Not of this World September/ October 2011
a note from the editor Dear Readers, As you’ve probably noticed, the magazine has been lacking lately. I haven’t had time to find as many articles nor have I been making my publishing deadlines. I wasn’t even able to do the July or August issue! This makes me so sad because I absolutely love working on this magazine and I want to strive to do my best. To ensure that the magazine starts coming out on time again and that I can find more writers and articles, I have decided to temporarily switch Not of this World from a monthly online magazine to a bi-monthly online magazine. The main reason I’ve been falling behind with the magazine is due to a huge transition I’m going through right now. After five years of ministry in Italy, my family moved back to Texas this summer. I’m ready to be in the US again, but Italy will always have a special place in my heart and I will miss it so much. As you can imagine, life is pretty chaotic right now with a new school, a new house, and pretty much a new life. Like I mentioned before, I want to make sure the magazine runs smoothly and I don’t think I am able to accomplish that right now with all that is happening in my life. Thus, the change. I’m not sure how long “temporarily” is, but my hope is to, one day, get it back on track with an issue published every month. If you want to see Not of this World on a monthly schedule again, help me out! To publish this magazine I need lots of writers. Spread the word about Not of this World. Encourage others to read and write. I would greatly appreciate it! The ultimate purpose of this magazine is to bring glory to God and I hope that I will be able to do so better with more time to work on this magazine. I’m excited about my next phase as an MK and trusting God with His plan for my life. I hope that you’re clinging to His truth and grace this fall as you start school.
Happy Fall! Courtney R.
Table of Contents On TCKs 8
You Know You’re an MK When...
Transition: My Battle with the Beast... Third Culture Pet of the Month...
9-12
34
6
On God Bible Verses on Courage...
33
Heart of Worship: Even in the Impossible...
21-22
29-30 You See Me... 19-20 Loving to Serve...
On You Are You Ready for School...
25-28
On Others Summer 2011 Mission Trips... A Note from the Editor...
3-7
1
On Culture Travel Craft... 31-32 On Everything 23 Fiction: A Story of a Sojourner... 15-18 Amelia Earhart Quote.... 13 Love and Its Ever Changing Forms... 7 These are a few of our favorite things....
15
s n o i s s i M 1 1 0 2 r e m S um Tr i p s Who: Travis C. Where: Paris, France What: Though it may seem like a tough strategy to make much headway, God really used our initiative with random students to build a lot of good connections. One of the highlights for me was getting to meet with a recent graduate named Charles from China. We got to meet four times for discipleship and training and discussed things like the nature of God’s love for us, assurance of salvation, the Spirit-filled life, and the Great Commission.
“ I fe e l li k e G o d is c a l l i n g me f u t u re i n c t o a m i n i s t r y i o l le ge w h e re t h e n p l a c e s re a re f e w l a b o re rs .�
It was really cool for me to see God use me to train him since I feel like God is calling me to a future in college ministry in places where there are few laborers. I have always been afraid that I would be unable to train a student and cast vision for mission then leave. God set this up and showed me that He is able to do it. Charles began to catch the vision for Paris, revealing that he had shared his faith the last week we were there.
Who: Savannah J. and Amanda C. Where: Argentina What: During the trip, we went to a local church in the village of the Toba people. Our mission was to invite local children to the VBS program we would put on. At first, I thought it would be too much. But once everyone was seated and quiet, something in the room changed. We sang with them, played games, and told them the story of the prodigal son. It was inspiring to see how many lives were changed because of the three hours we spent playing with the children. -Savannah This summer, God has asked me a very big question -- who am I living for? For my Savior? Or for myself? In Ethiopia last summer, God really seized my heart and opened my eyes to the awful reality of brokenness in this world and inspired me to spend the rest of my life serving Him. But deeper than that, this summer in Argentina, He has reminded me to check my motives. Who am I living for? It's a reminder I hope I won't forget anytime soon. -Amanda
Who: Chris T.
