As I watch the occupational therapist move along the table working on the hands of all of us seated there, I can’t help but be confused by the different ways he handles our injured extremities. Seated next to me is a young woman less than half my age with a scar on top of her …
Category: why?
Jan 23
This isn’t what I had planned…
For weeks I planned this photo of my grandkids in their new, matching Mickey and Minnie jammies we were giving them for Christmas. I envisioned them sitting in order from 8-year-old Bauer down to 1-year-old Mathis, but knew that wasn’t realistic. So I opted for girls on one side (the three of them are definitely …
Dec 12
Let’s Stop Trying to Make All Our Pain Go Away
Guest blog by Brian Jones Our goal as disciples of Jesus shouldn’t be to eliminate pain. Our goal should be to craft the kind of life that is invincible to pain. Those who learn how to be invincible to pain–“incapable of being conquered, overcome or subdued”–are an unstoppable force. This is what Jesus meant when …
Dec 05
Why We All Feel Homesick Sometimes
Everybody feels homesick once in a while. Even our older daughter, a very independent, self-sufficient young woman, admitted she was homesick when she first went away to college “It was in the fall of my freshman year,” Danielle recalls. “I remember I was homesick for a couple of hours…but it went away.” (I told you …
Oct 31
How to Find Joy in Trials
May 8, 1977. Mother’s Day. The day before I had been excitedly opening” mother-to-be” cards and looking longingly at the maternity clothes I would soon need to wear. Now I was lying in a hospital bed with an empty womb. Really, Lord? A miscarriage on Mother’s Day? This would be awful on any day, but …
Oct 10
Don’t Underestimate the Power of God
By Chris Tiegreen “Our Bible is full of miracles. Sometimes, it feels as if our lives are not. The difference between the two can be disheartening, especially when a miracle is the only thing that can help us through a time of need. We pray to God and hope that He will answer, wondering …
Sep 26
The Most Important Thing about You
The above quote from 20th-century American author/pastor A. W. Tozer is for me a mind-blowing one. What I think about God–who He is, how He acts, what He can and cannot do–is the very most important thing about me. Our view of God shapes our attitude, our emotions, our responses, and our plans in unimaginable …
Sep 12
If God is so good…
When you believe in a good God, it can be hard to come to terms with the fact that He has allowed adversity to touch your life or your loved one’s. Think about it. If God knows everything, this diagnosis did not surprise Him. If God sees everything, He saw the bad news coming. …
Sep 05
Going to the Party by Randy Alcorn
Imagine someone takes you to a party. You see a few friends there, enjoy a couple of good conversations, a little laughter, and some decent appetizers. The party’s all right, but you keep hoping it will get better. Give it another hour, and maybe it will. Suddenly, your friend says, “I need to take you …
Aug 29
Do We Always See God Work Everything for Good?
So if God works all things together for good, does that mean in our lifetime we will see that promise come true? Maybe…maybe not. I consider myself extremely fortunate that God has allowed me to see firsthand how He has used my cancer diagnosis for good by giving me a worldwide ministry to cancer patients …