“…he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.” -Proverbs 15:15b
Life is full of ups and downs. It can be unpredictable at times and even feel like things are out of control. It is at those times we must exercise the joy of the Lord. So, what is the joy of the Lord? It is being thankful and content is the circumstances of life.

Think of someone you know who grew up in a Christian home then once they turned 18 headed deep into the world. I personally have known several people, both guys and girls, who have done just that – they grew up hearing the same Biblical principles, memorizing the same Bible verses, and often had godly parents who were actively involved in the church. Why, then, at the first chance do they choose everything opposite of what they have been taught?

I read a story of a man who had been convicted of murder and was sentenced to the electric chair. The day of his execution, the warden came by the prisoner’s cell and said, “You can have anything you want for your last meal.” The prisoner replied, “I want asparagus.” The warden says, “Asparagus won’t be in season for three more months.” The prisoner replied, “I’ll wait.”

One of the biggest misconceptions amongst Christian teenagers (or those simply raised in a Christian home) is about hypocrisy. Teenagers love to accuse their friends, enemies, authority figures, and everyone else for that matter of being a bunch of hypocrites. This idea of hypocrisy has a tendency to cause great confusion in the minds of teenagers. Most of the time, the word and Biblical definition are sorely misunderstood. I hope I can clearly explain things and not cause more confusion.

They lived happily together in their beautiful new home. It was the perfect love story – for a while. Until the day when everything went wrong.

My little boy just turned eight months old and everyday he becomes more aware of his surroundings. His eyes and ears are constantly perking up with interest. Soon he’ll be able to identify shapes, colors and animal names and sounds. Unfortunately, I can’t just download all that information into his head, but rather he must learn it…a process which takes time and practice.

She was young, full of anticipation, and overflowing with dreams of the future. She had high energy, optimism, goals and dreams.

Rhoda was a young believer mentioned in Acts who attended a prayer meeting held at Mary’s house for the imprisoned Peter. Now in Rhoda’s day Christians feared death or imprisonment by the Romans. Perhaps it was her youthful ignorance that kept her in the house praying instead of at home where it was safe. Nonetheless, she demonstrated faith in God despite the potential danger.

Let’s be honest — young people don’t always cherish and agree with the authority of their mom and dad. There’s probably dozens of times you thought they had no clue what they were talking about. While parents generally are smarter than their little offspring running around half their age, they still are human and sinners…just like you.

7 Myths Common to Teen Girls Busted By the Word of God

In vain she tried to remove the matted knot from her beautiful locks only to finally heed to her mother’s wisdom. Cutting out the tangled hair seemed at the time quite devastating, but once done, it wasn’t so bad. In fact, her hair looked and felt much better.

I’m sure you’re wondering which three-letter word to which I’m referring. It’s a word that perhaps strikes a little embarrassment, as well as allot of curiosity, in your mind. Yet it’s something you’re familiar with—thanks to that box located in the middle of your family room. It’s most likely a verbal taboo amongst some of your friends and especially your parents! Yep, that three-lettered word I’m talking about it sex. (Wipe that smile off your face young lady ;o)

If you consider yourself a normal teenage girl, I would venture to say you have someone in your life you like to model. You adapt their way of thinking, acting, dressing, etc. I always laugh when I see a small group of high school girls walking in the mall dressed exactly alike! What’s with that? Usually it’s because one girl in the group is the model for their fashion dos and don’ts…not a whole lot of individuality going on there.

It’s December and you know what that means – Christmas! It’s a time of food, gifts, fun music, snow days (hopefully) and time with family.

If you’re like me, seasons and holidays cause reflection and even a bit of goal-setting. Like Thanksgiving… “From now on, I’m going to be thankful everyday!” Good thought, it’s just hard to do. Although we’re human and prone to not keep our own commitments, that doesn’t mean it’s pointless to take these situations and learn more about ourselves – and even challenge ourselves.

Unless you’re just way mature and ahead of the game, you, too, are dysfunctional. Now don’t get upset with me for calling you dysfunctional. I know you think that you’re different or the exception to the rule (or that I was just uniquely strange as a teenager). The word dysfunction simply means “unable to function normally as a result of disease or impairment.” The disease is sin and the impairment is immaturity; two things teens (and we all) suffer from.