Snippets and Soundbites

• Want some tunes to inspire you this Halloween? If you go to this website, you’ll see a list of Halloween jazz. You can listen to them, too! The list includes Nina Simone’s "I Put A Spell On You" and Wayne Shorter’s "Witch Hunt." 

• One day, if you graduate from college, you’ll receive letters and calls from the alumni association, asking for money for the school. One college attempted to appeal to younger alumni by using the word “blah” 137 times in their letter. The marketing style was expected to be interesting and attention-grabbing, but it made some of the graduates mad. They said it insulted their intelligence. One part of the letter read: “With the recent economic downturn and loan crisis, it has become even more important for Framingham State College to receive your support. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.” Read more here. 

• In these uncertain economic times, yacht sales and plastic surgery cases have decreased. It looks like even the ridiculously rich are cutting back on expenses. CEOs of big companies are buying one $4,000 custom suit instead of five. Yeah, we agree. That’s still crazy. You can see more about this “dollar pinching” here. 

Music Minute: World-Series Pinch-hitting Intern Edition!

Hey guys, Jen here! I've been in a bit of a panic these days to get some things caught up around the ec hallways. Luckily our awesome intern Chansin has agreed to pinch-hit for me. So without further rain delay, here she is!

What’s New: Screamo fans will be happy that Emery releases While Broken Hearts Prevail today. Andrew Peterson’s mellow tunes on his recent release, Resurrection Letters, Vol. II, reached No. 3 in the iTunes top downloaded Christian albums chart. For fans of Switchfoot and Relient K, you’ll also like Portland band Ruth. They just came out with their sophomore album, Anorak.

What We Like:

Perhaps you’ve heard of Hillsong, Australia’s largest evangelical church. They’ve produced top-selling worship albums of the music they use in their services. Yesterday a sister church in England, Hillsong London, released its fourth album, Hail to the King. With thirteen new songs (two of which were co-written with Israel Houghton), you can bet some of these tunes might be sung in American churches pretty soon. If you like contemporary worship music at all, this CD is for you. You Are Here is one of my favorites because it’s a simple reminder that God is near, even at this very moment. Check it out.



Shane & Shane released their first-ever Christmas album a couple weeks ago. Halloween hasn’t even happened yet, but who can help but be excited about Christmas music … especially from this awesome acoustic duo? The album features your favorite Christmas songs like "O Holy Night," "White Christmas," and "It’s Beginning to Look Like Christmas." I love it that they didn’t feel they had to only sing Christian carols. On Glory in The Highest the guys sound the same as they always have – which means you’re going to love them. Our ec pick? "It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas."



What we’re looking forward to: Jeremy Camp is releasing an album called Speaking Louder Than Before. He says it’s specifically aimed at youth … that means you! Maybe you’ve already heard one of the album’s songs, "There Will Be A Day," on the radio. You can download this inspiring, melodic song on iTunes right now and then get the entire cd on Nov. 25.



What we don’t like: Lukewarm coffee, hand-washing dishes, and too much homework.

Homecoming Hiccups

If Homecoming is coming up or you recently celebrated this annual tradition at your school, we bet it’s on your mind. Ahh, Homecoming, that fall ritual when teachers let learning slide for a day and costumes are completely acceptable school attire. Here at ec, we remember how much fun Homecoming was because we’ve chosen to forget all the bad parts—you know, like painstakingly decorating that float for the parade, the gossip and rumors that fly about why some girls got on the Homecoming court, and all the agonizing about whom you should go with to the dance.

Unfortunately, in getting this month’s issue ready for printing, the “Dressed for Distress: A Homecoming Horror Story” article on page 6 caused a few Homecoming memories to resurface that I (production editor Emily) would rather have forgotten. Like how in ninth grade, I didn’t have a date to the Homecoming dance, so my best friend’s boyfriend set me up on a date with his friend. I should have known it wasn’t meant to be when he took me to Wendy’s for the pre-dance meal. That, and he smoked the entire way to the restaurant and back. Needless to say, the “date” was basically over before it began, and I never saw the guy again. (Come to think of it, I can’t even remember his name!)

And then the next year, a fellow tenth grader asked me to the dance, two days before it actually happened. (Nothing like making a girl wait until the last minute. Hey guys, please don’t do this to your potential dates. Ask at least a week or two in advance and bail her out early from the anxiety—she’ll really appreciate it!) I was excited about being asked (no Wendy’s with a smoker this year!) until I remembered that he was the shortest guy in our grade. Now, I’m not a tall girl myself, but I wasn’t too happy when we got the pictures back and, even despite wearing shoes without tall heels, I was definitely taller than my date.

