Friday Snippets and Soundbites

• The Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam recently acquired a photo of Peter Schiff, the boy Anne recalled as her "one true love" in the diary she wrote while hiding from the Nazis in a secret annex from July 1942-August 1944. A childhood friend of Peter Schiff gave the picture to the museum after realizing there were no known photographs of the boy. Anne Frank died of typhus in Bergen Belsen concentration camp in 1945. Peter later died at Auschwitz. He was 18; Anne was 16. Read more about Anne Frank here.

• This week, February 24-March 1, is eating disorders awareness week. It's estimated that eating disorders affect more than 10 million women and 1 million men in the United States. Learn more at the National Eating Disorders Association's Web site.

• Need money for college? Junior Achievement and Deloitte recently announced the launch of their fourth annual "Excellence through Ethics" essay contest. To enter, high school seniors must write an original essay of 500 words or less in response to an ethical dilemma posted on Junior Achievement's Web site. The idea is that teens apply their knowledge of ethical decision-making and share views on the importance of ethics in business. Entries must be submitted online by March 28, 2008. You must have completed at least one Junior Achievement lesson in ethical decision-making to enter. The winner receives a $5,000 scholarship.

• Prince Harry, third in line to the British throne, had been serving on the front line with a British army unit in Afghanistan until news of his deployment was leaked by the Drudge Report this week. Harry had been there since mid-December, but after his deployment became common knowledge, British officials assessed the risk and pulled him out of the country. Officials were concerned the increased media coverage of Harry would put him and his comrades in danger.

• In totally random news, four strands of hair believed to be George Washington's sold for $17,000 in an auction last Friday. Christa Allen of Colorado sold the hair, which her father, a Philadelphia attorney had passed down to her. It was pressed under glass in a locket and accompanied by a watch. Allen claims the hair has been passed down since it was clipped from Washington's head. The Historical Society of Montgomery County, Pa., inspected Allen's evidence and gave her its backing.

Friday Snippets and Soundbites

• The space shuttle Atlantis wrapped up its 5 million-mile journey this week and returned to earth on Wednesday. The shuttle and crew circled the earth 202 times during the mission, which began on February 7. Crew members spent the majority of the trip at the international space station. Their primary duty was to install the European science lab (Columbus) that they brought with them. French astronaut, Leopold Eyharts, who was on the shuttle remained at the space station in order to help get the science lab up and running. He replaced NASA astronaut Daniel Tani who returned home on Atlantis after 120 days in space. NASA's next mission is set for March 11 when Endeavour will blast off with the first piece of Japan's space station lab.

• Speaking of space, the U.S. launched a missile from a war ship in the Pacific Wednesday night and destroyed a dying satellite many feared would soon crash into earth. The government wanted to destroy the satellite before it reached the earth because it had a potentially toxic fuel on board. The use of the missile system cause an outcry from other nations, particularly China. Read more about that here.

• Apple announced this week that performances from the top 24 semifinalists and top 12 finalists will be available for purchase on iTunes this year. “We have some truly outstanding talent this year, and by working with Apple and iTunes, we're giving viewers another great way to enjoy America's brightest new stars from ‘Idol,’” said “American Idol” creator Simon Fuller.

• DVDs can save your life! Just ask South Carolina fire chief Barry McRoy. Saturday night, McRoy walked into a local Waffle House with a DVD tucked into his pocket. It stopped a bullet from entering his stomach when two men who were fighting accidentally fired a gun. Check out the story here.

How to save a life, part 3

Recent surveys say that over 94 percent of people believe in God and 89 percent believe in heaven. Some 75 percent of those surveyed believe they'll get to heaven. But the thing is, most people don't really understand what it takes to get there. The Bible has something to say about that, and you, as a Christian, should, too.

One of ec's goals is to help you know God, own your faith, and find ways to make that faith known in the world around you. So as you consider talking with those in your life who need to know what the Bible says about getting to heaven, remember this acronym: KNOW.

K: Know God. You have to have a personal relationship with God in order to go to heaven. Without that relationship, sin keeps you separated from Him. (Rom. 3:23; 6:23)

N: Name Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Jesus is the only way to salvation. To go to heaven, you must believe that Jesus is who He says He is, God's Son. As the perfect, sinless Son of God, only Jesus can forgive your sin. (Rom. 10:9-10)

O: Own up to your sin. Believing is great, but you have to take personal responsibility for your sin and confess it to God. He will hear you AND forgive you. Forgiveness is a free gift. You can't earn it. All you have to do is ask. (Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:8-9; 1 John 1:9-10)

W: Walk in a different direction. In Bible-speak, this action is called repentance. It involves turning away from your sinful choices and choosing to live in a different way. Repent means going a different direction. As a Christian, your life should look different from the one you led before. (Luke 13:3; Eph. 5:8)

When you talk to others about salvation, be sure to encourage them to tell other Christians in their lives about the decision. Help them to find a church and get involved. Encourage them to follow Christ in believer's baptism.

