rebelling against low expectations
A few weeks ago, I dropped by a gas station adjacent to my work for a Coke. As I walked the store en route to the back cooler, my eyes wandered across the landscape and a revelation slowly overtook my mind. Our addictions can be fed at gas stations. Think about that for a moment the next time you fill up the tank and journey inside for a candy bar, soda, or a pack of gum. On this particular day I...
I’ve found a reason for me To change who I used to be A reason to start over new And the reason is you. — Hoobastank, “The Reason” Jesus told many riveting parables in the Scriptures. He spoke of the kingdom of God as a pearl, a mustard seed, and leaven. He revealed the power of redemption through a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son, all of which were eventually found (Luke 15). The...
I’ve never met a giant before, but memories of them are rooted in childhood and early adolescence. The first recollection I have concerns Mickey, Donald, and Goofy. The trio banded together to rescue a singing harp from the clutches of a sinister giant who lived at the top of a beanstalk. A Paul Bunyan cartoon is sandwiched in there too. Paul is a towering folk hero, a lumberjack who is always...
“Scrooge was dead: to begin with.” Wait – Ebenezer Scrooge doesn’t perish in A Christmas Carol, though his harrowing encounters with three supernatural specters likely scared him to death. His partner, Jacob Marley, was the one that croaked. “Old Marley was dead as a door-nail.” Scrooge wasn’t fazed by the passing of his colleague, though; no, this miser had business to tend to at his counting...
Thanksgiving, the fourth Thursday in November, tends to be overlooked as people cast their eyes towards the 25th day of December. The cultural landscape supports this assertion too: retailers are hoisting up towering Christmas trees; colorful lights are being strung across the roofs of homes; and Santa Claus is making his rounds at the local malls for eager tots. We love Christmas, and as Christ...
I am a citizen of the United States of America. Section 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution affirms this. “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.” I am also a citizen of heaven. The apostle Paul affirms this in Philippians 3: “But our...
I own a red 1999 Honda Civic LX. There are many miles on the odometer. But I no longer make car payments on this vehicle. This is a grand feeling, that of having no car debt – but newer cars surround me on a daily basis. And I feel left behind in my 1999 Honda Civic that is now weathered by time and the elements. I see the Mini Cooper S, the Mazda 6, and the redesigned 2016 Civic whiz by, and I...
On September 4, 2016, a campus of the church I attend was vandalized. What tears at my soul is that another campus underwent a similar fate two weeks prior. Spray painted symbols lined a few of the exterior walls; once transparent windows were shattered; and Biblical language, courtesy of the spray paint, conveyed the anger of the aggressor (more on this later). You may have noticed that I...
I don’t have many Twitter followers. Six is the total count as of this writing. This is a dismal number. Twitter Counter is a stats website that keeps track of the people who have the highest follower count in various categories. The top three in the world aren’t all that surprising as they are major faces in the music industry. Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, and Taylor Swift top the list, while the...
I’ve never particularly liked the 1940 Walt Disney film Pinocchio. Maybe it’s the darker characters like Stromboli, John Worthington Foulfellow, and the menacing whale Monstro. You would think that the iconic song “When You Wish Upon a Star” by the affable Jiminy Cricket would make up for my uneasiness and childhood fear, but I still manage to cringe with every viewing. This wooden marionette...
rebelling against low expectations
