Jessica and Brandon faced a tough situation with their 11 year old son. The storm of seeing your son face open heart surgery is more than any of us ever wants to face. ******************************************** Hunter was born on April 5, 2002. In September of 2003 he had a high fever and ear ache. We took…
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our…
My daughter came home from school last night in her normal mood. But, as the evening wore on, I noticed a change in her demeanor. She became quiet, distracted. “Mom,” she finally blurted out. “I don’t want to get a zero.” The story began to unfold as she explained to me that she had a…
My name is Dena, and I am divorced. There. I said it. I have worn the scarlet letter “D” around my neck for four years now. It was not a word that I ever wanted—or expected—to define who I am. As a matter of fact, it’s the last title I ever expected to be associated…
I have been overwhelmed in recent weeks by the stories you, the readers, have been sharing with me. Many of you have experienced storms similar to mine. Others are in the midst of financial ruin, health issues, addiction. I would love to hear your story and–with your permission–share how God has resurrected your life. If…
For we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7) Several months ago, I was reading Mark 9. It contains the story of a man whose son was possessed by a demon. The man came to Jesus begging him to help. He said to Jesus, “If you can do anything, have compassion on us…
God truly works in mysterious ways. As I’ve mentioned before, I love to write. In high school, I was editor of the school yearbook. When I wrote essays for scholarship applications, I always indicated that I wanted to be a writer. In college, I majored in journalism. I am one of those strange students who…
In the month of May 2013, Oklahoma was hit—HARD. Every single day, I drove by areas of tornado destruction. On every street, there were piles of trees by the road. Fences blown down or propped up with pieces of wood. Roofs covered with tarps. Signs blown out or down. Trees lay across fences. In the…
From this day forward, I serve God by his Spirit, I boast in Christ Jesus, I put no confidence in the flesh—though I have reasons for such confidence. If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: called to ministry at age 10, valedictorian of my high school…
This morning, I was listening to a sermon on spiritual warfare. I suddenly realized that Satan lives in my house! You see, last summer we had a horrible gopher problem. Every morning we would peek out our back door to see three or four new gopher mounds. We googled to find any hints and tips,…
Shortly after my divorce, I found a plaque that now hangs on my wall. It says, “Faith is not believing that God can. It is knowing that He will.” The more I journey through this phase in my life, the more I come to understand this saying. I have never doubted that God could do…
Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Philippians 3:13b-14 On April 19, 1995, I watched in horror as the news unfolded. A truck bomb had detonated in downtown…