Where: Uganda
What: This summer my prayer was that God would allow me to see the Nations through His eyes, to feel sorrow with His heart, and to confront evil with His justice. Our ministry in Uganda this summer was primarily to do ear piercing clinics because of the problem with witchdoctors abducting children (only “pure” children won’t be taken, thus ear piercing saves them from being kidnapped). We started the clinics the day after we arrived in country and I was thrown into the mix as a team leader. We had two piercers per team and the first day proved to our whole group how much God had put on our plates. The second day of the piercings, Jesus began to answer my prayer. I remember very specifically one little girl who we knelt down to pierce and the overwhelming love and compassion that engulfed my heart, so much so that I became distractingly emotional and had to hand off my post as a piercer. What Jesus did was let me begin to see those kids through His eyes and to feel for them just a small portion of the love He loves them with. For the rest of the trip my role was to intercede for each child that we were blessed to encounter. When it was all said and done we were able to use 800 pairs of earrings and shared the Gospel with many others while we were in the slums. It was an incredible experience to watch Micah 6:8 become a true part of all our lives. He has told us to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with the Lord our God and our whole team got to see that start to make sense to our spoiled and shallow American minds. It’s humbling that Jesus let us be a small part of His heartbeat for Uganda.
“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” -Micah 6:8
Who: Amy C. Where: Durban, South Africa What:
Learn some “Zulu” Hello = Sawubona Goodbye = Sala Kahle Thank you = Ngiyabonga
God used this summer
in Durban to show me the importance of the Gospel. At first, sharing my faith with every person I met on campus seemed awkward, but I quickly grew to love it. I learned to see the depths of God’s grace towards sinners, like me, and how that process does not rest on me at all! I am trying to live as an ambassador for Christ knowing that everything in this life pales to Salvation and being with God for eternity. God also taught me a lot through our time in the community - at the orphanage and the AIDS hospice. A patient that my teammate and I had prayed for and sung with passed away during our time there. This was a painful and powerful illustration to me of the sovereignty of God’s timing and plan. I am so grateful that I can be at peace trusting that God has a plan for all of our lives. Praise the Lord that we have hope beyond this broken earth!
Love and Its Ever Changing Forms by Claire S.
Love
, a small delicate flower, reaching for the sun
The strong and overwhelming thumping of a youthʼs heart Two romanticsʼ constant letters, after time apart For all, a tragic sacrifice of a blameless One
Grandmother’s wise words before her fruitful life is done A hidden message in a picture; a loverʼs art Young girl working for her family, on street with cart Proud father in stands watching son hit home run
Newborn babyʼs sad cries, then motherʼs soothing lullaby Wedding-day kiss of blushing bride and devoted groom Cautious trust with care, broken heart lifted out of gloom Lying on grass gazing at twinkling stars in night sky
Love, wistfully desired and wanted mystery Love, tiny seed planted in a heart begins to bloom
You Know You’re an MK When... ....you can recite the airline safety video in one or more languages
....youʼre 18 and still donʼt have a driverʼs license, but you have a
passport full of stamps
....you think itʼs weird that everyone is constantly texting when you go back to the US
....taking public
transportation is part of
your life
....you wince when people mispronounce foreign
words Provided by Catherine C. and her classmates at North Star
Transition:
My Battle with the Beast by Liz G. I think life was simpler when we could use Popsicle sticks. Popsicle sticks were a diverting solution
and object lesson that led young minds to believe that change could be as easy as floating on a little wooden construction of a raft from one world to the next. After crossing an ocean or two on this raft, their parents could now be called “overseas” missionaries. How charming. All the child had to do was understand the simple concept that “R” stood for reconciliation, “A”
routines while their realities were shaken from the roots up. But there comes a time when Popsicle sticks are no longer applicable, and a kid is forced to realize that, though he will carry his favorite teddy bear and his imaginary friend Sammy across to Bosnia from Texas, he just said goodbye to his real-deal best friend Jack. And then, later, Sammy is forgotten and the teddy bear becomes irrelevant and suddenly everything is up in the air again, including the family who is returning to Texas on a 747.
for affirmation, “F” for farewells, and “T” for
After having sat in on 21 classes and
think destination, and moving would be as
seminars on the subject, I know what Iʼm
simple as pie.
talking about. I know which scenarios get to
How perfect for the little kids who built their RAFTS and added glitter, while the parents cried and stressed and booked plane tickets and learned new languages and were forced to give up their dearly held
people the most, Iʼve heard plenty of testimonies on change, and I know at least four acronyms and models that describe the human processes when oneʼs earthly treasures are suddenly stripped away, and he or she is called to leave everything and
go to the land God has called him or
But the question is, are we ever
her to. I know that Abraham did this,
mentally prepared? Will my move be
and that Daniel was a TCK, and that
easy because of those 21 seminars?
