When Plans Meet Purpose
JOURNAL ENTRY #34
FRIDAY, JULY 17, 2026
I’m a little late tonight, but again… that’s okay.
The exciting news is that both vision boards are finally hanging!
I wasn’t able to hang them the way I originally planned. Electrical wiring happened to run right where I had carefully measured and marked my nail placement, and, of course, the wall studs weren’t where I needed them to be to keep everything perfectly centered. Such is the adventure of working with an old home.
For now, the two frames are butted right up against each other, making them look like one continuous piece instead of two separate boards. Ironically, if I had gone ahead with my original idea of building one long frame, it would have looked almost exactly like this. Funny how things worked out.
The frames themselves are only temporary. Someday, I’d love to replace them with beautiful antique gold frames that better reflect the character and history of The Union House of Hogarth. Their placement is temporary, too, but that’s perfectly okay.
What matters most is that they’re up.
Now I can finally begin work on the “Live By” Series — A Journey in Seven Parts, and I couldn’t be more excited.
Sometimes progress doesn’t arrive looking the way we imagined. Sometimes it comes dressed in temporary solutions that quietly carry us forward until the next chapter is ready.
And for today, that’s more than enough.
Finding Beauty in the Everyday.
“Til next time…
LHogarth
Created to Shine
JOURNAL ENTRY #33
THURSDAY, JULY 16, 2026
This evening, I’d simply like to leave you with a reminder.
Every sunrise is a new beginning — a gentle reminder that you’ve been given another opportunity to create, to grow, to love, and to shine.
Your journey is uniquely yours. Your gifts have purpose. Your presence makes a difference in ways you may never fully realize.
Embrace today with an open heart and a fearless spirit. Chase the dreams that have been placed within you. Share your light generously, and trust that even when the path isn’t always clear, hope is leading you forward.
You are capable.
You are strong.
You were created to shine.
And perhaps most importantly, never lose sight of the Wonderful World Tomorrow that waits just beyond today’s horizon.
Until next time…
Finding Beauty in the Everyday.
— LHogarth
The Mystery at the Window
JOURNAL ENTRY #32
WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2026
This evening’s journal entry is a bit shorter, but that’s perfectly okay. Sometimes the smallest moments leave the biggest smiles.
For the past two evenings, Jim and I have been hearing a mysterious sound right outside our bedroom window after we’ve settled in for the night. Whatever it was, it would suddently hit the window at he head of our bed with enough force that we knew it had wings.
The first night, Jim wasn’t able to spot anything outside. Then, the very next evening, it happened again.
We ruled out a few possibilities. I couldn’t imagine it being a bird flying around in the dark, although stranger things have happened. At the time, our bedroom was the only room in the house with a light on, so I mentioned to Jim that maybe it was a Luna moth. They are certainly large enough to make that kind of sound against a window, although I wondered if it might be a little late in the season.
I didn’t think it was our barred owl, whom I still haven’t actually seen despite hearing him from time to time. It didn’t seem likely to be a bat either, since it was well past dusk when they normally begin flying about.
Then came tonight.
As I headed upstairs to turn in for the evening, there it was — perched quietly on the outside of the window at the top of the stairs.
A beautiful Luna moth.
It seemed perfectly content, enjoying the warm glow from the landing light.
I couldn’t help but smile.
I called it.
Mystery solved.
“Til next time…
Finding Beauty in the Everyday
— LHogarth
The Little Wren’s Lesson
JOURNAL ENTRY #31
TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2026
Just a few weeks ago, I shared a dream that has stayed with me.
In that dream, there was a little wren.
At the time, I wasn’t sure why that tiny bird stood out so clearly. I simply tucked the dream away in my heart, wondering if one day I might understand it a little better.
Since then, something unexpected has happened.
The other day, a pair of little Carolina wrens seemed to find me and greeted me from the backyard of The Union House of Hogarth as I quietly and excitedly watched them through the windowpane. Whether it was coincidence or simply that I’m noticing them more now, they’ve become a gentle reminder to slow down and pay attention.
