“But you don’t have a clue what tomorrow may bring. For your fleeting life is but a warm breath of air that is visible in the cold only for a moment and then vanishes! (James 4:14)” We’ve had a tough year so far in our family. My mother-in-law, who was on Hospice but seemed to … Continue reading Lessons from a Life in Chronic Pain, Part 3 — Life is Short, So Play Hard

Many years ago, when my (now 29-year-old) daughter was just a toddler, my wife packed her things to leave. She picked Jessica up, who was so adorable in her little fake fur coat, and told her, “Kiss daddy goodbye.” With tears streaming down my cheeks, I kissed them both as they left, knowing full well … Continue reading Lessons from a Life in Chronic Pain, Part 2 — Don’t Let the Darkness Consume You

As I've written before, I began experiencing back pain as a teenager. I felt all I had at one point was football, but decided to give it up, since, at the tender age of 16, I was going to the chiropractor once a week. I'm 51 now, and it occurred to me a couple weeks … Continue reading Lessons from a Life in Chronic Pain, Part 1 — I’m Stronger than I Know

Our world seems to be struggling under a wet blanket of anger, hate, fear and tragedy. With that in mind, I have a positive and uplifting story today. My son-in-law, Josh, has struggled with addiction and anxiety for many years. I previously wrote about he and my daughter divorcing, and how the Lord brought them … Continue reading Celebrate Every Miracle – Even The Small Ones

There's definitely a blanket of oppression and fear in this world. People are trapped inside their houses, minds and/or bodies. Families are turning on each other. Marriages are breaking up at a higher rate than ever. Churches are splitting and pastors are giving in to weakness and burnout in alarming numbers. People used to respectfully … Continue reading There Is No “Foul Attitude” Entitlement

"I feel like a freak. Like some kind of monster." This is a quote from a 32-year-old man from the TV show "My 600-lb Life." He weighed 635 pounds at the time. Perhaps you don't have a weight issue like this (or maybe you do, which is ok). Seems everyone has SOMETHING they don't like … Continue reading “I Feel Like a Freak”

I discussed my suicide attempt and how the Lord saved my life in two of my earliest blogs, “My Suicide Part 1” (https://brokenpeople.blog/2016/12/22/my-suicide-part-1/) and “My Suicide Part 2” (https://brokenpeople.blog/2016/12/23/my-suicide-part-2/), both from December, 2016. The long and the short of it is that I had come to the end of my rope, took several dozen pills … Continue reading Our Song of Deliverance

Seems like a stretch to relate the story of Jonah and the Whale to Prison Ministry, but that’s the bizarre thought which occurred to me when my eyes popped open at 3:30 this morning. And NO, I never fell back asleep. Story of my life, as some of you can relate. Anyway, if you haven’t … Continue reading Malevolence and Repentance

A good friend of mine named John Alarid, an ex-con, ex-drug addict turned inner-city preacher, recently asked the Christian metal band Bred 4 War (https://www.bred4war.com) to perform at his church, CityReach, in Springfield, MO (http://springfield.cityreachchurch.org). Now, remember, in John’s congregation you’ll find a whole slew of people just like him: hardcore sinners, seemingly "hopeless cases," … Continue reading Dare to be a Revolutionary

This article is being shared from the Goalcast website. It was written by Matt Valentine.  Link to article: https://www.goalcast.com/2018/04/20/5-daily-habits-impact-mental-health/ (April 20, 2018) Over the past two decades, mental health has become a prominent part of the conversation on health and well-being. The research is out and it’s overwhelming: mental health is as critical as physical well-being. In … Continue reading 5 Daily Habits that Can Have a Huge Impact on Your Mental Health