rebelling against low expectations
This month, I set out to compile a list of book recommendations that vaguely capture the feeling of now: the world seems tilted, and we wonder when things will be normal again. I don’t know what it’s like in your area, but here in Oregon so many things are still closed down. I feel like I’m cooped up with no clear idea of when I’ll be able to travel and socialize freely again. Because of this, I...
One day, wanting a fun, easy read, I pulled a P.G. Wodehouse book off the shelf. P.G. Wodehouse was a British author who wrote hilarious, clever books, and they always cheer me up when I’m having a rough time. This particular book was titled Thank You, Jeeves, and was published in the 1930s. It followed two popular characters created by Wodehouse: Bertie Wooster, a rich British chap who’s always...
I am grieving for my people and my church. The world feels turned upside down. I imagine, for our generation, just saying the word “2020” will become synonymous with anger and bitter fighting. “It’s 2020 all over again.” Unfortunately, teenagers are stuck right in the middle of it. No doubt, over the past year you’ve sat through countless discussions about COVID-19 or the economic shutdowns or...
This a weird time, isn’t it? A huge percentage of people are working from home, able to meet anyone they want virtually and study online. While we may be free to study intensely and get all our work done in a few hours to free up time for other activities, very few of us feel dedicated enough to actually accomplish anything. I can relate to this struggle. For the past several years, I have been...
College is bursting with causes to get involved with. Want to solve global poverty? There’s a group for that. Want to fight for animal rights? There’s a group for that too. You can find student activist groups for just about everything. Cool! I want to change the world too. Where do I sign up? Many young people want to be world-changers who defy cultural norms. We’re idealistic. We’re energetic...
“The Lord your God is in your midst.” – Zephaniah 3:17 2020 sucks, yes? Like Britta Perry of Community or Toby Flenderson of The Office, 2020 is the worst. But it’s not. In spite of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, national reckoning about systemic racism, economic upheaval, and a looming presidential election rife with discord, good stuff exists. I’ll start. In February, my...
I used to think I was someone who didn’t have control issues. That is… until the pandemic spread across the globe. I’ve heard stories of people who don’t like riding in planes because they would rather be the pilot flying the plane than be the passenger. If you would have asked me a couple of years ago if I had control issues like that, I would have said, “Nope. Definitely not.” And then COVID-19...
When someone apologizes to you, do you respond with the obligatory “it’s ok,” or take it a step further and tell that person you forgive them for the offense? A few weeks ago, I was in a disagreement with a friend. When she apologized, I sent her a text back that said that I forgave her. It feels strange when you’ve been conditioned to say “it’s ok” and just move on. Forgiveness is weird. It’s...
“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). William Wilberforce is one of my personal heroes, and I wish more people knew his story. So many people have never heard of him, and if they have, it’s only the “obscure person in a history textbook” kind of heard of him. His life and work affected culture, politics, society, and Christianity in a...
The Bible isn’t magic, but sometimes we treat it as if it is. We see it as a horoscope, or a magic pill, that by simply popping in each morning, we will receive all we need. Like an oracle of old, we come to it with our questions, and it will spit out the answer to our queries. Each morning devotion tells us exactly how to live that day, every quiet time automatically encourages us, and with only...
rebelling against low expectations
