A rabbi stops in at a tavern after a long day. While enjoying his drink, he overhears two old Jewish friends talking. "I love you, my friend." "Ah, but I love you MORE," replied the other. "Then tell me what it is that's breaking my heart," said the first "Am I a mind-reader?" rejoined his startled friend. "I'm sure I cannot!" "How can you say you 'love' me if you don't know what hurts me?" My son-in--law, B.J., heard this story in Jewish literature class at Moody B.I. I'd li

I share Melanie's post here to continue to promote understanding of all those deeply grieving, in the spirit of Romans 12:15; 15:1-3; I Corinthians 12:25-26; Galatians 6:2, etc. I'd like to make it clear that I feel like she is having an even rougher time than Karen and I right now. At least, I don't know if I'd describe our current state in terms quite so severe (but check back in another week or so!). But I can very definitely see where she's coming from, and wholeheartedly

How many times have you heard or read the very opposite: "Well, y'know, God will never give you more than you can handle." I hear it A LOT! Especially when someone is offering comfort to the grieving or those going through severe trials. The problem is, it doesn't really provide a whole lot of comfort. Usually, it makes the person on the receiving end feel like, "well, I must just be the greatest failure and biggest wimp in the history of the world . . . Because I. CAN'T. HA

Fom the article, "Why is Deaf Ministry So Hard?" (From the website, silentblessings.org) "The statistics are sobering: -- Nearly 95% of all deaf children have hearing parents and only about 10% of those parents ever learn enough sign language to hold a conversation with their children. -- Less than 5% of all churches in the United States offer any outreach to Deaf people at all, and it is extremely rare to find a church that offers age appropriate Christian teaching to Deaf

"His commandments ARE His enablings." I am sharing this from a book I've had on my shelf for years, but am just finally getting around to enjoying: "I Shall Not Want," by Robert T. Ketcham. Be forewarned that very, very few men preach like this anymore. You may not find it politically correct, but I believe it is Biblical and hope it will be an encouragement to you. "Another lesson learned from II Kings 13:14-19 is that communicated power comes before the act of service is re

It occurs to me God can't perform the impossible, unless we present Him with an "impossible" situation. He can't be the God of resurrection, unless there is first a "death" (II Corinthians 1:8-10). He can't SHOW Himself to be God of the impossible unless He undertakes something that, in our eyes, offers absolutely no hope. He can't really stretch our faith, unless He comes through, literally, in "the 11th hour." And we can never see Him perform the impossible if we abandon sh

All I have to say is: I wholeheartedly agree https://thelifeididntchoose.com/2017/02/21/death-is-awful/

For some time now, God has laid on our hearts a burden to see more solid Bible materials made available to the Deaf in American Sign Language (ASL). It is a VERY common misconception that, "hey, there's a wealth of PRINTED MATERIAL available to them IN ENGLISH; shouldn't that be enough? After all, they're not BLIND, right??" While that APPEARS to make perfect sense, if you understood what we have learned about the Deaf in the last couple years, you would see that assumption i

"When you are forgotten or neglected, or purposely set at naught, and you smile inwardly, glorying in the insult or the oversight, because thereby counted worthy to suffer with Christ -- that is victory (Acts 5:40-41; 16:25). When your good is evil spoken of, when your wishes are crossed, your taste offended, your advice disregarded, your opinions ridiculed, and you take it all in patient, loving silence -- that is victory (Matthew 5:10-12; Hebrews 10:32-35). When you are con

I know I JUST shared another post by this fellow bereaved parent, Melanie de Simone But this is exceptional. Please don't read this out of any sense of OBLIGATION. But this is one folks REALLY NEED TO KNOW, if they are committed to truly BEING "FRIENDS" to those who are suffering the loss of a child. These things just don't seem to come naturally or instinctively to most of us. They are usually learned only by brutal experience, or taught by someone, such as Melanie, who