Roses of Grace

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To the One Who Feels Invisible... [Guest Post by Raelyn Quinn]

March 06, 2023

Hello there! Today I have the wonderful privilege of being joined by my friend, Raelyn Quinn. She's written a lovely article for us about something I bet we've all experienced—I know I have. If you've ever felt invisible, then read on and be encouraged. 🙂 Every time you’re in a room full of people, you feel like no one notices you. In fact, you know they couldn’t care less if you weren’t there at all. Every time you try to include yourself in the conversation, no one hears you. Instead, it feels like you’re watching through a window, a silent observer of the world around you. Nobody sees you. No one notices your pain. No one sees how much you’re struggling. Nobody recognizes the countless tribulations you’re experiencing. No one offers a listening ear or a helping hand. You’re invisible. And you’re all alone. Friend, you are seen. Maybe it feels like you’re invisible to everyone else around you, but, trust me, you are seen by the One who loves you the most. Perhaps th

When You Think You Have Nothing to Say

February 27, 2023

( Note: There's an important announcement at the end of this post, so make sure to read to the end!) Do you like your testimony? Maybe you don't. Maybe you think it's boring—powerful, maybe, and true, but basic. Boring. And if it's important, it's only important to you. Or maybe you're thinking that all testimonies are valuable, regardless of how "boring" they are. And you're right! But you still think that you'd have more to talk about if you had a more interesting life. People would listen to you more than they currently do. In short, you feel like what you have to say isn't important. This isn't just about your testimony. It's a symptom of a larger problem: you don't think your story matters, you think you don't have anything to say. Maybe you get nervous when anyone asks you for advice because you don't think you're wise enough. Maybe you don't share the Gospel in conversations because you feel like your

This is the Most Important Question You'll Ever Answer

February 20, 2023

What's the most important question you'll ever answer? Some options might come to mind. "Where should I go to college?" "What career should I pick?" Or maybe you even think of, "will you marry me?" But no. Those things aren't a matter of life or death. The most important question you'll ever answer is the question Jesus asks his disciples in Matthew 16:15: "Who do you say that I am?" It's impossible to overstate the importance of this question. This is a matter of life or death—Jesus's identity is of cosmic importance. Why is it so important? Because your answer will show your heart. Do you really believe the truth? Then you have eternal life, joy, and peace. But if you don't, your heart is still dead in your trespasses and sins. (Ephesians 2:1) Who do you say that Jesus is? A Good Teacher The Bible is like a self-help book—a really good one. There's good stuff in there. We can pick and choose what to agr

The Danger of Putting Your Identity in Earthly Relationships

February 13, 2023

Happy Valentine's Day! Everyone lives in community. And so, relationships are something that everyone deals with—except for hermits and astronauts, and I sincerely doubt you're one of those. So everyone deals with the ups and downs of being in community. And American culture places a heavy focus on romantic relationships in particular. According to one article from Forbes , Americans typically spend over $20 billion in total for Valentine's Day. That's a lot! Even for those of us who don't date, relationships can take the top priority. Friendships give us the pleasant feeling of being admired, and we love connecting with like-minded people. And that's great. But sometimes I wonder if we take it too far. There's nothing inherently wrong with these relationships. They can be a blessing. But it's also easy to let them become too important in your life. It's easy to let them become an idol. What defines you? Is it your earthly relationships with your

4 Easy Encouragements and a Biblical Perspective About Them

February 06, 2023

There are a lot of popular sayings floating around—phrases that people reach for when they're searching for something encouraging to say. I'm sure you know what I mean. Phrases like "you are loved," "you are unique," "you are powerful." "You can do anything." "You are strong." Those phrases tend to bug me. Part of me rebels against them: they're oversimplifications! That's not how life works! You can't just say the magic words to make everything better! The thing is, they're not all wrong. But I think it's our responsibility as Christians—Christians who are told to "rightly handle the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15)—to be careful with our words. And part of caring about truth means looking beyond the surface-level meaning of our words, and seeking to understand, Biblically, what is true. So, here are four popular sayings, and the Biblical perspective about them! #1: You are perfect the way th

Dear Teenager, Reject the Low Expectations You’ve Placed on Yourself

January 30, 2023

What do you want to accomplish in your lifetime? Pause for a moment and think it through. Maybe you thought, "Not that much," or "I want to do a lot, but I don't think I'll actually be able to." Very few will confidently think, "I'm going to do great things." While we need to cultivate humility, and while we should seek to be openhanded with our futures, the mindset that we shouldn’t expect to accomplish great things for God’s glory isn't good. So many teens and young adults automatically assume that their lives won't be noteworthy. They won't be doing the amazing things that end up in history books. Other people will, but not them. They'll just settle for average. It's a mindset of low expectations, but not low expectations from other people—these low expectations come from us. Should we be fine with being an "average" Christian? Should we expect to do great things, or should we content ourselves with

Trusting God's Timing

January 23, 2023

I don't like waiting. Can you relate? You probably can—we humans have an acute sense of what we want, and we don't like having to wait to get it. As I write this, I'm a senior in high school. I'm at that weird transition stage where I don't really know what my future's going to look like, but there's nothing I can do about it right now—all I can do is wait for information from the colleges I applied to. I can't make my own decisions yet. Isaiah 40:31 says that "those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength." I'm waiting on the Lord pretty literally when it comes to college—but I'm also waiting on the Lord for other things. I'm waiting for him to act in specific ways in specific areas. For people I've been praying for to be saved. For mental struggles I've been praying to conquer. For life events that haven't happened yet, even though I wish they had. For strength in certain areas I'm lacking in. But I'