Do you struggle with "empty cup syndrome"? Find out how get it filled up ... with what will last.

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Do you know what it's like to try to feel full, only to find that the emptiness returns over and over again?

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It is possible to be a virgin at twenty-seven. It's possible to do that ... and it's beneficial too.

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Two things do not have to be the same to be equal.

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Struggle with peer pressure? Here are five questions to ask that will help you overcome it.

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We are thrilled that God has brought Lina Abujamra to the blog. Today I asked her to introduce herself . . .

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Fall perfectly demonstrates that sometimes even death is beautiful. The same is true of our spiritual lives.

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I was a college senior finishing my student teaching and engaged to my best friend and the love of my life. The wedding was only three months away when one day my phone buzzed with a text message. "We need to talk. I can't honestly say I am in love with you—I haven't been for quite some time. I can't do this ..." This had to be a cruel joke by one of his friends. But it was no joke.

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Want to win a free set of mother/daughter tickets to a Pure Freedom event this fall? Find out how . . .

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Think of some hard times you have gone through lately. Whatever the struggle, think back to what your reaction was when you were first hit with that tragedy. Did you automatically run to God, verbally pouring out your thoughts and needs as if you were talking to your best friend?

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Does thirty-two years seem impossible to wait for a boyfriend or for something else that you desire? It will be if you are not desiring, trusting, and surrendering to God's perfect plan for your life.

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Alarming as it may sound, I had to wait thirty-two years before dating my husband, Micah, who happened to be my first (and only) boyfriend. Yes, thirty-two years! Back in the day, I'd definitely be labeled an old maid or maybe even an "old, old, doomed maid."

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Do you wear a purity ring and have a commitment to stay pure until marriage? Whether you do or not, read this challenge to think about that commitment and be exposed to a deeper understanding of "why" you are wearing (or not wearing) a purity ring based on the gospel.

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We spend so much time focusing on tweaking our image and worrying about the opinions of others that we lose sight of what really matters. What if our image and reputation were entangled in who He is instead?

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Where does this need to measure up come from—this need to feel like we are pretty enough or skinny enough or whatever it is that keeps us locked in insecurity? Sometimes this insecurity manifests into an unspoken competition between women that threatens to rot friendships. But what if this competition dissolved in light of our sisterhood in Christ?

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Authority. Not a word that many people enjoy seeing, hearing, or heeding. But I have not been able to escape that word for weeks. And as I've thought on it, I'm left jaw-dropped and head-nodding.

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In the midst of the challenges that come with life, how can you stay focused on the truth that God loves you? Here's a simple idea based on a little round piece of copper.

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Have you ever thought about how important it is to preach the gospel to yourself every day? Even as Christians, our hearts need to be reminded of the message of the gospel daily. Why? Because our minds are easily diluted.

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The last few weeks, it's seemed like everyone and everything has grated on my nerves and added to the weight I carried on my back. Why the freak out? Why was the monster of my flesh suddenly devouring me? The answer was simple . . .

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At the beginning of my missions trip, Dannah Gresh talked about how God had a divine appointment for each of us on the trip. Someone He wanted us to meet and talk to. Turns out you don't have to go romping through the jungles to find the person God wants you to reach.

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Today I spent the afternoon with men in loincloths. Not something I do on a typical Thursday. Then again, there's not much typical about going on a Never the Same missions trip!

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What kind of guy should you date? We figured that to find the answer to that question, we'd better ask a guy. . .

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When you do not live out your purpose, guys end up worshiping YOU rather than God. But your purpose is not to replace God or be God, but rather to show guys what God is like so that GOD will be worshiped, not you.

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Cliques can be intimidating. You know the group of girls in the corner giggling and sharing fun stories—yeah, that group ... they're intimidating! That is why we, as Christians, need to be intentionally mindful of our surroundings and the opportunities to include others in our lives.

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Girls, we do the strangest things! When we are trying to get over a boy, one of our most natural responses is to turn him into the kind of person we wouldn't even want to date. We start thinking bitter thoughts toward him in an attempt to stop admiring him so much.

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I couldn't stop thinking about this boy, so I knew I definitely had a serious problem with idolatry. And so the journey began. I had to figure out how get rid of this idol somehow. I had to find a way to control my thoughts.

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God knows what we need and would love to give it to us if we ask. This doesn't mean, however, that He is a genie in a bottle who will give you everything you ask for. He might just give you something that better aligns with His goal of making you who He created you to be.

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Has God done something unexpected in your love life? Has He asked you to wait when you'd rather been dating or dropped a great guy in your lap when you least expected it?

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Because of the previous persecution of Christians, the churches were small but the people in them were very dedicated. They sang in worship with all their hearts, and even though there were only ten or twelve people in the congregation, they were louder than all fifteen of us Americans combined. This is because they know what it is to risk everything to follow Christ.

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The story of David and Goliath is likely familiar to you, but maybe it's about more than a boy with five smooth stones taking on a trash-talking giant. Maybe it's a story with something to show us about the heart of Jesus. Maybe it is the exact message of hope you need as you face "giants" today.

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Thank you for your example of hard, honest labor. I've learned that work needs to be done and, more importantly, done well. Also, I know that God rewards integrity, because He's blessed you for your truthful business.

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If there is something I have realized this Father's Day, it is that I do not tell you nearly enough how great of a dad you are, how important and special you are to me, or how much I care about you.

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You've done so much for me, such as killing all those spiders, helping with those horrid math problems that only made sense when you explained them, taking me out to eat and shopping on our daddy/daughter nights, and encouraging me on to purity. I can't say thank you enough for the wonderful dad that you have been to me.

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Are you reading The Jesus Storybook Bible with us? This week we see why the antidote to our worry is closer than we might think! Will you let your story whisper His name this week?

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Carrie Gaul reads looks at the story of Jonah from The Jesus Storybook Bible. Like Jonah, have you ever told God "no"? What does His response to our no's reveal about Him?"

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Many girls live and die by the Comparison Game. It determines who is popular, accepted, and revered. It is when you set the standard by which other people are compared. You determine beauty, intelligence, social status, athletic ability, and relationships—get ready for this—based on yourself.

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God's promise to me wasn't the perfect life I had envisioned as a teenager. God's promise to me is a perfected life. One where He brings people, circumstances, and trials to make me more like Him.

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I was getting the chance to share my journey with others and that my hope was resting in Christ through it. I realized how carefully the Lord had planned this tumor, and I actually felt humbled that He had entrusted it to me.

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The life and events God had planned for me wasn't the idyllic, picture-perfect progression of marriage, career, home, and children. I have experienced all those things, but not exactly in the way I dreamt about.

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You want to run fast and finish strong in the race of your spiritual life, right? But you've slowed to a walk because of your weights.

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If we never extend our spiritual lives past our comfort level, past prayer rituals, one-chapter-daily Bible reading, or semi-consistent church attendance, our souls won't grow in maturity and they certainly won't grow more in love with God.

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