And then how about my senior year, when all the hard work my classmates and I put into our parade float went completely unnoticed by the judges? (Come on! Lions made out of chicken wire covered by tissue paper tufts are NOT easy to make!) The senior class at my school always got first place in the competition. That is, until I was in the senior class. Talk about being disappointed. To top it all off, it rained that night, which is always good for making that hairstyle you worked on for hours look just like it did when you got out of the shower, which was not exactly what I wanted to look like in my final Homecoming pictures of my high school career.

How about you? Any Homecoming misfortunes that you’d rather forget? If so, leave us the details in a comment! We’d love to hear from you.

Snippets and Soundbites

• You’ve probably heard. High School Musical 3 comes out in theaters this weekend. It’s predicted to be one of the biggest box office openings of October. HSM 3 has 10 musical numbers and the plotline surrounds the Wildcats’ graduation. You loved the songs “We’re All in This Together” in the first movie and “I Don’t Dance” in the second. Now you can learn all the tunes in the third movie. We know you’re excited. Test your knowledge of High School Musical with this quiz.

• Some people are afraid to fly in airplanes. I guess they’re worried it might crash. My fears are calmed when I think about how many millions of people fly each day and that you almost never hear about an accident. To get a better idea of how many people fly, watch this YouTube video. It shows the world’s air traffic over 24 hours. It’s really cool! Notice what areas are especially lighted up (naturally, the U.S. has LOTS of flights) and what areas aren’t lit up at all.

• Do you still trick-or-treat? By the time I was in seventh grade, I stopped making the rounds for candy because I felt too old. But there are still a lot of teens that love to put on costumes and knock on people’s doors. Well, there’s a town in Illinois that has banned teens 9th grade and up from trick-or-treating. Apparently there were complaints about teenagers ringing doorbells after 9 p.m. on Halloween night. So now they’re not allowed to be out unless they’re helping a younger sibling. Read the story here.
  

You need to know

Oh, times they are a-changin' here at ec.

Well, they have been changing for awhile, but it seems like we're in a big time of flux right now. We're all getting new job titles, taking on different tasks, and trying to keep ec on schedule. And we're taking all the info you've been giving us about ec's redesign and tweaking things. As a result, you'll start seeing the dates for the devo weeks in the February issue. (Sorry, November, December, and January are already too far gone in production!)

Also, if you're a fan of Twitter, you can follow us there. Each morning you'll get a short devotional thought that will point you to that day's devotion. And you'll also get some behind-the-scenes commentary from the team that brings you ec each month. Follow us here.

And tell your student minister about the Hot Sheet. Really, it's important.

And then there's this poll we'd love to get your thoughts on! So answer away!

And finally, October is nearing its end. So why not answer our Question of the Month? You can do it by clicking on the link right over there on the left. Please? We'd love your forever!

Truth, Lies, and everything in between

The cover story for the October 2008 issue of ec had to do with the lies of the world we accept for truth. The story was born out of a discussion of Romans 1: 21-25.

And apparently, God still wants me to learn something from those words Paul wrote to the Roman believers so long ago.

See, we edited this issue months ago. I dug deep in the Scripture and edited the stories and wanted you all to see the truth of God at work on the pages of the magazine. And then I moved on to the next issue and the next and the next. Romans was just a distant memory.

Until last week, when the verse popped up again in a Bible study I'm doing with a group at my church. The whole week of study last week had to do with lies I'm buying into that while not seemingly bad things are pulling my focus from God. Things like dating relationships, friendships, finances, and being right. None of those things are wrong, per se, but sometimes, in my world, they wrestle first place from God. Instead of pursuing God, His standard, and His righteousness, I find myself running after people, idealized relationships, more money, stuff I want to buy, and the right to say "I told you so" and feel superior to everyone around me.

The world likes to tell me that I'm the most important person in my life. That my dreams, wishes, hopes, and needs come before anyone else's. God's Word tells me that the greatest command is to love Him. The second isn't to make myself important; it's to love others, to give myself up.

So today, a day when I'm full of self-pity and fear, my prayer isn't that I pursue all the seemingly good things the world has set before me. It's that I pursue the things I know God values and that I serve others. It's time to stop believing the lies!
—Mandy

Snippets and Soundbites

• I can normally eat about three big slices of pizza in one sitting. How many can you eat? The winner of the first “Famous Famiglia World Pizza Eating Championship” in New York's Times Square downed 45 slices in 10 minutes! This 24-year-old eating champ has also won a hot-dog eating contest two times and a Krystal hamburger contest one time. Talk about a tummy-ache! Read more about him here.

• Divorce is never good and can be messy. Messiness reached a whole new level, though, with one couple in Cambodia. They terminated their 18-year marriage with a divorce settlement that included sawing their wooden house in two. The husband and his relatives ripped apart half the house and took it away. This news webpage shares the story.

