Janet Perez Eckles's Blog

“I’ve been posting things I’m grateful for,” my friend shared on the phone yesterday. Her last post celebrated encouragement received for her quilting project and the clear night skies she enjoyed, a reminder of the beauty in simple things.

I smiled because she noticed wonders I never could. My retinal disease had already brought night blindness, taking from me the sight of stars. But in that moment, I realized gratitude doesn’t always come from what we see—it comes from what we feel and cher...

“I can’t find my cell phone,” my husband murmured as he paced from room to room.

“Where did you use it last?” I asked, reaching for the home phone to dial his number—a tried and true way to locate a lost phone these days.

But no luck.

We retraced our steps, searched every corner, even called the restaurant and our friend’s car from the night before. Still nothing. With his business trip coming up, the missing phone felt like a small crisis.

The next morning, as we pulled into the chu...

He sure does. Animals played a big part in many events in the Bible. At one time, they tempted. In others, they brought destruction. In some, they brought a message of hope, or forced redirection, spoke warnings and even brought answers. Here’s a modern-day story about my friend Patti:

Daddy entered my room, smiled, and lifted a shining saddle in the air. “Do you like it?”

He knew a gift for my four-legged friend, Scout, delighted my 10-year-old heart.

I giggled ...

This past Saturday afternoon, on a warm, sunny day, I decided to enjoy lunch outside. Seated in a lounge chair, tucked safely inside the screened enclosure around our pool, I munched on a crisp salad while listening to birds chirp their melodic songs. A soft breeze played with my hair. It was a moment of peace — until it wasn’t.

Suddenly, a muffled squeal broke the silence, followed by a loud thud. Then came the scratching. A chill shot up my spine.

In seconds, a million thoughts flew thro...

I hate when the waitress asks that dreaded question: “Are you still working on that?”

It’s the unspoken code for everyone else is done. The table's cleared, dessert’s been served, conversations have ended…and I’m still chewing. Half my meal remains untouched while everyone else is ready to move on.

No one really knows why I eat so slowly. Some joke it’s because I talk too much. I tried staying quiet once—still didn’t help. I was the last to finish again. Even my sweet husband, patient as e...

It’s time to speak out—not about the war overseas, but the war happening closer to home.

I’m talking about the war within—the battle against anxiety, stress, fear, and emotional exhaustion. You know that silent war that sneaks up when the bills pile high, the job ends suddenly, or when the “what ifs” hit like bombs in the night?

These enemies don’t wear uniforms, but they’re just as real. They march into our hearts and minds—uninvited, unwanted, and relentless. And today, my dear friend fa...

Let me tell you what happened the other evening.

People are often surprised when I mention that I cook. Yes, I’m blind—and yes, blind people do cook. In fact, we do it quite economically. When no one else is home, there's no need to turn on the lights. Imagine the electricity we save!

Last night, while my sweet husband was telling me about his day, I was peeling some carrots. In my hurry, I placed one too close to the edge of the counter, and sure enough, it rolled onto the floor.

Witho...

To my precious Inspiration Family,

I have something incredibly humbling and exciting to share with you…

A producer recently approached me with the vision to turn my story into a documentary — one that would not just tell what I’ve walked through, but reveal the overwhelming, undeniable power of God’s grace in the face of unimaginable pain.

It’s officially here—hurricane season in Florida. Across the state, many residents are already preparing. They’re stocking up on water bottles, batteries, non-perishable food, generators, and securing window shutters. They’re alert. They’re ready. But not everyone is.

Some ignore the forecasts. They hear the weather reports but dismiss them. They see the storm’s projected path but convince themselves it will veer away. They’re urged to evacuate but refuse. And yet, despite the warnings, many ...

I pulled an old jacket tight around me and slammed the door of my rundown apartment. It was four in the morning—quiet enough that it was safer and easier to make a quick stop at the crack dealer on the corner. That was my life. I lived in darkness, brokenness, and addiction.

I had lost everything.

My children were gone. My family estranged. My job—vanished. My home no longer felt like home. I was shackled by addiction, and the devil had stolen every part of my identity. I lived for the nex...