t started with a simple conversation.

My daughter was preparing a short talk for a teen ladies retreat. Another young lady had been assigned strength, and my daughter had endurance.

At first, I thought they were so closely connected that separating them might be difficult.

The more we talked, the more I realized I had spent most of my life putting them in the same category.

Be strong.

Stay strong.

Find your strength.

We hear those words all the time.

But I am starting to understand that strength and endurance are not the same thing.

Dear Readers,

I’ve been thinking a lot about strength lately. It came up while helping my daughter prepare for a retreat talk, and it got me reflecting on my own life. Strength and endurance are connected, but they are not the same thing.

Strength shows up in a moment. It’s the courage you find when life hits fast, a tough conversation, a decision you’ve been avoiding, or just keeping it together when everything feels overwhelming. Strength helps you stand.

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13 KJV). I lean on that verse when I need help right then, not tomorrow or next week, but in that very moment. That is what strength looks like.

Endurance is