By Timothy Jones As the saying goes, there was more to the picture than just the wall behind it. Even a little drama. In the photo I’m smiling, pushing myself up from my tummy on my baby-fat laden forearms. Someone off-camera—Mom or Dad, maybe a very enthusiastic stranger—has caught my attention. My parents kept the tarnished gold-framed picture on their dresser throughout my childhood. You can tell that I was loving the attention, staring out at the world with an infant’s in

By Andrew Peterson Lenten Sonnet II, 2026 A young man lost in dark woods; a glimmer In the tangled trees; a slow turn to see A gleaming figure, his skin ashimmer. I remember the warm pulse of mercy. He speaks my name, and I, weeping, collapse At his feet, undone by his holiness. His strong, wounded hands lift me and he wraps His great song around me, and with a kiss I am full-known and forgiven and healed. The warm pulse of mercy beats like a heart At the core of the forest,

By Will Parker Anderson I never planned to be an editor.Here ’s my journey in a nutshell: I’m a journalism student turned pastor turned part-time DJ turned theology teacher turned freelance writer turned professional editor. Growing up, I inherited the false assumption that responsible folks know what they want to do, make a plan, and execute it. Certainty is a sign of maturity. The problem is, life isn’t always that simple, is it? There’s turbulence, soul-searching, setbacks