their moments with them and to navigate the waters of life together.

I have come to value and appreciate girlfriends in a way I never knew would be possible. Sadly, I have also found that women and friendships can fade away or be torn apart with no apparent reason. And I have found that when a friendship suddenly ends, it is as painful, if not more, as a broken love relationship. For me, I’m left questioning everything I did over our years of journeying together, trying to find that one moment where things broke down in hopes I can repair and restore our relationship.

I believe we each carry some bit of wounding from our past. When that wounding isn’t healed (and sometimes even when it is) and something subconsciously reminds us of it, we tend to flee to avoid further pain. We may fire up and fight against the perceived infliction of further injury- or we just shut down, unable to process or articulate what has occurred. I know that has been true for me.

Sadly, those reactions usually end a relationship over what could be a misspoken word, an unintentional action, or lack of knowledge of one’s sensitivity. We as women can far too quickly internalize an offense and turn on one another, destroying a valuable relationship.

Why are we willing to shatter something that is such a gift to have? Why would we so easily give away a deep sense of being known by another person? Why would we not trust each other with this kind of personal wounding when we have already shared so much? What makes us stop short when we need to say: “What you said/did hurt me.”

I sit today grieving over another broken relationship that I don’t know how to mend. It isn’t the first time I have had to question myself and my behavior, searching to understand my error. I wish I could restore the friendships that faded away or abruptly ended; however, I know that may never happen. That adds to my sorrow.

I hope I can learn from this. I hope I can let God heal my new wound. I pray he would intervene and bring restoration in our broken friendships. I pray for each of us, that we would see each new handshake and introduction as an opportunity to build a new friendship. I know we are made to be in relationship and I won’t give that up. I am willing to take the risk again. I hope you too will find resolution in broken relationships and either rebuild them or learn and move forward into the next one.

Today, I am thankful for all the relationships I have had. I am grateful for the times we shared, even if they ended. And I appreciate the new relationships God continues to lead me toward and hopeful that they can become good lasting friendships too.

Tags change, forgiveness, friendship, relationship, relationships, women

The Lighter Walk

Beginning with Peace

We get to chose how we live our lives. As peace-givers or hate-makers. Do we strive to bring “Shalom” in our interactions with others? Or are we ready to battle for our own opinions- no matter the hurt they may cause?

The Bible Project defines the “Hebrew word for peace is shalom, and it describes a deep sense of well-being that comes through the presence of completion, reconciliation, and justice.” Three ways in which we can bring a sense of completeness to our relationship, rather than cracks and brokenness. Sometimes it means we must take steps to restore the brokenness.

Peace then requires us to set aside ourselves and to listen to others. It involves a willingness to bridge the divide and create a new wholeness in the relationship. And that is hard…on our own. Jesus came to teach and bring restoration to a broken world. He came first to restore our relationship with God the father, and he left the Holy Spirit to guide us in the restoration of other broken relationships.

I realize I can’t be a peace-maker if I am not feeding my heart and soul with the good words of my faith. I can’t begin to step into a broken world without praying and coming into agreement with the Lord that Shalom matters. I can’t do it without inviting the Holy Spirit to speak to me. I have to be willing to invest in my spiritual growth if I ever want to get to a place of wholeness for myself and in relationships with others.

Tags advent, faith, Holy Spirit, Jesus, morning prayer, peace, personal development, pray, prayer room, shalom

The Lighter Walk Transformation Stories

Making God the Main Thing

Post author By Maggie Marcum
Post date August 19, 2020
No Comments on Making God the Main Thing

My life today is nothing compared to what it was even five years ago, let alone 30 years ago when I began my Christian journey. God planted a seed of change; however, it took almost 20 years to stop living according to my rules and listen to his desires for me.

The Lighter Walk

Walking Out Depression

It has been hard to get out of the house and I finally had to admit that I have been struggling with depression. I knew something was off when I no longer had interest in the things that delight me–mostly being around other people and taking those walks that I had committed to for this blog.

I know what depression feels like. I have experienced it before. I know many of you have too, or someone close to you has. For me,

Depression isn’t just feeling a bit down. It is feeling like no matter what you do you can’t get up.
Depression isn’t just feeling grief after the loss of a loved one. It is feeling as if life will never be whole again, and you don’t care. You just don’t care.
Depression isn’t being tired and staying in bed. It is wanting desperately to get up and yet the best you can do is make it to the bathroom and back to your bed.
Depression isn’t just skipping events to which you committed to attending. It is wanting so much to see people and yet being so sad that you can’t imagine getting dressed and putting on your happy face.
Depression isn’t about feeing sad and overly emotional. It is sitting on the edge of the bed and crying and you don’t know why because all you did was wake up.

It can take some courage to recognize the symptoms and ask for help. Unlike other illnesses, there is a conflict between shame and pride associated with depression. Sometimes well meaning friends try to cheer you up and get you past a down period. Religious leaders are often ill-equipped to diagnose or treat depression. And the communities in which we live frequently don’t have the patience to support someone with a ‘hidden’ illness. And more often, our pride stops us from sharing with others that we are living with depression, even if we are undergoing counseling or taking medication.

