Clutter

Camy here! Okay, I have to admit I’m in a cleaning phase right now.

It seems like when my house and my office is messy, then my thoughts are messy and I just can’t work. I don’t know what the correlation is, but when I see clutter all over my office, I just can’t seem to concentrate on work very well.

But you know what the weird thing was? I didn’t realize this until a few years ago. So all those years in school when I had a hard time concentrating when I was supposed to be studying might be because my room was habitually a disaster area.

So here is some wisdom, learned almost 20 years too late--clean your room, and you might be able to study a bit better. Simple, yes?

Camy Tang writes romance with a kick of wasabi. Out now is the fourth book in her Sushi series, Weddings and Wasabi. She is a staff worker for her church youth group, and leads one of the worship teams for Sunday service. On her blog, she ponders frivolous things like knitting, running, dogs, and Asiana. Visit her website to sign up for her quarterly newsletter.

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Back to school word challenge

I can almost hear the collective groans of students heading back to school this week. I’m actually a little sad because the guy who plays piano for my worship team on Sundays is heading down south to college on Thursday, and yesterday was his last time playing worship for me for a long time. I’m especially sad because he’s, well, brilliant at piano.

Anyway, yesterday we said goodbye to students heading off to college and talked to other students who’ve already started classes (poor guys).

While the start of school isn’t necessarily a cause for jubilation, I want to challenge you to pick a particular word or scripture for this coming year. Spend some quality time in prayer with God—more than a couple minutes, anyway—and ask Him what He wants you to focus on for this year.

It might be a challenge to your habits, like patience or discipline. Or it might be a spiritual challenge, like thankfulness or joy or respect for your parents.

God will give you that word if you ask Him. And if you write it up on your wall or bulletin board (or maybe as the screensaver on your computer), you’ll remember it this coming year.

Your word might end up being your lifeline this year. God always has something He wants to grow in us, and I’ve found that this “word for the year” works to help me focus on what He’s doing in me.

So spend a few minutes in prayer, in your Bible, in private worship. Ask Him to give you that word, and watch Him transform you and your coming school year.

Back 2 Skool

It's that time again. New classes. New teachers. New books. Freshly waxed floors. Clean gym clothes. Inspirational speeches over the intercom about how 2007-2008 will be the best year ever at Name Your High.

I always loved/hated the start of a new school year. I loved buying the latest clothes, seeing friends, getting back into my favorite clubs or activities. I hated the thought of getting up early every morning, enduring certain classes, putting up with obnoxious or even dangerous people.

High school is a difficult time of life in a lot of ways. Children become adults. Hormones and emotions soar off the charts. Joys are intense. Disappointments are magnified. It's easy to get caught up in our own dreams, goals, and desires, sometimes overlooking or even trampling people who get in our way. And it's hard to be happy for someone else who edges us out of achieving what we set our hearts on.

Wherever you are in your educational journey, I want to encourage you right now to take some time apart with God as the new year begins. Ask Him to remind you that every day is a gift, and every breath is grace. Though I truly wish you exceeding delights during high school, I pray God will grant you wisdom to see beyond today--to focus on His eternal purposes. Chances are, there are hundreds of people around you who don't know Jesus and who are riding the emotional teen roller coaster without His tender, comforting embrace to steady them.

Always know we're here to pray for you. Please don't hesitate to let us know when you especially need it. May you go into this new year as shining lights for Him, and may many be drawn to your flame.

Love, Jeanne

Where Do You Stand on the Popularity Food Chain?

Hey guys! Yesterday was my day to post, but I was out of town unexpectedly. When I was younger (oh, and who am I kidding?, still today,) I loved to take quizzes. So, now I like to write them! Here's one of my favorites. I hope it makes you stop and think a bit.

~B.

1. Volleyball is the sport of the day in your circle of friends, but you’ve always had a thing for swimming. Do you…
a. show up at the summer volleyball camp with everyone else? You know you really aren’t going
to like it, but you don’t want to be the only one not on the team.

b. take on the role as equipment manager and hit the pool as often as you can? This way you’re
still hanging with your buds and between games and practices you can catch some laps.

c. root your friends on from the sidelines when you can make a game? Your swim meet schedule
at the Y is pretty jam packed, but chances are, if they’re real friends, they’re in the stands for
you, too.

2. Your church is holding the greatest youth fun day event—on the same day as Miss Most-Popular-in-the-School’s birthday party. Do you…
a. invite everyone you know to the church event? Who can resist some good music and messy games? Besides, maybe not everyone wants to go to Miss Popular’s party, and everyone does need Jesus.

b. tell a few close friends about the event? They probably don’t want to go to another one of her Look-at-me events anyways, and you know they’ll have a good time.

c. listen to all the party chatter all week long without saying a word about the event? You know you’ll see the people in your bible study, and if anyone asks why you weren’t at the party at school afterwards, you can always come up with something.

3. While shopping with your best friend, you find the most awesome shirt—the same time she does. Do you…
a. put the shirt quietly back on the shelf? She’d probably look better in it anyways.
b. find the same one in another color? You’d both look great in it! But with different colors at least you’ll still be yourself. Plus, you can always borrow each others.
c. get the shirt anyways? If she thinks its cool, then its all the more reason to get it.

