Author: Administrador

Topics: Danger; Family; Fear; Habits; Sin; Temptation; Thoughts References: Matthew 5:29–30; 26:41; 1 Timothy 6:9; 1 Peter 5:8 One Sunday afternoon in December of 2005, Pedro Sainvil’s children, who had been outside playing in the snow, came rushing into the house screaming, “Dad, there’s a bear under the house!” Sainvil discovered that day that a … Continue reading “WHEN
A BEAR LURKS”

Topics: Death; Devotion; Emotions; Eternal Life; Faith; Grief; Heaven; Hope; Loss; Love; Marriage; Mortality; Perspective; Promises; Spouses References: 2 Samuel 14:14; Psalm 116:15; John 11:25–26; 14:1–6; Romans 6:23; 14:8; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18; 1 Peter 1:3 As he reflected on the death of his beloved wife, Margaret, Lyman Coleman wrote the following: The most painful decision … Continue reading “HONEY,
I MISS YOU”

Topics: Death; Grief; Mourning; Sorrow; Worldliness References: Matthew 5:4; 1 Corinthians 7:29–30; 1 Thessalonians 4:13 When his dog dies, Johnny, five, bursts out crying. His dog has been his constant companion; it slept at the foot of his bed. Now the dog is gone, and little Johnny is a basket case. Johnny’s dad stammers a … Continue reading “BAD
GRIEVING INSTRUCTIONS”

Topics: Abuse; Anxiety; Children; Conflict; Family; Fatherhood; Health; Motherhood; Stress References: Ephesians 6:4; Colossians 3:21 Childhood can be a very stressful time, but there is a difference between stresses caused inside and outside the home. Family stressors cause the most devastation. Researchers measured levels of cortisol, a hormone that is produced in a child’s saliva … Continue reading “TROUBLE
IN THE FAMILY”

Topics: Anxiety; Stress; Women References: Matthew 6:25–34; Philippians 4:6 Women are stressed; that’s for sure. Here’s what they say about how often they are stressed: •     all the time: 8 percent •     almost every day: 21 percent •     once/twice a week: 29 percent •     a few times a month: 31 percent •     a few days a year: 11 percent —USA … Continue reading “WOMEN
AND STRESS”

Topics: Confusion; Faith; Fear; Happiness; Worry References: Matthew 6:25–34; 2 Corinthians 4:16–18; Philippians 4:6–7 A dense fog covering seven city blocks to a depth of a hundred feet condensed into water wouldn’t quite fill a drinking glass. That’s according to the U.S. Bureau of Standards. Like fog, our worries can thoroughly block our vision of … Continue reading “THE
FOG OF WORRY”

Topics: Coping; Forgetting; Grief; Memories; Pain; Sorrow References: Job 16:12; John 16:20; 2 Corinthians 4:16; 1 Thessalonians 4:13 Fifty years ago, industrialists thought they could just bury toxic waste and it would go away. We have since learned it doesn’t just go away. Toxic waste leaks into the water table, contaminates crops, and kills animals. … Continue reading “LEAKING
GRIEF”

Topics: Mourning; Pain; Sorrow References: Matthew 5:4; John 16:20; 1 Thessalonians 4:13 What should people do when dealing with loss? I recently asked a seasoned Christian counselor about that. “I tell them to feel their feelings,” she said. “But I also urge people to reduce radically the pace of their lives. I urge them to … Continue reading “RUNNING
FROM PAIN”

Topics: Advent; Christmas; Freedom; Incarnation; Patience; Redemption; Salvation; Waiting on God References: Psalm 27:14; Acts 9:1–19 One Christmas we had an unexpected houseguest. A squirrel had fallen down the chimney into the wood burner stove in the basement of our home in Michigan. I thought if it knew we were there to help, I could … Continue reading “FREEING
THE SQUIRREL”

Topics: Afterlife; Death; Doubt; Hopelessness; Meaning of Life; Priorities; Skepticism; Values Reference: John 11:25 Samuel Johnson once said the prospect of being hanged concentrates a man’s mind wonderfully. I can testify that the prospect, extended over an hour or two, of dying in a gasoline fireball after an automobile crash does much the same. It … Continue reading “DEATH
COMES CALLING”