By Pam Farrel
Life is full of ups and downs, but through it all God has created a GOOD road for each of us to walk.
In 3 John 2, we find this blessing: “Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.” (LSB)
The Greek word translated “prosper” is euodoō:
• eu = good, well
• hodos = road, way, path
How can we discover and follow God’s GOOD Road? Looking back over our journey, I see four principles:
G – A Genuine Life
Living a straightforward life is soil where success grows. God often reveals His path one step at a time, but integrity prepares us for the journey. “The integrity of the upright guides them.” (Proverbs 11:3 NIV)
Bill and I both came from difficult homes. I grew up longing for a peaceful home instead of the chaos caused by my father’s alcoholism. Bill’s father was a brilliant engineer, while his mother struggled with mental illness. Christ drew Bill and me to Him—me at age eight and Bill as a teenager after watching The Exorcist, which he says “scared him to life!”
Our desire for something better led us to the Creator who offers the truly good life. In Genesis, God repeatedly calls His creation “good” (In Hebrew: tov). This goodness can be described as beautiful, best, bountiful, and blessed.
O – Obedient Hearts
Obedience keeps us aligned with God’s will. “Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him.” (Psalm 128:1 NIV)
Early in ministry, we taught relationships to teens and young adults. Later, while Bill pastored a growing church, a basketball coach asked if he provided marriage counseling. Soon a couple sat in his office. The husband spoke little while his wife talked for nearly an hour.
As Bill prayed for wisdom, an illustration came to mind: “Your wife’s mind works like a plate of spaghetti—everything connects to everything else. Your mind works like a waffle— separate compartments.”
That simple insight became Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti, launching a bestselling series translated into 15 languages and enriching thousands of relationships.
O – Overcoming Spirit
God develops strength through challenges. “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them.” (1 John 4:4 NIV)
After decades of speaking on marriage and family, God led us to sell our home, give away most of our possessions, and move onto a liveaboard boat near Bill’s parents in California. God entrusted us with caring for Bill’s aging parents for ten years.
Looking back, we can see God’s faithfulness throughout that season.
D – Divine Intervention
During the past five years, I survived a DKA diabetic coma and a profound near-death experience, which I recount in Glimpse of God’s Glory: One Woman’s Near-Death Experience. After a year of recovery, after excruciating pain, I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. When my oncologist entered the hospital room, we discovered he was a Christian.
He and his wife had read Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti. After sharing my diagnosis, I told him, “I’ve already been to heaven, and it is marvelous. God loves me so much that He orchestrated every detail to bring me here, to Kentucky, to you, at exactly the right time.”
The cancer was detected at Stage 1C, and today I am more than two years “No Evidence of Disease.” We have written 61 books, but the greatest treasure is seeing God’s faithfulness. “The Lord will work out his plans for my life.” (Psalm 138:8 NLT)
And those plans—for us and for you—will always lead down God’s GOOD Road.
Pam Farrel and husband Bill received the 2025 AWSA (Advanced Writers & Speakers Association) Lifetime Achievement Award. Find out more about their books and ministry at love-wise.com.
