Paul W. Powell Legacy Library

One of the most difficult of tasks is to explain death to a child. How do you do it? First, be calm. How you tell them is almost as important as what you tell them. If you are composed, they will probably accept your explanation calmly. If you are hysterical, they will probably become hysterical. Their experience and understanding is limited and so they are likely to...

I once received a letter from a lady from Wisconsin whose daughter had been brutally murdered.  She had read one of my books and wrote to ask, “Do you know what heaven is like?  Has anyone ever come back from there to tell us about it?” Her letter expresses one of the deepest longings of the human heart.  “Does heaven have anything to...

Death is a fact of life. As soon as we begin to live we are old enough to die. We are all engaged to marry death, so as we grow older and the ceremony approaches we need to become better prepared for it. So what’s it like to die? We all want to know. There are four words used in the Bible to describe death: sleep, depart, dissolve, and decease. 1. Sle...

Literary genius George Bernard Shaw stated that life’s ultimate statistic is the same for all people: one out of one dies. Death is no respecter of persons. Sooner or later death will blow its chilly breath into the face of every one of us. The Bible warns us that “It is appointed unto men once to die, after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). You ma...

When a loved one dies, scores of emotions flood our lives. We may be so overcome by grief that we wonder, “Am I normal? Am I losing my mind? Is there something wrong with me?” We need to understand what happens to us in a time of grief. Here are some of the emotions that usually come to us: 1. Shock. We simply cannot believe what has happened. It seems l...

There is a trend abroad for denominations to speak out against the practice of viewing the body and giving flowers, etc. at funerals. Some have even gone to the extreme of suggesting that no flowers be given and that at death the body be immediately prepared and buried without any ceremony. A few days later, it is suggested, a simple memorial service could be held for...

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; 4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; 5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy y...

A friend told me birthdays are good for you. People who have lots of them usually live a long time. In 2001 I had bypass surgery. I had seven of those suckers – that’s right, seven. That’s all you can have. I wanted to have eight so I could make the Guinness Book of World Records, but my doctor said seven is the maximum. After the surgery the doctor...

6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. Introduction &...