rebelling against low expectations
I live in a country where I am not persecuted for my faith. I can read my Bible in public, pray wherever I want to, and talk about my faith to anyone. Worst case scenario: someone gives me a strange look. Chances are, your country is the same. You probably live in a country that has religious freedom. You can probably worship God wherever and whenever you want to. If that is the case, then this...
Imagine a world where no one watches movies. Think college guys in dorm rooms quoting lines from their favorite movies and thinking they’re hilarious. Except they never saw the whole movie from beginning to end. Weird, right? But you, the normal human being you are, go to your friends and say, “What if we sit down and watch the entire movie tonight?” Everyone looks at you with a face twisted in...
My earliest memory of celebrating Memorial Day is attending a parade at seven years old, waving my flag and cheering wildly when my favorite fire truck honked at me. I understood that freedom was not free, I promise you that. The depth of that truth and the full meaning of the holiday, however, did not cross my mind. That’s how it’s supposed to be when you’re seven years old. Reverent and...
Picture this: It’s a Monday afternoon and I’m in my bedroom with my computer open, desperately trying to block out the noisy background so I can focus on my online class. I can hear my brothers fighting over who knows what downstairs. My sister is scream-crying. Someone is stomping up the stairs yelling right outside my bedroom door. I silence my Zoom screen so my classmates can’t hear the chaos...
“You’re a weird adult,” my little sister informed me. Apparently talking in a funny voice isn’t something an eighteen-year-old normally does. But I personally think it should be. If you’re reading this, chances are you consider yourself a “rebelutionary.” Maybe, like me, you were raised to serve God intentionally in your youth. We’ve watched so many of our peers waste precious teen...
Sometimes, we lose sight of what’s truly good in our lives. It seems that the biggest achievement for some is binging a whole TV show in a week. A person may feel validated by partying every weekend. Others pride themselves on their endless Youtube sessions. Regular shopping sprees could be a goal for some. Meanwhile, others are amused by scrolling on Instagram for hours. On the outside, this is...
My 9th-grade high school band class had quite a variety of people. Some were dedicated to music, others only passed as musicians if you squinted a little. I like to think I fell somewhere in the middle. Despite the occasional dying-goose-like squawks, I played the clarinet decently. Not as well as the hardcore music student who sat beside me, of course. But certainly not as badly as the ‘I-only...
Do you ever feel like you’re so busy that you’re cutting out all of the things that matter to you, like your friends, your family, and most importantly, your time with God? This happens to me a lot. I’m in college working on a Math degree, so my classes consume a lot of my time. On top of that, I’m part of several different clubs, co-curriculars, and committees. I often hit points where I feel...
My grandparent’s home is graced with clocks that provide a steady tick-tock in every room. Without fail, the stately grandfather clocks ring out a loud bong, bong, bong to mark the hour. These clocks not only create a unique ambience, they also provide a constant reminder of the time. Whether in bed, at work, or at play, the clocks’ constant presence reminds everyone in the home that the...
What would you risk to go to church? In the United States, this is a pointless question. There’s usually little or no risk at all. But in China, this is a question every believer faces. While China’s constitution supposedly guarantees religious freedom, this guarantee proves weightless. Chinese Christians have a long history of persecution—and it’s only increasing. Churches are shut down and...
rebelling against low expectations
