READ: MATTHEW 25:34-40; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-7 Have you ever visited a friend or family member in the hospital? Maybe you brought some of their favorite games or books or movies. While they might have been happy to see you, maybe they weren’t up for games or movies. It can be discouraging, especially if you visit [...]

READ: MATTHEW 6:25-34; 11:28-30; LUKE 2:40-52; EPHESIANS 5:15-17 When you see little kids playing, do you ever find yourself getting a little nostalgic for those “good old days” when you didn’t have any responsibilities? The older we get, the more time we spend on school, chores, part-time jobs, extracurriculars, or volunteer work. Meanwhile, little kids [...]

READ: ISAIAH 55:8-9; 2 CORINTHIANS 12:7-10 When I was in high school, I struggled with depression and anxiety. A boy broke my heart, none of my friends understood me, I struggled with family issues at home, and it felt like nothing in my life went right or ever would go right. Psalm 34:18 says, “The [...]

READ: PSALM 32:8; PROVERBS 16:9; MATTHEW 6:25-34; JAMES 4:13-15 I am a planner. I love to plan out my future and what I want to do next. Maybe you’re like me and you find yourself thinking a lot about the future and what comes next. What am I going to do after school today? Or [...]

READ: NUMBERS 23:19; PSALMS 100:5; 102:25-27; MALACHI 3:6 If you had asked me three years ago if I could ever see my life being what it is today, I would have given a definite “no.” At the time, my family—and world— were in a completely different place. The changes that I’ve gone through were unexpected [...]

READ: PSALM 139:7-10, LUKE 15:1-7, 11-32 My dog Ellie likes a good run around the neighborhood. She likes to escape out the front door, even if it’s only open a crack. She doesn’t come back without a chase, she is NOT smart when it comes to the busy street we live on, and if there’s [...]

READ: ISAIAH 9:6; ROMANS 5:1; COLOSSIANS 1:15-22 Jesus purchased peace for me,died upon that cursed tree;Now He is my hope and rest,beneath His blood our righteousness.Yes, He offers peace to all—always, ever, loving.Jesus fills my heart with song,paid the debt for every wrong;Now He makes my face to shine,His own love becoming mine.Yes, He offers [...]

READ: 2 CORINTHIANS 9:6-11 Have you ever thought, “I’d give all my money for that”? We may have this thought about possessions we really want to have, but it also may occur to us when someone we love is hurt. We might be hesitant to give our hard-earned dollars to something that feels distant, like [...]

READ: PSALMS 34:4-10; 46:1-3; JEREMIAH 29:13-14; 1 PETER 5:6-7 Since I was eleven, I would write down the exciting points of my life and put them in my journal. It was a way to acknowledge all the hidden thoughts and emotions in my mind. This journal was also filled with anxious thoughts. These pages would [...]

READ: 1 SAMUEL 20:41-42; ROMANS 12:10, 15-16 Do you ever feel ashamed for crying? Sometimes, it can feel like we need to be tough and strong, not weepy. But that’s not what we see in the Bible. In 1 Samuel 20:41, for example, we see how the mighty warrior-king David openly wept when he had [...]