How to save a life, part 2

So you and Ryan have been friends for awhile. He's seen you at your best AND your worst. He was there the day you found out your aunt had cancer and were completely sidelined. He was there when you broke your leg and couldn't play baseball for the rest of the season. He was there when you got your acceptance letter to college AND found out they were offering you a scholarship. And through all of that, Ryan has begun to recognize that faith—the fact that you're a Christian—isn't just something you say you believe. It's a part of your everyday life. It makes a difference in the big and small things.

And lately, he's begun to ask questions about that faith. You've talked about what you believe very honestly and openly. And now it's time for you to share the plan of salvation and show Ryan what Scripture says about being saved, and you don't know where to start. Here's a good acronym to guide your discussion: FAITH.

What do you understand it takes for a person to go to heaven? Consider how the Bible answers this question. It is a matter of FAITH.

F is for Forgiveness
We cannot have eternal life and heaven without God’s forgiveness. (Read Eph. 1:7a.)

A is for Available
Forgiveness is available.
It is—available for all. (Read John 3:16.)
But not automatic. (Read Matt. 7:21a.)

I is for Impossible
It is impossible for God to allow sin into heaven.
—Because of who He is: God is loving and just.
His judgment is against sin. (Read Jas. 2:13a.)
—Because of who we are: Every person is a sinner.
(Read Rom. 3:23.)

But how can a sinful person enter heaven, when
God allows no sin?

T is for Turn
Turn means repent.
Turn from something—sin and self. (Read Luke 13:3b.)
Turn to Someone; trust Christ only. (Read Rom. 10:9.)

H is for Heaven
Heaven is eternal life.
Here . . . (Read John 10:10b.) Hereafter . . . (Read John 14:3.)
How can a person have God’s forgiveness, heaven
and eternal life, and Jesus as personal Savior and Lord?
By trusting in Christ and asking Him for forgiveness.

Take the step of faith described by another meaning of FAITH: Forsaking All I Trust Him.

How to save a life, part 1

Evangelism, that is, not CPR. The truth is that we are made for eternity. God wants to have an eternal, lasting, deep relationship with each and every one of us. So it follows that one of the best ways to save a life is to share God's gospel message with others.

That's what the February issue of ec is all about. The lead article, "How to Save a Life," talked honestly about relationship evangelism. Sometimes the best way to be a witness in someone's life is to live out your faith honestly right in front of them. When they see that you really believe what you say and do what you've said you would do, you earn the right to talk to them about matters of faith. They can trust you and they can trust your faith; now it's time to show them what the Bible has to say about salvation. And that's where it sometimes gets scary.

So this week, you'll find several different evangelism tools here on ec's blog. Today we'll be walking through the plan of salvation as presented in the Book of Romans. This is often called the "Romans Road." Here goes:

• All people are characterized by sin which separates us from God. Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

• Sin has consequences, namely, death. Romans 6:23a: “For the wages of sin is death.”

• But God has made a way for us! All people have hope because “the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23b)

• God loves us so much that He sent His Son to earth to die. Only Christ's sacrifice could restore the relationship with God our sinfulness had damaged. Romans 5:8: “But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us!”

• God extends His offer of salvation to all people. Romans 10:13: “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

• It is not enough to simply believe in God. To become a Christian—to be adopted as God's own children—we must recognize our sinfulness, confess it, repent, and turn away from our old way of life. Romans 10:9: “if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

• God makes us a new creation in Him. He calls us to live differently, to allow Him to shine through our lives. Romans 12:1-2: “Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.”

Friday Snippets and Soundbites

•Whitney Stump, 27, a resident of Muncie, Ind., had petitioned the city to paint a crosswalk near his house numerous times. So when they refused, he took matters into his own hands and painted his own! “I used spray paint on the outline and went to Wal-Mart, where they had a sale on . . . white paint and rolled it out," Stump said in an interview with WRTV-TV, a local news station. Police caught Stump in the act and the 27-year-old now faces two counts of criminal mischief. But his passion for crosswalks won't be quenched. Stump says he has plans to paint three more crosswalks. Go here for more information and a video!

• Presidential hopeful Barack Obama beat Clinton. . .at the Grammys, that is! Obama beat former president Bill Clinton for best spoken word album. Obama read his book The Audacity of Hope, while Clinton's nomination was for Giving:How Each of Us Can Change the World. This year marked the Grammy Awards 50th anniversary. Grammy Awards are given each year in recognition in outstanding achievements in the recording industry. Read more about that here.

• Christian rock band Sanctus Real released its widely acclaimed and highly anticipated fourth studio album this week. The album's title track, "We Need Each Other," is in its fifth straight week at number 1 on CHR radio. Sanctus Real will hit the road in support of the album in March, touring with Third Day. Take a listen.


• Yesterday was Valentine's Day.The holiday is named after two early Christian martyrs named Valentine. The day became associated with romantic love by those in Geoffrey Chaucer's circle in the Middle Ages. In response, the ec staff posted blogs about relationships in general, dating relationships, and True Love Waits. Share your thoughts in our comments or visit ec's fan page and group on Facebook and talk amongst yourself on our discussion boards.

Photo © Amanda Rohde / istockphoto

Happy Valentine's Day!

