Matthew and Sarah Harms are the parents of four girls; the oldest aged six, Elizabeth, has Turner Syndrome, a chromosomal abnormality, and the youngest, Ava, passed away on her first birthday on May 24, 2012. Despite their grief and bewilderment, they trusted in God's goodness and faithfulness to comfort and provide for them.

The Harms were devastated when they learned that their first daughter had Turner Syndrome, a genetic condition in which a female does not have the usual pair of two X chromosomes; one of her sex chromosomes is missing or has other abnormalities. Girls with Turner Syndrome generally have non-working ovaries, absence of a menstrual cycle, and are sterile. Concurrent health concerns may also be present, including congenital heart disease, hypothyroidism, diabetes, vision or hearing problems, and autoimmune diseases.

Despite overwhelming grief, Matthew Harms shared in the video, "at that point we loved God and trusted God and knew that he was good but there were days that I started questioning that and there was definitely a point where we had to reassure ourselves every day that God was good… and we started to see how God was taking care of us." more >>

Arvella Schuller, wife of the Rev. Robert H. Schuller and co-founder of the Crystal Cathedral Ministries, reportedly suffered a stroke and has been working with Medicare-provided therapists to regain use of her left arm and leg. Meanwhile, the current congregation of the Orange County megachurch prepares for a major move and has taken on a new name.

The Orange County Register reports that Mrs. Schuller, 83, experienced a stroke earlier this month and was just released from a local hospital. Her daughter, Carol Schuller Milner, told the publication that her mother is "wiped out" but received a positive evaluation from doctors.

"She faired [sic] really well considering. We're really blessed," said Milner, adding that Mrs. Schuller is a bit frustrated that she now has to be so focused on herself after spending so many years in ministry focusing on others. more >>

New York City's Mayor Michael Bloomberg has become an interesting urban social engineer. In 2012 alone, he pumped nearly 2.5 million dollars of his own money to help legalize same-sex marriage in the state of Maryland. Needless to say, he has become a formidable foe to traditional family values.

More recently he proposed an ill-conceived soda ban. I criticized his maniacal attempt to force New Yorkers to eat right a few weeks ago. Although his goal for better health among the urban poor is a pandemic issue in every US City; his solutions will hurt minority businesses, increase government expenditures, along with many other intrusions into personal freedoms. Surprisingly, in this article, I am highlighting one of Bloomberg's better, less invasive policy concepts. Let me explain!

Last month, thousands of posters were put up around New York City. They carried images of crying toddlers with words for teen mothers, including messages like: Because you had me as a teen, I'm twice as likely not to graduate high school. Mom, chances are, he won't stay with you. What happens to me? more >>

The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the Obama Administration's decision to deny asylum to a German homeschooling family.

The Romeike family fled their German homeland in 2008 seeking political asylum in the United States – where they hoped to home school their children. Instead, the Obama administration wants the evangelical Christian family deported.

An Immigration judge granted them asylum in 2010 after the family revealed they were facing criminal prosecution for homeschooling their children. That decision was later overturned by the Board of Immigration Appeals in 2012. more >>

WASHINGTON – The pursuit of racial and ethnic unity is essential for the Church's witness, argues Lance Lewis, pastor of Christ Redemption Fellowship in Philadelphia, Pa.

Lewis was speaking at a Washington, D.C. event, called "The Future of Race in American Evangelicalism," announcing a new book on the topic of evangelicals and race called Aliens in the Promised Land: Why Minority Leadership is Overlooked in White Christian Churches and Institutions. The event, held at Calvary Baptist Church, was sponsored by Grace DC and Reformed African American Network. Lewis wrote one of the chapters for the book called, "Black Pastoral Leadership and Church Planting."

Lewis began by talking about his personal journey to evangelical Christianity. He grew up attending black Pentecostal congregations. His first experience with evangelicalism came with his involvement in Intervarsity while in college. From there, he "stumbled" into reformed theology and began attending a Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) church. more >>

As evangelist Billy Graham prepares for his final major outreach event, which is set to occur later this year, a recent survey has offered a glimpse into how his ministry has touched evangelical leaders.

The Evangelical Leaders Survey for the month of April found that 73 percent of National Association of Evangelicals leaders have attended a Billy Graham crusade, and 44 percent have met the evangelist in person. The poll encompasses responses from the NAE's board of directors, which includes the CEOs of denominations as well as leaders from evangelical churches, schools, and other organizations.

"The evangelical resurgence in America has been centered around Billy Graham," NAE President Leith Anderson said in a statement. "He communicated the gospel of Jesus Christ for everyone. Never about politics, ambition, money or power. Just about Jesus." more >>