By Josie Siler

When I was in fourth grade, I did something that I’m not proud of. I got a perm. I was sick of my straight hair and wanted curls – glorious, beautiful curls! My hair was already pretty short, but I was convinced that curls would look great. My parents reluctantly took me to get my hair permed. It was what I always wanted…until it was done. I looked in the mirror at my 80’s afro and wondered why in the world my parents let me get a perm.

It was terrible. I looked like a clown. I hate clowns. They scare me. My hair scared me.

Random story, I know. The Apostle Paul was good at that too. In the middle of talking about marriage and how we are supposed to treat each other, Paul makes this comment about our bodies: “No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church. And we are members of His body (Ephesians 5:29-30, NLT).”

By Erin Elizabeth Austin

Let’s be honest for a minute. With the tragedies of the week which took place at the Boston Marathon and the fertilizer factory explosion in West, Texas, many people asked the question, "Where is God?” Struck with the raw emotion of having terrorists set off bombs and then seeing the destruction of a small Texas town, at some point the question of God’s presence crept into people’s thoughts. Many of us are still in shock and horror that such tragedies could even occur. And as we come to grips with the scope of what has happened, that nagging question will continue to creep into our thoughts until we deal with it and learn the truth.

Years ago, I suffered a personal and very private tragedy. Few people knew of my inner turmoil or the question which continuously plagued my thoughts – “Where was God?” For a long time, I refused to search for the answer because I was afraid of what I would find. Yet this only harmed my relationship with God and stole my peace of mind. Thankfully, God is patient, and He waited for me to ask the question He already knew I was thinking. So for today, let’s bookmark our study on The Beatitudes, and let’s find the answer to the question we often ask when tragedy strikes – “Where is God?”

By Josie Siler

As a single person, I tend to skip over sections of Scripture about marriage. Oh sure, I’ve read them, but they just don’t seem to apply to me yet. If I really think about what I just wrote, it doesn’t make much sense. All of God’s Word should be applicable to me. There is always something that I should be able to learn, always. The passage I want to talk about today fits into that category. It is about how husbands and wives should treat each other. Some of you are married and will benefit greatly from these verses. However, if you’re single, don’t stop reading. Don’t just skip over this portion of Scripture; there is something for us to learn here as well. It’s not something that we should learn now and remember for later. It is something that we should learn now and apply now!

Let’s jump right in. I love how The Message translates Ephesians 5:21-28; it lays it all out there.

By Erin Elizabeth Austin

“You can do this! You’ve been planning it for months. You know the how and the where. All that’s left is the nerve to follow through…But wait. What if it doesn’t work? What if I try and don’t succeed? What if my life becomes even worse than it is now?”

Eight years ago, I had this conversation with myself more times than I’d like to admit. For almost a year, suicidal thoughts plagued my thoughts on a regular basis. Although I never attempted to take my own life, I knew how I was going to kill myself. The only thing that stopped me was my Eeyore-like thoughts. I figured I would be the person who attempted to kill herself and death wouldn’t follow; I would be the one who botched the attempt and would wind up paralyzed, unable to try again.  

I’m thankful God spared my life, but it was a long, difficult journey to find healing for my brokenness. I had endured so much suffering in my life that I loathed who I was and what I’d become. There was no joy or peace, and there certainly was no hope that my life would ever get better. It hadn’t improved up to that point, so why should the future be any different?

By Josie Siler

This past Sunday I had the opportunity to share with an adult Sunday School class about Broken but Priceless Ministries and chronic illnesses. As I was explaining to the class what it is like to live with a chronic illness I got quite emotional. The pain and darkness that can overtake us seems so strong sometimes.

To be perfectly honest I have thought more than once about what it would be like to end it all or to drown my sorrows away. I have never followed through because I know that God loves me and He has a plan for my life, even in the midst of brokenness and darkness. I am priceless; and so are you. You are valuable and important and needed. If you are in a dark place today, please, reach out to someone. Pick up the phone and call someone, or go stay in a place where you don’t have to be alone. This world needs you.

By Beth Pensinger

My knuckles are white I’m gripping the steering wheel so hard, and it makes the tiny red cuts on my winter-chafed hands appear even brighter. I squeeze my car into a parking spot and use the rearview mirror to double check my puffy eyes. They’ve cleared up enough, I guess. Since I’m thirty minutes early to the dinner meeting, they’ve got time. But I’m consumed with thoughts of my situation, so the tears pool, then spill all over again.

From my vantage point, I can see the front door to the classy restaurant. It wasn’t my first choice. He picked it when I said we needed to talk. The sheer refinement of the building’s exterior makes me feel underdressed. There’s no way I’m stepping across the threshold until He shows up. Briefly, I wonder what He’ll arrive in. Does God get chauffeured in a limo? Or is He more of a drive-it-yourself kind of God? Maybe He likes a Jeep Wrangler with the top down. Though it is cold outside. Does cold affect Him?