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Summer: A Time of Preparation

Unfortunately, Summer is starting to dwindle down with less than a month left for the majority of us. It’s sad, but it’s a good motivator to make sure we are using our time effectively.

Last year, at the beginning of Summer, I wrote a blog post about having a productive Summer and this is along similar lines. However, instead of focusing mainly on activity-based productivity, this is about spiritually-based productivity.

With school being such a stressful and busy time, the Summer is a great and much-needed time to disconnect, unwind, and reset for the upcoming year. As we prepare physically and emotionally for the stressful time, we also need to prepare our souls. Continue Reading...

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The Blessing of Embarrassment

Romans 8:28 says: “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose” (HCSB). If this is true, should we, as Christians, not look for good and God’s hand in everything that happens to us? Even in the midst of humiliation and embarrassment?

Embarrassment is never fun but with training and the right perspective, we can learn to see it as a blessing from God.

There are two major ways/reasons that embarrassment can be a blessing to us: Continue Reading...

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The Opportunity of an Insult

No one enjoys being humiliated. Unfortunately, humiliation is a part of everyone’s life, especially during middle school and high school, and it’s not uncommon for people’s attempts to humiliate you to come through insults (roasts). Generally, when we are insulted, we have this urge to make a comeback and insult them.

In Oswald Chambers’ devotional book My Utmost for His Highest I read about a revolutionary way of thinking: looking at each insult and effort to humiliate as a glorious opportunity to display the Gospel. Continue Reading...

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An Open Letter to Christian Parents

An open letter to Christian parents:

Do you know your children? I’m being serious when I ask that. Do you know your children? I don’t mean their personality, their hobbies- all the things a parent should know about their kids, I am referring to a deeper, more complete kind of knowledge. Do you know their soul?

The teenage years can be especially hard and the ever secularizing world around us makes it that much more difficult. A teenager needs (and actually desires) his/her parents’ help. Continue Reading...

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How Do We Do Devotionals Consistently?

Last week, I asked if doing devotionals is actually important. The answer was that it was not only important but also necessary to do devotionals every single morning. If you have not already read that you can do so here.

But how do we stay consistent? Consistency is something I struggle with whether that’s doing devotionals every day or posting on my blog every Saturday morning (that this post was posted on Sunday speaks to that).

Plus, what is a devotional even supposed to look like?

I talked to some adults who have done devotionals much longer than myself and asked what they do. Here’s what I found: Continue Reading...