by Molly Audiss Psalm 144:15, “Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people whose God is the Lord.” John 13:17, “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” Matthew 5:7, “Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy.” In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word “o-sher”means happiness. The Greek word “makarios” in the New Testament means the same thing. It is sometimes translated as “blessed,” and other times it is translated as “happy.” This word means “fortunate” or “very happy.” Happiness is mentioned 50 times in the New Testament, alone! The most we ..read more

by Molly Audiss As I sat today in a loud, crowded school gym, and watched the teen boys playing basketball, I couldn’t help look around at the variety of fans in the bleachers. We traveled to Michigan yesterday to watch our son and his team play in a tournament at a Christian school. Excitement filled the gym! The home team’s school band played, and people were talking and cheering. I happened to look to my left and there, about 20 feet from me, sat a young teen girl with her mother. She was crying, not just crying, but sobbing. Tears streamed down her face. It was so odd to see her sitting t ..read more

by Molly Audiss Proverbs 25:11 “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.”  It is a rare and beautiful thing to be in a conversation with an excellent communicator. It just feels good! When the talking ends, you walk away having felt heard and understood. What a gift! Do you know someone who makes you feel that way when you talk to them? I can promise you that, if you have a friend like that, you try to find time to talk with them as often as you can! How can we grow to become better communicators? A big part of communication is listening. If we desire to increase ..read more

by Dr. Tom Vogel Transportation is always a problem for the average teenager. He is caught between the bicycle and the automobile stage, and he is at the mercy of others to drive him everywhere. The days of neighborhood stores and churches are just about over. In modern America, the automobile is a necessity, not only for adults, but also for the active teenager. Because transportation is so important, and oftentimes there are more places to go than drivers or time to get there, transportation becomes a point of contention in weekly planning. Please let the following principles guide your tra ..read more

by Jane Grafton “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” III John 4 Since becoming a parent, I have occasionally reflected on the mother of Judas Iscariot, whose son betrayed Jesus for thirty paltry pieces of silver. Especially since nothing is told of this lady in the Bible, I could never begin to judge her as a parent—nor do I wish to do such. After all, it is not unusual for two children from the same family to go in two completely different directions. Though they had the same parents and the same basic upbringing, somewhere along the way each of those children ..read more

by Marlene Evans Mrs. Marlene Evans, founder of the Christian Womanhood Magazine, LOVED to laugh! Those who knew her can imagine just exactly how she would sound while teaching this life lesson…. Why is it we all lose our “laugh” as we leave childhood and teenage years? Why is it some people seldom really laughed even in childhood? Do you know what I mean by really laughing? First, let me tell you what I don’t mean. I don’t mean just a little “ha-ha.” I mean laugh after laugh after laugh in a way people can tell you are laughing. I full well know I am too loud. I am my dad over and over, and ..read more

by JoJo Moffitt I will not question God and how He works in my life even though sometimes I’m tempted. I believe that everything which comes into my life (and in the same token, your life) is “Father-filtered.” Over the years, my husband and I have been hospital patients MUCH more than we would have ever wanted to be. These times of illness and surgeries have made us very aware of how much it means when people love and care for the sick! I love to visit the hospital but to stay is another story. But there are always teachings and laughter through each situation. One of the funniest was when t ..read more

by Molly Audiss Does it amaze you that the God of the Universe wants to spend 1-on-1 time with you? It astounds me! What an honor. If you could meet with a king or President once in your life, it would be a day never forgotten. Yet, we get to choose how often we want to talk and listen to the God of all creation! We are so blessed! Not just that, He delights in us! Deuteronomy 10:14-15 reminds us that the LORD God made the entire universe and everything in it…but….we are his CHOSEN creation. He DELIGHTS in His children. Once we are saved, we become an adopted child of Abraham, and son of God ..read more

by Molly Audiss Have you ever had your child come up to you and excitedly say, “Mom, you told me to ——(whatever advice you had given)——, and you were right!” Then they relay how using your suggestion made things turn out well for them in a certain situation. Isn’t that such a great feeling? They listened! It’s such a proud moment for a parent, knowing that your child listened to your advice and trusted you. Our Heavenly Father feels that way, too. Often in the Old Testament God admonished His children to “Hear.” Or, Listen to Me. Just as often the Lord would say, “Obey my commandments.” Or, d ..read more

by Molly Audiss What is the most common suggestion I give when I discuss prayer? It’s simply this-pray a lot of yeses. What does that mean? Let me explain. As we gain a lifestyle of comfortably talking to our Heavenly Father throughout the day, we will naturally begin asking for more and more things. This is Biblical. It is actually the way that Christ taught His disciples to pray when they asked Him to teach them to pray. Jesus told his followers to ask for their daily bread. (Matthew 6 and Luke 11). Nothing is more essential than food. We need it everyday. God wants us to ask Him daily for ..read more