DEADLINE TOMORROW!

Just in case you're planning to submit a story to our 3rd annual fiction contest, we thought we'd give you an important reminder: the deadline is TOMORROW!

We've gotten several entries, but we'd love, love, love to get more. That's our nice way of encouraging you to get to writing! Currently, we have about 17 entries. We'd love for more of you to contribute so that there's a little more competition! And there are prizes and if you win, your story will appear in an upcoming issue!

If you can't quite remember the rules, prompt, or where to send it, don't worry. Just go here.

Now go write!

Friday Snippets and Soundbites

The ec team will be celebrating Christmas with our coworkers today, but we couldn't leave you hanging without this week's edition of "Snippets and Soundbites." As always, if this bit of randomness isn't enough for you, check out page 38 of the December (and every month's ) issue of ec.

Ready to get your Friday off to a good start? Let's go!

You're never too old.
It doesn't matter to former hockey great Vyacheslav Fetisov that the last time he played professionally was more than 10 years ago. Today, he'll take to the ice again as an defenseman for his former club, CSKA Moscow. He's 50 years old and signed a provisional contract and passed a medical examination in order to play professionally again. Fetisov won two Olympic medals and seven world titles in the 1970s and ’80s as a member of the Soviet Union's national team. He later joined the CSKA Moscow club before joining the NHL's New Jersey Devils in 1989. He later became a Detroit Redwing and retired after helping them win a second Stanley Cup in 1998. Fetisov was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001. Fetisov says he's rejoining his former team after they lost several defensemen to injury. To learn more about Fetisov's return, go here.

Light the fire. 

For more than 200 years, residents of the River Parish in Louisiana have been building two story bonfires along the banks of the Mississippi River. No one's really sure how the tradition began, but residents of Paulina, La., and the surrounding areas weren't very happy when federal and local officials told them they probably couldn't light the fires this year because of the swollen nature of the river. But recently, the residents received word that the river had gone down the the bonfires were a go. So, by Christmas Eve, residents will have built more than 100 bonfires atop the river levees along a 4-mile stretch of riverfront from Gramercy to Paulina, La. Traditionally, on Christmas Eve when they burn the bonfires, homeowners along the levees open their homes and feed passersby bowls of homemade gumbo, jambalaya and corn soup. At midnight, everyone heads down the road to midnight Mass at St. Joseph's Catholic Church. To learn more about the tradition, go here.

Secret agent man. . . .or not. 

A German man's claim that he was a secret agent didn't carry any weight with the German police men who had followed him in a high-speed chase complete with flashing lights. The man had raced past officers, sped through a red light, and ignored signals to pull over as the police followed him. Once the police did manage to stop the car, the man whispered that he was "one of them" and suggested that he was on a secret mission and belonged to the Federal Crime Office, an office similar to the FBI. A background check revealed no such thing. To learn more about this offbeat story, go here.

ec's 3rd annual fiction contest: 5 days left!

We've been getting a lot of entries for our 3rd annual fiction contest, but there's still room for more! The deadline is midnight on December 15, 2009, so get to writing and send your story our way—FAST.

If you can't quite remember the rules, prompt, or where to send it, don't worry. Just continue reading!

What we want:
• An original fiction story that uses four (4) items from the prompt we’ve detailed below. Be creative! Strive to write a story that is relevant and interesting to your peers, but also speaks to the deeper truth of what it means to live out your faith in this world. Use proper grammar and run spellcheck before submitting your story. Submissions should be no more than 750 to 1000 words long and must be typed. Your submission will not be returned to you.
• Your story must be submitted as an attachment via e-mail to godlifefun@gmail.com. In the subject line, use the phrase “3rd annual fiction contest.”
• Submissions must be received by midnight on December 15, 2009, to be judged.
• Submissions must include the writer’s name, grade, age, mailing address, e-mail address, phone number, and T-shirt size.
• For the first time, we will have a middle school and high school division. Those currently in grades 7-9 should enter the middle school competition and mark their submission accordingly. Students in grades 10-12 should enter the high school competition. Writers must be between the ages of 12-19 to be eligible.
• A panel of judges will name one winner and runner-up in each category. The winning ­stories will be featured in an upcoming issue of ec or on our blog. Winners will also receive ec T-shirts and a small prize.



