Friday Snippets and Soundbites

• Bloomberg, a well respected business news wire, recently mistakenly—and prematurely—published Steve Jobs' obituary. Jobs is the founder of Apple and very much alive. While it's common for news services to keep pre-prepared obituaries of newsworthy figures on hand, it's rare that one actually sees the light of day before it's supposed to. Jobs was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2003, but has recently denied reports that it has returned. Read more about the gaffe here.

• Family Force 5's new album, Dance or Die, debuted at #30 on Billboards top 200 albums chart and #8 on the alternative rock chart. First week sales totaled $12,989 for the group's second album. The guys will hit the road again on October 6, kicking off the Dance Rawr Dance 2 Club tour in Charlotte, N.C.

• Swimmer and 14-time gold medalist Michael Phelps has had a busy first week after the close of the Olympic Games. He's taught children to swim, forged a book deal, hung out with Tiger Woods, and made plans to host “Saturday Night Live” and be a presenter at the VMAs. And, ec's editor, Mandy, who is a huge fan, has added the Sports Illustrated cover featuring MP to her list of treasured items. Take a look:


• Today's your last chance! Before we leave this afternoon, we'll be putting up the September 2008 Question of the Month. So if you'd like to create your own holiday (the August Question of the Month), you need to weigh in ASAP. Send us your answer via the link on the left side of this page!

Guy Talk: Expanded

On page 28 of the August issue of ec, writer Will Snipes answered some of our questions about confidence. The thing is, he had more to say that we had space to print. So let's discuss some of the things he didn't get to say in the August issue.

• Will pointed out, guys, that true confidence comes from recognizing who we are in Christ. It's not about what we can do, our achievements, or who we date. As Will says: Our identity—the very core of who we are—is found in Christ and His redeeming love for us. Those who have placed their confidence in Christ realize the need for a Savior, the need for forgiveness of sin. Christ has paid the price for our freedom, and we are pure and holy in the sight of the Lord. We are new creations, and our goals and desires in life have changed. Pleasing God is number one, and we are confident that we can do that by studying His Word, growing in our knowledge of Him, and loving others as He first loved us. Galatians 1:10 says, “For am I now trying to win the favor of people, or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave to Christ.” Confidence in Christ empowers us to keep our priorities straight and our eyes fixed unashamedly on Him.

• When Will answered our second question about how that kind of confidence should spill out of lives, he pointed out an important verse of Scripture we all need to be reminded of, sometimes every day! So check out Philippians 4:13: “I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

Quite simply, it's not about what you can do; it's about what God can do through you. Place your confidence in the Creator and Savior. Trust God to give you strength.

Base your confidence level on God. He never lets you down; His love is eternal; He is trustworthy. Live like it!

Girl Talk: Expanded

We promised you more of Jen McCaman's thoughts on confidence on page 28 of the August issue of ec, and we didn't forget about it! So read on for more of what Jen had to say about finding your confidence in Christ alone.

“My story: my senior year of high school, I won the "most talented" superlative and got a giant head. I placed 100 percent of my confidence in getting the lead in our spring musical. Much to my surprise, I landed the role of "third tree to the right." I was absolutely heartbroken. The fall from my pedestal hurt pretty badly. I put confidence in myself, and I got burned.

We all choose where we draw our confidence from. It could be a boyfriend, intelligence, or popularity, but there's only one Person who is worthy of our confidence: Jesus Christ. Christ alone can distribute genuine confidence, and He longs to give it to us.”

Jen also wanted you to know what God says about you:
1. You were bought with a price. “For you were bought at a price; therefore, glorify God in your body” (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

2. You are forgiven. “He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:13-14).

3. You are Christ's workmanship. “For we are His creation—created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10)

4. You can do anything through Christ. “I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13).

When you see the kind of God He is, you realize that He deserves our confidence. He is willing and able to give us strength to face any trial. He can also give us security that outlasts trends, boyfriends, and test scores.

