Care &amp; Counseling

Mandy’s Story

By Joe Harvey My daughter Mandy always loved music. She was one of those kids who could remember all the lyrics of her favorite songs, and she had a nice singing voice. It wasn”t a surprise when she became a standout vocal talent in high school. At the graduation ceremony (in 2006), she was recognized as the top female vocalist, and a couple months later she arrived at Colorado State University to study music education. Sometimes life progresses along just the way you would expect. My daughter knew what she loved doing, was really good at it, and now had

April 10, 2015

Toward a Theology of Suffering

By Joe Harvey The story of Job suggests several formulas for figuring out the relationship between God”s purposes, good people, and the suffering they must endure. Not till we reach the end do we understand the proper equation. I suppose everyone has heard the story of Job. In a nutshell, you probably know he was a wealthy, influential man who lived what we now call “the good life.” He had family, money, power, and prestige. The book of Job describes his situation as being ideal. “He had seven sons and three daughters, and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand

April 6, 2015

Forgiving God

By Chad Ragsdale Not long ago I was asked to preach a sermon as part of a series on forgiveness. It was a good idea for a series. There are few things as “Christian” as forgiveness. My topic was a little different from the ordinary sermon on forgiveness, however. I was asked to preach a sermon on forgiving God. I admit I didn”t have the best attitude about the topic. Forgiving God seems like a modern man”s dilemma. Modern man has attempted to kill God but continues to be haunted by his presence. God, the hero, is dismissed and mocked

March 31, 2015

Mark A. Taylor

Resurrection Promise, Hope in Our Pain

By Mark A. Taylor Some preachers choose Mary as the subject for a Christmas sermon, but I”m guessing we”ve never heard an Easter sermon about the mother of Jesus. There”s good reason for this, I suppose, because Scripture barely mentions her in one crucifixion account, and omits her by name altogether in the resurrection stories. But the certain fact that she was there when Jesus died (John 19:25-27) is enough for painters and storytellers and moviemakers to include her, watching and weeping, in their crucifixion portrayals. The Scripture doesn”t describe her anguish or her tears, but we have no trouble

January 21, 2015

The Ultimate Question

By Jim Tune When life delivers pain or confusion, our first response is often to look at God and shout, “Why is this happening?” This is what we are really asking, “Why did you let this happen?” Sooner or later we will all end up sitting in a hospital waiting room, funeral home, or lawyer”s office, asking ourselves, “Is God still in all of this?” When shaken by tragedy, we do well to ask ourselves if we can still believe in a God who lets bad things happen. I”ve had a few personal bouts of what Philip Yancey calls “disappointment

January 2, 2015

Grateful Response

By H. Lynn Gardner Doctors told me I would die of my pulmonary fibrosis if I did not get a lung transplant. On June 15, 2004, I received a double lung transplant and have been blessed with a 10-year extension on life with my wife, family, and friends, as well as continuing some teaching and writing. Do you think I am grateful for thisÂ gift? I have been saved from deathÂ and received a new lease of life. I have tried to thank God every day for this gift of life. Unsaved persons face the prospect of death without hope and eternal

January 1, 2015

Michael C. Mack

Ministry to the Broken Is Central

At Central Christian Church in Las Vegas, Nevada, ministry to the broken has become a main focus. The church has started ministries such as Celebrate Recovery, God Behind Bars, People of the Second Chance, and an outreach to female strippers in the city. “My philosophy is if you speak to the broken, you”ll always have an audience,” says senior pastor Jud Wilhite. “I want not only to speak to the broken, but have ministries that reach people at their point of pain and brokenness””and we”re all broken at some level.” Since beginning these ministries for broken people in the community,

November 25, 2014

Mark A. Taylor

How to Cope with Grief at the Holidays

By Mark A. Taylor In the wake of several deaths close to my family in recent months, I”m especially sensitive to the grief some friends are facing this holiday season. And I”m grateful for one way my church offers to help. Late in November every year, our seniors ministry conducts a service of remembrance for families whose deceased loved one attended our congregation. It”s a simple service, with hymns and Scripture. But the unique touch is the Christmas tree in one corner of the chapel. Beside the tree are boxes of white ornaments, each bearing a different name, handwritten in

November 21, 2014

Anxiety & Depression Care & Counseling

Freedom From Fear

By Jinghong Cai “We, therefore, believe in theÂ inherent dignity of every humanÂ being””dignity that no earthlyÂ power can take away. And centralÂ to that dignity is freedom of religion””the right of every person to practice their faith how they choose, to change their faith if they choose, or to practice no faith at all, and to do this free from persecution and fear.” Â Â “”President Obama On February 6, 2014, President Obama made a remarkable speech at the National Prayer Breakfast. He highlighted freedom of religion as the right of every person to practice their faith free from persecution and fear. It is only

October 5, 2014

Avalanche

By Dudley Rutherford A well-known, yet misguided, quote says, “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” The opposite is actually true. What happens in Vegas can stay with you the rest of your life.Â In California, we have our own adage that rings true: “What happens in California will sweep across the country within 10 years.” My guess is it”s actually two or three years, but who”s counting? When I think of the moral decline on display in California today, the only word that comes to mind is avalanche. And I am not talking about a little snowball rolling down

September 28, 2014

Do You Suspect Someone You Love Has Alzheimer”s?

