Christian Living · encouragement · Thankfulness

Am I counting God’s gifts as worthless?

Wishing to be someone else or longing for life to be different sounds understandable on the surface---particularly in our culture where self-fulfillment and happiness are counted among the highest goals. However, there is an underlying insidiousness in these longings. Am I looking at what God has given me as though it isn't good... or isn't good enough?

Christian Living · encouragement

The Number One Myth Surrounding PTSD

During the tumultuous election, I numbed to the cringe-worthy statements from the-candidates-whom-nobody-wanted. Then, out of the blue, Mr. Trump said something in total ignorance---and I was no longer numb: "When you talk about the mental health problems, when people come back from war and combat and they see things that maybe a lot of folks in this room have seen many times over and you're strong and you can handle it but a lot of people can't handle it. They see horror stories, they see events you couldn't see in a movie, nobody would believe it ..." Donald Trump, October 3, 2016

Christian community · Christian Living · encouragement

Invisible but deadly

He cradled his head in his rough, battle-scarred hands, breathing heavily. The accelerated pace of his heart drummed so loudly he could hear nothing else. Sweat beaded on his forehead as blood pounded in his temples. He inhaled deeply, attempting to calm himself. He was thankful to have found this temporary refuge, even if it was a… Continue reading Invisible but deadly

Christian community

Justice is weeping today.

Brilliant flashes of colorful fireworks set the faces of my children aglow beneath the darkening Texas sky. We reveled in our new-found Texas freedom and the love of country that swells in this region of the United States. I was thankful to live in this nation, in spite of the issues that plague us. That was Monday. Monday feels like an age ago. This week has been traumatic for Lady Justice and her best friend, Wisdom. They weep unrestrainedly at the black events of the past few days.

encouragement · Fear

Feeling overwhelmed?

Somewhere, right now, there is a young mother standing in her house, the fingertips of both hands pressed into her head in frustration. The house gets cleaned, only to be dirty within a few minutes. She sits down to rest only to be interrupted by another of her children. The sink is clogged, the repairman is calling, the bills need paying and dinner needs preparing. Somewhere, right now, somebody you know is feeling overwhelmed. It might even be you.

Thankfulness

Day 10: Military Veterans

He leapt across sand bags and dodged bullets to reach the fallen. His ears rang from the deafening roar of explosions and the crack of gunshots. The air was filled with shouts and screams. The smell of death and blood was nauseating...