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The autumn after we graduate from high school, we young adults are expected to go to college. That’s simply the pattern. However, not all of us follow that well-trodden path, and people look at those who don’t as odd or lazy. I live at home with my parents and have no plans for college now that I’ve graduated from high school. I suffer from the same dilemma as many new graduates who aren’t...
During middle school, I was a member of a theater group. My classmates and I were inexperienced actors who regularly made mistakes. One of the girls in our group would apologize after every mistake. She developed a habit of saying “I’m sorry” even when she hadn’t messed up. She said it so often that the director finally told her, “No more apologizing! Stop saying you’re sorry!” I can relate...
Many consider the holidays to be a time of celebration where people give, receive, and spend time with those they love and those who love them. However, not everyone in has this kind of luxury. Not everyone has a loving family, and others are far away from those they love. Still others have had people pass away or become sick amidst the holidays. And ironically, for some, in this season meant for...
A common misconception about Christianity is that a relationship with Jesus will take away all of life’s problems. I grappled with this idea for years. If God loves me and I’ve done all he’s asked of me, why do I still have faults and struggles and problems? If I’m supposed to be like Christ, who is perfect (Matthew 5:48), then why am I not that way? I was a good, homeschooled, church-going boy...
I’ve been there. One of the hardest parts of being a Christian is evangelism. We live in a broken world with broken people, whose only solution is Christ. We’re around unbelievers every single day, but we routinely act as if the hour is not at hand, as if we have our eyes set on the here and now and not on what’s above. We hide our light under a lampstand and create lies in our head that...
Those who are familiar with The Chronicles of Narnia will remember the great and valiant mouse, Reepicheep. We love Reepicheep because he’s daring, brave, funny, and serious all at the same time. As small as he is, he fought in the Second Battle of Beruna with all the strength, willpower, and zeal he has, combatting creatures many times his size. Even when the battle was getting dangerous and...
Tears. I flittered around a bit while considering what I should write about until one topic brought tears to my eyes. And that topic is tears. We look all around us and observe and experience sorrow. Why do we have trials when we pray for blessings? Is God is looking out for our best interests? When will all this suffering end? We all ask these questions when our lives seem to be covered with...
With Thanksgiving preparations, and the holidays approaching, it’s easy to get distracted and forget what Thanksgiving is all about. But as Christians, we should be even more intentional to live out the real meaning of Thanksgiving, since being thankful is an important part of having a healthy relationship with God. Everyone’s situation is different, and believe me, I know what a struggle it can...
Can’t we all love the people we see Whether or not they all agree To what is said, or claimed, or cried Why can’t we love the person inside? Today we slam, we shout, we bash, We hurt, we scorn, and then we smash. We treat others like so much dirt And we don’t care what lives we hurt. I may not agree with a movement or claim, But I’ll treat the person behind them the same...
“And the thing is…I’m not jealous.” I’m pretty sure my friend’s jaw hit the floor as that sentence left my mouth. Why? Well, long story short, I’d just confessed to her that someone I‘m really close with has feelings for the same guy that I do. Yes, you read that right. I’m not jealous. That is so weird for me to say; because, believe me, if I had been in the same situation two months ago, I...
rebelling against low expectations
