Blog | Authentic Faith

Seeking Rest: Burnout

To finish off this series, I want to speak to a topic that every other college student I have met is more than familiar with, and that is burnout. While I know that you can experience burnout no matter what your circumstances are, I want to speak specifically to it in the context of college, simply because this is how I have grown to understand it. I have fallen victim to burnout countless times, and it often feels like a pattern that I can’t seem to get myself out of. So, I

mallorycarbenia

8 hours ago4 min read

Seeking Rest: Diligence

As a student, one piece of resting that I have always struggled with is the fact that I am constantly getting work done. Between assignments, leadership positions, and working a few different jobs, I have a lot on my plate, and it has always been important to me to do the best in everything that I do. We as Christians are commanded that “whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31), and that “whatsoever ye do, do

mallorycarbenia

Feb 275 min read

Seeking Rest: Sabbath

As someone that has grown up in church, I have heard plenty of sermons about the Sabbath, and could probably give you a decently detailed understanding of what it is, where it comes from, and why it is important. Because of this, I was hesitant to write about it, worried that it would feel too much like simply restating facts I already knew. I decided to keep it in my outline for this series, knowing that writing it could still be a great reminder of the topic and what it mea

mallorycarbenia

Feb 137 min read

Seeking Rest: Recklessness

One of the primary reasons why I chose to begin studying Biblical rest comes from my own personal struggle with it, especially due to the events of last semester. I have always struggled with the idea of rest, and I’ve learned that a lot of this is primarily due to my workaholic nature. I strive to do my best in any task I undertake, and as a student genuinely have a love for what I am studying, but these characteristics can also manifest themselves in unhealthy ways. This lo

mallorycarbenia

Jan 305 min read

Seeking Rest: God’s Design

In all of the sermons that I’ve heard about rest, I’ve learned that people are quick to dismiss the importance of work, only focusing on the idea of Sabbath and taking time to rest. After acknowledging that our culture in America is centered around how many hours you work a week and how far you can push yourself without collapsing, they propose the countercultural idea of Jesus and how He commands us to find rest in Him. While this is great, and I wholeheartedly agree that we

mallorycarbenia

Jan 169 min read

Seeking Rest: Introduction

Welcome back to the beginning of a brand-new series, one that has been heavy on my heart since the end of the semester. I feel as if I start every series the same way, but truly, this blog is full of topics that have come from my own experiences, passions, and curiosities as I navigate life as a Christian in this generation. While my notes app is full of studies, topics, and ideas to write about, I instead find that a series will simply come to me as I walk through life, lear

mallorycarbenia

Jan 26 min read

Authentic Life Update: Anxiety

Well, it’s officially winter break, and I am proud to say that I have made it through my third semester of college. Those of you that have been following the blog since the beginning (shoutout to my day ones!) know that this project began during my sophomore year of high school, so being able to say that I have remained consistent with this hobby into my sophomore year of college is such a gratifying feat to have achieved. I love getting to reflect on my past work, especially

mallorycarbenia

Dec 19, 20256 min read

Destroying the Body of Christ: Accountability

Already, we have reached the end of my series “Destroying the Body of Christ”. This has been a reflective topic that has really forced me to raise my awareness of what is happening in the modern American church. I always knew that there were these existing problems in the church community that were doing more harm than good, but this has caused me to face it head-on, and even take a look at where I fit into this. We all know that it is easy to find faults in others, especiall

mallorycarbenia

Dec 5, 202510 min read

Destroying the Body of Christ: Isolation

Community in the Early Church When I hear the phrase “the body of Christ”, a few images immediately pop up in my head, including the idea of community. I think of small groups meeting in someone’s house to walk through life together, friends chatting for hours after Sunday’s service, and getting to meet new people during large church events. This is one of the pillars of the modern Christian church, and is what makes non-believers want to get invested. The reason that this

mallorycarbenia

Nov 21, 20258 min read

Destroying the Body of Christ: Relationships

Ever since I began brainstorming ideas for this series, I became more and more aware of what was happening around me, noticing the way my peers acted and interacted with each other. Dots connected as I saw patterns appear, especially in my school’s culture. I am an avid people watcher, and so I always end up observing people in the midst of their own habits. And, as you can probably guess, this means that I end up learning a lot about my university’s culture concerning relati

mallorycarbenia

Nov 7, 20257 min read

Destroying the Body of Christ: Selfishness

In the past year or so, I have come to the strange realization that I am in the most self-centered season of my life. I know it sounds strange, but bear with me. I am currently a college student, which means that the purpose of these four years of my life is to prepare for my future career. Between taking classes, networking, and planning my career path, I am in a space in which everything I do is supposed to be focused on my own life. This starkly contrasts ideas of marriage

mallorycarbenia

Oct 24, 20256 min read