rebelling against low expectations

AuthorAbbi Langille

is a young writer and editor here on the Reb from Nova Scotia, Canada. She enjoys writing both fiction and non-fiction, taking every spare moment to jot down an idea on her laptop or a handy scrap of paper. She has an addiction to story, whether that means getting lost in someone else’s or creating her own. She has a passion for shedding the light of hope in the darkest nights of those struggling with anxiety, depression, and grief. Abbi is currently studying at Kingswood University in order to acquire a Bachelor's degree in Theology, so that she can make theology available to young people through her writing.

Seasons: Finding Hope and Patience to Endure the Januarys of Life

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Trees stand cold and bare like great brown skeletons. Grass lays brown and crunches with frost. The earth is hard like stone. Snow and ice lay in freezing, crusty piles. The days are short and dark. Your breath leaves your mouth in clouds, and it feels as if you are exhaling your soul as frigid air makes your lungs ache. The wind stings your face and causes your eyes to water. January. Christmas...

The Gift: An Advent Poem

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My child, there is a gift beyond worth. A gift that is given and renewed each day. It’s a gift to mend heart and heal hurt. A gift far deeper than the mere word we say. My child, there is a gift that helps us bare Anything that brings weeping and grief. It’s a gift to bind people and hold off despair, A gift far deeper than the mere word we speak. Like a healing balm and a bonding rope, Causing...

One More Step: Living with the Bravery of Hobbits

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“If I take one more step, I’ll be the farthest away from home I’ve ever been.” Sam Gamgee said to Mr. Frodo as he stood on the edge of adventure in The Fellowship of The Ring. We’ve all been there, standing on the edge of something new and different from anything we have ever experienced before. We have all had hobbit moments. The question is, how will we respond to them? Will we sit on the fence...

The Girl with A Broken Compass:  A Poem

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There is an image that has stayed with me over the past few years. An image of a girl whose face is streaked with tears. In her hands she holds pieces of shattered glass and a tiny little arrow, all of this is red from the cuts upon her skin. It is all that is left of her compass. The girl had clutched it far too tightly within her sweaty palm, so as she stumbled on, watching for the coming dawn...

An Unlikely Teacher: Death is Swallowed Up in Victory

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This year, I have been working at a church as a summer student. I’ve experienced so many different things, but one that sticks out in my mind was a pastoral visitation I went on with the Assistant Pastor. That morning I had been printing, organizing, and uploading as usual when he came in, pointed at me, and said, “You’re coming with me.” He was smiling in a way I knew well by that...

Inside the Artist’s Heart: 4 Tips to Refresh Weary Creatives

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“Beauty will save the world,” says Sarah Clarkson in her book, This Beautiful Truth, and it is so true. In a world full of ugliness, death, and decay, God uses artists to create something beautiful, alive, and new. Beautiful words, music, and objects are how artists share and show the light of God. The artist’s call is to bring glory to the Great Artist and reflect his creation. But between the...

Missing Milestones: Grieving What You Never Had

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June is well underway; graduation parties, proms, grad walks, and ceremonies are all happening around you. For many people, this is exciting and meaningful, a way to mark the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. But for others, this time of year can be hard, because they never got those things. It makes me think of milestones I passed by with little thought. My family had just moved when I...

Praying Through Poetry: When Simple Words Don’t Cut It

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I went through a time in my life when praying felt empty, my devotions felt like a task, and my heart hurt so much I didn’t feel like my prayers were saying enough. I would often just put down my pencil and cry because I didn’t know what to say. I came to the point that I stopped praying any more than just, “Jesus, Jesus.” And weeping. But I didn’t stop reading my Bible, and something drew me to...

The Second Adam: How Easter Reversed the Curse

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For most of you, Easter is probably over. Your thoughts have turned to graduation, summer break, camping, etc. But for the disciples, I’m sure that first Easter stuck around in their minds for a long time. It was an incredible, life-changing miracle they had to process… and it probably took longer than three days. One day, their hope was literally dead. The next, He was standing before them whole...

Facing the Music: 5 Songs That Helped Me Heal

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I used to hate music. I never listened to it and didn’t like it when people played it around me. It wasn’t until I got older, I realized why. Music evokes and awakens emotions. Strong emotions. Often unpleasant emotions. What I really hated were emotions, not music. Looking back, I understand why. The little girl and young teenager was hurting. She felt she had to keep her emotions in check. She...

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 →