In high school, I became a vegetarian and avoided eating meat for a number of years. I often skipped school lunches since they usually featured a main dish that included meat. And I only took the time to pack a lunch once in a while. By the end of most school days, I'd feel famished, [...]

Have you ever been in a situation where you couldn't pray? You are not alone. Why does this happen, and what can we do? Living in a world that has been broken by sin means that problems often arise, and we experience moments of crisis and times of suffering. Worry, anxiety, and grief can be [...]

Growing up, church attendance, youth group, and church camp were all regular parts of my life. However, I never really read my Bible or talked about my faith outside of “church stuff.” I probably would've told you that I believed in God if you asked, but I wouldn't bring it up and I definitely didn't [...]

At the beginning of every spring, I get stressed. The long, harsh winter is finally coming to a close. I know the flowers will start blooming soon, and I worry that I'll miss it. That I'll miss seeing the crocuses peek up through the grass before they're mown over. That I'll miss seeing the flowering [...]

Life is full of ups and downs. When everything seems to be going well—when we have friends and are at peace with those around us, when we have all the material things we need and are in good health—we feel good and acceptable. But when these things are lacking or we think we don't have [...]

Jehu Jones Jr. was born enslaved in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1786. His father, Jehu Jones Sr., was trained as a tailor, and he was so skilled that the elite class in Charleston requested his exacting work. He was allowed to charge his customers a fee. He asked his slave holder if he could purchase [...]

Have you ever had a heavy heart—felt the physical effects of your sadness weighing you down? You are not alone. I have felt this way too. Worries, painful experiences, anxiety, grief, or guilt can burden you. It feels as if your emotional state is sinking physically into your body. Craving solitude, I dragged myself on [...]

One morning, while out for a nature walk, I observed a group of tiny sparrows mobbing a large hawk perched in a tree. Why did they do that, when the hawk was so much bigger than them? Well, while the hawk looked harmless perched in a tree doing nothing, the sparrows knew it was a [...]

"No one cares what happens to me,” you mumble, wrinkling up the paper you'd been writing on. “What's the point of even trying?” We've all had times when it felt like it was us against the world. We had a problem we needed to tackle, and we didn't feel any support from anyone as we [...]

We were all lined up for the egg toss contEsther Jack threw our team's egg, and SPLAT! The raw egg hit my new pink blouse and broke. As it slid down the front, it left a long trail. Jack laughed so hard, his body spiraled down to the ground like water draining out of a [...]