Articles for Young People

Photo: Tom Denham

Did you catch the results of a recent online contest to determine the “worst boss in America?” Working America, a worker’s rights advocacy group sponsored the contest while thousands of people voted for the finalists for this dubious distinction.

The winner of the “worst boss in America” title was an unnamed New York dentist who had so many appointments cancelled following 9/11, that he deducted $100 from each of his employees paychecks to offset his lost income!

It would be pretty difficult to top that, but I’m sure each of us who has worked for any length of time has a “worst boss” story of our own to tell. When I was 21, I was hired as a waitress to serve food and beverages for the lunch crowd at a trendy café. I thought I was doing a good job but to my astonishment I was given my walking papers one day, out of the blue. When I tearfully inquired of my manager the reason for my termination, she flatly told me, “You hold the menu too close to your face when you are taking customer’s orders!”

How about the best boss; have you had one of them? One stands out in my mind, as well. When my mother was dying of cancer, he told me, “Take as much time off as you need; your job will be waiting for you when this is over.”  For four months (with my bosses blessing) I worked only a couple of hours a day so I could take care of Mom.

Appreciated

When we have a great boss, it is not difficult to excel in our work, do our very best and go over and above the call of duty. We know we are appreciated and that motivates us. But when we have a lousy boss, it is so easy to slip into a mode of retaliation, slacking off, talking negatively, complaining and generally not doing our best.

In the New Testament, the apostle Paul has some advice to help us with this tendency. He told some slaves, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23-24).

Perhaps you are struggling just now, under a boss that is unreasonable, unkind, demanding or ungrateful. Your good efforts are not being appreciated. Keep in mind that earthly bosses come and go. But your real Boss is the King of Kings, the Creator of the Universe. In whatever work you do this day, do it to your very best. God sees and will reward you one day. Remember, it is the Lord Christ you are serving.

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By Kathy A. Lewis. Copyright © 2010 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines. Scripture taken from the NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®.

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Photo: Rodolfo Clix

If you’re bored, generally frustrated, or just sick and tired of how the world is currently treating you, then why not become someone or something else? If you’ve got a decent computer and an Internet connection it’s entirely possible to obtain a second life…at least in the fantasy world of an incredible web site by the same name.

 At secondlife.com one can attain, procure, and become whatever they choose. Members can take on the life of another being called an avatar, and choose the persona of their choice. Have you ever wanted to be a movie star, enjoying the accolades of adoring fans? You can put that fantasy into action on secondlife.com. Or how about becoming a world renowned adventurer that scuba dives, snowboards, and kayaks down whitewater rapids?  It’s all possible on second life.

Members can own various sized chunks of property for their avatars to traverse, and thousands of fantasy junkies are having specially designed clothing, homes, and vehicles created for their cyber world “being”  to use and enjoy. 

Digital Utopia 

Laugh if you want to, but millions in real currency is being funneled into the addictive lifestyle of creating and owning a digital utopia. Hard earned cash is being laid out by  “second lifers” for new avatars, cyber real estate, homes, wardrobes, accessories, and even digital family members. This world is only limited by one’s imagination.

Secondlife.com is quickly growing to be the next big thing in real life entertainment. Thousands upon thousands of people all over the globe are turning off the television, and turning on their second life; a life where they are in control of everything.

There’s only one glaring glitch in the entire system as near as I can tell. When one is finished fantasizing for the day, they still have to go back to the real life; where bills need to be paid, and work needs to be done. There’s no getting around it; we can fantasize all we want about having a better life, but in the real world, it’s not for sale.

There is no second life here, but there is an opportunity to have a life that’s better by turning it over to the one who created us, and who ultimately knows what makes us happy. Jesus said it best:

“…I came so they could can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of” (John 10:10).

By putting our Creator in charge of our real lives, perhaps the need to have another, better life would not exist. Come to think of it, if more people did that in the first place, secondlife.com would be an unpopulated planet.

