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I’ll be at college in four months, give or take a few days. That’s utterly insane to me. It feels like just yesterday I was a middle schooler, totally in awe of the kids who were going to college. I mean, can you imagine being that old and independent? Taking on the world by yourself? I couldn’t wait till I was all grown up like them. Well, here I am, realizing that they weren’t anywhere near as...
I’ve never had a talent for playing instruments. My voice isn’t all that great. In fact, I’m one of the least musical people you’ll ever meet. However, I love listening to music. While I’m getting ready in the morning, doing homework, and driving in the car… I always have music playing. Even now, as I write this post, I’m sitting outside with music playing on my phone in the background. A couple...
Will there be social media in eternity? As redeemed children of God, we eagerly await new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness Himself dwells (2 Peter 3:13, Revelation 21:3) and where our broken bodies will be made like Christ’s: glorified and perfected (see Philippians 3:21). What might glorified and perfected social media look like–stripped of everything that too often...
Learning about the practice of new spiritual disciplines can be intimidating and overwhelming. It can feel like a New Year’s resolution where the excitement of a new goal is what carries us into a few weeks of strict implementation, only to be squashed by exhaustion, discouragement, and unforeseen circumstances. But it is possible to take small steps toward practicing spiritual disciplines in...
You know what is one of the worst cliche sayings ever? “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” I’m not one for cliche sayings to begin with, but that one has never sat quite right with me. I’ve always felt like it was a lie; a saying to give you false hope in the midst of your suffering; something to slap on the walls of a classroom to give half-hearted encouragement to its readers. After...
Good Friday. The day Jesus was nailed to a cross. The day he was beaten. The day he died. When you first think about it, it seems illogical. Why would Christians call the day their Lord, their teacher, their God died “good”? The day after the Passover, about 2000 years ago, the Friday before Easter Sunday, was horrible. Gruesome. Sad. I have heard it been called the worst day in history. Death...
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound. (Isaiah 61:1) At the beginning of Luke’s Gospel, Jesus read this passage in a synagogue when he started his ministry. It’s a striking summary of...
In my previous article, I talked about Third Culture Kids (TCKs) and their crazy, cross-cultural, and highly mobile lives. I also wrote about why understanding TCKs and being a friend to them is significant. But how can one be a good friend to a TCK… someone who struggles with maintaining deep friendships? How can one be a friend to someone so different? Here are nine ways to be a friend to a TCK...
“Hi, nice to meet you!” “Pleased to meet you too.” “Where are you from?” That question is easy to answer for most people. However, it isn’t for me because I’m a Third Culture Kid (TCK). What is a Third Culture Kid? Here’s the definition according to Van Reken and Pollock, two leaders in the field of studying children in cross-cultural...
“Believe in yourself.” “Follow your heart.” We’ve all heard these phrases. Popular culture is inundated with these messages, and sadly, you may have heard them from Christians too. The words sound good. However, as much as they encourage and boost your confidence in yourself, they are dangerous. I repeat, they are dangerous. Why? The Trap of Believing in Yourself You, you, you. The purpose...
rebelling against low expectations
