I have had the privilege of growing up in a Christian home. I went to church every week and mostly thought of it as the place where I could get free prizes after service. I relied on my parent's walk with God instead of my own, and I didn't realize it until I got to middle school. My youth pastor at the time asked me, "Why do you believe what you believe?" To be honest, I didn't know how to ...

My husband and I married in 2000. We agreed to wait two years to enjoy our marriage and settle in before trying to have children. Once we started, we expected to get pregnant easily. The first year went by and no pregnancy. We figured it wasn’t anything to worry about. Sometimes it takes longer to get pregnant. Two more years went by. Still no baby. We decided to see our doctor, who determined nothing was wrong. We kept trying. Year ...

Being a mother has always been a big part of what I felt was my calling in life. God placed a passion for nurturing inside my heart, and I'd always dreamed that one day it would lead to me having a family. My husband Cory and I were married at 19, and we struggled financially in the beginning. We wanted a baby very much, but we knew that it would not be wise to start a family when we struggled ...

My story is not uncommon, but it is one that I have determined will give God glory and be used to help others who have a similar story. I was raised in church. My dad constantly told me to “wait” for marriage… that I was worth the wait, and that God had something better than my wildest dreams in store for me. But all of that came crashing down when, in my 6th grade classroom, I was sexually assaulted in ...

Girlfriends… for some women they come easy, but for me they always seemed like too much risk. Growing up, I saw my parents’ relationship with God everyday, but I never really figured out how to make that relationship my own. Because of that, I often pushed God to the side. I loved Him, but never pursued him, not realizing I was depriving myself of the healing His love and acceptance brings. Like many girls, I found myself on the outside ...

My name is Jessica, and I'm 16 years old. Growing up, I wanted nothing more than to find unconditional love, affirmation and stability. Whether it was in my family or with others around me, my relationships were far from perfect, and there was a void in my heart that I desperately wanted to fill. At one point, I was even diagnosed with anxiety and depression. I began taking medication, but it was trial and error... the doctors kept changing the ...