In honor of this day, we at ec want to wish you the happiest of Valentine's Day. And instead of dwelling on the fact that you don't have a boyfriend or girlfriend or getting overly obsessed by your dating relationship on this day, we encourage you to celebrate all the people you love. Your parents. Your friends. Your brother or sister. Your student minister. Your aunt. Let the people you love know it today!

And while you're here, check out this link to True Love Waits. Many of your churches are probably planning commitment ceremonies and asking you to make a pledge to remain sexually pure until marriage. But what does that really mean? The TLW staff anticipated your questions and answered them here.

Know this: sexual purity is more than NOT having sex; it's refraining from activities and situations that might lead to compromise and involves things you say, do, and watch. You can be participating in activities or doing things that are degrading your purity and still be a virgin.
As Christians, you've been called to live a pure life in all areas. Strive for that today!

Five more things

Top 5 Ways to Avoid Needless Teenage Heartache, compliments of Emily, ec's production editor, who had her fair share of broken hearts and hurt feelings in high school thanks to boys

5. Liking much older boys while in junior high is NOT good, no matter how much attention he gives you (and every other girl). Avoid the junior or senior who spends a lot of time with young girls. He's got issues.

4. Any guy that you're not willing to tell the whole truth about to your parents isn't worth dating or even liking.

3. Don't call boys incessantly. They don't like it. If he doesn't call you back, he's not worth your time.

2. Don't be mean to other girls. It's a turnoff to guys.

1. Don't pretend to be anything you're not. It'll save you a lot of trouble!

—Emily

Five Things

Five things Jen learned the hard way about relationships...

1. When things are difficult, try a little perspective. Picture yourself in your friend's (or date's) shoes. There may be times when you need to give them a little grace.

2. Unrealistic expectations can be relationship-killers. Think about what you expect from a friendship or relationship, and ask yourself if those expectations are realistic. Is it realistic to expect your best friend to go everywhere with you? Is it realistic to expect your girlfriend will never talk to another guy? When you're upset about a relationship issue, try asking yourself if you have honest expectations about it. If you expect too much, try to be more down-to-earth in what you wish for. If your expectations are reasonable, it may be time to confront your friend or date with them.

3. Use your words for good, not evil. Don't gossip. (We know you know this.) Just don't do it. Remember there's another person's life, reputation and feelings at stake. Be the friend you wish you had. Keeping a rein on your tongue will also keep you out of trouble later on in life. (Unfortunately, the temptation to gab about somebody else's life doesn't get easier just because you get older!) And be a cheerleader. Ok, not that kind of cheerleader. Just keep in mind that your friends (and dates) need encouragement same as you do. You don't have to be Polly Positive in order to cheer your friends on, just let them know they're the best!

4. A little grace goes a long way. There's no need to tell the whole world your business, but even Jesus had close friends—and being close to people means you'll occasionally be vulnerable to being hurt by them. When something stings, ask yourself if your friend really meant what they said. If not, can you take one for the team? Jesus talked a lot about laying down your life for your brother, and forgiving little slights in the big picture of friendship can go a long way. If the slights are constant and you've got a sinking feeling about the friendship, though, it may be time to move on and find another confidant.

5. Trust your parents. (Please don't take away my street cred for saying this.) We know it sounds crazy, but your folks were once teenagers who had friendships, dated and struggled just like you do. It's not lame to go to your mom or dad for advice or even just a chat.

Friday Snippets and Soundbites

• Power Chord Academy, a rock 'n roll summer camp for amateur musicians, announced this week that it had teamed up with the foremost girl-guitar manufacturer, Daisy Rock Guitars. Power Chord Academy began in 1999. Musicians ranging in age from 12-18 spend a week each summer at one of PCA's 12 nationwide locations. They will leave with a CD single recorded with an established producer, a video, and performance experience. This year, all girl guitarists who sign up during the first week of February will be eligible to receive a totally free Daisy Rock Stardust Elite Petite Rebel guitar. Rock on, girls!

• Legendary college basketball coach Bobby Knight stunned the sports world by announcing his retirement from coaching this week. Knight, the first men's coach to reach 900 career wins, resigned as head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Monday. Knight is well-known for his 29 years as head coach at Indiana University. He also coached for Army at West Point. Duke head coach and Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski (and one of Mandy Crow's, the editor of ec, favorite coaches) was one of his players at West Point. Read more about Knight's career and his many on-and off-court scandals here.

•Crowds marked Mardi Gras with parades and celebrations in New Orleans, La., on Tuesday. Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday" and is the last day of Carnival. It is always the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. New Orleans officials are reporting that crowds are back to pre-Katrina levels, based on the amount of trash left in the street after the parades.

• Bacon-wrapped hot dogs are classic Los Angeles street food, but are now apparently illegal. Find out more here.

It's Super Tuesday, so how's about a poll?

In the February 2008 issue of ec, we asked for your feedback regarding the kinds of groups you join on MySpace and Facebook. You can also let us know by participating in this poll.



And join ec's group on Facebook. And check out our blog and fan page.