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...
One day, when I was a young mom, I had a conversation with an older woman about how she seemed so at peace with herself. She said to me, “I’ve reached the age when I’m just not willing to lie to myself anymore.” I remember thinking “That sounds amazing! I wonder what...
God met me in the crowded food court of a Galleria Mall once. I was on my lunch break from managing the nearby Hallmark store, chewing on a soft pretzel and dripping marinara sauce down the front of my work uniform. I’d brought my pen and journal along with me...
This is Part 2 of John and Angel Beeson’s story. If you have not had a chance to read Part 1 be sure to do so HERE. JOHN: In the weeks following Angel’s confession of adultery I was in a state of shock. I was asked to take a leave of absence from the...
We were just kids: 14 and 16 years old. A freshman and a junior. We went to the same high school and the same church. John was the leader of our campus Christian club. ANGEL: The first time I met him I thought, “That’s the man I want to marry.” We married at 19 and...
We are really good at running fast-paced lives. We fill our calendars with commitments and obligations. We can do it all. Meet all the deadlines, show up for all the people in our lives. We are really good at saying “yes”. In fact, “yes” is highly...
Don’t hug a cactus! That should be lesson #1 from the desert. Lesson #2 would be to always carry enough water. Those two lessons can also hold true when it comes to dealing with difficult, or “prickly”, people. The truth is while many people will never see a...
Have you ever felt you weren’t enough? Enough for your parents, enough for your spouse, enough for your friends, even enough for God or yourself? The longing to be enough can often lead us to search for our worth and value in achievements or in relationships. The...
“…but no one could heal her.” ( Luke 8:43) NIV Have you ever been in a place of painful uncertainty, desperate for answers? I have. And I have desperately wanted to be in a much different place. Uncertainty can be such a lonely place, but isn’t it a space...