As I anticipate the summer ahead, a familiar thought fights for my attention: maybe this will be the summer I finally get it together. Maybe this summer I will finally work out consistently. Maybe I’ll become a runner and be stronger than I ever imagined. I can see myself—tan and lean, powering up the hills, my breath as steady and silent as if I were sitting in a lawn chair on the back patio...
How the Gospel Changes the Way We Approach Our Schoolwork
I sit down at my computer once again. My fingers touch the keys. My thoughts wander. I have to write yet another paper but feel pulled toward so many other things at this moment. Why am I even in school? What about all the other things I wish to do? Does it really matter how well I complete my schoolwork? Being in college has often landed me in this situation, and I’m sure I’m not alone. What...
4 Tips to Be a Stand-Out Employee At Your New Job or Internship
Day one at my first internship had a rocky start. I was so excited and nervous I wasn’t thinking straight, and I fumbled over the elevator buttons to get to the second floor! After struggling for a while, a facilities worker who was in the elevator graciously pushed the correct button and got me to the second floor. Thankfully, the rest of my first day got better from there, and that internship...
The 6 Things You Need to Work Productively
This a weird time, isn’t it? A huge percentage of people are working from home, able to meet anyone they want virtually and study online. While we may be free to study intensely and get all our work done in a few hours to free up time for other activities, very few of us feel dedicated enough to actually accomplish anything. I can relate to this struggle. For the past several years, I have been...
Why This Sunday Should Be Restful (Instead of Stressful)
I recently experienced a truly restful Sunday. I attended Sunday school and church, ate at a favorite restaurant with my family, literally rested (aka napped), read old issues of a Christian magazine, and played tennis outside. My day felt balanced, relaxing, and restful. Sure, I watched TV, checked my email, and did other typical daily activities. But, for the most part, I felt like I was able...
3 Steps to Find Rest In The Busyness of Life
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...
The Spiritual Ramifications of Self-Reliant Work
The “gig economy”–a fancy tech term for an work that promotes flexibility–is growing rapidly. Think flexible income, flexible hours, and flexible forms of expression. Some 150 million workers in North America and Western Europe have dropped the “relatively stable confines of organizational life” to become independent contractors, according to a March-April Harvard Business...