rebelling against low expectations
“I can’t believe how light I feel.” These words were spoken to me by one of my co-workers after she found out that her sister’s cancer had been most likely completely removed. It had been burdening her for months. Burdens can weigh us down more than we know. They can come out of nowhere, or they can gradually build. Still, being “heavy laden” is more common to our shoulders than we might realize...
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...
Once upon a time a girl found herself wandering down a trail as tears ran down her cheeks. It had happened again; she had lost something very dear to her heart and this time her insides felt shattered and bleeding. Suddenly she stumbled, but she caught herself on a post sticking out of the ground. Sobbing, she looked up at the post. A sign pointed ahead at a bend in the road. The sign said, “Life...
There are many things in life that can get us down. Daily struggles and difficult situations try to steal our joy all the time. This is something I personally have experienced in my life. But God doesn’t want us to live in constant sorrow. In fact, He came so that we might experience His joy even in the middle of our struggles and hard seasons. Here are three reasons we can rejoice in the Lord...
A couple of years ago, a struggling friend told me, “Everyone always leaves.” Around that time, whenever she and I talked, we would pretend we were sitting on a bench in a park, just the two of us. Because somehow the world felt a little lighter that way. When she mentioned her fear of my leaving, I told her I would stay and, without hesitation, she asked, “What if it rains?” A couple weeks ago...
We all love a good cake –a satisfying symphony of flavors, texture, decadence, and a visual show of creativity and affection. Whether at a birthday party, baby shower, or wedding, we all look forward to that highlight moment of indulging in a slice of heavenly sweetness (for it is almost not a celebration without it). If you enjoy baking like me, you’re aware of the time and precision it takes to...
“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...
Some holidays come with baggage. As they approach, dread can build. Such is the case with me when Father’s Day arrives in June. There’s this awkwardness of picking out a card that expresses truthfully how you view your dad. What if he hasn’t been “The World’s Greatest Dad”? How does one even celebrate with a genuine heart that has been hit hard with fatherhood...
“Can You really use this for good, Lord?” It was a question I asked God time and time again as I walked the dark, lonely road of depression in 2020. I knew He promised He was able to use everything for His purposes (Rom. 8:28), but I couldn’t fathom how He could take the bleak, hopeless days of brain fog and overwhelming fear and turn them into something good. I just wanted to escape the...
rebelling against low expectations
