Across The Story

  Picture by AI What is beauty? How do you define yourself? These are the questions that haunted me as I noticed a startling sight in my classroom. About one-third of my students were wearing masks while studying. Not because of the pandemic or the pollution, but because of something much deeper and darker. One day, one of my students opened up to me and his classmates about his reason for wearing a mask. He said, “Others don’t wear masks because their faces are beautiful, but mine is not.” He told us how he felt ugly and unworthy, how he was bullied and mocked for his appearance, how he wished he could look like someone else. I felt a pang of sadness as I heard his words. How could such a young and bright soul feel so low and hopeless? Why do those kids live in a society where they judge themselves based on looks? Why do social medias make them believe there's only one type of beauty? Why do we keep spreading a messed-up idea of beauty that crushes the confidence of young, sensit...

Picture from Pinterest Hey there friends, I wanted to share something that's been on my mind ever since I heard a really powerful message at church yesterday. The pastor spoke about a passage from Luke 5:5, where Peter says to Jesus, "Master, we have worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets." This passage really hit me hard because I've been working like crazy, pouring my heart and soul into my studies, but it seems like I'm not making any progress. It's frustrating and discouraging, and there have been times when I've wanted to give up. This passage has taken on a new meaning for me because I realized that so often in my life, I try to rely on my own understanding and my own efforts to get where I'm going. But the truth is, we all need someone in the boat with us who is greater than ourselves. We need Jesus. Just like Peter trusted Jesus and let down his nets again, we need to trust that J...