Not of this World January/ February 2012
a note from the editor... Dear Readers, Happy New Year! Like many, I usually make lots of goals and resolutions at this time of the year. And like many, I usually donʼt follow through. This year, I decided to not make one single resolution. Instead of making outward changes, I want to focus on the inside. You might have heard of Joni Eareckson Tada. At the age of seventeen, she had a diving accident and became paralyzed from the waist up. She did not let that get in the way of living life, however. She learned how to paint by holding paintbrushes with her teeth. Sheʼs now famous for her strong faith and has written over seventy books and had a movie made about her life. I remember reading a book about her life when I was in elementary school. Iʼve always admired her, but one thing about her story has always been stuck in my mind. I remember reading that before her accident, Joni had said something along the lines of, “You can do whatever you want with my life” to God. To my eight-year old mind (and my sixteen-year old mind now), being paralyzed was a terrifying thought. So, ever since reading that book, Iʼve always made sure to include “but donʼt break my neck!” when Iʼve told God He could do whatever He wants with my life (as if He needs my permission). I always laughed when I said, and pretended to hear Him laughing too. But, with each passing year I continue to pray that prayer of submission. So this year I decided stop verbally putting limitations on Godʼs control over my life. This year, I asked God to put me in situations to challenge my faith, leaving off anything to do with my neck. As silly as it sounds, I think itʼs an important step for me. God has complete control of my life and everyone and everything in this world and itʼs silly to try and put limitations on that. I hope youʼll join me in putting away whatever excuses (silly ones or serious ones) we have for not allowing God full control of our lives and let Him take over this year.
-Courtney R.
send notes to the editor at notofthisworld.r2@gamil.com
...notes to the editor “I read in an e-zine some really fun creative idea and on this cloudy (while sometimes the sun breaks though) Sunday I pushed myself to make this idea real. You don't have to be a super artist to do this, it's quite easy and fun too.”
-Henrike W. Have you made any of the travel crafts featured in Not of this World? E-mail us a picture!
Nineteen people signed up to receive Christmas Devotionals last month.... “This was great and so refreshing for me right before I go to bed!”
-Katie B.
“Thank you for reminding all of us about how to worship our Lord in the daily acts of life by bringing our hearts to Him!”
-Kylie S.
Table of Contents On TCKs 16-17 To Anyone Who Needs It...28-30 On God Bible Verses on Light... 43 Heart of Worship: Worship... 18-20 On You Америка, Amerika, America...
15
Taking Advantage of the Beautiful Single Season...
6-12 The Icing on the Cake...
22-27
On Others 36-38
Hearing from God in 2011... A Note from the Editor...
2
I’m Glad I’m Not an Adult Quite Yet...
4-5
On Culture Travel Craft... 31-35 On Everything 39-40
Cookies and Cream Bark... These Are a Few of Our Favorite Things...
14-15
21
Missions Trip Information...
5 From the Blog...42 Winter Blues...
6
7 Things to Do If You’re Stuck in the Winter
Blues 1)
Try a new recipe
2) Call a friend you have not talked to in a while
3) Write notes of encouragement to people in your community
4) Read a chapter of the Bible you have never read before
5) Paint your nails bright 6) Drink hot chocolate 7) Look at pictures from last summer
red
e th f o e g ta n a v d A g in k Ta n o s a e S le g in S l fu ti u Bea
l u f e p o H A , r e h t by Hea Romantic
To anyone reading this who is single, I want to offer you two words of advice: seize it.
