Rachelle Rea Cobb 6 Minute Read A friend of mine had her first baby last month, so I offered to take her dinner, but it all went terribly wrong. Whenever a friend has a new baby, one of my favorite ways to show my love and support is to drop off a dinner complete with homemade bread or brownies (and maybe…
Guest Author 6 Minute Read I was eleven when my body first betrayed me, with a limp and sore legs. Doctors said I was overweight—another mark against my body—until one doctor finally x-rayed my legs and found that my hips were severely displaced, and one had a malformed socket. What words for a tender preteen to hear: malformed, displaced, disabled. “Use a cane if needed,” I was told. “Try and lose weight—you’ll be in less pain.”
Elisabeth 6 Minute Read At several key points in my life, a book has come along just when I needed it. In the last few months, there have been two: my friend Natasha Metzler’s Emma and the Reasons, and Kingdom Single by Tony Evans. Some books tell you that singleness is valuable, a gift even: these books helped me…
Phylicia Masonheimer 4 Minute Read Sex. If you grew up in a conservative Christian home, you may not have discussed this much – if at all. For many women raised in the church, sexuality is a topic reserved for engagement and beyond. Prior to marriage, it may be discussed in a one-time “talk” focusing on biology and basics, but not…
Lisa Adams 8 Minute Read There was never enough time for me to get from martial arts on one side of town to dance on the other. Uniforms and bags, children bickering, static on the radio, a one-year-old strapped into the car seat none too happy to be along for the ride. I was already tired from classroom teaching that…
Jenni Marie 7 Minute Read My mom tells the story of her college days, when she held a part-time job, managed a full class load, had a fulfilling social life, participated in extracurricular activities, turned all her assignments in on time, and maintained a decent GPA. Her classmates who didn’t have a job or extracurricular activities complained about not having…
Callie Mitchell 6 Minute Read Speak to me inside of her. That was the word the Lord whispered into my heart the day I hit my knees in prayer for a friend. I had struggled in our relationship. We were in a Bible study together and it seemed that no matter how I tried to encourage her in her walk…
Natasha Metzler 6 Minute Read I don’t remember every word they said; I just remember the way I felt. I was a young teen. I’m not even sure how old. Maybe fifteen? We were at a church function, perhaps just a Sunday service. I was alone in the bathroom and when I stepped out I heard two voices talking. For…
Caroline Rose Kraft 9 Minute Read “Look at all those green leaves!” someone says. We all stand around, arms crossed, shaking our heads. A beautiful, healthy tree has crashed to the earth with no warning. Or, seemingly healthy, that is. Deep roots, strong trunk, sprawling branches, bright green leaves; it’s all there. “Was there something we could’ve done to prevent this?”…
Callie Mitchell 8 Minute Read I am an architect, but I’m not. I am a missionary, but I’m not. Sound confusing? Maybe the confusion subsides when we embrace a view of vocation as separate from that of career — as something that far surpasses nine to five work hours, salaries and benefits, something that begins to describe the condition of…
Hayley Novak 6 Minute Read If I could write a letter to myself ten years younger, I wouldn’t write wistfully: you have zero gray hair! you aren’t yet jaded by burnout! you have so much enthusiasm! I know now how much joy will come wrapped up in the painful lessons of life and I will almost pity the shallow happiness…
Caroline Rose Kraft 5 Minute Read It was another college party. I was the odd man out, the one who didn’t actually go to college at all, the one who didn’t know the songs playing from the iPod in the corner. I was the one sitting on the back of the couch, wondering what to do with my hands. I looked…
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The End.