Each year in the village of Wigden, people fall under winter’s spell. Citizens bundle up, stoke fireplaces, write cards, and give gifts. Wigden has its own butcher, baker, and candlestick maker. The candlestick maker, Albrecht, lives in a tiny cottage and makes all kinds of candles from local beeswax. Each night, he lights a candle ...

What a joyful moment it was, That minute our eyes locked in destiny. How blessed were the events that made our paths cross.   Oh, how beautiful is our journey, yet unknown. Through love’s map, we cross life’s borders – Moving, sailing, one faith-filled step at a time. Editor: Erynn Crittenden

          Cricket’s chirping filled the desert’s rolling hills; the silence of the night echoed. A horse in a stable snorted as a woman with raven-black hair fed him hay. A sad smile came across her features while she stroked the soft, brown fur of her beautiful steed. Her blue eyes swam ...

You said with your actions I am not worth saving. You said with your actions You never loved me. You said with your actions You would let me drown in my thoughts. How then am I supposed to trust you? Why would I let you in again To the darkest depths of my soul? What ...

Sometimes I feel her. A gentle nudge on the invisible thread that links us together, pulling me towards her. Sometimes I hear her. The melodic voice that puts me into a slumber luring me closer. But I say “No!” My son’s not grown yet. I haven’t traveled the world yet, and my writing’s not known ...

The place is called Lover’s Leap. I’ve avoided thinking about it until I saw the blue car for the third day in a row. It’s parked across from my apartment—my dad’s apartment. He owns the place; I stay rent-free in exchange for handyman work. I saw it three days ago; the rich Chilean blue caught ...

Oliver sat alone at the piano nursing a snifter of scotch. He wore his nicest suit, a black Italian three-button. His tie hung loose around his neck. He knew that his attire had gone out of style long ago. His face was worn, with bags under his eyes that made him look like he had ...

I’m not detached from you, but when we lock eyes, my mind goes blank— like walking into a room and forgetting why, like a page I want to fill but can’t find the words to unravel what I love about you and the way your gaze pulls me into everything your soul embodies. Editor: Shannon ...

There are days I ponder within my heart why I am on Earth among God’s creation. What does He want me to see? Why am I living a life of abundance while the lost are roaming the cobbled streets, waiting for a kind Samaritan to save them? My sisters suffer in agony, leaving a trail ...

My heart beats for you in the midst of the chaos. The echoes of my mind disrupt the rhythm of my pulse. The tremors ripple through. With every beat– there you are reverberating in my chest, keeping pace with my every breath.    Editor: Shannon Hensley