Although we may not realize it, each of us has formulated opinions on what life is supposed to look like and how it is supposed to work. When life is going well, we may not be aware of those perspectives or recognize how much they shape our responses to life. But those perspectives have a powerful impact, and when adversity strikes, many of us find that our perspectives are shaken to the core.

When I was first diagnosed with cancer, my perspective on life w... (continued)

I had been enduring an extremely difficult trial in life. For months there seemed to be no improvement or resolution in the situation I faced. It seemed as if my prayers for a way of escape were being ignored. Finally, I decided to create my own mini-escape. I lived fairly close to the Pacific Ocean, so, hoping fo... (continued)

If we live long enough, broken bodies, damaged relationships or tattered dreams will eventually lead us through the valley of suffering. Many of us who sojourn through that misty lowland find that our perspectives on life, God and suffering are shattered along the way. What we belie... (continued)

We all have beliefs about what life will hold for us, of who God is and what He will do for us, of how life is supposed to work and we assume those perspectives are true.When we endure times of personal suffering, however, those expectations often suffer t... (continued)

Lucy was no stranger to the deep valleys of suffering. She grew up without a father, and her mother died while Lucy was still a teenager. So Lucy knew what it was like to trudge along lonely, dark pathways of pain. As a counselor who works with people in crisis, she frequently... (continued)