rebelling against low expectations

AuthorDeborah Spooner

- a college student and pastor’s kid - is a city loving and avocado eating cultural enthusiast, creative, and dreamer who is addicted to dipping words in candor as she writes for her blog Hope Shining. Her hope is anchored to a man who came to earth around 2,000 years ago – Jesus of Nazareth – and she just wants to know Him and make Him known.

Why I Want You to Talk About My Sin

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“We are not human doings, we are human beings.” Sitting across from three leaders (having years more of life experience which I wanted to honor), I couldn’t help my visceral reaction: I wanted to gag. I know. I know I know I know. People realize that human busyness is an issue and we need to spend more time on soul-care. I’ve heard. I do know this need is valid (very...

Dealing With the Pressure to Find God’s Will and Change the World

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My summer is strange (very, very strange). My family makes fun of me for it. You see, when 5:59 strikes each morning, my phone lights up. “Good morning, babe” is followed by smiley and confetti emojis as my finger slides across the screen to silence my alarm. My next step takes me to my window. I pull back the drapes to check the sunrise (which starts at 5:34 a.m. on average). The...

Why Identity Matters (And How To Find It)

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“You’re going to learn so much from college.” “You’ll love it!” “It’s the time when you really find out who you are.” Words people had spoken to me filled my mind when I filled the grey car with the brown shelves and black backpack. The words created an atmosphere of hope. I pushed a pillow into an open space. I’m going to come right in to school and insert myself into all the areas that are open...

The Self-Centered Pursuit of World-Changing

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I’ve had intense headaches and neck tension almost every day for the past two months. Why? Well, people tell me I’m stressed. Why am I stressed? Well, that complicated question would take much too long to answer. I think, though, that this might be symptom of a disease that is unique (but heavily prevalent) among us rebelutionaries. We want to do hard things. We realize our time and lives are...

To All The Failures Out There (Yes, That’s You)

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I just pulled up Instagram on my phone and started scrolling. I’d made a decision last night, though: no social media till after dinner (because I want to be productive and really invest my time wisely annddd social media is like a black hole I fall into and never know when I will emerge). I’ve tried no-mores like this before, and I’ve tried do-this-mores before, too. Things never seem to really...

One Thing Atheists and Non-Believers Have Right

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I’m disheartened and, I dare say, maybe even a little frightened by this big world. I’m disheartened and, I dare say, maybe even a little frightened by the fact that a great portion of humanity is so anti-God. Evil likes to masquerade in a robe tinted with just enough light to cause questions of whether the darkness is really there. Lately, it seems like those robed in darkness can be...

Come On, My Generation

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Does anything ever just make you mad? Like really, really mad? I’m there right now. I’ve actually had this post written for over four months, but I never submitted it. I’ve never submitted it because I’m afraid: afraid it will come across all wrong, afraid that people will misunderstand my heart, afraid that it’s just too harsh. I see the exceptions to my words and...

We Are Not Too Busy

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“I’m sorry; I just can’t this week. I’m too busy.” “If only I had more time, then I could finally get around to doing that. I’m just too busy.” We’ve all said such words before. We endlessly feel like we have no time to do anything as we rush around, complaining of our extreme busyness. We explain that we’d go to the gym if we had more...

3 Things You Should Know: From One Teenager to Another

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Time can’t go backwards. (That frustrates me almost more than anything). During the time each of us is given, however, we learn lessons. Lessons made for sharing. Each one of us has a story, a gem of wisdom capable of saving – saving time, energy, heartache, or maybe even a life. It’s easy to wish we could go back to certain moments in life and share a gem of wisdom we now have...

College Applications: If God Is For Us, Who Can Be Against?

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My coffee cup sits amidst a white cloud of college envelopes, envelopes which are much more than just mail to be sifted through. Each one added to the pile is blaring a message: Come here; our campus is the most gorgeous! Want to travel and discover the world? Our college is for you! Big dreams. Big opportunities. Schedule a visit and explore your future today. Some even dare to get flashy:...

rebelling against low expectations

The Rebelution is a teenage rebellion against low expectations—a worldwide campaign to reject apathy, embrace responsibility, and do hard things. Learn More →