rebelling against low expectations
Recently, one of my uncles died. While I wasn’t super close with him, he had always been a part of my family. He was a constant. Although I didn’t talk with him a lot, I knew he was always there. But those are things you don’t think about when that person is still in your life. Those are things you think about after they have passed. And it was only when my family prepared a song to record for...
“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16) Growing up, that was one of my favorite verses. To me, it was a perfect description of how incredible the moment of Jesus’ return will be for his followers. But when is Jesus coming back...
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...
What if I got real honest? What if I took a risk? What if I opened up my heart and let you see in? The song was not at all the kind I usually listen to. The music wasn’t mine, but the lyrics hit me deep and I instantly knew what I had to write. There was someone on the other end of my screen who had to hear this. Now, as I sit here, staring at my laptop, watching words appear in clear black on...
This past year was hard, no question. Looking ahead to the new year, I immediately feel a little worried about the uncertainty. None of us know what the new year holds. But I for myself have decided not to let the enemy win this one. One of the best weapons we have against the devil’s schemes is thankfulness. I want to start the new year with thankfulness. Thankfulness looking back I have always...
Recently, I wrote about how important it is to serve despite any lies the devil might feed us (find that article here). As I pondered the topic more, I thought about the situation the world is in at the moment. Many of you may be thinking that yes, serving sounds great, but how do I do that now? If the last article covered serving in theory, this one covers one aspect of how to put this into...
Doing the dishes, going shopping for an elderly church member, or tidying up a Sunday-school room. All this is serving. Serving is usually done in the hidden. Often, it is the “dirty jobs” or jobs done behind the scenes. On the surface, serving is as easy as picking up a broom and sweeping up after a meal–and yet, I so often see that many teens shrink back from taking the initiative when it...
Following Christ will cost you… are you still willing? When selling a product, we as humans like to only mention all the positive benefits. Just imagine: You want your friend to come join you on a kayaking trip. What will you tell him or her? Well, you’ll mention the wonderful scenery, of course. The lush green woods around the lake. You tell him or her that it is the ultimate experience in...
Cold stones surround me. Little light drifts in through the window, but the darkness doesn’t stop me from hearing. Nothing can block out the noise. Not even the heavy doors and firmly built walls that hold me captive. The sound increases and I wonder how many people are standing outside. There must be hundreds. My chest tightens. I know the effect a mob can have. Tilting my head, I concentrate. A...
Coronavirus. It’s going crazy. Media is flooded with it. Borders are closing. The number of deaths is rising, not to mention the thousands infected by SARS-CoV-2. Countries are closing down their schools and switching to online learning. Churches are cancelling their services. Shops are bought out. The economy is suffering. Whole regions are under quarantine. You are most probably in some way or...
rebelling against low expectations
