Hope for the New Year

Welcome back, sweet friends. And if you’re new here—pull up a chair. Truly. This little corner of the internet is meant to feel like a warm exhale: a place to learn, to be encouraged, to ask questions when you’re in doubt, and yes… to request prayer when your heart is heavy.

And since it’s the first post of 2026, let’s set the tone right now: hope lives here. grace lives here. and Jesus is not afraid of your messy middle.

I have to laugh a little as I write this, because every January I’m tempted to become the kind of person who has a color-coded planner, matching highlighters, and a life that runs on schedule. (Seriously, I have tried. My planner and I are in an on-again/off-again relationship.) But if 2025 taught me anything, it’s this:

I make plans. God leads. And His way is the best way—every single time.

“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” (Proverbs 16:9)

Hope for the New Year starts with an open hand, not a tight grip

Going into 2025, I had planned it so wonderfully.

• I moved to a new home.

• I was going to publish two books… (I published one—and we’re calling that a win because it is.)

• I had goals, momentum, and big “Let’s do this!” energy.

  
  

Then mid-January happened. I had a really bad gout attack that lasted into mid-March. Just as I was coming up for air, I received some horrific information—something that threw me into a spiral and dragged old events and feelings right back to the surface. I thought I had dealt with them… but apparently my heart needed deeper healing than I realized.

So I did what I’ve learned to do when life punches me in the throat: I went to the Word of God, and I went to prayer. Not as a cute Christian checkbox. As survival. As breath. As anchoring.

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)

Around that same time, my family was also walking through my mum’s dementia worsening, and we had to find her a nursing home. After several long months, we finally got her settled into her current place, and we’re grateful she’s being cared for.

And then… my own health began to crumble.

By June, I was feeling worse and worse. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t function. Brain fog, fatigue, weight gain—just a slow, steady decline that didn’t make sense. I tried to push through and keep up with work and family commitments (because that’s what so many of us do, right?), until everything came to a crashing halt on Canada Day.

I got a call from my nurse practitioner: my kidneys were failing, and I needed to go to the ER.

I didn’t have the wherewithal to do it. And if you’ve ever sat in a Quebec ER waiting room, you understand the hesitancy. But God—oh, God was so clearly in control—because this young nurse practitioner spent hours on the phone advocating for me: calling the hospital, talking to doctors, arranging appointments. She got me connected with a specialist, and for the next few months, I went back and forth through tests and follow-ups.

In October, I was told my kidney function was up to 45%.

PRAISE GOD!

As I write this today, I’m still not 100%—but I am better, and I am praising and thanking God for what truly feels like a new lease on life. I’m learning to live with a new diagnosis of Hashimoto autoimmune disease, and I’m taking it one day at a time… with gratitude, humility, and more listening than striving.

And in the middle of all of that… we welcomed a beautiful grandbaby—my son’s son.

Proof that joy and pain can share the same calendar year. Proof that God still gives gifts even in hard seasons.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Hope for the New Year isn’t pretending life is easy—it’s trusting God when it’s not

If your 2025 didn’t look like what you planned—if it disappointed you, exhausted you, or humbled you—you’re not alone.

And if you’re walking into 2026 with questions, fear, or uncertainty, hear me clearly: God is not intimidated by your year. He’s not waiting for you to “get it together” before He helps you. He is near. He is kind. He is steady.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6–7)

Here’s what I’m choosing this year: broad plans, open hands, and daily surrender.

Not passive. Not hopeless. Just… yielded.

Because the truth is, we don’t actually control much. But we do know the One who holds it all.

“Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city…’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow… Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will…’” (James 4:13–15)

A place for grace, growth, and prayer

If you’re new here, let me say this plainly: you don’t have to clean yourself up to belong. You don’t have to have perfect faith to be welcome. You don’t have to know all the “right words.”

This space is for:

• the woman rebuilding after heartbreak

• the man trying to walk away from sin

• the tired mama trying to pray between loads of laundry

• the believer who feels strong one day and shaky the next

• the one who needs hope, and doesn’t even know how to ask for it

And yes—if you need prayer, tell me. You can comment (if you’re comfortable) or message me privately through my contact page. I will pray. I mean that.

If you take nothing else from this post, take this:

Hope for the New Year begins when you lean into God—not when your circumstances finally cooperate.

What I’m stepping into in 2026

My prayer is that God gives me strength to keep serving Him through my books, speaking, and teaching—and that I stay sensitive to His voice as He leads.

Some of the plans on my heart right now:

• continuing to help authors bring their books to life

• continuing to write my own books (yes… more than one is in progress)

• continuing to speak and serve where God opens doors

• restarting my revamped podcast: SHE TALKS TRUTH with Ruth Hovsepian

• and whatever else the Lord wants (because I’ve learned: His edits are better than my outlines)

  
  

So welcome to 2026, my friends. Let’s walk it honestly. Let’s walk it prayerfully. And let’s walk it with hope—real hope.

“Fear not, for I am with you… I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you.” (Isaiah 41:10)

If you want, tell me in the comments: What are you carrying into this new year—and what do you need from God most?

And if you’d rather keep it private, send me a note. I’m here.

Who is Ruth Hovsepian

I’m Ruth—Christian speaker, author, and podcast host. I’m also a woman with a story: pastor’s kid → divorce + single mom of three → a secret life → addiction → rock bottom → and then Jesus, who met me in the darkest place and brought me into freedom. I write and speak for the wounded, the rebuilding, and the ones who are ready to believe that grace still applies to them—because I’m one of them.

Keep going with me

• Books: Browse my books

• Podcast: Listen to the podcast

• Speaking: Invite me to speak

• Contact / Prayer request: Send me a message

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