While many people enter the Thanksgiving and Advent seasons with enthusiasm, others among us struggle to find the joy. My friend, Elisabeth Klein, has written a beautiful devotional to reach the hearts of those who need the Lord’s healing touch. Please enjoy the following excerpt from Elisabeth’s Holidays for the Hurting: 25 Devotionals to Help…
struggles
Learning in Failure
It started as an ordinary laundry day. I separated the darks from the lights. Glanced for stains and felt for pocketed tissues. Added detergent. Spun the dial to “Normal.” Pushed the button. Moved on to the next chore of the day. Fifty minutes later the spin cycle stopped. I lifted the lid to transfer our clothes…
Face to Face with Darkness
Sometimes on this life’s journey, we come face to face with darkness and evil. Yesterday was my day. I saw slavery. Here is what happened: A seemingly trustworthy man offered a job to the dad of an impoverished family. The man gave a cash advance to help move the dad and family to the new…
Aaron’s Story
Sometimes, life moves along so smoothly. During those times, I coast through the days carefree and light-hearted. Viewing life through the lenses of its intricacies and beauty comes easily during these days. I ponder life. I journal. Life is good. When the hard times descend, however, everything changes. It is then that I wrestle and battle…
When Things Go Wrong
It’s been a challenging few months. It all started with just a little crack… We discovered a narrow crack in the grout of our downstairs bathroom, then we found moisture oozing from the crack (the blooming mushroom gave it away!), then we felt the wet carpet on the other side of the bathroom wall, then…
Adversity: Carrots, Eggs or Coffee
Adversity enters our lives. None escape. When the stress presses in, we react in different ways. I recently came across a lovely video that illustrates responses. May I invite you to watch this 5-minute parable? (If it has trouble loading, press your “f5” key to refresh.) Which one are you? A carrot, an egg or a coffee…
I Would Be So Much Wiser…
I used to stress a lot about fixing things… and people and situations. Everything that was wrong – as I perceived it to be – needed to be addressed right away. I pushed hard to overcome whatever I found to be wrong. Hours evaporated with pursuits gone on way too long…emails, meetings, conversations, phone calls,…
Power of Forgiveness
Forgiveness is a critical part of our every day lives. The lack of forgiveness can take on a tragic life of it’s own. Everyone has been hurt by someone else’s actions or words. Sometimes it’s intentional, sometimes not. Regardless, the pain is real. Yet the Scripture calls us to forgive. But what does forgiveness look…
God’s Promptings as Road Signs
Interstate highways in the United States are well marked. If you follow the big green signs, you can go to most any destination … without a GPS. If you ignore the signs, however, disaster strikes. You could pass an exit or even miss details of an unexpected detour. You will likely still arrive at your destination… but…
Why?
Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do good things happen to bad people? These questions crash into our lives daily. We learn of fatal disease and terrible crises intruding on compassionate, loving friends. Then we hear about abundant privileges heaped on ruthless and cruel people. We can’t help ourselves, but we want…
