THANKS giving

On Thursday, Americans of all walks of life will likely sit down for a festive meal of turkey, cranberry sauce, dressing, and all the rest. But if you think back to that first day of thanksgiving celebrated in 1621 by the pilgrims at Plymouth, you'll be struck by something that mostly missing from many of our contemporary Thanksgiving celebrations: actual thanksgiving to God.

The pilgrims celebrated thanksgiving all those years ago because it was part of their custom. They had finished the harvest and wanted to thank God for the blessings He had bestowed upon them. To these early settlers, a Day of Thanksgiving was primarily a religious holiday. Their thanksgiving wasn't about being thankful for stuff, but rather being thankful for a God who loved them and had blessed them by taking care of their every need.

Thanksgiving became a tradition in the U.S. in 1863, but it wasn't until 1941 that it became an official holiday. Today, we're inviting you to think back to that first Day of Thanksgiving and to thank God for the things He's done this year. Share some of your thankful posts in the comments section.

To get you started, here's some of mine:
• I'm thankful for a job that more than meets my needs, especially during a year that has been financially rough on many of my friends and family.
• I'm thankful that God is always faithful, has never left me, and daily reminds me that I am dearly loved.
• I'm thankful for the blessing of a vacation to New England in October. I needed the time to rest, relax, and revel in the God who designed the seasons and knows me by name.
• I'm thankful for my friends and family.
• I'm thankful for the favor God has shown this magazine.

So what are you thankful for? Sound off!

Friday Snippets and Soundbites

Ready to get your weekend off to a great start? We've got just the random news you need here!
And if these stories aren't enough, you can always check out page 38 in this month's (and every month's) issue of ec.

Ready? Let's go!

That plan stinks.
And we mean that literally: it STINKS! In Moldova, the government has an interesting plan to help the nation's soldiers ward off H1N1: eat more onions and garlic. Moldovan soldiers have been issued larger rations of both smelly foods by orders of the defense ministry's chief doctor. Moldova has been hit particularly hard with the flu, so badly in fact that most schools and universities have been under a quarantine period in an attempt to contain the sickness. To read more about the plan, go here.

Everybody loves a baby.
It appears that even applies to thieves. Apparently, two suspects forced their way into a house in Indianapolis last Friday night. They began ransacking the house, and the noise apparently woke the baby, who began crying. While one suspect continued looking for things to steal, the other warmed a bottle in the microwave and gave it to a child to feed the baby. After seeing the surveillance video of the event on a newscast, a viewer recognized the suspect who warmed the bottle and tipped off police. They now have an 18-year-old in custody. Read more here.

Leggo my eggo!
Apparently a lot of people will be letting go of freezer waffles next summer, since Eggo says there will be a shortage due to production interruptions at a couple of its plants. You can read more here. In the meantime, let us know what you'll be eating for breakfast instead in the comments!

Are you playing favorites?

This week’s devotions are about favoritism. Maybe you’ve been the victim (or the recipient) of favoritism at home, in the classroom, or elsewhere. While we can’t always help how we’re treated, we can most certainly help how we treat others.

So think about it for a minute. Do you treat everyone the same? I mean, really and truly the same—regardless of what he looks like, how she smells, what kind of car he drives, how good (or bad) her grades are, how much money his family has, or what kind of religion she follows?

It’s hard to treat all people with love and respect, isn’t it? I love what the Book of James has to say about favoritism. Actually, I don’t love it because it puts a big ol’ burden square on my shoulders—the duty to not play favorites, especially at church. You probably read part of James 2 earlier this week. I’d love for you to read James 2:1-10 now. . . I’ll wait. Feeling convicted after reading that passage? Me too.

Today is Wednesday. That means that you’ll most likely be at a youth group activity tonight. How will you not show favoritism? Will you be nice to that weird kid who always tries to be near you and your friends? Will you try to pay attention even when the leader you don’t really like is speaking? Will you be kind to the new student who appears lost and confused, despite the weird clothes he has on? Will you encourage the student who looks sad, even though she isn’t your friend? Will you stop focusing on your crush across the room and listen to your friend who is right next to you?

Yes, it’s probably a little easier to be kind to your friends (at least I hope so!), but don’t forget that God doesn’t show favoritism, and neither should you. So today (and every day), go looking for the people you normally wouldn’t pay attention to or respond to with love and respect. Treat them how God would want you to. And let us know how it goes by leaving us a comment!

