Exclusive Content:

Brave 13-Year-Old Girl Rescued from Kidnapper After Writing “Help Me” Sign Outside of Laundromat

A 13-year-old Texas girl helped bring about an end to her own terrifying kidnapping with quick thinking and resourcefulness.

Mother of 3 Loses Her Life While Trying to Save 10-Year-Old Son From Drowning

A family hike in New Hampshire turned tragic last week when a 10-year-old boy slipped into the Pemigewasset River in the White Mountain National Forest. His mother, 44-year-old Melissa Bagley died trying to save him.

Harrowing Rescue Shows Kayaker Saving a 6-Year-Old Boy Left Floating Alone in River

A kayaker’s rescue of a 6-year-old boy is going viral after the boy was found alone, being pulled by the current on the St. Louis River in Minnesota. David Jones Jr. is being hailed a hero after saving the little boy whose father left him abandoned in the river's cold water.

‘I Don’t Fit in. They Don’t Really Want Me There. I Wonder Why I Wasn’t Invited. Circles Are Great if You’re on the Inside.’

Sometimes I feel like I’m not quite cool enough. Sometimes I feel like I’m not quite popular enough. Sometimes I feel like I don’t fit in the same way other people do.

Sometimes I feel like there is a group who maybe doesn’t really want me there. Sometimes I wonder why I wasn’t invited. Sometimes I walk up to a circle of people and I don’t know whether to force my way in, or be awkward hanging around on the outside, just twiddling my thumbs, kicking the dirt, talking to myself, waiting until I can leave and go home to the safety of my sofa.

Circles are great if you’re on the inside. They can be fun if you’re in one, but circles can be awfully cruel if you’re left on the outskirts, looking for a way to get inside.

They can be exclusive.
They can be excluding.
They can be exhausting.

They can be cliquish.
They can be childish.
They are far, far too common.

Stop building circles and build a U. Leave room for everyone. Make a way so anyone, any ‘you’ can walk up and feel like they have a place to stand.

Leave room for good people who look different than you, who run in different crowds than you, who like different things than you, who come from different places than you. Differences were never made to divide us. They were made to build us, and to teach us, to fill in the gaps where our own gifts give way and come up short.

Have your few trusted friends. Have your people. Keep them close. Spend time with them. Share your secrets with them. Work on building and maintaining and safe-guarding those sacred sisters.

You can’t be best friends with everyone.

But you can notice everyone. You can make room for everyone. You can be kind and generous and thoughtful and sympathetic to everyone. You can smile to everyone. You can make eye contact with everyone. You can probably even offer a simple ‘hello’ to everyone.

When you are out with a group, when you’re at a meeting, or an event, or a Bible study. When you’re at a kid’s soccer game, or a school function, or absolutely any public setting — lift up your unsuspecting head and look for the lonely. Chat with the new. Invite the introverts who will never invite themselves. Hug the hurting. Make room for more.

Amy Weatherly
Amy Weatherly
Amy Weatherly loves bright lipstick, graphic tees, and Diet Dr. Pepper a little more than she probably should. Most days, you can find her in sweatpants and earrings the size of her face shuffling kids back and forth like a crazy person. Her family is her home. Her friends are her safe space. And her passion is helping women find courage, confidence, and the deep-rooted belief that their life has a deep and significant purpose if they will just find the courage to live fierce and love free. You have probably seen her face on The Today Show website, MSN.com, Good Morning America, Yahoo.com, Love What Matters, Focus on the Family, and of course, her own social media pages. She was also named one of the Top 20 Mom Bloggers to follow in 2018 by MomCafe. Make sure to come follow her on Facebook.

Brave 13-Year-Old Girl Rescued from Kidnapper After Writing “Help Me” Sign Outside of Laundromat

A 13-year-old Texas girl helped bring about an end to her own terrifying kidnapping with quick thinking and resourcefulness.

Mother of 3 Loses Her Life While Trying to Save 10-Year-Old Son From Drowning

A family hike in New Hampshire turned tragic last week when a 10-year-old boy slipped into the Pemigewasset River in the White Mountain National Forest. His mother, 44-year-old Melissa Bagley died trying to save him.

Harrowing Rescue Shows Kayaker Saving a 6-Year-Old Boy Left Floating Alone in River

A kayaker’s rescue of a 6-year-old boy is going viral after the boy was found alone, being pulled by the current on the St. Louis River in Minnesota. David Jones Jr. is being hailed a hero after saving the little boy whose father left him abandoned in the river's cold water.