DECLUTTERING YOUR LIFE IN 13 WEEKS (10 MINUTES AT A TIME): WEEKS 7 & 8

We’ve looked at a lot of external places in your life that can easily develop clutter—and that’s great. Your mom will be happier, and it will be easier for you to find stuff. But we also need to tackle some of the inner clutter you might be dealing with. So for the next two weeks, we’ll concentrate on simplifying some of the internal aspects of your life. Don’t neglect these steps because they’re private!

Week 7: Drink some water first thing in the morning.

I know it sounds crazy, but sometimes tying an action to what you’re thinking about helps you keep carrying it out day after day. Take ten minutes to have a glass of water in the morning, first thing, before you do anything else, every day this week. Just fill up a glass and find a comfortable, quiet place to sit.

While you’re drinking your water, focus on God. On the first day you do this, just try to sit quietly. Don’t let yourself start talking right away and try to keep your mind from wandering. Just try to keep your focus on Him. It is really difficult to do this, but give your best effort. It will get easier. On subsequent days you can sit quietly again, or read your Bible or your daily ec devotion. Or you can pray, but try not to make the prayer all about you. You’ll find that setting aside ten minutes each morning to do this helps clean out some of your inner clutter.

Most teenage lives could use a little silence and peace. Take a few minutes for yourself every morning and you’ll be amazed at how much better you feel throughout the rest of the day.

As always, at the end of the week, evaluate what this was like and whether you’d like to keep doing it.

Week 8: Learn to write things down.

This week is all about helping you learn to put your priorities in writing so you can get more done, worry less, plan better, and remember what you need to. It's what you'd call a Life Skill: writing things down so you remember them now.

If you're the disorganized type, you REALLY need to do this step. Take it from a disorganized graphic designer! If it weren't for the notebook I keep on my desk at work full of important information, I'd never get anything done. I had to work extra hard to get in the habit of keeping a notebook because I'm not naturally inclined to do this kind of thing. But once I did, it made my life so much easier. Don't be discouraged if you're kind of all over the place at first. Just keep at it!

You can use your school day-planner, a sheet of notebook paper, a pocket notebook, or any other book that strikes your fancy for this. Just pick something and stick to it. This book is going to be information-central for you for the next week.

First, take ten minutes now to write down everything in this book that you know you have to do this week, leave space to add to each day if you need to, and make a running list of other stuff that needs to get done that isn’t day-specific. Here are a couple of ideas for arranging your information. Feel free to print them out and use them if you like!

Once you've got everything written down, you'll just need to remember two things: First, you have to check the book regularly to see if there is anything you should be doing. And second, remember to write down any new things that come up during the week. Be specific so that you'll remember what you're talking about later. A note that says "do that red thing" isn't going to be much use to you if you don't remember what the red thing is.

That's it. Simple, right? But it might not be easy for you to remember to check your list. You'll probably have to work a little at it. Get in the habit this week of checking your list before and after school. Before school, read what's coming up for the day and allow yourself a little time to get in the right head space for whatever you're going to be doing. After school, take a minute to write down your new assignments and appointments. This shouldn't take you longer than a total of ten minutes per day. Once you get in the habit of referring to your list, you don't have to remember all the stuff that's on it. You just have to remember to look at your list.

One other thing. Be sure to put your list where you can find it every day when you need to. The best list in the world is useless if it's hiding under your bed in a pile of junk. So make your list, go back to your list twice a day, and remember where you put your list. Oh, and don't lose it. And it's probably a good idea to keep your old lists in a central location so you can find them again if you need to (this is one reason a pocket notebook works very well).

Are you feeling more relaxed, organized and together? Good — because you are! Look back over the last 8 weeks and see what new habits you've tried out that actually make your life better. Make a commitment to keep doing them! And get ready for some new habits in two weeks.

Get in here and VOTE!

Hey ec readers! It's that time again . . . time for you to answer our monthly poll. This month's poll can be found on page 39 of the September issue, but you can cast your vote below. Thanks for your input!

Friday Snippets and Soundbites

Happy Friday! While the ec team is out of the office today taking part in Student Ministry Fun Day (a big gathering of all the people who work in any area of student ministry at LifeWay) and having a great time, we hope your Friday is off to a good start, too.

We want to help you celebrate the end of the school week with all the random news you can handle, so we've been scouring the Web for interesting news stories to confuse and befuddle you. We hope this week's edition of "Snippets and Soundbites" does just that.

And remember: if today's post doesn't contain enough news of the weird for you, check out page 38 in the September issue (and every other issue) of ec!

Ready? Let's get on with the show!

Nebraska's "toilet-paper" bandit pleads guilty.
No, we didn't make up that headline. It's the title of an actual news story we found this week. At first glance, we thought maybe it referred to a thief who only stole rolls of toilet paper. Then we read a little further. Apparently, the toilet-paper bandit is 29-year-old Joshua Nelson of Lincoln, Neb. He pleaded guilty to attempted robbery this week after prosecutors in Lincoln County District Court agreed to lower the charge and dismiss a weapons count. Nelson robbed a convenience store in Lincoln on April 24. He was armed with a knife and had concealed his face by wrapping it mummy-style in toilet paper. No one was hurt in the robbery, but Nelson faces up to 20 years in prison for the robbery. He will be sentenced on October 28. To learn more about this strange story, go here. 

