Excerpted from Real Teens, Real Stories, Real Life

 

Have you ever noticed that people tend to put a higher value on objects owned or worn by a famous person? Worn-out guitars used by rock stars or desks used by past presidents are auctioned for thousands, even millions, of dollars. We often make the same judgements about people, but God doesn’t do this. In the eyes of God, we are all valuable. ~ David R., Age 18

God has provided all we need to defeat this adversary of ours–both the enemy within and the enemy without. We can triumph if we choose to employ God’s provision and obey his instructions. ~ Quin Sherrer and Ruthanne Garlock

~ Real Word ~

Live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Ephesians 4:1

I received an e-mail from a teen recently who shared a link to her MySpace. She had cool pics of her recent marriage. She is 17. Her question: how can I know if he is my soul mate?

We talked privately, and it is clear that the road ahead is going to be tougher than she realized. Love suddenly looked less romantic when she woke up the next week. She said she didn’t mind if we posted her question and my answer, but I found a great article that says it all. (more…)

Church? No thanks.
WHY TEENS ARE LEAVING IN DROVES

BY REBECCA GRACE, AFA Journal May 2008

Article Excerpt: Here is the church. Here is the steeple. Open the doors. Where are all the people?

Seventy percent of the people, 23 to 30 years old, are nowhere to be found in church on a regular basis for at least a year between the ages of 18 and 22. They become church dropouts, according to a 2007 study from LifeWay Research. (more…)

 

”Perfect courage is to do without witnesses what one would be capable of doing with the world looking on.” – François de La Rochefoucauld, Moral Maxims and Reflections

As long as I keep running about asking: “Do you love me? Do you really love me?” I give all the power to the voices of the world and put myself in bondage because the world is filled with “ifs.” The world says: “Yes, I love you if you are good-looking, intelligent, and wealthy. I love you if you have a good education, a good job, and good connections. I love you if you produce much, sell much, and buy much.”

There are endless “ifs” hidden in the world’s love. These “ifs” enslave me, since it is impossible to respond adequately to all of them. . .I am the prodigal son every time I search for unconditional love where it cannot be found. Henri Nouwen, The Return of The Prodigal Son

“Body obsession is a distraction from the more important aspects of self,” explains Dr. Linda Mintle, licensed clinical psychologist. “Outer beauty is only a facade that often hides the deeper character issues of a person.”

Nancy Alcorn has written a series of books on addiction, cutting, sexual abuse, and eating disorders. She works with girls seeking help for each of these in a nationally-recognized residential ministry called Mercy House. In her new book, Starved: Mercy for Eating Disorders, Alcorn offers faith-based hope for those needing freedom from eating disorders. She identifies the root issues connected with an eating disorder and offers practical principles that can be applied to bring restoration and lasting freedom.

For more information about Mercy ministries, click here.

Source: Tyler Texas Morning Telegraph, Feb. 16, 2008
Title: Garden Valley Ministry Stages Protest in Times Square

Excerpt: The group, organized by the East Texas-based Christian group Teen Mania Ministries, was in the Big Apple for an event called “Recreate,” during which participants announced a desire to “recreate” music, film, fashion, television and other media to remove explicit language and imagery.

The teens waved signs with slogans like, “Life doesn’t have any makeup tests” and, “If God seems far away, who moved?” There were singers, dancers, artists and speakers who announced eight questions to be sent to the presidential candidates, including, “What should be done to stop glamorizing the things that are destroying my friends, like drugs, alcohol and sex?” And, “How will you ensure that my freedom to practice Christianity will not be taken away?” [read the rest of this article] (more…)