Friday Snippets and Soundbites

Yay! Friday is finally here! We know you're probably thinking the same thing as your school year draws to a close. But you have to rest your brain from all that studying, final prep, big decisions, paper-writing, and everything else you've got going on at some point. We hope you take some time out to enjoy the randomness that is "Snippets and Soundbites." And if today's edition isn't enough, as always, check out page 38 of this month's (and every month's) ec.

That's not a parking spot.
We've featured stories about people driving their cars into buildings here before, but none of those stories quite matched this one in strangeness. Apparently, a Connecticut man drove his car into a stone wall late last week, went airborne, and landed on the roof of an accountant's office before coming to a complete stop in a yard. The car flipped several times after going airborne, punching a hole in the roof of Barry Gould's (the accountant) office. After inflicting damage upon the office, the car came to a stop in the yard, taking down power lines on the way. Utility crews ahd to cut the power to those lines before the driver could exit the car. The good news is that the driver was not seriously injured and Gould is referring to the hole in his office building as a skylight. The bad news is that the driver may face charges after the police complete their investigation of the event. To read all about it, go here.

Park it!
Perilous parking tales continue in this week's "Snippets and Soundbites." This Wednesday, a 67-year-old Oklahoma man had a scare when he backed his car through the exterior wall on the seventh floor of a high rise parking garage in downtown Tulsa, managing to stop just in time. The driver says that his foot got stuck between the accelerator and the brake in his Mercedes as he was backing into the parking space. The car burst through the wall, spraying debris onto the parking lot below. The trunk and back tires were visible for awhile, until officials safely drove the vehicle back inside. The driver was not injured and will not be ticketed. Check out the whole story, including pics, here.

The man from Diamond finds a diamond.
It just seems perfectly ironic that a man from Diamond, Mo., recently discovered a 4.89 carat diamond. The man, a retired minister, was visiting Crater of Diamonds State Park in nearby Arkansas. Crater of Diamonds State Park is the only diamond-producing site in the world where visitors can search for diamonds. The policy at the park is that if you find a diamond, it's yours to keep. When Mack Evans found his diamond, he wasn't even sure it was a diamond and almost threw it away. The 4.89 carat diamond is about the size of jellybean, is grayish white, and is a "Ghost Diamond," meaning that instead of forming as a single crystal like most diamonds, it formed as an aggregate. To read all about it, go here.

Music Minute: In Which Bob Dylan, Salvador Dali, and Napoleon Dynamite Meet For Tea

Jen here, bringing y'all another Music Minute. Today I'm thinking about surrealism and art.

One of the many ways an artist can distinguish himself from all the other artists out there is by using a kind of unique angle or perspective through which we're supposed to view his art (and maybe the world, too). You could even say that combining "known" things together in unknown ways makes them more interesting to people.

For example, if you've ever seen a Tim Burton movie (like Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, or Alice in Wonderland), then you probably know that Tim Burton's movies tend to be elaborately decorated, and populated with people you could say are larger-than-life clichés, almost like cartoons. But Burton also seems to like taking a situation which looks pretty normal, and then introducing a character, setting, or other element which turns everything on its ear. In Edward Scissorhands, he combines a Frankenstein-type story with an uptight suburban neighborhood. In The Nightmare Before Christmas, the "what if" is "What if a bunch of scary Halloween characters suddenly got jealous of the fun of Christmas and tried to make Halloween more like it?" 

So one way to make art is to take two things your audience is familiar with and pair them together in a way that is new and different. It happens in books—how about a teen romance complicated by vampires and werewolves? Hey, Twilight! It happens on TV—how about a deserted island and time-travel? Look, it's Lost!

And it happens in music. Fifty-odd years ago, a guy named Bob Dylan combined acoustic folk music with a kind of art known as surrealism and changed popular music forever. (Later, he would combine his folk-surrealism with electric guitars and flip everybody out again.) 

You've seen the Salvador Dali painting "The Persistence of Memory," right? Dali's painting is an example of surrealism, an art movement from the early 20th century that involved drawing strange associations between two things that are generally thought to be unrelated. 

What Dali did with pocket watches and paint, Bob Dylan did with poems and a guitar. When he started writing and performing back in the early 1960s, folk music was kind of like pretty stories set to music. Dylan added humor, stream-of-consciousness writing, poetry and pop culture references into folk music and made something brand new out of it. Some songs became protest songs, others were just funny little songs that made people laugh.

And a few others just got weird. In "Highway 61 Revisited," he tells five stories (including the story of Abraham and Isaac) in the context of US Highway 61, which runs parallel to the Mississippi River. Highway 61 is where Delta blues guitarist Robert Johnson supposedly sold his soul to the devil for the ability to play the guitar (in reality, Johnson never said he did this and the myth of selling one's soul to the devil for the ability to do something extraordinary is much older and more widespread).

