What comes in all shapes and sizes, creates a big mess, requires constant attention, but eventually offers great fulfillment? Could it be . . . A new puppy? Seasons in marriage? A garden during harvest time? Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner? Moving into a new home? Starting a new job? Oh, you’re so close! Stick with […]
Category: Grief/Encouragement
Why You Must Put On Your Oxygen Mask First
Boarding an airplane is a bit like herding cattle. There are a bazillion people juggling babies, bottles, and bags that must be seated, settled, or stored in spaces the size of leftover Tupperware containers. Then, in the midst of all the chaos, the lovely flight attendant begins the “Emergency Oxygen Mask” speech. It’s something like: […]
Killing the Weeds That Grow from a Wounded Soul
I know you have been there. If it helps, I am there quite often. Those moments in life when you think . . . Did that R E A L L Y just happen? Did I H O N E S T L Y hear that correctly? Do you know how hurtful that was to […]
Getting Gutted or Gaining Freedom: The Gadget You Must Give Up
Some days, walking by faith isn’t so challenging. Other days, such as today, choosing to walk by faith is harder than trying to keep 20 preschoolers holding on to the rope on a field trip. That rope is there for a great purpose, beyond keeping teachers somewhat sane. It simplifies what could be utter chaos. […]
The Only Answer to 9/11 . . . and to Life
I had just hopped on the treadmill, my one-hour reprieve when Jon was little. Music flooded my ear buds as I picked up the pace. All was well. I glanced at the TV to see the morning news . . . typical drama. The screen was split. On one side was the news anchor, and […]
Hope That Will Never Let You Down
Her husband softly kissed her forehead, then let go of her hand as her hospital bed was moved into the operating room. For six hours, her family waited . . . and waited. Eventually, the surgeon emerged from the operating room and confirmed the surgery had gone very well. In the months that followed, the […]
When You Get Blindsided by “It”
The x-ray displaying the neck and skull on the computer screen was enormous. While waiting in the surgeon’s examination room, I studied the image of the contorted structure. The saying goes, “Someone always has it worse”—well, this someone had it worse: the neck curved in the wrong direction, and a small kink at the base […]
The Significance of Setbacks
An Interview with Mike Foster
If you have ever felt put down, embarrassed, or discredited by what you had no control over, you are not alone. This world loves to parade the “perfect” and “popular,” causing most of us to hide our flaws and imperfections. Mike Foster knows this all too well. What started as a spectacular day on the […]
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5 Timeless Choices When Life Sucker-Punches You
It was 5:25 a.m. My phone sounded more like a firecracker on the Fourth of July than the quiet I usually expect that early in the morning. The buzzing, ringing, dinging, and vibrating could have woken the heavens, but thankfully, our God does not slumber or sleep (Psalm 121:4)—a truth that brought peace when I […]
How to Persevere through Punctures to Your Perfect Life
Do you ever feel overwhelmed, discouraged, or simply exhausted with life? Not long ago, I did. The Cares of This World I had taken Jon, my son with disabilities, to three doctor appointments. Each appointment lasted more than two hours and ended with the recommendation that we see other specialists. There was a list of […]
The Joy of Painful Growth
[guestpost]This article is by my dad, Chuck Swindoll.[/guestpost] In our backyard in California, Cynthia and I had a couple of fruit trees that supplied our table with luscious, homegrown grapefruits and oranges. Some years, the trees bore more fruit than others. And every year, the growth of those trees reminded me about what it means […]
Revolutionary Actions That Remove Regret and Renew Relationships
Shortly before midnight, my phone rang. I answered, expecting to hear her cheerful, optimistic voice. Instead, her tone was shaky, almost robotic as she spilled the shocking events of her evening. Her dad—one of our closest family friends, a pillar of faith in the community, a mentor to many, a man determined to help the […]