rebelling against low expectations
I’ve always known about Jesus. From the time I was old enough to understand, I learned about creation, the cross, the resurrection, and the power and love of God. My parents lovingly took me to church, and Sunday school as a baby, toddler, and curly haired five-year-old. I recognized sin, and knew it was part of my life. I remember praying a prayer in my bed one morning, a little girl who wanted...
My Dad has been a preacher my entire life, which means I’ve been in and out of all kinds of churches. From strict, conservative acapella-singing-only kind of churches to talking-to-the-preacher-during-the-sermon and dancing-with-flags kind of churches. I remember visiting a pentecostal church when I was nine and trying to figure out why the other boy I had met was saying he had already been...
Four years ago, God called me into ministry as a pastor. I was fifteen, and before then, I had actually wanted to be a lawyer– a prosecuting attorney to be specific. The plan was to graduate college, go to law school, and then just… start. But then God changed my heart, and instead directed me into the ministry. At that moment, I thought to myself, “You know, I don’t know how this is all going to...
They got it, but I didn’t. I didn’t specify who or what, but I would venture to guess that someone and something came to your mind when you read that statement. If we’re honest, we can all view life a little bit like a competition. They got that promotion and I didn’t, so I’ll put them down because I clearly deserved it more. They got the dream I prayed for and I didn’t, so obviously that means...
The three of us eat lunch surrounded by blue walls and an even bluer sky. Moments before, as I walked my class to the cafeteria, a student asked if she and her friend could talk to me about “something important”. And now I find myself in the center of an elementary school at a red table with two ten-year-olds. Between bites of food, the student (whom I will call Ella) explains what is weighing on...
Everyone has a model to which they compare their lives, a kind of outfit they want to dress themselves in. As children, we had an unselfish kind of admiration. Our heroes, whether real or fictional, did good and left a beautiful difference on the world, so we resolved to do the same. But that was childhood. As we enter the teen years, our simple admiration turns to envy as we compare ourselves to...
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...
I was fourteen when God taught me a thing or two about real faith. It was a few months after I’d been baptised; my relationship with Him was growing and I was regularly aware of his presence in my life. I felt close to him. The change was so gradual I didn’t notice it at first. But one day I realised: I do devotions daily, but I don’t get much out of it anymore. And I can’t feel the Lord near me...
Valentine’s Day was stained with blood. The first thing I saw when I logged into Twitter was the words “school shooting” and “Florida” used in the same sentence. My first, selfish thought was, Where? Near here? And then, Oh no. Not again. Our collective hearts are heavy, not only with the news of this tragedy, but with the weight of similar horrors that seem to come on each other’s heels...
Technology isn’t the problem. Overload is the problem. Modern families have a complicated relationship with technology. On the one hand, we love technology. It improves our lives, helps us stay connected with people we care about, and is increasingly necessary for daily living. On the other hand, we worry about technology. We worry that our children are wasting time. We worry that they are...
rebelling against low expectations
