Built to Weather Life’s Storms

The Power of a Firm Foundation

“A successful person is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him”- David Brinkley

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Happy Sunday, Cousin…

We’re back for another Sunday reflection, straight from the pulpit of our second chat of 2025. Feels good, doesn’t it? Being consistent with this writing thing. Today, we’ll be chatting about firm foundations.

What is a firm foundation?

A firm foundation is defined as something that is strong and unlikely to be removed or ended.

Since the start of this year, I’ve been intentional about making sure my foundation is as solid as a rock. I’ve been putting in the work, building my mornings with intention. I wake up early, around 5:30 AM, so I can sit with God without rushing. Every day looks a little different, but the result is always the same:

I am solidifying the ground of my foundation.

Some mornings, you’ll find me in total silence because, let’s be honest, how can I hear anything if I’m the one doing all the talking? Other days it’s prayer. Some days it’s reading a devotional. There are mornings when I soak up scripture, and then there are days when I let a gospel playlist fill the space. On the days when my body begs for more rest, it’s YouTube prayers filling my home while I get ready for work. No matter what it looks like, God’s words are alive and flowing in my atmosphere.

Last week, as part of curing the concrete of my foundation, I found myself mediating on Matthew 7:24-27.

The message was so clear, so simple. Listen to God’s teachings and follow them—you’ll become like a wise person who builds their house on solid rock.

Foundations are the bones of our homes.

and just like weak bones can destroy a strong body, a shaky foundation can bring down a whole house. Matthew 7 goes on to say that when the storms come—the rain, the floods, the winds—if your house is built on a solid foundation, it won’t collapse. It’ll stand firm.

What are you doing each day to ensure your life is standing firm when the storms inevitably come?

Now, I live in Florida-home of hurricanes. It’s absolutely essential for the foundation of my home to be strong enough to withstand the brutal forces of a storm. Back in October 2018, when Hurricane Michael a Category 5 hit Florida, I saw just how important that was. Because my spiritual foundation was solid, I heard a whisper in the wind telling me to evacuate before the storm even made landfall.

When your foundation is strong, wind becomes helpful not harmful.

If you’re from Florida, you know- we don’t run from storms. Storms are a time to prepare & rest. Work gets canceled, and it’s just you and the weather—watching and waiting to see what happens. But this wind was like a whisper, telling me something different. It told me to pack for three days and to take my family with me. As I packed, I called my mom, told her to prepare my brothers, and that they were welcome to come with me—but they needed to be at my house by 5 PM. We were going to be evacuated before the storm traffic.

We made our way to Orlando, our calm away from the chaos. That night, we watched Hurricane Michael tear through my hometown. Homes were destroyed. Trees were ripped from the ground like they were nothing more than carpets. Power lines were down across major highways, making it impossible to return for three days after the storm passed. (Remember that wind whispering about packing for three days?)

When we finally got back home, my street was unrecognizable. Homes on my block were mere slabs of concrete. But then, there was mine. Still standing tall. My foundation had held strong, like the anchor that held Peter’s boat steady when the storm raged in the middle of the sea. I couldn’t help but smile as I walked through my house, noticing how my wine glasses and coffee mugs were still hanging on the walls, as if 120 mph winds never came near them. My home—unlike my mother’s—was secured.

A strong foundation doesn’t stop storms from coming. It doesn’t prevent the floods, the winds, or the rain. It secures you in the midst of it all.

What’s your foundation built on?

If you’re unsure of the steps to take securing your foundation watch this 4 minute TedTalk on Building a Firm Foundation in Christ.

Let’s keep building our foundation one day at a time, on the Rock that never moves.

With love and strength,

Candice