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After you’ve heard “The Inspiration Station, Part 1,” check out this devotional thought. (If you haven’t heard the episode, check out the Media Player starting March 6. You can also find a station in your area.)


Listen to “The Inspiration Station, Part 1″:

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By Catherine Wilson

“Catherine, you’re a great cook!” I love hearing those words. A few people have even told me that I have a God-given talent for making food. It’s a good thing that the people complimenting my baking didn’t try my first batch of oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies.


When I was in second grade, I asked my mom for a treat to take to school for my birthday. “Why don’t you make oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies?” she asked. Then she helped me measure the ingredients into the mixing bowl and I watched the cookies in the oven. The first pan came out burnt and hard, but my mom showed me how to use the timer. The second pan was almost edible.


The next time I tried cookies, my mom let me make them myself. Each batch I tried turned out better and better. There were still duds from time to time—a few burnt cookies here, one small kitchen fire there… Okay, okay, so the perfect batch of oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies takes a while to master! But judging from the smiles when people eat my cookies these days, I’m glad I never gave up on baking.


In “The Inspiration Station,” Matthew Parker was very talented when it came to dealing with technology. Connie said that he made the garbage disposal work even better than before. Unfortunately, Matthew also made some mistakes when working on Mr. Whittaker’s computers and caused big headaches for Eugene. Matthew decided that he was going to give up working on technology for good. “I’m not a fix-it guy. I’m just a kid,” he said.


I hope that Matthew learns the same thing that I had to learn with my baking—just because God gave us a talent doesn’t mean that we won’t make mistakes using it. But just because we mess up doesn’t mean that we have to give up.


Tell us about a time that you were tempted to quit. Did you stick with it? What are some talents that God has given you?

After you’ve heard “Passages: Darien’s Rise, Part 9,” check out this devotional thought. (If you haven’t heard Part 9, check out the Media Player starting November 14. You can also find a station in your area.)

Hear a preview of Part 9:

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By Elizabeth Goldsmith

“We were chosen for one thing in Marus. We must be chosen for something else here.” -Anna

On the Mountaintop

Have you ever had an experience where you felt really close to God? Maybe at church or at summer camp? Those are called “mountaintop experiences,” probably because the top of a mountain seems like it’s closer to God. But they are called mountaintops for a good reason. You can’t stay on them forever! When you get back home from church or summer camp, sometimes it’s hard to hold on to that closeness you felt. Everything goes back to normal and it’s easy to wonder why you felt the closeness in the first place.

Mountaintop experiences are wonderful and they can be great times of growth in our relationship with God. But it’s important to remember that we won’t always feel that excitement that comes along with being on the mountaintop. Our feelings can change, but God doesn’t. We need to learn how to stay strong in our faith even when everything’s normal and the feelings of closeness aren’t necessarily there.

Anna and Kyle’s time in Marus was sort of like a mountaintop experience. The Unseen One gave Anna dreams and visions, and used Kyle to protect Darien. Even though their experiences were a little scary at times, The Unseen One became very real to them. When things changed, however, and the Unseen One stopped using them in those ways, Kyle began to doubt and even turned away from the Unseen One. Anna, however, stayed on the right track: she still trusted and followed Him even if she didn’t always feel His presence.

It’s easier to have faith when the feelings are there, and when God reveals Himself to you in big ways. Holding on to that faith when you’re back in your day-to-day life, however, is harder to do. Because we’re human, we won’t always feel like reading our Bibles or praying or going to church. It’s important, however, to do those things, to have a faith that’s strong in times of excitement and quiet. God calls us to be obedient in the exciting times and in the boring ones.

Have you ever had an experience where you felt really close to God? What did you do when things went back to normal? Tell us about it in the comments section below.

• Get a summary and discussion questions for Passages: Darien’s Rise, Part 9.
• Check out the Passages website and submit your entry for the art contest!

After you’ve heard “Passages: Darien’s Rise, Part 8,” check out this devotional thought. (If you haven’t heard Part 8, check out the Media Player starting November 7. You can also find a station in your area.)



Hear a preview of Part 8:

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By Jonathan Friday

“It’s like you can’t trust anybody around here.” -Kyle

Have you ever been lied to by a friend? I have – and it hurt so bad. So why do people lie? I think that when we tell a lie, it’s usually because we’re not thinking of other people. That can be true for a “big” lie (“No, mom – I don’t have any idea how the window was broken, but I’m sure it has nothing to do with the baseball bat in my hand!”) or a lie that feels smaller (“Yes, that lime green T-shirt definitely matches your purple shorts!”).