Y'all see what he did? A Bible story, a legendary place, and a reference to classical literature themes...in a pop song. Bob Dylan expected you to have an education and know a few things if you listened to his music. But those things really have nothing in common with each other, and the song doesn't exactly play out logically.

Why am I talking about this? Well, you've seen Napoleon Dynamite. You know it's weird and random and funny and you don't really know why. Why are Chapstick and cage-fighting and a liger and big sleeves and tetherball and a stupid story about wolverines funny? Because they are random, unrelated, surreal things. In fact, a lot of comedy these days is based on surrealism, or things that are intentionally nonsense and weird. It's what makes Monty Python funny, and any time you see a band dressing up in costumes to give a concert, it's the same idea. You kind of have to know something about something in order to get it. 

So, to recap, Bob Dylan did protest songs, folksy songs, and some songs that were just plain strange. He used a raspy, nasal singing voice in the hopes people would listen to the words rather than just hum along with a pretty tune. He incorporated history and pop culture into his music, and came up with something new. He brought poetry and an intellectual seriousness to music. He influenced comedy, movies, modern humor, history, and pop culture. And you really should be familiar with a few Dylan songs. Here are some you should know. 

For protest songs, listen to "Blowin' In The Wind," "The Times They Are A-Changin'," and "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall." Think of the context of the '60s while you listen.

For some songs that are a little more straight-ahead rock, check out "Knockin' On Heaven's Door," "Forever Young," "Like A Rolling Stone," (which most people agree is about the 60s) and "Gotta Serve Somebody" (recorded shortly after Dylan became a Christian in the late 1970s).

For surrealism and weirdness, check out "Highway 61 Revisited," and "Subterranean Homesick Blues." 

Be a blessing

When I got to work this morning, I opened up my e-mail, followed by my calendar and saw that I was scheduled to blog here today.

I'm not going to lie; I groaned a little.

It's Monday. I have no thoughts. I feel uncreative. I mean, I got to work a little later than I wanted and traffic was the tiniest bit (read: alot) stressful.

As I sometimes do, I turned to read today's devotion in ec. And before I even got past the title, I was feeling a little convicted. I mean, be a blessing? I'd been frustrated by a woman in traffic and had given her THE GLARE, while talking to myself in my car about how dumb she was being. And she saw me because we made eye contact and neither of us were too happy with the other. Was that being a blessing?

I'd say probably not.

I don't want to be one of those people who make others feel badly about every mistake we make. Even as a Christian, we all sometimes sin. But my point is that as believers, we don't have to. My point is that we have opportunities to react differently in situations so that the world can see Christ in us. Today, I could have chosen not to let anger and frustration rule. A few days ago, I could have chosen to keep my mouth shut and not gossip. There are numerous times in my life when I could have responded with love and grace rather than judgment and shock.

As believers, we're given opportunities every day to choose the good and shine for Christ—even in traffic. Even at school. Even when your little brother or sister is being the most annoying person on the planet. Even when your best friend hurts your feelings. Even when your parents make mistakes.

Be on the lookout for those opportunities today. Before you respond with your first inclination—anger, frustration, hurtful words, whatever—stop and ask for the Holy Spirit's guidance. Let Him have control and you'll be amazed at the even-tempered, God-controlled words that come out of your mouth and the peace that covers you.

Choose to be a blessing today!

Friday Snippets and Soundbites

Ah, hello, Friday! We're happy to see you!

It's been a long week for us here in the ec offices. If you're suffering from the same malady, then we think today's edition of "Snippets and Soundbites" will be the perfect way to start the weekend. And if all this craziness isn't enough for you, be sure to check out "Snippets and Soundbites" on page 38 of this month's (and every month's) issue of ec.

Ready? Here. We. Go.

Where for art thou?
So you're probably familiar with a notable English playwright and poet named William Shakespeare, right? While the exact date of his birth is not known (he was baptized on April 26), it is generally celebrated today, April 23. And because of that, Shakespeare fans all over the place have interesting plans to celebrate the Bard's birth. At Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare's birthplace and the location of several houses he lived in, the city has a big birthday party in the works. It's actually a traditional event they've been putting on for more than two centuries. There will be three days of celebration, complete with celebrations, tours of the Shakespeare historic houses, literary and musical events, and, of course, theater productions. And here in Nashville, Shakespeare fans are celebrating in a little more, well, quirky way. They'll be celebrating Shakespeare's 446 birthday in Centennial Park in Nashville by staging a huge balcony scene from "Romeo and Juliet." Residents have been invited to arrive at the park at 6 p.m. in costume, with or without partners, to portray the beloved scene. They'll get a little coaching, then perform the scene in unison. Our favorite part of the paragraph describing the event? This sentence: Prizes will be given for “Most Creative Costume,” “Best Star-Crossed Lovers Costume” and even “Best Dog Costume.” Read all about the Nashville event here.

It's hard to be mayor. 

