Scripture Reading · Truth Treasures

Truth Treasures – January 2026

Stephanie O'Donnell

Welcome to Truth Treasures,, a monthly post where I feature goodness from around the web which I hope will be helpful to you, as well as some personal tidbits, and other treasures. I pray you will be blessed and God will be glorified. Feel free to pass it along!

Happy New Year! 🥳

Authentic Ideation & Actual Imagination are the only AI you will find here

It seems a strange thing that I should have to tell you this, dear reader, but we live in a strange world that promises to get even stranger.

I wanted you to know that the words you read here are real words. They come from my heart, from real experiences and observations I’ve made as I live in this world, and from studying God’s Word. They come from praying and learning and much practice, and they seem to be a gift the Lord has chosen to give me. Call me old-fashioned, but I write my first drafts in a notebook (I got lots of pretty notebooks for Christmas!) with a pencil. I then type the draft and conduct the hard work of manual editing (edit-revise-edit-revise) to prepare that draft for this space, and hopefully for your reading pleasure.

The photographs you see on this site are all my own images taken with either my phone or DSLR camera (my big-girl camera). The images captured are of authentic beauty I discover in my backyard, neighborhood (field and forest), or of somewhere I’ve actually travelled to and experienced. My images are only slightly edited by my own hand-controlled mouse using the limited knowledge I have of my editing software.

It’s basic, but it’s real. And I wanted you to know that.

I do hope you’ll continue reading in this space in 2026. Feel free to leave a comment, or drop me an email. I’d love to hear from you! Also, please feel free to share anything you read here on your social media, or pass along to someone who you think may be encouraged. I look forward to growing along with you in the new year!

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Rom. 12:2

I took this real image with my real phone from an actual moving car (which I wasn’t driving). I was drawn to the deep contrasts of the shadows against the vibrant sunset. The frozen windmills (though they were moving) and blurred trees (though they were still) remind me of the passing of time which seems to simultaneously stand still and race by. A fitting image for the dawn of a new year.

Reading Nook:

Audiobook

  • The Pharisee’s Wife – Janette Oke. I listened to this historical fiction book as I drove the 1,000 km trek in a snowstorm to visit family last month. It was a pleasant distraction for a stressful drive.

On my nightstand:

A Sermon

2025 Highlights from the Blog:

In case you missed them, here are the three most read posts of 2025 from this blog:

Around the Web:

Take Up and Read:

Here is a link to the two plans mentioned in the podcast:

Life Through My {Camera} Lens:

Bible study is a lot like photography. Scripture, like nature, is often understated so it’s easy, in our haste, to pass by nuggets of gold as we seek for mountains of vast treasure.
When we pause to think deeper by asking questions and observing connections, we are enabled to see and understand truths hidden to the undiscerning passerby.
Approaching the text from different angles by looking at the Scripture references noted in most Bibles, studying the context and understanding the meaning intended by the writer (a good study Bible helps with this), brings new life to an otherwise ordinary text.
We’re not inventing new meaning to the Scriptures when we do this properly, we are simply looking at the text from various angles, from close up and far away, and asking the Spirit to teach us and help us to see wondrous things in God’s Word. We’re peering deeper into what’s there, learning more about our subject – in Scripture’s case, Jesus Christ.
As we slow down this way in our study, as in photography, we shall see as we haven’t before.
Stepping back for a landscape view allows us to take in the whole scene and discover how everything is connected. Either way, as we consistently open our Bibles, we shall see Christ exalted. We shall know Him more, love Him more, and worship Him as we ought.

A Favorite Quote:

Thank you for spending time here! Feel free to say ‘Hi’ in the comments and let me know you were here! Happy New Year,

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Published by Stephanie O'Donnell

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