Five-Minute Interview

Ready for that video interview with Andrew Peterson we promised in this month's issue of ec?
Here it is!

Friday Snippets and Soundbites

It's Friday! We hope you're ready to get your weekend off to a great start . . . with this week's edition of "Snippets and Soundbites."

And, as always, if these little snippets of the news of the strange aren't enough for you, check out page 38 in this month's (and every month's) issue of ec.

And without any further ado . . .

Scooby Doo would be proud
A white Great Dane in San Diego, Calif., was named the world's tallest dog by the Guinness Book of World Records this week. Titan, who belongs to Diana Taylor, is 4-years-old and measures in at 42.25 inches from floor to shoulder (which is the way veterinarians measure dogs' height). But Titan isn't in the best of health. His owner says he's blind, deaf, epileptic and undergoes acupuncture and chiropractic adjustments every three weeks. Taylor adopted Titan as a puppy from the Middle Tennessee Great Dane Rescue. When he could only see out of one eye, she taught him sign language. When he went completely blind, the two began communicating by touch. To learn more about Titan and his new title, go here. To learn more about Great Danes, go here.

Facebook to the rescue!
A 19-year-old New York man can say something about his status updates on Facebook that most of us can't: My status update got me out of jail. Robert Bradford was recently arrested and held for 12 days in connection with an armed robbery that took place in the Brooklyn neighborhood he lives in. But Bradford kept insisting to police he wasn't there at the time and could prove it by the status update he made on Facebook from a computer in his father's Manhattan building at the same time as the crime. The police have said that Facebook did play a role in Bradford's release and the dismissal of charges against him. To learn more, go here. To update your status, go here (and visit ec's fan page while you're at it).

Love is in the air. Literally.
And finally, the tale of James Ng and his ill-fated attempt at a romantic marriage proposal. Ng had invited his girlfriend on a hot air balloon ride and planned to propose to her while in the air. He'd carefully hidden the ring box in his camera case and everything seemed to be going as planned. . . until Ng accidentally dropped the case from the balloon, watching it tumble through the air, hitting a tree and falling to the ground. Ng's girlfriend caught on to what was happening (based on Ng's reaction to dropping the camera case) and Ng proposed anyway. Sonya Bostic, the girlfriend said yes, even though the ring was now missing and Ng (a pastor) knew it would take him a long time to save up to buy another. Happily engaged but ring-less, Ng decided he couldn't let the ring go. Using Google maps and flight paths, he set up search grids and asked a friend to help him search. Meanwhile, Sonya wore a twist tie and then a $9 ring on her finger as a symbol of the couple's engagement. Ng searched for seven days, and—miracle upon miracle—found the camera bag. All that remained inside was the ring box. Ng and Bostic called it a miracle and praised God for the find. To read all about it, go here.

Music Minute - 15 second edition!

Hey y'all! Sorry for being so quick about this one but we are seriously behind on the February issue and I've only got a few minutes to tell you about new stuff in Christian music.

There's a new acoustic worship release from Shane & Shane called Everything is Different. You can check out their daily video blogs on their web site, listen to their new tunes, and maybe catch a show in your hometown. Check out the video for My Portion.

Previewing all week this week on New Release Tuesday is the new album by Switchfoot, Hello Hurricane. Don't miss your chance to listen for free and decide what you like! (You do need to register, though.) There's a tasty video of "Mess of Me" you can watch on the NRT splash page, too. Here's the album preview link!

That's all the time I've got! See you in a couple weeks. :)

Real Live Faith

I used to think that my faith was just a part of my life. I was a writer, a St. Louis Cardinals fan, a sister, a friend, and a Christian. My faith was just part of the list of things that made me, well, me. But the truth that’s become clearer and clearer to me as I’ve walked along this journey with Jesus is that that idea couldn’t be further from the truth.

I was 11 years old (or somewhere in that general vicinity) when I said yes to Christ’s invitation. I knew that I was being invited to something much bigger than myself, that I was loved, and that I needed Jesus in my life. I knew that I had arrived at a moment when a response was required. In the years since then, the best phrase I’ve found to describe that moment in my walk with Christ is that He drew me to His side, and all I could say was yes. I wanted to follow Him. I wanted Him to call the shots. I wanted to be known as His. Saying yes felt like I had just laid down something very heavy.

