Never Recover

“Never recover.” When we hear this phrase, we naturally attribute it with the negative connotation that a person will never recover from some unforeseen circumstance – an accident, a debilitating disease, a health crisis, etc. It bears the harsh reality that we or someone we care about will never again be the same; that circumstances

Trophy of God’s Grace

It was the last semester of my senior year in high school and I needed a few more credits added to my transcript to fulfill my graduation requirements. So, I did what most people do in the same situation: sign up for a Physical Education class. Easy, right? No homework. No tests. Well, the “no

The Greatest Triumph of Faith

A.B. Simpson – Canadian preacher, theologian, and founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance – makes this profound statement: “The greatest triumph of faith is to be still and know that He is God.” He goes on the say that, “The great victory of faith is to stand before some impassable Red Sea, and hear the

When Loving Right Feels So Wrong

“Tough love.” We know the phrase well. It expresses the reality that sometimes we have to do and say the hard things toward those we love in order to lead them (and us) to a better place in life. If you haven’t been in the place yourself to offer tough love, then most likely you

Something Beautiful

When you think of what is beautiful, what comes to mind? Perhaps it’s the majesty of creation – the vast blue oceans, the splendor of the mountains, the diversity of the green lush forests. Maybe it’s taking some quiet moments to relish the beauty displayed in artistic paintings or other pieces of artwork. When we

The Father’s Love

[Author’s Note: This was written for someone very dear to me who never knew the love of his earthly father. If you are a woman reading this, please read boy, man, son as pertaining to you as girl, woman, daughter.] There is in every man a small boy waiting to emerge into the man God

Prepare Him Room

While singing Joy to the World during worship at church, the phrase “prepare Him room” took on a whole new meaning as I considered what it really means to prepare room in our hearts for Jesus during the Christmas season. I am not referring, however, to simply slowing down from the hustle and bustle and

Name Above All Names

One aspect Scripture places on trusting God is the emphasis on trusting in His name. Psalm 33:20-22 says, “Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.” But what

The Goodness of God

“God is good.” While this is certainly a true statement of our heavenly Father’s character, in times of suffering God’s goodness often comes into question. How could such a loving God and Father allow us to endure such devastating circumstances? Why doesn’t He stop the pain and suffering? Certainly the all-powerful and sovereign God of

Heaven In Our Eyes

I think one of the greatest challenges we face in the midst of suffering is keeping our focus on the eternal. When we are weighed down by the weight of our trials, our eyes naturally fixate on our burdens and what is going on around us. So how do we change our focus from the