Author: Madison J. Caplinger
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A Spirit of Fear
Honesty Hour: recently I’ve been very hurt by someone. Someone I thought would never let me down. For a race of which God has said “it is not good to be alone,” we can be really bad at living together. It caused me to wonder why God made us relational creatures if all we do…
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What We Learn From Barrabas
If you grew up East of the Mississippi in a little Bible Belt town, you grew up hearing the story of Jesus’s death and resurrection. He is betrayed, convincted of a crime he didn’t commit, hung on a cross, then resurrected three days later. But we forget that it almost didn’t have to be that…
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Not Fair
Growing up, I learned a lot from my dad: how to ride a bike, the tragic stories of classic rock stars’ deaths, the names of the animal species in the woods. One of his favorite sayings to use when I complained was probably the best thing he ever taught me: life’s not fair. Occasionally followed…
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To the Graduates
It’s graduation day for high schoolers all over the country. To the class of 2016, may I say congratulations! The next phase of your lives will be the most exciting. Just a year ago, I walked across the stage of West Carter High School and received my diploma. I remember the thrill of the new…
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It’s Our Job
A guilty pleasure of mine is reading posts on an app called Whisper. It’s an app on which users can anonymously post confessions about themselves or their lives, and other users can anonymously reply. Some posts are a little inappropriate, but others are hilarious, scandalous, and highly entertaining. Sometimes the threads of posts turn into…
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As Iron Sharpens Iron
As I’m about to finish my freshman year of college, I reflect on a year that has been full of triumphant ups, and devastating downs. I reflect on a year that has shaped me, challenged me, pushed me farther than I thought I could stand, made me question everything, and reaffirmed the most important things…
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How to Fall in Love
Remember the story of Peter walking on the water to Jesus? Jesus said “Come” and Peter stepped out of the boat. There was no “But Jesus.” “But Jesus, I might drown.” “But Jesus, I can’t swim.” “But Jesus, I’m scared.” Even the most devout of us would have all these things running through our head.…
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Stop Planning
“‘For I know what I have planned for you,’ says the Lord. ‘I have plans to prosper you, not to harm you. I have plans to give you a future filled with hope.’” ~Jeremiah 29:11 When I was 4, I wanted to be a chef. When I was 9, I wanted to be a doctor.…
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Your Story is Powerful; Tell It.
Tonight I found myself sitting in Amplify (a worship service) in the EKU BCM, considering starting a blog. Yes, I know I should have been paying attention to the message, but bear with me for a moment. I had plenty of excuses not to: “I have nothing interesting to say,” “I won’t have time to…
Madison J. Caplinger 