Being
single is not a punishment, demerit, or any other negative correlation you—or the world— may have linked up with the relational status. As hard as it may be to believe, this single season in our lives is a gift from God. “What!? You call being lonely and unsatisfied a gift?” It’s all about perspective. If you associate being single with a negative meaning, then it’s going to be lonely and depressing. On the other hand, if you associate being single with positive words then you will end up seeing how God puts you through it for a good reason. The first and foremost reason why God allows us to go through a single season in our lives is because He wants us. God wants us! He wants us to fall passionately and deeply in love with Him; He wants us to learn about Him, tell Him about ourselves, talk to Him, sing to Him, dance for Him, paint Him a picture, laugh with Him, etc! He wants us, and everything that comes with us! He paid the highest price possible for us, and He wants us! If you didn’t experience a single season, and went straight into relationship after relationship, then you would constantly be distracted, and not make time to fall in love with Him. Plain and simple; God needs to be our Number One in our lives. We want, want, want from God, yet we barely stop to think about what GOD wants for us, what we can do for Him, how we can serve Him, how we can worship and praise Him and how we can fall deeply in love with Him!
...a beautiful gift from This brings us to our next reason for single hood; becoming a complete, whole individual without a spouse/romantic relationship. Many girls buy into the lie that they can’t be complete without a man. Let me tell you, you are complete as long as you are in love with The Man! Jesus Christ fills a void in your life that nothing else ever can; sadly, many people try to fill it with men, drugs, alcohol, partying, being popular, etc. Nothing —I repeat nothing—can fill that void except for a personal, growing relationship with the King of Kings, Jesus Christ! Being single is when you discover who you and what you are made of. If you enter a relationship not knowing who you are, what you believe in, what you stand for, what you like, what your morals/standards are, then it will fail. You may convert to his beliefs—or lack thereof—and you may change to please his interests. God doesn’t want that for you. He wants to be the only person gently telling you if something in your life needs a makeover to better reflect Him. When it is just you and God, then you can be molded into who you are through Him,
God... Psalm 37:4 tells us “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Once again, if we solely focus on loving God and growing in Him, then all else will fall into place according to His will for your life. You may be thinking “Well, the desire of my heart is to get married, so that means I will get it, right?” Actually no…you see, sometimes the desires of our heart become shaped into the same desires and dreams that God has for us—which is beyond what we could ever dream. Being single prepares us for whatever path God chooses to lead us down; single or married. Your current single life of living at home with the family is the perfect training ground for either direction in life as it helps you install virtues and learn basic life skills. Being single is not about moping about your room, looking out the window, waiting for some boy to throw a rock at it, and for your life to begin. Newsflash; your life is happening now! Seize it! Take advantage of it! See this single season as a blessing, not a curse! It really is a beautiful gift from God!
Are you seizing this most important, crucial and set-aside-time for growing single season, or are you wasting it away, and being ignorant of the fact that God wants you now, and want to work through you, and mold you into something truly one of a kind and beautiful?
Wake up, and seize the day for Him!
To read more from Heather, visit her blog, Becoming a Hopeful Romantic.
Soak up these Words of Truth from God’s Holy Word, the Bible... • • • • • •
•
“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” – Phil 4:19 “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."-Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV) "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom."-Psalm 90:12 “God makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the prisoners into prosperity, Only the rebellious dwell in a parched land.” –Psalm 68:6 "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:" -Philippians 1:6 “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.” –Jeremiah 29:11
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These Are a Few of O Designed to look like a paper cup minus the paper, silicone lid mugs are quickly growing in popularity and can be found at a variety of stores. This is perfect for sipping tea and coffee while waiting for it to get warmer.
“Mug with Silicone Lid” crateandbarrel.com $8.95
SMASH Folio combines scrap-booking, journaling, and listing to make the ultimate diary. Each Smashbook includes forty pages full of pictures, journaling space, writing prompts, and quotes. Each book also comes with a two in one glue-stick/pen which makes creative journaling a snap. With seven different themes (retro, pretty, simple, eco, doodle, mod, international), you can find one that matches your tastes perfectly!
“SMASH Folio” kandcompany.com $14.29
ur Favorite Things... This colorful hair clip will give any outfit the perfect pop of color!
“Flower Bow” etsy.com/shop/LinnArtzy $8.00
The church Austin Stone is known for its powerful worship and recently released its first cd. This collection of live worship songs will inspire and challenge you.
