She was an active, lovely teenager when the unthinkable happened—a diving accident . . . a broken neck. In July 1967, doctors told Joni Eareckson she would never walk again, and they were right. But after working through the hardest of challenges, she surrendered her life to Christ completely, and God began a work through […]
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Wellness: Step One
Paperwork. Need I say more? I could have used a forklift to help me heave the stack of patient forms from the physician’s counter. My medical file exploded this year—and this was just one of many stacks I had already sifted through and signed. Caregivers—people who help other people (which means all of us at […]
What Happens When You’re All Alone Can Change Your Life
The groundskeeper and his young wife had just moved to Dallas; he was a new student, entering on academic probation that year. The school grounds he tended were manicured to perfection. Bright flowers and freshly cut grass looked like gift-wrapped packages welcoming incoming students. It was a blistering-hot August. Sweat burned his eyes. While wiping […]
What Matters Most When Life Stops You in Your Tracks
“No pain, no gain—get over it!” That’s what I thought until . . . I came out of my mother’s womb running, climbing, trying to fly. I could have been the poster child for ADHD. Having ADHD had its upside. From the age of 19 to 22, I was busy: I spent three priceless years […]
Revolutionary Steps toward Mental Health and the Church
This is a guest post written by my friend Joe Padilla. I pray it sheds light into a struggle you might be facing today. When it comes to mental health difficulties and support from the church, the Mental Health Grace Alliance has heard it all! Let’s look at the three major frustrations we face and […]
Influence—Its Meaning Will Make You Smile
At a recent conference I attended, one of the speakers touched on the subject of being an influential person. Most of us categorize effective influence by numbers rather than by character. We believe having influence means we need to have a big audience, attend a huge church, know popular people, hold countless degrees, own lots […]
8 Ways I Am Blessed
Courage is not natural to one’s character. But it can appear when a person is forced to face fears and depend on Christ. My suffering with a disability has cultivated within me courageous character. As I’ve thought about it, I’ve discovered 8 ways I am blessed. Do any apply to you too?
Being a True Friend
He was the kind of friend we all wish for. His name was Jonathan, the son of King Saul and heir apparent. However, Jonathan was a loyal friend to David, the Bethlehem shepherd boy whom God had chosen to succeed Saul as king. Saul was fiercely focused on killing David; Jonathan was fiercely devoted to […]
Letting Go, Looking Up
I’ve been reflecting lately on my children’s growing-up years. How I longed to be the “perfect” mother, something I eventually learned was an illusion. I tried to keep my children from harm, but they have been hurt. I hoped they would enjoy life, but they have suffered. I wanted to kiss their “boo-boos” away, watch […]
Finding HOPE
This post was co-authored by Lisa Simmons and Colleen Swindoll Thompson. FINALLY . . . she had something to work with. Lisa Simmons felt understood—there was something different about her son Daniel, and someone acknowledged it. Before autism became a world-trending subject, doctors and diagnostic numbers defined Daniel merely by what he couldn’t and wouldn’t […]
When God Feels Far Away
Do you believe that God is near to you at all times? The quick, Christian answer is, “Oh, of course I do!” But I bet for some Christians that question produces inner conflict. Candidly, I wrestle with believing that God is always near. I know in my head that He is always near because I […]
When You Need to Get Your Fight Back
NOTE: The following post by Michele Cushatt is from her blog. The earth began to buckle. Outside, the sun was shining, the sky blue and bright. To the ordinary, life-rich person, all seemed well. To me, caught in a web of post-surgery pain and chemo-driven nausea, dark closed in. I was sinking. I can’t do […]