Category: Home and Family

Finding forgiveness for the deepest hurts.  by Shirley A. Reynolds   On a concrete bench in a mausoleum courtyard, I tried to muster courage. Shaking my fist at the foliage, I said, “I’m not leaving until I’ve emptied my heart of this anger toward my mother.” Oh Mama, I thought. Why did you use a…

The suffering of Christ gives newmeaning to a suffering man. by Douglas Hainer as told to Marguerite Tustan   My earliest memory is being struck in the head with the butt of a rifle. It was my fourth birthday. My older sister, jealous of the attention I was receiving, hit me so hard that I…

Releasing bitterness and finding peace. by Audrey Hector   Angry, rebellious, and bitter. I hated my husband. I hated my job. I hated people. But most of all, I hated God. I teetered on the edge of insanity and fell deeper and deeper into the black hole of depression. I wasn’t always this way. I…

Understanding past and present influencesto find freedom for the future. by Muriel Larson   My dedicated Christian friend, Melissa*, told me, “The memory of that awful experience when I was four has been indelibly seared into my mind; I have relived it again and again. It has profoundly affected my whole life. It is the…

What can we do about this modern crisis? by Jill Davis   Remember the H1N1 flu virus that President Barack Obama called a national emergency in the fall of 2009? Once 1,000 people died from the disease, the World Health Organization warned of a worldwide pandemic. Our health care system quickly mobilized as the public…

From rage to joy, hatred to love. by Kay Cherry* as told to Muriel Larson   Raging with anger, I struck fiercely at my small daughter. She cringed in terror from the blows. Suddenly, I stopped and looked in horror at my tightly curled fist, then buried my face in my hands and wept. I’m…

Deliverance from the nightmare of spousal abuse. by Kay May with Muriel Larson   Norm seemed like such a nice guy when we dated. He had a great sense of humor, and we laughed a lot. We went to church together. He professed to be a Christian and even taught a Bible school class. Little…

Seeing our worth in the eyes of God. by JoAnn Wray   “Stop squirming! Hold still while I tie your shoe.” Whack! The frustrated mother slapped the four-year-old across the face. Then she twisted his arm for emphasis. “I said hold still!” The boy looked at his mom, bewildered. I could see his pain clearly….

A woman learns to cut loose the ties the bind. by Lynne Collins* as told to Muriel Larson   I was twenty when it happened. One evening I was washing dishes in the kitchen sink. The sound of the television in the living room kept my baby content; I could hear him banging his toys….

When ignorance isn’t bliss. by Bette Nordberg   When Nita moved in across the street, Susan was delighted to find that her new neighbor was also a full-time mom. Over time their friendship grew to include carpooling duties and occasional morning coffee. Though Susan had never known anyone in a violent relationship, it wasn’t long…