Faith Columns

After I battled depression and an eating disorder for more than two decades, many (including mental health professionals) believed I might never get well. My hope was fading. Then the phone rang. “Hi, Sheryl,” my sister Kathy said. “I want you to live with me until you get back on your feet.”  Tears of gratitude…

Have you lost a loved one who died serving our country in the military? If so, please accept my most sincere condolences. And my deepest gratitude.  I can’t begin to understand what loving your soldier, sailor or marine and sending them off to serve must have been like for you. How many sleepless nights you…

“Peter wants a divorce,” my friend Stacey said, taking quick breaths.  It pained me to see her struggling to keep from falling completely apart. “I’m so sorry.” When our eyes met, her mascara was long gone. “It hurts, Sheryl. And what makes it worse is knowing some people will believe Peter when he says I’m…

We’ve all heard stories from those who say their parents messed up their lives. While some stories are horrific, others are typical – albeit distressing – reflections of dysfunctional families. I have no doubt my children love me. Yet I cringe at what they might share regarding the times I behaved in less-than-loving ways. Nevertheless,…

Can you imagine how deeply our heavenly Father grieves when He sees His children mistreating each other? If I had as many children as God does, I wouldn’t last a day. Correction: I wouldn’t last five seconds.  Thankfully, God is long-suffering. I yearned for my children to learn what it means to bear (tolerate, endure) one…

Everybody knew. The woman had been married five times. To add to her scandalous reputation, the man she was now living with wasn’t her husband. Her neighbors wanted nothing to do with her – except as a source of delicious gossip. Shame reigned in the woman’s heart. Judgment reigned in her neighbors’. Then … Jesus entered…

“I’m here today to apologize for the personal mistakes I’ve made and the embarrassment I’ve caused my family and community… I’m announcing my resignation from Congress…” We’ve heard far too many speeches from politicians who found themselves in front of a microphone, confessing their transgressions because of their immoral behavior. It’s hard not to be cynical…

Remember when you were newly married? You loved doing whatever you could for your spouse. You found yourself humming while emptying the dishwasher, mowing the lawn, even scrubbing toilets. Do you recall when you first started that new job? How you smiled as you pitched in because you were thrilled to be part of the…

Standing there before God and man, I grasped my soon-to-be-husband’s hands tightly. “I need to confess something, Bert. I haven’t quite mastered 1 Corinthians 13:5 yet. So, maybe I’d be more honest if I said my vows this way: ‘I, Sheryl, take you, Bert, to be my husband if you don’t insult me, hurt my…

The words on the page are vivid. So excruciatingly vivid that you wish the plot would read differently. Emotions catch in your throat, and suddenly, you’re there – part of the story. “Stop!” you scream as soldiers viciously beat Jesus. But the slapping, mocking and whipping continues. You cover your ears, desperate to shut out…