In the August issue, we also asked Jen to talk about how that kind of God-given confidence can spill out of our lives. She replied that we have to learn to believe that God is indeed trustworthy, that He'll do what He said He would. She talked about what it means to trust God enough to change our lives and learn that He won't let us down. We didn't have room to share her personal story about how she came to know this truth. So here it is:

“When I was in 10th grade, I went out with a guy who did drugs. (We were 15, so we didn't actually go anywhere.) I was a Christian, but God did not have my confidence. I lied to my friends and family and pretty much made excuses for the creep. Finally, my dad showed me a Bible verse that changed my thinking. I dumped the loser, and the next spring, I met the guy who would be my husband seven years later. God always knows what He's doing. It always works out to trust Him, even if it's temporarily painful.”

Check out the rest of Jen's "Girl Talk" on confidence on page 28 of the August issue of ec. And come back on Wednesday for more discussion of Will Snipes thoughts on confidence in "Guy Talk."

Friday Snippets and Soundbites

• The Olympics continued this week with American swimmer Michael Phelps earning his eighth gold medal in a single Olympics. He has now won 14 lifetime Olympic gold medals, the most of any other Olympian. But while the U.S. and China remain atop the medal race, many countries will leave the game with few or no medals. This week, Rohullah Nikpai made history by bringing home Afghanistan's first Olympic medal. Ever. The athlete won the bronze medal in the men's under 58-kilogram taekwondo event.

• Family Force 5 released their new album this week, Dance or Die. The guys will kick off the Dance Rawr Dance 2 tour on October 6. It features special guests, including Play Radio Play. “The last record was a straight-up party, but we always said the second would be sweaty rock n' roll music,” stresses front-man/guitarist Solomon Olds (Soul Glow Activatur), who co-produced the project with Joe Baldridge (Beck, Jewel). “The album title and imagery transport the listener into a dire life-or-death situation. Each song unites that urgency with a danceable beat, so get to steppin,' or you'll be extinct.” Learn more here.

• Beloit College released its Mind-set List this week, an annual list compiled by the school to help its professors see the world through the eyes of that year's incoming freshmen. The school started compiling the list when professors began to see that references they understood—like Watergate and typewriters—that students just didn't get. Entries on this year's list include items that today's freshmen have never been without: plastic soft drink bottles, GPS, caller ID, and the Nintendo Game Boy. Need to see that list? Go here.

• In other ec-related news, the ec team received our first copies of the newly redesigned ec magazine this week. They'll be in your hands is just about a month! (The revamped ec makes its appearance in October.) Can't wait to see what we've done? Well, take a gander at the cover. You'll have to wait until October to see the rest! (Need a subscription? There's info right over on the left side of this page!)

Swifter, Higher, Stronger (or in my case, slower, lower, weaker)

Emily here. I can’t believe the Olympics only have a week left to go. Have you been watching the games? It seems like these particular Olympic Games have been extra exciting. Maybe it’s all the political controversy, or maybe it’s all of Michael Phelps’ gold medals (and extremely low-slung swim suits). At any rate, Olympic athletes have been preparing for these games for years, maybe even their whole lives, and in less than a week, the competitions to be the best in their field will be over. Olympic bragging rights in these sports can’t be earned for another four years.

Think back to your childhood. Do you remember watching the Olympics and deciding you were going to be an Olympian when you grew up? I remember watching the gymnasts and thinking it would be so glamorous to perform the perfect routine and hear the crowd roar for me. (Actually, any opportunity for a crowd to scream my name sounded good to me!) But when I actually started taking gymnastics, I realized that my body couldn’t do all the things I wanted it to. I wasn’t very good on the uneven bars. (To this day, my upper body strength leaves a lot to be desired.) I was afraid of breaking my neck doing back handsprings. (It took me two years to master that skill.) Basically, my favorite part of gymnastics was when my parents came to pick me up. That, and when the coach would let us jump in the foam pit. But every time the Olympics came on, I was inspired again. I just didn’t have the follow through, the stick-to-itiveness like the true athletes.

Now here’s the spiritual application (yes, I know you know it’s coming): Today’s devotion is about imitation. There are lots of folks (even some Olympic athletes) out there who are inspiring and make you want to imitate them. There are also LOTS of people who shouldn’t be imitated. Philippians 4:8 tells us the general things we should be imitating. So measure your role models against that standard and see how they stack up.

