On August 22, 2010 on our way to church on a Sunday morning, our car lost control while my fiancé was driving, and we were in an accident which broke his neck at the c5-c6 level. Initial observance in the ER showed that the break was bad, and Justin was taken in for immediate stabilization surgery with a neurosurgeon that evening. The break was stabilized, both with hardware and with a piece of bone from his hip. The next few days we entered into a very new and strange territ

While looking at this life I realized that God is in the process of writing a story; a living story, one that more or less takes on a life of its own. It is very clear that He created all things for His own pleasure. His word tells us that. So creation as we know it comes out of His desire for something. As we live out our life, we see the chapters being written. But here is the interesting part. Because He is God, there is an element of certainty. Yet, at the same time he ga

I have been in the ministry since 1971. In the early years, the missionaries from our church actually lived in Haiti. They lived there for a number of years. Since that time I have seen an untold amount of money and effort pour into the country of Haiti. Probably more than any other missions outreach that I personally have ever seen. After all that has been done, its conditions have never gotten better, as the matter of fact they might be worse. Their Government has always be

When I was a teenager, I worked for a wholesale greenhouse. We supplied several businesses with live plants and maintained the plants for them. That was my job. The only problem was that I met a girl. And while I was suppose to be caring of the plants, I would rush in, water them, and quickly leave to spend the rest of the time with this girl. After a while it began to show. One day my boss came to me and said, “Jerry, if the plants are going to live, you are going to have to

If you found yourself faced with being caught out at night in the middle of an unexpected storm with the rain coming down in torrents and the lightning exploding across the sky, obscuring you vision as the sound of thunder and pouring rain and the windshield wipers going back and forth make it nearly impossible to think – what would be the best thing for you to do? Would it help very much, at that moment, to attempt to figure out and understand where storm clouds come from? W

Do I find myself saying “yes” because I need approval or acceptance? Can I say “no”? There are many people today that have an addiction to approval and acceptance. They literally cannot say “no” to anything, or at least without a great deal of struggle. They avoid confrontation, shy away from uncomfortable engagements and pretty much become submissive or at least sheepishly hesitant in the face of most disagreements or conflicts. The thought of a face to face disagreement i

Eph 2:18-21, 18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21 In whom all the buildingfitly framed togethergrowthunto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of Go

Our very antique, very overweight cat took down a bird today...brought it in the house, let it go, re-caught it several times and finally sent it on to Heaven. Moral of this story...NEVER UNDERESTIMATE ANYONE! When they are walking in what they were created to do they come alive. The reality is that you can be more than you thought you could be. You can do more than you thought you could do. When you start walking in what you were meant to be, you will start being alive eve

We live with a “free spirit” in our country, almost a rebellious attitude that says, “I will make up my own rules as I go”. In many cases that rebel mentality has been idolized and admired. Its flash looks impressive for that “wow” moment, but it doesn’t help in the long haul. For example, one of the biggest hurdles in a gifted football or basketball player is for them to not “Hotdog” their way through the game. Because of their talent they have difficulties being disciplined

Of course I believe that abortion should be allowed to save the life of the mother. But honestly, how often is that the case? Those who support abortion are so obstinate and hypocritical that they won’t touch the math on this one. To them the issue of abortion has ceased to be an issue about the life of the mother or the life of the baby. It is a politically driven agenda that excludes the truth about how many actual cases there are where the life of the mother is endangered