rebelling against low expectations
At some point in our lives, we’re going to become friends with someone, then later realize that he or she isn’t a believer. So…what do we do? Do we look past their belief (or unbelief) and pretend we don’t care? Do we just go on with our relationship as though it doesn’t matter? That’s certainly not the loving thing to do. If that person is not a born-again believer in Jesus, he is heading...
You love me Jesus, it’s a mystery. You know my faults, You know my wrongs, and You still love me. As I scrolled through Instagram earlier this week, a post shared by one of my friends caught my eye. Clicking through to the original post, I pulled back in shock. Jon Steingard, known to me only as the lead singer of the Christian band Hawk Nelson, was renouncing his faith. While their most...
It was a beautiful Sunday morning. Light streamed in through the windows, making the cozy, family-like atmosphere of the little church even more inviting. As the pastor began speaking, the congregation leaned in, eager to hear his message. Suddenly, loud sobbing disrupted the service. Everyone turned to see who was crying. A little boy with Down syndrome, a boy who was usually happy and friendly...
With Valentine’s Day coming up, we usually see cards, candy, and red and pink hearts everywhere–all representing this thing called love. But what is love? Google defines love as “an intense feeling of deep affection.” That’s a powerful description, isn’t it? However, Valentine’s Day celebrates romantic love, and many of us teens don’t have a boyfriend or girlfriend at this stage of our...
It was early Sunday morning. Suddenly, I was awakened and told to go downstairs. I jumped down from the top of my bunk bed. The sun was shining through the windows, and the sparkling dew still coated the ground. We gathered around, and my father began to pray. It was a disguised way of telling us children that our mother, after being bedridden for nine months from cancer, had passed away in the...
Savior. What does this word bring to mind for you? Undoubtedly, for those professing to be Christians or those who grew up in the church, Jesus crossed your mind. For others, perhaps it was a significant role model—a parent or grandparent who brought you where you are today. Maybe it has even been a dream or hope for the future, not a person, that you consider to have rescued you from a...
You know those days when everything seems a little too messy? When everything you touch seems to explode? When you catch a glimpse of your reflection and can’t help but cry inside? When it seems like you failed yet another day? Maybe for you, a day like that comes around now and then. But if you’re anything like me, maybe that day seems like every day. We all have moments when we feel worthless...
rebelling against low expectations