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By Michael Temple. Copyright © 2010 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines. Scripture taken from the THE MESSAGE / REMIX ®.

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Photo: Jenny Erickson

Americans spend more time commuting to work each year than they do taking a vacation. That is what the latest data gathered by the Census Bureau shows.

The number of Americans spending 90 minutes or more commuting to work each day has nearly doubled in the last decade. About 9.4 million leave for work between 5 and 6 a.m. each morning. The average commute is 24 minutes each way.

The automobile is the key to all this going to and fro. Some 97 million Americans–up from 62 million 25 years ago–drive to work and back all alone in their cars. The number who carpool has actually dropped from 19 million to 16 million. Only 10 million walk or use mass transit. Consequently, the number of meals that American eat in the car while driving has more than doubled over the same period.

The cities with the largest numbers of long-distance commuters include Baltimore, New York, Newark, Riverside (Calif.), Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington, DC, San Francisco and Miami. All of these are among America’s largest metropolitan areas.

Pressing Questions

With the current upsurge in gasoline prices, concerns about dependence on foreign oil and the out-of-control price of cars, one has to ask, Why do people do it? Is it worth all this commuting?

Better pay and benefits, better opportunities for career advancement, and the lack of work closer to home were the reasons most often cited in two recent studies in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC–by two-thirds of the commuters interviewed. Only 12% said they found their commute relaxing and only 8% claimed that the cost of living was lower where they lived, although 45% indicated that they already lived in their current home in the suburbs when they took their current job.

How much are you willing to give up in time and detachment from your family and neighbors in order to get ahead in your career and earnings? That is the real trade-off when people choose the commuter life. What do these choices reveal about suburban values?

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Center for Metropolitan Ministries. Copyright © 2010 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines.

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Photo: Tamer Tatlici

The air was thick with apprehension and foreboding. Methodically, we all went about our work, staring blankly at our computer screens, shuffling papers on our desks, organizing our cubes. It was hard to concentrate.

“A layoff is coming!” the walls seemed to shriek. The tense faces of management coupled with their whispered conversations convinced us it was true. At lunch time, I updated my resume.

It was 1998 and the bottom had fallen out of the computer chip market. Three upper level managers had suddenly been given their walking papers. The rest of the manufacturing plant waited for the other shoe to drop. And drop it did.

I well remember the date it happened – December 4, 1998, three weeks before Christmas! Managers began calling their subordinates into their offices one by one. Fifteen minutes later they filed out faces ashen, hands trembling.

Numbly, they returned to their desks and began loading photographs, plants and other mementos into cardboard boxes which they carried to their cars. Some were crying, others were angry but most were in shock.

A company layoff is similar to the death of a loved one with a terminal illness. You know it is coming but it always catches you off guard.

One hundred of us lost our jobs that day. “Three weeks before Christmas!” we kept moaning to each other as we loaded our boxes of personal belongings into our vehicles. Then, like a funeral procession, we slowly caravanned out of the parking lot past the guard gate for the last time.

God Spoke to Me

Being a single mother, I wondered what God had in store for me. I knew the Creator would provide but I was still a bit nervous. The morning following the layoff, as I trudged up a long hill on my daily walk, God spoke to me in a very unusual way. I looked down to find a $20 bill lying in the gutter. As I picked it up and stared at it in disbelief, I understood. God was saying to me, “Don’t worry; I will provide for you!”

And, that’s exactly what God did. Though I was unemployed for eight months, my family never went without food or anything else we really needed. And, eventually God led me into a new career that has been more rewarding in every way than the job I lost.

If you are without a job just now, or struggling financially in some other way, remember to put God first in your life.  Focus on, and prioritize your relationship with your Creator and eventually everything else will fall into place.

The last paragraph of Matthew 6 tells us not to worry about what we are going to eat, or drink, or wear. For, God knows we need these things. Seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness and all these things will be given to you, as well.

