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Written by Joy Hadjian
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Sunday, 21 June 2009 23:21 |
 My most intimate moment with God took place in a hospital emergency room. It was just past midnight and I was having a miscarriage. I left my sleeping toddler and husband at home, thinking it wasn't necessary to drag them out into the cold night. As I sat alone in the waiting area, however, I began to regret that decision. My heart was broken and it would have been nice to have a little help sweeping up the pieces. Soon the triage nurse, a burly, middle-aged man, called me in. He checked my vitals and jotted down my reason for being there. Then he did something so unexpected. He sat down next to me, put his arm over my shoulder and let out a deep sigh. Quietly, he said "You need to grieve the loss of this child." Never before or since that time have I experienced such profound compassion from another human being. Words fail to adequately describe this powerful experience. It was as though God was sitting next to me, sharing in my pain and offering me comfort. I will never forget that exchange. It's forever engraved on my heart.
Unfortunately, this suffering I endured is far from unique. Each one of us could share limitless stories of hardship, tragedy and tears. The reality is, if you have a pulse you are destined to suffer, be it from a broken heart, broken family, death, disease or simply a paper cut. It's unavoidable because we invited it into our lives long ago in a quiet garden named Eden.
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Written by Darlene Bel Grayson
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Sunday, 14 June 2009 21:02 |
 "Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these."
Matthew 6:29
Though Jesus was referencing the lilies of the field in His sermon, the same could be said of Leroy Thomas Jones, Jr., dubbed "Coco" by a former colleague. It's impossible to ignore the lithe usher in dapper duds, with slicked back hair and eye-catching jewelry. "I'm from Cleveland, a product of the 60's" says Coco. "Men always dressed. We even wore 3 piece suits in high school." For the man in the raccoon coat, the journey to Jesus was one cup of Cleveland, mixed with heaping measures of sex, drugs, and rock and roll, then baked in the heart of a raven-tressed 7 year old named Toni.
Prior to his birth, Coco's father served a prison stint for pandering. "Yes", Coco recalls. "It was hard to believe my father had actually been a pimp."
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Written by Shaela Druyon
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Saturday, 09 May 2009 23:43 |
 Alex marched slowly to his room like a man on death row, his step-dad following close behind as if to bar his escape.
"Go clean up and change your clothes," Mark said, crossing his arms in front of him and planting himself firmly in the hall. "Make sure you wear long sleeves and a jacket. It's a bit chilly out."
Once Alex had washed the dried blood off of his face and changed clothes, putting his jacket gingerly over the fresh bruises on his arms, he rejoined Mark in the hall and followed him down the stairs to the front door.
There, waiting with a grizzly grin, stood Billy Tucker in all of his 6-foot, 2-inch horror.
"HEY there, little guy," said the senior, wrapping his heavy arm around Alex's neck and rubbing his fist through his hair roughly. "Ready for that scrimmage?"
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Written by James DonVito
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Saturday, 06 June 2009 22:38 |
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 These days everybody is feeling the effects of our down economy. Job loss is the highest in recent memory. Storefronts are turning into vacant shells from going out of business, and it seems bad news is everywhere we turn. Many of us have been affected, and things are predicted to get worse before they get better. With this kind of negativity around us in the in media and everyday life, there is one thing you probably won't hear as much. We can be grateful that God has great things in store for us. Yes, even during challenging times such as these!
The Good News: Jesus didn't die just so that we would have a great afterlife. He died also so that we can have a great life here on Earth! Freedom from burdens was at the top of the list in Jesus' ministry, and thankfully those burdens include financial stress.
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Written by Kimba Henderson
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Wednesday, 11 March 2009 04:56 |
 As Rabin and Ishi entered Jerusalem, she immediately saw Ishi's spirits dampen. She had been so excited to see the fabled city, but it had become a city of ruin. Rabin understood her sentiment. Hadn't her people built this city centuries ago? Hadn't it been known as one of the most beautiful cities in the world and now...It had been reduced to rubble since the mighty King Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed the city's protective wall when he besieged Jerusalem almost 50 years before. All that was left of the wall was crumbled stones and bricks with discolored plants and weeds growing amongst it. Rabin prayed in her heart that perhaps one day, the walls that had once protected Jerusalem would be rebuilt. Perhaps.
As the camel trotted up a steep, rocky hill on the outskirts of the city, it could sense that the end of its journey was near. Rabin could feel the camel's muscles as he surged ahead with greater determination. As the camel reached the top of the hill, Rabin saw it, the house she hoped but never thought she'd see again.
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Has the Great Commission been Misunderstood?