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?
They say teen boys don’t read. I say 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 is capable of enjoying a good historical or fantasy adventure, IF he can find one. The real problem is a… 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
A subscriber to my email list was the first to request a post on Christians and Halloween. This reader referenced a short TikTok video posted by contemporary Christian music artist Forrest Frank, during which a commentator drew attention to the connection between Halloween and Satanic practices such as human sacrifice.… Read More »Trick or Trouble: Is it a Sin to Celebrate Halloween?
I’ll be the first to admit this post is not an original idea. Lists like this abound all over the internet, but unfortunately for teens, most cater to adult couples who may or may not already have a physical relationship. There are many activities a married couple can enjoy that,… Read More »Teen Dating: 71 Sweet Ways to Show Love Without Kissing
It’s a topic no one enjoys talking about. Most of us prefer to pretend it doesn’t happen in our own communities. But human trafficking—a.k.a. modern-day slavery—is all too real, and it can happen anywhere. And with traffickers increasingly using social media and other online platforms as a means of recruiting… Read More »Author Angela D. Shelton: Raising Awareness of Human Trafficking