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By Kathy A. Lewis. Copyright © 2010 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines.

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Photo: Joseph Zlomek

Reinvent existing neighborhoods—what a concept! Whether urban or suburban, neighborhoods can become places where there are strong connections with people, local traditions, and nature. “Superbia! 31 Ways to Create Sustainable Neighborhoods” moves from theory to practical steps of implementation. This is a book for those who want to increase the sense of community where they live.

In the Introduction, authors Dan Chiras and Dave Wann outline their vision, “We believe most neighborhoods have the raw ingredients and resources to become sustainable, resilient, and healthy. We want to help make the transition happen because the potential economic, environmental and social benefits are huge! But it won’t happen automatically—it will take cooperation, vision, and strategy. The truth is, many neighborhoods are currently programmed for dysfunction.”

Menu of Ideas

Chiras and Wann share a variety of ideas ranging from remodeling a community’s physical attributes to a menu of ideas for bonding people together. Easy first steps include starting a community news sheet, planning gatherings where people eat and talk, organize work bees, and find ways to encourage discussion. Ideas for conservation include activities such as creating shared gardens (and composting centers), starting a food coop, organizing carpools, and promoting adoption of more energy efficient appliances. Every page with a suggested action has a sidebar that details the benefits of that particular idea. The most radical ideas expand the reader’s perspective, possibly fostering new ideas.

In this volume, New Society Publishers (NSP) has joined with “Mother Earth News” to provide “a book for wise living.” NSP expresses its mission “to publish books that contribute in fundamental ways to building an ecologically sustainable and just society, and to do so with the least possible impact on the environment, in a manner that models this vision.” It is reassuring to find out that the publisher follows its vision with action. Printed on acid-free paper that is 100% recycled and processed chlorine free, this book is printed with vegetable based, low VOC inks.

ISBN:  0-86571-490-8

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Center for Metropolitan Ministries. Copyright © 2010 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines.

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Photo: Elizabeth Flores

I remember the day a 13-year-old boy with a broken leg was wheeled into the hospital emergency room where I worked. He and his little sister had been hit by a car in the crosswalk while riding their bikes to school. In shock and pain he blurted out, “I’m never going to school again!” Interesting how going to school was associated with the accident while bike riding was not!

When I was 19, I dated a guy five years older who effectually said, “I’ll never drive a car again!” Because he hit a lady in a crosswalk and seriously injured her, his response to the tragedy was to put the blame on his driving, and never get behind the wheel again.

These two incidents have reminded me that what happens to us in life is not nearly as important as how we respond to it. Let’s face it. Bad stuff happens to all of us! There is no way around it. Life isn’t always fair! But when trouble strikes and disappointment rears its ugly head, the attitude with which we choose to respond to the hardship will ultimately determine its outcome.

Overcoming Hardships

A study was done on one hundred of the world’s most successful people in order to find out if there was anything each of these people had in common. After a thorough investigation into their lives, they were found to be from a variety of different races, income brackets, educational backgrounds and social positions. Nearly ready to give up on the idea that a common thread might bind them, it was finally discovered that there was one thing each of these successful people shared. Each of them, at one time or another had been faced with a serious hardship, handicap or adversity they had to overcome. Their response to that hardship, whatever it might be, was to meet it head-on and overcome it. In so doing, each of these people developed the character necessary for success.

As we navigate through life it is inevitable we will face obstacles, disappointment, grief, depression and stress. Sometimes these experiences produce scars. But according to Robert Schuler, “God wants to turns our scars into stars.” Our attitude and response to the blows that come our way may determine whether or not God can do it!

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By Kathy A. Lewis. Copyright © 2010 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines.

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Photo: Hemera

Have you ever run away from home? When you were five or six years old perhaps you were mad at your mom for making you clean your room, or maybe you were upset because of something your dad said. You decided you didn't like your family anymore and threw some things in a bag and headed out the door. Maybe you made it to the end of the driveway, or even as far as a friend's backyard. But after a while you forgot why you were mad, got hungry and went home.

