How do I continue trusting Him when my dreams have fallen apart? Have you ever asked these questions? Surely, we all have. Because life is tough and unpredictable and rarely happens the way we plan. When my twenty-one-month old daughter, Haven, was diagnosed with malignant brain cancer, these were the question scrolling through my…
One Plot or Two
Editor’s note: Kayla Stoecklein is a voice of compassion and hope for those oppressed with the mostly-taboo topic of suicide. It’s a delicate issue, one haunted by shame and fear, and one that needs to be brought into the light of God’s grace. In Fear Gone Wild, Kayla shares her and Andrew’s story but above…
Cherish Today
Stop Wishing for the Next Season of Life and Start Living Today’s Tell me if this sounds familiar. You’re seventeen years old, a senior in high school, and all anyone can ask you about is where you’re going to go to college and what you’re going to major in. You finally choose a college and…
The World’s Worst Neighbor
That’s me. I’m terrible at neighborhood stuff. I’m aware of this. I don’t like it, and I’m trying to change it. Because I’m socially awkward, the last thing I ever want to do is strike up a conversation with the guy walking in the apartment next door. I’ve got nothing to say. I’ve even practiced…
Relentless: A Prison
A God who is with you in your doubt ~ John Flavel, Late minister of the Gospel at Dartmouth It was my third trip to the airport in four days. And I had at least a half dozen more coming up in the days to follow. The day after traveling home from a conference and…
Go Ahead and Cry
Growing Tears I waited patiently for God to help me; then He listened and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out from the bog and the mire, and set my feet on a hard, firm path, and steadied me as I walked along. — Psalm 40:1-2 TLB As a…
Journey into the Fire of Surrender
For He will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. — Malachi 3:2-3 The embers glowed as the blacksmith stoked the fire. One callused hand held a piece of metal to…
Home For Christmas
I pulled my five-year-old closer to my chest and planted a kiss on the top of her head. I was reading about the memorial services for the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. My daughter Lenya was sitting on my lap, snuggling me. We had nicknamed her “Lenya Lion” for her ferocious personality…
Grief: The No-Change For a Year Rule
“No change for a year.” That’s the mantra of all grief counselors, particularly those who work in the funeral business. When you lose a loved one, don’t make any sudden moves. No new jobs. No new house. No new haircut. Just keep steady. That makes sense, really. We take comfort in the familiar — old slippers, old chairs,…