My life is better this week. I have the support of my closest friends and family. I’m doing what I need to get better and each day I feel a little more like myself. And I finally got out the door and into nature. I have to take the steps back to normal living and make the most of my treatment plan to find my center again.

Lewinsville House, **1659 Chain Bridge Rd., McLean, VA**

I was amazed by the simple beauty of the world just a mile away from my home. I found a touch of God out there as I walked with a friend and our dog. I found that my inner spirit was renewed in the midst of God’s creation.

I walked in gardens planted and felt a new being breaking through. The bright colors of flowers coming into bloom. The promise of second chances and renewed life.

Take the walk. Let the wonder of the world open your heart and lighten your journey into healing.

Sit. Rest. Be.

If you think something might not be quite right in our life, I encourage you to seek professional help–start with your family physician. Let people close to you know that you are grappling with depression so they can encourage you and walk in your recovery journey. Be brave enough to ask for prayer and to seek out spiritual healing and direction.

And remember to keep walking. One foot in front of the other. Out the door. Down the street. Around and over the rocky parts. Into the garden of new life.

Walking with the Light,

Maggie

Tags blog, depression, Fairfax Parks, healing prayer, Lewinsville House, Lewinsville Park, life, lighter walk, McLean, nature walk, prayer, recovery, spiritual direction, sports, VA

The Lighter Walk

Where the Light Shines

Do we dare to search?

Do we dare to seek?

Will we break the bond?

Will they understand?

Does it matter?

Shine the light.

Lead the way.

Follow the path.

Move forward.

Trust.

Where the light shines.

Copyright Maggie Marcum

Tags change, enlighten, faith, fear, God's will, lighthouse, path, poem, poetry, seek and you shall find, trust

The Lighter Walk

Friendship Walk

It has taken me a long time to have a friendship with God. We were more the ‘casual acquaintance’ type for many years. Oh sure, we had our moments of closeness when I cried out in despair for help, not fully expecting to receive any help. And there were those ‘ah ha’ moments on spiritual retreats when I got all caught up in emotions of the worship and the message.

Real friendship was another thing. I still remember walking to communion one Sunday as the band played a song about Jesus being my friend and I realized that I didn’t feel that way. It broke my heart that others could know him that way but I didn’t. I mean I have been a Christian all my life so how could I not feel Jesus was my friend? Friendship implies a close relationship, a sharing of secrets, a deliberate presence in each other’s lives, and time spent together through all the good and bad times.

Wasn’t that Jesus?

Tags Bible stories, Christian, friend in Jesus, friendship, God's love, God's will, lighter walk, relationships, The Meadows, transformation, walking, walking with Jesus

The Lighter Walk

Pre-Dawn Walking

It wasn’t my plan to be outside walking before the sun came up this morning. However, with the dog whining and the daughter already off to work, up I was. And what a wonderful delight I found outside.

It was still quiet. Early enough that people were not out and about and late enough that I could see the lights turning on in the neighborhood. As Olie led me down the pathway I could feel the unfamiliar silence in the complex. The wind was lightly blowing, the grass slightly wet, and the crescent of the moon was still visable. In the distance I could see a glimmer of the new day dawning as I stood on the sidewalk looking skyward.

Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning. Psalm 30

I found myself thinking that if I had stayed in bed even a few minutes longer I would have missed all this. I would have missed the crisp air bringing my skin to life. I would have missed the simple walk that brought light into my day. If I had focused only on me instead of the needs of a four-legged friend who depends on me, I would have missed the best blessing of the day.

How often do we hesitate to step out of our comfort zone for the good of another? How often to do pull the covers up and say “someone will tend to it.” How often do we miss the joy that God will send our way when we look beyond self and love and care for others in the world around us?

I visited the Lamb Center in Fairfax, Virginia yesterday. What an amazing place. It is a small facility that is making a huge change in the lives of the homeless, and in the lives of the volunteers. Here visitors are given a hot meal and a place to socialize. Here they can find someone to pray with them and attend recovery meetings if needed. They can get a hot shower and have their clothes laundered while they look for a job or talk to someone about government services. They can meet with a nurse practitioner or a dentist. And they are so loved and respected in this simple place.

You see people who are willing to step out are blessing others and receiving a blessing in return. They don’t do it for the return benefit – they do it because God has placed a love for the less fortunate on their heart. Here people don’t have the luxury of a bed let alone the covers to pull up to hide under. Here people have said ‘yes’ in a big way–one person at a time.

Start your day early. Look beyond the normal. See where God would love to use you. Maybe it is the homeless, maybe young children, maybe the disabled, or maybe just the neighbor next door. Look up and see the wonder of this world and see what you can do to lighten the walk of another.

God bless you on your walk.

“Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you.” Psalm 143

Tags charity, dawn, dog walking, helping others, homeless, lighter walks, moon, morning walk, puppy day, The Lamb Center