The rich scent of trees and earth fill the deep woods. Waves of alternating warm and cool breezes wash over your skin as you step from the shadows to the sunlight and back again. Bright eyes of a cherished friend sharing a story. Wide smiles and wrinkled hands of the ones who have been there [...]

One of the biggest issues I struggled with in middle school was the overwhelming pressure to find an identity. Most of my friends had their “things”—hobbies, talents, or interests that seemed to define them as a person. I had a few interests and practiced several activities, but I thought that because I hadn't locked into [...]

I love when God speaks to me in new ways. Have you ever been reading a passage of Scripture that you've read a number of times before, but something new stands out to you, and you feel like you're reading it for the first time? That happened to me today. Sometimes I start to skim [...]

"It's over!” The shocking words crush you. “I'm breaking up with you.” Your emotions are in turmoil. What can you do? First of all, don't bottle up the suffering, as this is damaging in the long term. Instead, acknowledge your pain. Take time to adjust. People tend to respond to breakups in a few different [...]

Guilt is hard. Sometimes, Satan will try to convince us that we are guilty of something terrible when we really aren't. This “bad guilt” tells us the lie that we are irredeemable, unlovable people. We can become discouraged and paralyzed, unable to do anything good. But in these times, we can come to Jesus, give [...]

Fleeing from my mind, My fractured soul How far I run I do not know. Attacking my heart, Emotions, burning Branding me within, Fear inside churning. Alone, I shout out, “LORD, HELP ME,” Falling down, I pray, “Jesus, please save me,” Silence until My tears tumbling down, Barriers crumble within, Peace is found. Fragmented soul [...]

I pulled the borrowed blue coat tighter around me and followed our guide. I hadn't expected the weather in Iceland to feel so cold in May. After graduating from college, I'd ministered for a year in Romania and then returned to my hometown. When my younger brother completed his own degree, we went on a [...]

Before I entered middle school, I felt confident I'd join the school band. And I did, playing a trumpet that had belonged to my uncle. Performing with the county-wide honor band was a special memory from that year. By the next fall, our band welcomed a new director, and he envisioned expanding the brass section [...]

Oftentimes, we do not think before we speak. We can be quick to speak and slow to hear (James 1:19). We tease, tell jokes, and ramble on about things without thinking. And these things may be totally fine, as long as we are not being mean with our words! But we may not often think [...]

"All that I've done all the people I've hurt there is no way I'm still worthy of being saved. Jesus might have died for some, but He definitely didn't die for me.” She wiped at her eyes with a shaky hand. “There is no way I could be forgiven for all I've done. No way.” [...]