I wish that imitating Jesus was as easy as watching Olympians swim/tumble/dive/bike/row their hearts out from the comfort of our living rooms. But it takes work. (See Hebrews 6:11-12.) Like an athlete, you have to be diligent and watch what you take into your body, what you do, and what you think. You have to push through pain and decide that you are going to improve. Sticking with it, whether it’s a grueling practice schedule, a yucky diet, or an unbearable teammate, is vital to an Olympic athlete. It is for you too. While an Olympian is working toward a medal to win the accolades and 15 minutes of fame (plus possible endorsement deals), you as a Christian are working toward being like Jesus. And that relationship you develop with Jesus as you work to be like Him will last for eternity. Trust me; that’s a whole lot longer than 15 minutes.
—Emily, ec's production editor

Friday Snippets and Soundbites

• The 2008 Summer Olympics kicked off in Beijing, China, last week, and if you're anything like the ec team, you can't rip your eyes away from the coverage. We've even watched water polo, rowing, and some other games we weren't aware were Olympic sports! The U.S. is currently leading the medal count with 44 total medals over China's 38. Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps made history this week by becoming the athlete with the most lifetime Olympic gold medals in the modern Olympic era. He's trying to break American swimmer Mark Spitz's record (set in 1972) of seven golds at one Olympics. Check out a really blurry video about Mark Spitz here.

• Christian rock band Delirious? announced a break from recording and touring this week. The Grammy-nominated and Dove Award-winning band will keep its commitments through 2009, then take a break. "We want to make it absolutely clear that although this decision has been extremely difficult, we are still great friends and our respect for each other is unquestionable. We love playing in this band together and know that even though 2009 will bring an end to this current journey, there will be more adventures together in years to come," the guys said in their official press release about the decision. Delirious? is known for such songs as "Shout to the North," "Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble," and "Majesty."

• Take a break from all your back-to-school anxiety and let us know what you're thinking. Drop us a line via e-mail. And while you're at it, look over there to the left side of the page and answer our Question of the Month. Your answer could appear in an upcoming issue!

• Art experts are speculating that a small portrait on parchment long thought to be the work of an anonymous German artist might be one of Leonardo Da Vinci's early works. What's more, their speculating that the young woman who's the subject of the portrait may have had the picture painted for one reason: to attract a husband. Apparently, before online dating, portraits were quite the matchmaking tool. Tests are still being performed to discover if the painting is indeed Da Vinci's work.

God's like that

It's funny the way God sometimes chooses to teach you something.

For the last few weeks, I've been reading the daily devotions in ec. I wanted to be reading what you were reading at the same time—or at least on the same day—that you were reading it. In our little publishing world here in Nashville, we're working about three to six months ahead, meaning my mind is often considering the January or February issue of the magazine and I can barely remember what is in the magazine you currently have in your hands.

So last week, when I opened up the August issue of ec and read the devos, I was a little taken aback. Because I'm reading through Hebrews currently in my personal quiet time. And I'd just been reading, studying, and pondering these same passages on my own.

I sometimes think that God likes to use repetition to teach me. He knows that I may not pay attention if He just shows me something once, but He knows it'll get through my thick skull if He shows me again and again and again. See, here's the deal: I believe with absolute certainty that God forgives sin. I've experienced that. But I have this problem with forgiving myself of that failure to walk in His ways. Even though He has thrown that sin away, I keep dwelling on it, thinking I've somehow failed or disappointed Him, that I'm not worth it, that I can't even follow God in the small things or stand against temptation.

But Hebrews reminds me that Jesus has made all things possible. Hebrews 5:9 says that He became the source of eternal salvation for us. Hebrews 4:15 tells us that that we can withstand temptation to sin because we have Christ in our lives. Hebrews 2:18 teaches us that He stands beside us in our suffering and trials, because He endured them, too. Hebrews 7:25 tells us that He is ready to save—once and for all—and intercedes for us with the Father. He forgives sin, and when He does, it's gone. Jesus isn't about guilt or shame.

I find joy and strength in the fact that I have a Savior who understands me and knows where I'm coming from. Jesus has stood in my place, taken on my sin, and covered me with His righteousness. He died so that I might be right with God. He has made a way!

And He's made a way for you, too.

ec fiction contest finalist: Jessica Morgan

Last week, we posted Whitney Stewart's winning entry in ec's first fiction writing contest. Today, we give you a creative story from our other finalist, Jessica Morgan. So, be sure to read her tale, which somehow reminded us of The Chronicles of Narnia. And be sure to pick up the August issue of ec and read Alexis Deese's winning entry on page 20. So, drum roll please. Here's Jessica Morgan's story, “The Last One.”

