Parchment & Pen Blog

I got the news on the road to Florida. My family and I, along with my mother, are in Florida for the Gospel Coalition conference. After this, we will head directly to Dallas, where I will participate in the Christian Renaissance conference. News like this breaks me more than anything else. I fell completely apart. [...]

For many of us, “Monday morning blues” simply refers to that mild sadness many of us feel when the weekend break is over. The prospect of a long week of the daily grind brings blue feelings. However, for many ministers, Monday means something different. Monday is often the beginning of our weekend. When I was [...]

Considering how much my last post on suicide is being read combined with how many personal emails I am getting from the P&P audience about this, I thought I would update this post and share it with you all. There have been few times when I feared for my life—I mean really feared for my [...]

Here is an email question that I received with the response to follow: Good Afternoon: I am writing to you under emotional pangs, as I wrestle with the Scriptures, and what I hear from certain others who are Christian. The husband of a friend of mine committed suicide. My friend, I know well, and her [...]

If I were in charge of the universe, I would most certainly do things differently. Hey, this is a given. God already said that his ways are not my ways. I also know that his ways are better than my ways. I would just do some things differently. I doubt there is anyone who has ever escaped the [...]

Dear Angie, We just passed the 6 year anniversary of your death. I guess it was the evening of January 4, 2004 (that is what the medical examiner said), but Kristie (your sister, not my wife) thinks it is January 5 because that morning her back door blew open. Remember, she had Drew that night. [...]

I heard the song on the radio today. “Angel” by Sarah McLachlan. I hate that song. Every time it comes on, I change it. I usually don’t run from such pain, but I can’t . . . not that song. We played it at the funeral. “In a cold dark hotel room . . .” [...]

Congratulations to Shaun Sells. His post was selected for our "Friday Night is Yours" blog post. -CMP] Suicide from a Biblical Perspective for the Surviving Family Member. Introduction. The purpose of this is to bring comfort to the surviving family members of one who has commited suicide by bringing to light God’s perspective from the [...]