rebelling against low expectations
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...
I have never had a date on Valentine’s Day. Not only that, but I’ve never been on a date. Period. So as the season of red bouquets and frilly cards comes around once again, you’d think a feeling of dread would begin to overtake me. I’m as single as they come. But even though I have always been single in February, Valentine’s Day is still my favorite holiday. Here are three reasons why: 1...
So You’re an Introvert? It’s amazing that God has gifted each person with a unique personality type and a natural inclination to a certain way of life. This is why the body of Christ is so special. Believe it or not, introversion can look different in each person and shows itself in different ways. Introverts gain their energy from being alone and thrive off of quiet reflection and time spent...
Tears. Again and again. Fear. Fear that the vicious cycle will send you tumbling off your feet once more. Friendships involve edging out of the shadows and into the piercing light. Friendships involve risk. A lot of risk. Friendships sometimes tear your heart to pieces, while at other times, build you up tremendously. While they come with their fair share of pain, friendships are so worth it. But...
As an extrovert, I have been figuring out how I can still foster relationships and satisfy my urges to hang out with people while practicing social isolation. While many of us are stuck in our homes due to coronavirus, I have discovered that hearing someone’s voice is one of our most powerful tools to foster relationships, and I think we should call people more often, even when we are not in the...
Are you a dreamer? I’ve noticed a lot of Rebelutionaries tend to be dreamers. Crazy dreamers. We passionately come up with projects and ideas totally ridiculous for a teenager to realistically accomplish. Sometimes, we realize that reality and give up on our dreams. Yet a lot of the time—often because of our ignorance—we dive right in and go for it anyway. Sometimes we fall flat on our face. But...
To the ones who wonder if they’re worthy of love. To the ones who must fight constant voices in their life telling them lies that wound. To the ones who have believed what was never true about their identity because of the words spoken over them. To the ones who repeat what’s been said over and over in their minds until they don’t know what’s actually true or not. To the ones who question...
It’s funny how we think we’re above certain things. I thought I’d have enough sense not to fall in love with an unbeliever. I hoped I’d have the emotional strength to stick to my convictions and not let a non-Christian guy mess with my mind and heart. Unfortunately my seventeen-year-old self fell (hard) for an atheist. It took over two years to realize that waiting and praying for his conversion...
I was upset. We had always been the family getting compliments, the little kids receiving smiles for our good behavior in the grocery store. Now my little brother was throwing a fit, and my mom was punishing him in public. This time we only received disapproving glances and stares. This was not the kind of attention I liked. Nobody’s perfect, but I thought we were “pretty good.” No family goes...
A couple years ago, I attended a friend’s laser tag birthday party. The venue was packed and chaotic. Over the course of playing many rounds of laser tag, I was astounded by how disrespectful most of the participants were to the employees. At the end of a round, I mentioned to one of the employees how chaotic the place was and how difficult it must be to work there. I was shocked and heartbroken...
rebelling against low expectations