In other Tennessee news, there's also an interesting news report out of southeast Tennessee. Carl Robin Geary is the newly elected mayor of Tracy City, Tenn. There's just one problem: he's dead. Geary was a candidate for the position, but passed away suddenly a few weeks ago. His death was widely reported in the area, but Geary still won the election for mayor last Tuesday, beating out incumbent Barbara Brock. The city council will now have to appoint a mayor to serve a four-year term. To read more, go here.

Class is canceled!
In general, not much causes a college class to be canceled. . . but students often find reasons to skip class. On Wednesday at Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio, students had an interesting choice: go to class or watch police and university officials try to capture two cows that had gotten loose on the campus. Many chose the cow recovery effort. The cows got away from their owner on Wednesday afternoon when he had taken them to campus to have their hooves trimmed at the university's veterinary medical center. They found their way to the soccer field, where one of the runaways was lassoed. The other ran across traffic into a grove of trees, but was eventually caught and both were taken home. Thankfully, only one police officer had to be treated for injuries related to the event. We figure there are now new rules in place about transporting livestock onto the Ohio State campus! Read all about the roundup here.

Book report

Today’s devotion is about transformation. I don’t think it’s any coincidence that I read two books in the last few days on that topic. If you haven’t read Same Kind of Different as Me, go get yourself a copy and read it. Be prepared to cry like a small child. (Which makes things very awkward for the person beside you on an airplane, FYI.) The other book I read was What is the What, which is about the plight of Sudanese refugees. Having met a couple of Sudanese refugees at my church several years ago, I’m now saddened by the fact that I didn’t reach out to them more, to try to get to know them and their stories. According to that book, those people have been through a literal hell on earth, and I’m sorry I didn’t know it when I met those two men.

The gentlemen in Same Kind of Different as Me allowed the love of Christ (shown by others) to transform them, permanently. A rich guy, at the prompting of his wife, reached out to a scary homeless man. The two couldn’t have been more different. But their unlikely friendship brought out the best in each other, teaching them both to trust, to rely on others, and to love.

While reading about the transformation of the guys in these two books, I came away from reading them with the stark realization that I jump to conclusions about people. I don’t know their stories. I don’t take the time to really find out about why people act the way they do. Especially if they’re dirty, smelly, or look really different from me. And I would like to change that. I can’t promise that I’ll spend hours on the street getting to know the homeless guys who hang out there, but I can promise that I will be less hasty to jump to conclusions about how they got there. I won’t be as quick to jump to conclusions about a girl simply based on the way she’s dressed. I’ll be a bit slower to assume things about someone just because they speak a certain way.

We all have a story. Are you taking the time to know the stories of the people around you? Are you allowing Christ to transform your own life so that you can point to Him when people want to know your story?

Friday Snippets and Soundbites

Welcome to Friday, ec fans! (It's been a kind of long week for us here in the office, so Friday is being celebrated with much excitement this week!)

We hope today is a day of celebration for you today, too. And if you need a little help finding a reason to celebrate—or at least laugh—we've got just the thing for you in today's post of all news random and weird. And if it's simply not enough, be sure to check out page 38 of this month's (and every month's) issue of ec.

Ready?

A refreshing dress
Every year we come across strange stories about teens who've made prom outfits out of all kinds of interesting materials. Like duct tape, garbage bags, or whatever. This year's latest: a dress made out of gum wrappers. That's right. An Iowa teen made her dress entirely out of gum wrappers from Wrigley's "5" gum. And she didn't stop there, Elizabeth Rasmuson also made a matching vest for her boyfriend to wear. Both items are blue and white, like the wrappers for the couples' favorite gum. Rasmuson got the idea after hearing about someone making a dress out of duct tape and started making plans for an interesting dress of her own. She and your boyfriend began collecting gum wrappers last August, but she says she stopped counting after 200. For more info and to see the dress and local news videos, go here.


No more food fights for you
It seems even school cafeteria food fights have embraced technology. A few weeks ago, students at Atlantic City High School orchestrated a whole food fight via cell phones, but don't think the fight went unnoticed. Nope, the cafeteria staff and school administration wasn't pleased with the students' actions or the big mess that had to be cleaned up. The administration actually has policy in place when food fights happen: for the next couple of days, students only get foods that meet the most basic food requirement on their plates for the next couple of days. So on Wednesday and Thursday, students only got cheese sandwiches. The school superintendent says they'll get a regular meal today and stands firmly behind the policy. Read all about it here.

ec's new friend

The staff of ec magazine has a new friend who will take a little bit of explaining. See, a few years ago, we had a managing director who was a big Chuck Norris fan. So, somewhere along the line, someone gave him a cardboard stand-up of Chuck. Let's just say that Chuck had a lot of adventures after he came to live on our floor. When that managing director moved on to another position in our company, he left the Chuck Norris stand-up behind. (I know, right?!) So, Chuck floated aimlessly around the department for a bit, then languished for months and months in an empty office. Earlier this week that office was being cleaned out and the ec team decided to take possession of Chuck. So now he's hanging out in one of our offices. We think Chuck needs to go on some adventures. . . .that will of course be shared with you. Any ideas for what he should do?

