The persistent pursuit of the Hound of Heaven. by Roger Palms Not me! I didn’t want anything to do with Christianity. That was religion, and religion was for people who couldn’t stand on their own two feet. I was a student, attending Wayne State University in Detroit, when everything began to change. It started…
Read moreYear: 2011
How to Climb a Mountain
(when you want to sit and cry)Guidelines for dealing with the businessof a loved one’s death. by Ann Peachman So this is what executor means. I guess I signed up for this. When my husband died after an intense year of illness, I was physically and emotionally exhausted. During that year, I had taken…
Read moreFinishing Touches
Learning to survive a shipwrecked faith. by David G. Hawkins My wife of 50 years, Norma Jean, dies in September. She is cremated in a pressboard container “as soon as practicable after the expiration of 48 hours.” Following the church service is the greet-and-meet reception, the “geriatrics’ cocktail hour.” A cluster of friends must…
Read moreHow to Climb a Mountain – Checklist
Contact employer. Investigate any life insurance. Contact lawyer. Get copies of the will and powers of attorney.• Get advice on probating of will.• Get deeds changed on any joint property. Contact insurance company immediately. Contact bank. Joint accounts, any investments, registered retirement savings plans (RRSP’s), etc. need to be transferred.• Establish an estate account to…
Read moreTaking Off My Rings
Finding a world outside “Kansas.” by Ann Peachman I stared at my hand and knew I needed to remove my rings. My husband was dead, and everything normal in my life was altered. Although they felt as much a part of me as the freckles on my arms, I realized that the familiar look…
Read moreMore on Autism
Autism was first identified in 1943 by Dr. Leo Kanner of Johns Hopkins University. More than 1.5 million Americans are affected by autism. One in every 150 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with autism. Ten years ago, it was one in 2,500, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease…
Read moreA Different Path
Learning to see the unique design of the Creator. by Sanet Smit “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life” (John 9:3, NIV). OK, now we’re cooking! I thought as I read this familiar scripture. God made this…
Read moreLost and Found
Scriptural truth in the threat of tragedy. by Bonnie Evans Morning offered no hints that this day would be different than any other Wednesday, that it would be overwhelmed by every parent’s worst nightmare or teach me lessons I would never forget. Innocent request Just as I slid the last dumpling into the simmering…
Read moreProwling Beast Present Savior
An Alaskan adventure puts onefrightened faith to the test. by Samuel Hall I jerked awake, aware not of a sound but of a presence. I cocked my head but heard only the patter of drops on the rain fly. A swish of wind scrubbed even that, leaving a silence as impenetrable and obstinate as…
Read moreA Patch of Blue Sky
Finding light in mental darkness. by Ruth Schiffmann Some people are like a patch of blue sky every day. Their voices soothe secret hurts. Their smiles absorb harsh words. Their touch heals mortal wounds. Their souls are thick and can cushion the most force-felt blow. My mother was one of those people. She clung…
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