Last week, we looked at physical regrets, and this week, we’ll be looking at spiritual regrets. I’ll make a mistake out of arrogance or rebellion and let it plague me for years. For example, once me and the other girls in a small group were discussing where we’d live if not the U.S. A…
In preparation for the Speak-Up Conference I’m attending, I was required to write a speech about this bible verse: “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the…
I hide like buried treasure in a field Until my splendid riches are revealed More precious than silver or gold Only for a price am I sold If you incline your ear and apply your heart too Only then will I reveal my secrets to you I am treasured by others Yet scorned by some…
“Proof” that Optimism Doesn’t Work If you’ll recall, a few weeks ago I went to Speech and Debate Nationals. I poured everything I had into my Silence of God Speech. When I passed quarterfinals, my friends asked if I were surprised, and I said no. I knew I’d at least get past quarterfinals, and I…
Sometime last year, I had a crush. It was a weird crush mainly because I didn’t want it. Though I liked this guy as a friend and loved talking to him, the idea of being in a relationship held no appeal whatsoever. Since I prided myself on my self-control and will-power (and still do), it…
A while ago, I was texting this guy. So begins many a teenage girl’s story. I’d asked a question, and I was waiting for his response. After thirty minutes, I began to worry. After several hours, I’d made a list of all the semi-reasonable possibilities for why he hadn’t replied. Maybe he was ignoring me….
I’ve been listening to a smattering of Ed Sheeran, Imagine Dragons, and Twenty One Pilots lately, since my brother loves all of them, and I’m beginning to recognize what draws people to their songs. Take Eraser by Ed Sheeran: “I forget when I get awards now, the wave I had to ride The paving stones…
When I was little, I’d always wonder how people would hear God. I was mystified when someone said “God told me.” I’d often ask, “How can I get God to talk to me?” Even now, I still find this topic interesting. My speech (which is going to nationals this next week) is about the silence of God….
I’ve learned a lot from working at McDonald’s. How to take orders while making a caramel frappe with no whipped cream. How to customize an order or make it a combo. How to memorize orders as you serve them. But the most valuable lesson I’ve learned is how to make every day brighter. My…
A few days ago, I was parked at a gas station and found this: A million dollar bill doesn’t exist, though I didn’t know it at the time. I wondered if I should take it, and my first thought was: I can’t take this! It belongs to someone else, and I have a hunch they’re going to…