Growing up I loved the idea of superheroes and other fictional heroes who save the day and are recognized by the world for their noble deeds, and it was that love for them that made me realize how much of a hole I had in my heart to be known as an important and amazing person.

God does not ordinarily speak in thunderbolts, unfortunately. So, what happens when God is silent?

Behind you, a “Honk! Honk!” from a car is heard followed by a teenager yelling these words: “YOU’RE AMAZING! HAVE A GREAT DAY!” A big black van with yellow lettering that says “You’re Amazing” zips past you with someone hanging out the window waving and smiling at you. For the first time all day, a real smile breaks out on your face. Suddenly the walk home in the cold doesn't seem so bad.

I miss my first-born daughter in a way no one else could possibly miss her. My relationship with her was unlike anyone else’s, and the void in my life and in my family feels so vacuous at times and it’s a very lonely and isolated place to be. The disbelief that the accident actually happened and resulted in Anna’s instant death washes over me again and again. How can it possibly be true?

There were so many things to look forward to in becoming a missionary, such as traveling, ministry, social skills, and job experience. But the thing that was always on my mind when discerning coming was being part of a community.

I learned to take the focus off me. I was afraid of messing up, stumbling, mispronouncing words, and embarrassing myself. I was standing up to read the Word of God and all that I could think about was myself.

Shame is not truth. Truth is giving it to God and accepting the mercy that He longs to give us. Truth is choosing to let go of shame.

If you work out, think about making your workout a Prayer Workout for someone who is struggling. If you want to work out but lack motivation, then try a Prayer Workout and do it for someone else.

If you got injured, who would you be then? If you got kicked out of school, who would you be then? If your family disowned you, who would you be then? Any of these things we typically associate ourselves with could quite honestly be stripped of us at any moment. Even our name!

Healing and forgiveness can’t happen by yourself. I was trapped in depression, isolation, and loneliness until I took the risk to let someone in. For 12 years, I didn’t tell anyone what I had been through as a young girl.

I honestly thought that it was because when we did pushups or squats, I was always the first to fall. So every time I would mess up, Justin would say to me, “Christian on the line, SPRINT!” I would have to run.

So, I was thinking about this random idea: what if it was my purpose to die? What if the main reason I was put on this earth, besides to glorify God and get to Heaven, is to die?

To many in Western nations, especially in the United States, ultimate freedom is thought of as the right to do whatever one pleases whenever one pleases. Of course, in practice, most people realize that there needs to be some restrictions on freedom in order for society even to function. For example, most agree that there should not be a “freedom” to steal from another.

Let's reflect upon the reality of the beings who have accompanied us since the time of our birth. Yes, our birth, since our mother’s angel was our guardian until the day of our birth, which is why in some places birthdays are called “angel days”!