rebelling against low expectations
What is God’s plan for my life? I believe that is a question every teen has asked him or herself. What does God want me to do? This job or that job? Should I go to college? Yes? No? What should I study? The decisions a teen has to make can seem overwhelming. In the time we are living in there are a seemingly unending amount of offers. University. Gap year. Online courses. If you think about it...
When I was a kid, it was not uncommon for me to go to the grocery store with my mom dressed up as Jesus. My Jesus costume was one of my favorites, but my Batman costume was pretty good too. This costumed-shopping was a weekly or bi-weekly routine: I would find a new picture or see a new character on a show that I just had to become. Tunnel vision would set in. This was the guy. I would excitedly...
I recently went to an evangelizing camp. Our church annually organizes this event where older teens can share the gospel with underprivileged children. This was my fourth camp, so I thought I had enough experience to handle pretty much anything that could happen. I was proudly convinced of my own skills. And I determined to rely on my experience and capabilities to influence “my” children. When...
Everyone has a story. As a Christian, many would call it your testimony. Your testimony is the story of being born a sinful human and God coming into your mess, rescuing you when you give your life to Him. If you have been saved by Jesus, you have a testimony. However, what some people sometimes forget is that your testimony doesn’t end with being saved. That’s just the beginning. Your testimony...
“10 easy steps to fame.” “How to make your post go viral.” “Top tips to make your name known.” Messages like this bombard us constantly. We’ve all heard how to be successful. How to make your music known. How to write and publish a bestseller. The world tells us we must be known. We must leave a mark with our name written all over it. This is the secular philosophy of our world, but it doesn’t...
What do you do when someone knocks at your door? Jesus is knocking at the door of our hearts. He desires us to open up and let Him have full access to every area of our lives. He has made a way for us to have a relationship with God through His death and resurrection on the cross. But, it is our responsibility to respond to His call for fellowship. He says, “Behold, I stand at the door and...
The rain was pouring on the other side of the car door. I could hear the lightning crack. I could also hear my parents and sister nervously talking. In the flashes of light from the street lamps that lined the major road we were driving, I wrote three names on my wrist. Three names, three kids. My life would never be the same. In February of 2018, my family began taking classes to be licensed as...
“Dear God, help me keep this attitude. I’m not feeling this way on my own.” I was sitting in the car and turning over the question in my head: How do I balance romantic dreams with contentment in God’s will? I was not thinking of a specific relationship, but in that moment I decided, nonetheless, that I would be content with whatever God had for me in the future. Yes, I was only a young...
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...
There are some things we love that are too big for us. The sea and the sky, the waves and the stars, the pearls below and the planets above–these two have always been my loves. They’re close and familiar to me; they feel of warm soles slapping against grey boardwalk planks, and of neck upstretched to see it all spread out at night. Yet they’re far and distant too, both ever stretching out of...
rebelling against low expectations