Since then, I’ve sometimes found myself trying to compartmentalize my faith. It’s easy to divide our lives into two areas: the church stuff and everything else. But when Jesus has your heart, you can’t happily stay that way very long. Jesus can’t be contained, and your relationship with Him should overflow into all the areas of your life—from your friendships to the movies you watch and the decisions you make. When I’ve let go and stopped trying to restrict Him, I’ve learned just how powerful God is, and I’ve felt the wonder of being held by a Savior who remains faithful when we are faithless (2 Tim. 2:13).

If you’re a Christian, don’t mistakenly think that is just part of who you are; it’s everything. Jesus is your Savior and your Lord, and He has say in your decisions, your dreams, whom you date, what you listen to, and how you spend your time. If you get nothing else out of this month's issue of ec, it’s my hope that you read Cynthia Hopkins’ cover story, “Real Live Faith,” and understand that Christ has called you to radical obedience in every part of your life, not just the so-called “church stuff.” The goal of this issue is to help you see that your faith isn’t just part of your life; it is your life. That’s why we began a series of articles on spiritual disciplines (p. 16), and it’s why we’re asking you to evaluate your life for humility and faith in action (p. 42 and 56, respectively). Your faith isn’t just something you have; it’s something you live. And we’ll be challenging you with that truth in every devotion and on every page of this issue of ec.

If you are a believer, you are a child of God. Let that truth affect every part of your life—this month and all the days of your life.

Friday Snippets and Soundbites

Happy Friday, all! And let's get things started off right with some of the—well—"stranger" news stories of the week.

And, as always, if today's silly news isn't enough for you, check out page 38 in this month (and every month's) issue of ec. You won't be sorry! (At least we hope not. . . .)

Lost and Found
This week, customs agents at the Los Angeles/Long Beach seaport opened a shipping container (albeit it a big one!) to find a VW van that had been missing since 1974. The van was stolen from a upholstery shop in Spokane, Washington, during the 1974 World's Fair, which Spokane hosted. When the officials found the van earlier this month, they ran its VIN number and discovered it was listed as stolen all those years ago. Apparently, at some point, the van had come into the possession of a vehicle restoration shop in Arizona. The owners there refurbished the 1965 van to pristine condition and planned to sell it overseas, hence shipping it from Los Angeles to the Netherlands (which is where the van was headed before customs agents opened the shipping container). Legally, the van now belongs to the insurance company that paid off the initial theft claim back in the 1970s. To learn more, go here. To learn more about the World's Fair, go here.

If at first you don't succeed. . . .
One woman from South Korea took that saying seriously as she tried to pass the written test to get her driver's license. Now—wait for it—it took the woman 950 tries to pass the written test. She's taken the test nearly every day since April 2005 and finally passed the written portion this week. She had to obtain a score of 60 (out of 100) to pass the written test and get her chance behind the wheel of a car for the driving portion of the test. The woman spent more than $4000 in her test-taking frenzy. The woman still has to pass the driving portion of the test to obtain her license, and we really hope that test goes better for her. To learn more about this story, go


A mega meatball
And finally, a New Hampshire restaurant has set a world record. . . for the world's largest meatball. A 222.5-pound meatball made by the staff at Noni's Italian Eatery in Concord, N.H., was authenticated as the world's largest after being weighed by state weights and measures officials and Guinness Book of World Records officials. The old record of 198.6 pounds was set just over a month ago after talk show host Jimmy Kimmel vowed to beat a record set in Mexico. That record — 109 pounds—was set in August. To learn more, go here.

Britt Nicole: Part Two

Yesterday, Britt Nicole shared how tough her parents’ divorce was on her. She knows what you and your friends are going through. She’s been there. And she’s got some words of wisdom for you. Read on.


ec: What should they expect, now that their family is different after a divorce?
Britt: It was always hard for my brother and I because holidays are time for families. You’re used to being together. But for the first holiday you’re not, it’s hard. If you go in knowing “OK, this is going to be different.” . . . No matter what they face—whether it’s holidays or spending one weekend with mom and one weekend with dad—keep in mind that God has a plan for your life, and He’s going to take it and turn it into something good, even though you can’t see it right then. I’m a testimony of that and God doing that in my life. God used something that hurt so much and was really hard to get through and turned it so that now I get to help other people who go through it. . . . It’s hard. It’s hard to pack a bag to go see your mom or your dad. But I think it gets easier as time goes by. . . That first holiday or weekend where they’re going to visit their mom or dad might be really, really difficult. But God’s going to be there with them through the whole thing. They’re not alone.

