In 2008 it rained for days and days in northern England. A family in Chester-le-Street went out for a walk. The 3-year-old daughter, Laura, wanted to jump in the puddles. So that’s just what she did. She ran toward a puddle at the side of the street and jumped! Then she disappeared. Laura’s parents ran … Continue reading When trauma and danger come
hope
If you glorify the past
I’m no stranger to nostalgia. I like looking back and remembering the good ole days. But is there a point when looking back too much is harmful? I believe that if you glorify the past you handcuff the present. In other words, if you put too much stock in what has happened in the past, … Continue reading If you glorify the past
“When I was in pain”
Craig Groeschel's 78-year old grandmother was living alone when she had a stroke and fell in her bathroom. She was paralyzed. And alone. For three days. On a cold, hard bathroom floor. A neighbour eventually checked in on her and called an ambulance. For the next 6 months she was under the constant care of … Continue reading “When I was in pain”
Wait, wait, wait… Boom!
You probably want awesome things for you life. Me too. Have you been waiting? Are you frustrated? If so, this encouragement is for you.
Pour yourself into what’s in front of you
In World War Two, Viktor Frankl found himself in a Nazi concentration camp. His book Man's Search for Meaning recounts many of the terrible things he endured. But he also talks about how you can find meaning even in horrible situations. Here’s an example. Some of Frankl’s fellow prisoners had figured out a way to escape. … Continue reading Pour yourself into what’s in front of you
Without food we can live for weeks… but hope?
1 Peter 1:3 “he has given us new birth into a living hope...” (NIV) Today's Thought Unfortunately, we live in a time of increasing despair. Last year, a front page New York Times article titled “U.S. Suicide Rate Surges to 30-Year High,” highlighted the sobering fact that overall suicides rose 24% between 1999 to 2014. … Continue reading Without food we can live for weeks… but hope?
The near-cataclysmic brain attack
Isaiah 9:2 "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned." (NIV) Today's Thought It’s hard to wait for things. And our society doesn’t make it any easier. We’re used to getting things pretty much right away. The other day I was in the … Continue reading The near-cataclysmic brain attack
You’re in a win-win playoff
1 Corinthians 15:26 "The last enemy to be destroyed is death." (NIV) Today's Thought He was a 30 year-old truck driver. His future was ahead of him and it was all smooth sailing. Until. As Billy Graham tells it, one day while driving he started to get pains in his chest. He went to the hospital … Continue reading You’re in a win-win playoff
If not you, who?
Revelation 21:4-5 "'He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death' or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (NIV) Today's Thought It was a grade 11 philosophy class. We were reading challenging thinkers like Martin Buber and Friedrich Nietzsche. But when it came to … Continue reading If not you, who?
