The city of Atlantis was real. My forehead pressed against the thick glass window of the submarine, and I could only gape as the shining city came into view. The best we could have hoped to find was the crumbled ruins of a once great city, now resting at the bottom of the ocean. We [...]

The outrage on the judge's face multiplied, and he spit his next words. “The penalty for her sin is death. You cannot waltz in here and demand that justice not be served.” The man beside me took a long breath, and in a sad voice said, “I know.” My heart sank, and I covered my [...]

The jury was silent. The judge's face turned red with anger. “I'll ask you again. Who do you think you are, bursting into this courtroom?” The man who had just run in from outside was still looking at me as the judge spoke, but his attention slowly shifted back to the judge. “What is this [...]

I crossed my arms over my stomach self-consciously, trying to hide the tattoos that condemned me. I'm not sure why I bothered. Everyone in the courtroom had seen all they needed to. Every citizen bore the sin mark, but some were more visible than others. And my tattoos were a grim stain that covered my [...]

My skin is cold. Though I can't know for sure how cold—since corpses can't feel anything. They can't do anything at all, really. If I had the ability to touch, I'd feel the icy, rough dirt that holds my stiff body in place. I'd feel the maggots wriggling their muculent bodies around the tips of [...]

I looked up at the enormous shimmering gates guarding a city of wonders: streets lined with mansions, rivers of crystal water, and a peaceful people ruled by a just and powerful king. But no person entered the rich kingdom without first earning their spot, and there was only one way to do it. I gripped [...]

READ: JOHN 3:36; ROMANS 8:12-17; 1 JOHN 3:1 Oliver, the cat I adopted years ago, is asleep on the couch beside me right now. He’s gained a little weight over the years, and now he’s quite fat and happy. He’s had a wonderful life since he decided to trust us and take the gift of [...]

READ: ROMANS 3:20-24; EPHESIANS 2:8-10 Being adopted by my family wasn’t the only way my cat Oliver demonstrated a lesson of grace to me. You see, it’s common for cats to leave little presents for their humans. And, when I say “little presents,” I mean dead mice that we’d find just outside the front door. [...]

READ: ROMANS 1:1-5; EPHESIANS 4:7; HEBREWS 4:16 I’ve learned a lot about God’s grace from my cat. I know that sounds weird, but hear me out! When I was in high school, I looked out the window and saw a fluffy gray cat striding through our backyard. After talking with all the neighbors, we concluded [...]