The Last One*
By Jessica Morgan

The night stars blazed up above and the moon shone like a newly polished silver coin, shining from its throne in the night sky. A slight breeze whispered to the shadows. A fugitive crept along, a large hood pulled over his head and a long black cloak flowing like silk behind him. The hood shifted back and forth as the deserter looked around just to be sure he wasn’t followed. The trees rustled solemnly, as though they knew someone was there. The shadows paused in their dance as they peered at the cloaked figure, then resumed their fun-making. The breeze played with the cloak, trying to get it undone to sweep it away. The fugitive waved the breeze away. Sullen, it went back to teasing the flower buds. An owl, perched on a near-by conifer, watched the rebel with wide unblinking eyes. A moth fluttered past its beak, and it snapped it up in one quick movement. Its eyes never left the cloaked figure. A dark green snake slithered up the path. It studied the creature with bright green eyes.

“You’re late. The ssssstarsssss have been up for an hour at leasssst.”

“I almost got caught. I had to wait for the guards to move away.”

“You have it?”

“Yes, it’s under my…” the dark figure said as he started to bring something out from the cloak, when the snake quickly stopped him.

“No! Not out here. There are ssssspiessss all around usssss. If they ever ssssaw
it, we’d be dead before you could blink. Now, let’ssss get back before we are arressssted for being out after curfew.”

The snake turned and slid down the small over-grown path. The thief looked over his shoulder before following. The owl watched them, then took off into the night.

They arrived at the bank of a long-dried river. The snake nudged back some bushes and the cloaked figure disappeared into a hidden cave. The snake glanced around, and then followed. Inside, the cave was dry and warm, a sharp contrast to the cold night outside. Several creatures looked up from the hot, crackling fire and when they saw the cloaked figure and the snake, the solemn faces broke into smiles. A young otter got up.

“You’re back! Praise the Lord, we all thought you had been killed.”

A wolf also stood.

“Are you alright, Matt?”

The cloaked figure pulled back his hood, revealing a young wolverine.

“I’m alright, Jon.”

The young otter looked at the snake.

“Are you doing alright, Master Edward?”

“Yes, Dawn, I’m fine.”

An older ferret made his way around the fire.

“Matt, did you manage to get it?”

Matt looked at Master Edward. The old snake nodded. Matt reached beneath his cloak and brought out a tattered book. The creatures gathered around Matt and Master Edward.

“It’s in better condition than I ever expected. How did you ever get it?” a silver furred lion, Paul, asked. Matt gave a weary grin.

“It’s a long story.” Matt began when Felix, a jaguar, interrupted.

“We can hear his story another time.”

Matt grinned.

“I was thinking the same thing.”

The creatures sat on logs around the fire while Matt remained standing. Master Edward also remained by Matt’s side. Matt dusted off the worn cover, and held it up for all to see.
“This book may be the last of its kind. Many creatures died trying to get it. Let us honor those creatures now, who gave their lives so that we might have the rare honor of reading from the last Bible.”

The owl blinked its red eyes against the wind. His beating wings made nary a sound in the night. As he flew, he started to pick up strange signals in the air. He tilted his head back and forth and was able to convert the disturbances into words. He swooped lower… and a cruel smile wormed its way across his beak.

Matt was reading from the Book of Mark, when they heard angry voices outside their cave and saw the flare of torches. Matt glanced up from the old tome at the faces around him.

“Well, I suppose we won’t close in prayer this time, brothers and sisters. Luke!”

“I’m here, Matt.”

“You ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

The two wolverines clasped paws, probably for the last time. The voices got louder and the covering started to rustle. Suddenly, the bushes were wrenched aside so forcefully they were yanked up by the roots. Several creatures wearing armor and dark masks stepped into the cave. A large black snake entered. It looked around with large evil eyes. They fell on Master Edward.

“Edward.”

“Shandazar.”

Suddenly, the cave was thrown into chaos. Both sides clashed with a yell. Matt fought with all his strength with Luke beside him, laughing madly as he cut down the enemy. Suddenly the laughter stopped. Matt turned, only to see his best friend, lying on the ground, dying.

“Luke!” the battle around him forgotten, Matt knelt by Luke’s side.

