Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

Have you had times in your life when things were so difficult that it felt like you were going into a battle each day? Are you going through something that feels like that right now? If so, did you k…

What will give us peace and satisfaction? We might think relationships will, a good job will, a good home, family, marriage, children, work, skill, talent, gifts, etc. All these things and many more …

Heavy footsteps sounded from behind Skyla, and she turned to see Captain Solenar approaching. He gave her a nod, his jaw set in a grim line.

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“All of our work ” Skyla’s voice cracked as she looked…

Practically every year, when spring weather rolls around I feel a burst of energy. Living in an area that gets long, cold winters for more than half the year, I always feel a sense of happiness when …

When I became a mental health counselor, I had no idea what to expect. What unfolded was difficult to accept but forever changed the way I viewed others. I learned firsthand that some people who mig…

Sometimes,

It feels like I’m swimming

In a river

Of my own thoughts.

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Sometimes,

It seems like

I’m overwhelmed

In a sea

That crushes me.

.

Sometimes,

It feels like

I’m not swimming

I’m sinking

To th…

When the snow begins to melt away and the cold disappears from the air, we know that a new season is here. Springtime comes with bright green buds on the trees, blossoming flowers, and so many more s…

How terrible does it feel when you try to reach out but no one is available or willing to listen to you? When you call up one friend and then another but none of them answer? How lonely do you feel w…

Sometimes I forget to pray. And sometimes I forget to pray for a while. Life gets busy, or I don’t find myself with quiet alone time and talking to God gets pushed aside. But praying is so important…

I read an interesting Bible verse the other day: “The end of a matter is better than its beginning” (Ecclesiastes 7:8, NIV). Another Bible translation phrases it this way: “Finishing is better than …

Crawling into bed, I snuggled under the blankets as clouds filled my mind. “Another day I’ve messed up,” I thought, tears filling my eyes. “When will I ever get it right?” Despair filled my mind, mak…

Markus stumbled through the dense overgrowth, his breathing growing heavy. The weight of the illness inside him grew heavier with each step, but he knew he had to keep trekking his life depended on …

For a long time, people thought that Earth was the center of our solar system—until the late 1500s and early 1600s, when scientific advancements like the telescope proved that the sun is actually the…

God is infinitely wise. Romans 11:33 says, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!” The riches of God’s wis…

A few years ago, I visited Windsor Castle in England. It’s an old castle that looks like a palace inside, with grand staircases, enormous chandeliers, and antique furniture. The weekend I was there, …

God is everywhere.

When you’re sitting by a creek

bubbling in between rocks along the way.

When you wake up on an ordinary day.

When the sun is shining through your window at work or play.

When you…

Not worrying is easier said than done.

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I know that I can leave it all to God and that He is ultimately in control of everything going on in my life, but I still want to control it. I still want to …

Saying goodbye is my least favorite thing. And my honorary “niece” agrees with me.

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Last year, my husband and I bought a house with our dear friends from college—the parents of our aforementioned n…

If I were to tell you a secret, I think you would see that you shared in my secret. What if I were to tell you that I secretly struggle with having faith in God’s plans when things go awry? It’s true…

Have you ever messed up and then felt like you needed to somehow hide from God? Adam and Eve felt that way in the Garden of Eden. They did something wrong, and they thought they could make things bet…