The world tells people to live their best lives, to seek happiness and fulfillment, to focus on the here and now. But death? The only mentions that death ever gets in society today are disclaimers on medication commercials. As much as death is ignored or pushed out of people’s thoughts, it doesn’t change the fact that it is an impending, inescapable reality. It is estimated that 150,000 people...
2021 Won’t Go As Planned–But Don’t Let that Stop You
To say 2020 was a curveball would be an understatement. There were so many new rules and regulations to follow, so many new inconveniences to face, and so many new routines to get used to. While I am still grateful for 2020, I couldn’t wait for 2021. 2021 also excited me because there is so much happening in it. I have several major exams. There are a lot of important decisions to make. And I’m...
The One Kind of Vision Christian Teens Need in 2021
I have last year’s goals spread out before me. Some practical: Work out two days a week. Get to bed by 10:30 each night. Some ministry and work related: Write book two. Redesign website. Some spiritual: Study the Bible in a deeper way. Be consistent with my prayer time each day. If the beginning of a year is anything, it’s a time for casting vision. Dreaming. Planning. Making new goals and...
5 Practical Ways to Grow Closer to God in 2021
Go ahead, be honest. Are you a little relieved 2020 is almost over? The beginning of a new year always strikes me as a little strange. I mean, if you really think about it, it’s just another day run together with all the rest. 24 hours after the day previous and 24 hours before the next. From day to day, there’s nothing special about a new year. But we still crave a fresh slate, the start of...
Looking Back to Move Forward—Learning and Growing from 2020
New Year’s Eve 2019. I remember it like it was yesterday. We didn’t have any plans, so my family and I stayed home to ring in the New Year. We binge watched a TV show while I ate too much chocolate and an embarrassing number of cream puffs until a shiny, brand new 2020 rolled onto the calendar. Another year over. Another just begun. A few days before, I’d written in my journal, “What will this...
To the Teen Battling Suicidal Thoughts: Live
One day, Romans 8:28 popped into my mind, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” I had no idea why, but these words prepared me for something I least expected–an attack of depression and suicidal thoughts like I’d never experienced before. While I was normal and cheerful that day, the next day I...
What Does “Making a Difference” Really Mean?
True worth is in being, not seeming,— In doing, each day that goes by, Some little good—not in dreaming Of great things to do by and by. For whatever men say in their blindness, And spite of the fancies of youth, There’s nothing so kingly as kindness, And nothing so royal as truth. -Alice Cary “I just want to make a difference.” My friend and I were deep in conversation. As we talked about our...
Don’t Be Afraid To Embrace New Adventures
It is astonishing to me how quickly life moves. It feels like just yesterday I was in high school, and now I’m in my senior year of college! With each passing year comes new opportunities and challenges. For many of us, we are applying for colleges, applying for jobs, or applying for internships. This is my senior year of college, and I needed to start pursuing new opportunities, primarily...
When You’re In the Spiritual Doldrums, Do This
You all know what it’s like to become discouraged with life. Seeking the Lord may sometimes begin to seem like a burden. Things that used to intrigue you seem to lose their wonder. Do you ever feel like a grunge-muffin on the inside? I’d be telling an unnecessary lie if I said it didn’t happen to me. A friend of mine recently described it as “things feeling slippery and pointless.” Yep. I know...
Stranger Things and Stolen Peace: How Christ Should Transform Your Entertainment
A couple years back, I was really into Stranger Things. It was the hottest Netflix show with a gripping plotline, loveable characters, and an awesome 80’s aesthetic. I went back and forth before starting the series, but after encouragement from friends and my own curiosity piquing–despite some warning flags in my heart–I decided to give it a go. Before long, I sat on my bed...