A version of this article first appeared in the April-May 2025 issue of Brio Magazine for teen girls. Rejection bites. Amiright, ladies? When Kia found herself growing closer to a guy she’d known most of her life, the feeling seemed mutual. Students at the same school, they spent nearly all… Read More »He Said What? How to Handle Rejection From a Guy
Self-care is a buzzword nowadays. When I hear the term, my mind immediately jumps to images of women in white, fuzzy robes lounging at a spa with space alien-green goo slathered on their faces and cucumber slices masking their eyes. That’s not fair, I know. Self-care is so much more… Read More »Self-Care For Christian Teens: Laziness, Luxury, or Enlivening?
In its broadest sense, young adult fiction is geared toward readers ages 13 through 18, featuring characters in this age range and topics teens can relate to. But here’s the problem: There’s a big difference between a 13-year-old and an 18-year-old. Thirteen-year-olds are still navigating puberty and gearing up for… Read More »YA Fiction For Younger Teens: 10+ Books to Enjoy Now!
In 1975, famed children’s author Judy Blume published a controversial YA novel titled Forever… This was a fictional story of teenage sexual awakening that included some rather illicit scenes. I have never read this book, nor do I plan to, nor do I suggest you do it either. This post… Read More »I Escaped the Natural Consequences of Sin. Now What?
Excellence is becoming a lost art. Think about it. Grammar has gone by the wayside with the laidback aura of texting and social media. Fashion has become more about personal expression and ease than dignity and respect for others. Students are getting nabbed for using AI (most decidedly NOT an… Read More »Mediocrity is NOT a Virtue: Do Your Best Whatever You Do
If you read my post Author vs. Protagonist: Trust God To Write Your Love Story, you know how my love story started. An unromantic “meet-cute,” a parting of ways with immature fantasies, a coming-of-age in love and romance. Sweet and somewhat unconventional. But that’s not all that happened between point… Read More »Girl Talk: How to Handle a Guy Who’s Coming on Too Strong
Q: “I really like this guy from church. We’ve been friends for a few years but recently he told me he’d like to date me. We both want the blessing of our parents but my parents won’t allow me to date until I’m 18. How can I talk to them… Read More »How to Talk to Your Parents About Dating: Advice For Teens
Have you ever noticed how hard it is to find low-violence YA books without swinging wide into romance territory? I discovered this intriguing phenomenon early in my search for clean YA fiction recommendations: You either have kissing or blood. As I said in Violence in Clean YA Fiction: How Much… Read More »9+ Low-Violence YA Books (That Aren’t Just Romance)