Archive — August, 2008
29 Aug
Students focus on Christ at ‘Paradise’
LA CYGNE, Kan. (BP)—In a rural field at the geographic center of the nation, more than 3,000 college and high school students gathered around a symbolic “foundation of the heavenly throne” to worship Jesus through Scripture, prayer and singing May 25.
The Stealth Child
My destination loomed tall and cold. I gazed up at it, pinpointing its every defect. The goal: climb to the summit unaided, find out what was really concealed up there, and make it down unnoticed with my information. Stealthily I climbed, basking in my sneakiness and what I was about to uncover. Alas, when I completed my goal of cresting the refrigerator and discovering its contents up top, I failed in actually getting back down. It was only when my mom remembered she hadn’t seen me for awhile that I was found and eventually rescued.
28 Aug
Diet Coke Will Be the Death of Him…
My dad only spends money on the absolute, basic necessities for survival. For this reason, when I entered our basement and beheld a brand-new pool table, I was convinced he’d gone crazy. (I also discovered a pair of blue-flame rimmed sunglasses and a blown speaker in his car. I rest my case.) He adored his new purchase, and laws were quickly dictated:
GOLDEN RULE: Thou shall not have food/drink near pool table.
27 Aug
In Athens, Greece, students work, worship & witness
ATHENS, Greece (BP)—Tourists snap pictures and shoot video as 60 International World Changers hold an impromptu praise and worship service atop Mars Hill in Athens, Greece. As the students’ voices carry across the crowd, an Iranian man on the fringes presses forward to ask for a copy of the song’s lyrics.
“Do you understand what is going on?” asks Jerry Johnson, Baptist Collegiate Ministries senior minister at Georgia Southern University.
“Yes, you are Christians,” the man replies.
Still Our Choice
Last Sunday my pastor preached an awesome sermon on the “Posture of Purity” from Psalm 141. People were visibly moved by the challenge, and I heard many solemn comments about his request for us to grade ourselves on six areas: prayer, worship, words, emotions, thoughts, and our relationships with Jesus. It was evident that many of us felt conviction and realized the need for change in our lives. But as the week has gone on, I wonder how many have put their thoughts into actions?
26 Aug
Goldfish in a Sea of Sharks
I believe there is one day that stands out as the scariest day of my life: the first day of high school. The first day separates the men from the boys; and on that day, we are all boys.
25 Aug
When the World Lets You Down
I love Facebook because I’ve found it to be a great tool for keeping in touch with individuals that I’ve lost contact with over the years. The other day I tried to do just that, and looked up an old friend of mine from work. It had been a long time since we’d seen each other, but I remembered him to be a real stand-up, positive, Christian guy. But I quickly found that his profile pointed to a person that was a far cry from the friend I once knew. As I scrolled down and continued to look through his page, my heart hurt at the realization that my friend seemed to have lost his way… . I felt disillusioned, saddened, and let down.
22 Aug
Too Late for Swimming Lessons?
My father once posed a troubling question, “Daniel, think it’s time to get a part-time job?”
Shrugging lazily I responded, “I think I’ll just skip the menial work and head straight to upper management.”
However, a previous childhood experience should have reminded me how unlikely that would be.
21 Aug
Youth make connection in Senegal
Melissa Gardner, 17, prays in Dakar, Senegal.
SENEGAL, West Africa (BP)—International World Changers is an International Mission Board program that sends students on missions trips around the world each year. This IWC trip sent college and high school students to Senegal high schools to reach their peers by building relationships and handing out books and DVDs about Jesus.
Steady Eddie
A few weeks ago while reminiscing with two college friends, I was informed that there are two types of women in the world—those who are “steady Eddie’s” and those who are not. I fall into the latter category. While “steady Eddie” was a new term for me, I’m quite familiar with labels such as hypersensitive, high maintenance, and moody. Now, I prefer descriptors such as emotionally attuned, responsive, and tender- hearted. However, in my heart, I know these adjectives all mean the same thing—I wear my feelings on my sleeve.
