Hope On The Road Less Traveled
Trials and suffering in our lives can be anything from stretching to down right devastating. However, I think most people would probably agree that as painful as it is to endure suffering in our own lives, it can be even more painful to watch our children suffer. But in this world, suffer they will. Whether… Continue reading When Our Children Hurt – Hope for the Parent Grieving Their Child’s Pain
At a moment’s notice, chaos could erupt in our home. But it never failed that our most difficult moments with our child's challenges often occurred on the mornings I was determined to make it to my bible study. And this particular morning was no different. Although every day was difficult with his illness when he… Continue reading God Sees the Pain Unseen by Others
We were in crisis. The life-altering challenges of our child’s special needs were nothing new, but we’d reached a new level of desperation. We felt suffocated by the very air we breathed. Our prayers had grown weary, our hearts felt numb, and if there was ever a time we stood on the brink of despair—this… Continue reading Three Pitfalls When Life is Hard
Tears and Tossings: Hope in the Waves of Life When suffering strikes (Sample Chapter - Chapter 1) I stirred uncomfortably in my seat, struggling to accept the reality that this chair had my name on it for a reason. I sat there quietly and listened as the group went around sharing their personal journey of sorrow,… Continue reading Do Our Tears Truly Matter?
Peace and joy begin with acceptance. It’s a phrase that God has often brought to mind during the past decade of near constant trials in our family. Between a daily battle with chronic illness, a debilitating injury, suffering children, financial woes, and the strain of caring for a loved one with mental illness, God’s been… Continue reading Peace in Acceptance
Have you ever stood before a spiritual fork in the road? One where you know the "godly answer" to your painful circumstances, but there seems to be an impenetrable wall that stands between your head and your heart? It's the tension between knowing something to be true but struggling to believe it when the evidence… Continue reading When a Good God Seems Far From Good
I gave birth to my son with two anchors drawn on my feet. As my pregnant belly grew, so did my fear. This was my fourth baby, so I’d already read all the books and websites. I knew the practical realities of preparing to deliver a baby. I packed a bag. I made a birth… Continue reading Two Anchors for the Storms of Life
The walls felt like they were closing in around me. The air in the room grew heavy, and each breath I took stole every last ounce of my energy. With puffy eyes, a weary body, and an aching heart, I was desperate for an escape. Escape from a broken world, escape from a broken body,… Continue reading Learning Contentment in Unwanted Places
"Where are you, Lord When the darkness swallows When your silence deafens In a multitude of sorrows? ______ Where is your comfort When pain abounds When companions flee And loneliness resounds? ______ Where is your justice When the innocent are hunted When the wicked prosper And their evil is flaunted? ______ Where is your compassion… Continue reading “Where Are You, Lord?”
A decade ago, I remember walking out of another doctor’s appointment, discouraged. They offered no help. No answers. No direction. I had been experiencing some new pain with my post-polio syndrome and wanted to find an orthopedic physician to help me. So I asked around to find trustworthy orthopedists and made appointments, carrying my x-rays… Continue reading The Lord is My Helper
Set Apart 