Esther had a purpose in a foreign
Duh, no. I am an expert on it, I could
land.
teach a class on it, except for one
I walk down the street dragging my
small problem and that is, Iʼve never
suitcase from Spring Trip chatting,
done it.
with a classmate as the ugly cold wind irritates my faces and toes. Rain
Iʼm talking about Transition. Yes, the
always falls in movies on the day
word that holds all the power, that
when the protagonist is depressed
seems to topple us so completely just
and boy, what perfect timing it had
by controlling one tiny phase in our
today.
lives. You can spend your whole life “Yeah!” says Ku Won. “Two
weeks and I go to Korea!” He grins.
battening down the hatches and still, it catches you surprised and
19 days.
confused, wondering why moving had
“When do you leave?”
to be this hard.
“19 days,” I say. He looked surprised. “June 9th I leave.” “Then June 3rd is my last day to see you.” He sobers. We exchange sad looks. June 3rd is the last day of school, and I really donʼt want to think about that right now. I walk in the door of my house and see where all the furniture had been. I wander down the little aisles of borrowed tables set up in the living room that are piled with loads of junk I barely remember ever seeing. Itʼs set up for a garage sale and Iʼm thinking “Iʼm not ready for this. Not today. Iʼm not mentally prepared.”
As I write this I keep getting up to handle calls from SOS and our crisis manager, as my mom is lying in bed with some form of something unidentifiable that is not hepatitis A, B, or C, but turns her bright yellow. Itʼs no wonder sheʼs sick and exhausted, for the two of us have been battling in spiritual warfare for the past two weeks as the phones break and the toilet leaks and I have to pass final exams and finish up things at school. On top of all that, Dad is gone in America for the past few days because his dad, my grandfather, my momʼs father-in-law,
has passed away and left my dear
“I donʼt doubt the Lord,” she said a
grandmother alone in a large house in Atlanta.
minute later. “Itʼs His plan for these things, and
I came in from a jog yesterday (which is rare)
His plan is good.” She sighed gently. “But it
and my mom was still on the couch.
makes me sad.” As I sit there and run my hand
“I just got off the phone with Dr.
up and down the air con unit, I think we both
Robinson,” she said slowly. “Iʼll be going to
seem to get it now, about transition being
Hong Kong.”
unconquerable and unfathomable; we just
I sat down on the other couch, not sure what
didnʼt think it was going to be this hard.
to say. Her worst fear had been confirmed. I
But our God, of course, can conquer and
watched her open and close her eyes and
fathom everything. And of course, this up-and-
breathe in and out. It begins to hit me that in
down experience is perfectly tailored to me,
spite of the fact that she has probably taught
my pride and my expectations, my feeling of
many more than 21 seminars and is much
inadequacy and reluctance when forced to
wiser than I am, her transition has been
depend so hard on the prayers of other
officially ruined by a higher power. She will be
people. So obviously, there are obvious
evacuated to Hong Kong and spend a week
lessons to be learned.
there, while precious time ticks by. Dad and I
But besides the typical response of “God
can pack up the house, but if she leaves, her
turned my life upside down in a new way, and I
due date for goodbyes will slap her in the face
have learned lessons X, Y, and Z through this
and throw off her whole RAFT. A great chunk
experience, and though it was hard I wouldnʼt
of her farewells, preparations, and time to
go back and change it,” I think Iʼm on my way
think has been suddenly removed from the
to discover more. Sure, the above is a good
picture. Disappeared. Wiped blank. Iʼm sure
reaction to times of hardship, but well, I canʼt
she would do everything right in this phase of
do that yet because Iʼm still in the phase of
transition if she would just be allowed to have
hardship and learning, and anyway it gets
it.
confusing because Iʼm always trying to predict what lessons God is going to make me learn Transition towers over me with giant eyes and dripping fangs, its claws extending the
length of forearms, and its head the size of a
Miss
Smart Car. Its eyebrows are shaggy and
transition
terrifying. I raise my shining sword and—
e x p e r t
Put it down.
