Organization and perfectionism ruled my life. Even my relationship with God was compartmentalized. He was in charge of my soul; I was in charge of…
If you have a deaf child or deaf family member, visit Gallaudet University Press (http://gupress.gallaudet.edu/). It is the only university for the deaf in the…
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…
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…
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…
Contact employer. Investigate any life insurance. Contact lawyer. Get copies of the will and powers of attorney. • Get advice on probating of will. •…
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….
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…
“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…
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…
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…
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…
Mother stopped laughing and placed her bingo card on the table. “Who are you?” she asked as her eyes studied my face. I answered and…
I lay on the bed, staring at the camera perched in the upper corner of the room and wondering what the people on the other…
His name was James. At sixteen weeks, my pregnancy was going fine, and I did all the right things. But one day when I went…
I was a seven-year-old cutie when I discovered my dad’s pornography. I had seen porn before at my uncle’s house. While it cut my female…
In a 2003 Focus on the Family poll, 47.8 percent said porn was a problem in their home. Maybe you’re one of them, unaware of…
Working at an alternative high school was never on my list of short-term or long-term goals. After teaching seven years in public high school, I…
Even though you may not have personally heard the words “Your services are no longer needed” or “The company is downsizing” or “You’re fired,” chances…
I recognized the name as I glanced over the temporary roster for third period sophomore English. No! I spent a few moments in private ranting…
“This is your thirty-day notice.” My young boss tilted back in his chair and stretched out his legs in front of him. “Your job is…
Recommended Reading When God Doesn’t Make Sense by James Dobson (Tyndale House Publishers, 1993) This is a practical book for those going through difficulties,…
Have you heard that novelty song from the early sixties about the reluctant cavalry member who begged to be excused from the Battle of Little…
Wednesday, January 29, 1997, was one of those days that becomes a point of reference for the rest of life, when events are explained as…
When my mother took her life, she took a part of mine, too. It felt as though she had rejected me, along with her faith…
“I have a problem about wanting to die.” I struggled to get the words out while sounding casual. After months of thinking about suicide, this…
“I don’t know what to do!” The caller’s voice was racked with anguish. “I can’t go on this way, and I can’t go back and…
When Eleanor James’ father developed esophageal cancer in 1990, questions about compassion for the dying and assisted suicide leaped out of the news and became…
Techniques CONTACT people have used to save lives: Be supportive. Let the troubled person know he has done the right thing in talking to you….
“What a wonderful life I’ve had! I only wish I’d realized it sooner.” — Colette [1] On a warm May evening in 1996, Jamie*, a…
Footnotes Eleanor James, Christian American, “When Dad Asked to Die,” March/April 1997, p. 31, 32 International Anti-Euthanasia Task Force (online report), http://www.iaetf.org/jk.htm, p. 1 Dr….
Footnotes Believing in Ourselves: The Wisdom of Women Copyright © 1992. Armand Eisen, Andrews and McMeel a University Press Syndicate Co. CD-ROM “Suicide,” Microsoft Encarta…
There’s a natural process to death that assisted suicide may cut short. In her book On Death and Dying (MacMillan, 1969), Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross devotes…
“Can you come with me?” my mother’s tearful voice asked over the phone. “Grandpa’s dying.” The hospital had sent her father home with medication to…
A rainy day in Texas. The winter wind blew briskly on the wet gravesite. Those of us standing there sang “Amazing Grace” with more true…
I was dusting the top shelf when I found it: a brown paper bag resting neatly on top of a row of theology books. Ironic,…
I stood behind my bedroom door, fists clenched. “I’ll show them,” I vowed. “I’ll show them I don’t need them. I’ll show them I can…
Pornography. Just the harmless pastime of curious boys and sex-deprived men — or so I thought. My perception of pornography changed dramatically when a friend…
Overcoming Porn Addiction Confront your offending spouse with love and honesty (Ephesians 4:15). Confess your sins to each other and forgive one another, each owning…
I stared in the mirror at the bruises covering my thighs, abdomen, and breasts, then crumpled onto my bed. Those dark bruises on my body…
If you or someone you know is struggling with pornography, the following organizations offer help for overcoming addiction and for helping an addict’s family cope…
Why does it seem so few people come forward for healing from homosexuality? Why do some simply declare it cannot be done and resist even…
Pulling my arm back, I heaved a brick through the jewelry store window. A burglar alarm stunned me with its loud, insistent ring. I jumped…
“She was the largest and most luxurious ship afloat. On her maiden voyage, she epitomized the leading edge of the technology of the time, inspiring…
The snow was falling as my husband and I drove through the Jemez Mountains in New Mexico. Some snow covered the ground, but we were…
I was unmarried and pregnant. I knew abortion was wrong, but my boyfriend, Bob, insisted I have one. He was a musician, a “free spirit”…
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…
The menacing topic came up in college. I arrived late to class and spotted the bright red letters penned on the dry erase board: ABORTION….
