CHAOS, CONFUSION, & CONFLICT can be prevented in times of crisis. Those who complete the Heritage of Hope six-part program to prepare for the end of this life will create both a plan and a support team. It is our prayer that all our alumni will complete their HOH checklists, hold meetings to build [...]
Following a disaster or critical incident, medical and mental health professionals typically do triage by making observations and asking questions referred to as a MENTAL STATUS EXAM. The usual questions are: (1) What is your name? (2) What is the date or time? Or Who is the president? (3) Where are you? (4) What just [...]
Have you noticed how often we Christians adopt our culture’s despair over aging? To verify the reality of ageism, go shopping for a birthday card! God’s viewpoint is strangely different. Scripture refers to LONG LIFE as a reward, a gift, and a blessing. To prompt our thankfulness as the birthdays accumulate, I’ve identified 26 blessings [...]
Whatever our particular hardship or concern in this season, prayer is our means of accessing God. How can we not wonder about the forces bombarding our nation? Is our sin reaping its own reward, or is our nation under attack by the enemy of our souls? Aren’t violence, division, fear, and pride some of his [...]
Jesus was on mission. Jesus endured radical changes during his life on this earth. Although acclaimed as a king at his birth, he grew up the son of a humble, obscure carpenter. As an adult, Jesus was again publicly commended by John the Baptist, a voice out of Heaven, and throngs who witnessed his miracles. [...]
LAZZIE CAT Our family was once the recipient of a rescued cat. Her startle reflex validated the report that she had been abused, but most of the time she just slept. She was a beautiful Calico—white with large areas of black interspersed with orange all over her body. As pretty as she was, [...]
If you become ill, DOES YOUR FAMILY KNOW . . . who is in charge of your medical decisions? If not, this may be the ideal time to hold the family meeting you’ve been postponing—electronically. Why not use the prompted awareness of your vulnerability to discuss who you have appointed as your medical and legal [...]
Solomon tells us that the end of a thing is better than its beginning (Ecclesiastes 7:8). New endeavors can be so exciting and growth producing, this statement is initially surprising. Can he possibly be correct? We love babies and puppies, but we do rejoice when they are potty-trained! The first day of school, weddings, and [...]
I once asked the Lord about His army. He answered me on a sunny day in October, 1997 in Washington, DC. When He spoke, I was standing by the Washington Monument looking back toward the Lincoln Memorial. The National Mall was filled to overflowing with more than a million men, both young and old. None [...]
Set in the 1950’s with capable acting, The Gathering is a nostalgic, heart-warming Christmas movie. Unexpectedly, the opening scene introduces DEATH as a life-changing force in the form of a terminal diagnosis. The recipient, Adam Thornton (Ed Asner), is a powerful, proud businessman with a strong personality and a back trail of broken relationships. [...]
