rebelling against low expectations
Christmas is supposed to be a time of joy. It’s what all the Hallmark movies tell us, with their over-the-top decorations and picture-perfect events. It’s what all the songs talk about (It’s the most wonderful time of the year, right?) It’s advertised on every commercial and ad: if we just buy this or do that or decorate just so, we’ll be happy and we’ll have the best Christmas ever. Yet rather...
Last Christmas, I had a moment of real exasperation. I mean, yes, I could see where people were coming from. After all, I’ve heard the Christmas story countless times. So often that I keep thinking I should finally memorize Luke 2. Since I’ve heard it so often, memorizing that passage should be a piece of cake. But even though I’ve listened to it, read it – yes, even acted it out – a total of at...
One windy, chilly night in November as my dad worked on our cars in the driveway, we reminisced about Christmas memories. I talked fondly about three things I loved as a child: Fresh Christmas trees, cutting sugar cookies into festive shapes, then baking and decorating them with red and green sugar crystals, plus a cake to celebrate Jesus’ birthday complete with candles, if I remember right. My...
We don’t tend to think of dark things at Christmas. We think of light and joy; a content baby in a manger, who doesn’t even cry. (I always questioned that line in Away in a Manger.) Everything is sweet, happy, calm, and like a Hallmark movie. That’s what we think of when we think of Christmas. But 2020 has been anything but bright. A day ago, I saw a news station’s recap of 2020, and looked like...
My hopes of having a good holiday season this year weren’t that high. Because COVID has made 2020 stressful, isolating, and hard to navigate, I had my doubts that Christmas would be as enjoyable as other years. I didn’t expect to have a wonderful time because Christmas during a pandemic couldn’t be as special, right? In spite of such a hectic year, I’ve been pleasantly surprised to be savoring...
Our precious Savior, asleep in a manger, One day would heal those who suffered great pain. One day, He’d show crowds the way out of danger. One day, they’d see the reason He came. This precious babe that was cradled by Mary Would one day sip from the cup of God’s Will. He’d endure the torture none other would carry For many ages and until this day still. Our precious...
I used to be one of those people who looked down on people who started listening to Christmas music before December. They seemed crazy to me. But this year, I started listening to Christmas music long, long, before December. Whether it was the sentiment or novelty of Christmas getting to me, or an unspoken and thankless desire to rush through the last months of 2020, I think there’s something to...
2020 has been tough. COVID-19, riots, the election, possible voter fraud…I could go on and on. No doubt about it – things have been insane. Frankly, everything going on has made me stress, and I’m sure most of you feel the same way! So, I have a challenge for you this holiday season: I believe this is particularly important to do once in a while so we may thank God for those...
Christmas can seem to come and go so fast. It seems that we barely bought our Christmas tree, named it (if you’re like me), and decorated it before its pine needles start to go a little dry and its nearly time to say goodbye. But I’m wondering this year—what if we viewed Christmas not just as a season but as the beginning of a rescue story? Because Christmas truly was only the beginning of the...
Editor’s note: Throughout the years, TheReb has published thousands of articles, each challenging and encouraging Rebelutionaries to do hard things and seek God. But among these posts, some have especially resonated with you, our readers. So over the next few weeks and months, we’re bringing back these classics, reposting our most popular and well-read articles. May they encourage and...
rebelling against low expectations