“Matt.” Luke said, his voice already faint.

“Luke, don’t leave. Not yet.”

“Matt, I’ll never leave you. Best friends…forever. I’ll…see you… in…the…kingdom.” Luke’s voice faltered and his head lolled. Matt clenched his teeth as he rose, leaving Luke where he fell and, with tears stinging his eyes, returned to the battle. A young rat stood before him. Although it grieved him greatly, Matt thrust his sword into the rat’s chest and shoved him aside so he couldn’t hear his final breath. He suddenly found himself pinned to the wall by another wolverine: his own brother.

“What a surprise.” His brother snarled and he pressed his sword against Matt’s throat.

“Any last words, traitor?”

Matt looked his brother straight in the eyes, strangely calm.

“May God have mercy on your soul.” Matt replied as he thrust a dagger in his brother’s chest. His vision went black.

A soft golden light flooded Matt’s senses. He blinked open his eyes.

“Matthew, welcome home, my son.”

Getting to know Jessica:
Age at time of submission: 15
Hometown: Los Alamos, N.M.
Favorite Scripture: 2 Corinthians 3:17

*This submission has been edited and/or character's names changed for clarity.

Friday Snippets and Soundbites

• The Opening Ceremony for the 2008 Summer Olympics will take place today in Beijing, China. Actually, the ceremony has probably already happened, but you won't see it until tonight, because of the time difference between China and the U.S. The ceremony started at 8 p.m. in China, which was around 7 a.m. here in Nashville.

• In other Olympic news, Joey Cheek, an Olympic gold medalist in speed skating, made the news this week when China revoked his visa to visit China. Cheek was coming to support a group of 70 athletes who make up Team Darfur, a group he founded around the idea of raising awareness of human rights violations in the Darfur region of the Sudan. China has military, economic, and diplomatic ties to the Sudan. Read more here.

• Sometimes it's OK to be alone. Sometimes you need to be alone. But not when you're three and in a busy airport. Last week, an Israeli couple rushing to get to a chartered flight to Paris managed to get all of their shopping, their 18 suitcases, and four of their five children on the plane. Their 3-year-old daughter somehow got lost in the shuffle and confusion. The parents boarded the plane without here and only found out when the cabin staff alerted the—after they'd been in the air for 40 minutes! An airline staffer flew with the child to Paris to reunite the family. Police plan to question the parents when they return from vacation.

• Want to know which TV actors are making the most per episode? Here you go. Now the ec staff is wondering what life would be like if we were paid $800K per issue.

• You've probably heard about the latest in spa treatments, the fish pedicure, right? But have you seen it? If not, check out this video.


Read more about it all here.

Music Minute: 100-Degree-August Pre-Olympic Edition

(Yes, I know that title is dorky.)

Jen here with another Music Minute - I'll do anything to stay inside this week, where the heat index in Nashville has been around 110 degrees every day! The way I see it, when it's this hot you've got two choices: stay inside with the air conditioning turned on or kick it by the pool. Either way you'll have plenty of time for some new tunes, right? Right! (Also try to catch some Olympics action...in college, I was on a rowing crew so I'll be watching that event for sure.)

What's new: Big Daddy Weave, Francesca Battistelli, Nicole C. Mullen, The Classic Crime, Third Day, and The Wrecking all released new albums since we last talked, and Corey Crowder released a great southern-rock single on iTunes.

I'm going to keep things simple and pick three, in no particular order:

What we like:



• Alternative/Indie Rock fans will love the latest release from The Classic Crime. We're not sure what the classic crime is or who committed it, but we like what we've heard of The Silver Cord, especially "Abracadavers."



• Big Daddy Weave's new release What Life Would Be Like. It's full of sparkling, mellow pop tunes that will take the edge off any hot summer day. We like the title track. (Also, if you're a fan of Coldplay, you should check these guys out.) Big Daddy Weave is playing a lot of concert dates this summer so you might want to catch a show - find tour dates at their website.



• We have to admit this is a teeny bit different for Music Minute, but we LOVE Francesca Battistelli's new album, My Paper Heart. A little jazz, a little rock, a little pop, some songs remind us of Feist and Fiona Apple, and others sound just a little bit like Taylor Swift. It's a crazy-sounding mix but sometimes crazy can be good. This is definitely not an album to miss. We like "I'm Letting Go."



