We hear about human trafficking on the news, see the signs in airport bathrooms, and read headlines online — but rarely do we imagine it affecting the girl next door. The reality is, sex trafficking is happening in every state, including right here in Arizona. Arizona...
Can you imagine what it must have been like traveling the 2,170 miles of the Oregon Trail from Independence, Missouri, to the Oregon Territory? Let’s say that you were among the first to travel in 1811 when the trail was only wide enough to use by walking or on...
Dysfunctions tumble down through the generations, “piggybacking” on each other. Some of us have been victims of multigenerational tidal waves of dysfunction. To whatever degree you’ve been negatively affected by family dysfunction, I want you to know: It didn’t start...
What is hope? What have you heard about it? What do you think it is? Sometimes it seems hope is offered as a vague antidote to suffering, leading to more questions than answers. “Just have hope!” people say. Is it a magic medicine that cures all ills? Or,...
Honesty and openness in the conversation of suffering...it's what we need! Naomi, in the book of Ruth, expresses her pain openly, and feels no pressure to put on a face of pretense. Naomi saw and felt the reality of her suffering, and even more importantly, she saw...
Twenty years after my only sibling and brother died, I struggled again. I wrestled with unanswered questions, trying to understand why God didn’t save him from taking his life. Through the lens of my grief and pain, I was wavering in my belief in who I thought God...
When most people think about dropping some weight, it usually refers to the need to lose a few pounds. Today, we aren’t talking about losing physical weight, but rather emotional and spiritual weight. In episode 31 of our podcast Living the Reclaimed Life,...
“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one.’” C.S. Lewis I am about to share with you a piece of my story. I am not looking to start a debate. Rather, this is simply me inviting you into a...
A spoken word to you from Valerie L. McMahon Broken, Battered. Used, Abused. Abandoned, Neglected. Accused, Rejected. Our stories are filled with pages that hold pain and carry shame. But, friend, listen to the Master Story Writer who knows you and calls you by name....