Blog

Youth Group? You’ve Got to be Kidding

Old bus being remodeled

by Charleen Burghardt I will never forget a warm evening with the moon barely visible in the sky when we walked into an 1893 wooden dance hall. A flickering neon Coors beer sign greeted us as we entered. We noticed only one guitarist and one vocalist occupying a stage surrounded by small twinkling lights. As… Continue reading Youth Group? You’ve Got to be Kidding

Discovering God

Looking upward

By Charleen Burghardt Can we find God amid our suffering? This is a question most of us ask or at least entertain. A devotion I read addressed this question of discovering God in suffering. A young woman gives a personal and vulnerable recount of her journey with questioning God. Parmaytha is a young woman from… Continue reading Discovering God

God Delights in You

God rejoices over you!

By Charleen Burghardt Do you jot down notes to help you remember? I write reminders on little yellow sticky notes all over the house because I forget important things. I find a scrap of paper to write on if yellow sticky notes are unavailable. Believe it or not, scribbling something on paper helps me organize;… Continue reading God Delights in You

Conviction or Condemnation

I wonder

By Charleen Burghardt Do you ever wake up with a gnawing in your stomach, feeling unworthy? Do you ever have a nebulous sense of disapproval that lingers? Did you do something wrong? Nothing comes to mind. You say, “Why do I feel this way?” It could be inner condemnation when we perceive ourselves as not… Continue reading Conviction or Condemnation

Mental Illness-One in Five

Sad and depressed

by Charleen Burghardt “Mom, they are going to come to get me,” he said. “Who is coming to get you?”  “The people on the computer.” “Do they know where you live?” She asked and then explained that people couldn’t come get him unless they had a physical address. This mother knew her son was experiencing… Continue reading Mental Illness-One in Five