In bite-sized installments, I will be sharing my testimony: who I was, who I am today—through the unconditional love and unraveling grace of Christ. I'm telling my story this way because to do otherwise, I feel, would be to ignore the core of who I am. Because I am, first and foremost, a child of [...]
The last season of my life has been one of absolute gratefulness upon gratefulness. In the midst of dark times, I can say that the joy of Yahweh has truly been my strength, and Jesus' people have been my abounding encouragement. I am ever more aware and in awe of the never-ending goodness and startling [...]
"Hey, could I drop in with one of the counselors just to 'declare' my program of study?" "Um, drop-in hours are Tuesday and Wednesday—" "Sooo... Can I drop in?" What's the magic word? What am I missing? "It's Thursday." Life has been so lovely lately. God is working (as always, of course), God loves me, and [...]
The Presence of God is that "still, small voice" you may hear at night, comforting you, encouraging you, reminding you of the glorious relationship you have with your Creator, your Sustainer, and your Forever Pursuer. It is unlike anything you can experience with any human being. It is the feeling—yes, a God-given, true feeling—of being [...]
Why do I let fear grip me? Why do I let anxiety tear at me, peeling my skin until I am exposed and shaking, freezing in the bitter, piercing cold of [the false]* reality [I choose to let myself believe in]? How can I allow my soul to be afraid when there is truly nothing [...]
You don't need to hear more statistics or listen to a lecture about the perils of Internet use to know that social media is not the best thing to invest your time in. Yet, billions of people are attached to internet services in a way that borderlines on addiction. Many people sleep with their phones underneath their [...]
Some say that everyone wants to be understood. Whether we all agree or not is secondary, and frankly, not a realistic goal to pursue. Seeking to understand, on the other hand, strengthens relational bonds and breaks down our black-and-white view of the world. At times, however, efforts to bring attention to common ground or highlight [...]
Last school year, I was a fairly average example of a high school student: if something was due Monday, I was sure to get it done by Sunday night. I might need to stay up until 1 AM and consume some sort of caffeinated beverage, but I'd get it done. Almost all of my student [...]
We've all heard the fear-mongering about the internet. "This is destroying our attention spans, our thoughts, our brains!" "Social media is a comparison trap, a breeding ground for depression!" "Hyper-connectivity has brought an end to true connection!" Some of this is a bit over-the-top, but I must admit that the internet, on the whole, does [...]
From Friday, the 22nd, to Friday, the 29th, I saw Star Wars: The Last Jedi three times. This is quite a feat for me, as this movie makes up about 1/5th of my theater-going, and I've never gone to see anything more than once. But this movie was worth each visit. I won't get into [...]