Music Minute - Mr. Lovewell Edition

Jen, checking in with another Music Minute. I'm taking a break from my playlist format to tell you about something I think is pretty cool. But first, A Story. I'm a pretty disorganized person in general—your basic right-brained creative type. Just when I think I have everything together, I'll do something dumb like go to lunch, get a bunch of food, and wait in line to pay only to realize I've forgotten to bring any money. One day I did this and asked the cashier if I could bring money back down after lunch. When I came back, he said, "The man behind you took care of it." And to be honest, I felt bad at first, because I had no idea who was behind me, so I couldn't even thank anyone! But then I realized that person had simply wanted to be nice, without thanks. And it got me thinking about being kind to people in a truly random sort of way. That happened a couple of years ago, and I still think about it.

Enter Mr. Lovewell. Mr. Lovewell is the fictitious namesake of MercyMe's upcoming album, The Generous Mr. Lovewell. He's been described as sort of a mashup between Forrest Gump (the title character from a  90s movie about being in the right place at the right time) and Buddy the Elf (from the Christmas movie Elf). Mr. Lovewell's favorite question is, "What if kindness really could change the world?" With his trademark red balloon in hand, Mr. Lovewell puts love into action whenever he sees an opportunity—and encourages us to do the same. "Do something out of the ordinary to show someone kindness," is how he puts it on his Twitter page. 

You can follow Mr. Lovewell on Twitter or watch some videos of him here.  

Now about the album. TGML is MercyMe's sixth studio album, and it's message of "committing to extravagant selflessness and faithful optimism" is the unifying thread in all the songs. After hearing from MercyMe singer Bart Millard, we think it's all about living out your faith, which fits perfectly with what we believe here at ec magazine. “It’s one thing to be kind to someone, to be decent,” Millard says, “if we really believe we have this hope, then to stop short—to not be the hands and feet of Jesus—seems almost offensive. Our dream is for this album to inspire others to ‘pay it forward’ to the cross. It doesn’t have to be about major sacrifices. Just let your life become such that people know what you stand for.”

We think Mr. Lovewell would approve. :o) Check out the album's first single, "All of Creation," and give the album a spin on May 4th. 

Discovering your spiritual gifts

If you're an avid ec reader, you know that for the last few months, we've been doing a series of articles on spiritual disciplines. This month, the article focuses of the spiritual discipline of service and as part of that, we invited you to discover your spiritual gifts and get involved in ministries or activities that use those gifts.

But how do you find out what your spiritual gifts are? A good first step would be to read what the Bible has to say about spiritual gifts. Check out 1 Corinthians 12:17-30 and Romans 12:6-8. Pray for understanding as you read these passages and for the Holy Spirit to make your gifts clear to you.

Another important part of finding out what your spiritual gifts are is taking a spiritual gifts inventory. And you're in luck, because we've got a spiritual gifts inventory all ready for you. Do know that this will take some time and it's probably something you'll want to do in a quiet place where you have space and time to think.

Let us know what you find out!

(P.S. The spiritual gifts inventory is a PDF, so you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access it. Feel free to print it out and work on it at your convenience.) 

Friday Snippets and Soundbites

We at ec hope that you all had a blessed Easter. We certainly enjoyed spending some time with our friends, church families, and families and focusing on what Jesus did for us. He is risen! He is risen, indeed!

But we're also fairly sure you missed your weekly dose of crazy here on the ec blog. So, “Snippets and Soundbites” is back this week. And if you need more random news in your life, be sure to check out page 38 in this month's (and every month's) issue of ec!

Let's get on with the show. . .

A way with words

This first story leaves us wishing the San Francisco Giants and Majestic, the company that manufactures all of the jerseys worn by Major League Baseball, knew Emily Cole, the production editor for ec. That's because Emily has an eye for the details and she would have caught the typo on Giants reserve player Eugenio Velez's jersey long before he took the field. On Wednesday night, the Giants were playing the Astros and Velez entered the game in a double swith in the seventh inning. But his road gray uniform didn't say "San Francisco." Nope, it read "San Fracicso." Yes, you read that correctly. That's pretty funny for those of us who work with words all day long; it's even funnier when you find out that Velez and no one else on the team says they noticed the misspelling. Apparently, the Associated Press tipped Velez off to the blunder when they reached him by phone on the team bus as the team rolled into the airport on their way home. The city's name was spelled correctly on the rest of the team's jerseys. The typo will be fixed by the team's next road trip, though. To read all about it go here.