Zucchini: the little known weapon.
Ever had zucchini? It's that green vegetable that looks kind of like a cucumber but tastes more like squash. And it's probably the vegetable you'd vote least likely to be used as a weapon, yet apparently a Montana woman recently used a veggie to fend off a bear. Yep. She used a zucchini to shoo away a charging bear. Here's what happened: the woman was awakened early Thursday morning by some noises in her backyard. She got up to investigate and found a 200-pound black bear attacking one of her pet collies. Trying to save her pet, the woman stood at her back door and screamed. This effectively took the bear's attention off the dog, but then the bear charged her. The bear swiped at the woman with its paw, ripping her jeans and tried to come inside the open door, so the woman grabbed whatever was closest to her on the kitchen corner. It happened to be a 12-inch-long zucchini she'd picked from her garden earlier in the day. She threw the veggie at the bear, striking it on the head. The bear then fled. The woman only sustained minor scratches that did not require medical attention, though she will be getting a tetanus shot just in case. Her dog didn't appear to have any bite wounds, but the woman plans to take him to the vet anyway. Learn more here.

What does that even say? 

Archaeologists say they've rediscovered a language no one has spoken since the 16th or 17th century at a Lima archaeological dig. The dig in northern Peru is near the city of Trujillo. The site is at the location of a collapsed church complex that had been inhabited by Dominican friars for two centuries. During the dig, archaeologists discovered a letter with a string of numbers and words in a strange language on the back. A recently released photo of the letter shows a column of numbers written in Spanish and translated into a language that scholars say is now extinct, but appears to be somehow related to Quechua, an ancient language still spoken throughout the Andes. The letter was discovered in 2008, but archaeologists kept it a secret until research showing evidence of the lost language was published in a journal this week. To learn more, go here.

Change your perspective

Today’s devotion is about changing your perspective. What a timely topic. Just last week, I had to take some time to shift my perspective on a part of my life that I felt was rather discouraging. And you know what? It helped!

I’ve felt a bit stuck lately in one part of my life: my apartment. You see, the two-bedroom, two-bath apartment I live in is small, and my roommate and I’ve got a bit too much furniture, clothing, and kitchen wares for it. Our closets are filled to overflowing. (I’ve actually gotten stuck inside one of my closets when I fell in while trying to retrieve something. My roommate was present when it happened and thought it quite funny.) Our rooms have very little extra space for walking around in. Our kitchen drawers are difficult to open and even more difficult to close due to amount of gadgets they hold. On top of that, it’s old. The kitchen is outdated. (Maroon countertops—bleh!) The light fixtures are ugly. The air conditioner mysteriously knocks when it’s not blowing out cool air.

In the middle of my Thursday-evening cleaning routine last week, I stubbed my toe for the hundredth time on my cedar chest as I was dusting my packed-full bedroom. As I cried out in frustration and pain, I came to the conclusion that I needed to flip my perspective (and my attitude) on my current home. I needed to find some things about this place that I like. It took me a few minutes, but I did find some!

I realized that I like the area of town I live in; it’s safe and there’s lots of fun stuff to do very close by. And then I remembered that I get to live in my cramped apartment with one of my very best friends and that I should treasure this time we have as unmarried girls to enjoy our friendship. I realized that I should be thankful that I have a job in this tough economy that allows me to pay my rent. And I was also suddenly grateful that I could clean my whole apartment—scrubbing bathrooms, dusting, vacuuming, mopping, etc.—in about an hour and a half (something I certainly won’t be able to say the day I move into a real house!). I noted that the overabundance of furniture I have in my room now will go a long way to help furnish whatever home I move into next.

I counted my blessings, and it truly helped me change my perspective. Granted, this may seem like a silly example to you, but is there a situation at school or home or maybe even your after-school job that really grates on you? If so, try to come up with what you like about that situation. Focus on what you’re grateful for and see if it doesn’t change your whole attitude. And even if it doesn’t, today’s Scripture focus sums it up nicely: “For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory” —2 Corinthians 4:17.

For Christians, enduring your affliction—be it a mean sibling, a tough class, or a bad case of acne—doesn’t hold a candle to how far from your mind it’ll be once you’re experiencing the “eternal weight of glory” in heaven. Don’t ever lose perspective of that.

What will you change your perspective on today?

Guide to fall T.V.

The shows you love are back and new series are just beginning. Be aware: every episode of every show you watch has a message.


Let our guide help you think through those messages and make educated decisions about which shows you should spend your time on—and which ones you shouldn’t.

Glee
Fox
We know why you love it: Every ­episode is jam-packed with fun, creativity, wit, and most of all, MUSIC! The stars are extremely talented, and the characters are dynamic. Outsiders are accepted, and value is placed on truly being yourself. This show recognizes that high school can be brutal, but, thankfully, the campy satire, spontaneous dancing, and singing make it full of merriment. “Glee” has also managed to create an interactive viewing experience with hit songs/soundtracks, national tours, and cyber contests to select future cast members.

Upon Examination: Some of you Gleeks may be sold out, but you should be cautious of taking all of the principles on this show to heart. Following your dreams and passions is part of living an abundant life. Let “Glee” inspire you in that way. However, embracing the premarital and perverse sexuality and backstabbing the show often lifts up will do nothing but derail you from reaching your goals, in life and for God.

Modern Family
ABC
We know why you love it: Three quirky families joined together through blood, love, and matrimony. “Modern Family” is full of crazy characters of all ages going through semi-relatable situations with mockumentary style commentary. Each person is funny and every show has several LOL scenes. Along with being one of the most hilarious comedies in recent history, it has lots of heart and ends every episode with a sentimental moment and a moral theme of loving your family no matter what.

Upon Examination: It is always really refreshing to see families on television who are committed to each other and laugh together. You probably recognize several things your own family has been through in this show’s plot line. But the premise of the show (as stated clearly in the title) is to redefine what the average American nuclear family looks like. This can be really beneficial in making multicultural and blended families feel validated. It is also a slippery slope that should be approached with vigilance and contemplation, especially when one of the relationships this show pushes its audience to accept is a gay couple, something that flies in the face of Christian values. The ratings success and quality of the writing, casting, and acting in “Modern Family” have made it the front-runner for all other networks to copy. So don’t be surprised if you see similar shows popping up this season.


