As each day unfolds we hear more and more about devastating disasters. Hurricanes and tidal waves are happening more often. Earthquakes are almost a daily occurrence somewhere in the world from minor tremors to deadly shake ups. Fires from lightning or other...
Why is it that sad news makes us feel so all alone? We learn someone we know is walking through an illness or rough time. A phone call comes to us with unexpected lab results. Someone we care for deeply betrays us. Usually the first reaction to such news is to...
The Bible speaks often in the Old Testament of God’s people passing away and joining their ancestors. Jesus referred to a statement, “I Am the God of Jacob, Abraham and Isaac” to mean that God is the God of the living. Though these three men passed away...
When we enter heaven Christ Himself will greet us and with Him will be our loved ones who went before us. The reunion will be like no other because there will be only hellos and no goodbyes. Each person will be in his/her fullness in Christ radiant with an...
It’s a fact of life. Changes happen and with change there is usually a goodbye to something. An elderly person in our life who offers us the wisest advice slowly ebbs into dependence on others. We grasp at every remote change for the better that things can be the...
When we search the scriptures we find numerous places where Jesus healed people. A woman in a crowd touched the hem of His garment and received healing. Blind beggars were given sight and the ears of deaf people could hear. Jesus instantly healed lepers and even...
At times we just barely think about wanting God to work something out and the answer is almost immediate. It is more than what we expect and greater than anything we can imagine. Other times we pray for years and see no evidence of the slightest change but that...
There are times we feel a need to pray for somebody. We suspect something is going on with a particular person but they do not disclose their circumstance. Other times we cry out to God for our own selves but have no clue what to say to God. We just know we need to...
There are many older people who tell us that life is short and to make the most of our time. Time on earth is indeed very limited and the Bible speaks of even the earth itself slowly decaying. While this is true, how do we get beyond the grief we bear when a loved...
God is continuously storing up blessings for us in heaven. We may not see the treasures now and it’s possible we may not even see a hint of the beauty that is to come but faith is ours right now. We are never alone because He never leaves us and He never forsakes...
Imagine a blind man who sees for the first time. During his life people explain the best way they know how the beauty of what the eye sees. The coolness of the color green or the warmth of the colors orange or yellow can be explained in many ways but it doesn’t...
Receiving bad news during our lifetime is a fact. We may have all confidence that we aced an interview but later get news that another person was awarded the job. We study for days and even weeks for a school exam and the questions we are prepared to answer are not...
None of us are guaranteed tomorrow or even next hour. It’s how we live our lives during the moments we have now that determine the fullness of life. Most of us have known people who live to be ninety to a hundred years old and these people are a gold mine of wise...
There is an old saying that states “When things get tough the tough get going.” While there is some truth in this statement the word tough can mean a lot of things. People trained for military purposes go through harsh rituals learning to endure all types of...
We wonder sometimes what heaven is like. We often ask ourselves are our loved ones happy and pain free. While it’s true that the full understanding and impact of heaven will not be known until we get there the Bible speaks very specifically about certain things. One...
There are many things in life we walk through and the emotional pain remains long after the situation passes. At times we will still feel the sting in our hearts where a person bullied us as a child. Many times the memory of an adult who has long since passed away...
We grieve when we look around us and many of our loved ones have already been received into heaven. Their absence can be compared to us missing a part of our life. It’s a normal healing process to grieve and to remember the times we shared together. We think about...
When we think of heaven only joyful things come to mind. Troubles are over and the weather is always perfect. We never get tired. Our tormenters are not there and our earthly enemies are nice to us. The desires of our hearts that were not fully met on earth will...
We have all said goodbye to people we love as they are called home. The void left behind by their absence is indescribable. The more we love them the longer and more intense the grief. Their presence is kept alive in our hearts and in our precious memories. Many...
The things God tells us in His Bible are true. We can count on all things He says and have no doubt. He gives us many examples to identify with that we witness every day. Many people refer to beautiful butterflies that were once lowly caterpillars. Those...
God created the sun and moon in such a way that it creates a gravitational pull. This pull causes the ocean to have waves. The waters are pulled one way then another and it never stops. If the waves ever stop then the pull of gravity has stopped. Grief is the same...
In our lives are family and friends and as we get older the times of grief are more often. There is no way to explain the void we feel when a loved one is called home and we are still here. That very long first night with many sleepless hours of missing our loved...
It is a true fact given to us by God Himself that we are appointed to die. Therefore it’s important to make the most of our earthly lives while we wait on God to bring us home. The key to life is the excitement of being brought home. Home for God’s children is...
Valleys come in all forms but the one that stands out most is a broken heart. It is a fact of life that things will change with the only consistency being God Himself. He never changes and His promises are things we can always cling to no matter what we walk...
There is great sadness when a loved one is received into heaven and we are without that person. Many will tell us to hang on to fond memories which comfort some people for the moment while others grieve even more. Jesus Christ has made all things possible since He...
It’s time for a family reunion. All plans have been made. The meeting place is established and all family members are expected to join in the celebration. Some people will start their journey a week ahead of time and arrive a few days early while others will arrive...
Have you ever had a situation so complex you just throw up your hands? You want to call on God but can’t even think of a question to ask Him. The hurts are deep because it took years to evolve to all of this. It could also be a sudden disappointment leaving you in...
To learn more about God and Who He really is, will enable us to know more about why things sometime happen the way they do. During the times when we miss someone deeply and the tears of emptiness don’t stop, God understands. The next embrace with the person we love...
God has plans for our lives here on earth. We cross paths with many people through the years. The people we meet are never by accident. Some people are sent as sand paper to polish our rough edges while others are sent as a peaceful security blanket. People come...
God loved us even before we were born. His mercy, grace and love never end. God is the beginning and He has no end. Through Jesus Christ there is an eternity in the loving arms of our God. The song, Amazing Grace tells us that when we’ve been there ten thousand...
Why do many good people pass away during the prime of their time? It’s an age old question that no one but God can answer. A person can be a new born baby or a hundred year old senior adult. God sees all His people as His children. When God is ready to reward His...
During special holidays it is hard not to miss someone who is no longer present. People will always say the more a person loves the more it hurts when separation occurs. There is nothing more frustrating than to be told how to grieve. Grief is a personal thing...
There are so many things to be thankful for. Even while waiting on answered prayer there are glimpses of heaven all around. Only God can make a white puffy cloud of beauty to shield the hot sunshine from us or water our crops. Only God can see to it the dawn and...
Sometimes people will say that the best day of their life is a day free of all troubles. It is compared to a sunny warm spring day. All flowers are blooming with no pollen blowing. Everybody is getting along and there is a smile on everyone's face. To take a day...
Nothing can separate us from the love of God. Nothing can separate two people who truly love each other. God is love and there is no stronger bond. Not even death can separate us from love. As we watch while the ship of a loved one sails over the horizon it's not...
The 23rd Psalm is one of the greatest comforts offered in the Bible to those who lose loved ones. To dwell in the house of our Lord forever is assurance that this earth is not a permanent residence for anyone. There are many trials here simply because we do not...