Is your heart breaking today? Can we pray for you?

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3).

What joy to hold your new born after the pain of child birth! What love flows from a mother’s heart as the nurse gently lays this precious gift of life into her arms.  What joy I felt as I held my sons in my arms and kissed their sweet faces. As I rocked them and thanked God for them I imagined great things. I dreamt of success and happiness as I knew they would impact the world for Christ just as they touched my heart.

As our eyes met I prayed for God’s divine protection and plan to prosper in their lives and my heart rejoiced over their future. God’s Word warns us of the evil seeking to destroy and kill all that is precious in His sight! And yet, we hold these precious lives God has entrusted to us in such innocence, thinking it can never happen to us, to our families, or to our children.

At an early age I began praying for children and a family of my own, and God was faithful to answer those prayers. Never, not once did I imagine I would be visiting my son in a prison institution. Not once did I dream one would have a drinking problem and find himself in a dark and lonely place with all of his dreams crashing down on him.

There was never a time or a thought of my son’s not being all I knew they could be or fulfilling the plans God had for them. And yet, in all of the sin, temptations and disappointment this world throws at us it happened…it became a tragic reality. The overwhelming sorrow from divorce, court rooms, prison cells, visiting centers, counseling, and the reality of what Satan seeks to do to us and our families is more than any parent’s love can fathom.

There were many weekends I cried all the way home from my visit with my son over his circumstances and loss. There were days it felt as if it would never end and we would be in this state forever. With every New Year I would hope and pray for healing and freedom from worry, stress, disappointment, and fear from what had become of us – our family. As I stood by watching my sons throw their lives and dreams away crying out to God to save them I realized I would have to surrender them and my dreams, and allow God to work out their salvation and bring them home again.

They had accepted Christ at an early age, I knew they were saved and God would not let them go. We are born into this world but we don’t need to become the things of this world. As I thought more about this process my heart was touched with the truth of God’s love. He holds us dear to his heart as he births us into existence with great plans for us.

As he releases us into this world his concern for our well-being is dear to his heart because he knows of all the evil that awaits us. As he watches from above we become more independent and self-sufficient as he peers down with great concern for our safety. In his love for us he provided a perfect plan for our salvation through his precious Son, Jesus Christ. With each day I cling to God’s promises found in His Word, and to His faithfulness and mercy he lovingly lavishes upon parents crying out for their children and families salvation.

“Praise to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (I Peter 1:3-7).

Questions: Are you struggling with a deep pain in your life?  How are you involving God in this pain?

Related:
Want To Talk To A Mentor?

Are you feeling lonely? Do you need a friend? We are here for you.

The bright, cheerful-looking marigolds have long been one of my favorite annuals. They bloom in my area from May through October in just about any soil or situation. In the fall, when I clean up my vegetable garden, I scatter the marigold seeds around; and up they come in the spring. They rid the soil of nematodes and Mexican bean beetles, and various harmful insects dislike them.

I’ve heard that dried marigold petals can make a tea that settles nerves and helps a person to sleep if taken an hour before bedtime.  They can be used to flavor salads, omelets, hamburger, and stuffing, and with roasts, beef, and chicken.  They are said to kill certain germs in the body. Mixed with Vaseline or cold cream, they make a salve for wounds.

As I think of the protective qualities of this hardy plant, I’m reminded of the solicitude the Apostle Paul had for his fellow Christians. He wrote to the Christians at Rome, “I long to see you that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, to make you strong” (Romans 1:11). Paul cared about their sorrows and burdens; he earnestly desired that they would be knit together in love and come to know and experience the riches of God.

How our fellow Christians today need that same care shown to them! So many have fallen away from the Lord for one reason or another. Many of their marriages, their homes have fallen apart. Our young people today, as well as adults, are assaulted by temptations and mind defilers that many of us of the older generation never dreamed of, because in former times society as a whole upheld certain moral values.

