rebelling against low expectations
I used to be one of those people who looked down on people who started listening to Christmas music before December. They seemed crazy to me. But this year, I started listening to Christmas music long, long, before December. Whether it was the sentiment or novelty of Christmas getting to me, or an unspoken and thankless desire to rush through the last months of 2020, I think there’s something to...
To the teen struggling with self-harm… Considering the times we live in, internal doubts, feelings of failure, numbness, and depression are amplified and even the world around us is hurting very deeply. It can feel like too much to cope with and for some, there is a temptation to turn to pain to make your internal numbness feel tangible. Maybe you’re here to find out more about the...
Have you ever tried to tell someone the gospel . . . and they got offended? The gospel is the greatest love story ever told. It’s the story of how Jesus came down as a human baby, died on the cross, taking the sin of the world upon himself, and rose again three days later, defeating sin and death once and for all. It’s difficult to imagine how anyone could be offended at such wonderful news, but...
What needs to be changed in my life? The other day I scribbled this question in my journal. I was struggling with several areas of my life, knowing I needed to change and desperately wanting to. But I didn’t know how. These struggles felt too deeply rooted, too ingrained into my heart and life to be altered. Besides, they weren’t that bad. Nothing everyone else doesn’t also battle from time to...
There’s a new generation arising. Some call us the iGen or Generation Z. Others refer to us as postmillennials. We’re the heartbeat of this century. We’re known as coffee shop loving, selfie taking, video game playing, fun-loving individuals. Who are we? We’re teenagers. A lot of people have a lot of opinions about us. But few automatically label us as passionate Jesus followers. I’m out to...
Cold stones surround me. Little light drifts in through the window, but the darkness doesn’t stop me from hearing. Nothing can block out the noise. Not even the heavy doors and firmly built walls that hold me captive. The sound increases and I wonder how many people are standing outside. There must be hundreds. My chest tightens. I know the effect a mob can have. Tilting my head, I concentrate. A...
Do you ever think you’re too far gone for God to care about you? That you’ve done things too horrible for him to accept you? Do you think you’ve ruined your life forever, and there’s no way home, no way out? This was the story of my life up until a few months ago. When Love Moved First I was raised in a Christian home, and I had prayed for Jesus to come into my heart when I was around five years...
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...
Have you ever experienced that empty feeling? That hollow ache in your heart? That longing for something more? I have too. That emptiness is called unfulfillment. Seeking fulfillment by way of the world is one of the most draining pursuits. I used to constantly seek fulfillment the world’s way. Eventually, I discovered a world-shattering truth: Only a close-relationship with Jesus can grant...
Several years ago I got sick. The thing about this sickness was that I didn’t get better. Days dragged into weeks and weeks dragged into months until the months turned into years. Still there was no sure end in sight. Some days are harder than others. My illness plays games with my brain and I start to forget things and feel like the world is closing in on me. I get confused and it is hard for me...
rebelling against low expectations
