Summer

By Ariana Waters

Have you ever played musical chairs? Imagine you are one of the last two left in the game. It’s down to you and one other person. As you’re running around the final remaining chair, the music that is playing suddenly stops and only one of you will get the chair. That is how I think we look at the concept of identity and worth sometimes. It’s almost as if we believe there’s a limited number of people who get to sit in the chair and be affirmed as good, worthy, accepted, and approved.

By Brooke Pland

What physical sensation do you experience when you worry about something? Is it a sinking feeling in your stomach, or maybe heaviness on your chest? Perhaps it’s jitters in your arms and legs, or tension in your neck and shoulders. Regardless, each of us feels anxious at times, some of us even chronically so. Whether you struggle with anxiety on a clinically diagnosed level or just when stressful situations arise, Jesus understands that worry is both common and exhausting.

By Matt Talley

When I started college, it took me a while to fully process how big a transition I was in the middle of. The list of changes went on and on – beyond simply moving to a new place, signing up for the classes I wanted, and picking my meals at the dining hall. It wasn’t until my junior year that I realized one of the biggest transitions I was going through was how I encountered God.

By Alison Smith

The ac went out in your crappy apartment. Your car won’t start. Your bank account is almost zero. A friend canceled plans with you again. You’re about to explode at that frustrating coworker at your internship. And your mom/dad/sister/brother/that family member just won’t let up about your life choices.

By Megan Schmalz

I have always been a goal-oriented person. To-do lists often crowd my phone and post-it notes accumulate throughout my home. There is a specific joy and sense of accomplishment that comes with crossing items off my list. I love feeling like I am building an organized life with few mishaps or surprises.

By Brooke Pland

Lately, one particular worship song has been popping up around me over and over again... The song is beautiful, but I really didn’t think much about it until I realized that the Gospel passage God had put on my heart for this very devotional – “The Wise and Foolish Builders,” from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount – is the exact teaching the song is based on.

By Ashley Gordon

I am currently training for a marathon. I know, I also question myself for willingly choosing to run 26.2 miles. The marathon isn’t until October so there is still a lot of running left to do – oh joy. Already, God has been teaching me about discipline and the limited capacity I have as a human. I have the same amount of time in my day as I used to, but now I have to add going for a run. And warming up. And cooling down. It all adds up and takes time out of my day, meaning I have to sacrifice something.

By Dusty Harrison

Back in my “glory days” of playing high school football, my coach was famous for his motivational one-liners. During the dog days of summer – usually at the end of practice while running wind sprints – all I could think about was being done and getting back to the comfort of cold water and AC. 

By Mark Abdon

Last year, our family got sheepadoodle puppy. I drove eight hours to Pennsylvania to pick up Buster from an Amish family that had been raising him on a dairy farm. Buster was a cute puppy in the way that all puppies are cute. He was also visibly dirty, and brought some unwanted relics of the dairy farm with him. This guy needed a bath.

By Michelle Lindsay

What do you spend the majority of your time thinking about? When you have free moments to daydream, where do you notice your thoughts wandering? As you’re getting ready for a busy day ahead at school or work, what’s going through your mind?

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