America’s Next Top Model
The CW
We know why you love it: A dozen gorgeous and usually way-too-skinny girls compete against each other in bizarre contests and even weirder photo shoots. Outlandish judges, including Miss “I-Know-Everything-There-Is-To-Know” Tyra Banks, critique them on super model-related skills ranging from their runway walk to their “smize.” Half of the drama comes from the competition, and the rest comes from the girls trying to live together in a chic mansion.

Upon Examination: When you really think about it, there is hardly a worse show for a girl’s self image. It is the same premise as looking through style magazines: if you start to see enough tall, bone skinny, and essentially fake women, it is hard not to compare yourself or other women to those unrealistic and ­unattainable standards. The show often tries to throw in a “petite” or “plus-size” girl. In all actuality, the short girls are not that short and the bigger girls are still smaller than average. Our advice to both guys and girls: make sure you are not allowing fashion saturation to define how you see true beauty.

The Office
NBC
We know why you love it: Kooky, relatable characters that make you think life won’t be that horrible if you end up at a 9-to-5 office job. One of the first shows to really commit to subtle, awkward humor with the best/worst boss ever, Michael Scott. Not to mention, you are almost as invested in Jim and Pam’s relationship as you are your own. It is a half hour of hilarity that never lets you down.

Upon Examination: The Office is one of the only shows to ever feature everyday, normal looking people in sensible clothes. That’s a refreshing contrast to most shows’ glitz and glamour. While the show may not have in-your-face visual vulgarity, the characters play fast and loose with morals and sexuality, Even the show’s stereotypical “Christian” character, who is always an uptight buzz kill, has premarital sex without even a mention of the contradiction. It is, however, encouraging that many employees in “The Office” have priorities including family and relationships.

We know there are a lot of options to choose from when you sit down to watch TV. But as you watch, be aware. Don’t just let the shows’ messages sink into your brain without a second thought. Think through these questions as you watch:

• What is the message?
• How are the plot, characters, director, etc. drawing my attention toward that message?
• What lifestyles, values, and points of view are being lifted up?
• How do I react to this message? How would other people react differently?
• What points are being overlooked or omitted in the show’s message?
• What does the Bible have to say about that message or the omissions?
• Does this show lead me to behave or think in ways that go against God’s standard?
• Does this show honor God? Why or why not?
• Is this a show I should spend my time on?

By Julie Sallee Partin for the September 2010 issue of ec, p. 16.

Friday Snippets and Soundbites

It's Friday! And we're excited!

So we're kicking the weekend off in our usual fashion—with all the strange news you can handle! If today's edition of the news of the weird isn't enough for you, be sure to check out page 38 of this month's (and every month's) issue of ec!

It's a gnome thing. 

Yes, we love the Traveling Gnome for Travelocity as much as the next guy, but it seems that the Helena, Mont., police force has a little bit of a gnome mystery on their hands. Monday evening hikers found 10 garden gnomes resting alongside a popular hiking trail on the south side of the city. The gnomes didn't belong there and were presumed to have been stolen. The problem? No one has reported any kidnapped garden gnomes missing from their yard. Officers are contacting residents who have recently reported yard ornaments being stolen, but so far there have been no matches. Poor little homeless gnomes! To read all about it, go here.

Mmm, chocolate.

The ec team loves us some chocolate. . . and we're a little jealous we won't get to visit Armenia next month when the world's largest chocolate bar will be sampled in the main square of Yerevan, the country's capital, next month. The bar, which weighs in at 9,702 pounds, was certified this week by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest chocolate bar. It's made entirely of natural ingredients and is 224 inches long, 110 inches wide, and 10 inches thick. The Grand Candy factory made the chocolate bar to celebrate the company's 10th anniversary. They'll be dividing up the massive bar of chocolate on October 16 and sharing the tasty goodness to the people of Armenia. Read all about it (but sadly you can't taste it) here.

Go west, young man!
It appears people are still following Horace Greeley's advice to go west—it's just a different kind of people. We bet you didn't know that the Amish population is growing in the U.S., and they're moving further west. While people in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana might be used to the simple lifestyle and traditional beliefs of the Amish, it appears more and more Amish families are moving to western states like Colorado, South Dakota, and Montana. Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania tracks the Amish and recently released its annual survey. In the past year, the North American Amish population has grown by 5 percent and there are now Amish communities in 28 states.The highest rates of growth over the past year were recorded in New York (19%), Minnesota (9%), Missouri (8%), Wisconsin (7%) and Illinois (7%). To learn more about the survey, go here. To learn more about the Amish, click here.

Decluttering your life in 13 weeks (10 minutes at a time): weeks 5 & 6

Are you getting used to the idea of doing a little at a time to clean up your stuff? Here are your next two assignments for decluttering your life. Hope you enjoy them!

Week 5: Clean out your car. This one might take thirty minutes instead of ten, depending on what you want to do. But even ten minutes will make a big improvement!

You’ll need a trash bag, a damp cloth, some window cleaner (or you can put a tablespoon of white vinegar in 2 cups of water), and a few paper towels.

First, take a picture of the inside of your car. Try to get as much as possible but you probably won’t be able to see all of it in the pictures. Open all the doors and the trunk and give your car a good airing-out. Then take three minutes to throw out all the junk in your floorboards, trunk, and under the seats. (My college roommate once found a carton of milk under her front seat — talk about stinky.)

Next, take a damp cloth (wet it under water and wring it out pretty well) and go over every plastic surface inside your car. This will get rid of all the dust, fast-food residue, stickiness, and other gunk that might be lurking about. This should take you about two minutes, but if your car is really dirty, it’s worth doing some extra credit to get it clean. Examine the cloth and take a second to say “ick” at the brown grossness that was once all over your car!

