JanineThrossel.com

When we lived in South America, we occasionally received care packages from friends and family back home.  Boxes, envelopes or suitcases would be mailed to us or hand-carried by my in-laws when they came to visit. It was so much fun to open them and find treats like books and magazines in English, American candy, Pop-Tarts, cheesecake mix, black olives, dill pickles, cards, notes and photos from loved ones. Costa Rica: Peter stopped unpacking the suitcase Papa and Grandma Throssel brought,  and just started reading one of the books! Bolivia: One year, Philip said that the only thing he wanted for Christmas was Silly Putty.  So, Grandpa George sent him an egg of it in every color available!   Well, a little while before Christmas last year, we received our first giant care package FROM Bolivia.  Our friend Caroline helped sort through some of our stuff in storage there, and then our friends Bev and Bill packed up two large suitcases fu...

Recently, I listened to Charles Stanley share a memorable analogy about the ocean. He said a giant storm can send winds swirling, rain falling and waves crashing. Yet, down deep beneath the water, where "the storm held no sway," that same ocean is quiet and calm. Stanley has written: "That’s what Christ’s peace is like. It’s not an absence of conflict or trouble but a deep calmness in the midst of life’s circumstances." (http://www.intouch.org/read/magazine/a-word-from-dr-stanley/choose-peace) Shortly after hearing him speak, I saw a stunning reminder of that kind of peace.  Some of you may have heard of eight prisoners executed in Indonesia for drug charges. Two Australians, a Brazilian, four Nigerians and an Indonesian were bound to posts and shot through the heart. There was a lot of controversy surrounding their deaths. No deaths had been linked to their drug charges and some of the prisoners had already spent years trying to make amends for their s...

In the midst of the Chilean volcano eruptions, the earthquake in Nepal and the riots in Baltimore, there is a LOT OF GOOD NEWS this week, too! Here are a few examples. . . . * More than 450 women and children have been RESCUED from Boko Haram in Nigeria (please pray for their emotionally and psychological recovery, and the hundreds still being held). * A teen was pulled from the rubble nearly a week after the Nepal earthquake! * Thousands of people stepped up in Baltimore to clean the city, feed police and military personnel and also feed the many needy children who couldn't get access to their school lunches. * A report shows automobile crash fatalities with drivers 16-19 years old are less than half what they used to be in America. * After Tim Ward lost his wife and home in a landslide, an anonymous donor heard his story and paid off the mortgage--of $360,000. * After Jean Sharon Abbott spent 33 years unable to control her limbs, a correct diagnosis allows her to ...

A BOOK THAT HAS STAYED WITH ME FOR WEEKS AND WEEKS I was so happy to be able to review No More Peanut Butter Sandwiches , by Jeff Davidson (currently available at http://www.amazon.com/No-More-Peanut-Butter-Sandwiches/dp/1633570010 ). This book is an honest story from a dad whose son was born with special needs.  Jeff Davidson was expecting a healthy boy with whom he could play basketball and teach to drive a car.  But his precious son, Jon Alex, was born with cerebral palsy and autism.  He is nonverbal and needs help to eat and dress. This book is meant to benefit other parents of special needs children, and especially to encourage dads to care for their wives and participate in their children's lives.  I didn't really know what to expect as I began this book, but I grew so much in my understanding of special needs individuals and their families.  There were so many things that I didn't know or hadn't thought about, and I feel very inspired and ...

Each time I see these photos, they make me smile! William Lawrence is so precious! He also happens to have an extra chromosome. His dad, Alan, is a photographer, who created these (and other) fantastic pictures of Wil flying. Alan says they are a reminder to him that his son will be able to do anything he sets his mind to as he grows. Alan is using the photos to create a calendar to raise awareness about Down Syndrome and gather money for two related organizations. "Ruby's Rainbow" helps provide scholarships to higher-level education for men and women who have this genetic condition. "Reece's Rainbow" helps fund adoptions of children with Down's. Sadly, studies show 90% of parents who are told their children will be born with extra chromosomes choose to abort them. Reece's Rainbow has helped with over 1,300 adoptions so far! I hope you will take three minutes to watch the beautiful, inspiring video at the link below. I think you w...

Please Click Here to read her inspiring article: How to Stop Being Bored And Start Being Wonderstruck (photo taken with my iPod on the way to work)

Have you ever felt blindsided by life? Have you ever felt blindsided by God? That is the subject of Peter Chin's recently-released book, "Blindsided by God: Disappointment, Suffering, and the Untamable Goodness of God." Can I just say, in short, that I LOVED this book? I did. Peter Chin and his wife moved with their two daughters to an inner-city location where they began a church congregation. He felt certain he was in God's will. They were blessed with health, purpose, each other. . . then they experienced some tremendous suffering in the span of a few short months. Miscarriage, a robbery, breast cancer, termination of health insurance. . . Why was this happening to them? If they were doing God's will, why would he allow them to suffer so much? This is a powerful book. One thing that I especially loved is that he doesn't preach at readers, but just tells his story and what he learned. And, along the way, we see some of God'...