Trusting God to finish the work He began
Date: Monday, February 15, 2016 Title: Discovering the Word, part 1 of 5 Text: 2 Corinthians 3 Have you ever wondered how Paul could send a reference letter commending the believers in Corinth when they were such a mess? Today on Discover the Word, we begin this week’s discussion based in Paul’s second letter to the […]
When I was Blessed to be Sick
Recently, I was blessed to be down for a few days with a bad flu, sore throat, and fever. Yes, you read it right. I was blessed and I thank God to have been down for those few days.
Through It All
God not only created us and knows us, but He is in tune to our every thought and emotion. He is there when we are anxious, excited, nervous, delighted, and heartbroken. He is there, and He understands.
A Widow’s Choice
When a good friend suddenly lost her husband to a heart attack, we grieved with her. As a counselor, she had comforted many others. Now, after 40 years of marriage, she faced the unwelcome prospect of returning to an empty house at the end of each day.
In the midst of her grief, our friend leaned on the One who “is close to the brokenhearted.” As God walked with her through her pain, she told us she would choose to “wear the label widow proudly,” because she felt it was the label God had given her.
All grief is personal, and others…
All Alone on Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day may be the season of love and romance for many, but for some of us, it brings pain. It could be a reminder of love lost through a recent break-up or rejection, or the loss of a loved one.
The Ease of Ingratitude
Thwip, thwap. Thwip, thwap.
The windshield wipers slamming back and forth trying to keep up with the pelting rain only added to my irritation as I adjusted to driving the used car I had just purchased—an old station wagon with 80,000+ miles and no side-impact airbag protection for the kids.
To get this station wagon, and some badly needed cash for groceries, I had sold the last “treasure” we owned: a 1992 Volvo station wagon with side-impact airbag protection for the kids. By then, everything else was gone. Our house and our savings had all disappeared under the weight of uncovered medical…
Ice Flowers
Fifteen-year-old Wilson Bentley was captivated by the intricate beauty of snowflakes. He looked with fascination through an old microscope his mother had given him and made hundreds of sketches of their remarkable designs, but they melted too quickly to adequately capture their detail. Several years later, in 1885, he had an idea. He attached a bellows camera to the microscope and, after much trial and error, took his first picture of a snowflake. During his lifetime Bentley would capture 5,000 snowflake images and each one was a unique design. He described them as “tiny miracles of beauty” and “ice flowers.”
No…
My parents believed in God, but did not go to church. They made sure my brother, 2 sisters and I attended Sunday School at a local, country church.
At age 7, I attended a summer church camp and asked Jesus to come into my heart. I told my parent what I had done when I came home and they thought it was nice.
At age 17, I recommitted my life to the Lord. The love and acceptance of Rev. and Mrs. Swarthout are a big reason for this happening. Mrs. Swarthout told me years later that she had prayed for me for the past 6 years.
I attended a small Christian college in Michigan and got married at the age of 20. I planned to be a minister. My wife had been abused as a child. As soon as we were married, I saw anger, jealousy and a need to control me. She was a Christian, as far as one can know that. We tried marital counseling, counseling for her, separation, but everything was my fault. After 4 1/2 years of a miserable marriage, we were divorced. Many years later, she wrote to my parents and me and apologized for how she had acted. She stated that she was going to Alcoholics Anonymous and church to get her life together. I wrote back, let her know I had forgiven her and prayed for her and her family.
I have been married for 40 years now, have a lovely wife and a Christian marriage. I have been a mental health counselor for 40 years. God has seen us through rough times, my wife surviving ovarian cancer and me having several close calls while riding my motorcycle.
I have more good friends at this point in my life than ever. I still love counseling and working with teenagers and children, as well as adults.
I look forward to Heaven and all that God has planned for believers.
Transitioning to a new beginning
Today on “Discover the Word,” we along with our special guest, author Sheridan Voysey, talk about how our wilderness experience is not the end. It may feel like it goes on forever, but it’s really only a transition point to a new beginning. It’s a hopeful conclusion to our conversations this week, today on “Discover the Word”!
Why We Spent 15 Years in the “Friend Zone”
Yes, that’s the number of years my husband, Jonathan, and I knew each other before we got married. I guess you could consider us living examples of the saying, “The best relationships start off as friendships”.
Undigested Knowledge
In his book on language, British diplomat Lancelot Oliphant (1881–1965) observed that many students give correct answers on tests but fail to put those lessons into practice. “Such undigested knowledge is of little use,” declared Oliphant.
Author Barnabas Piper noticed a parallel in his own life: “I thought I was close to God because I knew all the answers,” he said, “but I had fooled myself into thinking that was the same as relationship with Jesus.”
At the temple one day, Jesus encountered people who thought they had all the right answers. They were proudly proclaiming their status as Abraham’s descendants yet…
Knowing God as our Father
It wasn’t until they were in the wilderness that God revealed Himself to the Israelites as a “Father.” Find out why that’s significant as we continue our “Discover the Word” conversations called “Resurrection Year” with our friend, author Sheridan Voysey. Find out what we know God as our Father means to us in the midst of our own wilderness experiences when you join the discussion today on “Discover the Word”!
Why Marriage isn’t the only way to experience True Love
When I was in my teenage years, one of the signs of our coming of age was being able to buy liquor, and drink in bars or pubs. But as time went by and the guys completed their time in National Service and the girls entered their final year of university, drinking lost its novelty.
Volunteer With Us Today
YMI (to be read as Why Am I?) is the voice of Christian young people to fellow young people. Click to find out more.
Volunteer With Us Today
YMI (to be read as Why Am I?) is the voice of Christian young people to fellow young people. Click to find out more.