“Worship CD” itunes.apple.com $9.99
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.
I want to say that God has been breaking me ever so gently. I, in my naivety, moved to America thinking that everyone was pretty much shallow, that my peers would be immature, and that I would just be seen as the strange kid from Europe. I was wrong on all three counts. It was like God was slowly but surely tearing away at my prejudices. It was as if, as I was thinking these things, God was smirking, knowing that He would prove me wrong. And I am so grateful that He did. Firstly, I’m not outwardly different from a lot of the other students at school. I don’t wear different clothes than they do and I sound like them, so no would know I was different unless I told them I had no idea what they were talking about when they spoke of bands or video games or sports teams that I had no concept of, or if I told them my story. But it goes deeper than that. I found that almost everyone called themselves Christians, but some of them really did not take their faith seriously, which was strange to me. I was used to knowing that when people said that they were Christians, they meant it. Not that they were perfect or anything, but that they were striving towards Christ. To see that a lot of people were Christians but not followers of Christ in America made me question my own faith, in a strange way. It was a hard bridge to cross, but I crossed it by God’s grace. Also, God has surrounded me with friends who were deep and serious about following Christ, some of whom had been to other countries or had been MKs. Honestly, the community of people that I am blessed to be part of is the best thing about my family’s move to America and something I would never have dreamt could have happened. I have been so encouraged by them and challenged when I see them strongly living for Christ in a country where it seems like truth and morals are blurred with lies, apathy, and universalism, sometimes even beyond recognition. I’ve come to realize that one’s depth in the Word and in thought, one’s candid honesty and relying on God while trying to figure out the difficult questions of life, does not happen when one is born into a missionary family or has had experience in different countries. The depth, the pain, the struggles, the joy, and the awesomeness transcend all cultures. And the fact that I have brothers and sisters in Christ here who are walking with me, who I can feel free with, who I can laugh and share and struggle alongside is truly a gift. And I haven’t and never will forget where I’ve been, who I am, the people who gave me joy and did life with me in Europe. I would be lying if I said that I didn’t miss everyone I left behind, because I do. I randomly think in their languages and hope to return someday. But I’m living the life that God has planned out for me. And His plans are indeed the very best. Article and photography by Daniel C.
“But I’m living the life that God has planned out for me.”
"The whole person, with all his senses, with both mind and body, needs to be involved in genuine worship." -Jerry Kerns
Heart of Worship by Michaela F.
If
you signed up to receive Not of this World’s Christmas devotionals,
you learned about how we can see different forms of worship in the Christmas story. (If you didn’t read the devos you can get in on what I’m talking about here - though I highly recommend reading them, they’re full of great truth!). The different kinds of worship we learned about were praise, obedience, serving and giving. All of these are very meaningful and important ways to worship our Lord. God has done so much in our lives and even when we don’t see it, the appropriate response is to worship Him with all we have- our mouths, our feet, our resources and our time. As we head into the New Year we sometimes get intimidated by the pressure to make resolutions, commitments or promises, but what if we did it differently this year? What if we just focused on worshipping God in different ways so that we might give Him what He deserves and let ourselves be changed in the process? Here is a list of different ways we can worship God and please come up with your own! Let’s worship our Savior and Lord this year in everything we do!
Our Mouth • Tell your family, friends and even strangers about what God is doing in your life • Proclaim what He did for you through His death and more importantly His resurrection • Thank Him for everything/everyone that crosses your path whether it be good, bad, exciting, tough or annoying • Sing praise songs extra loudly out of awe and wonder at His glory • Do not let foul language, negative comments or harsh words come out but instead be encouraging, kind and forgiving
Our Feet • Follow the Holy Spirit’s leading quickly, don’t hesitate or you may be too late • Be ready to feed, comfort, clothe or aid someone in need
Our Resources
Our Time
• Sometimes we forget to tithe on all the money we receive or earn- make sure to give 10% to your church or another organization that is advancing the Kingdom of God • If you pass someone who needs the granola bar you have more than you do, give it to them • Talents are definitely a resource- use your talents to praise the Lord or bless someone else in a way that will bring them closer to Christ • Invite people who don’t have the opportunity to experience a stable, loving home into yours
• Start spending a few hours a month mentoring a girl who is either your age or youngeryou’d be surprised how much that can make a difference • Make sure you have time in your schedule for reading the Bible and praying- that is definitely worship! • Use your time wisely because it is a gift from God
Did you not sign up to receive Christmas Devotionals, but would still like to read them? Click here to have them e-mailed to you!