4. On the way to school everyday, the kids around you sing songs and talk about music videos that you don’t know. Do you…
a. sneak the radio on the top 40 channel in your room and learn the songs so you can join in? It’s just some fun music. What’s the harm?
b. pretend like you know them, but bring your portable CD player and act like your Christian music is much cooler than the stuff they listen to?
c. take the time to share Christian alternatives to the songs they like? The beats are just as cool but the lyrics could bring them closer to Jesus. And isn’t that what the Great Commission is all about?

5. You’re visiting cousins out-of-state, and they take you to the city basketball court to hang out with their friends. Next thing you know, someone’s holding a cigarette in front of your face, inviting you to take a puff. Do you…
a. accept it? You’re miles from home, parents, and your friends. No one’s going to know anyways.
b. take it, look it over, mumble something about not liking the brand, and pass it on? If they think that you just don’t like that kind, maybe they’ll not think less about you.
c. firmly say “No, thanks.” You don’t care what they think about you, you believe what they Bible says about your body being His Temple and you aren’t putting that kind of stuff into it.

6. A couple buds and you just bought tickets to the latest G-rated animated movie, but once in the theater, they want to movie-hop to the PG-13 teen flick that just came out. Do you…
a. go along? So maybe you aren’t 13 quite yet and maybe your parents specifically have voiced their concerns about the topic of the movie and would kill you if they knew you went to see it, but your friends do always seem to know the coolest shows to watch.
b.remind them that if they get caught, you’ll all get thrown out with no movie at all? Hopefully, you can sway them into seeing what you paid to see. If not, at the first sign of trouble, you’ll fake a stomach ache and get to the bathroom quickly.
c. stand your ground? Even if you are the only preteen in the theater, you’re watching the animated movie you bought tickets for. Besides, most of the time, they’re the best movies.

7. A group of the in-crowd wants you to join them at the lunch table, but they don’t want your best friend to follow. Do you…
a. refuse? He might be small and weird, but he’s been your best bud since preschool. If they don’t want him around, you can do without them.
b. go over and plead his case? The whole time you talk about what a great guy he is and how much they would like to have him around. I mean, they can’t give him a chance if they don’t know anything about him, right?
c. meet them in the lunch line? Your friend will understand how cool it is to be invited to be part of the crowd. You’ll catch him later and explain the good news.

8. Miss Most-Popular-in-School is paired with you to do a science project, and she wants you to do the whole project for both of you. Do you…
a. do it? This could be your big break into the popular crowd.
b. agree to do most of it? But she still has to help some. You both know that you are a science
whiz and that she struggles. It probably be the best for both of you anyways.
c. refuse? Partners mean equal time and no matter what the grade or who she is—you’re both going to work on the project.

9. There’s a book everyone in school is talking about, and you feel like the only person alive who hasn’t read it. Do you…
a. ask for the book and lay out the plot for your parents? You know that your mom objects to fantasy stories with witchcraft, but maybe she’ll read it with you together so you can talk about it.
b. keep the book out of her sight and just give the bare minimum details if she does find it? You can always act shocked over the content as well if she finds it. You can’t be the only kid in school who hasn’t read it.
c. not even worry about it? There’s a lot of really good books out there that doesn’t compromise your beliefs, and you’ll stick with those.

10. Before youth group starts, someone says a racial joke that made everyone laugh. Do you…
a. laugh, too? It was funny.
b. chuckle but still say something about it being mean and uncalled for? It was funny even
though it was mean, but it didn’t hurt anyone.
c. voice your disproval with the joke. There may not be anyone in the room of that ethnicity, but
it still was hurtful in Jesus’ Eyes.


Add up your score:
1.a. 1 b. 2 c. 3
2.a. 3 b. 2 c. 1
3.a. 1 b. 3 c.2
4.a. 1 b. 2 c. 3
5.a. 1 b. 2 c. 3
6.a. 1 b. 2. C.3
7.a. 3 b. 2 c. 1
8.a. 3 b. 2 c. 1
9.a. 2 b. 1 c. 3
10.a. 1 b. 2 c. 3


10-15
Hey, girl! God created you in His Image, not the image of Miss Popular or your best buds. It might take some baby steps, but start working on the person God intends you to be and stop trying to be like everyone else. Sometimes, it might be easy—like joining a club that interests you, and other times, it might be really hard—like leaving your old friends behind and making new ones. God has made you in purpose and for a purpose to be someone special. Start taking notes on how you follow others and how you be yourself, talk to God about it when you pray, and start making changes today.

16-26
The idea of BFF (best friends forever) is important to you, and you’re willing to compromise part of your individuality to be one of the gang. At times, there’s nothing wrong with that. But sometimes, old habits are hard to break. When you start out compromising on the little stuff like listening to music that you know doesn’t glorify God, you can find it a lot harder to stand up to the big stuff like a cigarette in your face when the time comes. Remember Romans 12:2: Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.

27-30
You have being an individual down to an art! You’re not afraid to stand up for what’s right or what you believe in—no matter what the costs might be to you on the popularity food chain. You know that there’s a Higher Power out there than Miss Popular and that’s who you try to always answer to. Use your uniqueness in the way God has intended you to use it—by spreading the News of Jesus Christ to the in-crowd and beyond. Keep seeking Christ in your decisions and others will follow.