Do we care what happens to our fellow Christians? In my counseling I have heard many tales of how badly lives, marriage, and children have been hurt in such cases. If we can just help one person keep from going astray, or help one come back to the Lord, we might save a world of misery, or we might even save a life.

If you have not been a marigold type of Christian up to now–one, that is, who is caring and protective of your brothers and sisters in Christ–why not ask the Lord to lay on your heart someone who may need your solicitude and help?

We can not only help those who have fallen away, but also those who need comfort, encouragement and physical or spiritual aid. Oh, how we need more marigold Christians! Joy fills a marigold Christian’s heart like a sunbeam and shines its light into the hearts of those who need it.

Questions: Is there someone in your life that you could give some encouragement and comfort to? What difference has it made in your life when someone has taken the time to comfort you in time of sorrow?

Join us for our Daily Devotional Chat today in our Women’s Chatroom at 10:30 am EDT.

The bright, cheerful-looking marigolds have long been one of my favorite annuals. They bloom in my area from May through October in just about any soil or situation. In the fall, when I clean up my vegetable garden, I scatter the marigold seeds around; and up they come in the spring. They rid the soil of nematodes and Mexican bean beetles, and various harmful insects dislike them.

I’ve heard that dried marigold petals can make a tea that settles nerves and helps a person to sleep if taken an hour before bedtime.  They can be used to flavor salads, omelets, hamburger, and stuffing, and with roasts, beef, and chicken.  They are said to kill certain germs in the body. Mixed with Vaseline or cold cream, they make a salve for wounds.

As I think of the protective qualities of this hardy plant, I’m reminded of the solicitude the Apostle Paul had for his fellow Christians. He wrote to the Christians at Rome, “I long to see you that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, to make you strong” (Romans 1:11). Paul cared about their sorrows and burdens; he earnestly desired that they would be knit together in love and come to know and experience the riches of God.

How our fellow Christians today need that same care shown to them! So many have fallen away from the Lord for one reason or another. Many of their marriages, their homes have fallen apart. Our young people today, as well as adults, are assaulted by temptations and mind defilers that many of us of the older generation never dreamed of, because in former times society as a whole upheld certain moral values.

Do we care what happens to our fellow Christians? In my counseling I have heard many tales of how badly lives, marriage, and children have been hurt in such cases. If we can just help one person keep from going astray, or help one come back to the Lord, we might save a world of misery, or we might even save a life.

If you have not been a marigold type of Christian up to now–one, that is, who is caring and protective of your brothers and sisters in Christ–why not ask the Lord to lay on your heart someone who may need your solicitude and help?

We can not only help those who have fallen away, but also those who need comfort, encouragement and physical or spiritual aid. Oh, how we need more marigold Christians! Joy fills a marigold Christian’s heart like a sunbeam and shines its light into the hearts of those who need it.

Questions: Is there someone in your life that you could give some encouragement and comfort to? Tell us about a time when someone took the time to comfort you when you were in suffering.

About the Author Muriel Larson

If you want to plant a garden, cook what you grow, find a husband, be a better husband, get a baby to sleep, get along with a teenager, get that teenager into college, get a divorce or lose 20 pounds, you don’t have to go it alone. There’s a coach to help you find your way just about anywhere you’d like to go.

Dave Herz is the founder and president of Vive Inc., a company that coaches teenagers and their parents. He said he sees many families who turn to coaching because they feel isolated. He and the other coaches at Vive work to help families create a web of support and learn to reach out to one another.

“I think in our society, we’re striving and hungry for connections with individuals — a boss, a grandparent,” he said. “That is hard-wired in human beings.”

The author of the article makes a bold statement that has been empirically verified on my own life and perhaps yours too: “To some extent, whatever our age, we just can’t help ourselves.” For daily minor problems, to be sure, we have developed methods of coping. For larger or deeper issues though, trying to solve them ourselves out is like trying to dig our way out of quicksand … it just won’t work! We need someone with a rope to help us out. Getting help is nothing to be embarrassed about and can lead to amazing life changes.

