In the quiet village of Willow Creek, where the only sounds to break the silence were the occasional chirps of birds and the gentle rustling of leaves,stood an ancient church its stones worn by the relentless march of time. It’s arched doorways beckoned with a mysterious allure, hinting at the secrets it held within it’s sturdy embrace. The stained glass windows a kaleidoscope of colors whispered ...

I didn’t know how I got there or when it happened, but suddenly, I found myself standing before a narrow path under the harsh glare of the midday sun. There was no way to turn back, no other route to take. On either side of the path yawned a great abyss, shrouded in an impenetrable light. No bottom was visible. The only choice was to move forward.

So, I walked. I couldn’t say for how long. My usu...

I came to this old church downtown for a little meditative solitude. I knelt at the altar briefly, did the sign of the cross,then sat in a pew upfront. I looked around and suddenly saw a familiar sight: my own image as a high school graduate.

My eyes followed the pictures in stained glass. It was like having my life flash before my eyes. I saw more scenes from my life, from those revealing relati...

TW: Hints at Religious Trauma from the Christian Church, Anxiety Attack Depicted

I inhale a deep shaky breath as I stare down my old enemy. The multi-story, multi-spired, Christian church looms over me trying to threaten me back to the person I used to be. It's been years since I set foot in a church but my momma asked me to come for the "experience". My breathing becomes ragged but I ground myse...

I bowed my head as I sat down on the wooden bench of this beautiful church. Empty, it was the perfect place to find silence. I sat thinking about god, who was God to me? What was religion to me? I was so unsure it frustrated me immensely. I had a sinking feeling in my gut whenever this thought came up in my mind. I hated it. It was the precise feeling that prevented me from thinking about God at a...

I was out walking one day and I saw a church. Unusually the door was opened and I walked right in. There was a lovely piece of stained glass behind one of the side altars.

I made my way over to it. At first it looked like it was telling the story of a life gone by. Then I looked a little closer. The young child looked very familiar. As I looked further on, I realised why. This wasn't just any ch...

I walked in to the old abandoned church in the middle of nowhere. I wanted to sing like a siren, but I was too busy admiring the stained glass. Suddenly, I looked a bit closer. I saw flashes of me going to prom and getting married. The weird thing was that I could see me. It told my past as well as my future....

Every small town has that one area nobody wants to go into. Usually old and dilapidated possibly abandoned for a century. I was always interested in these places, the stories left behind from people years ago excited me.

Late one evening I decided to wander let my mind be free and ready to piece together stories of the past. I wandered around the old town looking at houses and banks but nothing s...

The storm outside was ravenous, splintering the thatched roofs and beating heavy on the backs of those who dared to brave her.

Luella, one of the few people still outside at this hour, didn’t bother with outrunning the storm; no, she had far worse things to outrun.

Her scuffed black shoes splashed in puddles as she ran blindly through the night. She only stopped when necessary, glancing over he...

The storm hit in ‘94. Truth is, if I had known about the rain, I would have planned ahead.

I was never privy to churches. At some point in the beginning it was decided for me that the “Truth” would never be part of my path. By the time I was 10, I had caught on that my life wasn’t like every one else’s.

“Don’t ask so many questions, hon, it’s just so unbecoming,” she’d say each time the pit...