When I was in high school, my classmates voted me “Most likely to devote my life to a lost cause.” A decade and a half later, some may still give me that award. Cofounding an organization to take on the HIV/AIDS and water crises in the world’s second largest continent, probably looks like a lost cause to many, if not most. But as I peer over the African desert and into the rest of the world, skipping from news headline…

A few years ago I felt really close to God. I was growing in my faith, talking and walking with God, and even though things weren’t perfect, life was going well. Then, for the next year or so, I felt stuck in a rut. I felt like I wasn’t maturing in my faith and was becoming distant from God. It wasn’t until I tried the steps below that I noticed a positive change in my…

Failure is inevitable. Last night I got into an altercation with my young daughter. She wanted to watch a TV show; I wanted her to go to bed. What came next was a series of escalating arguments that ended with one person running out of the room crying and the other person weary and disappointed. (I’ll let you figure out who was who.) As grown-ups, we have a responsibility to steward our lives well. This…

My hub and I are not yardwork kind of people. In fact, we despise yardwork. A few years ago when we would look out into our backyard (more like weed jungle) all we would feel was despair. It was time consuming, hot, and exhausting work to try and remove the jungle and then keep it from returning. I understand how it feels to be overwhelmed by a task and, on top of being overwhelmed, to…

You're about to take a leap into the next phase of life. You have a beautiful plan, dreams you can't shake, and people backing you. The big moment comes and... Nothing happens. This was me the month after I graduated college. I had done everything "right." Good grades, great resume, friendships and connections in my chosen field, etc. Even so, internships fell through at the last minute. Employers who praised me in the interview brushed…

A young man came online searching for help. He was so overwhelmed by his parents fighting he was looking for ways to help their marriage and his family, even though he was only 13. He was reluctant to click the “Chat Now” button, but he mustered the courage and began a conversation. He said that within 5 minutes he felt cared for. A few minutes later and he was asking questions about faith and the…