God is our ultimate source of change; without Him we can do nothing, for “we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing  out of it.” (1 Timothy 6:7) Yet, advice from a godly friend is valuable indeed: “The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.” (Proverbs 12:15) In this way, having a life coach can be valuable to help you discern God’s truth.

But there are many barriers to finding a life coach. What about those who can’t afford life coaches? What if there are no life coaches in your area? What about people whose daily lives are just too busy or chaotic to add another item to their overloaded to-do list? There’s also the problem of embarrassment; some problems are difficult to talk about with others face-to-face.

Online life coaching (also called mentoring) can resolve all of these problems. It’s totally free, available anywhere via the Internet, done on your own time at your own pace, and can be completely anonymous and is always private & confidential. If you’re interested in trying online mentoring, you will be matched up with a mentor who is familiar with your concerns and talk privately via email.

If mentoring is something you’d be interested in trying out, click here to write to a mentor. There is no obligation to continue if you decide it’s not for you, and it can make a big difference in your life.

If you want to plant a garden, cook what you grow, find a husband, be a better husband, get a baby to sleep, get along with a teenager, get that teenager into college, get a divorce or lose 20 pounds, you don’t have to go it alone. There’s a coach to help you find your way just about anywhere you’d like to go.

Dave Herz is the founder and president of Vive Inc., a company that coaches teenagers and their parents. He said he sees many families who turn to coaching because they feel isolated. He and the other coaches at Vive work to help families create a web of support and learn to reach out to one another.

“I think in our society, we’re striving and hungry for connections with individuals — a boss, a grandparent,” he said. “That is hard-wired in human beings.”

The author of the article makes a bold statement that has been empirically verified on my own life and perhaps yours too: “To some extent, whatever our age, we just can’t help ourselves.” For daily minor problems, to be sure, we have developed methods of coping. For larger or deeper issues though, trying to solve them ourselves out is like trying to dig our way out of quicksand … it just won’t work! We need someone with a rope to help us out. Getting help is nothing to be embarrassed about and can lead to amazing life changes.

But there are many barriers to finding a life coach. What about those who can’t afford life coaches? What if there are no life coaches in your area? What about people whose daily lives are just too busy or chaotic to add another item to their overloaded to-do list? There’s also the problem of embarrassment; some problems are difficult to talk about with others face-to-face.

Online life coaching (also called mentoring) can resolve all of these problems. It’s totally free, available anywhere via the Internet, done on your own time at your own pace, and can be completely anonymous and is always private & confidential. If you’re interested in trying online mentoring, you will be matched up with a mentor who is familiar with your concerns and talk privately via email.

If mentoring is something you’d be interested in trying out, click here to write to a mentor. There is no obligation to continue if you decide it’s not for you, and it can make a big difference in your life.

I’ll be attending four marriages this summer, and if this statistic is really true … well, that’s just disheartening to say the least. But TIME Magazine reports that the oft-quoted statistic may have little basis in reality:

Do half of all marriages really end in divorce? It’s probably the most often quoted statistic about modern love … Figuring out divorce rates is tricky. Not all states collect marital data, and the numbers change dramatically depending on the methods and sources that are used. … For example, about 23% of college graduates who married in the ’70s split within 10 years. For those who wed in the ’90s, the rate dropped to 16%.

So what’s the harm in repeating the statistic? Tara Parker-Pope, New York Times writer and author of a popular book about divorce, notes that “all the talk about grim marriage stats becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. “It makes us ambivalent and more vulnerable to giving up when problems occur,” she writes.” In other words, it makes divorce seem less terrible … after all, everyone’s doing it.

The real results of divorce are often tragic, and cause life-long scars for both the couple and their children, as well as family and friends. Thinking that half of all marriages end in divorce can make us trivialize it, as though it’s “not so bad.”

If you’re going through a divorce or are still reeling from its effects, it can be a time when you feel as though you’re alone. If you’d like someone to talk with, privately via email, please contact a mentor today. You’ll be matched with someone who’s familiar with your struggles and who can help.

