What's Your Number?

During my sabbatical, I have invited Adele LaCombe, the CEO of Debbie Macomber Inc, who is a regular part of HCC and serves on our Council, to write this week’s HCC Blog.


Being the daughter of a writer, you would think that I would be drawn to words, but I tend to love numbers. They are so precise.


Often, I find myself searching for the right words, and I’m left feeling inadequate for the task. Yet throw me a problem involving numbers, and I can solve it with the exact answer.


My favorite number is 516. I almost always wake at 5:16 AM; it appears in phone numbers, addresses, and seemingly random places. I feel like God gave this number, particularly to me. He orchestrated the heavens and the earth for me to arrive on May 16th, so it’s my special number. Maybe that’s going a bit far, but you will see it everywhere once you’ve decided to claim something as yours.


Several years ago, I decided to go through the Bible and see what God had to say in every book in the 5th chapter and the 16th verse. Clearly, one of those verses must have been heaven-sent just to become my life verse.  



The Beatitudes fall in the fifth chapter of Matthew, allowing this beautiful verse to grace my birthday. I’ve adopted it as my life verse. Matthew 5:16 says, “In the same way let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven”.  



Through all that life has thrown at me, especially during the last two years, I want to shine as a light for Jesus. To reflect others towards Him.  


I think there are times we don’t want to draw attention to ourselves; we don’t want to shine. We may hide ourselves and all God has given to us in the back of the room. Yet God asks us to step out into the light to live into all He has called us to be. This brings glory to him.  


If God is speaking to you, He sees you! He wants you fully charged, do not dim your light. Live it at full wattage. For Him. He is glorified when you do. And others are encouraged by it. 


If you’re a numbers person, allow your love of numbers to draw you into scriptures. God is, after all, the Master Mathematician, and there are amazing formulas all over scripture to seek out and study. God is personal in his love for us, over us, how He speaks to us, and how His Word works in our lives.

Thank you Adele!