Joke's on you
April Fool's Day was last week, and we're sure some of you pulled some fairly elaborate pranks. Maybe not as elaborate as a newspaper in Jordan that's probably regretting their April Fool's Day antics that led to an Orson-Welles-War-of-the-World-radio-broadcast-type hysteria. The paper printed a story chronicling a late-night visit by 10-foot-tall aliens in flying saucers and PEOPLE BELIEVED IT. The story said a UFO had landed near the desert town of Jafr, some 185 miles from the capital, Amman. The report said the UFOs lit up the whole town, interrupted communications and sent fearful residents streaming into the streets. Even the mayor got caught up in the hoax and sent authorities in search of the aliens. Students didn't go to school and the mayor almost evacuated the entire town. The paper has apologized for the whole mess, but the mayor of Jafr still says he might sue. Read about all the hysteria and panic here.

GPS, anyone?
A thief in Utah didn't think through his criminal activity very well. That's because after stealing two phones from a convenience store, the man flagged down an investigating officer and ASKED HIM FOR DIRECTIONS! The police officer noticed the man met the description the clerk had given of the robber. In addition, the thief had left a slip of paper with an address written on it at the scene and the man who flagged down the officer asked for directions to that specific address. The officer grew suspicious, then arrested the man after finding both phones and a small amount of marijuana. Read all about it here.

Photo Contest HONORABLE MENTION: Caitlyn Lamb

Caitlyn's submission in the Places Category:

Info about the photographer: 

Name: Caitlyn Lamb
Age: 15
Grade in school: 9
Hometown: Seneca, SC

Why you like photography: I'm not sure why. I just like taking pictures and capturing memories.
Why you took this picture and how it fits with the theme of our contest: Seneca is at the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains so that's how the mountains fit in. There are lots of lakes and in the summer, everyone is out on one of them.

Favorite verse of Scripture: John 14:1, 27

Photo Contest HONORABLE MENTION: Katleyn Bailey

Katelyn's submission: 

Info on the photographer: 

Name: Katelyn Bailey
Age: 14
Grade in school: Freshman/ 9th Grade
Hometown: Vienna, IL

Why you like photography: I love nature photography because, mainly, it's so beautiful! But I also love photography because pictures can sometimes say things that words can't begin to explain. It's not always just a hobby; it can be a way of expressing yourself and worshipping God's creations as the same time.

Why you took this picture and how it fits with the theme of our contest: Well, after I read about the contest, I had been taking a lot of nature photography shots along with the ones I already had and then when the deadline for the contest got close, I had to decide which one was my favorite and I decided on this one just because I loved how the picture looked; especially how the sunlight turned out looking in the picture.

Favorite verse of Scripture: There's so many great verses! But my favorite one would probably be Ecclesiastes 3:1-8; It's my favorite because it tells that there's a time for everything.

Photo Contest HONORABLE MENTION: Nathaniel Faries

Nathaniel's photo:

Info on the photographer:
Name: Nathaniel Faries
Age: 16
Grade in school: Homeschooled, but would be junior in high school
Hometown: Bermuda

Why you like photography: Not exactly sure, but I just enjoy the challenge of composing the photo, getting the settings right, and timing the photos perfectly.  In short, I just love photography for what it is.

Why you took this picture and how it fits with the theme of our contest: This is a picture a Bermudian Longtail.  This species of bird exists in other islands (I believe in some places in Oceania and the Caribbean).  It appears on our quarter, and it is one of the few species of animal that is more or less unique to Bermuda (the longtails in other areas of the world are slightly different, like different types of eagle, for example).  Thus, I thought it an appropriate subject for this photo contest.

Favorite verse of Scripture: Toss up between Romans 12:2 and Philippians 4:13

that fresh spring clean feeling

It’s springtime, which means it’s spring CLEANING time. I know you’re excited, but please contain yourself. I’m trying to.

Even if you’re not like me and don’t ask for cleaning products/tools for Christmas, maybe you should take some time this spring to clean and organize. After all, you can’t take all that stuff with you when you die. (Morbid, I know.)

Did you read today’s devotion on page 11? It prompted this blog post because it talks about your inheritance. I’m not talking about the stuff left to you by an elderly relative you barely knew when he or she died, but about your eternal inheritance—the one Christians get by accepting Jesus. All the stuff we collect on earth may be great, but it’s not going to last. And even if it does last hundreds of years, we don’t. (And when we die, we have to leave our stuff to someone else.) If you’re a believer, none of those belongings you loved and cherished on earth is going to matter once you get to heaven anyway. I bet we won’t even remember the stuff we collected on earth that cluttered our rooms and attics.

So why don’t you make time this week or month to go through your stuff? I think you’ll be glad you did. Here are some ideas:
• Give away or donate the clothes you haven’t worn in a year or more.
• Let go of those love notes from ex-boyfriends/girlfriends. (Make a paper-mache piñata out of them for Cinco De Mayo!)
• Take the books you’re not going to read again to your church or a local ministry that might need them.
• All the hotel soaps and shampoos you know you’ll never use but can’t stand to throw away? Donate them to a homeless shelter or ministry. They’ll use them!
• Still keeping your school notebooks from elementary school? Why? Have you used them since you finished that grade? Recycle those things!
• Got a load of stuffed animals taking up most of your closet? Go through them, pick out a few favorites to keep for sentimental reasons, then donate the rest (provided they’re in good condition) to a hospital or police station for kids to have when they’re afraid.

