Praying and Growing
When my friend David’s wife developed Alzheimer’s disease, the changes it brought to his life made him bitter. He needed to retire early to care for her; and as the disease progressed, she required increasingly more care.
“I was so angry at God,” he told me. “But the more I prayed about it, the more He showed me my heart and how I had been selfish for most of our marriage.” Tears welled in his eyes as he confessed, “She’s been sick ten years, but God has helped me see things differently. Now, everything I do out of love for her,…
Give Yourself Permission to Grief
Truthfully, my heart felt raw, as if it were beating outside of my body. My grief felt so vulnerable, so scraped and skinned and gaping, that privacy was all I could fathom to deal with it.
Atmosphere of Encouragement
I’m encouraged every time I visit the fitness center near our house. In that busy place, I’m surrounded by others who are striving to improve their physical health and strength. Posted signs remind us not to judge each other, but words and actions that reveal support for others’ conditioning efforts are always welcomed.
What a great picture of how things should look in the spiritual realm of life! Those of us who are striving to “get in shape” spiritually, to grow in our faith, can sometimes feel as if we don’t belong because we’re not as spiritually fit—as mature in our…
Acts of Kindness
“Estera, you got a present from our friend Helen!” my mom told me when she got home from work. Growing up we didn’t have much, so receiving a present in the mail was like a second Christmas. I felt loved, remembered, and valued by God through this wonderful woman.
The poor widows Tabitha (Dorcas) made clothes for must have felt the same way. She was a disciple of Jesus living in Joppa who was well known in the community for her acts of kindness. She was “always doing good and helping the poor” (Acts 9:36). Then she got sick and passed…
Discover The Joy Of A Redeemed Life
Pain and trials are never pleasant at the moment. But God promises to use even the most difficult circumstances for our good. Today on Discover the Word, the team, and author Nicole Unice discuss the joy of a redeemed life and encourage us to share our own stories of redemption with others. We’ll save you a seat at […]
Sinking into Grace
Finally, on January 8, 1964, 17-year-old Randy Gardner did something he hadn’t done for 11 days and 25 minutes: he nodded off to sleep. He wanted to beat the Guinness Book World Record for how long a human could stay awake. By drinking soft drinks and hitting the basketball court and bowling alley, Gardner rebuffed sleep for a week and a half. Before finally collapsing, his sense of taste, smell, and hearing went haywire. Decades later, Gardner suffered from severe bouts of insomnia. He set the record but also confirmed the obvious: sleep is essential.
Many of us struggle to get…
4 Ways to Navigate A Painful Break-Up
Heartbreak. Tears. A breakup you never saw coming.
Do you remember it? The moment your heart was shattered into a million pieces?
God Can Rewrite Our Stories
With an email or a text, it’s easy to misinterpret the intent of a message. And the same can happen when we try to understand the reason behind the pain in our lives. Today on Discover the Word, the team, and author Nicole Unice remind us that no matter what happens, God can rewrite our stories, […]
5 Ways to Refresh Your Marriage This Valentine’s Day
No matter how many or how few years anyone has been married, the word “refresh” always sounds appealing.
Out of Context
As I queued up to board my flight, someone tapped my shoulder. I turned and received a warm greeting. “Elisa! Do you remember me? It’s Joan!” My mind flipped through various “Joans” I’d known, but I couldn’t place her. Was she a previous neighbor? A past coworker? Oh dear . . . I didn’t know.
Sensing my struggle, Joan responded, “Elisa, we knew each other in high school.” A memory rose: Friday night football games, cheering from the stands. Once the context was clarified, I recognized Joan.
After Jesus’s death, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early in the morning and found…
Our Prayer Needs
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Embracing Our Identity As Children Of God
For most of us, there tends to be a big gap between the way we see ourselves and the way God sees us. Today on Discover the Word, the team, along with author Nicole Unice encourages us to embrace our identity as children of God. When we do, we’re more likely to make choices that are […]
When Love Didn’t Come at First Sight
“What about Dakotah? Are you sure you two aren’t a thing?”
For months I had been fielding this same question from my family and other friends from campus ministry.
The Battle
As artillery rounds fell around him with an earth-shaking whoomp, the young soldier prayed fervently, “Lord, if you get me through this, I’ll go to that Bible school Mom wanted me to.” God honored his focused prayer. My dad survived World War II, went to Moody Bible Institute, and invested his life in ministry.
Another warrior endured a different kind of crisis that drove him to God, but his problems arose when he avoided combat. As King David’s troops fought the Ammonites, David was back at his palace casting more than just a glance at another man’s wife (see 2 Samuel 11).…
Choosing God . . . Even In The Midst Of Our Struggles
Every day, from the moment we wake to when we go to sleep, we’re faced with choices. Some are big, most are fairly small. But they all require a conscious decision. Today on Discover the Word, the team, and author Nicole Unice challenge us to choose God, even in the midst of life’s struggles. Take a […]