Then I remembered something from that dream.
One of the little wrens had led my eyes to a weathered yellow garden sign.
It simply read:
Live By Faith.
The bird didn’t linger. It flew on, leaving me standing there with a smile and a heart full of gratitude.
That quiet moment inspired this poem.
The Little Wren’s Lesson
This morning,
a little wren
borrowed my attention.
Not with a song loud enough
to wake the neighborhood,
nor with wings grand enough
to stop me in my tracks.
Just a tiny flutter…
a hop…
another hop…
As if it knew
I needed somewhere else
to place my thoughts.
I followed from a distance,
smiling as it danced through the garden,
never asking to be noticed,
yet impossible to ignore.
It paused for only a moment.
There,
against the soft green leaves
and summer blooms,
stood a weathered yellow sign.
Live By Faith.
The wren flew away
without waiting
to see if I had read it.
Perhaps that was never
its purpose.
Perhaps it wasn’t sent
to stay…
only to lead.
How often, I wonder,
does God whisper
instead of shout?
How many answers
arrive on quiet wings,
wearing ordinary feathers,
asking only
that we look up?
Faith isn’t always found
in mountaintop miracles.
Sometimes…
it’s hidden
inside an ordinary morning,
carried by a tiny bird
that reminds us
where to look.
And once we’ve seen the message,
we discover
it had been waiting there
all along.
“Til next time.
— LHogarth
Hope Still Knocks
journal entry #30
monday, july 13, 2026
Some days, words come easily.
Other days, they don’t.
Today was one of those quieter days where my heart seemed to have more feelings than sentences. Instead of trying to force a story onto the page, I found myself thinking about hope.
Hope has carried me through more seasons than I can count. It has been there in the moments of joy and in moments when I wondered how another day would unfold. It has never promised me that life would be easy, but it has gently reminded me that every sunrise offers another chance to begin again.
So tonight, rather than sharing details of my day, I’d simply like to share a poem. My hope is that if you find yourself walking through a difficult season, these words will remind you that hope often arrives quietly… and that sometimes, a whisper is enough to help us take the very next step.
Hope Still Knocks
Hope is not always loud.
It does not always arrive wrapped in victories
Or carried by perfect days.
Sometimes hope is only a whisper,
Asking us to try again tomorrow.
It is the tiny green shoot
Pushing through weathered soil,
The bird that sings
Before the sun has fully risen,
The quiet breath that reminds us,
“You are still here.”
Hope sits beside weary hearts
Without asking them to pretend.
It understands tears.
It knows disappointment.
Yet somehow,
It continues to light the smallest candle
Against the darkest night.
Every sunrise is a promise
That yesterday does not have
The final word.
Every step forward,
No matter how uncertain,
Is an act of believing
That something beautiful
May still be waiting
Just around the bend.
And perhaps that is hope’s
Greatest gift…
Not that it guarantees an easy road,
But that it gently reminds us
There is always another page to write,
Another prayer to whisper,
Another reason
To keep walking.
For as long as our hearts can still dream,
Hope will never stop
Knocking at the door.
“Til next time…
Finding Beauty in the Everyday.
— LHogarth
Growing More Than a Garden
JOURNAL ENTRY #29
SUNDAY, JULY 12, 2026
There are moments in life when someone surprises you — not because they accomplished something extraordinary overnight, but because they quietly refuse to surrender.
Many of you have followed my son Nathaniel’s journey. After surviving septic shock, losing both of his legs below the knee and all fingers on both hands, life became something completely different than either of us ever imagined.
As a mother, I naturally worried about what his future would look like.
Nathaniel had other plans.
Instead of focusing on everything he can no longer do, he’s been spending his time asking himself a different question:
“What can I still do?”
Today he shared with me his plans, and I couldn’t help but smile.
