Does it ever feel like high school is one continuous loop of social drama? One minute, everything is “fine,” and the next, someone’s upset, people are whispering, and suddenly you’re choosing sides and dividing into factions. And being a Christian doesn’t magically set you above frivolous drama. Just ask the… Read More »Surviving High School 101: How to Handle Friendship Drama
A few weeks back, a reader asked if I would write a post on artificial intelligence. At first, I declined because it seems everyone has already written a post on AI. Artificial intelligence is a topic hotter than the price of gold ($4,908.30 per ounce as of this writing) and,… Read More »Think Before You Generate: AI Guidelines for Christian Teens
My freshman year of high school, I had a terrifying experience: A foreign exchange student approached me for a dance. Laugh all you want but as the resident shy girl, all I could think was, he’s going to read into this. (Which is funny because I was reading into it.) After an awkward… Read More »Approachable & Authentic: How to Talk to Guys Without Fear
It’s a classic YA fiction setup: A boy and a girl—best friends from childhood—suddenly develop “the feels” for each other. They spend the next 250 pages hiding and/or fighting these feelings, only to explode with emotion, fall into each other’s arms, and ride off into the sunset, hand-in-hand. Meanwhile, readers… Read More »How to Be “Just Friends” With a Guy: A Teen Girl’s Guide
“God helps those who help themselves.” How many times have you heard that phrase in a pep talk or motivational speech? Maybe you’ve even whispered it to yourself on the way to the gym to tackle your New Year’s resolutions. (Yep, it’s that time of year again.) It sounds biblical,… Read More »“God Helps Those Who Help Themselves:” Myth or Real?
Some people think teen boys don’t read fiction. I say that’s hogwash. Voracious Harry Potter fans don’t suddenly become allergic to books the day they begin shaving. Even the most hands-on, let’s-build-a-rocket-stove guy will sit down and enjoy a good historical or fantasy adventure, IF he can find one. The… Read More »Clean YA Fiction for Teen Boys Who Want Awesome, Not Awkward
It’s eight o’clock at night. You’ve just finished your civics homework and you have a bit of time before bed, so you pick up your phone and start scrolling social media. And as you scroll down, so does your mood. Tammi’s dad bought her a vintage car. Ayla just posted… Read More »Be Thankful: How a Grateful Heart Helps You Resist Sin
On October 15, my family lost a beloved pet. The very next day, I sat down and poured my swirling thoughts into this post. What follows has been edited for clarity and flow, but I stuck as close to the original as possible to preserve the raw emotions of this… Read More »God is Still Good, Even When I’m Hurting