In loving memory of Pastor Josue Raimundo, Don Lorentz, and Benjamin “Dima” Banner, whose lives—and in different ways, whose deaths—have shaped me and my wrestling with the questions explored in this article. Everyone has experienced this kind of loss at some point in their lives. As we get older, we seem to experience it more – like a bright blue neon sign – a reminder that this life is short and could end at any moment. How does our western culture think about death? What

What are your plans for Valentine’s Day? Whether you’re spending it with your closest friends, your family, or your significant other, Valentine’s Day has a way of making us think a little more about love. Valentine's Day is  filled with flowers, cards, romantic movies, and messages about what love is “supposed” to look like. Oftentimes, if we’re not careful, we can unintentionally internalize the lies the world tells us about love and begin to replace the truth of what the B

When I started working at YouVersion, I was surprised by how often people asked me a simple question: “What’s your word for the year?” While it might being a familiar practice to you or in other Christian spacaes, I had never really heard of it before. I wasn’t someone who made New Year’s resolutions, and honestly, I felt hesitant to participate in something that felt more like a trend than a spiritual discipline. Scripture doesnt’ comman us to choose a word each January, aft

C.S. Lewis once wrote, “Actually, it seems to me that one can hardly say anything either bad enough or good enough about life.” The journey of being human twists and turns between delight and misery, joy and pain. We run down the road as fast as we can, all the while hoping the trip doesn’t end any time soon. The new year is a natural time to reflect on the year that has been. All I can say about my year is that it has been unexpected, but when I reflect, I realize I’ve never