• Here’s another reason you shouldn’t drink alcohol: you might fall asleep in someone else’s house. One drunken man in Maryland stumbled into the wrong house, ate a crab cake from the kitchen, and found the bed. The freaked-out homeowners called the police (and probably regretted leaving their front door unlocked). When the police shook him awake, he asked them what they were doing in his house. Talk about out of it! When learning of his mistake, the man apologized profusely and the family decided not to press charges. Check out more of this bizarre story here. 
  

Music Minute

I don't know about y'all, but I can REALLY relate to Emily's post below. I'm the total polar opposite of her working style - total right-brainer - but I still have a lot of trouble dealing with change. (Not the "coin" variety, either.) So don't be thinking "that's not me" just because you aren't a planner. Unexpected events seem to be part of the way God works. Run with it!

So what's new? I became a Christian back in the 90s, and I get easily distracted by bands that I've been listening to for ages.



So I'll get that out of the way first - new stuff from Sixpence None the Richer hit the stores last month, and I've gotta give them a little shout-out. The Dawn of Grace is a Christmas album - both traditional and original songs - and Christmas is my favorite time of year, so I like this a lot. The simple arrangements and Leigh Nash's clear voice make this album a tasty musical treat. And check out Mere Christianity if you've never read it; it's where the band gets its name. We like Silent Night.



Orlando rockers Anberlin range in age from 16 to 26 and bring all kinds of musical influences to the table - The Smiths, The Cure, Jeff Buckley, and a little dose of Southern rock thrown in for good measure. Their latest album, New Surrender, is a mash-up of these influences, combined with an indie-rock attitude. We like Breaking.



What we're looking forward to: Screamo fans will like Emery - definitely harder than your typical Christian rock, but not punishing. If punk is your thing, check these boys out. On October 28 they release While Broken Hearts Prevail. Fans of My Chemical Romance will like Edge of the World. We're hoping the rest of the album is as good as this song.

Mandisa releases a Christmas album November 20.

What we don't like: Raking leaves, pumpkin guts, and having to wake up before sunrise.

Slave (to the day planner) no more!

If confession is good for the soul, then I hope to feel really great after writing this.

My name is Emily, and I am a type-A, planner-toting, time-conscious, detail-oriented micromanager. There, I said it. I’m pretty stingy with my time and often have a hard time finding room on my calendar for things that come up unexpectedly. When one of my free-spirit friends wants to go get coffee “sometime,” I demand to know when “sometime” is. I set up an appointment with this person, write it in my planner, and then hold them to it. That’s just one example. There is no telling how many people I’ve hurt by refusing to spend time with them in the name of maintaining my schedule.

My rigidity is not my favorite part of myself.

Last week, I threw it out the window.

It was surprisingly easy. A friend needed me. That was all it took. My best friend’s fiancé called to tell me that he was putting my best friend on a plane to Nashville from Denver so she could be with her dad, who was having emergency surgery. He wanted to know if I could pick her up at the airport and let her stay with me that night. He said she was too emotional to call me herself and too exhausted to drive the rest of the way to her hometown that night.

I didn’t even have to think about it. Of course I would take care of her once she arrived in Nashville. Moments earlier, I’d been planning out my one night of downtime for the week. But before I knew what I was doing, I was offering to take a vacation day the next day and drive her home (4.5 hours away). That ended up not being necessary (thanks to a very nice sales associate at Hertz who I’m pretty sure pulled some strings to get my friend a car), but I was completely willing to do it. Looking back, I’m a little shocked that I didn’t freeze up at the thought of doing something that wasn’t on my planner. But the thought of being protective of my time didn’t even cross my mind at the time because I knew what was important.

This past week put a lot of things into perspective for me. I learned several key lessons:
• Number one, when people you love need you, you will do whatever it takes to meet that need. (Which explains why parents go to the lengths they do sometimes.)
• Number two, a lot of the things I think are important aren’t. (Suddenly, the TV shows and manicure scheduled for last Monday night really didn’t matter.)
• Number three, I need to loosen up. I highly doubt that Jesus would have been chained to His calendar, had they had day planners back in His day. He knew what was expected of Him, yet was free to serve when the opportunity presented itself. It’s amazing the freedom that comes when you have your priorities straight.

(And I’m happy to report that my best friend’s dad will be just fine, and that I was able to spend a lot more time with her this past week than I have since she moved to Denver a year ago.)

So if you see yourself in my story, I hope you’ll loosen your grip on your planner and stop missing out on the parts of life that happen without warning. Enjoy your time! It’s God’s gift to you.

It's Now or Never: An Elvis Poll

Have you seen our poll on page 38 of this month's issue of ec?
Yes?
Well, here's your chance to tell us your answer. Watch for the results in an upcoming issue!

