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…
Read moreCategory: Social Issues
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…
Read moreFinding Father
Reconnecting with vital relationships. by Alicea Jones Tall, thin, and decided, he anchored our home and gave us a sense of completion. We held Daddy in awe; he taught us the Twenty-third Psalm, about God being our shepherd and walking with us even through death. He was a dreamer, and we dreamed right along…
Read moreFreed From Bulimia
Seeking help from the perfect God for our imperfections. by Kaylie Biggs as told to Karen Whiting One of my mother’s friends prayed over me while I grew inside the womb. Her prayers worked: I arrived a healthy baby girl after a C-section. Unfortunately, due to poor choices later in life, I didn’t stay…
Read moreLearning From Scars
His blood — not ours — bringsfreedom from harmful habits. by Shelbie Mae For weeks I had tried to ignore the scars and open cuts on my sister’s arms and legs, but they stuck out like molehills burrowed into smooth grass. When a knock sounded on my bedroom door, I knew it was she….
Read moreHidden Shame: The Growing Problem of Sexual Addiction
Understanding the past and patterns of a secret sin. by Carol McGalliard The final strains of the wedding processional ring through the sanctuary. A radiant bride gazes into the eyes of the beaming groom and vows that she will “love, honor, and cherish this man . . . in sickness and health, for better,…
Read moreI 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,…
Read moreMy Turn to Die
Navigating the ups and downs of addictive behavior. by K. P. Rojas The letter sat on my desk, unopened. Why was I afraid to open it? Because I knew there was something in that letter I didn’t want to read, didn’t want to tackle. I had no idea its pages would lead to a…
Read moreSaving Ophelia
A woman discovers how God works from the inside out. by Kimberly Davidson Ophelia, in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, illustrates the destructive forces affecting young women. Ophelia is a typical girl, footloose and fancy-free. But she loses herself in adolescence. She falls in love with Hamlet and lives only for his approval. She doesn’t have a…
Read moreNot Just a Girl Thing
A man learns what women more often know:the emotional and physical trauma of anorexia. by Paul C. Mihalak Why did I end up like this? How did my life turn out so wrong? These questions and many others rumbled like a freight train through my foggy brain. The bright lights of the emergency room…
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