rebelling against low expectations
If I could go back in time, there are plenty of things I would want my teenage-self to know. But if I could, I’d especially want to go back in time and shine some truth into a few of the lies that I believed as a young person. Maybe you’re struggling with some of these lies too. If so, this is my invitation to you to experience some truth. Lie 1: I’m too young to do big things. The world we live...
I can still remember the day I turned sixteen. Sixteen was always the age that seemed so glamorous. Most young people eagerly await the opportunity to turn sixteen for many reasons. Driving would probably be at the top of that list. Now that I am twenty-one, I look back on my sixteen-year-old self and I have many things I wish I could tell her about life and following Jesus. So whether you’re...
I cringed as I went to answer the phone at work for what felt like the hundredth time that day. Customers had been anything but easy on this particular afternoon, and I was way past ready to go home. Masking my frustration with a smile, I greeted the customer on the phone. Ugh. This was an especially difficult customer. No matter where you work, you’re bound to have days like this. When I think...
To everything there is a season. Life. It’s a constant struggle between what is and what I think should be. It’s a battle between normalcy and a constant state of change. Nothing really stays the same in an ever changing world, where even the seasons come and go faster than I could ever imagine. Sure, I make my plans. I set my goals. “By the time this gets here, I will be there...
They got it, but I didn’t. I didn’t specify who or what, but I would venture to guess that someone and something came to your mind when you read that statement. If we’re honest, we can all view life a little bit like a competition. They got that promotion and I didn’t, so I’ll put them down because I clearly deserved it more. They got the dream I prayed for and I didn’t, so obviously that means...
Crash! I heard the sound before I actually saw what had happened. Looking up from my task behind the counter at work, I saw a customer standing over a shattered snow globe. My manager saw it too, and hurried over to where the shattered glass lay in a watery mess. Asking if I would stand near the mess to warn customers to be careful, she hurried to get something to clean it up. I stood...
I have seen an epidemic sweeping across our nation. It may not cause fevers, but it causes depression. It may not cause headaches, but it causes division. It may not cause sore throats, but it causes fake smiles. It may not call for a doctor visit, but it does call for revival. This is the epidemic of perfectionism. Ever since I was a child, I have been an overachiever. A perfectionist. I feared...
I closed my computer and sat down on my bed in frustration. I’ve tried so hard. What am I doing wrong? I wondered. Sighing, I whispered aloud, “Maybe you’re just not meant for this after all.” I had worked so hard on a project I felt God wanted me to accomplish, only to have it fail and crumble right before my eyes. I wanted to give up. What I couldn’t see then is...
When was the last time you felt like doing something one minute, but then the next minute you changed your mind? I don’t know about you, but I sometimes get this way when it comes to washing dishes. I want to get them all washed and finished, but then when I actually stand over the sink full of dishes, my feelings change. I no longer feel like getting them finished, because I’d rather be...
rebelling against low expectations
