rebelling against low expectations
Home to kangaroos, vegemite and surfers, Australia isn’t quite what you expect. Contrary to popular belief, most sane Australians don’t slather vegemite onto their weetbix, and they don’t wrestle with crocodiles. Australians don’t ride kangaroos to school either. But we would all love to see someone try to do that. Maybe you know that Australia isn’t in Europe, and only Steve Irwin and Crocodile...
Pixar’s newest film, Turning Red, is clearly about puberty: as protagonist Meilin Lee enters her teenage years, she discovers that she is transformed into a giant red panda whenever she experiences strong emotions. What the film’s marketing has not made clear is who the intended audience is. Rated PG for thematic material, suggestive content, and language, this is decidedly not a children’s movie...
“Who am I?” I ask and look around feeling lost, purposeless, and out of place. “I mean, who am I really?” I’m the pastor’s daughter. I’m an artist. I’m a writer. I’m a homeschool graduate. You can fill those things in with anything you want. I’m so and so’s girlfriend. I’m the captain of the football team. I’m the one with good grades. I’m so and so’s best friend. The list could go on and...
“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” (1 John 4:18) Follow your heart. Love yourself. Do what makes you happy. These phrases scream at us as we pass billboards, watch commercials, or view ads on social media. As a society, we’ve convinced ourselves there are quick and instant solutions to...
In my previous article, I talked about Third Culture Kids (TCKs) and their crazy, cross-cultural, and highly mobile lives. I also wrote about why understanding TCKs and being a friend to them is significant. But how can one be a good friend to a TCK… someone who struggles with maintaining deep friendships? How can one be a friend to someone so different? Here are nine ways to be a friend to a TCK...
“Hi, nice to meet you!” “Pleased to meet you too.” “Where are you from?” That question is easy to answer for most people. However, it isn’t for me because I’m a Third Culture Kid (TCK). What is a Third Culture Kid? Here’s the definition according to Van Reken and Pollock, two leaders in the field of studying children in cross-cultural...
Do you feel pressure to make up for your sin, or “clean yourself up” before coming to God? Even though you know that God’s grace is a free gift, do you sometimes feel unworthy of it? Or maybe you’re a slave to other’s opinions of you and need to be accepted in their eyes in order to feel okay. I have some news for you: you’re not good enough. And though this...
Am I enough? So many teens walk around today asking themselves, “Am I enough?” The world gives us two opposite messages: They boost our self esteem and praise us for our works, looks, job, etc. They destroy our self esteem by telling us all that we aren’t. I don’t know about you, but I get sent the second one far more many times than the first. I feel that I can’t measure up, please everyone, or...
Have you ever felt worthless? Blunt, I know. But it gets to the point. I think everyone has felt this way at one time or another. I know I have. Feeling this way can really get to you. It will hang over every single thing you do, an oppressive cloud sending rain and thunder storming into your life. It saps your energy—and your happiness. It makes life… well, worthless. Let me tell you a story...
“The only absolute knowledge attainable by man is that life is meaningless.” This was the famed 20th Century Russian author Leo Tolstoy’s pessimistic outlook on life, and it is shared by many individuals today. Tolstoy felt life was meaningless because he rejected faith in God. But even Christians can sympathize with the feeling. Have you ever felt life was meaningless? One of the wisest and...
rebelling against low expectations
