Joining the Rebelution

I recently started a book called Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris.  It's about my generation starting a Rebelution - a teenage rebellion against low expectations of an ungodly culture.  This is exactly what I need in my life right now.  David's message Sunday morning, this book, and lots of prayer are all screaming the same thing to me: I need to do something.  And the time to do something is right now.  Not tomorrow, not next week, not when I get older.

Twins Alex and Brett are trying to make the point that our teenage years are the best of our lives.  It's not time to party, have a great love life, or even become popular in school.  We need to take advantage of these years to influence other teenagers, and hopefully adults, to do something incredible for an awesome God.  The only way we can do that is by doing hard things.  This requires us to step out of our comfort zones and do things that require an enormous amount of time and energy for a cause greater than ourselves: to bring glory to God and share His love.

Our culture has become accustomed to lazy teenagers who barely scrape by in life.  Alex and Brett challenge that - and I want to join them.  The entire Rebelution started with a blog they had written challenging teens stand out.  Obviously, I can relate to that.  At sixteen years old, they interned at the Alabama Supreme Court, then went on to travel to nearly every state in the country, speaking about the Rebelution.  They wrote this book when they were nineteen.  I'm only a few chapters in, but I'm completely inspired to stand out.   These guys were the same age I am when they interened at the Supreme Court.  I mean, hello! Is that not awesome?  It just proves that you are never too young to do something. 

This is the first step in a long journey, but I am willing to follow through.  God will lead me where He wants me to go; I just have to listen.  It won't be easy, but I know it will be worth it.  I'm going to help change the minds of society, do hard things, and join the Rebelution. 

New Year's Resolution

I finally figured out my New Year's resolution: talk less, listen more.  Recently I realized that some people just need someone to listen to them.  If I am talking all the time, I can't listen to them.  I become more concerned with what I'm saying, and I don't pay attention to their problems.  Some people are naturally just really good listeners and advice givers; it's something I struggle with.  I want my friends to be able to come to me with their problems, knowing I'll listen to them and help them as much as I can.   From experience, I feel so relieved if I can just tell someone my problems.  I want to be the person they can trust to come to when they feel they need help.  So guess I'm just trying to say that if you ever need anyone to listen, I'm here.