Being a parent is a lot like being a detective. When a child enters your family by birth or adoption, you begin one of the greatest investigative missions of your life. Have you ever considered the mystery wrapped up in that sleeping (or screaming!) newborn tucked into his car seat? You know he was made in God’s image. You know she is deeply loved by God and by his family. But who is he really...
I appreciated the moment of honesty. She said, half with anger and half with deep sadness, “Keep me? It feels more like he’s killing me!” I was talking with a young lady, Lisa, who had been struggling with her singleness for a long time. A number of times, she had a relationship that seemed to be working, but either she said or did something wrong, or the guy she was with just wasn’t the right...
Our sense of security is only as stable as the object of our hope. If we find security in our finances, we will ride the roller coaster of Wall Street. If we find confidence and identity in our marriage, our joy and peace will fluctuate with every fight or moment of miscommunication. If we draw our security from a political party, we will be elated when that party is in power and devastated with...
For those who find themselves in a destructive relationship, it’s difficult to know where to turn for help and discern a way forward. While it is normal to be disoriented by the chaos, in Navigating Destructive Relationships: 9 Steps toward Healing, counselor Brad Hambrick helps readers understand that they do not have to remain passive in response to their loved one’s destructive patterns. In...
Every week for more than a decade, I’ve helped lead a Bible study for students from my old high school. The school itself is academically rigorous and intentionally secular. It doesn’t allow religious meetings on campus, so students have met off campus each week for almost forty years to pray and discuss the Scriptures. I attended the group as a student and am truly grateful to be involved again...
