letting go
by tom felten on May 2nd, 2012 | 7 responses
During a recent 3-week stay in the hospital, I met Kathy. She shared her grave medical condition and her strong faith—an unflinching belief in Jesus. She loved Him and trusted Him, but she also knew she was heading home to hospice care. Her days on earth were counting down. As my wife and I talked... read more »
weary
by tim gustafson on April 15th, 2012 | 8 responses
I found him wearying. He incessantly “shared” stories of the personal wrongs done to him with anyone who would listen, and frankly, it had become a burden. So I started avoiding him. Yes, I know that’s not what Jesus would do. But it’s what I did.
I know others in far worse circumstances... read more »
learning joy
by jennifer benson schuldt on March 14th, 2012 | 2 responses
My high school trigonometry book was the size and heft of two bricks placed side-by-side. I can still see its cover—cherry red with black lettering. I probably damaged my posture by hunching over that textbook for hours at a time—reviewing concepts late into the night. Still, I struggled to... read more »
just a shade
by tom felten on January 15th, 2012 | 3 responses
In the movie Inception, technology allows people to tap into others’ minds by dream invasion. Dom Cobb, the flawed hero in the flick, lost his wife Mal when she committed suicide due to the delusional effects of memory inception within a dream state. Mal, however, keeps vividly appearing to Dom... read more »
dying for peace
by tom felten on October 9th, 2011 | 6 responses
I hadn’t seen him in years. He called my name and walked over to me at the grocery store. After some small talk, I asked how he was doing. He said, “Last year I was dying,” and went on to explain that stress had nearly killed him. His heart and body had been breaking down due to his workaholic... read more »
at the end of the day . . .
by an odj community member on September 13th, 2011 | no responses
I know what I’m supposed to do in life. But over the past 8 months, there has been a lot of wrestling in my heart over whether it should be in strong agreement with what I truly stand for or become independent from what I once believed in. It’s tough. Perhaps you’ve seen the word... read more »
painful truth
by jennifer benson schuldt on September 12th, 2011 | 7 responses
My 4-year-old son and I were watching television when we saw a commercial for skin cream. A woman’s face appeared and then the camera zoomed in, revealing a rather serious set of crow’s feet. But it didn’t stop there. Computer animation gave us a peek beneath the surface of her skin—into her... read more »
sing
by winn collier on September 7th, 2011 | 5 responses
For 160 years, the Free Church of Scotland has not allowed hymns or any instrumental music to be played or sung in their public worship. In 1843, the Free Church split from the Presbyterian Church of Scotland; and ever since, the Free Church has allowed only psalms to be sung—and only to be sung a... read more »
safety net
by Jeff Olson on August 21st, 2011 | 4 responses
A friend of mine bought a trampoline for his young boys. After he had assembled it, his sons excitedly begged him to let them give it try. He reluctantly let them climb onto it but told them to be careful because he hadn’t installed the safety net around the trampoline. So his boys cautiously... read more »
even better
by K. T. Sim on August 17th, 2011 | 7 responses
The text message from my brother was terse: “Dad just passed away. Come to ward now.”
My 84-year-old father had vacillated between life and death for 2 months. He finally took his final breath. Dad had lost his battle with cancer, and losing him deeply saddened me. And yet I also rejoiced, for... read more »













