In a world that pushes autonomy, the idea that our lives and bodies are not our own can feel countercultural—even uncomfortable. The messages surrounding us tend to encourage self-focus with phrases like “It’s my body, my choice” or “You do you, boo.” While these may sound empowering, they can distract us from the truth. We were created not for ourselves but for God’s glory.

Over the past three years, I have endured a painful season of hurt and betrayal by people close to me. What made these incredibly painful experiences is how blindsided I felt by the other person's actions.

Like everyone, things that have happened in my past have shaped who I am now. I’m specifically talking about trauma—years of deep-rooted pain that have shaped me in ways I’m still discovering. I’ve always longed for deep friendships. That feeling of love and belonging is something we all crave, isn’t it?

I am one of the hosts for our Girl Listen Up Podcast…In one of our episodes, we talk about friendships and our personal experiences with them. In the episode, I share how I went through a season of loneliness. Since someone out there could relate to my story, I wanted to go more in depth to encourage you.

I have given the idea of an elevator pitch a lot of thought lately — a short, but powerful, pitch that captures the heart of the Message in five minutes or less. But how do you summarize 66 books into five minutes or less? I guess I would start with John 3:16.

Have you been in a situation where your dislike for someone makes it hard to act kindly, leading you to avoid or distance yourself from them? Well, this is something I am struggling with right now. Even as Christians, we sometimes struggle with these feelings.