a ministry of compassion since 1973
Hope for When It Hurts
As Jesus was preparing to leave this earth through His death and resurrection, He took the time to do something very ordinary in the culture of the day, but very extraordinary for His disciples. It was the night of the Passover Feast. The meal was being served and Jesus got up...
Read MoreThen they were aware of a man asking what’s the matter? Thinking he was one of the cemetery employees, one of the women tried to explain.
Read MoreIn 1739, Charles Wesley wrote the hymn: Christ the Lord is Risen Today... There is so much here for one who is grieving!
Read MoreJesus said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." John 14:1-4 Imagine you are one of Jesus' disciples and He is speaking these words of comfort to you. What would you think, feel or do in response to His words of comfort?...
Read MoreAnxious? Worried? Fearful? Life can most certainly prompt these feelings! But, when we override them with the certainty that GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER ALL THINGS, it is possible to . . .
Read MoreOn Good Friday, Christians take time to recognize Jesus’ death. You, bereaved parents, have a unique vantage point on this event since you have a more intimate knowledge of death than most people. Your child died, God’s Son died.
Read MoreIt seemed like Mary realized who Jesus was - the Son of God - and that He was worthy of worship! The gift of nard was extremely costly - a year's worth of salary! Of course those around her thought she was foolish but Jesus accepted her humble gift as...
Read MoreOften times, as adults we want to protect young children with everything we have. When someone dies we may want to protect the children involved in that person's life by not telling them the truth. We tell them "he/she is sleeping, or in a better place." Children are very in tune with their surroundings. They can sense what is going on by the way the adults in their life are acting. Children also overhear a lot of conversations that adults have with one another or by another adult in their life. Therefore, children receive information best when they hear it from the adults closest to them...
Read MoreWhile I wait for my hot water to boil in the tea kettle on the stove, I listen to the water beginning to boil. Just before it is ready, it becomes very...
Read MoreOne of the men in one of my groups said he is surprised “by the arbitrariness of the rollercoaster” of emotions. A perfect description!
Read MoreDid you ever wonder why . . . . . . Jesus had His disciples present when He performed miracles? What was the purpose of their witnessing 26 of them dealing specifically with people with disabilities? . . .
Read MoreA word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. Proverbs 25:11 Have you ever thought about the appropriateness of what we say to one another? This proverb speaks to...
Read MoreResponding to someone in the heat of the moment usually leads to defensive responses. A number of years ago when I was employed by a Bible College, I had to...
Read MoreThere was much more going on under the surface than we could perceive above water, at first. Grief is like that – there is more going on, unseen but definitely present, as one travels along the journey of grief.
Read MoreNo doubt, as the Deceitful One slithered his way through the garden on that fateful day, his leer turned from a hateful sneer to a conquering glare as he relished in the moment – the moment when . . .
Read MoreHave you ever felt like the weight of the world was resting on your shoulders? Did your heart seem anxious, fearful or even so burdened that you weren't sure how you were going to function?...
Read MoreBASIS has a new program to offer for grieving children and teens. The name is C2H2 which stands for Compassion, Comfort, Healing & Hope and is based on 2 Corinthians 1:3-7...
Read MoreWe have just come through the celebration of Valentine’s Day, a holiday set aside on the calendar to show that special someone how much you love them. Although we love one another, God’s love for us...
Read MoreLast Saturday H*VMI provided a seminar called Planning a Good Offense for Stress and Anxiety here at the Ephrata office. Because of the possible weather conditions, we didn't want people to come "stressed out," so . . .
Read MoreYou could say you have a chronic illness called Grief. Since it takes a long time to get well or to reinvest in life it is like a chronic condition. Like her, you may have tried many therapies to get whole again.
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