Not of this World March/April 2012
a note from the editor... Dear Readers, Spring is right around the corner. After living in Italy I really began to appreciate it because it meant the dead trees on the walk to town would suddenly come alive and our freezing house would finally start to warm. This season is associated with the new - from the blooming of new flowers to our celebration of new life at Easter, Spring glimmers with freshness and newness. New, however, doesnʼt always feel like a good thing. Change can be intimidating and itʼs so easy to see it as a burden. Rather, it should be seen as an opportunity to stretch our faith and see the next part of the Lordʼs plans for us. I was recently looking through my journal and came across one particular entry that has really stuck in my mind. This past summer, my family moved to the US, but up until the final weeks before boarding an airplane, my parents werenʼt sure if God was calling us to Georgia or Texas. In my journal I copied this verse, “...And [Abraham] went not knowing where he was going.” That verse comes from Hebrews 11, a chapter famous for recounting the astounding faith of many Biblical figures. I wrote, “Some people think weʼre probably crazy and indecisive that we havenʼt decided yet, but in “The Chapter of Faith,” Abraham is recognized for it. Hereʼs to a new season of faith.” I hope that verse encourages you as much as it did me. I hope youʼll see whatever new changes youʼre going through this Spring as simply a new season of faith.
-Courtney R. send notes to the editor at notofthisworld.r2@gamil.com
...notes to the editor
p to u d e n si g s K M , y uar a r b d e n F a t s a a e L et v i e c e r d ... e s r send an e v e i bl B d e r u treas My tea for two arrived on a bleak afternoon just as I finished school. It was so encouraging to sit with the tea and read the Bible verse.
-Kaytee G.
I loved doing this, and would be more than happy to participate again! -Jessica B.
Table of Contents On TCKs TCK Topics...6 30
From the Blog...
On God But God... 7-11 29 Unite My Heart...14-17 Heart of Worship: Enough...20-21 Bible Verse on...New Life...
12
On You Modesty Survey...
12-13
On Others 25-28
Using the Hunger Games for Evangelism... A Note from the Editor...
2
3
Notes to the Editor...
On Everything The Music Scene...18-19 22-23
These Are a Few of Our Favorite Things...
5
C.S Lewis Quote...
24
Poll: The Name Game...
14
“You can't get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me.”
-C.S. Lewis
Third Culture Kid (noun):
those who have spent some of their growing
up years in a foreign country and experience a sense of not belonging to their passport country when they return to it. In adapting to life in a ‘foreign’ country they have also missed learning ways of their homeland and feel most at home in the ‘third-culture’ which they have created.
As MKs, we are also TCKs and there are lots of topics and issues that we can all relate to.
Loneliness. Goodbyes. Transition. Culture Shock. No Home.
And the list goes on.
Read all of the “TCK Topics” that Not of this World has covered
here.
But God. by Whitney Newby
I experienced today.
God
Over the last three years, I've struggled with the fear of flying. Really struggled. But before I get to that, I thought I'd recount a little of my flying history... the major events, at least: The 1986 version of Whitney flew to Germany as a 6-month-old baby. She felt no fear. (Ok, ok... that doesn't count.)
2002 Whitney flew in a 5-seater Cessna through a thunderstorm from southern Texas into rural Mexico. This flight was epic. We thought it would last an hour or so, but it was double that time because of the horrible weather. I sat in the co-pilot seat, and my mom, sister, and a friend were crammed with our luggage in the back. It was a total relief once we landed, but more because we were nauseous from being thrown about in the skies than anything else.
2007 Whitney flew non-stop from Chicago to Tokyo, a very long 13 hours where we even passed over the Bering Strait. No problems on this flight at all, and it felt like quite the adventure.
