rebelling against low expectations
I asked God to break me. Little did I know then what the consequences of that prayer would be. I asked God to break me before Him. To create an environment where He was all that I had and He was all that I needed. I wanted to grow in huge ways in a short amount of time. I wanted to feel the presence of God like never before. Out of the blue, life took its toll and left me alone and hurting. Due...
I’m a happy ending kind of person. My favorite stories end with everyone cheering, quite possibly a dance number, and every bit of the plot tied up in a pretty little bow. Everything turns out right, everyone gets what they wanted (except the villain, of course), and everyone is completely happy. We defeat the evil, all the colors turn brighter, and the boy and girl protagonists smile as they...
Seventeen year old Emma Burkholder is facing a hard thing few teens ever have to face. Emma’s mom, Jennifer Burkholder–who is paralyzed from the waist down due to a car accident when she was 18–has recently been diagnosed with 2 types of breast cancer. This is obviously both a major emotional and financial toll on the family and in an effort to help out, Emma has chosen to...
Often the best things come the hardest. The most worthwhile things come at the greatest cost. And what we need most is what we want least in the moment. But God knows best. And he surely knew what he was doing this February when he decided to do some heart renovation on me! Through friends and quiet time with him, he revealed some uncomfortable things about myself—things that were incredibly...
Have you ever gone through a difficult situation and asked yourself, “Why is God allowing this?” Teens go through hard times. Sometimes the tests–hard classes, losing close friends, and the death of a loved one–can seem like too much. Often, we wonder if we can even make it through, or if there is any point to all the pain. Why is God letting us go through this? What is...
Changes are hard. No one is going to argue with you on that one, I guarantee it. Moving, school changes, college, jobs, losing friends and making new ones, health issues, family problems; all of it’s overwhelming and no one ever likes it. This world is filled with pain. Our human bodies are sinful in nature and prone to experience hurt. So what do you do when you feel like you are breaking? Is...
I felt a twinge of jealousy crawling up my spine as I stared at the words on my computer screen. I couldn’t believe what I was reading. A friend of mine had just received her very first book contract. My heart immediately sank inside my chest. I wanted to be happy for her. I wanted to be excited. However, I was anything but excited. I was jealous, frustrated, and angry. Her accomplishment was...
I shivered as I read. I knew that many of Christ’s apostles and early disciples were heavily persecuted; but I wasn’t prepared for the gruesome deaths detailed on the pages before me. I closed my eyes, but couldn’t remove the gory pictures from my mind. Stoned. Fed to lions. Burned as torches. And worse. Would you do it for me, Anna? I hesitated. Tears filled my eyes. Lord, I don’t know if I...
Today, I looked out the window and saw a stray peacock whom my family has affectionately named “Elmer” walking through my front lawn. The sun was shining down on his feathers in breathtaking brilliance, showcasing the deep turquoises, blues, and greens his Creator gifted him with. I thought back to a few months ago when his tail feathers began to break, and eventually fell out. Elmer didn’t...
I remember a certain evening vividly. I was eight-years-old, curled up against a castle of pillows, watching TV with my daddy. We were watching a show where people were doing hard things that required a lot of strength. Suddenly, a tall man (who looked like he should’ve been part of a biker gang) took the stage. He grabbed a Teflon coated frying pan and rolled it up with his bare hands. To...
rebelling against low expectations
