In 2015 when I wrote my book Face Time, and in 2016 when it was in the editing process, concern over social media and it’s connection to identity and mental health struggles were only beginning to surface. The eye-opening and heartbreaking information I gleaned from my teen survey in late 2014 that led to the book—such as the magnitude of social media comparison—was definitely not common...
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”(Matthew 22:37–40) Jesus explains that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your...
How handy are you? I am not. Our bathroom drain plug that has not worked for over a year. My solution was to not use the plug. That changed last week when I dropped a small thing in the drain and had to get it out. That made me think, “How does this plug work?” Looking under the sink, I noticed an assembly that moves up and down. From the top-down, the drain has a lever, but when I put the plug...
Some children love to be around lots of people, and others like to spend more time by themselves. For some, it’s harder for them not to be around their friends for prolonged periods than others, and there’s nothing wrong with that! But there is a difference between being alone and feeling lonely. Loneliness is a feeling of being isolated and disconnected from those around us. Sometimes when we...
When people see me in my wheelchair and ask about my persistent smile, I always say, “I’ve learned to sing my way through suffering.” Over the years, I have discovered that singing is not an option for Christ-followers; it’s a command. Whether Colossians 3 or Ephesians 5, we are not merely invited to sing; God tells us to sing. Lately because of the coronavirus’ stay-at-home directives, my...
