by Ruth Gartner We had just gotten home from church when the phone rang. It was the Medical Center South. A nurse in ICU said she had been unable to reach the chaplain on duty for that day. Would my husband Dave, a minister, come in his place? Dave agreed to go. When we…
Read moreMonth: November 2010
Life After Abortion
by Lezlie M. Winberry Life after abortion: Is there really such a thing? Although this thought didn’t consciously run through my mind, it burned deep within my heart. I was young and single the first time I became pregnant. Because of morning sickness, I quit my job. I was not eligible for unemployment and…
Read moreLife After Abortion-Telling Your Family
The following will help women tell their husbands, children, and other loved ones about their abortion. Pray long before sharing. Ask others to pray for you. Begin meditating on God’s promises in the Bible (Isaiah 41:10: “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will…
Read moreLife After Abortion-Effects of Abortion
Some of the effects women experience after an abortion are: the inability to get pregnant depression projection (taking care of someone else’s child) not wanting to tell the people closest to them wondering constantly about the baby wanting to replace the child with another pregnancy anger toward the father of the baby or toward others…
Read moreWhen God Whispered
by Beth Swain “I know you’re frightened about being hospitalized, but remember that God cares about you. Here is a Bible verse that has helped me cope with dark times. . . .” I crunched my friend’s kind note into a tight ball and threw it to the floor. Sunken on the couch, I…
Read moreUnderstanding Bipolar Disorder
You can help someone survive the fearsand extremes of manic-depression. by Nancy Hagerman Christy (not her real name) wept as we spoke on the phone. She is bipolar and deeply depressed. “I feel nothing. I can’t worship, and I know Jesus doesn’t love me anymore. At prayer meeting they told me if I had…
Read morePanic!
by Dianne E. Butts “Please help me, God,” I prayed silently. Tension squeezed the muscles in my upper back, crawling into my shoulders, climbing up my neck. I smiled weakly at the others filling the room. Relax, I coached myself. You can do this. I buried my icy hands beneath my Bible. “Welcome to…
Read morePanic – Where to Go for Help
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly a fourth (24.9%) of the adult population in the United States will struggle with an anxiety disorder sometime during their lives.1 If you or someone you love is struggling with an anxiety disorder, the following organizations* offer help: Anxiety Disorders Association of America6000 Executive Boulevard, Suite…
Read morePanic – What are Anxiety Disorders?
Everyone experiences anxiety, whether it’s dreading tomorrow’s math test or fearing a dangerous situation. However, anxiety disorders cause anxiety out of proportion to the situation and interfere with normal, daily activities. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), exaggerated tension without apparent cause, can be debilitating but doesn’t usually cause people to avoid certain situations. People with GAD…
Read moreMind Games
by Susan J. Shelley In February 1996 my ex-husband Frank Velez, a former deputy sheriff from Los Angeles County, was released from prison. He had served ten years for murdering our seventeen-year-old son in our Arizona home. I had suspected something was wrong with Frank several months before he killed Frank Jr. His eyes…
Read more