Encouragement and Resiliency Offered by God’s Promises
"But you promised!! Most of us have said that to someone who disappointed us: a parent, a child, a spouse, a supervisor or friend. Yes, even people we love, and who have loved us well, sometimes fail to follow-though on a promise they made. How do you feel when...
Prayers of a Needy Person
Does despondency ever sabotage your happiness? Does overwork ever leave you weary and listless? Do you ever yearn to know why God allows you to suffer? Is your view of the future ever tainted by hopelessness? Do you feel discouraged about certain weaknesses that...
COMBATING DEPRESSION BY PREACHING TO YOURSELF
Preaching God's Word To Myself When Satan says, “God does not care!” I see the cross: Christ’s blood stains there. When I’m tempted by what is wrong, God’s promises of help prove strong. When guilt nags and I’m overwhelmed, His Word insists, “You aren’t...
WISE CHRISTIANS CLIP OBITUARIES
Wise shoppers clip coupons. My wife, Dolly, is a persistent coupon clipper. She saves us hundreds of dollars a year with this discipline. She only uses the coupons for what she plans to purchase, anyway. She knows what day specific supermarket flyers come with the...
Do You (or Someone You Love) Feel Hopeless?
Hopeless?? Fleeting, it's like a bird in flight, or like a shooting star at night, or lightning that spans the sky. Gone in the blink of an eye. Elusive, like the fog that lifts when morning sun sends its gifts; or the zigzagging butterfly that you can't...
What Does It Look Like to Live Strong and Finish Well?
What attitudes and behaviors impede your spiritual growth as a Christ-follower? How do these particular mindsets and behaviors show as you get older? In your walk with Christ, what attitude is a prerequisite for living and serving well? Why is this same attitude...
Few, They Tell Me, Finish Well
As a Christ-follower, what would "finishing well" look like for you? When it comes time for you to die, if you look back on your life, what would you need to see in order to conclude, "By God's grace, I finished well!" Rather than thinking those questions pertain...
HOW IS BROKENNESS A BLESSING?
Has a painful past experience or upsetting circumstance left you reeling, and you figure you'll never reach your potential for Christ? Do you think that a frail temperament, insecurity in social situations and recurring episodes of depression disqualify you from a...
Do You Need to Laugh Today?
Life is too short not to horse around now and then. "Lighten up, dad!" That's what my younger son Stephen told me several years ago after a couple of blogs I wrote illustrating the harsh symptoms of a depressive episode. He wasn't minimizing the effects of...
How Do I Deal with My Spouse’s Depression?
A letter from Dolly Powell (Terry's wife) to a friend who sought her input. Dear Ellen, You asked me how I deal with my husband's depression. I'm happy to share my thoughts and experiences, but I'll say right from the start that one's God-given temperament...
How and When Do You Handle Your Storms?
Is a storm assailing you? Figuratively speaking, a storm is anything that threatens your sense of security. It's an alarming situation that instills uncertainty, fear and anxiety. Are you facing any of these storms? An estranged relationship with a loved one, who...
Are You Putting Too Much Faith in Your Faith?
He knew the ice! Allow me to back up and describe the context for that remark. Fear Sabotaged Fun A church asked me to speak at a winter retreat for the youth group, held at a camp in northern Wisconsin. As my wife and I arrived, I thought we were entering...
