When you feel like giving up, where do you look for inspiration to persevere? The book of Hebrews was written to Jewish Christians by an unknown author. The audience was struggling to keep their faith amidst persecution, and some of them thought that the laws and sacrifices of their old faith were easier than following [...]

Skin color. Nationality. Language. Gender. Health. Economic status. Social status. Political views. Opinions We experience so many divisions in this broken world. We can feel blocked off from others, as if we're living in a different world than they are. Our experiences in life can be vastly different based on the families we were born [...]

If you have ever been to a school graduation ceremony, you likely sat through at least one speech. Most graduation speeches have two components. The first reflects back on shared years at the school: significant events, fun times, hard times, and what we learned. The second looks forward to the years to come, including advice [...]

Don't be afraid,” I tell myself. “Don't have those irrational fears.” Don't be scared of bugs, heights, crowds; eliminate those phobias. When I was feeling happy, hopeful, surrounded by friends, “Do not be afraid” sounded so simple and easy. But beyond the phobias is a fear deep inside I don't understand. The fear that keeps [...]

I'm hoping for a good explanation of what happened out there today, Kali.” Captain Vesper crossed his arms as I joined him on the bridge of the Goshawk, the largest ship in the Maldi exploration fleet. “Because from what I've heard, you abandoned your squad down on Maldi to find the missing explorer.” I shrugged, [...]

Close your eyes, and imagine a dark night. You are standing in a field, and surrounding that field is a thick forest that stretches miles in every direction. It is long after sunset, and there are no lights from buildings to shine a way out. You can hardly see six feet in front of you, [...]

"Where do I go from here?" I wondered, looking at my story. I had just finished typing out another novel—another novel for the collection of manuscripts sitting on my computer. My head swirled with story ideas and dreams, but I had no idea how to get any of them published." How long will it be [...]

If you've ever run a race, you might have experienced a sudden boost of energy when you saw the finish line. Or maybe you've entered a contest, and when it became difficult, stayed motivated by remembering the prize you'd receive if you won. Maybe you've pushed through challenging classes in school by remembering the hope [...]

One spring night I woke up very early—4:00 a.m. to be exact—to booming thunder, flashes of lightning, and a downpour of rain. It was completely dark outside in the raging storm, but I heard something strange: the sound of a bird, a robin, singing. "How can that crazy robin be singing at four in the [...]

A soft answer turns away wrath.” “Pride goes before a fall.” “A cheerful heart is good medicine.” You may have heard these sayings before, but did you know they (and countless others) originated from the Bible? They all came from the book of Proverbs, specifically Proverbs 15:1, 16:18, and 17:22. We hear the word often, [...]