While it may be hard to part with something because it’s yours (especially if you bought it with your hard-earned cash), if you’re not using it, it’s not doing anyone any good. Even though getting rid of your things is never easy, when you look at all your belongings in light of Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:19-21, hopefully it’ll make it a little less tough.

We’re not saying you should give away everything you own and live in squalor, but if you’ve got more than you need, why not share with those in need? Plus, we’re pretty sure your mom might just squeal with delight at the sight of your freshly cleaned room.

Photo Contest HONORABLE MENTION: Brody Horn

Brody's submission: 

Info on the photographer:

 Name: Brody Horn

Age:  16
Grade in school: Junior
Hometown: Columbus, KS

Why you like photography: I like being able to capture a great, spontaneous moment, but I also I like being able to create great moments by setting up the elements of the picture, then seeing how they turn out.

Why you took this picture and how it fits with the theme of our contest: Our hometown is in a rural setting. We have many old stone barns on our property. My sister Kaylee who is 12 and I like to go out and take pictures of things that we find outdoors. I thought the look of the old barn and the window really depicted our rural hometown setting along with my sister Kaylee.

Favorite verse of Scripture: Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. —Romans 12:2

The Big Picture

“I think I’ve made you too small,” or so goes a lyric from an Addison Road song. I have to admit: I downloaded their album on a whim fueled by my brother’s advice and the fact that I liked their song “Hope Now,” which was all over Christian radio at the time.

But when I sat down to listen (I always listen to a new album in its entirety when I buy it), “Hope Now” wasn’t the song that gave me pause. It was “What Do I Know of Holy?,” the song I quoted earlier. That song felt like it was my own thoughts set to music. What did I know of holiness? Had I made a box for God and tried to fit Him into it? Had I so focused on my concept of who God was and what He was doing that I’d missed out on the bigness of His plan?

That’s something I’ve thought a lot about these last few weeks—how big God is and how vast His plans for us really are. We like to pick and choose from among God’s characteristics and paint a portrait that makes Him more understandable to us. God is love. God is patient. Jesus longs to be our Shepherd. God never leaves us. God has plans for us. All of those things are true, but God is also so much more. All of us who have accepted Christ as our Savior and Lord are absolutely thankful for His salvation, but sometimes we simply see it as a personal thing and miss out on the “bigness” of that gift—how God’s salvation changes us and the people that gift calls us to be.

This month, we at ec want you to see God for who He is and recognize the immenseness of His redemption. This Easter, as you ponder Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, we want you to know that Jesus’ sacrifice was always part of God’s plan, as Jennifer Denning so eloquently explains in her cover article on page 26. We want you to understand how God’s overwhelming love transforms us and calls us to a different way of life, something you’ll see in Brandy Campbell’s article on page 45, Dan DeWitt’s story on page 56, and this month’s installment of our spiritual disciplines series (p. 62). There will be fun stuff, too, like Lauren Farmer’s article on prom (p. 16) and our guide to baseball (p. 40), but it’s our hope that somewhere in this month’s devotions, articles, and features, you encounter a God who overwhelms you—with His love, with His mercy, and with the grand scale of His plan to redeem us all.

It’s easy for me to try to put God into a box, to try to come up with this picture of who He is that simultaneously makes Him more understandable and makes me feel comfortable. But that’s not God. It’s my prayer this month that you get a glimpse of who God really is—His holiness, His overwhelming love for you, and His power to redeem us all so that you get uncomfortable and let Him change you.

Resurrection Morning (Easter Sunday)

He is risen! He is risen, indeed!

When Jesus died, His followers scattered. What else could they do?

They had staked their lives on Jesus, and He was dead. They had buried Him. It was over. They didn't know what to do with themselves, but they likely just wanted to get past this dark time and move on. They were scared—their Friend had just been crucified. What was going to happen to them? Were they going to be next.

But it wasn't over. Read the accounts of that Resurrection Morning in Matthew 28:1-10; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-12; and John 20:1-18.

The tomb is empty. We serve a risen Savior!

Jesus' resurrection gives us life. That's what John wrote in John 20:31. It's what Paul was so passionate about in 1 Corinthians 15. Jesus' resurrection is essential to our faith and guarantees eternal life. Live in the power of that.

And go now, as Christ commanded in Matthew 28:19-20, and make disciples of all nations. He is with you. Always. Even when you're doubtful, fearful, or don't feel close to Him. The God who loves like that doesn't desert His people. The God who bought you back from sin at such great cost to Himself doesn't give up on you.

Jesus loves you is a simple phrase in a simple song we sing as children. But it's true. Believe it today.

Jesus has displayed His love on the world stage in a moment that divides history. He is the Christ, Son of the living God, and He has made a way for you! Live in the power of that today.

