By Karen Joy Robertson A dear friend lived her final years in overwhelming pain, intensified by the disappointments that came with her circumstances. “Nobody comes to visit me. I have nothing to give anymore,” she said. Growing old is not for the fainthearted. But neither is being young. Carolanne, age 7, flopped into my […]
By Amy Storms If you happened to have been in southwest Missouri on a certain fall evening in 1994, I may owe you an apology. To anyone in Joplin, waiting to turn left at the corner of 7th and Duquesne, I’m sorry. There, first in line at the stoplight, I was learning to drive […]
By Karen O’Connor “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want” (Philippians 4:12). As a girl, I remember my mother touching my hands gently, a reminder to sit still and stop nibbling my fingernails. She also […]
By Rick Ezell A young minister was to perform his first wedding ceremony. Fearing he might forget something, he sought counsel from an older minister. The experienced man told the young minister everything he needed to do and made one final suggestion: “If you ever forget what you are supposed to say, just quote […]
By Amy Simon Marriages fail every day. Christian and non-Christian couples struggle to keep their commitments to stay together until separated by death. Dysfunctional and broken marriages cause untold heartache not only for the adults involved, but also for children. Christians know the institution of marriage is ordained by God (Genesis 2:24) and “should […]