2009
Whitney flew a very routine flight from Nashville to Chicago - one she had flown many times - that was very turbulent and brought about her first full-blown panic attack. The pilot said we were experiencing "challenging skies," which did me in. From then on, my eyes were opened to the fear of flying. I'd never feared
it before, even a little bit. I didn't even fear flying when I probably should've been afraid, like the Cessna trip into Mexico. From April 2009 on, every flight was dreaded. Every flight was an event. On every flight, you could find me in a window seat near the front of the plane, wide eyes glued to the window at every tiny bump, tightening my seatbelt and gripping my armrests with clammy palms. It sounds pathetic, but it was reality. I usually kept my Bible open on my lap and prayed through a psalm when my heart began to race. And by the time we landed and I could finally breathe, I felt utterly drained. I tried so many things to get over this fear. I tried researching what turbulence really is. I tried envisioning God carrying the plane along with his own strong hands. I tried praying. I still felt like a mess. Until this week. On Tuesday evening, I flew by myself to Chicago - and just flew back this morning. On our way to the airport, my Mom asked me to pray aloud about the flight. I prayed, just like I had for the past 3 years. But for whatever reason, God chose to make this time different. This time, I calmly boarded the plane, opened a book, and only glanced out the window a couple times. On today's flight, the last 30 minutes were very bumpy, and you would have normally found me in a cold sweat as all I could see
was the pure white cloud cover as we traversed through it. But today, those same bumps lulled me to sleep. TO SLEEP! I can't emphasize the contrast enough. To those of you who have never feared flying, this all may seem a little dramatic. But to those who have feared flying or have feared anything so deeply, you understand this experience for what it really is: a miracle. Have you ever noticed how often in Scripture the phrase, "but God" exists? It's all over the place. "The wicked go down to the realm of the dead... but God will never forget the needy." (Psalm 9:17-18) "Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands." (1 Samuel 23:14) "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." (Psalm 73:26) "But, because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions." (Ephesians 2:4-5) This God of mine is a God of contrast, of redemption. He is so "other," characterized by these verses that tell us that the situation was going poorly - Saul searching to kill David, our failing flesh, being dead in our own sin - and he comes along and radically changes the whole story.
But God.
How thankful I am to have entered a new season of travel, one that I'm not sure I ever believed would come. But God surely did. Oh, how He did.
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."
- Deuteronomy 31:6
read more from Whitney at elmstreetlife.com
According to The Rebelution’s modesty survey... 66.8% of guys definitely notice whether a girl dresses modestly or not 71.6 % said that the lines of undergarments, visible under clothing, are a stumbling block
58.8 % said that shirts or dress that are low in the back are a stumbling block
64.9 % said that miniskirts, long shirts, or short dresses over leggings are a stumbling block
84.3 % said bikinis are a stumbling block As the weather gets warmer, choose your clothes wisely and honor God with your wardrobe.
“The fact that I am a woman does not make me a different kind of Christian, but the fact that I am a Christian does make me a different kind of woman.� -Elizabeth Elliot
Unite My Heart by Hannah Nicole Martin
More
and more, I've been seeing the Lord work in
my life and in my heart. He's showing me all the areas of my life that I have yet to surrender -- that I'm still clinging to with my hands gripping tight. It's a hard thing to see where you fall short. I struggle with my pride, so being less than the woman I want to be is a hard thing to come to grips with. But in my weakness, He is perfect strength. Not He will be, or if you're good enough, He will be, but He IS perfect strength. It's not about us and what we can do. It's all about Him.
"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. "Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God." - Romans 5:1-2 I was reading this verse this morning on my phone, moments after I woke up, and I had to reread it again and again. I bookmarked it with a huge AMEN and whispered it into the morning, because it's so good. As I read the Bible more, the more I fall in love with the words in it. With His words. I look at my relationship with Christ and think, "I can't do this. I'm not good enough, strong enough, smart enough, loving enough...I'm not enough!" And that's the point. I can't do this myself. Because of sin, I cannot live a life that is pleasing to God. BUT, in my weakness He is perfect strength. It's His spirit, moving in me, that changes me and enables me to do what I cannot do. He
gives me strength, purpose, passion, and a wholeness that is Him. I am a sinner, but He calls me daughter. It's not about what I can do, but it's about what He has done and what He is doing. He's changing lives and making broken hearts new...praise Him from the rooftops! One of my favorite passages, 2 Corinthians 3:18, talks about how as we walk with God, we become more like Him. From one degree of glory to the next, we are transformed more and more into His image. How cool is that?! By living with Him, we become more like Him. Our love deepens, our hearts opens, and our faces shine, transfigured by His glory. Through Him, we're free to live this whole-hearted gracefilled life. By faith, we can enter into this wildly extravagant life-fit that Christ provides. Psalm 86:11-13 is my verse for 2012, and I love how The Message translation puts part of verse eleven: "Put me together, one heart and mind; then, undivided, I'll worship in joyful fear." That's what I want for my heart. It's my prayer this year that I'll be a woman who loves, gives, and lives extravagantly, with a heart that is united to fear His name. Whole, because of Him. One woman passionately and purposefully living out this extravagant grace-filled life-gift that He provides, walking with Him from one degree of glory to the next. In my weakness, He is perfect strength. Not just any strength. Perfect strength. “Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth;
my heart
unite
to fear your name. I give thanks to you, O Lord My God,
with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.� -Psalm 86:11-13
“In my weakness, He is perfect strength.�
Read more from Hannah at: manyrandommusings.blogspot.com
The Music Scene
by
Rebecca
M.