What: Missions Trip Where: South Africa Who: High School Missionary Kids
Why: To Stretch Your Faith and Spread the Gospel
When: Summer 2012 Learn more here!
The Icing on the Cake
by Heather, a hopeful romantic
I
love watching wedding
shows since, being a teen with (thankfully) unmarried teenage friends, I do not get to attend very many weddings. So, being able to do so in my pjʼs without crashing a happy couplesʼ wedding sounds like a pretty good idea to me! However, there tends to be moments while watching a wedding show that just absolutely upset me. It always happens when the camera crew asks the happy couple why exactly they love each other. They tend to look at each other— some couples almost appearing dumbfounded for an answer—and than reply somewhere along the lines of “because we feel so amazing together”, “it just feels right”, “Iʼve never felt this way before”, etc. In case you didnʼt catch what drives me so crazy about such answers, Iʼll spell it out for you. Their answer for why they are in love always revolves around how they feel.
Now, donʼt get me wrong, itʼs great that they feel good together… goodness, I canʼt imagine a justmarried-coupled who didnʼt feel good together! Itʼs just, if that is the best answer they can give, or if theyʼve never stopped to really examine what exactly is driving these feelings inside of them, then Houston, we have a problem! Let me ask you something; have you ever had a crush on someone? Yes, yes, I know… youʼre girls, of course you have! Let me ask you something else… did all of those crushes last? Remember when you were in the moment, and he held the door open for you and you gracefully floated through the door as he said “Ladies first” and flashed those pearly whites? At that moment, you had feelings for him. You felt as though you were in love, or could fall in love with him. You felt so happy—you felt as though he could be the one.
Remember what happened that made you snap out of it? Perhaps it was his vulgar language, his bad reputation with the girls at your school, him turning out to be a real jerk, or maybe even just realizing that he was nothing more than a friend. How did that moment feel? Did you still feel in love with him? Did you still feel he could be the one? Did you suddenly find yourself laughing at yourself, wondering what you ever saw in him? Our feelings can take us on a wild goose chase sometimes. In
Feelings
are not a good, solid way to calculate the status of your relationship.
the moment, our feelings can make us feel so convinced, so sure…yet in another moment, when the beauty of hindsight comes into play, we may feel angry, uncertain, silly, or just plain out wonder what on Earth was wrong with us that made us feel that way. Feelings are not a good, solid way to calculate the status of your relationship. Why? Because feelings change! Have you ever really thought about what makes you feel so good together as a couple? Chances are, if you hold hands, hug a lot, cuddle, kiss, or even go further than that, than thereʼs your answer. Those intimacy levels feel good; itʼs how God designed it to work. However, He does not design successful, true, and lasting marriages off of those good feelings that the different aspects of physical intimacy brings.
Look at it this way: pretend your relationship with a person you claim to “love” is a cake. Do me a huge favor, and scrap off all of that delicious icing, and throw it out. What are you left with? You are left with just plain cake without the “best part” on top. Do a little observing for me next if you will. What exactly is that cake made out of? What ingredients make it up? Take a nice big bite; do the flavors work well together at all? For example, does that ketchup that was mixed into the lime flavored batter with bacon bites tossed in as well make a good team? If you were to sell that flavor in a bakery, would it last? Even if you globed that yummy icing back on top, would it be enough to cover the nastiness of the cake itself? No way! But what about if your cake was made up of vanilla batter with fresh strawberry pieces stirred in, and a scoop of extra sugar tossed in too, taste? A lot better, huh? Now thatʼs a product that would sell and taste good even without the icing! Adding icing would just make it all that much better though, and will add to it, instead of try to cover it up like with the previous cake.
