Kelly Trepp, Author

I believe that prayer is a powerful gift and tool. It is how we are in relationship with God. We have a direct line to the creator of the universe and an advocate on our behalf that sits at the right hand of the Father. We go to God in prayer to say thank you when things are good and to ask for healing when friends and family are sick, but do we go to him with our everyday hopes, struggles, or anxieties? There was an incident earlier today that troubled me for the better part of the day. I was sitting at the local coffee shop with a friend while Silas played nearby. A woman walked in with two little girls, one of Silas' age and the other about half his age. She came and set her stuff down at a chair at the table where we sat. Her older daughter immediately reached for a toy stethoscope Silas had been playing with. He grabbed onto it and said, "noooo" with a whimper and made eyes at me. I said something along the lines of, "I'm sorry, Silas was playing with that

Judah and I managed to make it out to ladies bible study yesterday where we briefly discussed the idea of what heaven may be like. We ultimately decided that heaven will appear differently to each of us. While I know that Heaven is an unfathomable place, I find myself daydreaming (with a sleeping baby on my chest) about what Heaven will be like. The bible tells us there will be no pain, tears or heartache. Jesus is preparing "rooms" for us there where he will greet us and dwell with us. The streets are paved with gold, the gates are made of pearl, and the walls made of precious jewels. We will spend our days worshipping the glory of God. I like to think that Heaven is at the foot of a mountain. I'll greet, and in some instances meet loved ones for the first time, in a field where a river flows. The air is crisp and smells like new babies . There is no age in heaven -- we will all be recognizable and we will know one another fully, without the hindrance of sin, the wa

Let me hold you one last time. You were my first. You have forever changed me. You made my heart grow. You will always carry a piece of my heart. But my heart is about to grow again  and soon there will be two where one once stood. Every laugh. Every hug. Every kiss. I cherish these memories we have made, the stories we read and the secrets we share. Nobody will ever come between us or replace you. Our bond will never be broken but new bonds will be formed; Me to your brother and you to him, also. I know your heart will grow, too. You will lead your brother, your confidant, your friend. You will teach him. You will guide him. You will always be there for him and he will be there for you. He will love you. He will look up to you. You will be his hero in so many ways because you were the first. Our family of three will become a family of four. Remember that your father and I will always love you. You were our first.

I recently witnessed an instance of bullying carry out on Facebook... between adults. That's right! A good old fashioned hurtful anonymous message and a battle of the wits that rivaled my high school experiences unfolded before my very eyes at the ripe old age of 30. Should we be surprised that bullying still happens among adults? Probably not. Why not? Why am I not shocked and outraged? Because bullying still exists in our schools today and within the highest levels of government and bullying is a learned behavior. Where do today's youth learn this behavior? You guessed it! From us. They learn this behavior from us. So what are we to do about the issue of bullying? As I watched this event unfold, I read the comments of people calling for revenge, justice, police reports, and -- my favorite -- toe pokes! What is a toe poke, anyway? All of these adults were outraged that a strong, beautiful woman was being bullied for her successful weight-loss journey. Rightly so. But