The Alzheimer”s Association lists 10 warning signs that may signal Alzheimer”s. A person who has difficulty in one or more of these areas should be evaluated*:Â 1. Memory loss that disrupts daily life 2. Challenges in planning or solving problems 3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work, or at leisure 4. Confusion with time or place 5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships 6. New problems with words in speaking or writing 7. Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps 8. Decreased or poor judgment 9. Withdrawal from work or social activities 10. Changes in

September 27, 2014

Facing the Darkness as Children of Light

By Paul E. Boatman The words pierced even though they were not a surprise. “Mrs. Boatman, you have persistent and pervasive memory loss of an Alzheimer”s type.” Alzheimer”s! We did not want to hear the “A” word. Alzheimer”s has a dark, hopeless sound to it. My wife, Mary, had been exhibiting patterns of memory loss for a couple of years. The symptoms were occasionally amusing, frequently frustrating, and increasingly intrusive.Â Our initial pursuit of answers was not taken seriously. “We all have forgetfulness as we age.” “Maybe some of your drugs are having adverse side-effects.” (With a history of surgeries

September 7, 2014

The Blessing of Memory

By Mike Shannon One of the things we fear most is the loss of our memory. We get frustrated over even small memory lapses. It is such a devastating problem that much time, money, and effort go into solving the serious medical issues that contribute to loss of memory. But what if it is not a medical problem? What if we deliberately forget or we forget out of benign neglect? It is vital to Christians to always remember the meaning of the cross. How can we ever forget what Jesus did for us there? The early church was concerned about

September 1, 2014

The Formula for Busting Ministry Burnout

By Michael C. Mack Leadership Journal asked its readers, “Have you experienced burnout in ministry?” (Winter 2014). While the results show a high degree of leader burnout, the good news is that more than half of the respondents are either enduring the challenges of burnout or have dealt successfully with it. Here is how readers responded: Christian counselor, author, and speaker John Townsend has provided a cure for leadership burnout using the following mathematical structure: In an ideal world, he says, a leader should have resources that equal, or exceed, responsibilities. But a large number of responsibilities with very few

August 5, 2014

Mark A. Taylor

Care & Counseling Trauma

Ready to Heal

By Mark A. Taylor Nobody forced Atlanta”s Emory University Hospital last week to accept two patients stricken with the deadly Ebola virus. Instead, Dr. Bruce Ribner, head of the Emory unit treating the sick Americans, welcomed the chance to admit them. Emory, according to Ribner, is one of only four U.S. facilities uniquely equipped to treat such a contagious disease. He told CNN, “We are not going to miss this opportunity.” Hospital staff members congratulated him for accepting the patients, he said. When he explained his decision to his wife, she responded, “Great, that”s what you”ve been dreaming of for

August 3, 2014

Gut Feelings

By Jennifer Johnson Scientists have told us for years there is a strong link between our feelings and the state of our stomach. The “enteric nervous system,” or ENS, in our digestive system has sometimes been called the “second brain,” and a 2013 study found that introducing different bacteria to the stomach can cause changes to our emotions. Chalk one more up for the ancient Greeks; long before today”s research, they”d coined the word splagna, which roughly translates to “compassion” but literally means one”s guts. They knew that when we feel empathy in our hearts, we can also feel it

August 1, 2014

The Blessing of Memory

July 15, 2014

Suffering All Around

By Dusty Rubeck (From our series “The Best or Worst Advice I”ve Ever Received.”) About 15 years ago a wise older man on one of my boards told me, “Dusty, never underestimate the level of human suffering that exists in our world.” Then he repeated it. Again and again and again and again.Â Obviously, he could see this young leader wasn”t getting it. Now I do. Don, wherever you are, “Thank you.” I wish I”d listened more carefully back then. I see it now. You cannot turn in any direction without running into people who are suffering unimaginable pain (physical,

May 23, 2014

How You Can Help at a Time of Loss

By M. Ben Williams A funeral is a hard time. Family and friends are dealing with shock and sadness that accompany grief. Their loved ones are also dealing with confusion. What do I do? We have all heard the phrase, “If there is anything I can do, let me know.” In fact, most of us have said those words. Such offers typically are not helpful. The sentiment may be, but the statement is a step short of actually doing something. When dealing with the throes of grief, we do not always know what we need. It takes an enormous amount

April 24, 2014