Jesus and Grief: Thoughts on John 11

John 11:21

John 11 shows us that God understands our grief. Jesus knew Lazarus was going to die. He waited, and then he went to visit his friends, Mary and Martha. Martha expresses her shock and anger, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” (vs. 21) Jesus does not rebuke her. Instead…

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Stepping into 2016

I don’t know about you, but for me 2015 was one of the most difficult years I’ve had. There are issues I’m still working through which I can’t comment on, but in December my future was looking too dark for my comfort. I’m thankful that a few things happened in December to turn things around.…

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Tips for Supporting Aging Parents

Note: This is a companion post to Spending Time with My Dad, which is on the Beautiful Life blog today.  The river of life presents all of us with a variety of challenges and celebrations. Maneuvering through the rapids of aging is demanding for most families. This is a time fraught with changes in health,…

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Lessons in Trust and Technology

  Sometimes I just have to laugh. (I’d rather laugh than cry, wouldn’t you?!) After I posted last time, I ran into major technology issues. It all started quite innocently, with the addition of a new e-mail address. After the creation of the e-mail address, I wanted to add it to my e-mail program so…

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Update and future direction for ruthlsnyder.com

In January I shared my writing goals for 2015. I haven’t finished anything on that list! But I am still focusing on non-fiction, specifically the Author Social Media Mastery Series. After I finished Kindle in 30 with Kristen Eckstein, I decided to take the Author Audience Academy course with Shelley Hitz. I can’t say enough…

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Favourite Quotes from The Art of Work by Jeff Goins

In January I received an invitation to join the launch team for The Art of Work by Jeff Goins. Although the official launch date of the book is tomorrow, March 24, 2015, everyone on the launch team received a copy of the book a couple of months ago. In this book, Jeff shares from his personal experience…

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2015 Writers’ Blog Hop Week 3 – My favourite character

Thirty four years later I can still picture him: my grade 7 teacher, Mr. Arthur Freeman. (The picture above was taken while I sat in his classroom.) He taught junior high for decades at Prairie Bible Institute. When I met him, his silver-grey hair masked his quick whit, keen mind, and ready sense of humour.…

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Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day

The above image brought tears to my eyes. 1998 is a long time ago in many ways, but the memories are still there. Many people who know me, don’t know. Miscarriage is private grief that many experience, but few talk about it. My experience led to me write and enter the following story in a…

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Must Read: Fellowship of the Burning Heart

I’ve decided that I will read some classics in 2015. Fellowship of the Burning Heart came highly recommended, so I purchased a copy. It sat on my table until a few days ago when I picked it up and started reading it. Fellowship of the Burning Heart is a collection of 10 sermons by A.W.…

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