ec: What advice do you have for teens who want to reach out to their friends whose parents are going through a divorce?
Britt: They need someone to love them. They need someone to wrap their arms around them and let them cry—sometimes for 30 minutes. They need that time to get it out that this HURTS. The best thing they can do is just be there for them. Through times like that, you need support; you need love. A lot times you can’t explain what you’re feeling. If someone wants to sit down and talk to you about it, sometimes you don’t even know what to say. If someone needs someone to talk to, then it’s good to be there to talk. But I think more than talking, it’s just being there. Being there, supporting and loving them. Like my best friend—we’ve been best friends since we were 13—and she’s always good at that. She makes me laugh and forget about everything that’s going on. Sometimes you need that—those moments or those nights to just not worry about it and to just have a good time with your friends. It can consume you if you’re trying to figure it out, trying to understand. She was great for me, [at] being a friend, not making it about what was wrong. If I’d wanted to talk about [the divorce], she would. But it didn’t have to be about that. It could be “We’re friends, and we’re getting together to have fun.”

ec: What would you say is a positive thing that’s come out of your parents’ divorce?
Britt: Being able to help others get through it. We all walk through difficult things in life. It’s just so awesome how God uses things we walk through—our own struggles and our own weaknesses—for His glory. He says that in our weakness, He is strong. He knows we’re going to make mistakes and we’re not perfect. His grace is there for us in that. I’m just thankful that I’ve had him to get through it, and I’ve had my family. He’s healed my heart, and I’m able to reach out to other people. I think that’s the greatest thing that’s come of it. My parents have both remarried, and my dad has a son through his marriage who is a huge blessing in all of our lives, and he wouldn’t be here [had my parents not divorced]. God makes things good and turns things for His good and His glory. We don’t understand things, but He understands. We have to give things to Him and say, “I don’t know what’s going on, but I trust You.”

ec: Any last words of wisdom?
Britt: If you’re going through your parents’ divorce, then make sure you’re leaning into God. If I wouldn’t have had Jesus to get through my parents’ divorce, I don’t know how I’d have been able to get through it. If you are daily seeking him, He’ll make it much easier than it would be on your own.



ec magazine would like to thank Britt Nicole for her honesty. If you're struggling through the effects of divorce, you're not alone. God's with you. But don't forget to talk to those closest to you about what's going on inside your head. Communication with your parents, family, friends, and church family should be open and honest as you deal with a divorce. It's not easy, we know, but don't let these tough circumstances come between you and God. He's the only One who will never fail you.

Britt Nicole’s thoughts on divorce

Divorce is a big issue in your world. All of you have experienced it yourself or have a friend who is. We hate this for you and feel your pain. You’re not alone in it, though. Check out our article on page 51 of the November issue, if you haven’t already. Christian recording artist Britt Nicole struggled through her parents’ divorce when she was 7 years old, and she opened up to ec’s production editor Emily recently about dealing with the divorce. Check out what she had to say below.


ec: What did you struggle with the most when you found out that your parents were divorcing?
Britt: I remember feeling afraid at times because you’re so used to your life being one way and then it changes, and you just don’t understand. You try to figure it out, but you don’t get it. And your parents don’t know if you’re going to understand even if they tell you. It can just be really confusing. One thing I would do is read my Bible. Even when I was 7 years old. I was always in church, always learning about God. I had heard about Jesus my whole life, but Jesus became real to me when I was 7 years old because I didn’t know who to turn to. I would go to my room, and I had a big Precious Moments Bible—a big white one. I would honestly run to my room and open my Bible and read it and just start crying. I felt Jesus was there with me when I read my Bible. I felt like I wasn’t alone, that God was giving me strength to get through it. I know that sounds crazy to think at 7 years old, you can feel all that. I got saved when I was 7 years old too. It was in the middle of everything that was going on. I was at church one night with my dad, and I went to the altar and accepted Jesus as my Savior. [I was] so dependent on that relationship with Him, even when I was a little girl.

ec: How did your relationship with God change as you dealt with your parents’ divorce?
Britt: I was younger when they got divorced, but I had to walk through it my whole life, from when I was 7 until now. Trying to figure out how to deal with what happened, how to let go of it, how to forgive, how to believe in love. What I saw made me not believe in love. My relationship with God just became more real and more intimate. I knew that I needed more than my family or friends because there are things in life where they can’t always help me the way I need to be helped. God was able to give me everything I needed during that [time]. So my relationship with Him became very real, and it was just like God was my father. I knew that nobody else could help me get through those nights where I was lying in bed, crying. He was there. No matter what I go through, I know that Jesus’ love is constant, and He’s there, always.

