Psalm 51:10 – “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”

You ever had one of those days where you wish you could just hit the reset button? David did too. Psalm 51 was written after one of his biggest failures — and yet, it became one of his most beautiful prayers.

He didn’t say, “Fix what’s left of my heart,” or “Polish it up a little.” He said, “Create in me a clean heart.” That word create means make something out of nothing. David wasn’t asking God to remodel his mess — he was asking for a miracle.

Maybe today you’re tired, worn down, or feeling like you’ve messed up too bad for God to use you again. Friend, that’s not true. God specializes in clean starts and new hearts.

When you come to Him with honesty, He doesn’t rub your sin in — He washes it away. He doesn’t throw you out — He lifts you up. He doesn’t give up on you — He renews you from the inside out.

So take a deep breath, right where you are, and pray David’s prayer: “Create in me a clean heart, O God.”

Because when your heart gets right, your whole life starts to beat in rhythm with His again.

Now, I don’t usually sit on the witness stand to testify about cigars, but when the subject is My Father The Judge, I’ll raise my right hand and swear to tell the whole smoky truth, so help me Nicaragua.

This cigar, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, walks into the room like a seasoned trial lawyer—dressed in an Ecuadorian Sumatra robe, confident, rich, and ready to argue its case. The box-pressed format feels like holding a leather-bound volume of justice, and when you light the foot, it doesn’t whisper—it testifies.

Opening statements? A bold combination of cocoa and black pepper, strong enough to raise an eyebrow but smooth enough to keep you listening. The Nicaraguan binder and fillers start to lay out the evidence—flavors of espresso, oak, a little molasses—layered with complexity like a well-argued brief. By the second third, this thing’s making closing arguments in your soul.

And here’s the kicker—burns straight as the moral compass of Della Street, with smoke as thick as courtroom suspense and a finish longer than a cross-examination from yours truly.

Some might call it a holy moment—where the Spirit meets the smoke and you learn something deeper than just tobacco. It’s not just a cigar; it’s a convincing argument in slow motion. Grace, grit, and a little fire.

My Father The Judge is guilty… of being one of the finest smokes to ever take the stand.

Verdict: in the mid to high 90’s on most scales. Sentence: One hour of pure, flavorful justice.

-MJHarvell

Romans 1:17 KJV — “The just shall live by faith.”

There’s a rhythm to real life in Christ — and it’s not fear, frustration, or figuring everything out. It’s faith. Paul said, “The just shall live by faith.” That means our spiritual pulse beats to a different tempo than the world’s. We don’t move by what we see, but by what we believe.

Faith isn’t a Sunday accessory; it’s the oxygen of the Christian life. It’s how we breathe, how we walk, how we make it through the valleys and climb the mountains. It’s not about pretending problems don’t exist — it’s about trusting that God still does.

Every morning, when your feet hit the floor, you have a choice: you can live by feelings, or you can live by faith. Feelings fade. Faith endures. Feelings follow the weather. Faith follows the Word. Feelings look around. Faith looks up.

So, take a deep breath today and remind yourself — “I’m not just living in this world; I’m living by faith in the One who made it.” When you live by faith, fear loses its grip, grace grows stronger, and the glory of God shows up in the ordinary moments of your everyday life.

Keep walking by faith, not by sight. God’s already gone ahead of you.