Lies can seem like an easy way out of a bad situation. A lie about broken window would mean that we don’t have to pay for it. A lie about somebody’s clothes doesn’t risk offending them…at least in the short term. But the Bible says, “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:4)

When we lie, we forget how much we’re hurting another person. Maybe your mom will go looking for someone else who broke the window. Maybe your friend will be made fun of because you didn’t gently suggest a different shirt.

In Marus, there are a lot of untrustworthy people… the Baron Orkzy, the Rat, General Liddell, even King Lawrence! They’re most concerned about themselves, and making sure they have money and power – and in the process, they’re willing to hurt others. No wonder they don’t have many real friends.

But Marus also has its share of trustworthy people in General Darien, Colonel Bryson, and Prince George. What qualities do they have that the others don’t? Who would you want as your friend?

Are you the kind of friend who cares enough about others to be honest, even when it’s hard? Sound off in the comments below!

• Get a summary and discussion questions for Passages: Darien’s Rise, Part 8.
• Check out the Passages website and submit your entry for the art contest!

Hear a preview of Part 9:

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After you’ve heard “Passages: Darien’s Rise, Part 7,” check out this devotional thought. (If you haven’t heard Part 7, check out the Media Player starting October 31. You can also find a station in your area.)



Hear a preview of Part 7:

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By Elizabeth Goldsmith

When I was growing up, I loved visiting my grandparents. There was one holiday that we tried not to miss: Thanksgiving. It was extra special because it doubled as my birthday celebration. I have many wonderful memories of those Thanksgivings, as the turkey and pumpkin pie were supplemented by birthday cake and balloons. All of that came to a halt one June morning. A few months after one of our visits, my grandpa passed away suddenly.

Saying goodbye to someone you love is never easy. Even though we know that this life is only temporary, and that eternal life with Jesus will be wonderful and joy-filled, losing a relative or friend still hurts. And usually, it’s completely unexpected and we don’t have the chance to say everything we wanted to say! I didn’t know that the Thanksgiving of my seventeenth birthday would be the last time I saw my grandpa. I was happy that my last time with my grandpa was filled with joy. But there were still a few things that I wished I could say to him if I could see him one last time.

In Darien’s Rise, Anna didn’t know that, when she left the Old Judge’s cottage, she wouldn’t see him again. He died suddenly and without warning, and she was deeply affected by his death.

We all know that life is temporary, but it’s easy to forget that. It should be a motivation not to put off the important things, like telling people how much you care about them and how much Jesus cares about them. We can’t assume that we’ll always have time later to do and say those things. Don’t wait for a better opportunity. Do it today!

What simple things can you do for the people in your life to show that you care, and to tell them about Jesus? Let us know in the comments section below.

• Get a summary and discussion questions for Passages: Darien’s Rise, Part 7.
• Check out the Passages website and submit your entry for the art contest!

Hear a preview of Part 8:

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After you’ve heard “Passages: Darien’s Rise, Part 6,” check out this devotional thought. (If you haven’t heard Part 6, check out the Media Player starting October 24. You can also find a station in your area.)



Hear a preview of Part 6:

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By Jonathan Friday

In today’s episode, Anna told Darien that he would have victory in the battle over Kellen… the Unseen One guaranteed it. But, Colonel Oliver, Darien’s right-hand man, thought the idea was crazy, and even Anna didn’t know how a victory could happen. How could 100 men capture a city? The odds looked impossible.

The funny thing, though, is that God seems to really like working through impossible odds. He used a runaway shepherd to lead a group of slaves through a sea when they were being followed by one of the best armies in the world. He saved a slave from a pit of lions. He protected three followers from being burned alive. He even chose a young unmarried girl to raise the world’s Savior. And when that girl pointed out that she couldn’t possibly have a baby, God’s messenger responded: “…nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:37).

Later, Jesus did many miracles that seemed impossible, and taught things that were just as hard to believe. When his believers got discouraged because something looked impossible, Jesus told them, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27, NIV.) Then he proved it by dying and coming back to life!

So how come we still cry over “unsolvable” problems in our families? Why do we panic over homework that “will never get done?” Why are we afraid of so many things? Why don’t we have confidence that anything can happen, with God? Maybe it’s just the way we are…or maybe we can change it. What do you think?

How would you live differently if you acted as if nothing was impossible, with God? Give us your thoughts in the comments below!

• Get a summary and discussion questions for Passages: Darien’s Rise, Part 6.
• Check out the Passages website and submit your entry for the art contest!

Hear a preview of Part 7:

Click to play