Snippets and Soundbites

• One person = one grain of rice in a touring exhibition that gave visitors an understanding of how many people live on this planet. The creators of “Of All The People In All The World” used grains of rice to bring abstract statistics to life. There were 6.7 billion grains (that’s 112 tons!) of rice used to show things like the number of people born each day, the number of deaths in the holocaust, and all the people who have walked on the moon. Our favorite is the Titanic representations. See this blog to view some pictures of the rice displays.

• A college student in Ohio said he’d rather pay a fine than listen to classical music. He was facing a $150 fine for playing rap music too loudly in his car this summer. Twenty hours of listening to Bach, Beethoven, and Chopin would have reduced his fine to $35, but he lasted only 15 minutes. He decided he didn’t want to deal with the sentence. What would YOU have chosen? Read the full story here. 

• Have you ever gotten lost in the countryside and wished you had a compass? Probably not, but if you ever do, just look to the cows! Scientists have found that cows tend to face north. That’s because they align themselves with the Earth’s magnetic field. And you thought cows were dumb! Learn more at this website. 
  

Homecoming: Looking Your Best

Homecoming approaches, and you've got your clothes all picked out. Here are a couple of tips for looking your best on your special night:

GUYS:

• Get a closer shave. Shower first, then step out, dry off and shave your face. The steam from the shower will help soften your beard and give you a closer shave.

• Make your hands look nice. Lather up your hands with soap and add a couple spoonfuls of sugar (yes! table sugar!). The soap will turn white - it's okay. Gently scrub your hands and rinse thoroughly. Follow up with some nice, non-scented lotion if you can find some. Clean under your fingernails and take a second to push back your cuticles.

• Red spots plaguing your complexion? Put a little Visine on your spots and leave them alone. It gets the red out! (PS: Don't use a scrub on your skin if you are acne-prone. It can make you break out more. Try a minty-smelling toner like Sea Breeze to help dry up oily spots.)

GIRLS:

• Go easy on the makeup. Try using cooler, more pink-y colors than normal for a more-formal look. White allover eye shadow and black eyeliner / mascara also take your makeup up a notch. Don't assume that caking on more color is better - it's not. And use a light touch with shimmer powders and lotions - subtle is better and more elegant.

• Start big. Sounds crazy, but style your hair to be bigger than you want it (not Texas big, just bigger). Hairstyles fall and flatten as you move around. To get a really great formal 'do, make it a little bigger than usual and by the time you get to the dance, it will look terrific. Don't trust us? Try a practice run - you'll be surprised. And wear a shirt that buttons while you do your hair, not a t-shirt! This will make it a lot easier to change into your dress without wrecking your hair.

• Try the sugar scrub (above) on your hands and heels, especially if you play sports. Be careful about putting lotion on your feet before the big event, though - lotion is slippery! Do that the night before and you'll wake up with softer feet that won't make you slide all over in your shoes. Make sure your nails (fingers and toes!) are clean, too.

Attention Student Ministers!

Yes, we're talking to you.

Here at ec, we want to support you in your ministry. We want to help you better understand the changes that we've made to ec magazine, inform you of upcoming features and devotion topics, and help you see all the ways you could use the magazine to further the reach of your ministry.

In order to do that, we're introducing The Hot Sheet. It's a little newsletter you'll find only here on our blog. We'll be updating it each quarter and hope to help you understand what topics we'll be tackling in future issues and giving you ideas for ways to use ec to support what you're already doing. It's a PDF, so feel free to print it off and read it at your leisure!

So go check it out. It's right over there in the left-hand menu. And be sure to leave some comments. We want to know if you like it! :)

Friday's Snippets and Soundbites

• Disney’s movie about Chihuahuas comes out today, Oct. 3. It’s about Chloe (voice of Drew Barrymore) who lives a luxurious life as a Chihuahua in Beverly Hills. Papi (voice of George Lopez) falls “head-over-paws” for her. When Chloe gets lost in Mexico, Papi heads south with some friends to rescue her. Go to the movie’s website to watch a trailer.

• Cornell University's Food and Brand Lab did a study about the habits of diners at Chinese buffets. Twenty-two trained observers watched 213 patrons at 11 all-you-can-eat buffets at Chinese restaurants around the country. What did they observe? Obese customers have a different approach than normal-weight diners. Those who are heavy are less likely to scan the food before getting any, use forks rather than chopsticks, and sit facing the food line. Many of these patterns of behavior could lead to overeating without them realizing it. Read the statistics here.

• Before the printing press was invented, the Bible had to be copied by hand. But those days are long gone. Or are they? A publisher is creating a special handwritten edition of the Bible. People across the U.S. are getting to be a part of this NIV Bible by writing one of the 31,173 verses. Read about how the huge blue RV with the logo “BibleAcrossAmerica.com” is traveling around the country for contributions.
  
  
• A fan of Twitter? Follow ec magazine! Read our tweets at www.twitter.com/ecmagazine.