Stephanie Anderson

Treatment for a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy is NOT an abortion. It is very important that we use precise language when are talking about these subjects.

Grief is always difficult, but it sounds like in this particular case, grief is also tricky because it’s a relationship that our society doesn’t have a clear label on for grieving. But God knows and see what’s hard—so give yourself permission to grieve this loss, bring that sadness to Jesus, and let Him speak His truth and love into it.

Earlier this year, I shared Kevin DeYoung’s article Faith and Works: Does James Contradict Paul? on my blog. A reader wrote us with this question in response. My thanks to Stephanie Anderson, EPM staff, for her excellent response.

Randy writes: “Another place I’ve felt that throat clenching darkness is at abortion clinics. Once I opened a dumpster at an abortion clinic and saw blood and flesh. I was overwhelmed with a horror that wasn’t like something made to look bad in a movie, but was real and undiluted evil.”

It’s hard to totally know what to make of your experience, and my first recommendation would be, if you haven’t already done so, to talk to your pastor or another trusted leader at your church to get wise counsel and pastoral care.

There is nothing that Satan wants more than to see God’s people pressed down, burdened with shame, and stuck living with regrets. Paul encouraged us not to be “unaware of his schemes” (2 Corinthians 2:11). Satan doesn’t want us to be effective for God’s Kingdom in the present, right now, because we are always looking back.

Even “clean” romance books could be wrong for some people to read if they are drawing our hearts away from Christ and creating unhealthy dynamics in marriage. Only God has the ability to see into your heart to know whether what you are reading, and the effects on your heart, are sinful or not.

Your desire to invest in what’s eternal through generosity is admirable. We certainly don’t want to discourage anyone from pursuing radical generosity! 

I assume you are referring to the idea that a cardinal represents the memory, or sense of connection, with a loved one who has died? Or some seem to go as far as to say it’s a loved one sending a message.