What we're looking forward to: Call us cheesy, but we're really looking forward to the new Jonas Brothers record, which is supposed to release August 12. I mean, Camp Rock, cool hair, great tunes - what's not to like?

What we don't like: The end of summer break, mowing the lawn when it's 95 degrees, and chopping onions.

ec fiction contest finalist: Whitney Stewart

Last December, the ec staff invited our readers to think creatively and exercise your writing skills in our first ever fiction contest. Your response surprised us. You've probably seen the winning submission on page 20 of this month's issue of the magazine. And we promised you the two other finalists' stories in their entirety here on the blog. So, sit back and read Whitney Stewart's submission, "Underneath My Skin."

Underneath My Skin
By Whitney Stewart

No one ever really noticed her, not until she was gone. I did, even though I never would have admitted it. She was just a classmate and to me, a strange one. That was because she was so different. There was this way about her, like there was this light that just emanated from her. That was what caught my eye; she was like no one I had ever met before.

She looked like an average person. No striking features good or bad. Yet she never seemed average. She was quiet and reserved. When she did break her silence, it always seemed worth listening to. My friends would mock her, though, even when what she said made perfect sense. She never acted like the average person either. She was always there with an outstretched hand, even for those who ridiculed and mocked her. She also never seemed to have any harsh words for anyone.

She always talked about this friend she had. He was always there for her no matter how big of small the problem was. She always mentioned Him in class. in ethics, she always went back to what He said she should do and what was right and wrong, not what she personally would want to do, like the rest of the class did. No one could stand it when she spoke, even though they listened. The snickered behind her back or tried to ambush her into saying something she would have regretted. At first, my view was the same as everyone else's and then slowly it turned into respect. Respect because I knew that I would never had been able to stand the kind of ridiculing she went through. Heck, even though I knew what my friends did was wrong, I just stood by and let them torment her. She never showed any hint of it.

I wouldn't even have known her name if it hadn't been for that day. When I needed someone the most, there she was. My so-called friends were too busy getting ready for homecoming and finding dates. She found me crying on the stairs before school started. Coming up to me, she asked "What's wrong?" At first, I just ignored her, not wanting to come out and say those terrible six words. It was like saying them out loud would make the situation come true. She sat there patiently. The fact that she had stayed was a comfort. Everybody had just walked off amidst an uncomfortable silence. Finally, I was able to muster up the courage. "My parents are getting a divorce." The words sounded like the hammer hitting the anvil. She just sat there for a couple of minutes. "I'm sorry. That must be hard." At that, I broke down and let the dam that had been building all morning burst. I couldn't understand how they could just break up after so many years. What she had to say next surprised me.

“My parents have been divorced for about a year now, and it doesn't get any easier." She explained all that had led up to that point. All the meaningless arguments and things left unsaid. She told about her sister moving to upstate New York to live with her mom. “You must miss them.”

“I get to see them at Christmas and in the summer.”

“What is the hardest part?”

“Well, it's hard not seeing them, but the hardest part is the fact that I can't get any of them to go to church with me.”

“Huh?”

She explained that shortly after her parents' divorce, a guy down the block had convinced her to go to a camp over the summer that his church was going to. So she went. She had just needed to get away. It had gotten to the point where she avoided going home at all costs. She didn't feel loved at all. “After I was at the camp for a couple of days, I realized I was loved, just not by somebody I could physically see or touch. At the time, I couldn't deny the truth of what the pastor said. Someone loved me enough to die for me! And the fact that hew was so different. That's what brought me through my parents' divorce. That is what can help you.” She saw my look of disbelief and didn't push the subject, though she invited me to her church, giving me the directions.

We hung out more and more as the year went by. She never made any attempts to hide her religion. At lunch she would pray over her food. Although, she never asked me to, I would hold off eating until she was done. My friends started teasing me, just because I was hanging out with her. They even seemed to increase their torment of her. Now I couldn't stand what they were doing to her, though I rarely said anything. I was too scared to do anything. Though, the times that I did stand up for her, the look on her face made me feel like a million bucks. She seemed to understand how hard it was for me to stick up for her. Even then I didn't really grasp how much of an impact she was having on me.