Elizabeth
“You!” I say. “Listen. I donʼt care about it
G. is not
being hard. Iʼm fine with my move being hard
invincible,
and painful. But one thing I want is…letʼs be
and
friends.”
s e l f -
Transition growls at me, very, very puzzled. I take a breath. “Everyone talks about you like you are so not a happy experience and I get that. But my relationship with the Lord is one that focuses on enjoying life together, me worshipping him for little blessings and for hard lessons, and now that Iʼve learned all the acronyms and helpful tips to try and fight you…I…want to have fun with you instead. Can we team up?” The mist swirls around my feet and his mighty paws. I stare at him longer and I still donʼt think he gets it.
not
My grace is
sufficient for you,
dependent.
for my
“But he said to me, ʻMy
power is
grace is sufficient for
made perfect
you, for my power is m a d e perfect in weakness.ʼ Therefore I
in
weakness.
will boast all the
more
gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christʼs power may rest on me. That is why, for
“Youʼre not Satan, beast. Youʼre just
Christʼs sake, I delight in weaknesses, in
Transition. And I would have you know that I
insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in
am the adventuress in my fairytale, who will
difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am
do all I can to stop him from spoiling my fun.”
strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10) And the
I sigh and pause a moment, then say more
strength He has given me here and now is to
softly: “Do you want to be my friend, because
walk side by side with Transition and say
I think I need help believing that all this
“Bring on the storm and send me the
change can possibly be adding to the
adventure, and I will glorify God in it.” Praise
adventure.”
Him for that, right?
Adventure is worthwhile in itself. -Amelia Earhart Photography by Ken Cochrum
facebook.com/ notworld
f
A Story of a Sojourner Fiction by Courtney R.
The
sky
was
a
masterpiece. Bold, passionate strokes of deep purple were laced with puffs of orange and splashes of blue and pink to create the perfect evening sky. Rolling hills sat proudly in the distance, nestled in a haze of gentle mist and a soft breeze brought the sweet scent of fresh rain. It was absolutely beautiful. Beautiful and bittersweet. Emmerleigh closed her eyes and took a deep breath, taking it all in. As her eyes fluttered open, she smiled and settled her chin on her knees that were pulled up tight to her chest. She would miss the autumn evenings the most, the few precious moments when the sky was afire with color and everything in nature seemed to hold its breath and melt into the mist as the sun shimmered out of sight. It had only been a few hours ago that her parents had said they were moving, but it felt like years. So many emotions and thoughts had raced in her mind since the words were uttered. The weight of the news had been staggering. Emmerleigh had spent almost her entire life in the small Romanian town she called home. It was a part of her. She was a part of it. Her life was hard, just like anyone else始s and she had her struggles and challenges, but life seemed so simple and slow in her sleepy town nestled in the mountains. She thrived in the
quiet peace that seemed to always exist so far away from the rest of the world. Her family didn始t even have internet, which her brothers thought was the greatest injustice to ever befall mankind. Emmerleigh didn始t mind it, though. It was so nice to escape. She knew that someday they would move, the time would have to come. But the destination was what shocked her. New York City. At first, she was in denial. New York City? The one with all the hustle and bustle? The one that was one of the hubs of the world? Compared to her quaint European town, it seemed like a nightmare. A nightmare that leaves you sweating in bed, afraid to even blink, with chills racing up your spine. She shuddered and pulled her knees closer to her chest. Her long, brown hair fell in the waves over her shoulder, warming her neck. The scene stretched out before her looked liked it belonged in a children始s fairy-tale book. It was enchanting. She had been coming to the spot ever since she was little. Just a tenminute walk from the house, it was close enough that her parents had no need to worry, yet far enough to give her space to think and pray. A semi-circle of tall trees surrounded a bare patch where a single stump sat, weathered with age. Emmerleigh liked to imagine how old it was, who else had sat there and thought. Maybe a knight from the
Middle Ages had paused on his way to battle. Maybe an inspiring artist had sat and dreamed during the days of the Middle Ages. Perhaps a hunted scientist had pondered the starry heavens during days of religious persecution. Or maybe a small girl used it as a table for a teaparty during the days of the Great War. The possibilities were endless. It was part of the magic of the spot.
understand, and no one ever would.
