There are times and circumstances that overwhelm with fear. Remember the Bible account of the sudden storm on the Sea of Galilee? A huge storm came up. Waves poured into the boat, threatening to sink it. And Jesus was in the stern, head on a pillow, sleeping! They roused him…
So many things can cause me to worry—illness, divisive politics, concerns about friends and family, goals not met. Do I live in fear or do I hold fast to God with faith? The book of Joshua in the Old Testament lays out great examples of active faith. Today I was…
They arrive in the middle of the summer . . . For the past several years the leaves on my cherry tree and raspberry bushes have been devoured by beetles. Only the veins of the leaf remain after Japanese beetles have had their feast. So I have been devising strategies…
So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. Acts 12:5 Do you know the rest of the story? An angel led Peter out of prison and he went to the house where people were praying. When he knocked on the…
My daughter is amused that I have become a college basketball fan. “Mom, you never watched basketball!” I responded, “Michigan has a good team this year.” I followed the Wolverines in March Madness and was disappointed when Texas Tech beat them. Then I had to find out how one of…
Parents today have difficult issues to confront. As I was driving home from Michigan today I was listening to Janet Parshall on the radio.She was discussing a case that was decided by the Supreme Court of British Columbia. It hit me hard because a friend of our family recently disclosed…
When I assisted at home births I became more aware of the spiritual nature of childbirth. When labor reached a peak intensity, when the woman felt she couldn’t get through one more contraction, she asked for prayer. Sometimes the husband prayed or one of the attendants. I was asked to…
It feels good when we think we are in control. As a mother I pursued the health of my children vigorously. I had been trained as a nurse at the University of Michigan. I believed in the medical profession and my ability to protect the health of my children. The…
Two years ago I began corresponding with Marguerite Bouvard. She was looking for contributors for an anthology on illness and faith. I offered to write a chapter about my family’s experience caring for our son during his treatment for leukemia. We continued to e-mail back and forth. I wrote my…
After Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden God said, I will greatly increase your pain in childbearing; withpain you will give birth to children. Genesis 3:16 Was this a punishment or a way of reminding Eve to seek God’s help? In my own life, periods of suffering have motivated me…