I'm outta here

When our plane landed in San Antonio, Texas, my friend and I were more than 1,500 miles from home. We were running away because we were tired of our parent's rules and we hated school. We thought being 16 years old meant you could quit school, find a job and be fully independent. It took two months to learn otherwise.

The National Network for Youth suggests that approximately 1 to 1.3 million young people run away from home each year. The reasons vary. Some teens are in abusive situations at home. But some run away from good homes because they want to be free from their parent’s restrictions. In every case there is a communication breakdown of some kind that prompts a teenager to think their problem is unsolvable. So instead of facing life—they run away.

I ran away from home twice before I realized I was only complicating my life. At some point I had to face my frustrations and figure out how to resolve them.

The temptation to run

Teens aren't the only ones who runaway! Adults do too. Sometimes difficult tasks, illness, dysfunctional relationships, financial burdens and more, make running away an attractive option. Husbands and wives abandon each other. Disgruntled employees walk off the job. It seems easier to run from a problem than to have to face it. But what we fail to resolve usually comes back later to haunt us.

If you drive north on Interstate 5 from southern California, just before you reach the San Joaquin Valley, you'll descend through a pass (a 7% grade) known as the Grapevine. Experienced truckers use a combination of brakes and gears to help them keep their rigs from going too fast. Occasionally when a driver loses it, he or she heads for a runaway truck ramp that's designed to help them stop. Once they hit the ramp they know they're ok.

Just as runaway truck ramps save out-of-control vehicles, so the cross saves runaway people. All who run to Jesus find relief from the destructive momentum of sin. Jesus said,

"And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself" (John 12:32). What a relief!

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By Rich DuBose. Copyright © 2010 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines. Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE ®

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Photo: Daniele Codega

People don’t like to wait. If you don’t believe it, just try sitting at a traffic light for three seconds after the light has turned green. You could start a war!

But waiting seems unavoidable. We wait in shopping lines, in doctor’s offices, in repair shops. On phone calls, we’re put on hold. I don’t know anyone who enjoys the waiting game. We want what we want when we want it. In this day of instant coffee, instant breakfast cereal, fast food, and instant web browsing, we don't want to wait on anything?

The Bible says we are to wait on the Lord. “Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait I say, on the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14, NKJV). Wait a minute. Is the Bible telling us that even God puts "callers" on hold? Sometimes. Quite often, in fact. What we’re saying is, even though God’s line is always open to take our calls, the answers may be delayed.

Why the delay? Because we need to learn to wait. Waiting teaches us patience. “But you need to stick it out, staying with God's plan so you'll be there for the promised completion.” (Hebrews 10:36, The Message).

Worth Waiting For

All good things are worth waiting for—a wedding day, a new baby, a graduation diploma, a new job, or a bumper crop of fruits and vegetables—all are God’s promised blessings. Isaiah 40:31 says, “But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, they run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind” (The Message).

But God’s greatest blessings are yet to come. Isaiah 25:9 tells about it: “Also at that time, people will say, ‘Look at what’s happened! This is our God! We waited for Him and He showed up and saved us! This God, the one we waited for!’” (The Message).

In the meantime, what do we do? Just wait!

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By Bob DuBose. Copyright © 2010 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines. Scripture taken from the NEW KING JAMES VERSION © 1982 and THE MESSAGE ®.

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Photo: Katie Waybill

Tired of listening to your parents harp on you about immodest dress? Guess what? The Bible has something to say about it, too, and it’s not just about your clothes! The same Greek word kosmios, is used to talk about dress, behavior, worship, and the place where you live.

Just like the rest of Christianity, modesty isn’t pick-and-choose. It’s a package, a whole-life deal. Check out these verses: 1 Timothy 2:9, 10, 10; 1 Peter 3:3; 1 Timothy 3:2; and Matthew 5:28.

