It’s a powerful promise wrapped inside a vivid picture: “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” To “flee” something is not to back away cautiously or make a casual retreat. Fleeing implies an act of desperation—a high-tailed, heart-pounding race from danger. If you resist the devil, he will… Read More »Why Christian Teens Must Always, Always Be on Guard
Self-control: the ability to govern one’s emotions, actions, and desires, especially in difficult situations. Think for a moment about why that’s an important skill. Why not eat an entire triple-decker chocolate ganache cake all by yourself, or stay up all night watching Gilmore Girls reruns? Those who develop self-control recognize instant… Read More »How to Develop Self-Control as a Teen: Grow This Tree
You wouldn’t think that something as simple as modesty for Christian girls and women could cause a great controversy, but it has and continues to do so. After writing several posts on this hotly debated topic, enough questions have been raised that I’d like to clarify a few points. This… Read More »5 Important Questions About Modesty—And Their Answers
In June, I wrote an article called For A Positive Body Image, Start With The Truth where I discussed the trend of self-objectification: the mental state of worrying about your physical appearance. I also listed some ways to overcome this trend in yourself, such as seeing through the lies in… Read More »Stop Judging Others By Appearances: She’s More Than a Body
Imagine this scenario for a second: Your best friend (who, by the way, is awful at choosing dating partners) asks you to lay out the most important qualities of a good boyfriend. What would you tell her? Witty. Likes to have fun. Attractive. Emotionally intelligent. Smart. Cooks for you. Good… Read More »3 Most Important Qualities of a Good Boyfriend for Christian Girls
Show of hands, how many of you eat every day? I’m waving my hand wildly right now because not only do I eat every day but sometimes I have a second breakfast because the standard three-meals-a-day isn’t enough. Can’t live without food, right? So, how many of you read your… Read More »Read Your Bible Every Day: Why it Matters & How to Start
In a moment of panic, what is your default reaction: To trust God to protect you, or to freak out and initiate your fight-or-flight response? I probably fall into the second category more often than I care to admit. Faith literally requires you to trust something you cannot see, and… Read More »Why You Can Trust God Instead of Freaking Out
Part 2 of The Cost of Following Christ In my last post about the cost of following Christ (When the World Is Having Fun and You Feel Left Out) I talked about some of the discomforts of being a Christian. And by discomfort, I mean the displeasure of missing out… Read More »Facing Persecution: Are You Ready to Pay the Highest Price?