When I first met Debbie two years ago, she was exuberant and overflowing with joy. Although she had lived with MS for more than 20 years and had recently been confined to a wheelchair, her faith was strong and vibrant. Speaking with her was a great encouragement to me. When I saw Debbie more recently, however, she hardly seemed like the same person. Her face was tight, drawn, and she seemed to be enveloped in an air of sadness.

As we talked, I learned that her disease had worsene... (continued)

Is it really necessary to see something with our eyes before we can believe it exists? Many of us would answer with a wholehearted Yes!" Yet when we stop to think about it, much of what we do every day is in response to forces, influences, and realities that we cannot see.

Consider this brief slice of life for example:

Even as I ponder the concept of believing in what we cannot see, gravity holds me fast to the seat of my chair. As the sunlight streams through my office ... (continued)

The Bible has had a greater impact on human history than any other book. The desire for copies of the Bible inspired the invention of the printing press. The Bible, or parts of it, has been translated into 2,200 languages that are used by more than 90 percent of the world's population, and translators predict that the Bible will be available in all of the world's languages by 2007.

Furthermore, no one can dispute the Bible's long-lasting popularity. More than one-third of all Ame... (continued)

What is it that enables us to perceive an invisible God and be certain of our relationship with Him? It can’t be our physical senses because our senses are subject to limitations and disabilities. It can’t be our emotions because our feelings are often unreliable or damaged. It can’t be our intellect because young children can believe in God long before they can read, write, or engage in intellectual debate. So what is it? It is faith.

The Bible defines faith as the ability to be “sur... (continued)

When our faith is shaken to the core, when we question God's very existence, we hunger for tangible evidence of our invisible God. Although the dark passages of our lives may dim our view, we literally are surrounded by a world full of visible signs of God. Even a cursory look at creation reveals evidence of God's fingerprints in every glance. Feast your eyes on these fingerprints"-visible reminders of what God has created by His own hand.

- A universe that encompasses about a tri... (continued)

On his way to the airport to fly to Washington, D.C. to meet with yet another medical specialist, Outreach of Hope volunteer Wayne DeReu stopped by the office. His face told the story. During the three years he had battled an extremely rare form of cancer, Wayne had seen scores of medical professionals. He was not encouraged by the prospect of traveling halfway across the country to meet yet another specialist who offered little promise of relief. He was disappointed about the possibility of ... (continued)

Most of my friends are well into their "presbyopia years" when our eyes need assistance to focus on small things like printed text, jewelry clasps, and price tags. We adjust by carrying reading glasses with us everywhere. Inevitably though (perhaps because our memory is also a bit out of focus), someone in the "presbyopia crowd" can't find his or her glasses and needs to borrow a pair in order to see clearly.

When we go through a period of suffering, doubt can loom bigger than li... (continued)

When we need God's comfort and encouragement, most of us want it in a big way. We secretly long for a burning bush" experience to erase all doubts of God's existence and to prove His involvement in our lives. But most of the time, God conveys His love through far more approachable means-through the gentle touch of a human hand or the familiar sound of a friend's voice.

Fallible as we are, God often uses human couriers to make His presence known. During his battle with cancer, Dav... (continued)