She always made a point of inviting me to a church function or just church in general, but I always declined. She never pushed and asked in such a casual way I never thought anything of it. With my parents' divorce, I couldn't see how there could be a God who loved me, regardless of how much she insisted He did. She never gave up an opportunity to tell me this. I also wasn't ready for the kind of ridiculing I would get from my friends. It was hard enough to deal with the teasing I was getting. So I stayed home. Then my world came crashing down.

When I finally set foot in a church, I wished with every fiber of my being that I wasn't there, not for the reasons I was. A funeral, I never would have dreamed it! I had waited so long and now it was for a funeral. I remember looking at all the strange faces, wondering why I had even come. I didn't know any of these people. The were all so sad and crying. As I sat in a pew in the back all alone, I listened to what everybody was saying. I wondered why something like this could happen. No one seemed to remember the bad, and if they did, it was said as if it had been some joke. Then the pastor got up to say the last words.

They weren't words of remembrance, but a warning. A warning about how short life in this world is and that it is not our last. He talked with such conviction and passion. He had me captivated. He was talking about the same thing she had. As he came to a close, pleading for those you have never accepted Jesus' gift of eternal life, I broke. I realized that I had been nearly too late. Right then and there, I gave my life to her Jesus and took Him as my Savior. I trusted that He would heal this deep hurt.

I was sick that day. I didn't go to school or the hospital that we volunteered at. I wished I had. I wished I hadn't waited that extra day. Mom woke me up about three, worry strewn across her face. There had been a shooting at the hospital. I had sat up like a bolt of lightning. Was she OK? The look on Mom's face betrayed everything.

After her funeral, I couldn't get enough of Jesus. I devoured everything I could get out of the Bible. I did all I could to follow what I saw. I struggled, yes, but little by little, I saw myself gain ground. I still gain ground every day. My biggest regret is that I never took the opportunity to say, "Mary, I love you." Why hadn't I been able to do that before it was too late? In the time I had gotten to know her, she had stolen my heart. My prayer is that Mary knows she is the one who got to me, got underneath my skin, before she had the courage to look death in the face and say, "Yes, I am."

Getting to know Whitney:
Age at time of submission: 18, college freshman
Hometown: Lehigh Acres, Florida
Favorite Scripture: Matthew 11:28

Friday Snippets and Soundbites

• Welcome to August, ec fans! We hope the summer has been a special time of relaxation, fun, and developing deeper relationships for you! And, yes, we're aware—school starts back soon. :( In Nashville, where we live, school starts on August 11. Wow! Enjoy the nine-months on, three-months off schedule while you can. When you're old like us, you have to go to work. Every day. :) Be sure to check out the August issue of ec. We've got a back-to-school article, a great article on living out your faith consistently, and we'll reveal the winner of our fiction contest. Next week, we'll be posting the two finalists' stories on the blog. Be sure to check back! (And we'll start taking submissions for this year's contest in December. Details to come in the October issue of ec.)

• Have you heard about Washington D.C.'s crime-fighting turtle? Turtle No. 72, an Eastern box turtle counted and tagged by researchers in Rock Creek Park in D.C., led researchers, then police to someone's secret marijuana growing operation hidden deep in the woods that comprise the park. The researchers followed Turtle No. 72 to the plot by tuning in to the radio transmitter they'd previously attached to her shell. Police have made an arrest in the case. Want to know all the details? Go here.

• After Edmund, a popular newcomer to Christian music, will be performing Sunday night at the Lakewood Amphitheater in Atlanta, Ga., alongside Linkin Park, Chris Cornell, The Bravery, and others. The band was one of three winners of MTV2's Rock the Revolution contest in the Atlanta area, the prize being a slot to perform in the show, which is part of the national Projekt Revolution Tour. “We are so proud to have been chosen to perform,” says Yates, After Edmund's keyboard player. “To get an opportunity like this is encouraging.” The show will be recorded for broadcast on MTV. Look for a 5-minute interview with After Edmund in the October issue of ec.

• The fairy tale is over for Patrick Moberg. The Brooklyn man was head over heels for a girl he'd glimpsed on the subway. The problem? He didn't even know her name. Instead of brushing the incident aside, he set up a Web site detailing the day he spotted her and included a sketch. About 48 hours later, the woman had been identified. The couple met, got some international press, then took their relationship out of the public eye. And this week, we learned the fairy tale had ended. The couple says they are still friends, though.