Christmas is not a season of hope for many people Good cheer and glad tidings are a painful reminder of a broken relationship a long sickness or an empty place at the table [... more]

ldquo Most people carry scars that others can rsquo t see or understand rdquo nbsp Those deeply honest words came from Major League Baseball player Andrelton Simmons who opted out of the end of the regular season due to mental health struggles Reflecting on his decision Simmons felt he needed to share his story to encourage others facing similar challenges and to remind others to show compassion Invisible scars are those deep hurts and wounds that can rsquo t be seen but still cause very real pain and suffering In Psalm David wrote of his own deep struggle mdash penning [... more]

Dan was riding his motorcycle when a car swerved into his lane and pushed him into oncoming traffic When he woke up two weeks later in the trauma center he was ldquo a mess rdquo Worst of all he suffered a spinal cord injury that left him a paraplegic Dan prayed for healing but it never came Instead he believes God has compassionately taught him that ldquo the purpose of this life is that we become conformed to the image of Christ Unfortunately that doesn rsquo t happen when everything is unicorns and rainbows It happens when life is tough [... more]