Child Sexual Abuse

Oprah says the graphic details should be hard for people to hear. “We are supposed to hear it, and we are supposed to, where appropriate, see it because that is the only way it ever gets changed,” she says. “It’s one thing for us to hear it. It’s another thing for children to have to [...]

Confidence in the Lord

As a child, the confidence I should have had in my parents to protect me was severely damaged. I did not trust that they would keep me safe. I could not go to them for help. In fact, when I was a teen I went to my mom and told her that [...]

Wide vs. Narrow Gate

There I was, five years old, dressed in a pretty, white party dress, and standing in front of a door. As I stood there the door opened and Jesus came walking out. He held out his hand to me. I started to reach for his hand, then I lowered my [...]

Mom

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Matthew 5:7. This verse hit me hard last Wednesday morning as I sat listening to our associate pastor, Betsy, talk about the Beatitudes. I could not hold the tears back and I almost had to get up to leave as I had [...]

Focus of restoration

As I was reading in Ezra this morning I was reminded, yet again, of the fact that the Lord loves me. But this time that fact took on a more significant meaning. Life situations over the years had left me beaten and without hope. In recent years it seemed as if there [...]

Why me?

I recently said to a friend, “I have had way more than my fair share of tragedy in life. Why me?” I wasn’t feeling sorry for myself. I was more puzzled than anything. Last year it just got to the point where one thing after another was happening. Life was [...]