Priceles Pearls

By Jasmine Green age 17

A gift that’s so priceless has no cost,
With that thought in mind,
it should be kept so tight
That it’s never lost
To lose a gift of such great quality
Can only be the plan of the enemy
To make your life a total waste,
That will cause you not to enjoy
the wonderful taste
Of living a prosperous
and righteous life,
Therefore giving you the mindset
that you’re not eligible
to become someone’s wife
The enemy feels as if he has already won,
By making you think
that nothing can be done
So now you’re stuck with something called
low self esteem
Thinking that there’s no way on earth
you can be redeemed
Well I’m here to share the good news,
You can be restored
just turn to the Lord,
He never will refuse, the life of you such
a priceless pearl,
For he knows that there is great works to be done
by you in this world.

Teens and their Gadgets

By Jamere McIntosh age, 18

Picture this, a group scene with four friends. However instead of talking with each other one is on her cell phone, one is listening to music on her ipod, one is on his laptop and the other is sitting waiting for one of her friends to finish what they’re doing. This brings me to my question, are electronics making teens more introverted?

When we hear the word “introvert” (a person unmindful of the outside world) we may think that a mentally unstable, or even psychotic person is being described, so we would feel insulted for someone to use this word to describe us. But let’s take a moment to look at another way in which the word can be used to describe how teenagers have been affected by being exposed to the new technological gizmos and gadgets of today such as the famous cell phone and MP3 player (ipod) and the computer to an extent.

This might not apply to everyone, but speaking from personal experience, owning all of these has had somewhat of an affect on me. Over the past year, I have found that I can spend countless hours locked away in my room or in some secluded place surfing the net on my laptop, uploading and listening to music from my MP3 player, or using my cell phone. I believe that these gadgets have made many teenagers become more introverted.

The mere fact that no one else has to be around for these to entertain us, along with the unlikelihood that we would feel lonely if we happen to keep to ourselves while using our cell phones or ipods prove this. If you are a more outgoing or sociable person it may be hard to believe that you can become an introvert, but I believe that there is a way you can determine this. For example when I’m around my family and friends I try to enjoy their company and not get lost in the latest electronic gadgets. However, if you are finding that even when you’re around others you’re still interacting with your gadgets instead of those around you then maybe, just maybe you’re a little bit introverted. There’s no need to feel strange about enjoying the latest electronic devices, but how about coming up for air and enjoying the company of those physically present around you every now and again?

Forgiveness... A Selfless Act

"Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little
children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matt 18:3 NIV


“I ain’t you friend!”
“Huh?”
“I ain't you friend!”

I could barely keep the smile off my face as I looked down into the angry face of my cute little two-year old goddaughter Shay-Shay, (Lashay) who was quite mad with me and not afraid to show it. The fact that we were in church and she was sitting on my lap at the time did not impress her one bit. The sweetest thing however was that two minutes later she again earnestly looked up in my face and this time she said, “I is you friend.” Just like that I was forgiven.

Little children make the act of forgiveness seem so easy, almost effortless. However forgiveness can be one of the most difficult things to do, especially when someone really hurts you. During the course of your lifetime you will certainly be hurt and offended by something someone said or did to you. Your parents, siblings, friends, teachers... whether knowingly or unknowingly will hurt you. You’re human so you’ll undoubtedly be angry but how long do you stay angry? How long do you hold a grudge?

I find that many times ladies in particular are experts at holding grudges (I speak from the voice of experience.) Someone wounds you and you hold the pain to your heart refusing to let it go. Every time you see the person you get angrier and angrier because you keep remembering what they did to you or said about you. Unfortunately, holding the grudge causes you more pain than the original act itself because the fact that you’re holding on to it gives the person the power to hurt you over and over again.

And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespasses against us…

Sometimes you may feel that you have a valid reason not to forgive. It may have been a horrendous act that was committed against you. However, you don’t have to be best friends with the person who hurts you or even like them. But, you have to let go of your resentment towards them and the only way to do this is to forgive.

As difficult as it may be to do, the terms of forgiveness (as laid out in the Bible) are not negotiable. If we want to be forgiven we have to forgive, no matter what the crime. This is one of the most selfless examples Jesus left for us to follow. If after being nailed to a cross for our sins he was able to say “Father forgive them…” Surely we can do the same?

New Year, New Me

New Year, new me… I’m going to lose ten pounds, I’m going to save more money, I’m going to do better in school, I’m going to read through the Bible, I’m going to be a better person…

What is it about a new year that has people making promises they will in all likelihood not keep? When I was younger every year I made several New Year’s resolutions. Unfortunately, by the time January was finished so was my commitment to my resolutions. Finally, after many years of failing to keep my resolutions I came to the realization that there was nothing magical about a New Year that would make me stick to them. I still had to follow through.

Do you see a need to make changes in your life in this year? Ask yourself, “what do I need to change and how do I go about it?” Then, just do it. If you fail at first, don’t give up. Just get back on track and keep going.

When you make a change in your life there may be people around you who won’t accept the new you. If you were the student who was always giving the teachers a hard time and you decide to become a model student their eyes may be on you waiting for you to go back to your old disruptive behavior. If you suddenly begin getting A’s and B’s after getting C’s and D’s there may be those who try to discount your hard work by saying you cheated. If you had a bad reputation there may be those who constantly remind you about it. They may say you can’t keep it up and watch you every moment waiting for you to show signs of the old you.

However, if you see a genuine need for a positive change in your life, don’t worry about what others think. You have to know within yourself that it’s not about them and what they think it’s about how you think about yourself.

Also, remember that the most important change you can make in your life is to allow God to take control and mold you into the type of person he wants you to be.

Girl Talk Magazine

"Is that the new issue of Girl Talk?"
"Can I have one?"

I distribute Girl Talk to the teen girls in my church before I give to anyone else and they're always excited to see a new issue. In fact I think everyone loves getting one, teens, preteens and adults.
















These preteens didn't even notice me with my camera, they were so interested in what they were reading.
















Hmmm, a boy reading Girl Talk? I wonder if he's trying to find secrets that will help him understand girls better.
Girls, are any of you missing a magazine?



Stay tuned, I'll be posting articles from the new issue of GT, which the young man happens to be holding over the next few days.

Actions

Actions speak
louder than words
Is a saying that is
most often heard.


They speak of things
You would never say
And express your
Values in every way.


They bring to light
things hidden within
Exposing the deepest,
darkest of sins


They tell the world
Who you are inside
More effectively
Than a single word

The Roar of Silence

Does the presence of God in your life speak so loudly and so strong in your lifestyle that it isn't necessary to utter the words I am a Christian out loud?

I began thinking strongly about this after reading Charles Swindoll's book, Esther, A Woman of Strength and Dignity. He drew attention to the fact that the word God never once appeared in the entire book of Esther.

I've read the book of Esther many times and I'm sure subconsciously I noticed that there was no mention of God. However it never really registered in my mind as an important factor to remember. The reason for this is the fact that God's presence throughout the book of Esther was so strong, vibrant and visible that it overshadowed the fact that his name was never once mentioned.

It got me to thinking, "How is my life like the book of Esther?". If complete strangers were to observe me unnoticed for a period of time would they be able to see the evidence of my savior in my life without me saying a word? I certainly hope so!

One of my goals in this new year is to let God's presence in my life speak more loudly than mere words.