rebelling against low expectations
America was built on the backs of early morning risers. Benjamin Franklin, one of America’s most influential founding fathers, famously said, “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” For most of history, people had to rise before dawn in order to care for livestock. Without electricity, lighting by candles and lamps was both cumbersome and expensive. The lack of...
When I was younger, I was a reading fanatic. I could finish a book in a day, no sweat. I would even read during mealtime (which resulted in at least one book stained with egg yolk). During the beginning of my teenage years, I got an iPod touch, a laptop, and later an iPhone. These devices competed heavily for my reading time. I still had the desire to read for fun, but I was allowing less...
My family and I were headed to an American Heritage Girls’ scouting camp out for my younger sisters. As we were driving, I scrolled through Instagram. A coworker (who is the same age as me) posted pictures of her and her husband vacationing in Nashville. It looked like they were having a great time! As my family drove through the desert, my thoughts wandered to my dear friend who I’d been...
“I’m not right for the job. All I know about being a secret agent or trying to outsmart the Gestapo is what I’ve seen in the movies. But if you can’t find anyone else, I’ll go.” These were the words of Varian Fry, a courageous American man who lived during World War II. Along with a team of several men and women, he saved the lives of between 2,000-3,000 people facing certain death at the hands...
During my time off from work around Christmas, I ended up going down the black hole of YouTube. I don’t quite know how I got there, but I watched a few short films on domestic abuse and emotional manipulation within relationships. I was drawn into the plot, desperately hoping for the victim to stand up for themselves and escape! The next day, I had to talk with one of my friends about something I...
What would you expect from a man who had just lost his wife and child in the middle of a jungle? And not only that, but was stuck in the middle of a raging civil war? Would you expect panic? Fear? Desperation and despair? The last thing you’d expect is for him to still be able to smile, laugh, and extend his help to others, right? Meet Eliya Samson This is the exact kind of man that missionary...
Suddenly, I was wide awake. I stared at my bedroom clock. 1:30 AM. Again?! I had fallen asleep just two hours ago, and now I was wide awake. Was my body playing a cruel joke on me? I lay awake for hours, finally dozing off for a little bit before I had to get up at 6 am to get ready for work. As I dragged myself through my day, I desperately hoped that my struggle with insomnia would end soon...
Day one at my first internship had a rocky start. I was so excited and nervous I wasn’t thinking straight, and I fumbled over the elevator buttons to get to the second floor! After struggling for a while, a facilities worker who was in the elevator graciously pushed the correct button and got me to the second floor. Thankfully, the rest of my first day got better from there, and that internship...
A few months ago, I deleted my Facebook account. This was a big change for me because Facebook was my primary social media account, and I checked it constantly throughout the day. I looked at it first thing in the morning and right before I went to bed. But I realized my dependence on Facebook was damaging my life. Initially, I had taken a weeklong break from Facebook starting on election day...
Figuring out our future careers and callings can be both scary and exciting. Some people seem to have a very clear call from God on what they are supposed to do with their career, but from my experience, a crystal-clear vision isn’t the norm. Most people need opportunities to experiment with different jobs before they discover what fits them best. When I was in high school, I assumed college...
rebelling against low expectations
