Sowing in tears, reaping in joy. by Harriet E. Michael “Mom. . . I’m pregnant.” My twenty-year-old daughter, a junior at a Christian college, spoke in a calm voice, rocking my world and changing it forever. The phone had rung a little before midnight, waking me from a sound sleep. My daughter continued, “I’ve…
Author: nowwhat
Personal Wailing Wall
A place to talk to God, no matter where we are. by Susan Browning Schulz The ring of the phone startled me. I glanced at the caller ID and quickly lifted the receiver. “Hi, Dad. What’s up?” “Suzi, the hospital here in the Keys is unable to do anything more for your mother.” I…
Testing God’s Promises
What God says He will do is more than just words. by Karen Foster I sit among strangers in a sterile hospital room, waiting. We each wait for our loved one to come out of surgery. We wait in our own little worlds. Read a magazine. Check a smart phone. Stare straight ahead as…
Reaching Out
How can we reach out to those who are grieving? In my grief journey as a widow, I gained valuable insights about a support system. Accept my feelings. Don’t make me feel as if I have to apologize or be ashamed of my grief. Give me time to mourn. Listen to me. Let me tell…
Redefining Myself
Coping with loss often means discovering a “new you.” by Becky LeRud The paperwork looked routine until the words marital status leaped off the page. I paused, tears streaming down my cheeks. This was the first time I had to mark that dreaded word: widow. I was facing an identity crisis: no longer a…
Unemployment: A Gift in Disguise
How God can work a negative into a positive. by Candace Simar You never thought unemployment could happen to you, but here you are — jobless. Rather than feel sorry for yourself, take a deep breath and a second look. You may have been given the greatest gift of your life. Think about it. How…
Back from the Dead
by Steve Henderson “Going to Texas. Nice knowing you.” The handwritten note on the TV set stunned me. It was from my wife Daneen. Without saying anything to me beforehand, she had taken our little daughter and left me behind in Oklahoma. In a way, I couldn’t blame her. I had been coming home…
Eating Disorders: A Mother’s Perspective
by Katherine Lange The doors to Mercy Hospital swung open to me – again. For ten years, my husband and I have battled the horror and heartache of our daughters’ eating disorders. We have consulted with psychologists, physicians, and therapists for our girls while their health and lives have disintegrated. Today, they are finally…
Escape From a Nightmare
The darkest shame finds the brightestlight of God’s healing power. by Pete Riley as told to Carol McGalliard I lived in a nightmare. I was studying to become a minister but knew I was being hypocritical: I was a sex addict. It was depressing and horrible knowing what was right and being powerless to…
I Just Couldn’t Say No
What would one drag on a joint hurt? by Jason Gomez as told to Christy Heitger-Casbon I glanced at my watch: 6:55 p.m. I couldn’t believe there were only five minutes left in youth group. For as far back as I could remember, I’d been connected to these people. Flashbacks of retreats, church lock-ins,…