Raising a child with an immune system disorder and running a children’s ministry department at the same time can prove quite problematic—but I tried. There were 600 energetic, excited kids the first Sunday Stonebriar Community Church opened its doors, and the ministry grew exponentially from there. My son Jon was 15 months old and attached […]
Author: Colleen Swindoll Thompson
Corps Values
He had an enormous laugh that echoed through the hallways of our home throughout my childhood. Long and lanky, this abused-youth-turned-Marine-war-vet-turned-Christian was the most compassionate, broken soul I’ve ever known. Brilliant beyond words, Stu was acutely wedged between humanity’s horrendous pain and the wonderment of our perfect God. Stu aged with staggering grace and poured […]
Mama Bear’s Secret to Changing the World
It was a gamble for sure. I was asked if my son Jon would participate in a social skills development group. “Teenage social skills group”—let’s think about that. Teenage anything can be interesting; social groups, whatever the age, can be quite colorful. Thus, I was skeptical at best and had a few questions for the […]
Your One Brave Act Today
Years ago, my dad and I used to run together every morning. We ran a few 5Ks and tossed in some 10Ks and a couple half-marathons. The Los Angeles Marathon was coming up, and even though Dad’s schedule didn’t allow time for him to train, I decided to go for it. Hitting the Wall I […]
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall . . . Tell Me Who You Really Are
I have to admit that my having Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) has not always been such a pleasant experience for my family. I can be scattered and forgetful. I start things with great intentions—but even the greatest intentions don’t guarantee that projects actually get done. So they stack and collect dust in the “someday” corner […]
10 Timeless Truths for the New Year
Not long ago, I came across a story about a meeting in 1923 of some of the wealthiest businessmen in the United States.[ref]Charles R. Swindoll, Swindoll’s New Testament Insights: Insights on James, 1 & 2 Peter (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, © Charles R. Swindoll, 2010), 101–2.[/ref] Among them, one businessman was a Wall Street tycoon, another […]
History: One Choice That Could Change Everything
Mr. Payne taught me junior high school history. Like most junior high students, I don’t remember much about learning history, but I do remember learning something about life I will never forget. Mr. Payne was incredibly consistent. Every day, five minutes before class ended, he would say “Alright people, if the creek don’t rise and […]
A Shocking Gift
When my dad, Chuck Swindoll, was a kid, he found under the Christmas tree a pleasantly wrapped package with his name on it . . . and he did what every kid does. With no one looking, he quietly picked it up, smelled it, took a good look at its wrapping, and shook it—hoping for […]
The Gift That Keeps on Giving—The Caregiver’s Notebook
An Interview with Jolene Philo
I ran out of ink printing the new-patient forms for my son’s doctor appointment. I’m not kidding. Thirty-five pages and two hours later, I stacked the forms on top of two five-inch education binders already filled with hundreds of pages of medical, therapy, and specialists’ evaluations. I also had two CDs containing a sleep study […]
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Seven Helps for a Broken Heart
I wish there were Band-Aids for broken hearts—and maybe a little miracle dust sprinkled on the Band-Aid pad instead of the antibacterial stuff. Just sayin’ . . . because I really would have preferred a quick fix the other day. But I’m continuing to learn that there’s no quick fix to healing a hurting heart. […]
God Chooses Those He Uses
David began his life as a nobody—an ordinary shepherd boy—chosen by God to become a somebody—an extraordinary king over God’s own people. Yet, before David wore his crown, God shaped his character by allowing pain to be his close companion for over a decade. The presence of suffering made no sense to David at the […]
The Source of Hope and Strength
What happens when the bottom drops out of your life? When you experience a great calamity like the loss of your home through a fire or a flood? Or suffer through an unwanted divorce, or worse, the death of a loved one who meant the world to you? What happens when you must undergo lingering, […]