



Traveling to Chile I was excited about going to Chile, the country where I was born and lived the first eight years of my life. My last visit was after the massive earthquake in 2010. My focus then was providing psychological first aid in a town that had literally crumbled. There, 90% of the adobe…

I recently came across some old films from two decades ago. These are not pictures of my family making memories or reminders of my youth. They are images of my brain, MRI films from an era when hard copies were mounted on a lit background for evaluation. 2002 was the first time I got an…
There are many times when someone we know is struggling with pain, loss, or grief, and we want to show some kind of comfort or support. But good intentions don’t always become helpful outcomes, and at times a well-meaning word can actually be quite painful. For several years I was dealing with the symptoms and…
We’ve been exploring what it means to be part of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, starting with Jesus’ descriptions of its citizens, including those who are “poor in spirit.” He goes on to say: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” This one hits close to home for the many who…
The question of “Why does God allow suffering?” has been present throughout history. This is an issue I’ve faced multiple times, and I’m guessing you have too! Have you reached a conclusion? For those who have yet to wrestle with this issue, it could be a stumbling block in their journey of faith, a reason…
I recently returned from visiting multiple countries in the Middle East, where I heard stories from individuals, visited refugee/IDP camps, and met with leaders of various ministries, NGOs, and camps in Northern Iraq. Churches and organizations in Lebanon and Jordan also find themselves overwhelmed with the needs of refugees from Syria and Iraq, but have…
There is no suffering that He himself did not endure, we are told in scripture again and again. The apostle Paul reminds us in Hebrews 2:14-18, that Jesus shared in our humanity and chose to share our experiences of life, so that he could break the power of the Devil and provide a way of salvation. That Jesus became one of us so that he could identify with us and help us, is the heart of the gospel message. Thanks, Emily, for reminding us that love is expressed in many and varied ways, with none more poignant than the love Jesus displayed when he died on the cross.