rebelling against low expectations
It started out as a simple idea, a one-month fast from all things science fiction. But it blossomed into an incredible opportunity. This is my story. My Life One-Year Ago Almost one year ago, I was a very different kind of person. Science fiction television programs and movies obsessed me. I was a self-professed Star Trek, Star Wars, and Doctor Who fanatic. The Bible was a second or third...
I found out today that one of the families I babysit for is moving out of state in a few months. I’ve known them since before their oldest was born, and I’ve spent countless hours with their three boys, watching them grown, learn, and develop their own little unique personalities. I’m going to miss them! All of a sudden, I realize that my time with them is limited. Why do I take that for...
Last fall, I had to make a decision. Being the first year after my Mom’s fatal car accident made 2013 one of the toughest years of my life, as you could imagine. When grieving loss such as the death of a loved one, or even a lost career, a divorce, a cross-country move, chronic or terminal illness or any kind of major loss or change, the regular pains of life intensify. Last year my family and I...
Everlasting Hope is a group that crochets hats to raise money for the Master’s House (see picture below), an orphanage being built in Uyo, Nigeria by MCCF International. (For right now, 50% of the profit we make goes to the Master’s Home.) Our goal is to raise at least $1,000. We post different hats and crochet projects we are working on. We also have an online store called Hope Eternal...
In 10th grade, this was my biggest goal in life. I did everything I knew how to, in order to be cool enough. I wore the right pants. I styled my hair. I made sure I always smelled like I stepped out of a Bath & Body Works store, and, I exercised like my life depended on it, making sure the number on the scale was as low as I could possibly make it. It was a lot of work, trying to keep up...
I’ve read Do Hard Things. I found it very inspirational. Then a video popped up about a kid who can explain the fourth dimension. I’ve yet to watch it, as I don’t understand what that would be. Then I started browsing the other videos. Some of them are like, Learn How To Build Robot Arms, or a kid builds a multi-million dollar industry, or some girl is shot by the Taliban. I...
I believe anyone is capable of doing hard things. Anyone can publish a book, start a business, or run a campaign to raise awareness for AIDS in Africa. Everyone can do hard things once they set their minds to it. And while we might not do something as big as the things mentioned above, we are all capable of doing those things, and more. If we truly ever want something bad enough, trust me, we...
Just like movies and video games, books can have a huge impact on us. Unfortunately today’s literature is overflowing with shallow, dark, and often inappropriate material. As Christians, we can choose to avoid the worst of it, but we still end up reading novels that can affect us negatively. At the very least they are unhelpful for anyone trying to uphold Godly standards. I don’t pretend that...
If you have read Do Hard Things you probably are wondering where to start. How do we change the low expectations society has for teenagers? Not all of us have the time, opportunity, or ability to graduate early or be a teen campaign manager; but there are basic things everyone can do. What will we do differently? You may want to brainstorm, but here are a few ideas: Be less dramatic. This is one...
Ever since I was about eight years old, my family and I have been working on summer missions projects. For a few years, I worked with our neighbors and some people at our church to collect cans and bottles and redeem them, with all the profits going towards a project like a bicycle for a missionary in India, or even digging a well near a church in that area. We were always having tag sales, and...
rebelling against low expectations