Prompt:
Your submission must use at least four (4) of the following items:
• a skateboard           
• a favorite song
• a book without a cover      
• Twitter, Facebook, or some other social media
• a movie           
• a busy airport
• a favorite verse of Scripture      
• a sporting event

Music Minute: On the brink of a miserable Christmas

Jen here with another Music Minute.

Today I want to talk to y'all about traditions. According to the dictionary, a tradition is a custom or belief passed down among generations—like my grandma's pot roast recipe. But a tradition can also be defined as a kind of habit. If I were to say, "My family always watches the Lions and the Packers play on Thanksgiving Day—it's tradition," y'all would know what I mean, right? So for our purposes, let's think of a tradition as anything that gets done from year to year in roughly the same way. Traditions make us comfortable and happy, and make home feel like home.

And, we're talking about holiday traditions, since it's barely two and a half weeks until Christmas. Take a minute to think about YOUR holiday traditions. Just for discussion (and to embarrass myself a bit), here are a few of mine: 1) It's just not Christmas till Mom cleans the fridge. She's making way for tasty treats! 2) My cats traditionally park themselves under the Christmas tree every day till I take it down, and often have fights underneath it. (Y'all. I did not say all traditions were good.) 3) I watch A Christmas Story with my nieces and nephews at least once. 4) I buy something for a needy family through The Heifer Project (usually a goat). 5) I go visit my family. 6) I go to a festival of Lessons and Carols...nine bible readings followed by beautifully-sung Christmas carols.

They may not be spectacular traditions, but they're mine. They make it feel like Christmas. And this year, well...let me explain. A few weeks ago, my mom fell and broke her shoulder. It's a bad enough break to need surgery, which she had last Friday. She's all bound up in a splint for the next four weeks, and you know what that means—no cleaning the fridge. No cooking. She doesn't even want guests for Christmas. So there goes my #1 Christmas tradition.

As for #2, my cats have been ignoring each other this year, and while one of them is usually under the tree, there is no jockeying for position going on. Which makes me sad and relieved all at once.

Third, because of my mom's shoulder surgery and a few other family circumstances, I won't get to see my nieces and nephews this year. Fifth, there's no visit, and sixth, the Lessons and Carols I usually go to didn't make it this year. There isn't one.

So, what's a girl to do? What are YOU to do when your Christmas plans get upended and no matter what you do, you just don't really feel like celebrating? You know what to do. You put your chin up and make the best of it. Simple, right?

Sometimes, though, this is easier said than done. (Simple does not necessarily mean easy.) I admit it will be a little harder this year to enjoy my Christmas without the comfort and happiness of my family around. But I also know that there is absolutely nothing preventing me from actually enjoying it, other than the choices I make. If I choose to mope around and complain about how I won't get any leftovers and I miss those kids and my mom is so mean (she isn't) and I probably won't get what I want, then I'll get exactly the kind of Christmas I've chosen—a miserable one. So since we already know about that, let's try the alternative.

If you're feeling yourself on the brink of a miserable Christmas, I'd like you to take a minute to try to find the way through it. (The way through will never be to focus on what is making you miserable.) Without dwelling on it, make yourself a list of four or five things that are bringing you down and you wish were different. Then, make a list of four or five things you're going to do to enjoy Christmas in spite of it. Here is mine:

1. Have dinner and Christmas with friends, and call my parents and family to tell them I love them. Also, thank God my mom is okay after her surgery and on her way to recovery.
2. Have a cup of tea or hot chocolate near the Christmas tree, and thank God my cats aren't fighting and there is peace in my apartment.
3. Watch A Christmas Story with my niece and nephew on video chat.
4. Buy two goats, since I'm not traveling, and be happy I can help someone else.
5. Go see my mom for New Year's.
6. Treat myself to the Nashville Symphony performing Handel's Messiah.

... and think about how I am blessed.