Related reading:
Not Another Divorce Statistic – I did not want to be another divorce statistic, but …
Life After Divorce – Counselor Lynette Hoy explains why divorce is not the end of the road.

Is there life after divorce? We can pray for you?

“If two of you on earth agree on earth about anything you ask for, it will be done for by My Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:19).

One of the sweetest things about being God’s child is that our Creator can use all the experiences in our lives to teach us how to minister to others. Through the comfort and guidance we received from Him during times of trouble, we learn how to be messengers of God’s love. We also learn to sympathize with those who are going through trials similar to our own.

This has been true in my own life. I have gone through all kinds of rough trials! But since I started mentoring with TruthMedia I have been amazed how I have been able to relate to women going through what I did. Often the Lord leads me to share with them my particular experience relating to theirs and how the Lord gave me peace, comfort and victory.

For instance, after praying for years for a second child, I finally got pregnant. I was so thrilled! But then, how crushed I felt when I suffered a miscarriage! As I lay in my bed feeling very depressed, I called on the Lord to help me. As I talked to Him, a feeling of peace enveloped me, lifting me above that feeling of profound loss.

One day I felt led to call a woman I had not seen or spoken to for some time. She was deeply concerned about some people close to her, and I shared with her a similar burden I had once had. I told her how wonderfully God had worked things out. Then we prayed together about the
problem. During the prayer God’s spirit comforted her and seemed to assure her that what He had done for my loved ones, He could do for hers. And He did!

Even if we have no training in counseling, we all can at least be good listeners; and just having someone to talk to and pray with about a problem can result in the lifting of depression. Jesus said, “If two of you on earth agree on earth about anything you ask for, it will be done for by My Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:19).

The Lord Jesus told His followers that after He left earth, He would send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to be with them and to guide them. Through the Holy Spirit, God the Father and Jesus, God the Son, abide with us if we love Jesus (John 14:23). So we are not alone. But still, many of Jesus’ followers need to be reminded of that precious truth when they are weighed down by the cares of the world!

Through the Apostle Paul, the Holy Spirit shared with us this wonderful truth: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

Have you ever considered mentoring with TruthMedia? If you know and love God and can send an email, you have all the skills you need to mentor.  You can learn more about getting involved.

Questions: Why does God allow trials in our life? Is there someone that you know who is going through a trial that you could listen to and comfort?

About the Author Muriel Larson

In the past, celebrities like movie stars or sports heroes carefully constructed their public images.

Recently William Shatner (better known as Captain Kirk from the original Star Trek series) shared his struggles publicly for the first time:

At 79, the Montreal-born Shatner remains a beloved and seemingly unstoppable force in Hollywood … But despite fame, fortune and wide-ranging creative opportunities, he revealed Tuesday night that it has been a difficult journey.

“My life was a series of pools of loneliness [from] which every so often I was able to emerge with some companionship, and subdue that dreadful feeling that had dogged me for much of my life,” he said. “And frequently even with the kudos I was receiving, I was not happy with the private part of my existence. But slowly I changed. The drill that life puts you through can make you or break you, and fortunately I became more comfortable with relationships and slowly evolved in reaching out to friends and family.” (Globe & Mail)

In some ways it’s easier for stars to expose themselves this way: They are already public figures, and they have audiences who are ready and willing to accept whatever they reveal and offer their support. It almost seems to come with the territory of being a celebrity that airing your dirty laundry publicly is accepted, and won’t hurt your career. For average people with families and employers to worry about, that isn’t usually an option.

If you are going through difficult struggles, and would like someone to speak with privately and confidentially who can sympathize with the challenges you face, please contact a mentor today to talk about it with a caring listener.

Upcoming online chats: Join us for daily online chats! One of our features will be “What Do I Base My Self-Worth On? ” on June 28 at 10:30 am EDT Please join us to discuss where you get your confidence from.