It’s easy to smile when things are great. But frankly … life isn’t always all that great.

Hi, I’m Mark Gregston … with Parenting Today’s Teens.

Everything seemed so much easier when the kids were younger! They giggled. They ran up and hugged you when you got home. And they could entertain themselves for hours with an empty box and some craft paper.

But now they’ve turned into angry, brooding, money-grubbing creatures called teenagers.

Hey, I know things are harder now. But there’s still plenty of room for joy, even when pushing through the hard years. Romans 12:12 says: “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” (NIV)

In a tough place today? It’s okay to fall apart. You’re in good hands. Ask God for fresh wind in your sails … and a bunch of joy.