I Need a Little Validation

"That's me!" I thought, captivated by Doug Addison's allegation. "As an evangelist and missionary to the outcast, I have heard literal horror stories of the rejection and damage people have received in the name of Jesus." He then posed the question, "Is the church doing more harm than good?" I wanted to tell my story. Surely, it would further endorse his argument. My personal list of heart break and the road blocks that mounted up over the years might be similar to yours: I wanted to be a

"Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's opinion of your life, but define yourself." (Harvey Fierstein. What reflection do you see when you look in the mirror? Some of us see only pain and regret... perhaps we've been "bullied into silence" over time... made a victim of someone else's definition of our life and potential. A reflection once defined by potential is now scarred, made up of broken glass and shattered pieces. And all the more so, if

What’s your hot button at Christmas? Is it the stress of cooking the perfect meal, wrapping gifts at midnight, the over-extended budget, or the family member that’s thrown one too many stones. I’m sure you’re familiar with the good ol’ idiom used to express frustration with someone or something you can’t ultimately give up... “you can’t live with them, you can’t live without them”. Forgiveness might be the best present you give to yourself this Christmas.  Forgiveness may very well be the best

Offense. Perhaps our greatest opposition to a cheerful heart. What if I were to tell you to lighten up a little; let go a little. Ask for the win-win. A win for you, but also a win for your offender. God is on your side. He’s on their side too. I know what you're thinking... why would God give them a win when they deserve the worst for the hurt they caused me? You mean His plan is a win-win? Is it even possible? Absolutely! Don’t take life so seriously, or the challenges stretching, maybe

“I’m done,” she said, “I can’t take anymore.” I felt her pain as if kicked in the stomach at the same time... as if equally rejected by those she made an effort to reach out to... again. I got a little edgy towards my husband after the phone call, until asking him to pray with me, to lift the heaviness and stop the backbiting. I thought about how it feels to be labeled the outcast through people’s behavior. It happens to everyone in one way or another. Rejection is an unforgiving tool used by

"Troubles are often the tools by which God fashions us for better things," Henry Ward Beecher. Do you suppose God is as upset with us as we get with ourselves? Life seems to be moving along just fine, things feel right, and the rug is pulled out from under us unexpectedly. What's up with that? It feels right to slap back, and at the same time it feels wrong. It's not fair. Where is God? He's not fixing it quickly, and so we take matters into our own hands, and feel justified doing so. What's