Last, use your window spray or vinegar water and paper towels to wash the inside of your windows. Vinegar is stinky, but it also naturally absorbs and neutralizes odors and after your car airs out a little it will smell fresh and clean. Start with the windshield, then do the front side windows. This will take you about three minutes. When you finish, decide if you like the results enough to spend another five minutes cleaning the rest. Technically, you're finished...but we hope you keep going for just a few more minutes.

Now look at your car and be really honest about the condition of the seats and floors. If they’re awful—or if they are starting to bother you now that the rest of your car is clean—do a little more extra credit and give them a quick vacuuming. Ask your parents if they’d rather you use the shop vac or the house vacuum. If they say “neither” try to dig up a dollar in quarters and go to the nearest car wash or gas station and use their vacuum.

Take another picture of the inside, and compare your shots. It looks a lot better, doesn’t it! If you like having your car this way, try keeping it clean for a week. Try to get through the week without leaving trash, clothing, papers, or anything else in your car. When the week is over, decide if you like having a clean car enough to keep it clean for good.

If you don't have a car: Take a few minutes to make sure that all of your junk is out of your parents' car, then spend a few minutes cleaning it out as listed above. Your parents like a clean car as much as you do, and this will make them really happy.

If your car and the family car are already clean: Sit in the car and play music or relax for about ten minutes. (Just kidding. You get the week off!)

Week 6: Now that we’ve seen how much of a difference ten minutes of doing little things can make, do a little cleaning and freshening up in your relationships. Take ten minutes to make a list of three people you can spend time with this week, and list something nice you can do for them that they wouldn’t expect. One of these people should be related to you, and one shouldn’t be. (The other is up to you.) Can you pick a few flowers for your mom? Watch the game with your dad? Leave a nice note on your friend’s Facebook wall, or play catch with your little brother? Fill the dishwasher for your sister on her night to do chores? Making the list should take about ten minutes, but the actual list items can take however long you choose.

One rule: don’t make this about buying them stuff. That’s too easy. Instead, think about ways you can show your love for these people through your actions. Get as creative as you want, but try to make it something you know they’d like.

It will take a little time, but it’s worth spending time with/on the people you care about. I promise. At the end of the week, decide if you like this little ten-minute habit, and whether you’ll continue it.

So now you have a clean bathroom, you’ve made strides into cleaning your closet, you’ve cleaned up your backpack and your car, and you’ve made a real effort to show love to important people in your life through your actions. Take a few minutes to feel good about your accomplishments, and meet me back here in two weeks for another round of decluttering!

ec's 2nd annual photo contest: The Details

Interested in entering ec's 2nd annual photo contest? Here's everything you need to know:

The Rules:
• The ec magazine photography contest will include two categories: faces (people, pets, etc.) and scenic shots (places, architecture, things). You can only submit one photo in the contest and must choose which category it best fits.

• The theme of the ec photo contest is peace. Send us photos of faces or places that suggest peace or make you feel peaceful. Be creative and think outside the box!

 • All submissions should be e-mailed to godlifefun@gmail.com and must be in a digital format. If necessary, you will work with the ec team to get the photo in a correct format for printing. Include your name, age, T-shirt size, mailing address, and a valid phone number.

• The deadline for submissions is midnight on October 15, 2010. The winning photo and those of two finalists will be printed in the April 2011 issue of ec.

• To read the official rules and regulations (and all the other legal stuff we have to tell you), visit: http://www.lifeway.com/ecphotocontest.

Thoughts on the September isse

One day when I was in college, I was sitting in a little park on campus trying to relax and refocus before my next class. While I was there, I met a guy who was looking for a conversation partner so that he could improve his English. He was from the Middle East, and I agreed to talk with him about once a week for the rest of the semester. During that time, he asked a lot of questions about American culture, customs, and life in general. At some point, he told me he was a Muslim, and our conversation turned to topics of faith. He wanted to know what I believed, how it differed from what he believed, and why I believed it.

I was caught off-guard, and my response was, well, lacking. I don’t know if anything I said came anywhere near explaining what I believed and why. I don’t remember specifically talking about Christ or sharing the gospel. I don’t think I did the Truth justice and am pretty sure I rushed past that moment in the conversation to other topics I felt more comfortable with and was better prepared to talk about.

But now, years later, I count that conversation as a missed opportunity to share the gospel and defend my faith. Before long, the semester was over and I lost touch with my friend. Because I’d never even thought about how to defend what I believed or why I believed it, my defense of the things most important to me was lackluster and uncomfortable at best. What little information I did manage to give was simply words and phrases I’d heard other people say, not my own reasons or responses.

As editor of ec, if there’s anything I want with this magazine, it’s to help you know God deeply and help you to NOT make the mistakes I did. That’s why I want you to think about what you believe and why now, so that you can give a defense when someone asks you later. Read Courtney Jo Vessey’s lead story “Make no apologies” on page 27 for more on that. Wrestle with the tough questions of faith now; don’t run away from them. Let our new series “Tough Questions” on page 30 help you begin that process. Live your faith, as Hannah Wakefield encourages you to in her story on page 40, and make your faith known.
My best advice to you as someone who’s a little older and made more mistakes: dive in deep in your relationship with God. Get to know Him and trust Him with your tough questions. He can handle them, and, more than that, He wants to. Trust Him, seek Him, talk about Him. Make no apologies!

Friday Snippets and Soundbites

It's Friday! Which, of course, means that it's also time for ec's weekly online edition of "Snippets and Soundbites." We've read news stories all over the Internet this week and now we're here to tell you about the stories we thought were the most funny, strange, and just a tiny bit weird.

And if today's edition doesn't contain enough news of the weird for you, please check out page 38 in this month's (and every month's) issue of ec.

What's wrong with popcorn?

