How do I pay for Christmas gifts? How do I pay for gas? How will I support myself when I graduate? What job should I get? Have I saved enough for college? Should I take out student loans? Is my budget realistic? What will happen if I accidentally mess up my taxes? We have endless questions (and fears) about finances. I was terrified as I prepared to move out and support myself for the first time...
To The 2021 Graduate (a poem)
it’s going to take courage to step into this new day— don’t forget, take one step at a time. you’re on the verge of life left to be lived. as the page turns to the next chapter, chase after your dreams— run. but never stop chasing after your Savior. this is both the beginning and the end— oh, how far you’ve come. don’t forget, the rest of this journey won’t be easy. but you’re no stranger to...
Why “Growing Up” is Scary (And 3 Ways to Battle Adulting Anxiety)
“You’re going to be an adult in less than a year.” I’ll never forget the day I realized there were only a few months until I would turn eighteen. Only a few months until I would be a legal adult, which meant I needed to start acting like one. I needed to “grow up.” For some, the idea of “growing up” means freedom–you can do whatever you want, no longer under parental restraints. Personally...
Whatever Your Calling May Be, Remember Your Purpose
You don’t have to do the same thing for the rest of your life. If you’re an emerging graduate of high school or college, you may have been confronted with the pretty harrowing idea that you have to pick a single career for the rest of your working life before you even hit 22. I wish someone came along when I was 17 and told me it wasn’t true. Because the reality is, it’s not true. God has given...
Why the World Needs ‘Normal’ Christ-Followers
We sit around in her room as she tells us how God brought her here. Of the open doors, the blessings, the hard stuff. We sat on the back porch, wrapped in blankets, the sound of the rain a perfect soundtrack. The Tennessee lightning bugs popped in on us every now and then. We discussed match-making, and car accidents, and neighbors. It was such a far-cry from what I would picture as “culture...
14 Quotes to Inspire You to Do Hard Things Today
Editor’s Note: Throughout the years, TheReb has published thousands of articles, each challenging and encouraging Rebelutionaries to do hard things and seek God. But among these posts, some have especially resonated with you, our readers. So over the next few weeks and months, we’re bringing back these classics, reposting our most popular and well-read articles every Thursday. May they encourage...
A Homeschooler’s Tribute to VeggieTales
Editor’s Note: Here at TheReb we’re all about encouraging young people to do hard things and take their faith seriously. But sometimes, its good to have a little fun. One of our editors recently shared how we shouldn’t be ashamed of being sheltered, and one thing many ‘sheltered’ homeschoolers have in common is their love for the show, VeggieTales, an animated series...
Teenager, It’s Time to Wake Up and Join the Battle
If my generation woke up, we’d realize we’re being treated like babies. The world is coddling us with low expectations, stroking our flesh and rocking us into lethargy. We’re being spoon-fed the tasty lies that we don’t need to act. We don’t need to try. We don’t need to slap ourselves awake. God is saying something different. Jesus is demanding us to wake up (Matt. 24:42), sober up (1 Thess...
There Are No Detours: 3 Lessons from My Unexpected Gap Year
I never planned on taking a gap year. I never dreamed of deviating from the four-years-of-college-right-after-high-school path. I’m the kind of person who enjoys school and accomplishing things, one of those type-A high achievers. That’s why, when I was forced to take a gap year due to health issues, I felt devastated. I went from several AP classes to a low-skill, very part time job...
6 Things Every Teen Needs to Be When They Grow Up
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” That’s one of many important questions that you’re supposed to find the answers to during your teen years. At 21, I still haven’t figured out the vocational answer that people are looking for. Many of us teens and young adults have no idea what we’re going to do tomorrow, let alone for the rest of our lives. But as young people whose identities are...