Editor's note: Today's reading discusses abuse. . Daniel. Esther. Peter. Paul. As a teenager, I knew them all. If there was a Bible trivia show, I could have been a champion. I went to church and knew Bible stories like the back of my hand. . I knew about God, but I did not know [...]

“Ugh,” my daughter said in disgust. Whole peppercorns covered Eloise's broccoli alfredo and looked like mini meatballs floating on a sea of white sauce. The culprit: a broken pepper grinder. Lately, our pepper grinder had been breaking the peppercorns in half instead of grinding them. Now, the grinder lay in pieces, and I made a [...]

Why is this happening, God? When will it stop?” Tears fell as I poured out my heart and journaled to the Lord. I had prayed for a particular person in my life for years, but the grueling situation continued. My emotions ranged from despair to anger. What emotions have you experienced lately? What about in [...]

Their opinion meant the world to me. Their acceptance was what I craved. Their attention was what I longed for. I was an outsider with the popular girls. They laughed at me, not with me. They talked about me, not to me. Their rejection was the framework I built my self-worth on. I was nothing [...]

Is God calling you to be a missionary?” Our pastor asked the question while he introduced the visiting missionaries from Sierra Leone. I sat in the hard pew and watched the couple walk on stage to share what God was doing in their mission work. I tuned out and blankly watched the slideshow of places [...]

***Editor's note: Today's reading discusses abuse*** During our teenage years, many of us start dating. This is a big step, and while dating can be fun and wholesome, it can also be confusing and damaging. After I experienced several rejections as a teen, I was thrilled when a high school romance came my way. God [...]