If you grew up in a farming community like ec's editor Mandy did, you know that there's a difference between sweet corn (that's corn on the cob), popcorn (definition is self-evident), and field corn (the majority of the corn grown in the Midwest; used to feed cattle and livestock, make cornstarch, etc.). This week, an Elizabethtown, Ky., farmer believes that something strange and weird happened among some of the corn still on the stalks in his field of feed corn. Some of it popped on the ear while still in the field. The farmer had never seen anything like that, especially when it comes to field corn, which doesn't pop. He took pictures of the phenomenon and sent them to his local extension agent. He thinks the cause for the popped corn is a combination of irregular rainfall and high heat. It doesn't help that corn fields can be up to 10 degrees higher than the surrounding area because the corn plants produce so much energy. We just wonder what popped field corn tastes like. . . it's probably not that good. Read the whole story here.

"It's a case of dumb and dumber."
Those are the words of a police man in Melbourne, Australia, describing two men he recently arrested for—wait for it—wrestling a 5-foot python in a McDonald's parking lot. The men, aged 22 and 24, reportedly stole the python and a lizard from a pet store on Wednesday. They then, inexplicably, took the python (named Boris) to the McDonald's parking lot and starting wrestling the snake in front of the puzzled customers. After the arrest, the snake, a black-headed python, was returned to the pet store, but the lizard is still missing. The men were arrested and charged with burglary and theft. If you'd like to learn more about this strange tale, go here.

The story of Spider-Man and the scooter

A southern Illinois boy is a big fan of Spider-Man and his Razor-type scooter. So when the child decided he wanted to visit a friend in a nearby town (Carbondale, Ill.), he just hopped onto his scooter and took off, even though he was still wearing his Spider-Man pajamas. Sheriff's deputies picked up the boy at about 2 a.m. Wednesday after fielding several 911 calls about the boy. The 5-year-old was actually about 2 miles into his journey—and his chosen route involved traveling on two major highways. The boy was returned safely to his home and his very grateful parents. Learn more here.

Fiction contest finalist: Rachel Brown

Rachel Brown is the only finalist in the high school division of our 3rd annual ec fiction contest. Rachel is from Danville, Va., in 10th grade, and likes golf, guitar, reading, hanging out with her friends—and writing, of course! 


The panel picked Rachel's story as a finalist because her point of view and the perspective from which she told the story (two protagonists telling what's happening from their points of view) was intriguing to us. Good job, Rachel! 

Here's Rachel's story: 

She was on the edge. She could not take it any longer. The stress, the tears, the pain had swallowed her whole, and she could not escape.

She crammed her books into her locker. As she shoved her last book inside, she noticed this book didn’t even have a cover. They say not to judge a book by its cover, but what if it doesn’t have a cover? The only thing that matters to this book is what is on the inside, yet no one cares to pick it up. It is coverless and seemingly hopeless.

The girl got up, slammed the locker door, and hoped never to return.

He was experiencing the last day of school of his senior year. No exams, no summer school; life was good… until yesterday.

*****
His youth pastor had issued a challenge to all the seniors. He told them to introduce themselves to someone who seemed to be alone, invite him or her to church, and tell that person that God cares for him or her.

The bell ending the last day of school had just rung, and the boy hadn’t taken his pastor up on the challenge.
***
She had suffered a miserable life.  Each boyfriend she had told her he loved her, had sex with her, then moved on to the next girl.  Each drink she had only washed away the problems for a little while.  Each high only made her forget about her worries temporarily. 
Her dad had walked away from the family when she was nine-years-old; he had taken their money but left his only daughter.  Mom wasn’t much better.  When she came home from school, she saw her mother lying in the floor, barely conscious, with an empty beer bottle in her hand. The only good thing her mother did for her was bring in money from her cashier job; the money was only enough to keep them alive.

But now, she didn’t see the point in living.
***
He had everything he had ever wanted.  Good family, good friends, good athletic career, and good grades were all aspects of his life.  He also had a great God, but he didn’t tell people about that part of his life very often.

He was a Christian; it was true.  He had been following Christ since he was 9 years old. But he had always had trouble telling others about his faith. He was fearless as a lion on the football field, yet when it came to ministering to others, he was as timid as a deer.  His whole high school career, he had made no attempts to tell others about Jesus.

But now, that was going to change. 

***
She walked out into the blistering heat, and the sun seemed to scorch her alive. She didn’t care.  The gun they had in their house still had one bullet; one bullet was all she needed to end the pain.

He walked through the door to the outside, clutching his skateboard.  The sun was bright overhead.  He would need sunscreen if he was going to skateboard this afternoon.   But he still had the mission to complete; one person to shine the Light to be all he needed.

She stood on the sidewalk outside the front of her school, waiting for her bus.  It was late again.  No surprise.   

He walked up the sidewalk at the front of school. Today was the last day of high school of his life. He had to make it memorable.  He had to find someone.

She turned her head left and right, looking anywhere for the bus.  All she saw was some boy, probably a senior, approaching.  He was attractive, but she had learned her lesson about boys such as him. 

He looked ahead, and he spotted a girl standing on the sidewalk.  She was probably a freshman waiting for her bus.  She looked his way, and he stopped.  She looked away again, and he trudged toward her. 

She almost ran away, but this guy did not look to be a creep.  Was that a smile on his face?

He plastered a nervous smile on his face and looked at her, really looked at her, for the first time.  She looked broken. 

She turned to the boy as he approached.

He introduced himself to her. He told her why he wanted to talk with her.  He told her it was all because of God.  He told her how God had issued him a challenge through his youth pastor- to tell someone about Jesus—and how God had chosen her to be the one to whom he ministered.  Finally, he told her the one thing every person needs and secretly wants to her.  He said that God loves her, no matter what.

Somewhere deep within the girl’s psyche, she felt that this God the boy spoke of cared for her.  How else could He have reached out to her when she was on the edge?  Just as the bus pulled up, he gave her a bulletin telling about his church, and he invited her to come. She looked at the verse on the front of the bulletin, 1 John 4:19. It stated,  “You are loved because He first loved you.”     