The Music Scene
Kutless - Believer - February 28 To be a believer, yes, but a believer in what? The Christian rock band Kutless is back with a new album that will remind you why you believe what you believe. As believers, we are called to have faith in God’s act of sending his son to die for us on a cross . We must go back to that redeeming tree, a truth beautifully displayed in the first single from the album Carry me to the Cross.We are also supposed to trust that God has the best in store for us even as we pass through raging storms that life throws our way, a message proclaimed in the heartfelt and uplifting song Even if . These timeless and fundamental beliefs carried by the strong, emotional voice of lead singer Jon Micah Sumrall make this exceptional record even more valuable to possess, but in the end it all comes up to a more important decision …will you choose to believe?
♬ ♪ ♩ ♫ ♭ ♬ Britt Nicole - Gold - March 27 Positive and energetic music can’t even begin to describe Britt Nicole’s albums. Gold, her third release, comes forth with the same mission as her previous works: to reach out and to listen to her golden voice for that matter! From touching the lost soul in a far away land to encouraging the feeble faith of the next door neighbor, this record will surely uplift your spirits and make you dance along to the rhythm of the songs.
Enough Heart of Worship by Michaela F.
God uses our stories to reach others where they are and right now, this is where I am. I have always struggled with holding onto relationships too tightly. My friends are exactly that- MY friends. I give them the power to make me really happy or stomp all over me and break my heart. Throughout the past few years, God has blessed me with friends, only to take them away through moves, changes of friends, and other circumstances. Early on, I figured out that God’s actions were for a different reason than just trying to make my life miserable, go figure! I realized God doesn’t want just part of me and He doesn’t want to be in second or third or fourth place in my heart. He wants all of me and He wants to be my everything.
I am enough. I am enough. I am enough. I know that God is thinking “Beloved daughter, don’t you see that you needed this? In order for you to have healthy relationships, first you must be fully and completely satisfied with Me. I need to be enough for you to the point where if you lost all family, friends, possessions and even memories, you would be ok because I am enough. I am enough. I am enough.” When will I learn? Corrie ten Boom used to say “How do you know God is enough until there’s nothing left but God?” I don’t know about you, but learning that lesson the hard way scares me. But I think I would rather learn that lesson than just live a life where God is just another name on my list of relationships I care about. I want my relationship with Him to be the most important thing in my life. That sounds like a lot of work and I know it will take time, but as Nahum 1:7 says, it will be worth it!
These Are a Few of O This short devotional contains thirteen images that each teach an important quality of leadership. There are also journaling prompts making it a great book to go through alone or with a small group.
$12.00 growingleaders.com/
This bright, patterned tape is perfect for wrapping gifts, making cards, or sprucing up a notebook.
$4.25 shopthewanderlust. storenvy.com/
ur Favorite Things... These cute rain boots will keep your feet warm and dry while you wait for the April showers to bring May flowers.
$24.99 target.com
These beautiful earring were made by Whitney, the author of “But God� on page 7. 10 % of all sells in her store goes toward International Justice Mission.
$16 etsy.com/shop/ brighterday Not of this World was not paid to review any of the above products. These are just fun products that we found our readers enjoying. Reviews by Courtney R.
A few days ago, I was flipping through my notebook where I keep all of my ideas for Not of this World. I found all the names I was considering before I landed on Not of this World. I cringed reading some of them! Which one would you have picked? Some of the other names were Culture Girls, Squares for Christ, Until We Meet Again - UWMA, Goodbye Girls, and Airport Lovers.
