Learning to Be Strong in Painful Situations
My youngest daughter has befriended a woman in a nursing home and has visited her regularly for months. Last week I had the privilege of meeting her.
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A Quadruple Amputee’s Perspective on Pain
“It’s all in one’s perspective,” said Jan. She explained that when troubles come, we’re all faced with a choice regarding where we fix our gaze.
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Kissing Self-Reliance Goodbye
Many times, when we’re walking an easy path, we tend to grow confident in our abilities and know-how. We think we’re able to manage on our own, thank you.
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Applying the Power of Praise When Afraid
I usually cherish riding time because it gives me uninterrupted opportunity to ponder, pray, and praise. But yesterday’s experience was different.
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Living with Focus and Purpose
Running the Kingdom-building race with purpose might mean letting go of something that in itself is very worthwhile in order to achieve a greater good.
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A Mystery Virus and Prayers for Help
The reality of spending the last day of camp in bed, too weak to sit or stand, left me feeling like a failure. This wasn’t the way camp was supposed to end.
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Here’s What Our Family Camp Looks Like
The word camp often conveys rustic – tents and outhouses in the woods, cooking over an open fire. That’s a far cry from our family camp. It was held in a hotel.
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God’s Protection on a Polish Train
This is our eighth trip to Eastern Europe since 2008 and, apart from gasping at near head-on collisions, I’ve never felt afraid. Until today, that is.
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A Special Birthday Gift in Romania
Tears filled Anna’s eyes and spilled down her cheeks. My heart broke for her. What do I do, God? I prayed. The answer came back, Pray for her. And so I did.
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We’re on Our Way to Romania Again
My husband and I are leading a team of nine to partner with five career missionaries. We’ll host a camp for young adults facing life-threatening illnesses.
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God is in Control of the Details of our Lives
God will work out His plans
When we’re walking in right relationship with the living God, we can rest assured that everything’s under control – His control.
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Dealing Well with Discouragement
While it’s easy for me to analyze Elijah’s situation and say what he should or should not have done, I believe there are some good principles to learn from him.
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Gaining Rewards From Taking Risks
Taking God-given risks changes that. It keeps my faith alive and vibrant. It drives me into the Word and forces me to cling to God’s promises.
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The Importance of Avoiding the Comparison Trap
Do you ever compare yourself to other people? C’mon, be honest. I’ve fallen into that trap a few times, and guess what? It’s not a comfy place to land.
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Rules, Rules, Rules – Good for a Reason
The list of rules flushed everything that looked like fun, so I picked the ones I wanted to obey and rationalized my way through the rest.
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Obedience Helps Promote Our Spiritual Health
Obedience to God is vital to one’s spiritual growth and effectiveness. Without it, we’re like a brittle bush, stunted and unfruitful. I know. I’ve been there.
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What to do When Your World Falls Apart
David and his men had traveled for three days without food or water. They were exhausted, and now they were faced with their loss.
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Avoid Regrets – Pray Before Taking Action
What’s your usual response when faced with major decisions? Do you rush ahead or do you take a moment to ask God for direction?
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Crying for God’s Help in the Storms of Life
When I feel afraid, Psalm 107 speaks to me. One section tells of sailors whose ships were tossed to the heavens and plunged to the depths.
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A Promise for Moms Who Worry About Their Kids
Once upon a time, I raced to protect my kids from danger. If they fell and scraped a knee, I could give them a kiss and fix the owie. Now I can’t do that.
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Don’t Let Problems Erase Your Memory
One’s memory of God’s promises often fails when life deals a tough blow. Stress and fear sabotage our minds, and our ability to recall His words takes flight.
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Why Does God Use Curious Methods?
Our nature feels secure when things make sense, when we can formulate plans and see how they’ll work. But God’s methods don’t fit our mould.
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Say Yes to God and Do it Afraid
Yes, Gideon was a fearful guy, but thankfully he didn’t allow his fears to stop him from obeying God’s call. What swayed Gideon to “do it afraid?”
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A Powerful Question Jesus Asked
Jesus used questions often, and He used them well. Take this powerful question, for instance: “Why do you have so little faith?”
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Freedom From Relationship Not Tradition
If Jesus Christ died on mankind’s behalf, then God must desperately want to release spiritually dead people from the trap of religion.
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Observations and Facts About Ukraine
My time there also gave me a surprise personal link to the Ukraine. My whole life, I’ve known that my father was born in Russia but didn’t know what region.
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Laughter–A Missionary’s Must-Have
A sense of humor is essential for living in a foreign country. Perhaps the man who said that laughter works like a medicine had missionaries in mind.
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A Broken Tooth and A Kind Polish Dentist
While waiting for the anesthetic to take effect, he sat beside me and chatted. Suddenly he grabbed his drill and said, “Now I work.”
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What a Ride When God Takes the Wheel
Never in a million years would we have imagined we’d be doing this. What a ride when God takes the wheel.
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Tomato Juice, Spies, and Miracle Computer Fixes
Our trip to Poland and the Ukraine has begun, and so have the adventures and, yes, the misadventures.
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Keep Faith Simple – Follow Jesus and His Example
If we’d set aside our own desires, our own agenda, our own fears and insecurities to follow Jesus wholeheartedly, there’s be a lot more light and salt in this place.
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Moving Beyond Pointless Prayers to Powerful
Sometimes we ask God to prove His love for us. Why waste our breath when He’s already answered by sending Jesus to pay our death penalty?
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God Teaches Us and Then Comes the Test
What was the lesson God wanted them to learn? To trust His ability to provide for their needs. It looked as though they understood, but then came the test.
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What Should We Do – Pray or Get to Work?
In some cases, however, we’re called to do more than pray. We’re called to get up and do something about whatever the problem is.
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5 Promises for When You Need Guidance
Here’s my word to you–don’t be afraid. When your heart is bent on honoring God rather than serving yourself, He will guide your steps.
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My Secret to Moving Beyond Fear
I say, “The Lord is with me. I will trust and not be afraid.” Repeating this aloud several times works for me. It reminds me that God is in control.
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