Stepping Up

Most cries of pain from teenagers are silent, and too often we only discover the true depth of their pain after suicide or other self-destructive behavior. In A Reason to Live, teens speak openly about their struggles with suicide, depression, sex, drug addiction, pregnancy, abuse, bullying, and self-destructive behavior through their personal letters to author Donalyn Powell, a long-time youth and suicide-prevention advocate. To each letter, Powell offers personal and practical hope: even in the darkest situations, the pain will not last, and we are never alone. God has a purpose for each of us that we alone can fulfill, and it is God's life in us that provides our reason for living, healing for our lives, and hope for the future.