Don’t let others try and define your future for you. The world is full of those who think the worst of people. Don’t be like them. Don’t allow the nitpickers to destroy your hopes for success. God called us to be like Him. He called us to beat the odds – to overcome both the simple and complex barriers we…
Author: Maddie Hosteter
Little Ginormous Things
I’m lying here in the hotel at 4:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning in Rochester, MN. I just said goodbye to my parents whom I just said “Hi” to 24 hours previously. Now I’m alone again. It finally hits me, and I start crying in the bed that I shared with my parents, just like I used to do when…
The Alpha and Omega
I am a planner. I don’t like my future to be unsettled. For months I have been praying about where to attend college, what career path to take, whether or not to play basketball in college, where I will make lifetime friends, etc. I’ve wanted a visible sign from God—the name of the college written in the sky. That’s what…
Stand Strong
It’s hot and humid. The dirt on the ground offers no place to hide. Bullets are whizzing in every which direction. People are scattering. No one is safe. What a dirty place. What a disaster has fallen upon this earth. Ever since the Garden of Eden, Satan has been sending out his bullets, aiming at anything and everything in hopes…
God Knows What We Need
God knows exactly what we need. He also knows when we need it. I had so much fear traveling all the way to Washington to work at a place I had never even seen. The only thing I know is that God chose me to be a staff member at Sunset Lake. God knew that my introvert self would be…
God Knows How I Feel!
First night by myself at Sunset Lake Camp. (Church camp in Washington state) The sky is beautiful. Bugs are playing a symphony. Surrounded by a jungle of trees giving off a fresh aroma. Tears. I’m 1,500 miles from home. Separated from my family for eight weeks. Coming into contact with new people each day. Tonight as I write this, I…
God Has Forgiven You
Ephesians 4:32 says, “Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” I greatly admire parents and what they do. It is no easy task to raise kids in the world we live in. This came to my realization when I was babysitting the other day. The two children I was…
Savior of the Muck and Mire
Picture yourself walking in the woods. As you stumble over dead limbs, get pricked by thorns, and enjoy God’s nature, you begin to smell something horrific. (And no, it’s not just the everyday smell of Arkansas!) The smell gets stronger and at last you see the source — a dead armadillo. When you go look at it, you see the…
A Limitless God
Over my senior class trip we had the opportunity to volunteer at a food bank in Denver. While I was filling boxes with food items, the Bible story of “Feeding the 5,000” came to my mind. What Jesus did that day was a miracle! God used 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish to satisfy the hungry crowd. God also…