Saturday of Holy Week

Today is a silent day in the events surrounding Jesus' last week on earth. The disciples had scattered, possibly hiding in fear they would be next, possibly drawing solace from each other, the only other people who really understood. The crowd at the foot of the cross had dispersed.

It was all over. Jesus, the great leader, was dead and buried. It must have been a terrifying and grief-stricken time for those who had loved Jesus most.

It was also the Sabbath, so the Jews marked the holy day as they generally had. Jesus had been hurriedly buried because of the approaching Sabbath and on the next day, some of the women who had followed Him would go back to the tomb to provide one last act of love for the Master and properly prepare His body for burial.

But all of that would come on Sunday. Saturday was a day of waiting.

It's a day of waiting and silence for believers today, too, but we have the benefit of knowing what happens next. We wait with joy rather than the dread and fear that Jesus' followers probably felt all those years ago.

Spend some time today in prayer and take time to "wait upon the Lord" during that prayer time. Thank Him for the sacrifice of Christ. Thank Him for your salvation. Thank Him for all of who He is, then be silent. Think on these things He has done. Remember. Let Him speak and praise Him for what you learn from Him.

April prayer calendar - expanded edition!

On page 42 of the April 2010 issue of ec, we promised you a bigger version of the April prayer calendar. Here it is! Click the picture for a bigger size, and feel free to print it out for your personal use.

Friday of Holy Week (Good Friday)

Good Friday is a holy day. It isn't a holiday to be celebrated, but rather a day to be remembered with reverence. Good Friday is good for us because it wasn't for Jesus.

On Friday morning, He was brought before Pontious Pilate, the Roman governor, and and Herod Antipas, who held jurisdiction over Galilee, on trumped up charges from the Jewish religious leaders. Read the accounts in Luke 22:47-53,66–23:12; Matthew 26:47-68; 27:1-14; Mark 14:43-65; 15:1-3; and John 18:1-14, 19-24, 28-38.
Pilate admitted that he could find no reason to charge Jesus with anything. But he put the decision to the crowds and when given the choice between releasing Jesus and releasing Barabbas, a prisoner who had led a rebellion that had included murder (Mark 15:7), they chose Barabbas. They cried out for Jesus to be crucified. So Pilate ordered Jesus to be flogged and handed Him over to be crucified, a criminal's death.

The crowds mocked Jesus. Scripture says they scoffed and hurled insults His way. As the Roman soldiers flogged Him, the guards spit on Him, made fun of Him, and smashed a crown of thorns into His temples. As if this terrible anticipation of the pain of the cross wasn't enough, the people seemed dead-set on humiliating Jesus and stripping Him of every ounce of dignity He possessed. Prophecy had said that the Messiah would be humiliated (Isaiah 53); Jesus now had to live through the gut-wrenching reality of it.  Read the accounts in Matthew 27:27-31 and John 19:1-16. Read them aloud, if it helps you to understand what was happening.

Now read Philippians 2:8. Jesus was God, and He didn't have to suffer this indignity, but He did—in obedience to His Father's plan.

He did it for you.

Jesus then carried His own cross down the long road to Golgotha, the hill where He would be crucified. More mocking and screams accompanied Him. Finally, He was placed on a cross between two criminals, one of whom also mocked Him. Soldiers divided Jesus' clothes and cast lots for them. Around noon, darkness came over the “whole land” (Luke 23:44) and around 3 p.m., “the sun's light failed” (Luke 23:45) and the curtain in the temple tore from top to bottom. Jesus cried out, saying “Father, into Your hands I entrusts My spirit.”

It was over. He was dead.

The disciples dispersed, probably feeling like fools. The Teacher they'd followed was gone. What else could they do? He was dead. They'd failed. Nothing was ever going to be the same again.

A few followers took Jesus off the cross and buried Him in a borrowed tomb. They were stunned. They felt fear, despair, anguish, that strange hollow feeling you get when everything falls apart and everything you thought was true seems so messed up.

They didn't understand. Their grief overshadowed Christ's own reminder that He would rise on the third day.

The disciples understood one thing correctly that fateful day: nothing was ever going to be the same again.Understand Christ's sacrifice for you. Know that we do not have salvation without that sacrifice. But don't “grieve like the rest, who have no hope” (1 Thess. 4:13). Turn your thoughts toward Easter. Turn your heart toward Christ, our risen Hope.

April Daily Bible Readings

Daily Bible Readings have been canceled for the month of April.


April Fools!


