I bought a pair of night-vision binoculars during this year’s Black Friday weekend. There’s something about seeing in the dark that really draws me, especially when walking through Texas woods at night! I started thinking of the spiritual analogy of…
Does the Lord intend us to be happy? Joyful? Satisfied? What about in hard times, like during a cancer battle? Yes, Yes, Yes and Yes! I have to admit, I didn’t always experience positive feelings in the midst of the…
Life can be overwhelmingly hard and the temptation to despair can be great. Happened to me when I was diagnosed with Stage IV metastatic melanoma in 2003. I was soon after given the prognosis of “days to live.” The cancer…
There is something about great hardship that makes us cling to God like never before. We desperately cry out to avoid the pain. He draws near to us, as He is compelled by His love for us. Then He reveals…
Did it have to be so hard? As I look back on my Stage IV cancer battle which began in 2002, three tendencies made the physical beat down of the cancer and treatments much more exhausting. 1) My Religious tendency…
There is a difference between powerlessness and hopelessness. We can confuse the two, making our trials so much harder, just as I did during my battle with Stage IV metastatic melanoma cancer back in 2002-2004. Powerlessness is not our enemy,…
I’ve never been imprisoned against my will, except after a prison outreach when the guards forgot to let us out of a holding room. But fighting Stage IV metastatic melanoma cancer was certainly against my will and definitely felt like…
I’ve been reading the Book of Ruth this month. I love Naomi because she renamed herself Mara, which means “bitter.” “For the Almighty hast dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full and the Lord has brought me home…
Healthy Venting – Part 1 Venting around the house is crucial. Furnaces vent harmful fumes from the contained fires they create in our homes. Water heaters vent fumes as well, and they also have a T&P relief valve to release…
I believe in supporting folks through hard times! Hopefully that would be the case, as for 8 years we’ve supported people fighting cancer and other trials through our non-profit, Stronghold Ministry (see our new website). Yet there were times during…