Two days later, she attended her first church service.

The next Sunday, she realized that God really did care about her as she listened to the song “Mighty to Save.”  The song’s words rang out, “My Savior, He can move the mountains. My God is mighty to save, He is mighty to save.”

Two weeks later, she gave her life to Christ and continued to grow closer to Him.

Eight years later, she traveled the United States, telling teenagers of God’s everlasting love.

He never found out all she did, all the lives she changed for Christ.  He never knew what an impact he made. But God knows, and that fact is really all that matters.

Fiction contest finalist: Breanna Hinston

While Kirby Jones was selected as the overall winner in the middle school division of our 3rd annual ec fiction contest, we couldn't ignore the merits of Breanna Hinston's submission. So, we declared her a finalist in this year's competition.


Breanna is from Brighton, Mich., and enjoys dancing, playing the piano, reading, writing, and hanging out with friends and family. We're so happy she shared her talents with us!

Here's Breanna's story, Quiet Courage:

Kelsey shut her bedroom door. Her parents were fighting again. She walked over to her iPod and scanned down her playlist and pressed play. She did anything to block out the yelling. It all started when they moved from California to Michigan because her dad got a job offer. She didn’t see her dad very much after he took the job, and when she did, he didn’t even pay attention to her because he was so concerned about his work.

It was quiet for about one minute which was very unusual because she normally fell asleep listening to them fight. She heard a humming noise outside her window, and she turned to go see what it was. Her dad’s blue SUV was pulling out of the drive-way. Kelsey’s eyes were beginning to get blurred as tears streamed down her face. She was hoping it wasn’t what she thought it was. She slowly dragged her feet to her bed, turned off her light, and soon drifted off to sleep.

The next morning was Sunday so Kelsey woke up at eight o’clock to get ready for church. The drive to church was very quiet. Well, that was probably because it was just her and her mom. Kelsey figured that her dad would meet them there, at least she hoped so. When they got there, her wish was not granted. Her dad didn’t even show up.

How could he? she thought while the preacher was giving his sermon. Why would he just leave us and not even say good-bye to me?

After the church service, Kelsey’s mom said, “How about we go to your favorite restaurant?”
Kelsey looked down and replied “OK.”

After they ordered their food, her mom looked at her. “Honey, I have something to tell you. Your father and I are not getting along as well as we used to. We are just going to be separate for a while but…”

“What?” Kelsey almost yelled. Her eyes were filling with tears but she knew that she just couldn’t let them go.

“Please don’t yell Kelsey.”

After that, the rest of the meal was quiet except for a few yeses and nos.

When they got home, Kelsey went straight to her room and stayed there for the rest of the night.

The next day at school, it didn’t go so well. Kelsey could not concentrate on any of her classes.  She got a B on her science test that she studied for two hours last night, and it was supposed to be pizza day at her school for lunch, but they ran out so she had to eat tuna casserole.

On the bus ride home, she sat there staring out the window and watched other kids playing in the snow and building snowmen with their families.

When she got home, no one was there. She looked at the phone and it said there was a new message.

“Hi sweetie. I am running a little late from work. I won’t be home until dinner so you can order pizza or something if you want. I’m sorry. Love you.”

Kelsey sighed and threw her backpack on the chair. She walked over to the computer and logged on her Facebook.

She had gotten a message from one of her good friends, Jenny:
Hey Kelsey, I didn’t get to talk to you at school because I had a big algebra test today. I did notice you sort of looked down today at school. Is anything wrong? My mom said that she could drop us off at the movies. The Hannah Montana movie is out. I heard it was pretty good but a little cheesy. We could go out to eat then. Call me! Remember Deuteronomy 31:8.

She ran over to her room and picked up her Bible. It was so old that half of it was falling out and the cover was practically worn off. She fanned through her pages and read aloud Deuteronomy 31:8. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord you God goes with you: He will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Kelsey just sat there and thought about that for a minute. Even through the hard times He is still watching over me and is in control.

She hurried and picked up the phone to call Jenny.

Ten minutes later she was walking out the door with her coat and scarf in hand.

“Thanks for taking me to the movies and dinner. It was great.” Kelsey hugged Jenny good-bye and walked through the front door. “Hello?” Kelsey asked. She heard voices in the den. She put her ear up against the door to listen who was in there.

It was her mom’s voice. “Honey, let’s just try to work this out, at least for Kelsey’s sake.”

“Alright, I’ll schedule an appointment at the marriage counselor tomorrow.” Kelsey was shocked. That was her dad’s voice that she had just heard!

She tip-toed up to her room and shut the door. She then knelt down on her knees and prayed. “Thank you so much Lord!”

Fiction contests finalist: Hannah Baughman

If you've seen this month's issue of ec, you know that we revealed (and printed) the winning stories from our third annual fiction contest. Now, it's time to check out the stories written by the other finalists in each division. 

We had two finalists (or honorable mentions) in the middle school category. Today, we're featuring Hannah Baughman's prize-winning story. Hannah is from Olathe, Kansas, and enjoys tennis, playing the piano, and reading—when she's not writing, that is.

Here's Hannah's story: 

We were all whispering as Monica walked past us. She didn’t look at us, although I was certain she could hear what my friends and I were saying. As she walked past us she kept her expression in the other direction.

“Did you see what she was wearing today?” said one of my friends, a girl named Morgan.

“I can’t believe it—cowboy boots.” Nellie, another one of my friends, said.

“She needs to get some sense knocked into her. Big time,” said Ashley.

They all looked at me as if I was going to say something, but I couldn’t seem to find anything to say. There was just something different about her; she seemed to have something that I didn’t have. I just couldn’t talk about her like I would about someone else.

“Well, Jess?” Nellie asked.

“Come on, we’re going to be late for class.” I said, changing the subject.

Morgan looked at me strangely as we headed for class.

