rebelling against low expectations
I’m a teenager. And I love the new journeys and responsibilities that accompany being a teen like getting a job, learning to drive, and being trusted with important tasks. But what I find frustrating is the “teenager mold” our society has created. Until we turn twenty, most adults’ expectations of us are so low, it’s depressing. They assume all of us between thirteen and nineteen are just selfie...
100 billion. That’s a big number. As teenagers, we rarely think of a number that huge. Trust me, a million is a lot for my mind to grasp. Thankfully, we have a God who loves big numbers. One fact I learned recently is that we have 100 billion neurons in our brain and 100-1,000 trillion synapses. While this might seem like some fancy fact you learned in science class, this statement is actually...
My schedules and planners say I want to know my future. Don’t we all? We want to know what’s going to go on. We want to know what we are supposed to accomplish. What should I do once I graduate? What friends should I hang out with this week? Should I pursue a writing career, or an engineering one? Should I accept this job in Colorado, or move with my family to Florida? Should I begin this new...
Stop feeding us pizza. Okay, I admit that was a strange way to start an article with such an intense title – but it got your attention, didn’t it? Now, let’s talk about Generation Z and the future of the Church within America. Culture Shift in the Church There is no denying the shift in the culture, but it seems not many understand what that looks like for this generation of teenagers. Otherwise...
In my last article I wrote about how teens should set boundaries with technology. If you want to know why, you can go back and read that short article. One of the most influential pieces of technology in human history has been the smartphone. I think the smartphone is brilliant and helpful, but it can quickly become toxic and harmful to our productivity, mental well being, and physical health. In...
I have been on Facebook since I was thirteen years old. Now, I am twenty-five, which means I’ve been on Facebook for over twelve years, having joined in November of 2008. To put this in perspective for you younger folk, when I joined Facebook, then President-elect Barack Obama had not yet been sworn in as President of the United States and Apple’s revolutionary new device, the “iPhone,” was...
Editor’s Note: The Screwtape Letters is the title of a book by C.S. Lewis in which an older demon gives advice to a younger tempter through a series of letters. Needless to say, the advice given is exactly what we should guard against as Christians. This article is written in the style of a Screwtape letter, addressing the subject of young women. “The Enemy” refers to God, and...
What if I got real honest? What if I took a risk? What if I opened up my heart and let you see in? The song was not at all the kind I usually listen to. The music wasn’t mine, but the lyrics hit me deep and I instantly knew what I had to write. There was someone on the other end of my screen who had to hear this. Now, as I sit here, staring at my laptop, watching words appear in clear black on...
Priorities. We all know what it means to have them, and most of us strive to structure our days accordingly. Any Christian who has been in the church long enough has the head knowledge that God should come before all else. However, is having God as our “top priority” what we ought to be pursuing? Now, don’t get me wrong–of course God should still come first! I am not suggesting that there is...
If you are anything like me, you have probably spent a lot more time on social media this year. This might have something to do with us all having to social distance for weeks, even months. I am so grateful that social media has enabled me to stay in touch with friends and family during a rather trying year, but I am still left to wonder, is social media doing more harm than good? Broadband...
rebelling against low expectations