Not everything on your list will work out just as you want it to, but you will find your spirits lifting if you'll just find something else to focus on besides how things aren't going your way. Make your lists, keep your chin up, and (to bring it back to music) find yourself some Christmas music to listen to. I've found it's nearly impossible to be sad when Christmas carols are playing. Here are a few ideas: a new album from Israel called A Timeless Christmas, FF5's excellent Christmas Pageant, Chris Tomlin's new disc Glory In The Highest, plus the oldies...Handel's Messiah, or check out a Christmas album by Ella Fitzgerald, Bing Crosby, Mel Torme, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Dean Martin, Burl Ives, Nat King Cole...try something new. If you've got an iTunes account, take advantage of the 30-second preview. Ask your mom and dad what Christmas sounds like to them, or maybe your granny and granddaddy.

So, to recap...be willing to let go of your traditions in favor of some possible new ones. Make a list of things you can do to keep on the sunny side of the street. Check out some new music. And above all, remember that the most important message of the holidays is that Jesus came to live and die for us. Try to be sincerely thankful for that every single day.

One last note: Depression at the holidays is real. You might be going through something horrible and painful and not feel like celebrating. That's okay. But if you find yourself having terrible thoughts, sleeping all the time, not eating, or you feel the weight of the entire world crushing you and can't seem to cheer up or let go, there is no shame in seeking professional help. In fact, you should seek it. Talk to your youth pastor or a trusted adult to find out some options for walking through your circumstances.

Be merry.

Happiness vs. Joy

I love Christmas music. One of my favorite radio stations has been playing it non-stop since Thanksgiving, and I’m loving it! (That way, I don’t have to buy CDs or download the songs myself.) One song that I seem to be hearing over and over is “Home for the Holidays.” A line in it that stands out to me is, “If you want to be happy in a million ways, for the holidays, you can’t beat home, sweet home.”

Being happy in a MILLION ways—really? I understand that it’s easy to be happy at Christmas. People are friendlier, family members are more loving, and the music and decorations bring back pleasant memories. It’s a good time of year. And being at home, with your family’s traditions, will probably make you happy (although I’m having a hard time coming up a million ways it makes me happy).

But sometimes, Christmas isn’t happy. Some people’s homes aren’t happy places at Christmas. The first Christmas without my grandfather was so hard. When my friend’s brother was serving in Iraq, her family skipped Christmas entirely that year rather than celebrate without him. More commonly, family members get on your nerves, and you end up in a bad mood. Christmas doesn’t always feel like the most wonderful time of the year.

While the circumstances around you may determine your happiness, they do not (or should not) affect your joy. Today’s devotion in ec is about joy. Where do you find joy? It’s easy to think that making the team, snagging the girl or guy, acing the test, getting the coolest phone, or a multitude of other things will bring you joy. If that’s your definition of joy, you need to rethink it. You’re confusing joy with happiness or satisfaction, both of which are temporary. Think about it: How often have you gotten the thing you wanted, then become dissatisfied with it or forgotten about it as you’ve focused on the next goal to achieve? What you thought would bring you “joy” only left you wanting more.

Christmas itself can be kind of like that, if you’re not focusing on its true meaning. You’re happy thinking about spending time with your family and friends, giving and receiving gifts, and attending holiday parties. But when Christmas morning is over and there are no more surprises under the tree, it can be a letdown. But as believers, we know that our happiness isn’t diminished just because the presents are unwrapped and the guests have gone home. The real meaning of Christmas should bring you something better than happiness; it should bring you joy.

Joy is, in fact, happiness unhinged. It’s not dependent on circumstances; it’s dependent on the Lord. Circumstances change. God doesn’t. And when you’re encountering Him, the things in life that bring you happiness or sadness sort of pale in comparison to His glory.

This Christmas, focus on Christ. In His presence, you’ll find a joy behind the happiness that the world tries to make Christmas about. There’s much more to this celebration than good times, family, yummy food, and presents. There’s joy in the fact that we’re celebrating the start of God’s plan to get us to heaven when He sent Jesus to earth. So this Christmas season, I wish you happiness. But more importantly, I wish you joy.

Friday Snippets and Soundbites

We're back at work after a long holiday weekend last week and "Snippets and Soundbites" is sure to help you get this weekend started off right! And if today's blast of some of the weirder stories in the news isn't enough for you, be sure to check out page 38 of this month's (and every month's) ec for more!

Ready? Let's get your Friday started off right!

