By: Kiera Hageman This summer, I’m living in an unfamiliar city, in the basement of a family I had met one time before moving. The situation is not what I would consider my first choice, and in fact, I’ve found …
By Elizabeth Crawford My song is love unknown, My Savior’s love to me, Love to the loveless shown That they might lovely be. Oh, who am I That for my sake My Lord should take Frail flesh and die? (LSB …
By Elizabeth Crawford O Lord, throughout these forty days You prayed and kept the fast; Inspire repentance for our sin, And free us from our past. (LSB 418, stanza 1) The hymn “O Lord, throughout these Forty Days” is a …
The conference that Y4Life hosted was also an amazing experience. We heard from multiple speakers who talked with us about how to defend life from a Gospel-motivated perspective while still holding fast to our beliefs. We learned how dating and marriage are both sacred gifts from God, even though the world is attempting to redefine, destroy, and abuse these gifts. We learned how our lives are infinitely valuable to God and discussed how He calls us into many different yet specific vocations. We also discussed our identity in Christ, and we were reminded again and again that we are loved, baptized children of God, and that is where our true identity is found.
How interesting that Valentine’s Day, February 14th, the day we celebrate love, is St. Valentine’s death date. At first glance it is odd, but the Christian can see the beautiful association of love and death. In a way, agape love or sacrificial love is death; it requires doing what is necessary to uphold another’s life – even laying down one’s life for another. Jesus died on the cross, not merely to show us He loves us, but also to pay for our sins and our shame. His act of love enables us to put to death our love of worldly sinful things. St. Valentine befriended Julia, healed her from her blindness, and shared the Gospel with her. Jesus befriends us and heals us of a different type of blindness, the blindness we have towards our sin. Once we see our sin, we understand the fullness of the Gospel and the Word of God through the Holy Spirit.
By Lizzie Gatchell As winter approaches and fall is in full swing, nature is beautiful yet decaying before our eyes. With the onset of winter comes the decay of leaves on the trees, the grass on the ground, and the …
By Jenna Smith It is a natural human reaction to dodge suffering. We all procrastinate homework, swerve around potholes, and take painkillers to keep from feeling pain and discomfort. This was my experience when I was 15 and my parents …
Nadia Hartwig Ever since I can remember, my dream has been to be a mom. Simultaneously, my whole life, I have believed in the sanctity of life. Naturally, these two aspects of my identity have overlapped and informed one another. …
By Elizabeth Crawford Special needs is a term used to describe “individuals that require assistance for medical, mental, or psychological disabilities”. Yet, not all special needs are the same. Those with special needs, or learning challenges, may be deaf or …
By: Olivia Hitz She wears long sleeves and pants during the summer. She says she’s cold, but she’s sweating under her clothes. Her best friends accept her lies without a second thought. She has successfully fooled them all, and they’ll …