Not of this World Clay for Christ Homeless
Misfits for Christ
We Asked...You Voted find more fun polls on notworld.wordpress.com
May the Odds Be Ever in Your Favor...
how to use the hunger games to start conversations by Courtney R.
The Hunger Games is making its debut in theaters this spring. Real or not real? Real. March 23, 2012. That is the date that The Hunger Games will debut in theaters - a date that many people have been longing for ever since finishing the final installment of the wildly popular book series. Written by Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games is set in a futuristic North America. The nation we know today is all but ruins. Only twelve regions - “districts� - remain. The head district, the Capitol, strictly controls the remaining districts through brainwashing and fear tactics, including The Hunger Games. Each year, one teen girl and one teen boy are chosen from each district to represent their home in a televised fight to the death. It is in this frightening atmosphere that Katniss Everdeen is raised, and eventually sent to the Games. The young heroine must use every skill she possesses and find every ounce of courage to face her peers. Her life is further complicated when she must decide between her attractive best friend, Gale, and her sensitive partner in the Games, Peeta, leaving readers to wonder who will ultimately win her heart. The Hunger Games was published in 2008 and was followed by Catching Fire and Mockingjay. The trilogy immediately found success and was on the New York Times bestseller list for more than 160 consecutive weeks. Anticipation for the movies is building as the release date is rapidly approaching. Jennifer Lawrence is set to play Katniss, Josh Huthcerson, Peeta, and Liam Hemsworth, Gale. The first single from the soundtrack has also been released. Safe & Sound by Taylor
Each year, one teen girl and one teen boy are chosen from each district to represent their home in a televised fight to the death. Swift, featuring The Civil Wars, met instant approval and remained one of Swift始s most popular songs on itunes for several weeks. This movie series has been predicted to be more popular than the Twilight series and has both Christian and non-Christian fans. With such wide popularity, the chances are pretty high that you have a lot of non-Christian friends who are a fan of the series, so how can you use this movie to reach out to them? Movies and books are excellent conversation starters and The Hunger Games is no exception. The series explores many themes that could lead to more serious topics. Here are some questions you could consider asking: Katniss is willing to give her life for her younger sister. What would you have done in a situation like that? How would you respond if someone did that for you? Do you know that someone already has? People from the Capitol are very materialistic, have high standards for
beauty, and always want to be entertained. Do you think our culture is like that? Is that a bad thing? How is that harmful? What do you think the word “beautiful” means? Do you feel controlled by what others thing of you? Katniss is loyal to Peeta during the Games. How much do you value your friendships? Are you willing to stay loyal to those you love even though the world sometimes tells you not to? Have you ever had friends turn away from you? Do you know that there is someone who will never leave you or forsake you? Some of these questions might sound a little cheesy, but there are just to get your mind thinking. Even if you haven’t read the Hunger Games nor are you planning on seeing the movie, you can still talk to your non-Christian friends about it and ask them why they like it so much, what themes from it draw them in.
Even though the brutal “Hunger Games” in the series is fake, our world is full of very real dangers and talking with your friends about them is a great place to start sharing God’s everlasting love and protection with your friends.
Bible Verses on...New “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.”
-2 Corinthians 5:17-19
Life
“We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin.” -Romans 6:6-7
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”
“They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion, and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord... their life shall be like a watered garden, and they shall languish no more.”
-John 5:24
-Jeremiah 31:12
g o l b e h t ...from As TCKs (third culture kids), we have to say goodbyes more often than the average person. People are constantly going and coming and sometimes we even have to say goodbye to family members as they go off to college or move back to the US. Goodbyes are hard to say. It aches to utter such final words. It’s a whole lot easier and saves a lot of heart ache to just not say goodbye. Later on, though, when the suitcases are out of sight and the memories flood into your mind, you’ll regret not saying goodbye and your friendship might even suffer from it. In the end, it’s worth saying goodbye and when you say it, make sure it’s well said. Here are three ways to say goodbye well…
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See you in May! Keep in touch: notworld.wordpress.com notofthisworld.r2@gmail.com facebook.com/notworld issuu.com/notofthisworld youtube.com/user/ NotofthisWorld122
Romans 12:2 Not of this World for MK girls by MK girls