A gust of wind sent the leaves rattling and blew away her daydreams. She suddenly felt so small and alone. With a towering forest behind her, a limitless sky before her, and a looming city in her future, she was well aware of her insignificance to the world.
Her body shook with sobs that seemed to suddenly take over her body. After letting herself cry, she put her hand down to stable herself and felt the cool surface of her Bible.
The wind grew colder and her body started to ache from being the in the same huddled position for so long. Small tears started their long journey from her soft, brown eyes to the tip of her pointed chin. How could she leave this place? She needed to be there. She needed to hear the unique language. She needed fresh bread from the local bakery every morning. She needed to have her friends. She needed her distance from the world. She needed her quiet times in the mountains. She needed it all. An ache started to form in the pit of her stomach and slowly grew, until her whole body pounded with grief and frustration. No one understood, no one could
New York would be busy and rough. No one would have time for a girl who daydreamed and believed that fairytales existed. Sheʼd be a deer in the headlights. She was used to her small, home church and her parentʼs ministry with the locals. How could they find that in New York?
She used the back of her hand to wipe away remaining tears and pulled her well-worn Bible into her lap. Her fingers clumsily thumbed through the thin pages, looking for a specific verse. She finally found the verse she was looking for, but she couldnʼt see anything because of the strong gusts of wind that sent her hair whirling. As she pushed back her hair, her Bible fell to the ground. Tears of frustration streamed down her face. She reached down, yet again, to pick up her Bible when she noticed an index card on the ground. She picked it up. In large, swirly black letters were the words written: “God watches over the sojourners.” -Psalm 146:9
Holding back her hair with one hand, Emmerleigh let her other hand trace the words slowly. She kept tracing the words until they felt ingrained on her finger tips. She shut her eyes tightly and let her mind wander back to when she had first written on the note card. Vivid memories of sitting, huddled on a plane, praying that God would save her flashed across her mind. The lights on the air plane were flickering and the trembling voice of a flight attendant repeatedly told the passengers to stay calm. Every few minutes a sob would escape from her bright red lips. Flying home from a mission trip, Emmerleigh was completely alone on the turbulent-ridden flight. As panic began to seize her heart, she held her Bible close and began to pray. As she prayed, she remembered a verse one of her leaders had shown her on the last night. She continually repeated the soothing words in her head for the remainder of the flight. A few days later, once again on safe, sturdy ground, she had written the verse on the note card to remember when she had called upon the Lord and He had answered her. One year later, she held the same note card in the palm of her hand and let the words comfort her. Just as she had on the flight, she felt
herself aching and wondering what was happening to her safe, steady world. She felt herself free-falling into the pit of the unknown, fear filling every crack in her breaking heart. But as she looked at the note card, she sensed peace filling her body. She had called on the Lord before and He had answered her. He had been there for her. And He would be there for her again. Emmerleigh took a deep breath of the fresh, mountain air and smiled - a small, hard smile, but a smile. She clutched her Bible to her chest and started back down the path to her house.
You See Me by Kelly R.
Although Ohio’s weather is unpredictable, there are those rare beautiful spring days that beg to be enjoyed. Well, on one such day, I was outside and had decided to pick some yellow wildflowers that were growing along the bike path I was walking (I know...I’m such a girl!) Having assembled a small bouquet, I decided that some purple flowers would be the perfect addition. Thus, I looked everywhere for some purple flowers...everywhere! In fact, I almost climbed into some poison ivy for a one wilted purple flower, but thought better of it and figured it wasn’t worth it. Frustrated, I just finally gave it up to the Lord and said, "If You want me to have purple flowers, YOU can provide them." Ha! No sooner had I said that, did I look up and see dozens of purple flowers dotting the path. It was almost surreal. I loved it...and I actually started laughing aloud. Now perhaps, you may be thinking, “Honestly...with everything going on in the world, you bothered God to ask Him for some stupid purple flowers?” Yes. Yes, I did. And there are a few reasons why I did. First of all, the Lord reminded me that He really does have SO much to give, all we have to do is ask… and that is all He really wants us to do anyways. Perhaps this is a random, silly story, but God used it to remind me that He, the King of the Universe, loves me enough to hear and answer my request for a couple of purple flowers. And finally (perhaps most importantly), God had me take a walk with Him in search of some purple flowers to remind me that He is the One who can and will provide. And it made me wonder...why do I ever question Him? A good lesson to learn while support raising, huh!?