Do you see what Iʼm trying to get at? You need to have a good cake to start in order for that yummy icing on top to really taste delicious! In other words, your relationship needs to be made up of so many different factors in order for it to make a delicious cake that would sell and go down in the cookbooks for many generations to come! In other words still, the physical part of a relationship such as hand holding, hugging, kissing, etc are merely the icing on that delicious cake! But guess what? If you only have good icing, but yet lousy, disgusting cake, than your recipe is not going to go down in the cookbooks for generations and generations to come. It will not last the test of time. Iʼll put it to you very bluntly. Your relationship needs to be made up of actual factors that make you love each other; such as loving how you both put God first in your lives, the way your two personalities balance each other out nicely, the way you are good with children, the way you can manage household chores and finances, the way you react to stress and not so pretty times,
the way you donʼt blow up even if someone is yelling at you, etc. You need a cake made up of good, quality ingredients! You canʼt have a cake that is based merely on looks and feeling good together; you need so much more if you want your relationship to lead to marriage, and to become a lasting marriage; instead of yet another statistic for divorces. So, stop and examine your current cake status; are you a recipe heading for the trash can, or a recipe that will last the test of time?
here.
Sugar
This article was taken, with permission, from Heather’s blog, “Becoming A Hopeful Romantic.” To read more, click
Flo
To Whoever Needs It by Courtney R.
I heard you’re moving.
I heard that you are
going to attempt to shrink your entire world into a suitcase and lug it through the airport, only to have the security guard confiscate it. Because, donʼt you know, that just like jars of peanut butter and bottles of special shampoo, you canʼt take that with you? You can try. Of course you can try. In fact, I will applaud you if you do and cheer you on because I hope that youʼll succeed at what I failed. Maybe, your naivety will see you through. Maybe, all your friends will stay the same, as will your family, your home, your life. Maybe, just maybe, a miracle will occur and you yourself will stay the same. But, just in case they do stop you at security, let me tell you a few things.
Nothing will ever be the same again. You will never be the same person again. Neither will your friends or family. Life back home will keep going. People will forget. Some people might not even recognize you when you come back. Your life will turn upside down. Never again will you be able to justify living in a bubble world that revolves around you. Never again will home be a single location. Never again will only hellos slip off your tongue. For you know that with every hello, there must be a goodbye.
But don’t let any of this scare you. Everything will change...but you will soon learn that change does not always have to be negative. Change is a seed blooming into a wildly beautiful
rose. Change is the sun dipping down and the sky ablaze with bright orange clouds. Change is an egg hatching and a new life entering the world.
Change is letting God mold you into the person He meant for you to be, which will inevitably happen if you let it.
never shut God out.
And speaking of Him, Because He will sustain you through the tears, laughs, regrets, aches, and pain.
So I heard you’re moving.
I heard that the
adventure of a life-time is waiting for you. Anything could happen. Youʼll lose some things, but you will gain so much more. You might not be the same person you are right now, but youʼll still be you. So when you pack your suitcase, realize that you canʼt take anything with you. Just sit back and enjoy the ride.
For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
-Joshua 1:9
“Discoveries are often made by...going off the main road, by trying the untried.”
-Frank Tyger
What you will need: paint, paintbrush, sandpaper, wood, mod-podge, maps (optional), tea (optional) 1. Soak a map in tea to give it an aged look. Cut it into strips and glue it onto your wood. It will give your sign a more vintage look. This step is optional. 2. Paint over the map (or wood if you skipped step one) with the color of your choice. If you did step one, don’t paint a very thick coat if you want the maps to show later. 3. On Word or any other writing software, type your phrase. Make sure it’s a big font and will be easy to paint in later. 4. With a pencil, shade the back of each letter.
