triggers
I didn’t think it would be that difficult. But as the technician placed the X-ray shield over my knee, handed me the headphones, and left the room, a sense of uncertainty surrounded me like the MRI machine I was lying in. Even though my head and shoulders remained outside the tunnel, I felt trapped. My mind raced, as I discovered flight responses never before encountered. Watching the countdown clock on the upper part of the machine, I wondered if my heart and mind would quiet down or if the next few minutes would include me jumping out of the machine in a mad fit of panic.
tested and proven
We live in an age of testing. The food we eat, the medicine we take, and the toys our children play with have all been rigorously tested before being sold to us. This helps us to be assured of their safety, quality, functionality, usability, and reliability.
watch out!
C. S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity, “There is one vice of which no man in the world is free; which every one in the world loathes when he sees it in someone else; . . . There is no fault which makes a man more unpopular, and no fault which we are more unconscious of in ourselves. And the more we have it in ourselves the more we dislike it in others.” Can you guess what it is?
location matters
During a recent fishing trip, my brother-in-law and I were reminded that you have to fish in the right location. We claimed a spot near a wooden fishing pier that stretched out into the Gulf of Mexico. Unfortunately, it was not a good choice. The bait fish, which attracted the schools of the desired Spanish mackerel, were on the other side of the pier. Anglers less than 50 yards away were easily catching their limit while we struggled to get even a nibble.
released
Eric Smallridge calls Renee Napier “an angel.” He says this because Renee forgave him for killing her daughter Meagan in a drunk-driving accident. Although Renee’s forgiveness took a long time, Eric says he “found his eternal salvation as a result.” What’s more, Renee’s pardon encouraged her family to follow suit. Together, they petitioned the courts to have Eric released from prison after serving only 11 years of his 22-year sentence. The fruit of Renee’s forgiving heart has given Eric a “second chance at life.”
with the Lord
Everyone wants to know what heaven will be like, and over the past several years a spate of books have promised to tell them. Don Piper was first with his 90 Minutes in Heaven. Following that bestseller, The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven and Heaven Is for Real were published and enthusiastically received by readers. One book went in the opposite direction—literally—23 Minutes in Hell.
something rotten
I recently began searching for a good used car. When we went to check out a 2006 model, the vehicle looked pristine. Looks can be deceiving, however. For when I had my mechanic take a peek at the prospective purchase, he found some major transmission problems. If I had bought the car, it would have cost me thousands of dollars to fix.
“there’s probably no God”
In February 2009, an atheist group in the UK purchased ad space on the side of 800 buses as well as 1,000 posters on London’s trains that read, “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.” A Christian group, the Trinitarian Bible Society, responded by launching a rival ad campaign splashing a Bible verse, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Psalm 53:1” (KJV)—along with details on how to obtain a Bible—on 183 buses in London.
healed
Healing has never been a clear-cut issue for me. While I have never experienced a miraculous physical restoration, I have seen God’s hand of provision at work in my body and others’ bodies.
July 22, 2013
What has been the most difficult thing you’ve faced in life and how did God lead you through it?
runaway garden
Last summer, I tried to grow tomatoes (yet again). I bought heirloom starter vines and a wooden trough planter. I talked to farmer friends about best practices and even concocted an organic fertilizer mixture that was supposed to make my plants flourish. The growing season ended, however, and I had plucked a grand total of one tomato—a scraggly, little fellow, slightly larger than a golf ball.
isolation
In a state of exhaustion and despair, at the 5-year anniversary mark of serving in Uganda, I sent an email to friends and ministry partners pleading for prayer. In response to learning of my struggles, a small army of brothers and sisters in Christ lifted me up in prayer and helped me walk through a difficult time.
disappointment and hope
A 5-year-old boy was told that his family was going to the Grand Canyon. He could hardly wait. When the day finally arrived, the boy was visibly disappointed. He said, “I thought you said that it was a big cannon.” When you’re hoping for the Grand Cannon, you’ll be let down, even by something as spectacular as the Grand Canyon!
outdated?
In 2012, Encyclopedia Britannica declared that information has been changing so rapidly that their encyclopedias were quickly outdated. So instead of focusing on physical books, they’ve made the decision to focus on digital editions. “A printed encyclopedia is obsolete the minute that you print it,” said the president of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Whereas our online edition is updated continuously.”
cross ’n’ dagger
Heavy-metal music, motorcycles, and muscle cars. All of these things were present at the annual Cross ’n’ Dagger church service held at the Life Bridge Church. The congregation created this special service for people who might not attend a “regular” Sunday morning meeting. Senior Pastor Bill Campbell said, “[People] can come in their leathers, if they’re bikers . . . . However they’re dressed, they’re welcomed.”
