rebelling against low expectations
Each new year brings with it new opportunities to grow in our walk with the Lord, endure challenges, succumb to sin, and learn more about Christ and ourselves. As we enter this season, we can be encouraged that “There are better things ahead than any we leave behind” (C. S. Lewis), because each day that passes brings us one day closer to an eternity of perfect, unbroken fellowship with Christ and...
A couple of weeks ago something strange happened. I was sitting in church, listening to the sermon, struggling to pay attention to what was being said. All I could think of was that I was anxious. Anxious about what my immediate and distant future would bring, and how little control I had over my own life. I had felt anxious before, of course. But this time I was caught by surprise by my reaction...
“You Christians always talk about God being like a father, but what does that mean?” her eyes searched mine, but they weren’t accusing. Just questioning. “What does it mean if someone is like a father?” My heart broke. While my earthly father is far from perfect, I never had the struggle of not knowing what a father is supposed to be like – the very struggle the girl sitting in front of me...
“But I don’t want to eat it,” whispered my younger self to my dad who was sitting next to me. On my lap sat a bowl of the later branded ‘chicken poop soup’ in all its grotesque congealed glory. The chunks of chicken intestine were not cleaned, so paired with the cooked feces, it radiated a wretched odor. “You have to,” dad whispered back, spooning some for himself. “It would be disrespectful not...
As a little girl, I remember the day I first met my Savior. Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, I was a tomboy in spirit. Gaming it out on Ratchet and Clank at 2:30 a.m., my Dad gave me the opportunity of a lifetime. From that moment, I dedicated myself to the sole pursuit of Christ and proclaiming His Gospel to the nations. While I grew out of the tomboy phase, my faith rose higher. No matter what...
I drove past a rainbow on my way home yesterday. Stripes of color fluttered in the breeze, the flag displayed in my neighbor’s front yard more proclamation than decoration. It’s interesting how a simple piece of fabric woven with a certain pattern of color can make such a bold statement. It’s a symbol of solidarity and inclusion. Of embracing one’s “true self” without shame or reservation. It’s a...
As a senior in high school, I had the opportunity to take a college-level English class at the university I now attend full time. There were 3 major papers due in the class, one of which was a research paper, with the topic of renewable energy. I was stressed about writing on this topic, as I knew next-to-nothing about it. But renewable energy proved to be an intriguing study. After hours upon...
Fasting—”going without food for religious purposes”—is an ancient tradition. References to fasting are scattered throughout both the Old and New Testaments, as well as church history. Like prayer and Bible reading, it’s a basic part of the Christian walk with God. But it is a part many of us aren’t familiar with. My Experience With Fasting Growing up in a Christian community, I...
Good Friday. The day Jesus was nailed to a cross. The day he was beaten. The day he died. When you first think about it, it seems illogical. Why would Christians call the day their Lord, their teacher, their God died “good”? The day after the Passover, about 2000 years ago, the Friday before Easter Sunday, was horrible. Gruesome. Sad. I have heard it been called the worst day in history. Death...
It may come as a surprise to us believers in the modern era that silence used to be one of the most valued of Christian ideals. Strange to hear, isn’t it? In our world of platforms and networks, group chats and twitter threads, silence has come to be quite underrated in the 21st century mind. Of course, this is an unusual feature of the modern age. Through the use of Scriptures the church has...
rebelling against low expectations