When I finished cheerleading practice, I walked to meet my friends at the fourth bench on the left by the flag pole. I saw my friends in a semi-circle surrounding Monica. They were making fun of her outfit and laughing at her. I went over there and told Nellie that I had to go. I really didn’t want to be a part of that scene. I don’t know why, but something inside of me made me want to go home instead of joining in.

The next day, I was earlier than normal to school, so I didn’t see my friends anywhere. I heard some whispering as I walked past the staircase. I took a step back, peeking in through the window of the stairway door. There was Monica, sitting alone on the stairs, her eyes closed. She was whispering something. I looked around, to see if anyone was watching me, and somehow found the guts to walk up to her.  “What are you doing?” I asked, trying hard to be nice. Her eyes opened and she said, “I’m talking to my best Friend,” she replied. “But there’s nobody here,” I said, puzzled. “I’m talking to my Father, my only Father,”

“He has saved me from my sins, and He has comforted me in this hard time,” She continued.

“Okay…what exactly are sins? Who is your ‘Father’?” I was really confused, and I was also glad my friends weren’t there. They would be laughing at her, but I was curious, and I wanted to know, whether it was interesting or not.

“Sins are when you do wrong against God. My Father is God.”

I was really confused. “What do you mean?”

“It means—” she started. But at that moment, Nellie, Morgan, and Ashley walked up.

“Hey! Oh, Monica? Do you have a mirror at home? Because you really need to get one! Ha-ha, good one, huh Jess!” Ashley sneered.

“Um, well-”

“Yeah that was one of the best ones all day, Ash!” said Nellie, cutting me off.

They were still laughing when the bell rang.

Perfect timing, I thought. My friends hurried off, leaving me with Monica. I looked over at her, and she asked, “Do you want to come over after school and you can ask me some more questions, if you’d like.”

“Um, OK.” I said. I wasn’t sure if I was doing the right thing, but something inside of me told me to go. “See you then!”

When I walked outside to meet Monica, Nellie and Ashley were taunting her again. “Great, just what I need,” I thought. Taking a deep breath, I walked up to them, not saying anything but making eye contact with Monica. I jerked my head toward the street, hoping she would understand. She nodded and we somehow escaped from Nellie, Ashley, and Morgan and left for her house.

As we were walking down Monica’s street, a boy of about eighteen rode past us on a skateboard. “Hey Oscar,” Monica said as he stopped and walked back to us. “Hey Monica, and Monica’s friend, I’m Oscar,” he said, looking at me. “Um, Hi, I’m Jessica but you can call me Jess.” I said, feeling a little nervous. “We have to go. Sorry Oscar, I’ll see you and talk to you later,” said Monica.

While we were in Monica’s room, she told me what it meant to be a Christian, and she told me who Jesus is and that he died for me. I didn’t understand all of it, but I got the main idea.
   
The next day, I went to Monica’s house again. This time, Oscar was there. They explained to me more, and I understood some of it. It was making a little more sense than yesterday. Monica told me a verse that I had to think a lot about. “1st John 1:9 says ‘If you confess your sins, he is faithful and just to forgive you your sins, and will cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ This verse changed my life when I read my great-grandma’s Bible, which I still have. She showed it to me, and I said, “Wow, it’s old, but interesting! It’s a book without a cover.”

“Open it!” Monica said.

I opened it, and in old, rough writing, what looked like a song was written on the second page.
It read: 
Saved, Saved! 
To my beloved daughter, Janelle.

I’ve found a friend who is all to me,
His love is ever true;
I love to tell how He lifted me,
And what His grace can do for you.
Saved by His power divine,
Saved to new life sublime!
Life now is sweet and my joy is complete,
For I’m saved, saved, saved!

After I read that song, I knew what I had to do.

“Monica, can I become a Christian? I know Jesus died for my sins, and I want Him to be my Father, and my best friend. Will you tell me what I need to do?”

Monica smiled and answered, “Of course I will.”

Friday Snippets and Soundbites

Welcome to the first Friday in September!

On such an auspicious occasion, we chose to celebrate the only way we know how: with all the random, strange, silly, and weird news from the week we could find.

If today's online edition of "Snippets and Soundbites" isn't enough weirdness for you, be sure to check out page 38 in this month's (and every month's) issue of ec.

All that said, let's get to the news!

It's (not) an emergency!
Some things are a big deal, but they're just not an emergency. Your crush calling. A flat tire. Running out of Dr. Pepper. Emotional, frustrating, a big deal? Yes. An emergency? No. Not so much for an Oregon man we read about in this week's new, though. Apparently the man called 911 from the hot tub at a suburban Portland, Ore., home and asked for help. At first, he identified himself as "the sheriff of Washington County" and asked for medical help, then he admitted he wasn't the sheriff and asked for a hug and a warm cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows in it. The report we read said that the man reported he'd been in the hot tub for about 10 hours and his towels had gotten wet—that combined with needing a hug and hot chocolate appears to be why he called 911. The really interesting part of the story is that the man didn't even live at the house. Police did respond to his call. . . and charged him with criminal trespass and improper use of 911. To learn more, go here.

Don't have a green thumb? A cautionary tale. 

Some people just don't have a green thumb. No matter how hard they try, every plant just seems to die. That's not generally a problem—except in this story from Arkansas. Apparently a woman from Paragould, Ark., had planted some flowers in a pot that sat on her front porch. That all happened in the summer of 2009. Of course, the flowers died, but the woman just left them there. On the front porch. Decomposing in the plastic pot. Then, on July 25, fire damaged the family's home. This week, the insurance company determined the cause: the rotten plants. Apparently the plant and potting soul had been decomposing in the plastic pot and that process created heat, which eventually erupted into a fire. Simply put, the dead plants spontaneously combusted. The fire had charred the deck and caught the home's vinyl siding on fire, but was quickly extinguished and no one was hurt. We're willing to be the homeowner's will be investing in plastic plants from now on. Read all about it here.

