Depression and holidays often go hand-in-hand. The holiest of celebratory days are meant to bring joy, but sometimes they only bring reminders of loss and grief. When holiday blues come, remembering Jesus is always with me and I am never alone helps. Holiday Losses The last time I saw my mom was on Thanksgiving 1987. I knew her cancer was terminal, but when we left my sister’s house to head back across the Washington mountains to home, I never thought... Read more
Jesus seeks the broken. He longs to heal, if only we are open to getting well. What about you? Are you feeling broken—do you struggle with depression, chronic illness, loneliness, or despair that never seem to end? I’ve Been There There was a time in my life when I felt broken beyond repair. I even read a book called The Broken Brain that described me perfectly. It offered hope in psychiatric medications, but I was already on the highest possible dose... Read more
Are you feeling forsaken by God? Do you think He doesn’t care about what happens to you? Scripture is clear that you are not forsaken, even when you feel like you are. A Stack Poem about Faith I love to write poetry, and one of my favorite poetry form is called “stack poetry.” I write a poem by drawing upon the titles of books, which I stack up so that the titles create the structure for the poem. You can... Read more
“Forgiveness heals,” I told my friend. “Why should I forgive?” she asked. “He doesn’t deserve it.” “Because forgiveness heals and you deserve healing.” It took God a long time to teach me this lesson. Sometimes I must relearn it, or at least be reminded of hard-won lessons of the past. Counseling Advice Years ago, I went to a secular counselor to help me overcome depression. We talked a lot about trauma I had endured, including multiple times I was date... Read more
Fear is a liar. Well, maybe not always. If fear tells you not to step out on the ledge of a skyscraper, it’s probably telling the truth. If fear tells you to wear a life vest when sailing in choppy ocean waters, it’s probably offering wise and truthful counsel. If fear tells you not to pick up a venomous snake, you might want to listen. But often fear—when the potential consequences it warns about are not fatal or even dangerous—is... Read more
The book of Revelation presents a perfect balance of justice and mercy. But it requires considering this challenging book in light of scripture as a whole, and possibly trying to teach this truth to kids, to see it clearly. Teaching Revelation to Fourth Graders I have intentionally done some scary things in my life. One time, I jumped out of an airplane at 10,000 feet with only an instructor and a parachute on my back. On several occasions, I rode... Read more
What makes Jesus different? What makes Christianity different from other religions? The answer is relatively simple, and yet I believe human pride has turned it into the hardest question of all time. I’ve seen posts on Patheos that ask, and attempt to answer, the question: Do Adherents of Abrahamic Faiths Worship the Same God? Since Christians, Jews, Muslims, Baha’is all claim to worship the God of Abraham, the question would seem to be easily answered yes. However, I think this... Read more
Love and mercy are at the heart of faith. As a parent, my hope was to raise my son to know love and mercy, to know Jesus. There have been times I thought I had failed. But as I see my son Benton now, I see a heart of love and mercy. My Son Is “Not Religious” “I’m not religious.” That’s what my long-time friend from church said Benton told her. I’m not sure why she thought it so important... Read more
Today I am navigating grief. Love, loss, and irony have been on my mind since my last article in which I wrote about my sweet Cockapoo Roman. In that article I said that I didn’t know if he would make it to 19. He barely lived 24 hours from the time I posted that article. I began that morning as I do every morning, reading my Bible and journaling a short prayer. I read Psalm 36, which was the next... Read more
Love is risky business, but love is worth it. “God is love.” (1 John 4:8). When we give and receive love, whether it be with another person or a beloved pet, we are close to God. But when we lose one whom we love, it hurts. Is, therefore, it better to not love? Is that the best way to avoid being hurt? I think not. Love is worth every bit of hurt; Jesus showed us that on the cross. A... Read more
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