It's not official until it's on Facebook.
Last month, Dana Hanna married Tracy Page. Noteworthy only if you know them, right? Well, the couple and their wedding gained media attention when the groom, Dana, updated his relationship status and tweeted about the wedding on Facebook and Twitter, respectively, during the ceremony. After the couple had taken their vows, Dana reached into his pocket for his phone just as the minister was about to pronounce them man and wife. The minister announced that Dana was updating his status and continued the ceremony after Dana was finished. Tracy didn't know about Dana's plan to do this during the ceremony, but joined in with Dana when he also produced her phone from his pocket. Dana had talked the stunt over with the minister before the ceremony. A video of the couple's nuptials and Dana's joke has been viewed more than 350,000 times. Tell us what you think about Dana's antics in the comments. You can read more about the media frenzy surrounding the event here. And watch the video here.

You shouldn't steal. Especially from police officers.
An Ohio man is in even bigger trouble after he tried to steal candy bars . . . from the police. The man and his girlfriend had been arrested by police in the city of Middletown, Ohio, on disorderly conduct charges the night before. The next morning, the police released them, and the couple began asking passersby to borrow a cell phone. Noticing this, a police officer invited them to use the station phone, which they did. But when the couple left, an officer noticed a police-issue hat under the man's own cap. Upon searching him, they found two candy bars he'd stolen from officer's desks and two used syringes. He was arrested again on theft charges. Learn more about this odd story here.

Going to the monkeys.
In South Africa, people do have a rather high crime rate to worry about, particularly when they visit popular holiday destinations. But now, they have even more to worry about since baboons in the heavily tourist-oriented coastal areas have learned how to open car doors and jump through windows in search of sandwiches and other treats. Last week, a troupe of 49 baboons raided four cars outside of Simon's Town, a coastal city. When people stopped to watch the raid, the baboons attacked their cars, too. Officials said they spent most of the day rescuing tourists from the raids. Baboons are protected under South African law, but the current state of affairs has caused some tension between the law and citizens. Want to hear more? Go here.

Where do I fit in?

What am I doing here?, I asked myself. It was my freshman year of high school, and I was standing on the court in a crowded, hot gym, a member of the starting rotation of our junior varsity girls’ volleyball team.

Don’t let me give you any false ideas: I was not a good volleyball player. I was simply on the team because all my friends had tried out, and in a small school, coaches are a little hesitant to cut young players who display moderate amounts of athleticism. I was getting to start in this particular match because the coach wanted to reward the players who were doing well academically. It was meant to be an honor but was something I dreaded. I didn’t fit in with these girls, with this team. I liked volleyball, but I didn’t love it. And these very talented girls lived and breathed volleyball.

At the end of that season, I quit the team. Soon after, the coach asked me to be the team statistician. Oddly, the job fit. I was comfortable on the sidelines, loved cheering for my friends, and still got to go to all the games—for free.

If you’re anything like me, trying to figure out where you fit, especially when it comes to God’s plan for you, isn’t easy. You want to see the big picture, to know exactly what God has in store for you. Sometimes, when you’re absolutely honest with yourself, you don’t wonder how God is going to use you­—but if He even can. And you’ve spent so much of your life feeling out of place—like me on that volleyball court—that you can’t see how you’d fit into God’s plan, much less be a vital part of it.

But you are. That’s what we want you to understand as you read this issue of ec. God has a plan, and He wants to use you in it. God knows what He’s doing and has always been about displaying His glory through regular people who allow Him to have control of their lives, like Mary and Joseph did. You’ll see that in “Where do I fit in God’s plan?” by Carol Sallee. This month, we want you to learn what it means to be obedient to Christ and what it takes to be the person He wants you to be. We want you to see the difference truly embracing who God is and following His will makes in your daily life—and your Christmas celebration. (See pp. 40, 45, 60, and 62.)

This Christmas, we want you to come to a deeper understanding of who Jesus is. Because Christmas isn’t just about gifts; it’s about the love of the Father who gave up His Son—to be born in anonymity, live in this confusing world, and then suffer, die, and rise again—so that we could be with Him always. It’s about a God who wants a relationship with us and a Savior who calls us to a life of radical obedience. It’s about finding your place in God’s plan because you’re humbled and overwhelmed by God’s amazing love and mercy and just want to bring glory to Him.

Find your place in His plan and celebrate that this Christmas!

