As the holidays draw near, I feel a stirring deep within my soul — not merely for the glow of Christmas lights or the aroma of pumpkin pie wafting from the oven, but for something far more profound.

Gratitude.

Reflection.

Hope.

And perhaps, a quiet call for peace in a world once again at odds with itself.

Everywhere we turn, the world seems louder — not with carols or laughter, but with anger. Streets fill with protests, newsfeeds overflow with hostility, and the cries of “death to Christians and government officials” echo through the digital halls of our day. Division seeps like a shadow into every conversation, every family table, every weary heart.

It’s in moments like these that my heart turns back to one of the most soul-stirring poems ever written in a time of despair: “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” penned by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Longfellow wrote those timeless lines amid the heartbreak of the American Civil War — a nation torn in two, families divided, and his own life marked by unbearable loss. His beloved wife had perished in a fire, and his son lay wounded on the battlefield. Yet, through the smoke and sorrow, he heard something greater than grief:

the sound of hope ringing through despair.

“Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;

The Wrong shall fail, the Right prevail,

With peace on earth, good will to men.”

Those words still echo through the centuries — a melody of faith that refuses to be silenced by the clamor of war or the chaos of our age.

As Thanksgiving approaches, I invite you to join me in a new series — a journey through Longfellow’s poem, verse by verse, as we uncover the courage, conviction, and divine hope that carried our forefathers through one of the darkest chapters of American history.

Together, we’ll explore what it means to be thankful not because life is easy, but because faith endures. We’ll remember that gratitude is not born in comfort — it is forged in trial, kindled by endurance, and sustained by the unshakable belief that light will always overcome darkness.

In a time when hatred and rebellion echo once more across our land, may we pause to give thanks — not only for what we have, but for what we’ve been spared. May we remember the lessons of those who lived, fought, and prayed to keep this nation united. And above all, may we lift our eyes to the One who reigns sovereign above every power, every nation, and every human plan.

“Till ringing, singing on its way,

The world revolved from night to day —

A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,

Of peace on earth, good will to men.”

🌟 A Season for Gratitude and Giving

This Thanksgiving, may these reflections draw your heart nearer to faith, peace, and purpose. If this series encourages you — if it rekindles hope or renews gratitude — I invite you to partner with me in sharing that light.

☕ You can Buy Me a Coffee to help me continue creating heartfelt series like this — stories that weave together history, Scripture, and hope to remind the world that even in chaos, the bells of truth still ring.

Your support fuels the mission to tell stories that lift hearts, strengthen faith, and remind us all that God is not dead, nor doth He sleep.

🔔 Let the bells ring on.