1 2
3 4
5
6
7
8
5. Tape the paper onto the wood, with the shaded part on the wood. With a ballpoint pen, trace the outline of the letters. Press hard so that the pencil comes through onto the paint. 6. Paint the letters in. It’s ok if it’s not perfect. Since you’ll be distressing the paint, no one will be able to tell if the letters are a little messy. 7. Use sandpaper to give your sign a distressed, vintage look. Keep sanding until you like how it looks. If you completed step one and didn’t paint too thick of a first coat (like I did), you’ll be able to see your maps peeking through. This will make it look more vintage. 8. To give your sign a finished look, paint a layer of mod-podge on top. Mod-podge goes on white/ clear, but dries completely clear and creates a glossy effect. It can be expensive, so try googling how to make it if you don’t want to spend the money. Wait for it to dry, then display your sign!
Did make your own vintage travel sign? Send us a picture at notofthisworld.r2@gmail.com
His grace is amazing, not only when I thought I knew about it but when I found I actually needed it. It covers everything, leaving me free from guilt, from shame, allowed to take every thought captive, disclaiming any hold my flesh claims to have on me.
-Sharon
He always gives you an answer if you ask for one. It might take a week or it might take a year; it might not be the answer you were waiting for or it might be the answer you've been longing for, for years.
-Petra God has taught me to just trust in what he has planned for me without being dissatisfied or wanting what others have.
-Kaytee
I'd say the most important thing I've learned from God this year is people will sometimes disappoint you but He NEVER WILL!
-Rebecca The most important thing that He taught me is that sometimes asking God to bring trials into my life is the best way to minister to my friends.
-Nicole
During the year I’ve had lots of times to reflect on God’s timing and His love! Since we’ve had several ‘incidents’ that have uprooted not only us but family members, our human side wants to question, “WHY?” When analyzing the timing of events I can now see that God, in His perfect wisdom, is doing His perfect job!
-Carolyn
This year, I was reminded that God is absolutely sovereign. This was significant to me in light of some life events where I was completely unable to orchestrate how things could work out and yet HE worked behind the scenes in incredible ways. Through my Mom’s illness and subsequent recovery as well as some other life events God has reminded me that He is there every instant and there is so little that I can control, but He makes the world spin and He leads our each step even when we don’t realize He is there and working.
-Donna
I've learned so many things this year, all of which have been important, but all together, each one of them says the same thing, "God is in it all." It's been a year of nothing but change. It was NOT a year of getting comfortable, adjusted, or belonging, but one of in which I've learned that the only way I can truly feel at peace is if I lavish it all with God and make it a Him thing.
-Allison
Cookies and Creme Bark
Ingredients: white chocolate; oreos
Directions: Melt the white chocolate. I melted mine by microwave-ing it for thirty seconds at a time and stirring in between. You could also do it on the stove. After it is completely melted, pour it into a heat-safe bowl. While you wait for it to cool, chop up your oreos into small pieces. After a few minutes, stir your oreos into the chocolate. Pour your mixture onto a parchment/wax paper-lined pan. Use a spatula to smooth it out. Crumble a few extra pieces on top for “garnish.� Let it chill for ten minutes.
Bon AppĂŠtit!
Bible Verses on... Light “While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.”
“Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.”
-John 12:36
-Philippians 2:14-15
“Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” -John 8:12
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” -Psalm 119:105
...from the blog February 14 is a holiday to celebrate love. Our culture over emphasizes romance and couples on this holiday. Even I, who am generally content with being just friends with guys, feel a little left out, with all the focus on romance. But that's not what I think it should be. I think we should make it a time to focus on God's love for us. I am comforted every day by His love for me.
Read the rest here.
What was your favorite article? Vote here!
See you in March! notofthisworld.r2@gmail.com facebook.com/notworld notworld.wordpress.com issuu.com/notofthisworld
Romans 12:2 Not of this World for MK girls by MK girls