He’s been transforming the small space around the Florida home into a productive garden. Tomatoes, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, grapes, herbs, sunflowers, dragon fruit, bananas, and even an olive tree. He’s researching what grows well, learning what people might enjoy buying, and already thinking several steps ahead toward homemade sauces, pickled vegetables, and preserving his harvest.
He’s building garden beds.
Moving bricks.
Digging in the soil.
Planning aquaponics.
Creating systems that work around the challenges his new body presents.
Most people would see obstacles.
Nathaniel sees possibilities.
Will everything work perfectly?
Probably not.
Gardens rarely do.
But neither does healing.
Healing is learning.
Healing is adapting.
Healing is refusing to believe that one difficult chapter gets to write the rest of your story.
Watching my son rediscover purpose has reminded me that resilience isn’t loud. Sometimes it looks like seed packets spread across a table. Sometimes it looks like dirty hands after a day of moving soil. Sometimes it looks like dreaming about next year’s harvest when this year’s life feels uncertain.
I’m incredibly proud of him.
Not because he’s trying to prove anything to anyone else…
…but because he refuses to let his circumstances convince him that his life has lost its value.
He’s growing far more than vegetables.
He’s growing hope.
And I have a feeling this garden is only the beginning.
‘Til next time…
Finding Beauty in the Everyday.
Lorena
Finding Peace When Life Hurts
JOURNAL ENTRY #28
SATURDAY, JULY 11, 2026
Some days aren’t filled with rainbows.
I don’t ever want to paint the picture that life is perfect because it isn’t. We all experience days that challenge us emotionally, spiritually, and sometimes physically. My hope has never been to present a perfect life, but rather to live one that points toward hope through both the joyful days and the difficult ones.
Today was one of those difficult days.
It brought a mixture of emotions that left me feeling almost numb. Those moments happen in this present age, and no one is immune to them.
Many of you may not know that I recently learned my heart has an area with insufficient blood flow that cannot safely be corrected. Because of that, even significant emotional stress can affect my heart rhythm and become medically serious. Over the past several months, I’ve had to learn something that many of us struggle with — when my body tells me to slow down, I must listen.
Today, it did.
As emotions began to rise, I felt the warning signs. Instead of pushing through them, I stepped away, slowed down, and entrusted the situation to God. Some circumstances simply fall outside of our control, and today reminded me that not every battle is ours to carry.
While we cannot always choose what happens to us, we CAN choose how we respond.
That doesn’t mean sadness, disappointment, fear, or even anger won’t appear. They often arrive without invitation. But we CAN choose not to let those emotions become our master. We can pause. We can breathe. We can seek peace BEFORE reacting.
I’m deeply thankful for my husband, who quietly stood beside me today with love, patience, and understanding. We’ve both grown through life’s hardships, and that growth has taught us the value of responding with gentleness instead of anger. It is a blessing I never take for granted.
As the Sabbath came to a close this evening, I found myself reflecting on the day. I could have allowed the circumstances to consume me. Instead, I chose to honor my Father’s Sabbath anyway. I chose peace over panic, faith over fear, and trust over control.
The difficult moments were real.
But so was God’s faithfulness.
And because of that, I can still say…
It was a good day.
Finding Beauty in the Everyday.
— LHogarth
Looking Toward Sabbath Rest
JOURNAL ENTRY #27
FRIDAY, JULY 10, 2026
Today was one of those days that seemed to slip quietly by before I realized it. There weren’t any grand adventures or exciting stories to tell — just an ordinary day that passed almost as quickly as it began.
As the evening settles in, I’m grateful that Sabbath is just ahead. I’m looking forward to slowing down, resting, and allowing both my heart and mind the opportunity to reset before a new week begins.
Sometimes the greatest gift isn’t accomplishing more — it’s simply making space to pause, reflect, and be thankful.
I hope you have a beautiful evening, and if your week has felt as busy as mine, I hope you, too, find a little time to rest.
