rebelling against low expectations
What do you think of when you hear the phrase “love conquers all”? For me, it’s Disney movies. The power of love gets so much coverage in fairy-tale retellings. Kissing the princess turns the frog back into a prince, Rapunzel’s tears save her love interest’s life, Belle’s love turns the Beast back into a human and saves his life—there seems to be a pattern here...
When you’re confronted with a problem, blindsided by a crisis, or pressing through a season of difficulty, asking for prayer should be a no-brainer. It should be easy. But too often, reaching out for prayer support can feel daunting and overwhelming. At least, that’s been my experience. Prayer Request Dread I used to hate asking for prayer. Even now, when I have a need, there’s still a moment of...
I always had friends when I was younger. But I’ve never had a best friend. Often, I wasn’t someone people wanted to hang out with. I wasn’t the prettiest, the smartest, or allowed to do all the things other kids could—simply put, I wasn’t the “cool kid” on the block. I spent a couple years wishing for a best friend, above anything else. As I grew older, I finally started to find my people. People...
God spoke through the prophet Isaiah, calling the people of Israel to lead a life pursuing justice for the vulnerable and oppressed: “Is this not the fast that I choose: To release the bonds of wickedness, to undo the ropes of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke?” – Isaiah 58:6 This call to pursue justice is for everyone who claims the name of Christ today, not...
Have you ever been in the middle of telling someone something important when you suddenly felt like the other person wasn’t listening? Perhaps it was their eyes that darted away or the absent-minded “m-hmm” that gave you that impression. We’ve all experienced this. In those moments, an uncomfortable feeling always settles deep-down inside of me. A feeling that implies that the other person isn’t...
Have you ever felt that fire in your chest that makes you want to yell the truth? Perhaps you just read a social media post that twisted Scripture. Maybe you heard something on a podcast that didn’t sit well with you. Or perhaps you were at youth group and someone’s answer made you cringe inside. That fire begins to burn and it’s all you can do to refrain from screaming the truth from the...
Love. We see it everywhere. Honestly, sometimes I’m not sure if love is the cute movie version with all the flutters or if it’s that passionate feeling that comes across when watching weddings. There is romantic love, family love, friendly love, and for Christians, there should be loving your enemy. But what is love? Do we even know? We hear the word so much in songs, movies, and books it’s hard...
Culture is everywhere. Literally. Culture is everywhere. It’s wherever people are. We’re a part of it, and it’s a part of us. It’s inescapable and wonderful. But it’s also true in the sense that everybody’s talking about it. Culture is everywhere in the Church: books, sermons, teaching series, conversations, mission statements. Everywhere we turn, we’re...
I have never had a date on Valentine’s Day. Not only that, but I’ve never been on a date. Period. So as the season of red bouquets and frilly cards comes around once again, you’d think a feeling of dread would begin to overtake me. I’m as single as they come. But even though I have always been single in February, Valentine’s Day is still my favorite holiday. Here are three reasons why: 1...
Recently, I wrote about how important it is to serve despite any lies the devil might feed us (find that article here). As I pondered the topic more, I thought about the situation the world is in at the moment. Many of you may be thinking that yes, serving sounds great, but how do I do that now? If the last article covered serving in theory, this one covers one aspect of how to put this into...
rebelling against low expectations
