A Letter to Those Seeking to Live Beyond Themselves

Dear friend,

I’m struggling to know how to begin. Maybe it’s because I still have so much to learn about what it means to tell others about anything, let alone something really important.

3 Things I Learned From Reading Through the Bible in A Year

Ever since I became a Christian, I have intended to read the entire Bible in a year. But I was always preoccupied with school activities and felt that I didn’t have enough time to finish reading the Bible.

How Decluttering Changed My Spiritual Life

A year ago, before Marie Kondo made her star appearance on Netflix, two books changed my life— Goodbye, Things by Fumio Sasaki and of course, the currently-trending Spark Joy by Marie Kondo.

Marie Kondo Didn’t Make Me Want to Declutter

I have a confession: Netflix’s “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” left me with very little desire to declutter my home.

In fact, it got me wondering what sort of home would I be living in if it didn’t have at least some sort of clutter—like stacks of books piled on my coffee table, or a pile of fresh laundry in the corner, waiting to be folded—lying around.

If God Is With Me, Why Do I Feel Depressed?

Depression is a mental illness that l live with every day. l was officially diagnosed with depression three years ago after l became burnout from my work as a teacher.

The #10YearChallenge: How Has God Worked In Your Life?

If you’ve been active on social media lately, you would’ve seen the #10YearChallenge hashtag, along with side-by-side photos of your friends from 10 years ago and now, dominating your Facebook and Instagram feeds.

Trusting God In Spite of My Fears

I have been taking swimming lessons in the open ocean for two summers, but I have not quite shaken off my fear of the deep, blue water.

My adventure with the open seas started three years ago when I toyed with the idea of joining my local surf lifesaving club.

What My Failed Blind Date Taught Me About God

I could feel my heart pulsing. Any sense of calm I’d been harboring fled like an outgoing tide. In the Pacific Northwest, I experienced a similar feeling looking over the edge of a cliff hundreds of feet above the wild Pacific Ocean. This time the cause was even more intimidating—I was on a blind date.

I Have Albinism But I’m No Different

My name is Anatasya, and I have a skin condition called albinism.

When I was younger, I didn’t feel any different from everyone else. I only realized that I was different when I looked at other people’s skin and observed that the color of their skin is different from mine.

Inception: What Are We Allowing Into Our Minds?

Most people would remember Inception, the mind-bending dream-within-a-dream film written, directed and co-produced by Christopher Nolan. Released in 2010 to huge commercial success, it won four Academy Awards in 2011 and grossed over US $828 million in box offices worldwide.

When I Thought the Bible Wasn’t Enough

Have you ever felt the need to cushion what the Bible says? Do you ever think that maybe if you rephrased some verses a certain way or glossed over a particular passage, your friends would find the gospel more acceptable?

I found myself caught in this dilemma recently.

My Child, A Gift from God, Stillborn Without A Skull

My husband and I had been waiting for God to bless us with a second child. When we finally tested positive on a pregnancy kit, we were ecstatic.

Through the first 12 weeks, everything appeared healthy. But when I went in for a scan the 13th week, the sonographer found something amiss.

What I Got Wrong About Grace

Some time in my early 20s, I sat across the table from my mentor and pleaded with her to explain how grace worked. Life wasn’t quite going the way I wanted and I’d subconsciously been trying to “live right” in the hope that I could wrangle some blessings out of God. I’d exhausted myself, and still my attempts weren’t working.

Trusting God In A Time of Transition

Three years ago, I began my college career at a small Christian college called Calvin College. I had a lot of anxieties in the beginning—moving to a school far from home, not knowing anyone, making new friends, etc. But by the second semester, I was well-adjusted and praising God for a good first year of school and for the friends He had provided me with.

4 Truths That Kept Me Going in 2018

As 2018 draws to a close, I want to look back on the past 12 months and examine the valuable lessons I’ve learned. Not just to give myself a pat on the back for making it this far but also to reflect on the things that God has taught me in the last year.

So here we go.