Finding Beauty in the Everyday.
‘'Til next time,
LHogarth
When the Unexpected Opens a Door
JOURNAL ENTRY #26
THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2026
Today was a quiet day spent tinkering around the house and transferring my journal entries into the draft sections of my website, Facebook, and Instagram. It was also a day of debating whether to transform my former LHogarth Art Instagram page into my personal Lorena Hogarth Instagram page after accidentally posting to it today from my personal Facebook account.
That Instagram page was one I had intentionally left inactive. My last post there explained that the page was transitioning into something more unified and expansive. LHogarth Art was becoming part of LHogarth Creative Living, and rather than continuing as a separate page, all future artwork, updates, and creative projects would be shared through @lhogarth_creative_living, bringing everything together in one place.
I reassured my followers that nothing was disappearing — it was simply all coming together. I truly love my followers, each and every one of them, and I wanted that transition to feel like an invitation rather than a goodbye.
Then something unexpected happened.
When I accidently shared a post from my personal Facebook page to the inactive Instagram account, it immediately began receiving thousands of views. Apparently, Instagram had other plans and decided that page wasn’t quite finished after all.
So, after giving it some thought, I’ve decided that the former LHogarth Art page will become my personal Lorena Hogarth Instagram account, where it can complement LHogarth Creative Living instead of competing with it. One page can focus on my creative business, while the other can share more of the person behind the art.
Funny how forgetting to put on one of your compression socks before putting on both shoes ended up changing the course of my social media plans. Life has a wonderful way of reminding us that sometimes the unexpected opens doors we never intended to walk through.
Oh — and yes! Both vision boards were completed today and are ready to hang.
Today?
Yes… another good day.
Finding Beauty in the Everyday.
‘Til next time…
—LHogarth
The Joy of the Journey
JOURNAL ENTRY #25
WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2026
Today we drove into Spartanburg for a day of errands and a little exploring. Wednesdays happen to be new comic book release day, so naturally that made its way into today’s agenda.
We decided to start the morning by trying a couple of places we hadn’t visited before. Lunch was at Groucho’s Deli. It was a busy place, and after eating there, we could definitely understand why. The sandwiches were delicious, and it’s certainly somewhere we’ll be visiting again.
While we were there, I noticed an ice cream shop just a short walk away, so after lunch we headed over to Spill the Beans: Gourmet Coffee, Custom Blended Ice Cream & Yogurt. If you’re ever in the Spartanburg area, I would definitely recommend stopping in. The ice cream was wonderful, and the rich aroma of freshly roasted coffee beans greets you the moment you walk through the door. I have a feeling it’s going to become one of those places that’s hard to drive past without stopping.
Our next destination was the Hub City Railroad Museum. Unfortunately, we arrived about fifteen minutes before closing, so we weren’t able to tour the museum itself. We did, however, have just enough time to explore the beautiful red caboose outside before they closed for the day. We’ll definitely be returning another time so we can enjoy the full museum experience.
From there, my husband headed into The Tangled Web to pick up this week’s new comic books while I caught up on a few things online. Then it was off to Hobby Lobby because somebody had completely run out of cork while working on the two vision boards I mentioned back in Journal Entry #17 - “The Positive You Almost Missed” and began creating in Journal Entry #23 - “Finding My Rhythm.”
Although I didn’t quite get them finished and hung yesterday as I had planned, I did complete one of the two boards. Today I found another roll of cork along with the hardware I’ll need to hang them. Tomorrow they’ll finally find their home on the entryway wall just outside our studio, and I can’t wait to see them there.
As I sat down to write this evening. I realized something special.
This little journal has now reached twenty-five entries — a quarter of a hundred moments spent intentionally looking for beauty, gratitude, creativity, and hope in everyday life.
That made me smile.
Today was a good day.
Until next time…
Finding Beauty in the Everyday.
— LHogarth
