First Thessalonians 4:13-18 is my favorite passage in the Bible because it gives me hope beyond the grave. It reminds me that my loved ones who have died and were believers in Jesus Christ are not lost. We will be reunited one day—I will meet them after death or at Jesus's return when He will [...]

Thomas Cole (1801-1848) was a Christian painter and the founder of the Hudson River School of landscape painting. His work is a testament to God's sacred touch in nature. . When I paint the sky, I make it blue with a yellow sun. . When Thomas Cole painted the sky, he made it endless with [...]

Have you had times in your life when things were so difficult that it felt like you were going into a battle each day? Are you going through something that feels like that right now? If so, did you know that God is ready to go to battle for you? You don't have to face [...]

Heavy footsteps sounded from behind Skyla, and she turned to see Captain Solenar approaching. He gave her a nod, his jaw set in a grim line. . “All of our work ” Skyla's voice cracked as she looked out over the landscape in front of her. It had taken the group of extraterrestrial experts years [...]

When I became a mental health counselor, I had no idea what to expect. What unfolded was difficult to accept but forever changed the way I viewed others. I learned firsthand that some people who might appear “happy” in their everyday life are actually experiencing mistreatment from those they trust most. . From the outside, [...]

Sometimes, It feels like I'm swimming In a river Of my own thoughts. . Sometimes, It seems like I'm overwhelmed In a sea That crushes me. . Sometimes, It feels like I'm not swimming I'm sinking To the bottom. . Sometimes, I remember That I have hope That saves; Hope in Jesus. . And every [...]

I read an interesting Bible verse the other day: “The end of a matter is better than its beginning” (Ecclesiastes 7:8, NIV). Another Bible translation phrases it this way: “Finishing is better than starting” (NLT). I'm no ancient-language scholar, so I can't go into the meaning of the original words and sentence structures, but this [...]

Markus stumbled through the dense overgrowth, his breathing growing heavy. The weight of the illness inside him grew heavier with each step, but he knew he had to keep trekking his life depended on it. . Every person alive had been born with the same illness Markus had. Some didn't mind the dense feeling it [...]

God is infinitely wise. Romans 11:33 says, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!” The riches of God's wisdom are so deep. He sees the end from the beginning, and His purposes will never be shaken (Isaiah 46:10). . [...]

A few years ago, I visited Windsor Castle in England. It's an old castle that looks like a palace inside, with grand staircases, enormous chandeliers, and antique furniture. The weekend I was there, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were at the castle, and I got close to where he was. . The elevator for public [...]