By Linda Evans Shepherd
When Jesus appeared to His disciples after the resurrection, He didn’t hide His scars.
Instead, He showed them. Those marks told the story of love, sacrifice, and healing. They were proof of what He had endured—and of the victory He had won.
We all carry scars. Some are visible, some are hidden deep inside.
Each one tells a story—of hurt, yes, but also of survival, of healing, of God’s presence even in the hardest places. Our scars are not the end of the story.
They are part of the testimony of God’s goodness.
This issue is an invitation to go deeper. Beyond surface appearances, beyond polite answers. We’re stepping into authenticity—into stories that don’t hide the scars, but reveal them as places where God’s light shines through. Inside these pages, you’ll discover women who share honestly from their journeys.
They open their lives to show where they were broken, where they wrestled, and how God brought restoration.
Their courage to be authentic gives us all permission to stop pretending and start living truthfully.
Authenticity is not about perfection. It’s about honesty.
It’s about connection.
When we share our real stories—the ones marked by scars—we find that others lean in closer, not further away.
We discover that the very places we thought disqualified us become the places where God’s power shines the brightest.
So as you turn each page, don’t rush.
Immerse yourself in these stories. Let them speak to your heart. Allow them to remind you that you are not alone, that your scars have meaning, and that God is still writing your story.
May this issue encourage you to live authentically, to share your journey honestly, and to see your scars not as signs of weakness, but as testimonies of healing.