We don't even know what to say about this story.
It appears texting is the way to communicate these days, especially among teens. But one Montana teen probably won't be texting for awhile. That's because the teen apparently wanted to buy some drugs (marijuana) and sent out a text to a lot of people asking where he could get some. One of the numbers he sent the text to? Yep, the sheriff. At first the sheriff thought the text was a joke, but quickly realized it wasn't. He responded and a detective pretending to be the drug dealer arranged for a meet-up. When the detective showed up at the meeting and showed his badge to the two teens and one adult there, one of the boys even fainted. No citations were issued. To learn more, go here. 

Decluttering your life in 13 weeks (10 minutes at a time): Weeks 3 & 4

Ok guys, it’s been a couple of weeks. Did you clean up your bathroom junk and talk to your folks? Time to get started with the next two steps. Remember to shoot for 10 minutes. If you want to do more, ok...but don’t do so much you turn yourself off decluttering forever! The whole idea behind this is to learn small habits that help you manage your life.

Week 3: Get another playlist going and tackle your closet.

First, take five minutes to go quickly through your clothes and set aside five things you haven’t worn in at least six months. They should be particular to the season—don’t give away your winter coat if it’s August! Just look for and find five things you really don’t need/use anymore and put them in a “donate” bag.

Take a couple of minutes to turn all your hangers around so the open part of the hook is facing you. When you wear something or you hang up your clothes, turn the hanger back right. (You don’t have to turn the hangers backwards anymore after this.) In a few months or so, you’ll have a pretty good idea of what you do and don’t wear regularly—because what you haven't worn will still be turned around backwards. Note: you should probably tell your mom you're doing this so she doesn't go in there and straighten up your hangers for you!

Next, spend a minute or two thinking about zones. What would be a good way to organize your stuff? Maybe you’ll have a sports-clothes zone in your closet, a shoe zone, a pants zone, etc. Just think about how you might group things together in a meaningful way so you can find them. You can start your first closet zone if you want. Just put like things together.

Last, go quickly through the clothes you’ve set aside. Is anything in there by mistake? Can you hand anything down to your little brother or sister? Tell your mom or dad you’ve got a bag of stuff to donate.

We'll revisit your closet in a month or so. For now, just try not to let it get any messier than it already is, and any time you run across something you don't use anymore, set it aside. You can keep a bag in the bottom of your closet for this.

Week 4: Go through your backpack.

Sit down somewhere where you have a bit of room and take everything out of it — every paper, book, candy wrapper, and pencil stub. Go quick and sort everything into piles: papers to give your folks, things to file away in your notebook, writing utensils. Throw out the trash. Empty the crumbs out of your bag over the trash can.

Ideally you should do this once a week. Getting in the habit of keeping your bag clean will mean it's easy to find anything in there. Guys, this goes for your gym/sports bag as well...but you really ought to be taking everything out of it every night when you get home from practice so you don't end up winning your household's Stinky Award. And ladies, going through your purse once a week and cleaning out the extra junk will help keep your bag slim, neat, and clean. (A lumpy purse that is bursting at the seams doesn't really compliment your outfit.)

Now that we’ve been doing this for a while, does it seem a little easier? It’s kind of amazing what you can do in 10 minutes, isn’t it?

Daily Bible Readings: September

Calling all ec readers! It's that time again . . . a new month has begun, which means that we're posting your Daily Bible Reading plan for the month. We hope September kicks off a great fall for you. Without further ado, here's the plan for getting in the Word this month:

Wednesday, September 1: Proverbs 12–14; 1 Corinthians 3
Thursday, September 2: Proverbs 15–16; 1 Corinthians 4
Friday, September 3: Proverbs 17–19; 1 Corinthians 5
Saturday, September 4: Proverbs 20–23; 1 Corinthians 6

Sunday, September 5: Proverbs 24–26; 1 Corinthians 7
Monday, September 6: Proverbs 27–29; 1 Corinthians 8
Tuesday, September 7: Proverbs 30–31; 1 Corinthians 9
Wednesday, September 8: Ecclesiastes 1–3; 1 Corinthians 10
Thursday, September 9: Ecclesiastes 4–7; 1 Corinthians 11
Friday, September 10: Ecclesiastes 8–12; 1 Corinthians 12
Saturday, September 11: Song of Songs 1–4; 1 Corinthians 13

Sunday, September 12: Song of Songs 5–8; 1 Corinthians 14
Monday, September 13: Isaiah 1–3; 1 Corinthians 15
Tuesday, September 14: Isaiah 4–6; 1 Corinthians 16
Wednesday, September 15: Isaiah 7–9; 2 Corinthians 1
Thursday, September 16: Isaiah 10–12; 2 Corinthians 2
Friday, September 17: Isaiah 13–15; 2 Corinthians 3
Saturday, September 18: Isaiah 16–18; 2 Corinthians 4

Sunday, September 19: Isaiah 19–22; 2 Corinthians 5
Monday, September 20: Isaiah 23–25; 2 Corinthians 6
Tuesday, September 21: Isaiah 26–28; 2 Corinthians 7
Wednesday, September 22: Isaiah 29–31; 2 Corinthians 8
Thursday, September 23: Isaiah 32–35; 2 Corinthians 9
Friday, September 24: Isaiah 36–38; 2 Corinthians 10
Saturday, September 25: Isaiah 39–41; 2 Corinthians 11

Sunday, September 26: Isaiah 42–44; 2 Corinthians 12
Monday, September 27: Isaiah 45–47; 2 Corinthians 13
Tuesday, September 28: Isaiah 48–50; Galatians 1
Wednesday, September 29: Isaiah 51–53; Galatians 2
Thursday, September 30: Isaiah 54–56; Galatians 3