When I heard that this book was written by the brothers of the guy who wrote "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" I was thrilled to review it. Then to learn what it was about, I got excited about it. But reading it is hard. I keep crying! I have not finished the book because I keep crying. Not because it is sad, but because I am so moved. I am so excited about what God has done in these boys' lives. I am excited about what God is going to do through this book and the conferences Alex and Brett Harris are doing. And I am excited about what God is doing in MY heart through this book. Do Hard Things is about teenage rebellion. Not new, huh? Well it is! It is about teenagers rebelling against low expectations. They call it the Rebolution. Society does not expect teens to do more than party and rebel and mess around for these years. This book challenges that thinking and even shows how new that line of thought is. The word "teenager" just came about in the last 75 years! Before that teens were expected to be pretty much adults.
A couple of things really hit me. The boys were running, yes RUNNING, a campaign at age 17. Part of their campaign included having someone make a lot of phone calls, among other things. They assigned a girl to do it, but they mistakenly assigned her sister to do it. Well, that sister did not like the phone, even to talk to her friends. But she did it. And she did an amazing job. Only later did they discover that it was a 17 year old girl. And they were amazed that they had done that to her, until they realized that they were also 17. The EXPECTED her to do the assignments, and she lived up to that expectation. Teens are capable, we just don't expect it, and they live up to that lack of expectation.
Another thing that affects me, personally was a story they told about elephants. Adult elephants are strong. Really, really strong. But a tiny piece of twine tied to their ankle and staked into the ground will hold them in place. They could easily pull it out and be gone, easily. But they don't. When elephants are young they are shackled to trees with chains. They fight hard against their constraints, to the point of cutting into their legs. Eventually they accept that they are shackled. Later, any amount of shackling will hold them because they are shackled in their MIND. We can all do things if we only believe we can. We have to pull free of those constraints in our mind. God will strengthen us and equip us, we just have to do it!
Every teen, pre-teen, parent of a teen, and youth worker must read this book. We have to raise our expectations of teens.
Buy this book for your church, for teachers, for parents of pre-teens, teens, grandparents, friends!
Also, check out the Harris' conference schedule. We are so excited to see that they are going to be in Minneapolis in June!
Summary:
With over 10 million hits to their website TheRebelution.com, Alex and Brett Harris are leading the charge in a growing movement of Christian young people who are rebelling against the low expectations of their culture by choosing to “do hard things” for the glory of God. Written when they were 18 years old, Do Hard Things is the Harris twins’ revolutionary message in its purest and most compelling form, giving readers a tangible glimpse of what is possible for teens who actively resist cultural lies that limit their potential. Combating the idea of adolescence as a vacation from responsibility, the authors weave together biblical insights, history, and modern examples to redefine the teen years as the launching pad of life and map a clear trajectory for long-term fulfillment and eternal impact.
With over 10 million hits to their website TheRebelution.com, Alex and Brett Harris are leading the charge in a growing movement of Christian young people who are rebelling against the low expectations of their culture by choosing to “do hard things” for the glory of God. Written when they were 18 years old, Do Hard Things is the Harris twins’ revolutionary message in its purest and most compelling form, giving readers a tangible glimpse of what is possible for teens who actively resist cultural lies that limit their potential. Combating the idea of adolescence as a vacation from responsibility, the authors weave together biblical insights, history, and modern examples to redefine the teen years as the launching pad of life and map a clear trajectory for long-term fulfillment and eternal impact.
Written by teens for teens, Do Hard Things is packed with humorous personal anecdotes, practical examples, and stories of real-life rebelutionaries in action. This rallying cry from the heart of revolution already in progress challenges the next generation to lay claim to a brighter future, starting today.
Author Bio:
Alex and Brett Harris founded TheRebelution.com in August 2005 and today at age 19 are the most popular Christian teen writers on the Web. The twins are frequent contributors to Focus on the Family’s Boundless webzine, serve as the main speakers for the Rebelution Tour conferences, and have been featured in WORLD magazine, Breakaway, The Old Schoolhouse, and the New York Daily News. Sons of homeschool pioneer Gregg Harris and younger brothers of best-selling author Joshua Harris (I Kissed Dating Goodbye), Alex and Brett live near Portland, Oregon.
Alex and Brett Harris founded TheRebelution.com in August 2005 and today at age 19 are the most popular Christian teen writers on the Web. The twins are frequent contributors to Focus on the Family’s Boundless webzine, serve as the main speakers for the Rebelution Tour conferences, and have been featured in WORLD magazine, Breakaway, The Old Schoolhouse, and the New York Daily News. Sons of homeschool pioneer Gregg Harris and younger brothers of best-selling author Joshua Harris (I Kissed Dating Goodbye), Alex and Brett live near Portland, Oregon.
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