rebelling against low expectations
Life changes. I never imagined I would be where I am today. I have seen many ups and downs and been through seasons of spiritual dryness and thriving. I’ve seen failure and victory; struggle and growth. I have felt a level of heartache like never before and felt a closeness to Christ and seen God’s mercy more intimately than ever before. I have changed; my life has changed; my dreams have...
Praise in the midst of pain is probably one the most difficult things we are called upon to do as Christians. When things are going well, we have plenty to thank God for. When life seems good to us, praise often flows more easily. But when hard times hit, the thought of being grateful can leave us cringing. Yet we are told to rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4) and give thanks in...
We live in a very joyless society. People claim to be ‘happy’, but depression, despair, and suicide run rampant. Individuals are increasingly seeking happiness in the temporal—drugs, entertainment, work, and relationships—or some ‘connection’ to the spiritual realm through meditation, new age remedies, and soul-searching sessions. But when we look inwardly to find the source of our satisfaction...
At some point in our lives, we’ve experienced, or will experience, feelings of anger or confusion toward God. Why does He allow certain things to happen? Why doesn’t He allow events to unfold the way we want them to? If He is just and fair, why do things happen that feel entirely unfair to us? I ran into these feelings and questions for the first time four years ago, when someone I had spent a...
Faithful– we hear that word a lot to describe God; He is loyal, reliable, trustworthy. He never fails. In both the big and little things, God is faithful. When God said He would give the Israelites the Promised Land, He did, despite their constant complaining. When God said He would give Solomon wisdom and blessings, He did, despite Solomon’s shortcomings. When God said He would send a Savior, He...
I was depressed and scared. A list of my sins ran through my head, and I couldn’t let go of them. Condemnation gripped me as I thought of all the ways I had done wrong. I was covered by a cloud of gloom and sadness. My joy was gone. But God’s forgiveness is more than all my sins. His divine plan was forgiveness, to free His dear children from condemnation. All I had to do was embrace His grace...
“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” Many of us are familiar with these seemingly simple words, along with the rest of Psalm 23. While they may be simple, these verses do not fall short of profound truth and encouragement. Many of my family members are farmers in Michigan. One spring morning, my mom drove my siblings and I to the Upper Peninsula to visit our uncle who raises sheep. While...
As teens, we have a special understanding of what a father is. Most of us live with our fathers or have recently lived with them, so the concept of what a father is and does is still pretty fresh in our minds. While we live under our father’s roof, we experience aspects of him we wouldn’t otherwise. We understand he is there to comfort us, but also to discipline us. He is not only a guide...
Every now and then I am overwhelmed with the feeling of dissatisfaction. I’m sure you’ve felt it too. That overwhelming feeling that nothing fulfills. Where nothing brings you joy, nothing soaks you with purpose. You realize that you aren’t kept awake and wide eyed on Christmas Eve anymore. Maybe you don’t get as excited about the first snow. Maybe it goes deeper than that slow loss of childlike...
“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...
rebelling against low expectations
