Culture

Confessions of a former bully

I was quite the manipulator as a kid. I remember manipulating my cousins to turn against another cousin of mine, Angela. Angela was a very sweet girl, soft-spoken gentle and easygoing … But I...

Relationships

If we both loved Him, why did God take us apart?

I watched her grow up. Our families were in the same church. She was a rebel at heart; strong-headed and fiercely loyal – always in some sort of trouble I had to get her out of through the years. I...

Relationships

How I walked away from the perfect person

He was the best I ever had. Everything I ever wanted. I’d met him in freshman year at college; he was a senior leader, I was pageant queen. The boys had always loved me, but he wasn’t just...

Relationships

I made a mess out of love

We both loved art. It was our way of turning our backs on a world that never accepted us. Experimentation was in my blood as an artist, and so was rebellion. And growing up in an all-girls school,...

Culture

Christian and bisexual?

“So when was the first time you were attracted to someone of the same sex?” “In primary school. I was seven.” As the words left my mouth, I saw a look of disappointment and shock flash across...

Relationships

When a friendship crosses boundaries

I remember the first time I fell in love. It was more than just the cheap euphoria of physical attraction, this time there was a connection on a deep level. I never felt as understood by anyone else...

Faith

What role does the Church play in their churchgoers’ love lives?

One of the chapters in a book I was reading recently, The Meaning of Marriage by Timothy Keller, talked about singleness and marriage. One of the passages he mentioned briefly was 1 Corinthians 7....

Relationships

The three Cs of compatibility

“Wait,” I found myself saying. He was about to board the train when he stopped in his tracks and looked at me expectantly. I parted my lips to tell him what was on my heart but not a sound came...

Relationships

My parents don’t talk any more

“How are your parents?” That was the question my friend asked me, as we sat in a ramen shop after wrapping up our worship training overseas. She had just shared with me about her family; she was...