Christian Counseling & Educational Services

The ride home from town was so wonderful! Everything looked sharp and colorful. People were smiling. Leaves floated in the wind. The world was so much more enjoyable once a pair of glasses corrected my vision. You see, I didn’t realize what I was missing until my eyes were opened to a new way of looking at the world.

In life, we often settle for what we are able to deal with rather than pursuing the best. We keep our eyes on the mundane details of life and forget to focus on the eternal destination. We often go about our lives ignoring the fact that Jesus came to give us abundant life–one overflowing with joy, peace, love, compassion, and hope that begins right here and now in this life.

As beautiful as yesterday was here in Pennsylvania, it was easy to see why people were out walking. I noticed one couple in particular moving briskly with bounce in their step. “What a great way to spend time together,” I thought. Then I noticed she was talking on her cell phone, and I wondered how he felt about that. She was with him, right by his side, but her focus was elsewhere. Was it a random thing that interrupted their time together? That can happen easily enough. Or was it something she did often? Was she frequently with him physically, but listening to someone else’s voice?

Every year as spring arrives, I remember the time when we lived in France and went high into the Alps to a rustic retreat center. The sky was blue, the air was crisp and patches of snow spotted the mountainside. Here and there delicate little wild flowers showed their faces, some even pushing up through the crusty snow patches. At that elevation it seemed we could see forever. Being in the high place gave a different perspective to the whole world. It was a moment I wished would never end.

Last September one more counselor joined our staff to complete our team. Her name is Cindi Wilmot and she is a delightful addition to our work and ministry. Cindi is a wife, and a mother to six children. You can read more about her at our staff page. Here’s a devotional she wrote just for you, our weekly readers.

My daughter’s friend, Christian, sat in the back of the van with our kids, laughing delightedly and making everyone around him smile and chuckle with his nine-year-old humor and energy. “This is what it would be like if the Lord had spared our son”, I thought wistfully.

What a thrill to KNOW that my Redeemer lives! Jesus Christ is just as alive today as He was right after the resurrection. In fact, He is just as much alive today as He was before the crucifixion, and even before He came to earth and was laid in the manger.

What difference does it make whether we serve a living God or one made of stone? Isn’t it just a practice we believe in? Is it a crutch to help us along our way? No! Absolutely not!

In a matter of one short week, Jesus went from riding triumphantly into the city of Jerusalem being hailed as a king, to hanging in humiliation from a wooden cross with angry mobs shouting around Him, having been betrayed by one of his own. Through it all, He never ceased to honor His Father. How did He do it? How is it possible to go from the position and pomp of a king, to the railings and rejection as a criminal and still successfully glorify God?

As I sorted through the mail the other day, a pretty pink envelope stood out from the brightly colored advertisements trying to grab my attention. Immediately I recognized the handwriting and the warmth of friendship swept over me. Inside there was a lovely card and a brief handwritten note that held a large message of love and appreciation. It came at a time when I needed a word of encouragement.

Although he lived and wrote over 100 years ago, Oswald Chambers really challenged my thinking this morning. Am I looking to Christ only when I need comfort or sympathy, or am I trusting Him to be able to do anything in my life? Look at what Rev. Chambers had to say.

“I already pulled the files for the clients who are coming in today, Dr. Ann.�?

“Thanks, Jane. So, who are we seeing today?�?

“Well, we have a new client coming in this morning, but when I got his initial information over the phone, I had trouble determining the billing address. It seems his home was under siege, and his business completely wiped out. This guy really has problems! All 10 of his children were killed in a mass tragic accident, and now his own health is deteriorating. The only place he finds relief is on top of an ash heap.�?

“Has he ever seen anyone for counseling before?�? Ann asked.

“He told me that he was part of some group therapy session with three other guys,�? Jane replied, “but it wasn’t really helpful to him at all.”

When the phone rang Wednesday I wasn’t prepared for the news I was about to hear. “I just called to tell you that Delphine passed away last night,�? the voice said. My friend was nearly 80 years old so her death shouldn’t have come as such a shock, but it did. She hadn’t been well for years, but that never stopped her. She kept right on going and she loved life to the fullest. Her heart for the Lord and for others was always finding a way to do or say something kind. And her sense of humor kept me laughing.