Finding your way: How do I know God's will?

by Dwight Munn • photos by Scott Greenwalt

Where should I go to college? Whom should I date? Should I go to that party on Saturday night? What is God’s will for me? Who hasn’t asked those questions? The truth, though, is that God’s directions for our lives are rarely that specific and direct. Instead, He asks us to rely on Him and trust Him to reveal His will. God certainly has a plan for you, but it’s a plan that will be revealed in relationship with Him.

Change your definition of God's will.
When we define the will of God, we tend to focus on the mind of God. We think the will of God is simply about His intentions for our lives. This certainly shows one aspect of God’s will. Yet, the Bible uses a word in the original language that tells us about how God’s heart is involved as well. The word used in Ephesians 1:9 that we translate “will” really means “God’s heart’s desire.”1 With that meaning in place, the verse would read this way: “He made known to us the mystery of His heart’s desire, according to His good pleasure that He planned in Him.”

You see, God desires and longs from His heart for us to experience a great life. He wants us to choose the plan best suited for us. The best plan, of course, is His plan. God takes pleasure in a person discovering that plan. God loves you. Because He loves you, He wants what is best for you. He gave His best in Jesus. This act was the ultimate act of love for you.


Get to know God.
So, how do you discover God’s will—both His plan and heart’s desire—for your life? The key is getting to know God. You grow spiritually by spending more time with God, getting to know Him in an up-close and personal way. Then you begin to appreciate just how much He does love you. As you comprehend more fully His perfect character, you can begin to know what decisions will please Him.
God wants you to talk to Him about your life. He wants you to spend time praying about what really matters to you. He has given you unique gifts that make you who you are. God certainly knows your gifts, and this knowledge influences His will for your life.

The Bible is one way God offers help in navigating the course of your life. God’s Word leads you to the destination of fulfilling His will for your life. Besides that, God’s primary way of speaking to you is through the Scripture. He makes clear what the life that pleases Him looks like. The Bible is an inspired (in a one-of-a-kind, unique way) account of how He has worked with His people through millennia of history. You can read how individuals and groups have gone through struggles, times of learning, and adventures to discover His will for their lives.

Be obedient.
The basics of a relationship with God are the first steps to finding out God’s overarching will for your life. One mistake we all make is attempting to answer the biggest questions first—where to go to college, whom to date, what job to pursue.

The truth? You need to respond in obedience to what you already know God wants you to do. He will then begin to reveal His bigger plan in time. In the meantime, you know that God wants you to:
• worship Him alone.
• spend time in His Word.
• live a life of holiness.
• serve others.
• share your faith.

In Micah 6:8, the prophet says, “What it is the Lord requires of you: Only to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God.” Practicing the basics listed above and what Micah wrote will help you know how He wants you to live. Learning how God wants you to live comes before discovering what He wants to do with your life. Knowing God’s will isn’t knowing all the answers; it’s living in a day-to-day relationship with Him and allowing Him to guide you along the path He has already laid out for you. Warning: that’s much easier said than done.

Accept reality and recognize your help.
Living a life of faith is hard. This life is full of questions. But God doesn’t leave you alone to wonder. Second Timothy 3:16 states, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness.” In every situation, God’s Word has something to offer. Stay connected to God’s Word. It will guide you to make wise decisions that keep you on course to fulfill God’s will for you.

• Another way God helps us stay on course comes in the form of input from parents, mentors, and the ministers He places in our lives. These adults in your life can give mid-course corrections as well as warn about wrong turns as you navigate through life. They have experience. They speak from a real-life perspective. God gives you these role models to encourage you to keep going in the right direction. Their input can be a real help in your life. Ask God to open your heart and mind to what they have to say.
• Parents and guardians are particularly important. Yes, sometimes they seem out-of-touch. Yet, the older you become, the more you’ll realize how smart they really are. Parents aren’t perfect, of course, but there’s something to be said for someone who is a little further down the road of life who can speak to you from experience.

Begin the journey today of finding God’s will—His heart’s desire—for your life. Be sure to hear from God every day through prayer and time in His Word. His big plan will unfold in time as you do the basics you know He wants you to do.
1. “Will of God,” Elwell, Walter A. and Comfort, Philip Wesley, eds., Tyndale Bible Dictionary, electronic source (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, 2001).