Relish Your Youth
“You who are young, make the most of your youth. Relish your youthful vigor. If something looks good to you, pursue it. But also know that not just anything goes; You have to answer to God for every last bit of it.” (Ecclesiastes 11:9 MSG)
Your cell phone explodes with text messages on the latest gossip. The girl in math class got in trouble with the cops last weekend. Your ex-best friend’s boyfriend dumps her the day before prom. Sound familiar? You’ve probably found it pretty difficult to stay true to Christ through all of this drama, peer pressure, and insecurities.
H
owever, this is a valuable time our lives. Ecclesiastes 11:9 (MSG) says to “make the most of your youth” and pursue your dreams—not get so caught up in the teenage lifestyle that we forget who we belong to and the reason that we were put on this earth. Think about it, what we do now influences who we will become the rest of our lives!
I challenge you to be different from other teenagers. Use the desires that God has placed on your heart. Don’t wait until after college to go after your dreams. But make sure that you don’t ignore the last sentence of this scripture: “You have to answer to God for every last bit of it.”
The teenage life will fade away; what we do for Christ will last forever.
TESSA HALL
Tessa Hall is a writing and coffee obsessed seventeen-year-old. She lives for Christ only and believes that it’s not just a religion, but a relationship. Her Young Adult, Christian fiction contemporary novel, Purple Moon, is currently under contract with Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. She also writes a blog called “Christ is Write” where she posts teen devotions, writing tips, book reviews, author interviews, and coffee recipes.
Tessa has always enjoyed writing and has a passion to spread God’s healing, love, and comfort to her peers through the written word. Some of her other passions include acting, film, music, photography, and dance. She has big dreams and high hopes for her future, but believes that God can grant the desires of her heart as long as she puts Him first. Her favorite scripture is Ecclesiastes 11:9 (MSG): “You who are young, make the most of your youth. Relish your youthful vigor. If something looks good to you, pursue it. But know also that not just anything goes; You have to answer to God for every last bit of it.”
<<<more posts by Tessa…
The Death of A Car – Not the Driver
DO NOT TEXT and DRIVE.
Do NOT Talk on your Cell Phone and DRIVE
DO NOT glance at your phone to look for new messages or updates.
DO NOT DO anything that will distract you from driving.
Our pizza delivery guy, a teenage driver, was distracted the other night AND going 40-45 mph in our neighborhood. I always see him speeding through like a speed demon. Our street is only 25 mph for a reason. He got distracted–probably by his phone, and hit a parked car in front of my house. Never had time to even brake. He pushed the parked car on the sidewalk and flipped his car landing upside down. If he hadn’t had his seat belt on he would have been killed. DO NOT get distracted when you are driving. I don’t care who is in the car with you and making fun of you–just drive safe. If you don’t get killed or seriously injured or don’t injure or kill someone else, you still have the aftermath of an accident. The emotions, fear, anger, trouble, blame, and cost.
The Wreck in Front of Our House
Ever in an accident? That sound the other night was freakish. I was in my living room when it happened. Don’t let this happen. Be safe.
This is the car being righted up. Sick sounds when they aren’t on TV.
Cindy Scinto, Editor, iBeGat.com
A Light on a Hill
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14, 16 NKJV)
Stormie is a beautiful young lady with a smile that lights up a room. She’s friends with everyone because she’s the kind of person you enjoy hanging out with. Stormie has aspirations to be a model and loves country music. At the age of 14, her Christian strength and character allows her to be a strong witness to anyone no matter what the circumstances.
Recently, Stormie shared with me about the pressure she and other girls were getting from guys at her high school for sexting. She said there was a particular sophomore who relentlessly pursued her under the guise of wanting to be her friend. What he really wanted was a nude photo of her for his phone.
Stormie told him repeatedly she would be glad to be his friend, but he would never get a picture of her without her clothes. His motives became very clear—he dumped her.
Many young people have yielded to different pressures and exposed themselves to sexting. They live with regret and shame everyday because of their decision. Stormie wants her fellow comrades to know with God’s great love you can start over. No matter what you’ve done the screen can be erased and you can be free from the quilt.
In a world where everything can be really confusing and full of pressure, here are some of the principles that Stormie uses to keep her light shining on a hill for Christ.
- Surround yourself with Christian friends that share the same standards as you
- Get involved with your church youth group and attend church regularly
- Talk to your parents about everything in your life
CRYSTAL Y. HATHCOCK
Crystal Y. Hathcock and her husband Tony, live in Liberty, South Carolina and have been married for thirty-two years. They have two puppies, Hankie and Calvin. Crystal is a freelance writer; a student with the Christian Writer’s Guild and writes religious articles for the area’s local newspaper. She enjoys cooking for family and friends, couponing, jewelry making and singing. (read more…)
Teen Drivers? What About Adults? 10 Tips for ALL
The newspaper headline said, “Get your teen’s attention when teaching the dangers of distracted driving” but after I read the article, I knew it was for ALL drivers–teens and adults. The author stated that there are three types of distractions for teen drivers; visual–actions that require you to take your eyes off the road, manual–actions that require you to take your hands off the steering wheel, and cognitive–actions that take your mind off driving. These apply to adults too. So make a pact with your parents or adult mentors to keep each other accountable to follow the rules below.
Here are ten tips to read and share with ALL the drivers in your life.
- Keep both hands on the steering wheel and eyes on the road. (use your mirrors) My husband always told me to hold the steering wheel at ten o’clock and two o’clock.
- Avoid cell phone use–Cell phones are the number one distraction for teenage drivers. Cell phone use falls under the category of visual, manual, and cognitive distractions. Mobile technology has made texting, surfing the web, and social networking too assessable.
- Don’t use your phone for anything at all. Pull over when it is safe and be sure it is somewhere you can park.
- Do not eat and drink while driving.
- Do not have lengthy or involved discussions with passengers.
- Do not apply makeup, work on your hair, or try to arrange clothing.
- Do not read–including PDA’s and GPS units.
- Do not search for directions on a map.
- Never watch a video.
- Do not change the radio station, CD, or MP3 player.
Cindy Scinto, Editor, iBeGat.com
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