A new adventure of biblical truth. by Betty Smith Sixteen-year-old Angela struggled to find the chord among the piano keys. She pressed a combination. The sound made me cringe. “It’s okay,” I assured her. As I reached for the keyboard, I felt my heart quickening. My hand trembled as it hovered over the keys….
Category: Home and Family
Learning to Feel Again
by Beth Swain Relieved, I watched the counselor gather his papers without asking me that dreaded question. Then, as if an afterthought, he asked, “Oh, was there any sexual abuse?” There it was. “You mean with me?” I asked, attempting a casual facade. Still, my quivering voice betrayed me. “Yes, with you.” His kind…
Midst Roses and Concrete
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…
My Daughter Was a Victim of Domestic Violence
A mother’s pain leads to helping others. by Ginger Green as told to Sherri Langton A sunny redhead, an honor student: Not the type of girl you’d expect to see lying still and pale in a coroner’s room. But on Monday, May 13, 1991, there she was — our daughter, Margo, dead at twenty-two….
Rescue of the Throwaway Child
The providence of God in overcoming an abusive past. by Sandra Carlson* as told to Calvin Burrell At seven, I walked; at fifteen, I talked; at fifty, I began to live. Everything about my childhood was painful – right from the start. I was born physically and mentally slower than my five brothers and…
Confessions of a Workaholic
God sets the captives free — evenwhen they’re doing His work. by Bob Jones as told to Julie Guirgis My wife, Jane, rings at 6:00 p.m. “Will you be home for dinner?” Frustration is in her voice. “Twenty minutes, I promise,” I tell her. But as usual, I know it will be another late…
A Place for Grace
Removing the stigma from single parenthood. by Dawn Shanks, MEd My three-year-old’s voice became increasingly louder. “But why, Mom?!” he repeatedly asked, though I told him to pick only six books — the limit we had agreed on in the car. Our bag could not hold any more books without ripping. Not surprisingly, he…
One of Her Songs
Finding wholeness in the empty nest. by Beth Farley I was heading to the bookstore to do some writing when indigestion reminded me that I had forgotten my heartburn medicine. I can’t go to the bookstore without drinking a cup of café coffee; I can’t drink coffee without the heartburn medicine, so off to…
Heart and Soul
Christ performs major surgery on the deepest need. by Dave Moors as told to Priscilla Tate Gilmore In February 2001, when my wife was four months pregnant, our obstetrician, Dr. Robert Olson, delivered alarming news: “Based on previous blood tests, there is a ten percent chance that your baby will be born with Down’s…
Naming Jason
Surrender to the sovereign will of God is not always easy. by Karen Foster A sharp pain jarred me awake at 4 a.m. Rubbing my large belly, I urged my unborn son, “Settle down in there.” I breathed deeply, but another searing pain made me bolt up in bed. My heart pounded. I can’t…