e h t n i Even e l b i s s Impo Where is
God when you are
going through transi1on? Did you leave Him behind in the place you just le<? Has He lost track of where you are staying? Or does He just not care about your stressful situa1on? How in the world can everyone say it’s gonna be ok when nothing changes no maAer how hard you pray? You try to trust Him and you tell all your friends that you believe God will work something out, but deep inside you wonder, can God really give you what you need? Even if you know it’s possible-‐ will He?
I
Heart of Worship by Michaela F.
I want won’t be what God gives us. It is a baAle in my heart between what I want and what God knows is best for me. All I know is that God is good and He says in His word “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (NIV). I know that verse is used o<en but the truth of it never gets old. God is the
don’t know if you have ever
experienced the thoughts men1oned above but I sure have. In fact, I am thinking them as I write this since I happen to be in the middle of a major move right now. We have been asking God to provide housing for us for months now and, s1ll, God is silent. It is really hard and we feel like we just don’t know what else to do. We are trying to believe that God will do the impossible-‐ find us a livable, affordable and, dare I say it, wonderful house in four days. My mom thinks that God is just seMng the stage for His drama1c provision. I think I believe that but honestly I’m scared that what
“It is a battle in my heart between what I want and what God knows is best for me.”
only one who can see the big picture and Hw knows that we need to experience certain things in order to become the people He created us to be.
So how is that supposed to help you when you are facing a new situa1on? You have to remind yourself that God is with you no maAer where you are. Even if you don’t want to believe it you have to keep telling yourself and eventually it will start to make a difference in your thinking. Another thing that helps is coun1ng your blessings. Look for all the ways God is answering your prayers and thank and praise Him for it. It will help you have a more posi1ve aMtude and give you hope.
Going back to my story, I saw two minor prayers answered even while the major one has remained unanswered. First, I have begged God over the years to let us live close to our cousins and have even cried because I wanted it so badly. Currently I am siMng in what used to be the garage of their house (now it is a rental house). I could’ve never even imagined that God would do something like that! Second, my mom and I prayed that I would be able to find families that need a babysiAer. My mom men1oned my availability and willingness to a lady whose husband owned a house we were looking at and they called me THAT NIGHT with a job offer. All I can say is that God does hear us and He will answer some of our prayers in ways that go above and beyond what we asked for. To you who really needed to hear this, and even if you don’t,-‐ please don’t give up on God. He loves you SO MUCH and will always do things in your best interest. Choose to trust Him.
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Favorite
things...
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These stylish wristwarmers will keep you warm all fall and winter! -hm.com $5.95
Bath and Body Works始s fall collection includes this yummy Cinnamon Pumpkin candle. -bathandbodyworks.com $9.50
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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.
Are you ready for school? by Courtney R.
Are you ready to learn? Proverbs 1:5 says, “Let the wise hear and increase in learning...” The chapter goes on to say that only “fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Strive to pay attention in class and do well. Soak up as much knowledge as possible. These years of your life are not a waste; take advantage of the time you have now to learn about a wide variety of things.
Are you ready to be diligent? Proverbs 21:5 says, “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes to poverty.” God honors diligent work. It’s important to try your hardest and do the best you can on your school assignments and in every part of your life. This verse confirms the old says, “Haste makes waste.”
Are you ready to work hard? Colossians 3:23-24 reads, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” As school starts up, keep this verse in the front of your mind and remember to 1) work heartily. Don’t be lazy; do your very best. And 2) work only for God, not others. Only what He thinks of you matters. Everything you do, do it well and do it for the Lord.
Are you ready to obey? Romans 13:1 says, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” Though you might not like it, your “governing authorities” include your teachers and everyone else who works at your school and God is calling you to submit to them. This means what they say goes, unless, of course, it explicitly goes against what the Bible teaches. Even if their rules seem silly, they are there for a purpose and you need to follow them.
