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 […]
Reflections on Surviving
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 […]
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 […]
You Can Make a Difference
Overwhelming odds can make cowards of us all. Because there is so much to be done, we can easily lose heart and do nothing. Because there are so many to reach, it is easy to forget that God wants to use us to touch those few within our sphere of responsibility. I remember the first […]