I Choose Joy

A Word of Encouragement from Elizabeth Rice Handford I was a refugee from Hurricane Helene. My daughter Ruth and son Jeffrey had climbed through downed trees on the road to rescue me. My power, heat, light, internet, food supplies, all had been knocked out by the...

Judging Others Fairly

A Word of Encouragement from Elizabeth Rice Handford “I’m glad they caught the man that murdered that insurance executive.” said a friend of mine recently. Another friend retorted, “Huh, sure they did. The guy that was killed was rich and famous. But...

Face the New Year Loved, Forgiven, Empowered

A Word of Encouragement from Elizabeth Rice Handford Facing the new year is daunting. The year 2025 is unknown. We can’t guess what will happen about inflation, family relationships, employment, the cultural divide our country faces, or the threats of hostilities all...

God Didn’t Even Want Me

A Word of Encouragement from Elizabeth Rice Handford “Nobody wants me,” a distraught woman said to me as she opened the door to me. “God doesn’t even want me.” How deeper could a human being’s despair go? This dear woman had found life intolerable, and thought she’d...

How Can I Be Thankful with Life Like It Is?

A Word of Encouragement from Elizabeth Handford A bestseller by Kate Bowler bears the title, “Everything Happens for a Reason: and Other Lies I’ve Loved.” The title and the book imply that Romans 8:28 is a lie, a comforting lie, but still a blatant lie. Romans 8:28...