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On Suicide Prevention: You Matter
[Guest Post by Jami Witherell – I “met” Jami when I watched her episode on Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition. She inspired me to try running for the first time. Her story was so real, so honest (my kind of friend). She shared on the show about dealing with suicide. I asked if I could share her story and she said YES. You can read her original post in it’s entirety here.] I am reminded it’s much easier to pick out flaws in others than it is to accept them in myself. And realizing that is helping me–not so much forgive (that will take time), but press on into today’s post…
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When God Intervenes
[Guest Post by Dabney Hedegard – Her story inspired me and I couldn’t wait to share. Through her story, God showed me how proud I had become towards my future children. If God could allow Dabney to have her first child while battling cancer, what’s my excuse? I hope you enjoy. You can purchase a copy of her new book, When God Intervenes here.] We brought Madison home after a week in the NICU. I finally learned how to cradle and dress her five-pound preemie body without feeling as if I’d break something. I couldn’t kiss and snuggle with her enough. A week and a half after Madison’s birth, she and Jason kept…
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Do You Want to Get Well?
I believe God is serious when he asks you and I the question, “Do you want to get well?” In John 5, we read the story of an invalid who had been seriously crippled for many, many, many, many years. In other words–a long time! The story goes, “Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gatea pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When…
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How to Move On With Your Life
One of the toughest questions to answer is how to move on with your life. Why? Because it’s both personal and painful. Unfortunately, it’s a question no one else can answer but you. I’ll never forget a few years back when I sat in my church’s counseling office. I had booked an appointment last minute because my life at that time was in major crisis mode. I never knew when I was going to have a panic attack or how long it would last. But, I remember her vividly. The lady whom I didn’t like or care for much. She was just someone who could see me at the last minute.…
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Forgive a Murderer
[Guest Post by Laurie Coombs – I met my new sweet friend through our mutual friend Sarah Francis Martin. Her story on forgiveness rocked my world. Could I forgive a murderer and not only that but–without ruining her story–please keep reading!] What do you do when your world comes crashing down upon you? What do you do when tragedy strikes? When relationships fail? When trust has been broken? When your cheated on, lied to, abandoned, and just downright sinned against? I can tell you this much. Everything inside you will want to hold onto the anger you feel. You’ll be drawn toward bitterness. Yet, even though you may be just…
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Surrendered Dreams
[Guest Post by Rayni Peavy – I am so glad I met Rayni two years ago at the San Diego Christian Writer’s Guild. I have seen her blossom in her writing and in life. It’s so neat that she choose to share about surrendered dreams, because we don’t always see or meet a person when they’re in the season of waiting. May her story encourage you to hang in there and keep dreaming even when you can’t see anything!] I’m just like you. I have a dream. Many dreams, in fact. There are things that I long to accomplish because they make my heart sing. And there are prophecies spoken…
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The Kermit Gosnell Trial
[Monthly Contributor – Hannah Stovall – I specifically asked her to write an article about the Kermit Gosnell trial. In light of the Boston Marathon, we as Americans can’t be afraid. We can no longer afford to stay comfortable. What is happening in the world today is beyond horrific. Beyond disgusting. Beyond what any doctor should ever be tried over. I am grateful for Hannah for taking the time to present the facts, so you and I can stay informed.] It was years after his arrest that I first read the name Kermit Gosnell trial. On March 22 of this year, a sweet girl sent me a link to an…
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Suicide, Mental Illness, Murder, and the Church
As the creator of Quarter Life Conference, I am honored to announce the next #QLC online event on June 20th on the topic of church. Honestly? This couldn’t come at a more important time. Earlier this week, I heard the devastating news that Pastor Rick Warren lost his 27 year old son, Matthew to suicide. I was touched by his personal letter on the Saddleback Church blog. He said, “But only those closest knew that he struggled from birth with mental illness, dark holes of depression, and even suicidal thoughts. In spite of America’s best doctors, meds, counselors, and prayers for healing, the torture of mental illness never subsided. Today,…
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New Theme for April: Pursuing Dreams
This April I am introducing a new theme on pursuing dreams. When I was in my early 20’s, I had a dream about my future. I was at a concert and I had a brochure of people’s pictures and where they would end up in 20 years based on the choices they were making today. I hoped to see my picture, and when I did I was immediately excited. In my picture, I saw that I was married and we had a daughter. I couldn’t wait for this dream to come true. I became very frustrated when the years 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25 went by with no…
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What's good about Good Friday?
[Monthly Contributor – Hannah Stovall – I always appreciate the way Hannah’s writes about events with such child-like faith. As she writes about Good Friday, I can’t help but see the wonder from the point of view of a child.] Working in children’s ministry, my brain is constantly in kid mode, especially when it comes to holidays. What do they really think about Halloween? How exactly do they feel about Christmas? What is good to them about Good Friday? That was the big question at our midweek programming on Wednesday night. Small talk with littles quickly turned to the Divine when their wheels started turning. It was hard for them…
