Suffering – Detour or Path to Joy?
There is something about great hardship that makes us cling to God like never before. We desperately cry out to avoid the pain. He draws near to us, as He is compelled by His love for us. Then He reveals…
Category handling trials
Rest. Lean. Yield.
Did it have to be so hard? As I look back on my Stage IV cancer battle which began in 2002, three tendencies made the physical beat down of the cancer and treatments much more exhausting. 1) My Religious tendency…
Win-Win-Win
There is a difference between powerlessness and hopelessness. We can confuse the two, making our trials so much harder, just as I did during my battle with Stage IV metastatic melanoma cancer back in 2002-2004. Powerlessness is not our enemy,…
Jailbreak Cancer
I’ve never been imprisoned against my will, except after a prison outreach when the guards forgot to let us out of a holding room. But fighting Stage IV metastatic melanoma cancer was certainly against my will and definitely felt like…
The Cure for Bitterness
I’ve been reading the Book of Ruth this month. I love Naomi because she renamed herself Mara, which means “bitter.” “For the Almighty hast dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full and the Lord has brought me home…
Get It All Out To Get It All Out!
Healthy Venting – Part 1 Venting around the house is crucial. Furnaces vent harmful fumes from the contained fires they create in our homes. Water heaters vent fumes as well, and they also have a T&P relief valve to release…
Supernatural Comfort
I believe in supporting folks through hard times! Hopefully that would be the case, as for 8 years we’ve supported people fighting cancer and other trials through our non-profit, Stronghold Ministry (see our new website). Yet there were times during…
Just Breathe – You Go First
Throughout most of December 2002, I shuttled between gym parking lots, determined not to miss either of my kid’s bi-weekly basketball games. As I moved about, I remember holding out my shirt to prevent chafing the stitches under my arm. After…
Giant Down in the Valley
-Joe Fornear We all spend time in The Valley of Elah. There, giants are found. David faced and took down the giant, Goliath, in The Valley of Elah, (1 Samuel 17). His victory came within minutes of first witnessing Goliath’s taunting…
The Master’s Cleanse
-Joe Fornear A touch from God often comes with a taste of tears. Those mighty men and women of the Bible, those vaunted “saints of old,” they endured stretches when tears were so frequent, they called them “food.” Most often…