ec: What would you tell someone who is going through their parents’ divorce now?
Britt: You’re not alone. But that’s what you feel—you feel like nobody’s there, that nobody understands, but God’s there with you. He sees, He knows everything that you’re going through. Even though what I walked through was really difficult, I’m thankful that I’m able to say to other people, “Hey, I’ve been there.” It’s important for them to know that somebody else has walked through this and felt what I feel. Being able to say, “I’ve been there. I know what you’re going through. You’re going to get through it.” Also, you have to forgive. That was a big thing for me—forgiveness. I did not know that I had not forgiven my parents.

[When I forgave my parents,] It was a huge moment in my life of God lifting a huge weight off me that I didn’t know I’d been carrying my whole life. There were things in my heart that I hadn’t let go of or forgiven. And the moment that I did that, I felt the return of freedom come over me and the return of joy that I hadn’t felt, honestly, my whole life. Forgiveness is really important. You might get hurt and you might not understand why you’re going through what you’re going through, but you have to let go, give it to God, put it in His hands, and forgive. We need forgiveness in our lives too. [Forgiving my parents] was huge, and just letting go. Saying, “God, this happened a long time ago”—or even if it’s something that happened just yesterday—still just saying, “God, I let go. I need you to carry this cause it’s too much. I have to give it to You.” Let God come in and heal [your] heart.


Check back in tomorrow, when we finish up Britt’s interview. She’ll talk about what to expect after the divorce, how to reach out to your friends whose parents are getting divorced, and the positive things that can result from a divorce.

November Daily Bible Readings

Welcome to the lovely month of November. We can smell the pumpkin pie and turkey already . . . yum! In the midst of counting your blessings this month, don’t forget to read your Bible. Speaking of which, we’ve got your recommended daily allowance of Bible readings below. Find today’s date and start reading the passages specified. Repeat tomorrow. (You can print this post out, stick it in your Bible, and use it as a checklist, if that helps you.) We promise, if you follow our plan, you’ll read through the Bible in a year. And if you’ve been doing this all year long, be encouraged; you’re ALMOST there! :)


Sunday, November 1: Jeremiah 51; 2 Timothy 1
Monday, November 2: Jeremiah 52; 2 Timothy 2
Tuesday, November 3: Lamentations 1; 2 Timothy 3
Wednesday, November 4: Lamentations 2; 2 Timothy 4
Thursday, November 5: Lamentations 3; Titus 1
Friday, November 6: Lamentations 4; Titus 2
Saturday, November 7: Lamentations 5; Titus 3

Sunday, November 8: Ezekiel 1–2; Philemon
Monday, November 9: Ezekiel 3–4; Hebrews 1
Tuesday, November 10: Ezekiel 5–7; Hebrews 2
Wednesday, November 11: Ezekiel 8–10; Hebrews 3
Thursday, November 12: Ezekiel 11–12; Hebrews 4
Friday, November 13: Ezekiel 13–14; Hebrews 5
Saturday, November 14: Ezekiel 15–16; Hebrews 6

Sunday, November 15: Ezekiel 17–18; Hebrews 7
Monday, November 16: Ezekiel 19–20; Hebrews 8
Tuesday, November 17: Ezekiel 21–22; Hebrews 9
Wednesday, November 18: Ezekiel 23–24; Hebrews 10
Thursday, November 19: Ezekiel 25–26; Hebrews 11
Friday, November 20: Ezekiel 27–28; Hebrews 12
Saturday, November 21: Ezekiel 29–30; Hebrews 13

Sunday, November 22: Ezekiel 31–32; James 1
Monday, November 23: Ezekiel 33–34; James 2
Tuesday, November 24: Ezekiel 35–37; James 3
Wednesday, November 25: Ezekiel 38–39; James 4
Thursday, November 26: Ezekiel 40–41; James 5
Friday, November 27: Ezekiel 42–44; 1 Peter 1
Saturday, November 28: Ezekiel 45¬–46; 1 Peter 2

Sunday, November 29: Ezekiel 47–48; 1 Peter 3
Monday, November 30: Daniel 1–2; 1 Peter 4