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Archive for April, 2007

April 5, 2007

~Real Word~

Do what you do so well:get me out of this mess and up on my feet.
Put your ear to the ground and listen,give me space for salvation.
Be a guest room where I can retreat;
you said your door was always open!

You’re my salvation–my vast, granite fortress.
My God, free me from the grip of Wicked,
from the clutch of Bad and Bully.

You keep me going when times are tough–my bedrock, GOD, since my childhood.
I’ve hung on you from the day of my birth,
the day you took me from the cradle;
I’ll never run out of praise.

Many gasp in alarm when they see me,
but you take me in stride.
Just as each day brims with your beauty,
my mouth brims with praise.

Excerpted from Psalm 71 (THE MESSAGE)

~Real Link~

Have you ever wanted to read the Bible, but struggled to know where to begin?

Did you know that only 3 out of 10 people say that they understand the Bible? And yet it is one of the most powerful books ever written. It has the power to change your perspective, and your life.

So, why don’t you read it with us? If you ever have questions about that day’s scriptures, drop a comment on Real Teen Faith and we’ll talk about it together. Deal?

You can read it online at studylight (or listen to it) or pick up a One Year Bible on amazon.com or at the bookstore. The cool thing about reading it online is that you can pick whatever version you choose. My favorite is The Message Bible.

So, why don’t you start today? Go to Studylight.org and you’ll find tons of helpful links, but my favorite is the One Year Bible Study.

Suzie

Filed under: real links, real word

Posted by T. Suzanne Eller @ 3:00 pm | Comments

April 5, 2007

~Real Quote~

Faith is believing what you know ain’t so.” - Mark Twain

RT: Mark Twain wasn’t a believer, as far as history records, but there is great truth in this quote.

Does God really believe in me? The words spoken over me in childhood say “it ain’t so”.

Is there something that I can do to impact my world? My limitations say “it ain’t so”. (more…)

Filed under: real quote, real devos, T. Suzanne Eller

Posted by T. Suzanne Eller @ 9:16 am | 4 Comments

April 4, 2007

If You Asked Me
By Brooke Giddens

if you asked me why i dress the way i dress
i’d say because thats whats in
if you asked me why i wore my hair that way
i’d say because its how all the girls wear it

if you asked me why i act the way i act
and talk the way i talk
and hold my self the way i do
i’d say because thats how i am

i dont want to follow the crowd
i hate that i like the same clothes as everyone
and the same hair style as everyone
it drives me insane

sometimes i feel like a clone

a clone of everything i dont want to be
why do i want to look like someone else
not myself
why do i constantly feel like i’m being dragged into a different world
other than mine

not my own, i have my world i love it
its mine inside of me
its in my heart, everything i do and say
comes from my heart

why would i want to look like people
who dont live in that world
why would i want to sound and have feelings
that don’t come from that world

why?
peer pressure i guess
but is it really? is it really pressure?
to dress and look like i do

am i really being pressured to wear the clothes i wear
i dont know, maybe, maybe not
what do you think?
my friends sometimes surprise me
even people in my youth group

we go to church
yay i love Jesus, ya whoop whoop
then *BAM* reality striking hard
go out into the world

suddenly after you take one step
out the door of that church
its like you are not in your world
everything turns

it’s dark. like you can’t see where your stepping
or what is in front of you
not able to look at your choices anymore
people change when you go from light to dark

you have to adapt
we adapt fast
we adapt to the dark cold world
we adapt to the people surrounding us

sometimes i feel like we are monkeys, ya know
monkey see monkey do
only this includes monkey hear, monkey say

scene: my friends and other people
non-christians around in a circle talking
oops, someone said a word now its like dominos
everyone is saying it because
the one person did is that person cooler than me

scene: me sitting with my christian friends
on a couch drinking my soda
are they cooler than me?
maybe because of one word, who knows?

if you asked me why we do those things
i wouldn’t have the answer
i pray though, every night for people to form some kind of brain
and some kind of world that is their own

i know what my world looks like
it looks like neverland
it looks amazing and its in my heart
neverland

Filed under: real poem

Posted by T. Suzanne Eller @ 8:58 pm | 1 Comment

April 4, 2007

Five years ago a teen sent me a story for my book, Real Teens, Real Stories, Real Life. Her name was Bekka. She was a talented writer with a powerful story.

For the past few years we’ve kept in touch. She’s no longer a teenager. She’s a college student. She’s engaged. She’s still writing. And she’s still talented.

I met her for the first time this past week at a writer’s conference at Mount Her

mon, California. This is a picture of her with one of my favorite authors, Jenn Doucette.

Bekka looked exactly like I thought she would. She was eager to learn, and I was excited to introduce her to author friends like Sharon Hinck, Camy Tang, and lots of other amazing believers who love to write books for teens and adults.

On Sunday I saw her walking across the beautiful campus set in the midst of the Redwood Forest and I shouted out for her to join us. We were trying to find a way to get to Santa Cruz, just 20 minutes away, to eat fresh seafood and walk along the ocean, and to catch a glimpse of the seals playing in the ocean.

She willingly jumped in the car designed to fit 3.5 people. There were 7 of us, and one author guy (see him in the pic?) was stuck in the small hatch designed for a couple of grocery bags. We were on our way.

It was so much fun. We laughed. We held on for dear life as author Cyndy Salzmann drove (she drives like she writes, which is a mystery!).

As I watched Bekka (her writing name is BJ) I realized how powerful it is that I get to meet and hang out with teen writers just like you. I get to watch God take your talent and mature it, and see where he takes you. How cool is that?

Who knows? One day we might meet. One day I might get to read YOUR book. This week good things happened for BJ at Mount Hermon’s Christian writer’s conference.

She’s on her way. She really, really is.

So, keep writing. Keep telling your story. And thanks for telling it here.

Suzie

Filed under: T. Suzanne Eller

Posted by T. Suzanne Eller @ 10:59 am | 2 Comments

April 2, 2007

~Real Advice~

I don’t exactly no where to begin or even if this is gonna make a whole lot of sense. My family was involved in a string of legalistic churches. When I was 13, my mom got us out the churches. Which I’m a lot happier, now that we’re out of those churches. So, I haven’t been to church in nearly 3 years.

In the meantime, I’ve dealt with anger, frustration, etc. about our situation and I think I’ve made peace with it. (My family is hoping to start going back to church soon.) (more…)