Influence

Like it or not, the way you dress and behave influences other people either for good or bad—for eternity. How would you rate your influence?

Now, if you’re truly a Christian, you believe what the Bible says is truth, right? And if you don’t follow what the Bible teaches, it’s sin, right? So what are you going to do now?

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By Vicki Redden. Reprinted with permission from Insight Magazine, October 21, 2006. Copyright © 2010 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines.

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Photo: Torvald Lekvam

You finally land a date with the hottest guy in school. You go shopping for new jeans and those great looking canvas mesh shoes with the straps. You’re ready 20 minutes early, but you know it’s going to be worth it.

When Mr. McDreamy finally makes it to the door, he takes one look at you and tells you you’re ugly and so lucky that he took pity on you and asked you for a date because it’s probably the last date you’ll ever get. On the way to the car, he slaps you because you’re not keeping up with him. What do you do next? I know you’d end the date, maybe even tell your father and let him deal with Mr. McNightmare. And you’d know in your heart that you were way too good for him.

Let’s change the scenario a bit. Let’s pretend you’ve been going out with Mr. McDreamy for a year and you’re feeling a little uncomfortable with some of the things he wants you to do and how he’s begun to treat you, so you tell him you want to break up. He tells you you’re ugly and that you’ll never get another boyfriend and then he slaps you. Unfortunately, too often in this scenario, the girl believes her boyfriend and decides she better stay with him rather than be alone.

Dating Abuse On the Rise

Sounds unbelievable, doesn’t it? Well, it’s what’s happening to teens throughout the nation. In fact, the incidence of dating abuse is so prevalent that Liz Claiborne Inc. formed a research center to study the phenomenon and recently released findings from a 2006 survey. There are some chilling results. The findings were astounding. The results show that alarming numbers of teens experience and accept abusive behavior in dating relationships and that the problem gets worse as teens get older and into more serious relationships. Many teens also feel physically and sexually threatened. Key findings include:

• 1 in 2 teens who have been in a serious relationships say they've gone against their beliefs in order to please their partner.
• 1 in 3 girls who have been in a serious relationship say they've been concerned about being physically hurt by their partner
• 1 in 4 teens who have been in a serious relationship say their boyfriend or girlfriend has tried to prevent them from spending time with friends or family; the same number have been pressured to only spend time with their partner.
• 1 in 3 girls between the ages of 16 and 18 say sex is expected for people their age if they're in a relationship; half of teen girls who have experienced sexual pressure report they are afraid the relationship would break up if they did not give in.
• Nearly 1 in 4 girls who have been in a relationship (23%) reported going further sexually than they wanted as a result of pressure.
• 1 in 5 teens who have been in a serious relationship report being hit, slapped or pushed by a partner.

When I read this report, I was sickened. Although the report indicates the incidence of dating abuse among teens is on the rise, it’s certainly not a new phenomenon. In fact, in 1965 I experienced similar abuse. When I’ve shared my story with people, they are usually incredulous that I, of all people, would have allowed someone to abuse me. But abuse doesn’t usually happen on the first date, or the fifth. And it doesn’t usually happen to girls who have good boundaries, who have high self-esteem and a loving relationship with their parents. It also doesn’t usually happen to girls who prefer group dates and who decide to save serious dating for college. It doesn’t usually happen to anyone who believes they are a child of God.

“What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it -- we're called children of God! That's who we really are” 1 John 3).

If you recognize yourself in one of those statistics, confide in an adult who loves you and let them help you. Recognize that no one – no one -- is allowed to hit you and hurt you with their words or their fists. You are a precious child of God. If you’d like to read more about the study by Liz Claiborne Inc., visit: www.loveisnotabuse.com.

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By Dee Litton Reed. Copyright © 2010 by GraceNotes. All rights reserved. Use of this material is subject to usage guidelines. Scripture taken from THE MESSAGE ®.

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