rebelling against low expectations
As I copied the words “humble and gentle” from Ephesians 4:2 into my journal, the list of problems I constantly faced ran through my mind. I was too quiet, too unsure. I needed confidence and boldness to speak up. Why should I focus on being humble? That seemed like the opposite. I was puzzled. Humility was something I’d figured out a while ago. I didn’t brag. I didn’t think I was the best...
It hit me like a ton of bricks. Someone had unfriended me on Facebook. My thoughts were fixated on understanding why they had deleted me. Was there something about the posts I shared that led them to remove me as a friend? Or maybe I was either too swift or slow in liking their posts for them to keep me as a friend? That’s when I realized: this person I considered a Facebook friend was only...
Last year, I decided I wanted to do a hard thing in the wake of the reversal of Roe v. Wade. I’m very passionate about fighting against abortion and helping young women and their babies. I consider it my holy ambition. So, I researched how I could help. Ultimately, I settled on holding a bake sale that would donate any profit to my local pregnancy resource center and the pro-life organization...
To the one who grew up in a Christian family . . . To the one who memorized chapters of the Bible . . . To the one who wears T-shirts that read “child of the King”. I am speaking to the one who never rebelled against their parents, never went partying late at night and never shoplifted. I am speaking to the Christian who grew up with a false front marked “goodness.” I am speaking to people like...
We spend a lot of our time asking the wrong questions. “What can I do or what can I get away with and still be a Christian?” “Is it sin if I do this?” We may not word our questions this way, but we ask them, nonetheless. The reality of what these questions show us is that we want to live a double life. We want to be able to indulge in the pleasures of sin while also maintaining our salvation. We...
Sometimes I have a hard time believing my words can make a difference. Writers get that – the risk, the uncertainty, the naysayers that tell us we will fail. Our world is made up of words – harmful, hurtful, loving, giving, grieving, cherished words. We spend our time rearranging the twenty-six letters of the alphabet, and even when we feel like we’ve crafted our finest, it’s just not good enough...
I can still picture the cursive writing on the book. “Standing Alone,” it read. That appealed to me. I didn’t want a normal teenage life. I wanted something different. Something with meaning. Maybe you relate. Since different wasn’t the norm, of course that would mean standing alone. It sounded heroic. I opened it and started to learn about holiness. About being set apart for God. About being...
Dear Independent One, I get you. I understand you. I’m like you. I tend to want to be in control, and I like to do things on my own. I don’t enjoy asking for help and I don’t easily admit it when I’m struggling. Sound familiar? There’s nothing inherently wrong with an independent personality; God gave us each different personality traits for different reasons. The problem...
I’m a teenager. And I love the new journeys and responsibilities that accompany being a teen like getting a job, learning to drive, and being trusted with important tasks. But what I find frustrating is the “teenager mold” our society has created. Until we turn twenty, most adults’ expectations of us are so low, it’s depressing. They assume all of us between thirteen and nineteen are just selfie...
Have you ever felt that fire in your chest that makes you want to yell the truth? Perhaps you just read a social media post that twisted Scripture. Maybe you heard something on a podcast that didn’t sit well with you. Or perhaps you were at youth group and someone’s answer made you cringe inside. That fire begins to burn and it’s all you can do to refrain from screaming the truth from the...
rebelling against low expectations
