FYI — April 2018

WHAT'S SHOWING? A few months ago there was a powerful movie in theaters called Wonder, based on the true story of August “Auggie” Pullman. Auggie was malformed and didn’t look like the other kids in his class. He was teased and bullied…

FYI — March 2018

WHAT'S VIRAL? Recently, I was scrolling through my Facebook feed when an image popped up that was shared by one of my friends: “Ask me my ‘TOP 5’ anything!” Underneath were a variety of questions from friends. “What are your top 5…

FYI — February 2018

WHAT’S INSPIRING? As part of my job with The Salvation Army, once a year I get the opportunity to attend an employee spiritual retreat where we learn about connecting with God and ways we can worship Him. At the last retreat, I was sitting…

FYI — January 2018

WHAT'S SHOWING? A few months ago, there was a song on the theme of “Sorry Not Sorry” that was crazy popular. The music was so catchy and fun, but if you listened to the words, they were not God-honoring. I couldn’t help but wonder, “What…

FYI — December 2017

WHAT’S INSPIRING? Last Christmas, I spent a day sightseeing in New York City. As I went through Rockefeller Center, I excitedly stopped as I saw two young women dancing in front of a Salvation Army kettle. I got out my wallet and put in the…

FYI — November 2017

WHAT'S SHOWING? There’s been a video circulating social media from the international nonprofit organization, Save the Children. In the span of a minute and 33 seconds, the video goes through a fictional year-in-the-life of a young girl named…

FYI — October 2017

WHAT'S TRENDING? A few month’s ago, it seemed that everyone on social media was sharing and discussing a new Netflix series: 13 Reasons Why. I have to be honest, I haven’t watched it, and I hope you haven’t either, but I know our curious…

FYI — September 2017

WHAT'S TRENDING? Over the past few years, I developed a habit of always having something “on.” What do I mean? The moment I get home from work, I turn on my speaker and listen to music as I prepare dinner or unwind from a long day. At night,…

FYI — July 2017

WHAT'S SHOWING? I love watching YouTube videos. You can find almost anything explained on YouTube: how to use Photoshop, cook, learn a different language, and more. One of my favorite YouTube comedians takes instruction videos and tries to recreate…

FYI — August 2017

WHAT'S INSPIRING? The other day I tried to make French Macarons, a delicate cookie with an almond flour, egg white, and sugar base. I have successfully made these cookies before, but this time was a total flop. I accidentally mixed up the measurements…

FYI Summer Extended — July

WHAT'S TRENDING? It seems like I can’t spend more than 5 minutes on social media without running into a cooking video. I find them fascinating—gold high-hat cupcakes, avocado eggs, bacon-wrapped chicken breasts—and end up saving the recipes…

FYI — May 2017

WHAT'S NEWS? I have news for you: the devil is lying to you. He is doing everything he possibly can to trip you up, to confuse you, and to get you to believe things that are not from God. And he is crafty! He wraps up his lies with a silver…

FYI - April 2017

WHAT'S TRENDING? If you were active on your social media during the Christmas season, you may have seen the book challenge or the gift challenge going around. Basically, you add your name to a list and, theoretically, 36 books or gifts come…

FYI - March 2017

WHAT'S GLOBAL? Throughout the world, different cultures celebrate Lent with various traditions. In some parts of Germany, old Christmas trees are burned during Lent as a welcome to spring. In Bermuda, families fly kites made with wooden sticks…

FYI - February 2017

WHAT'S REAL? “The truth is: We’re all broken-made-beautiful. Because we’re loved by God. As is.” I read these words in an article on relevant.com titled Churches Need to Stop Avoiding Talking About Sexual Abuse. Please take a moment…

FYI - January 2017

WHAT'S TRENDING? When thinking about how we can live holy lives, I was reminded of a book I read last year by Ronald Rolheiser, The Holy Longing: The Search for a Christian Spirituality. The word “holy” is defined by the Oxford Dictionary…

FYI - December 2016

WHAT'S TRENDING? For the past few years, there’s been a, what I think is amazing, shift in Christmas gifting. No longer do people only want electronics, video games, and store-bought items, but there is a deep appreciation for the homemade…

FYI - November 2016

WHAT'S TRENDING? One of my all-time favorite reality shows is America’s Got Talent. If you haven’t seen it (you haven’t seen it?!), the premise of the show is that talented individuals or groups perform on live TV, with the hopes that…

FYI (October 2016)

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN! Take what you’ve learned from YS, and apply it to the world.  WHAT'S TRENDING? October brings Halloween, and Halloween brings an abundance of scary movies in theaters and specials on TV. One highly anticipated season premiere…