rebelling against low expectations
In 1979, the American rock band, Eagles, released their sixth and final studio album, The Long Run. After disbanding in July the next year, the former members pursued solo careers. Don Henley, the Eagles drummer, released his debut album I Can’t Stand Still in October of 1982; the second single, “Dirty Laundry,” reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1983. I came across this dated but timely song...
Everyone wants to stand out, these days. Have you noticed? Whether you’re Coke trying to differentiate yourself from Pepsi or Joe trying to differentiate yourself from Tom, the weirder the better. It wasn’t always like this, though. I remember in my middle and high school days, always looking (or envying maybe?) to my peers and their respective styles for cues on what to purchase at the local...
We would be wise to heed the words of John in 2018: “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – comes not from the Father but from the world” (1 John 2:15-16, KJV). Truth be told, I had little, if any, love for the world in 2017...
December is a season of light. Literally. Drop by your local Home Depot, Lowe’s, Walmart, or Target and locate the large space allocated for Christmas décor. Note the abundance of lights. String lights. Net lights. Icicle lights. Rope lights. Mini Lights. Dome lights. Lights for the front door and for the gutters. Lights for the trees and for the sidewalks. Lights for the bushes and the wreaths...
“You are not raising a child. You are raising an adult.” The minister’s potent words were ringing in my ears as I contemplated the arrival of our first child in late June. While my wife and I will be highly intentional about raising an adult, our son will be heavily dependent upon us for a substantial portion of his life. From food to clothing, toys to shelter, entertainment to transportation, he...
The image lingers. A few weeks ago, I visited the local gym to exercise. After mounting the elliptical trainer, I fixed my eyes on the row of televisions mounted from the ceiling. One for FOX promoted the season premiere of Lucifer, a series that focuses on the devil and his life in Los Angeles as a nightclub owner and a liaison with the Los Angeles Police Department. Three monitors to the right...
Faith is an essential part of life. You might say that it begins when the phone alarm buzzes early in the morning – assuming that it does chime at the appointed time. We have faith in the engineers at Apple or Samsung or Motorola that the software they developed will operate correctly and notify us that the day is beginning. There’s also faith that the light will illuminate a room when the switch...
On June 22nd, I arrived home from work at roughly 8:30 p.m. Like the nights before it, I figured that my wife and I would rest on the couch and watch Netflix before retiring to bed. But this quiet night changed quickly at 9. The contractions became forceful and intense. The pain was evident in her countenance. My eyes widened and the pulse inside quickened. Assisting her into the car, we rushed...
“By the seventh day, God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done” (Genesis 2:2-3). The Sabbath is a distinct day; it is unique, consecrated, set apart. The seventh day is listed among the Ten Commandments that God delivered...
In all likelihood, you’re at school or work right now – which means that you’re missing out on what friends are posting on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter or the like. What’s your reaction? Anxiety or ambivalence? Crankiness or contentment? Troubled or thankful? If you fall on the side of anxiety in any way, I would suspect that FOMO, or “fear of missing out,” has gained a foothold...
rebelling against low expectations
