All Posts

Learn how CityLinC’s Youth Guidance Foster Care and Adoption program provides safe homes for children, supports families through training and resources, and offers compassionate community-based care rooted in faith.

I have a creek that winds through my back yard.  It’s not very deep or very wide, but it is classically scenic.  I enjoy the tranquil...

My favorite teacher, Miss Harvey, taught me that the best way to accomplish demanding work is to create a joyful, engaging atmosphere. She built relationships, sparked curiosity, and made learning meaningful. Her influence reminds me that true leadership isn’t about power or appearance, but about heart, character, and the ability to positively shape others.

After practice one day, Anthony Lynn headed out to try a new pizza place. Crossing the road to the parking lot, he was struck by a drunk driver going 55 in a 25 zone. Thrown more than 45 feet, he lay on the pavement confused and shaking. “I didn’t know who I was,” he said. “So I prayed. The only thing that made sense was God.”

In a dusty attic sat a blue box no one had opened in decades. Inside were hand-painted plates, mother-of-pearl cups, and gold-rimmed china, saved for a “special” moment that never came. The gift was never used. As we begin a new year, maybe the most important thing we can do is stop saving the best parts of ourselves and start sharing them.

Behind every addiction statistic is a real person with a story of pain, courage, and hope. Recovery is rarely a straight path, but a journey marked by setbacks and the decision to keep going. Kathy’s story reminds us that with support, faith, and perseverance, healing and restoration are possible.

Christmas reminds us that God chose humility over grandeur. Jesus entered the world not with power or privilege, but as a helpless child, showing us the way through love, kindness, and presence. Like watching someone truly love music, seeing Christ live among us teaches us how to love others, gently and without condition.

Fourteen-year-old Max hides his hurt behind pranks that keep pushing him into deeper trouble. When one mistake finally crosses the line, his gentle grandfather offers an unexpected alternative to punishment: a December-long challenge built on kindness. What begins as skepticism slowly becomes transformation, as small acts start reshaping Max’s heart, his choices, and his future.

I love Rocky movies.  At least, Rocky movies one through four.  After that I think the well ran dry.  One of the things I liked best about the Rocky movies was the many unusual ways Rocky would train for a boxing match.    Rocky did quirky stuff like chasing chickens and pounding slabs of raw beef.  He lifted buckets filled with rocks, ran through ocean waves and across sandy beaches, up steep flights of stairs in Philadelphia, and through deep snow drifts in Siberia.  He pul

Vanderlei di Lima is just a little guy.  He stands 5’3” and weighs 119 pounds soaking wet.  This means he is about the same size as an average sixth grader.  Despite his small stature, di Lima is special because he has heart.  Miles and miles of heart.    In the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, de Lima was leading the marathon by about 60 yards with less than two miles to go.  The finish line was in sight, and the diminutive Brazilian was primed for the final charge.  All he h

Life moves in waves—beautiful, brutal, and breathtaking all at once. It’s a rhythm of highs and lows, stitched together by the quiet in-between. This poem reminds us that every season—whether amazing, awful, or ordinary—is part of the same stunning masterpiece called living.

When the Israelites faced Goliath, fear paralyzed them—until David chose faith over discouragement. Like David, we often confront our own giants: criticism, doubt, and negativity. Yet our mission remains the same—to stand firm, protect the vulnerable, and trust that pleasing God outweighs pleasing others. Let no one lose heart.

As I walked a familiar path in the fading light, I realized I could see far into the distance, yet not clearly enough to know where to step next. Psalm 119:105 reminds us that God’s Word is a lamp to our feet—guiding each step even when the full path is hidden. Faith isn’t about seeing everything ahead; it’s about trusting the One who lights the way.

Love can feel like a ring of fire—intense, consuming, and at times overwhelming. But what if that fire isn’t meant to destroy us, but refine us? Just like flames purify gold, God uses our deepest struggles to shape us into who we were created to be. When we surrender our passions and pain to Him, the fire becomes a force of transformation, not destruction. In Christ, every flame becomes a pathway to renewal, purpose, and hope.

When Mocha, our strong but friendly German Shepherd, saw a cat dash across the lawn, her instincts took over. With such force, she snapped a porch post clean off and charged—dragging it behind her! Watching her unstoppable focus made me wonder: what if we pursued God with that same passion and purpose—undaunted, unrestrained, and fully alive in His calling for us?

Sometimes, the heaviest loads we carry aren’t in our backpacks but in our hearts. When we hand our worries to God and live in the present, life becomes lighter, brighter, and filled with peace.

Dan K., a seasoned river guide, could read the water with instinctive precision—knowing which waves carried promise and which held danger. Watching him, I longed for the same clarity in following God’s direction. Scripture reminds us, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God” (Psalm 42:1). Just as the river sustains life, His grace flows steadily, carrying us forward, refreshing and renewing us with living water.

When poet/activist Maya Angelou was in Washington D.C. to address Congress on crime related issues, she candidly discussed how she had...

"Later that evening, as we sat around the campfire drying out, a very subdued, but grateful Beth admitted that much of her 'previous experience' simply wasn’t true. I appreciated her candor, and I enjoyed the opportunity to observe her growth for the rest of the trip."

The Labor Day weekend is a special one.  This weekend is often viewed as the last hurrah of summer.  Many of us try to eke out one more...