How would you navigate life if you didn’t have a car? Most of us take reliable transportation for granted. How hard would it be to live one year without a vehicle?

Our youth have it tough. Addiction to technology, rampant mental health issues and antisocial disorders, increasing rates of teen suicide, and more plague this upcoming generation.

Anxiety seems to be more prevalent and powerful than God does these days. You can’t go a day without hearing the word anxiety. And most people can’t go a day without experiencing it on some level. It was in the midst of my struggle with anxiety where God strengthened my faith.

The highly anticipated day finally arrived. Blue skies and a gentle breeze enhanced the excitement as I loaded my four young sons and their new kites into our van. It was kite flying time!

We are living in serious dark times. Lies are rampant, but we know, as Christ followers, God’s Word is truth.

As we embrace a new season, I want to share some personal encouragement with you.

“You have a brain tumor” is one of the scariest sentences a person can hear.

Every day we’re invited into so many stories. Some are uplifting while others are heartbreaking. Some are infuriating, scary, and others make us laugh out loud. Whether the story is in the news, a movie, a book, or listening to a friend share a page from their life, the lens from which we view this world is story.

South Carolina Obesity Surgery Center at Lexington Medical Center is an accredited center for weight-loss surgery from the American College of Surgeons and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Its team includes the most experienced bariatric surgeons in South Carolina. The practice is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Here is one of its success stories.

The custody battle caught me off guard. I was nervous and anxious, but the truth was on my side. I fully expected God would honor that; but, when the gavel fell, truth lost. With temporary custody awarded to my ex-husband, I was devastated.

Do you ever feel like some seasons of life seem busier than others? It’s easy  to allow life’s busyness to deplete our strength.

I make it through these seasons by standing firm on a strong foundation; one of faith and mental and physical wellness. Here are some  things I do consistently to help me remain strong and focused.

Family vacation. Those two words unlock a suitcase of memories packed with emotions—epic, mediocre, or never again. No matter, I still love family vacations. East Coast, West Coast, or somewhere in between, the destinations, food, and fun excite me, but it’s family that fuels the flames of fellowship.

To suggest this world is embroiled in an authority crisis is, perhaps, the understatement of the decade. Almost every country is divided politically, socially, racially, and morally. The church is also in crisis.  Many take personal conviction and personal preference as absolute truth.

Think of the many  leaders falsely claiming the “Christian” name, who daily deceive thousands with their lofty and logical messages, void of anything essential to the true Gospel. Their clever sophistry, winsome demeanor, and cultural relevance attract those who have yet to gain the spiritual discernment to know when they are being deceived. These false teachers use the Bible and Jesus’ name to validate their human-centric messages; but their goal is to lead their audiences away from the truth toward a lesser gospel. 

“Come on over for dinner,” was my friend’s simple invitation. Her door was open; no need to knock. Delicious smells lured me into the kitchen. While Barbara flitted from stove to table, divvying up food on the plates, my shoulders relaxed as I  quietly sighed. I could breathe.

I took an afternoon stroll to the mailbox. While walking back to the house thumbing through the envelopes of junk mail and bills, I came across a plain white envelope addressed to me. The return address took me by surprise. Written beside the name of the sender was a prison number.

Do you know who’s in bed with your child?

While this may seem like an absurd question for some parents, the reality is it could be anyone if your child has their smartphone with them at night.

Each summer, my family plants a small garden to which we find varying degrees of success. This past summer, we added Carolina Reaper peppers to the mix. They were created near my hometown of Fort Mill, SC and I’d been wanting to give my homemade salsa an extra kick—two excellent reasons to try our hand at growing what is said to be the hottest pepper in the world.

Tis the season! SEC football, mountain escapes, Trick ‘r Treating, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, and all things Winter. Between now and the next issue of Living Real, there will be numerous occasions where we can show Jesus to a world desperate for truth, hope, love, peace, and joy. Tucked between the covers of this volume of Living Real Magazine are life-transforming stories, reflective devotionals, and deeper faith challenges, all steeped in the Word of God, and all designed to help us live out our real faith every day.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Feaster. The biopsy confirmed that it is breast cancer.”

One sentence from a phone call on November 17, 2021 changed my life forever. I couldn’t have cancer. I’m only 25 years old, and I’m six months pregnant. How could this be true?