Holding Fast For Purpose

“In December 2006, Kelly, Brian and Nikko tracked through the snow and reached the ultimate summit. While I know they are safe and now in their real home, I could not have endured the pain of the Mount Hood tragedy without my faith.

This horrific journey brought me to a heart filled understanding of life and our role on this earth. Despite our tremendous loss, it made me more emotionally and spiritually richer. For me, the worst tragedy of my life enlightened me that holding fast is the only way to live.”

– Karen James

Dr. Frank A. James

Many of you will remember Karen’s brother-in-law Frank James, who spoke on behalf of the families during the Mount Hood tragedy. On the mountain, millions of people witnessed the incredible strength and faith of this man in the most difficult of circumstances.

Dr. Frank A. James is Provost of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts, where he leads the faculty and academic programs for the seminary.

After living through the tragic death of his younger brother and from many heart-to-heart talks with the family, Frank has written “Balm For Broken Hearts” in hopes of comforting others who face tragedy. In these heartfelt words, Frank describes key principles to help guide people searching for answers:

         Pain is Real
         God Does Not Waste Pain
         The Gravitational Pull of God
         Faith, Hope and Grief

“Some of you have asked also about our faith. I want to reassure you again that our faith is strong. Our faith is threefold -- we have faith in Kelly, and Brian and Nikko, we have faith in the rescuers, and we have faith in God. And there is little doubt that our faith is being refined these days... It's amazing, when you're in these kind of circumstances, you might think that people would turn away from God, precisely the opposite has happened. We've all turned to God."

- Frank James

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