Get Good Grades

Getting good grades and going to college is SUPER important.

Americans who drop out of high school earn only 65% of what people with high school degrees earn.

National Relief Network

check it out!
National Relief Network

The National Relief Network works to bring volunteers to disaster areas in order to help families clean up debris and rebuild their homes and communities. Teens who have been on disaster relief projects describe the work as life-changing and well worth the investment.
Especially with the Hurricane Ike disaster in Galveston, Texas, we’ll be needing help more than ever.

Rebuild a community at www.nrn.org

Money [part1]

Money. Dinero. Dough. Cash.
It’s the thing that I never have enough of when I go to the mall. It’s the thing that makes people greedy. It’s the thing that starving people don’t have. Money is a lot of things.

We’re not getting greedy here. You’ve heard people say, “Money shouldn’t be something you love.” Well, you shouldn’t love it or be obsessed with it, but, let’s face it: Money is important. Money is very important. 16 of Jesus’ 40 parables talks about money. Jesus knew this was a big issue, so he wanted to get his message clear. “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Read the story: Luke 12:13-21

I’m guessing you’ve felt like you don’t have enough money. Is that because you need more? Or is it because the media is constantly telling us that more, more, more is better?

Is more better? You can only have so much “more”. If you’re an average mow-the-lawn-for-$5 kid or a billionaire, “more” seems like the unreachable goal. Even if you had all the money in the world, you’d still want more. So, why is “more” so important to you?

Stay tuned for more info on money.

Journal Jots
Does money run my life?
How does the media affect my view on money?
How do my friends affect my view on money?
Do I truly need more money?
Will more money make me happy?

Book Review: All for Jesus

Book Review
All for Jesus
By Franklin Graham with Ross Richards

Sometimes the things that are of greatest value come in small packages. The chapters in All for Jesus are small packages, but they’re absolutely chock-full of wisdom. Originally made for staff members of a well-known ministry, this book is full of all kinds of solid teaching and challenging messages that will spur you on to an even deeper relationship with God. Topics include grace, certainty of salvation, prayer, service, forgiveness, God’s promises, hope for the future, and tons more!

Ancient One

Since I am turning 13, old and decrepit, I looked in a Thesaurus to see what other things I will be.

Frail – my beautiful, delicate features are very dainty is what this REALLY means
Aged – I’ll be more mature
Senile – not really sure what this one means
Broken-down – in a little over three years, I’ll own a broken-down Ford
Feeble – I’ll be your typical lovely damsel in distress

These are great things to look forward to. I’m really excited. I just don’t see why adults don’t like describing themselves this way. Who DOESN’T want to be…er…senile, whatever that is? It doesn’t sound that bad. A damsel in distress seems medieval and beautiful. Aged (more mature) is a good thing.

In China’s history, the elderly were shown much respect, for they had wisdom.
In Egypt’s history, it was your duty to address the elderly as "Grandfather", "Grandmother" (even if that person isn’t related to you), or "Ancient One". So now I joke with my mom. Sometimes, when I see her, I say, "Hello, Ancient One."

Now my little siblings must refer to me as "dear, kind, mature, beautiful Ancient One".

The Promise of 13

It’s that time of year again – almost. My birthday. But this isn’t just any birthday. This is my thirteenth birthday, my first year of being a real teenager. 13! I know, I’m turning old and decrepit, aren’t I?

What does my new year of life hold for me? I’m looking forward to eyeshadow, eyeliner, and, of course, riding in the front seat. (Right now, at 12, my dad is the only one who’ll let me ride in the front seat, and then only when he’s in the mood.)

These all sound like fun privileges, but the greatest one is to be a faithful servant of my Lord. I want to serve him and be drawn closer to him. Maturity comes with age. I’m definitely not immature now, but I’m excited to learn more about God.

Also, I’m hoping to get a purity ring for my birthday. When I asked Dad if I could get one as a present, he told me it wouldn’t be just a silly piece of jewelry. So, that kinda crushed my spirits. I already knew that! I want one as a symbol of my commitment to God. Does he really think I’m that immature? Maybe he was just reminding me. I don’t know.

I’ll stop boring you with my ranting now. :)

Anchor for your Soul

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, sure and strong. – Hebrews 6:19,
NCV

Have you ever seen a movie where a boat is getting pounded by a big storm? If you have, you probably know that it’s really important to have an anchor. Otherwise, the ship could drift away or even *gulp* shipwreck.

The dude who wrote Hebrews talks about a ship as a metaphor to describe our faith and the salvation of our souls. The writer gives us warnings about the dangers Christians face, then he talks about who God is: the most powerful, faithful, unchanging, and trustworthy God that we could ever imagine. (Hebrews 6:13-18)

Without God, people drift through live without any purpose, or they run straight into danger.
If you want to know where to find "an anchor for the soul, sure and strong", look to God. No matter how hard life gets, you can have hope in his faithful promises.