(Lame, I know.) :)

If you're reading through the whole Bible with us this year, here are the Scriptures to read each day this month:

Thursday, April 1: Joshua 18–19; Mark 15:21-47
Friday, April 2: Joshua 20–21; Mark 16:1-13
Saturday, April 3: Joshua 22–24; Mark 16:14-20

Sunday, April 4: Judges 1–2; Luke 1:1-25
Monday, April 5: Judges 3–4; Luke 1:26-56
Tuesday, April 6: Judges 5–6; Luke 1:57–80
Wednesday, April 7: Judges 7–8; Luke 2:1-20
Thursday, April 8: Judges 9–10; Luke 2:21-35
Friday, April 9: Judges 11–12; Luke 2:36-40
Saturday, April 10: Judges 13–15; Luke 2:41-52

Sunday, April 11: Judges 16; Luke 3:1-20
Monday, April 12: Judges 17–18; Luke 3:21-38
Tuesday, April 13: Judges 19; Luke 4:1-15
Wednesday, April 14: Judges 20; Luke 4:16-37
Thursday, April 15: Judges 21; Luke 4:38–5:11
Friday, April 16: Ruth 1–4; Luke 5:12-26
Saturday, April 17: 1 Samuel 1–2; Luke 5:27-39

Sunday, April 18: 1 Samuel 3–4; Luke 6:1-19
Monday, April 19: 1 Samuel 5–6; Luke 6:20-36
Tuesday, April 20: 1 Samuel 7–8; Luke 6:37-49
Wednesday, April 21: 1 Samuel 9–10; Luke 7:1-30
Thursday, April 22: 1 Samuel 11–12; Luke 7:31-50
Friday, April 23: 1 Samuel 13–14; Luke 8:1-18
Saturday, April 24: 1 Samuel 15–17; Luke 8:19-39

Sunday, April 25: 1 Samuel 18–19; Luke 8:40-56
Monday, April 26: 1 Samuel 20–21; Luke 9:1-22
Tuesday, April 27: 1 Samuel 22–23; Luke 9:23-43a
Wednesday, April 28: 1 Samuel 24–25; Luke 9:43b-62
Thursday, April 29: 1 Samuel 26–27; Luke 10:1-24
Friday, April 30: 1 Samuel 28–29; Luke 10:25-37

Thursday of Holy Week

Read John 13:1-20 and think through these questions:
• What does verse 1 teach you about Jesus and what was going to happen next?
• Why is it important that Jesus washed the disciples' feet?
• How is washing the disciples' feet an act of service?
• Why did Peter react the way he did?
• What does Jesus tell the disciples to do in verse 14? What does that mean?


On the day before the crucifixion, Jesus took the time to celebrate the Passover meal with His disciples. They'd gathered in an upper room, and Jesus Himself took on the role of the lowest servant and washed His friends' feet. Picture the scene in these verses: loud, boisterous Peter subdued by the Messiah's act of service. John allowing God Himself to wash the dust from his feet. Jesus, kneeling in front of men who didn't understand what was going to happen, loving them to the very last, knowing they would disappoint Him and let fear, doubt, and despair control their lives, but loving them just the same.

Then, Jesus and His disciples ate together. The friends listened as Jesus presented the bread and wine and gave new symbolic meaning to both. This is the moment we remember every time we take the Lord's Supper. It's why we call a memorial meal; it's all about remembering the God who was willing to sacrifice Himself so that we might have abundant life. Remember that this week as you take the Lord's Supper, an important part of many Thursday and Good Friday services.

After the meal, Jesus and His disciples went to a garden to pray. Read Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; and Luke 22:39-46. Jesus then invited three of them—Peter, James, and John—to come with Him. He asked them to pray and He went even further into the garden to pray alone. There was Jesus, crying out to God, praying for the strength to complete the task the Father had set before Him, and His closest friends fell asleep.

That moment breaks my heart, because I know how often I have been asleep in my faith instead of striving to be the person God wants me to be. Jesus was fully God, but He was also fully human and in that moment, I can't help but feel his utter despair and loneliness. The people He loved didn't get what He was trying to tell them. He knew what was coming, and He couldn't make them understand. And in the one moment that He needed them to just be there for Him, they fell asleep! How lonely He must have been!

Before long, a mob, led by Judas, another of Jesus' disciples, showed up at the garden. Jesus was arrested; His disciples fled; it all seemed to be coming to an end. Jesus was tried by the religious leaders in the middle of the night and accused of blasphemy. As the sun rose, Peter, who had said he'd never deny Christ, had done just that.

There's a lot of emotion in the events of this sad day during Holy Week. Peter who has done the one thing he said he would never do. Jesus who has grieved and anguished in the garden, praying for strength and rising from His conversation with God with His face set toward the cross. This moment makes me sad because I know where it leads. But I also know that Jesus is my only hope and this sacrifice had to happen so that I could have that hope.

It's easy to look at Jesus and say this was easy for Him. He was God, you know. But Scripture tells us He was also human. Here, we see a Man here who needs His friends to understand, to just be with Him. A Man who cries out to God in utter despair and honesty. A Man who understands your pain, doubts, and fears because He's been there. Jesus is the Man who fulfilled all prophecy and laid down His life for yours. That's the lesson of today. Remember it. Think on it. Thank Jesus for it, even through your tears.

Read:
• John 13:34-35. Could Jesus' command be used to describe you? Why or why not? 
• John 17: Jesus' prayer in the garden. How does it make you feel to realize that Jesus prayed for you (vv. 20-26) before His crucifixion?