One bite called for another, but she craved the wrong thing. by Jeannie Moore One night while I watched TV with my twelve-year-old daughter, Joanna, an actress appeared on the screen. She was about my age, with a slender body and beautiful long, brown hair. As she applied suntan oil, the young woman showed off…
Tag: Physical Health
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…
Finding 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…
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,…
Learning 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….
My 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…
Hymn of Healing
Old words bring new life. by Carolyn Appleyard as told to Dan Lewis Campbell I knew the drill; I’d been down this road before. The room number was different, but when I closed my eyes, it was the same: the sounds, the smells — hospital smells — the feel of sterile sheets enfolding me…
Taking the Plunge
What grit, determination, and radical faith can do. by Angie Davis-Beyer as told to Karen Foster My lips trembled as I stared into the deep end of the indoor swimming pool. It was inches from my face; I could smell the chlorinated water. But when the dive master asked me to lower my head…
A Change in Plans
In sickness and in health. . . . by Brenda Blanchard “Right, two, three, four; left, two, three, four,” the step aerobics instructor counted. “Keep those hands moving in unison with your feet.” The feeling of pins and needles started in my fingers, traveled to my hands, then on up to the elbows. I…
A Faith Healer Nearly Destroyed My Faith
Learning the hard way what God saysabout sickness and health. by Rebecca Schrader as told to Esther M. Bailey Never have I considered myself a gullible person. When I held a top executive position in business, I readily recognized the difference between ethical and fraudulent schemes. Since then, my life has undergone drastic changes….