abandoned to Christ.

As Christians, most of us know the well-rehearsed verse "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,..." (James 1:2).  But most of us don't really understand what it means to consider our trials a joy—especially when the reality of it finally sets in and takes us down a road we never meant to travel...if we let it. I'm nearly seven weeks out from my latest surgery; the worst and most painful experience I can remember. And now, at last, the reality of it all is finally beginning to set in: nights with interrupted sleep, the confinement of a brace, the weakness I notice when I don't have it on, the fatigue...oh, the fatigue. Yes, it's all starting to become very old and very real, making the "joy" in this trial appear as if it's impossible to grasp. But God promises everything is not as they appear (2 Cor 4:16-18). So I look to Him and not to that which I can only see. "I lift up my eyes to the hills. From...

I am blessed because God is God and remains on the throne regardless of what my circumstances are or how I might feel about them from time to time. I am in pain. I am "confined". I am limited by and to many things. But I am not crushed by them nor do they cause me to despair. Are there times I whine a bit here and there or wish for the pain and limitations to dissipate? Yes. But they do not cause me to question my heavenly Father for allowing such things in my life. Why? Because I already know the answer: we live in a fallen and broken world, and while we're here, we must live in our fallen, broken and mortal bodies. This is my latest Get Well gift "basket". I put "basket"  in quotes because the basket was so large, it was on wheels and as you can see, some of this gifts couldn't even fit in the basket! My sweet and precious friend Leanne Holiman gave these to me yesterday. ♥ I never ask, "Why me, Lord?" because why shouldn...

While it’s true Joseph Kony is a vile and contemptuous man who’s illegal and inhumane activities must be stopped, it’s not wise for Christians to give anything beyond prayer to Invisible Children. As Christians, we’re responsible for using the wisdom God gave us to appropriate our time, talents and finances only to that which promotes and aids the entire well-being of a person; offering tangible help (e.g. providing food, shelter, clothing, etc.) and spiritual restoration through the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ . Invisible Children is a secular organization that not only misleads the public, but also promotes physical aid without eternal benefit. Invisible Children (IC) was founded in 2004 and officially became a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization in 2006. IC is located in San Diego, California started by three young filmmakers who traveled to Africa in search of an interesting and compelling story to share. Why they chose Africa and not somewhere here in the Uni...

As many of you know, I've had some particularly difficult health challenges these past eight years and though it's finally been discovered what I have, there is no cure and some of the damages done (years prior to diagnosis) are irreversible. One of the things that suffered was my lower back where I had one disc that was herniated and bulging, another just bulging and one slipped. This caused me to have severe back and leg pain for many years. But through it all, God has taught me much about perseverance and what it really means to trust Him and to give thanks to Him,  in and for all things (1 Thess 5:16-18). After undergoing physical therapy and spinal decompression therapy for the past five years, I was told that I didn't have to have surgery yet, but one day I would. We thought this meant I'd need surgery in 10-15 years, not only a couple. Clinging to God's word has sustained me through many challenges and trials my entire life, and I'm grateful for the p...

Once the wedding is over and the guests have gone, we’re left alone with our spouse to live out what we've just promised. This is when most of us realize how selfish and arrogant we are and how difficult it really is to love our spouses  “for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer,  in sickness and in health , to love and to cherish, 'till death do us part” . It takes more than a whimsical “forever after” idea for a marriage to do more than survive; but thrive. A marriage only flourishes if we obey God’s command to love one another with a holy and sacrificial love that puts Christ first and our spouses second. “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves...Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord...Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should  submit in everything  to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanc...

Does it mean we slap a silly smile on our faces and shout "Praise the Lord!" when we receive news that would devastate any normal human being? Certainly not. That's not joy in the Lord, that's plain 'ol lunacy in the flesh; masquerading as a strong and faithful Christian. A counterfeit joy infused by self-will never produces the good fruit of the Lord Jesus Christ. "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." ~James 1:2-4 I'm writing this from my hospital bed. I've been here since Tuesday (February 28, 2012). I'm scheduled to have a double discectomy (complete removal and replacement of two discs) and spinal fusion tomorrow at noon. It's a four hour surgery and from what I've been told by my neurosurgeon, a painful and long ...

On September 26, 2011, Ray Comfort , Founder, President and CEO of Living Waters Publications (LWP) launched the “180” movie; a 33-minute documentary that transforms hearts with the Gospel of Jesus Christ , and provides historical information that’s helping save unborn babies' lives. In only four short months, “180” has been translated into 19 languages, has had more than 2.1 million views on  YouTube , more than 36,000 “likes” on its active  Facebook page, with more than 7,000 people sharing and interacting with other avid pro-lifers and members of the “180” team. I was recently blessed to interview Ray Comfort, who’s become a modern day William Wilberforce for the pro-life movement. Just as William Wilberforce worked tirelessly to abolish the enslavement of innocent men, women and children, Ray Comfort works tirelessly to abolish the murdering of millions of innocent pre-born babies. I absolutely love this movie and urge everyone to watch it and share it. ...

Why Jesus?  is  Dr. Ravi Zacharias  latest book, released today, January 25, 2012. This is a well-researched, intriguing and informative book that will set free the minds of all who are confused about who Jesus really is . People like Oprah Winfrey, Deepak Chopra and Rhonda Byrne have infected the minds and hearts of many, leading them astray to worship false gods and believe in a false Jesus. These religious misunderstandings can cause much strife in marriages and sometimes lead to divorce. That’s why it’s critical for us to have books like  Why Jesus?  to help educate our society that’s saturated with false hope and mass confusion. With the heart of a compassionate father and the intellect of an astute scholar, Dr. Zacharias gives us the rarely understood background of how Eastern mysticism has defiled our Western theology and how the massive power of media has muddled the truth about eternal life and how to obtain it. Why did you write the ...