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…
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…
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…
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 you’re frightened about being hospitalized, but remember that God cares about you. Here is a Bible verse that has helped me cope with…
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…
“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…
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…
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…
Manic-depression Manic-depression usually results from a personality disorder. Extreme stress can also trigger it. Mild cases can be treated with medication, psychotherapy, and rehabilitation. Symptoms…
Contrary to what some think, mental illness isn’t the same as mental retardation. Retardation stems from a learning and intellectual disability. Mental illness is a…
Don’t think you can handle it alone. Contact a mental health organization, such as NAMI, and call a friend or neighbor to help. Don’t leave…
Insanity is used as a defense against responsibility for a crime. The first modern test of insanity was the M’Naghten rule (1843). It held…
The door swung shut behind me, and the automatic lock clicked on. Shoes and socks, watch, purse, and even my wedding ring were confiscated at…
Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 800-826-2950 Grief Recovery Helpline 800-445-4808 Information Referrals & Crisis Helpline 800-233-4357 National Depressive and Manic-Depressive Association 800-826-DMDA (3632) National…
“Gayle, your husband called me,” my gynecologist said over the phone, “and he seems very worried about you.” “About what?” I asked, well aware of…
As the train rumbled past the East Coast countryside, taking my daughter and me to New York City for a vacation, my thoughts were as…
If you think you’re depressed, be sure to get help: See your doctor. He can test for illnesses that can cause depression, such as low…
“It’s organic, and there’s nothing you can do about it.” My shoulders sagged as I absorbed my doctor’s statement. My problem was not burnout, PMS,…
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than 17 million Americans suffer from depressive illness each year. About twice as many women are…
The Bible never says it is a sin to be depressed. Several strong men in the Bible who followed God became depressed: the prophet Elijah…
I sat in a corner of the mental hospital, my legs shaking up and down. Diagnosed with alcoholic’s psychosis, I was considered clinically insane. I…
Early in my career, a concerned 22-year-old mother named Karen approached me and asked if her daughter’s imaginary friend was an early sign of “insanity.”…
The hospital emergency room bustled with activity around nine o’clock on a weeknight. My mother and father checked me in to triage. I stood between…
Life is a deep black hole and I’m stuck. Physical problems bombard my body — or do they exist only in my mind? I’m drowning…
Janice [1] opened the closet door, knelt, pushed shoes aside, and crawled into the farthest corner, shutting the door behind her. In the dark, she…
Postpartum depression is nothing to be ashamed of. After a woman gives birth, changes in her hormone levels can spark a host of rollercoaster emotions….
Love him, my mind demanded. Tears dripped from my chin, wetting a pale blue nightgown I still wore late afternoon. The stubbornness of my heart…
Have you heard about the man who had a plane to catch at an early hour? Having set his alarm, he sat on the edge…
The gospel is a regal thing. Jesus said, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God . . .” (Luke 4:43). Abraham…
Have you ever read about the gymnast who, after earning a gold medal, chose to accept the silver instead? Have you ever witnessed someone stating…
For many people, holidays are a time of joy and nostalgia. But for others, holiday sights and sounds open painful wounds. The widow, with every…
By this time in his life, Abraham was used to obeying God without question. So when the command came in the night “Go to Moriah…
My mother is going blind. What was once a tiny black hole in her vision grew until she could no longer see out of that…
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew…
I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved (John 10:9, NIV). Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and…
We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14, NIV)….
The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the…
While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her born, a son (Luke 2:6, 7,…
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation (Revelation 3:14, NIV). And so it is. So…
I am the vine; you are the branches. . . . apart from me you can do nothing (John 15:5, NIV). Think positively! Inch by…
Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said,…
But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous (1 John 2:1, NRSV). I was a new teacher…
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering (Isaiah 53:3, NIV). “You don’t know how I feel!” Becky…
And let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith . ….
Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel” (John 1:49, NIV). Parade day in our town is…
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John…
“I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” (John 8:58, NIV). Jesus was a radical, a revolutionary, a rebel —…
“The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned”…
“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! Isn’t this the…
The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners”…
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1). Children sing “Sticks and stones may…