Are you ready to be a light for Christ? Matthew 5:14, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same ways, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in Heaven.” Be a shining light for Christ in your school! Actively live out your faith, get involved in existing Bible studies or evangelism groups or consider starting your own. This might mean sacrificing things. It might mean choosing to not listen to music that’s popular because the theme is not healthy for your mind. It might mean saying no to certain activities that God doesn’t approve of. It might mean not going to certain movies or wearing certain clothes. Recently, I heard a talk on being a difference on your campus and one line really stuck out: If you want to see a difference, you have to be willing to be different. Get out of your comfort zone this year, take off the basket that is hiding your light. For some encouragement on living out your faith, look up Matthew 10:19-20 and 10:26-33.
Are you ready to be a good friend? The Bible has a lot to say on the topic of friendship. One verse says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor...â&#x20AC;? (Proverbs 12:26a). Encourage your friends and be there for them; point them to Christ. The Bible calls us to rejoice and weep with our friends (Romans 12:15), love them at all times (Proverbs 17:17), to not spread gossip about them (Proverbs 16:28b), and to even go as far as to lay down our life for them (John 15:13-15). Represent Christ well and be a good friend to your peers.
Service. Most people like the idea to be served better than
to serve others (Sometimes I’m that person!). This summer, I volunteered to help with my church’s Vacation Bible School. It was my first time! I had experienced a few health issues, but I wanted this Summer (as my whole life) to be God’s. So I decided to go ahead and help as much as possible for the camp. God honored my step of faith and blessed the camp and me immensely!
That experience taught me so much about God, myself, service,
people, and kids. It was a blast! It was a bilingual camp (English and French) so I translated in French for the children who needed it. I translated the Creation exploration section, Bible stories and a few other activities. I took so much joy and pleasure in serving God and others, something I had rarely experienced in the past, so it was life-‐ changing.
But God’s most beautiful gift to me during this time was the surprise
of one of my amazing friends and her great family, along with a team from Texas that came to help. It was such an unsuspected blessing! I shared such precious moments and memories with these special “old friends” and “new friends”. It was also a blessing to share Christ‘s love with many children. During this vacation season I learned something very precious: the joy in serving a little bit more everyday!
Letting the great volunteers team go back home was bittersweet. There were too many laughs, hugs and tears to even count. I gave so much of myself away that my emotions are a mess, but I want to believe it was worth it all the way.
So will you join me in leaning to joyfully serve God and people even when it hurts?
Written by Rebecca M.
“For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake.” - Robert Louis Stevenson
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Gather your supplies.
You will need a small piece of wood (or a sturdy piece of white paper), a paintbrush, three different colors of acrylic paint, and a sharpie
Find an outline of the place you want to paint. The
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easiest way to do this is to print one off the internet. Make sure it’s proportionate to your “canvas.” Lay your outline on the wood and use your sharpie to trace your country or state. I would suggest using a lighter colored sharpie to make sure the paint covers the marks.
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Choose your background color and trace the outline of the country first, then fill in the rest. Choose a different color to fill in your country.
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Finally, add a heart to your city and display your painting!
Ways to use it: this could be a great gift for someone moving away or just a fun way to display your own memories of your favorite places!
If you’re not much of a “crafter,” you can buy these paintings at PaintMeAPicture, where I originally got the idea to make this fun craft!
Bible verses on...
“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." -Philippians 4:13 “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you." -Deuteronomy 31:6
Courage “But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” -2 Corinthians 12:9-10
“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is my stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” -Psalm 27:1
J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books and the subsequent movies have captivated readers and viewers for years. The final movie was released in the United States on July 15th and the first showing made forty-three million dollars. The wizard-themed series is one of the most popular book series in modern literature and has both Christian and non-Christian fans. With such wide popularity, the chances are pretty high that you have a lot of nonChristian friends who are a fan of the series, so how can you use this movie to reach out to them?
My name is Taffy and I’m Courtney’s doggy. I loved living in Italy. It was a dog’s dream! I got to on lots of walks in the country where it was nice and quiet and I was allowed to go inside almost all of the stores there. I miss my Italian friends, Pippo and Mona Lisa, but I am excited about meeting some Texan pups. Some of my favorite things include walks, bananas, my family, cookie dough, and playing with my tiger ring. Do you have a third culture pet? Send a picture and bio of your pet to notofthisworld.r2@gmail.com
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Romans 12:2 Not of this World for MK girls by MK girls