Maybe you have read my first two introductory blog posts, then again, maybe you haven’t (category, Allow me to introduce myself). If you haven’t, allow me to summarize them for you: I am a Christian minister who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (2014) and has decided to launch a web-based ministry focused on those who are suffering and those closest to them. It seemed like a great idea, but I soon realized that the “pie in the sky” takes a great deal of time and effort to actually create down here on mother earth. As the Hebrews writer acknowledged with regard to houses, “…every house is builded by some man…,” (Heb. 3:4) the same can be said for websites; they don’t just appear.
Ahhh a website, what shall I name it? After sifting through every name even remotely related to suffering and Christianity, I kept coming back to Job 13:15, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him….” The entire verse wasn’t going to be practical for a domain name, so I cut back nearly all the words except, “Yet I Trust.” I liked it; it was short and sweet and captured the goal of my ministry. However, it could be read, yeti_trust, which I thought could cause some problems. With so many people enamored with Yetis nowadays, I thought I might get some disappointed visitors to the website, haha. So I played around with the domain name some more and polled some family members but ultimately stuck with yetitrust.com. I concluded to my wife with a grin on my face, “I feel like a Yeti, Multiple Sclerosis makes me feel abominable.” (thus, This shirt was born)
Now that I had a domain name, it was time to add content to the website. I did not know a lick about WordPress prior to this venture, but it has been a tremendous help. There was still a significant learning curve, but WordPress prevented me from having to hire someone to build the site or attempt to learn coding. I decided I was too cheap for the former and too old for the latter so I stuck with WordPress. I wanted the site to provide support in three areas: resources, peers, and prayer. In my mind, if suffering Christians had truthful, Bible based resources, peers to encourage them, and answered prayers by the Almighty God, they would have sufficient support to be anchored in their faith. In order to provide support with resources, peers, and prayer I concluded that four major pages needed to be added to the site: blog, forum, live chat, and prayer request. The blog page will provide Bible based articles geared toward those who are suffering, the forum page will provide a place for sufferers and their loved ones to discuss important topics, the live chat page will allow a sufferer to connect with me or others on the fly, and the prayer request page will give sufferers an opportunity to have a multitude of Christians petitioning God on their behalf.
It is my prayerful desire that this site will deliver on its intended result, that each may say with confidence, “Yet I Trust.”
What an excellent place to start the discussion of suffering by considering Job and his words of trust! I have been blessed by my creator with good health most of my life however you cannot pass through this world with out experiencing suffering. Sometimes it is physical, sometimes emotional but the greatest anguish is spiritual suffering. Job gives us the foundation to resolve all suffering the challenge is to persistently follow that directive. I look forward to participating in the conversation. I have many motivation for my interest… The first reason is some one I dearly love is suffering. Second I seek to understand and build my faith despite suffering. And finally I have a passion as Christian to encourage those in need. I look forward to hearing more.
Hi Jeff, Although I do not have MS, I do know that the more I read books about Jesus and the Miracles he performs, the more my personal relationship develops with him and I have found I am talking to him daily. I would like to leave the names of a couple of books that will bring hope and peace to the readers of your blog. “Rush of Heaven” by Ema McKinley, “Real Life, Real Miracles”, by James L. Garlow. I carry my Kindle with me at all times, and continue to read about the Lord. I hope that the medications people are taking will help with the pain and other problems associated with MS. My hope is by reading books (and the Bible) that your readers will feel the love of Jesus and have the belief that there is a chance for a Miracle in their own life. Love and Prayers.