Colleen Swindoll Thompson

Sometimes the “light at the end of the tunnel” is seen when we choose to examine what Scripture reveals about life rather than how quickly we can remove our pain. The New Testament book of James is a great place to begin.

Raising my disabled son has transformed my life—its meaning, purpose, ministry, focus, as well as my faith. Central to my perspective is Christ’s view of us, without labels, classifications, judgments, and human-made rules.

God in His grace is patient with us. He’s definitely not out to whack us every chance He gets. But as believers who walk in relationship with Him, we should expect to see some positive outworking of our faith in our lives. It’s in that spirit that we aim for an attitude of praise.

Many of us are currently enduring a crisis. Yes, crisis changes the course of our lives. But what we often forget is that the changes can open doors to a life better than what would have been if the crisis had not happened.

The exercise of this discipline called self-control prevents desire from becoming a dictator. For the person without Christ, the desires dictate and he or she obeys. Those in Christ are able to defy this once-powerful dictator.

Painful or pressing conditions quickly reveal our internal battles. These struggles are not usually between what is good or bad, right or wrong, but between our desires and God’s will.

My defence mechanism of not trusting others completely backfired when it came to God. When I follow His call to trust, I discover that His character is fortified with honesty, fairness, faithfulness, truthfulness, and justice.

Ever wish you could reach out to a friend in crisis, but you’re just not sure what to say? Most of us tend either to avoid the person or situation altogether or to rush in and say too much.

Committing to the road less travelled has nothing to do with anyone else’s road or what he or she is doing on it. I’m not travelling any road except for the one God has allowed me to take.

Reframing requires us to mentally examine our assumptions, beliefs, and values; to emotionally adjust our attitudes and harness our feelings; and to cultivate new daily habits and routines.