rebelling against low expectations
Gen Z is facing an unprecedented identity crisis. Every time I ask a youth pastor or Christian leader what they think is the biggest struggle teens are facing today, the answer is the same: identity. I’ve observed this myself. Teens are struggling to know who they are and if they matter. I hear their questions and as an early-twenties Gen Z, I can relate. Who am I? What determines my identity...
It can be very easy to stay stuck in the past especially when a past season has been very difficult. From my personal experience, I know the struggle is real. When I was in the middle of a dark time in my life, the Lord spoke to me from the song Out of Hiding by Steffany Gretzinger. I woke up one morning hearing the lyric, “Oh, as you run, what hindered love will only become part of the story.”...
My family and I were headed to an American Heritage Girls’ scouting camp out for my younger sisters. As we were driving, I scrolled through Instagram. A coworker (who is the same age as me) posted pictures of her and her husband vacationing in Nashville. It looked like they were having a great time! As my family drove through the desert, my thoughts wandered to my dear friend who I’d been...
When I was in sixth grade, I got sent to the principal’s office twice. I remember saying that, compared to some of the other kids who got sent there every-other day, I wasn’t that bad. I thought, since other kids were way worse than me, it didn’t really matter that I had been sent there twice. Compared to others, mine was a pretty minimal offense, right? Why We Compare This is often how we think...
I’m halfway through my first semester of college now, which is really hard to believe. It’s been a rollercoaster, but it’s been teaching me a lot, and I want to share some of that with you. It’s Okay to Change Your Major When I came to college I had everything planned out—my major, whether or not I wanted to go to graduate school, and my career. Then I got to school. It was only about two weeks...
“And He said to all, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23 ESV) Growing up I never felt like I had anyone I could really look up to, except an older brother who did not give a very good example, but I followed in his footsteps anyway. The truth is, we will always find someone that we learn from, whether it is a close family...
Several years ago, I had an idea about how to earn some fast cash. Since four-wheel-drive vehicles—like Jeeps and SUVs— sell for a premium in Colorado, I thought I’d buy one in the Midwest, drive it home, and sell it for a profit. A day into my search, I discovered a sporty pickup with low mileage and a five-speed manual transmission. On the outside, the cardinal-red paint was impeccable. The 3.0...
Last year, a few days before Christmas, my neat, happy familial world crashed around my feet. My mom was diagnosed with cancer. Really quickly debilitating cancer. The news, the surgery, and the treatments took a devastating toll on my mom and on us all. I’m 17, and I’ve seen sorrow and suffering in my life, but never experienced anything that struck so deeply or that hurt so much. As a natural...
How can I encourage my peers to follow Jesus? Have you ever asked this question? I know I have. Throughout my years of following Christ, I’ve struggled with watching many of my peers slowly drift away from God. It’s hard to see friends make unwise decisions and watch them struggle in their relationship with God. It’s painful to see them leave the church. It’s lonely when your friends don’t share...
When COVID-19 struck and forced everyone to be quarantined in their homes, I, like most young people undoubtedly, began to panic and grow anxious about what I was going to do about school, extracurricular activities, and much more. I couldn’t do the activities I wanted to do out of fear of what could happen. But more than just hindering my daily activities, I also let my fear stop me from seeking...
rebelling against low expectations
