Abbie Miller
By RTF Editor B.J. Hamrick
I’d never seen anything like it. The roof was caved. The front door was busted. The yard was an African safari gone bad. My pulse raced as I crept through the tall grass toward the front steps.
Was I out of my mind when I agreed to deliver magazine subscriptions for my brother? Had he forgotten to mention basic details of the job, like the 99% probability of death? (more…)
Hey Guys! Watch this video Zi put together for the video contest. Don’t forget – the deadline is tomorrow! Get your entry in ASAP. For more info – click on “Contests” at the top of the page. Win your $30 iTunes gift card today!
Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at Real Teen Faith! We hope you have a fantastic celebration tomorrow and that you take the time to thank God for everything He has given you. Enjoy that pumpkin pie (it’s a requirement for Thanksgiving, right?) and we’ll see you back here on Monday!
This week’s retro piece is from our editor, back when she was a staff writer here at RTF. It is incredibly appropriate for this week and a great way to prepare ourselves for Thanksgiving. So read and enjoy! (And don’t forget, our video contest ends on Thanksgiving so grab that camera and show us how you text before time runs out!) ~ Halee
by RTF Editor BJ Hamrick
I took a poll today. Kind of anonymous, really. Kind of unintentional.
“Are you ready for Thanksgiving?” I asked the question with an innocent look. I was trying to make small talk. Trying to distract the elderly man from the pain of the needle I’d just inserted into his arm.
The man looked up at me, his eyes sullen with exhaustion. His short answer shocked me:
“Yes.”
My eyes rolled with annoyance. This man gave me a one word answer? Why wasn’t he talking? Why wasn’t he sharing about his plans for Thanksgiving Day?
“Ask him why he’s thankful,” something in the back of my mind suggested. “Ask him why he’s celebrating this Thanksgiving.”
Oh joy.
There was no way I was going to ask this man why he was thankful. There was no way he was going to answer in more than one word.
I could only imagine. I’d say something like, “So — why are you thankful?”
The man would pause momentarily to contemplate deeply the philosophical meaning of my question. After a few moments he’d burst out with a one word revelation like, “food”. (more…)
by RTF Staff Writer Sarah Rupp
Go out on the streets and pray for people? That’s just not my thing. Walking up to a random person and saying, “Can I pray for you?” can prove to be, well, awkward.
So I made sure I teamed up with the most outgoing, people-loving girl I could find. That way I wouldn’t have to do any talking.
Holding a box of pop in one hand (or soda, as they call it here in Reading, Pennsylvania), and brochures that tell about Christ and how to accept Him in the other, I roamed the sidewalks of the busy city, following my partner around. I had full intentions to be the one who handed out the pop along with the brochure and smiled, managing to escape every opportunity that involved speaking.
So my partner prayed for a couple of people, and I did my job; and very well, I might add. Hey, it’s not easy handing out pop and brochures all day. I mean, you have to…to…okay, I’m lying, maybe it is easy. But I’d do anything not to talk to people. (more…)
by RTF Assistant Editor Halee Matthews
Let’s pretend you love to host parties. You enjoy planning events and you’ve got quite a knack for it too.
One day, you find out that a dear friend, who is also an important man, is headed to your house with a bunch of friends. Horrified, you glance around at the state of your home. There is so much that needs to be done!
You fly around the place, cleaning, organizing, and cooking, all the while begging your little sister to help you. But, like the social butterfly she is, she’s much more interested in socializing with your guests as they arrive and seems totally oblivious to all the hard work you’re doing. (more…)
by RTF Staff Writer Jamin Goecker
Last month about 1900 students from local high schools and youth groups listened to fellow students give their testimonies and challenge them to live for Christ at an event known as Fields of Faith. About 200 teens accepted Jesus as their Savior, 200 rededicated their lives, and 100 requested prayer.
Sally Higgins, 18, is a senior in high school, and she shared her testimony in front of everyone who came. (more…)
by RTF Staff Writer Sarah Rupp
I slouched in my seat, looking at my hands folded in my lap. Glancing over my shoulder, I hoped to see one of my friends walking through the door of the room where my church youth group meets. No such luck. I gripped my chair as I scanned the room. It was full of unfamiliar faces. Being a freshman is the most awkward time, and I hated it.
My heart raced faster as I spotted Leah, an older girl, coming toward me. I looked away as I tried to calm myself. She wouldn’t talk to me anyway, I thought. She’s a senior. (more…)