Most of us think of sponges as everyday household items. Their softness and absorbency make them versatile tools for cleaning our bodies, floors, and dishes, and for applying paint to our walls. Although the sponges we use today are likely to be made of synthetic materials, for most of human history we harvested our sponges from the oceans—the dried bodies of aquatic invertebrates.

Let’s be honest with ourselves: We’ve all heard it from our parents in one form or another. How many times did your mother tell you, “Clean up your mess”?

In a secular world full of skeptics, is God relevant anymore? Is He an obsolete idea, or a living Creator with whom you can have a real relationship? The good news is that God is not just real—He is alive, and He is waiting for you to make contact with Him!

Ever since the Acts of Union in 1707 brought the kingdoms of Scotland and England together as Great Britain, Scotland has borne a somewhat strained relationship with her more powerful neighbour to the south. In 2007, when the Scottish National Party (SNP) came to power in the Parliament of Scotland, voices increased their calls for independence from the rest of the United Kingdom. The recent general election in December 2019, when the SNP won 48 out of the 59 Scottish seats in the UK Parliament, has emboldened those pressing to leave.

Countless people spend their lives searching for happiness and contentment, but how many ever find it? What if someone gave you concrete physical and spiritual steps you can take to be a happier person?