Few people in the first century had a deeper understanding of God’s grace than the apostle Paul. Redeemed from a life of vicious brutality as a rigid legalistic Pharisee, the man turned the corner, repented, and through Christ’s empowering became a gentle soul, gracious and affirming. Understanding. Forgiving. Approachable. He reached the place where he […]
Category: Grief/Encouragement
Daily Tests
Mrs. Moses’s cookbook surely had a special section on “A Thousand-and-One Ways to Fix Manna.” Unless I miss my guess, she had tried them all . . . many times. What potatoes are to Idaho, pineapples are to Hawaii, wheat is to Kansas, and crab gumbo is to New Orleans, manna was to the wandering […]
It Takes Courage
Deep within, we imagine ourselves as a mixture of Patrick Henry, Davy Crockett, John Wayne, and the prophet Daniel! But the truth of the matter is that most of us would do anything to keep from being different. We’d much rather blend into the woodwork. One of our greatest fears is being ostracized, rejected by […]
God Knows Your Ways
“God has the whole world in His hands.” Remember the old gospel song? He’s got the wind, the rain, the tiny little baby, yes, even you and me in His hands. How easy it is to forget that! And it isn’t limited to our geography or our culture, you know. He’s got the Middle East […]
Amazing Grace on Display
The word grace means many things to many people. We refer to a ballet dancer as having grace. We say grace at meals. We talk about the queen of England bringing grace to events she attends. Grace can mean coordination of movement, it can mean a prayer, it can refer to dignity and elegance. Most […]
Waiting in a Weary Land
One of the favorite places I visited when touring Israel was the Judean Wilderness. Because this wasteland sits almost completely unchanged from biblical days, I found it easy—even eerie—to gaze across the landscape and ponder that men such as Joshua, David, Jeremiah, John the Baptist, and Jesus saw these hills almost exactly as I was […]
What to Expect When You Weren’t Expecting
I come from a family of book lovers. Finding a cozy spot in some quiet corner of the house and curling up with a great book is a treat for the Swindolls. Shortly before my first child was born, the book titled What to Expect When You’re Expecting was published. It is in a stack […]
Seventeen Years Ago
My son, Jon, turns 19 years old this month. Seventeen years ago, I sat in a doctor’s office and listened to a kindhearted, brilliant man tell me my son had autism—an umbrella term with five major categories beneath it. All the while, Jon’s hand-flapping and toe-walking . . . and silence . . . and emotional distance . . . and . . . the doctor’s words kind of melted together.
A Weekly Gift for You
I often forget to take care of myself as I care for my autistic son, Jonathan. My family often reminds me to tend to my own needs as well. Finding time for yourself seems selfish, but it really isn’t. Caring for my needs is the best care for Jon. Jesus encouraged His disciples, after a […]
Beach Balls
Swimming is necessary in the more than 100-degree heat of a Texas summer. My son Jon and I headed to the pool. Jon gave me a dollar-store squirt gun for his idea of a fair combat weapon; of course, his was the Target store, Navy SEALs, house-sized weapon that can shoot water to the moon. […]
Defining Differently
Many words are used to describe someone with disabilities. Generally, the word disabled has a negative tone, doesn’t it? Some may say these folks are needy, challenged, unstable or unable, fragile or frail—words laden with a “less than” label that dismisses the person altogether. So now I’m going to admit something humiliating: before I became […]
Free to Be
Mother’s Day 2012. At our annual lunch celebration, I sat with my niece Jessica and my son Jon. Jessica, only a few months younger than Jon, looked absolutely stunning. Full of life and intellectually gifted, she carries a joyful wonder about life that is so delightful. As I watched her, I began to recall the […]