8 Habits of Happy Families

Happiness can vary depending on our personal circumstances. But why are some families more resilient and happier despite the obstacles life throws their way?  Happy families often have certain traits in common, and you can adapt their habits to create a happier home of your own. Here are eight things they do:   1. Eat together Multiple […]

What Suicide Survivors Want You to Know

I Am a Survivor: Claire Mason Claire Mason was born with a serious autoimmune disease, which led to the diagnosis of several other life-altering conditions early in her life, including type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis. But in spite of her health problems, Claire was able to enjoy a relatively normal adolescence. By her mid-20s, she […]

“We Will Never Be Overweight Again”

Meet Herman and Sherman Smith, also known as the “Subway Twins.” A dramatic wake-up call, as well as a major setback, taught these twins the value of a healthy lifestyle—especially exercise. Their journey to better health began in 2002 when the mother of the then 21-year-old twins walked into the living room and made a […]

Overcoming Fear, Worry, and Anxiety

Are you tired of struggling with fear? Is worry wearing you out? Anxiety got you by the throat? Jennifer Jill Schwirzer offers hope and explains how building your faith will shrink your fears. A friend once told me she rejected the Bible. “All that stuff about Creation, the Flood, the Red Sea—it’s so outrageous.” Ironically, […]

In the Lyme Light

Lyme disease is the fastest-growing infectious disease in the United States, and 2012 is predicted to hold the highest risk ever for contracting it. Like most people, Vibrant Life editor Heather Quintana didn’t think she was at risk. But after several years of seizures, night sweats, and severe fatigue, a blood test traced all her […]

Cancer… Again

How lucky can a person be, anyway? Five years’ worth of lucky? That’s the target date most oncologists quote for official membership as a breast cancer survivor. Really, the buildup begins at three years running. You start to feel a tingle of hope. Four years? Now, that’s different. You might as well forget the tingle and confess downright anticipation. It’s the ultimate home stretch.

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Racing for the Gold With God

Some skeptically eye sheer ice and hard-packed snow as hazardous places to slip or crash out of control. But if you tried pegging hope’s fullest potential in degrees Fahrenheit, it would be on H2O at 32 or less–at least for winter athletes racing for Olympic gold. At these temperatures, water that once felt soft as a kitten’s paw or frothy like bubble bath suds hardens into something cold and carvable by skate blades and ski edges.

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Thank You, God, for Giving Me Diabetes!

As a patient I was stunned. As a medical professional I found it simply the final confirmation of the suspicions I had secretly carried for the past several months. The symptoms had become far too obvious for me to ignore any longer–an all-consuming thirst, frequent urination, constant exhaustion, and steady weight gain–so I finally called a trusted friend and told her my suspicions.

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