rebelling against low expectations
What would you risk to go to church? In the United States, this is a pointless question. There’s usually little or no risk at all. But in China, this is a question every believer faces. While China’s constitution supposedly guarantees religious freedom, this guarantee proves weightless. Chinese Christians have a long history of persecution—and it’s only increasing. Churches are shut down and...
At the end of my 9th grade year, I was crushed. Not only was I busy staying caught up on homework and studying, but I also had started intense basketball training in the sixth grade. Homework, studying, and basketball consumed my free time. Overtime, the continual grind zapped my motivation and energy. Eventually, I became overwhelmed. Gradually, I entered into a struggle against excessive...
Do you make New Year’s goals? For the past several years, at the end of December, I’ll sit down and write out my plans, dreams, and yes, goals, for the brand new year in front of me. It works great—for the first two months. I’m inspired, motivated, and have a sense of direction. But somewhere between February and March, my list flies out the window until ten months later, when I pull it out...
I got Do Hard Things for my sixteenth birthday, and let it collect dust for a while. I knew it was going to be a tough read, and I used that as an excuse to put it off. When I finally did read it, I had two thoughts: “Well, duh, that makes sense,” and “Why haven’t I heard this before?” This began my life as a rebelutionary. I didn’t do anything supremely amazing or famous, but the concepts...
Last summer a group of Florida teenagers shocked the nation by mocking a disabled man as he was drowning. The nation collectively gasped at the idea that young, able-bodied men would stand by and laugh as anyone–let alone a disabled man–struggled for his life. We were understandably horrified, but let’s be real: Nobody intends to grow up to be a bad guy. I guarantee you none of those...
Narnia seems like such a fun place. It’s a place I always wished was real so I could visit it. Who wouldn’t love talking beavers, centaurs, a sassy rodent who is an expert swordsman, and a touch of magic everywhere you looked? But in all of this, there is one thing that interests me even more; How time works in Narnia. Sure there are some weird things in the world of science. Light has momentum...
Words. We know them. We use them every day. The average man uses them about 7,000 times a day, to be exact. In my life – short as it is – I have seen (and experienced) what words can do. Indeed, king Solomon knew what he was talking about when he wrote: “The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.” (Proverbs 15:2) Words are powerful tools. We use...
rebelling against low expectations
