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Rain pours on the pavement, making it slick and shiny.
The sky opens with white piercing light onto the street below.
A human figure takes shape from the gloom.
The stars watch from the night above as he walks below.
The lighting won’t touch him.
The rain does in torrents.
And it seems to the passerby, that maybe the rain is coming from him,
Such is his sadness.
Author; McKenzie Young (Boyfriend bears Teen Board)
The people blame him for the rain.
They open their umbrellas and glare.
His mouth smiles at them while his eyes internally cry.
Where is he going?
No one knows.
But they let him go.
They do not want him here.
He knows.
He walks.
The rain patters.
And he walks.
They watch his shadow crest a hill in the distance.
And he raises his arm in a wave.
They turn their backs.
Light flashes, thunder BOOMS.
The umbrellas snap and fall like distant trees.
The black clouds above swirl with newer, cleaner ones.
A battle rages.
The clouds split and float away.
The stars shine bright.
The people remember the hill.
They turn.
The man is gone.
The tree on the hill where he stood is split in half.
The light of the moon shines on the wet pavement.
And people ponder the man.
He had come with the storm and it seemed his leaving had forced the storm to leave too.
But as people do, they forget the man.
Until on a sunny day, the storm long forgotten, he comes walking again.
A ghost, a hero, a friend?
They don’t know. They will find out.
And someday they will tell their children
The story of the man.
I’ve been reading a lot about legalism lately, about how so many people today think Christianity is about following the rules and doing good things. I strongly believe we’ve missed the point.
Here’s the scoop… you can read the Old Testament, read the laws. But Jesus came to replace the way humans treated religion with love. The greatest commandment that triumphs all the others? Love. Why have we focused so much on every other little rule in the Bible except that one?
There’s a story in the Bible of Hosea. A good man called to marry a prostitute who would run and run from him. God does this to show Israel and us that we are so sinful, dirty, and deserve death. Yet no matter how many times we “prostitute” ourselves to the idols in our lives, God is going to take us back in his great love.
Let’s check out Hosea.
“But then I will win her back once again. I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly towards her…When that day comes,” says the Lord, “you will call me husband instead of master.” (2:14, 16)
What? Husband….We will be God’s lover…not his servant? I have gotten this wrong so many times… I want to EARN God’s affections. I want to fancy myself up, paint the perfect picture of a perfect Christian girl and call it good. But I needed to realize my need for God, and that his Love is enough. His love is everything. He IS love. He wants to be in an intimate relationship with me…one so close that I can’t live without him. Where I need him and find comfort and strength in him. Where we sit and be still together, where we adventure and travel the world together. Like a husband. A perfect, never failing, husband. Instead I have tried to earn his favor and work and work and serve and serve. But I still didn’t feel good enough for him.
So that’s it. It’s over. The fight was fought, God chooses us all. And we get to respond. We can chase and chase and chase other things to try and find love, but in the end, the answer is Him.
We deserve hell but the Lord gives compassion and unfailing love. Love is the only law of Jesus, and his love, God will teach righteousness and how to live according to Him. He will guide us and out of His Love, will come service and good works. But not out of OUR strength and goodness, out of HIS. In the end, God’s love wins.
Game Over.
Madison
Hey girls, lately the idea of pursuing God has been apparent in my study of the Bible. The world is such a distracting place, and everything is asking for your full attention. In my life, it can be anything from school to sports to friends or even to family. All these things might be good things but given too much attention they can easily turn into distractions or idols. When we do this our mind is on earthly things instead of heavenly things. People who pursue something or someone, make it a priority in their life, something that they want to do or be with for a majority of their time.
God does not require or expect our 100% time and focus on Him because He knows we are human and sinful. What he wants from us is our hearts to desire Him more than anything else and to follow Him because we choose to, love Him, and want to become closer to Him.
In the dictionary the word “pursue” means to follow in order to catch, or to follow along a path. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could catch just a little bit of God’s knowledge, love, or power? While we follow along on this path of Christianity we should keep in mind where we are going and what the final goal is. Once we are in heaven we will realize and see how much it was worth it to follow His plan and pursue His ways. He is so much more fulfilling than pursuing a relationship, experience, or anything else that can easily distract us in this life.
You do not have to be perfect to follow Him, God wants to be your number one. He wants you to want to follow Him. So will you chase after Him? Or will you follow the unfulfilling things of this world? In the song: Forever Reign it says, “Oh I’m running to your arms, I’m running to your arms the riches of your love will always be enough.” Sometimes we want what is here and now, love and attention from people, I know I do, but God’s love is always there and I feel like sometimes God is disappointed because we don’t see /believe that God is here and we can never understand how much He loves us but its more than we can even imagine.
2 Timothy 2: 22 “Flee the evil desires of youth and PURSUE righteousness, faith, hope, and peace, along with those who call upon the Lord with a pure hear.”
Proverbs 8:17 “I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.”
~Bridget (Boyfriend Bears Teen Board)
Valentine’s Day, dances, dates, the list goes on and on. Sometimes it feels like if you don’t have a boy or a crazy party plan for the weekend you can’t have any fun. We’re here to tell you that that is not the case.
About two weeks ago, a local school hosted a dance. As a teen board, we decided that it would be something really fun to do. Did we have dates? No. Did that stop us? Not a chance. We all got together and had a lot of fun getting dressed up and doing our makeup. Then we sat through the large amounts of photography our families inflicted upon us. (You know the drill.) After that we headed off to the dance and it was a blast! We had so much fun!
So what is our point in telling you this? Though dating is fun and boys aren’t bad, sometimes the world makes us feel that if we don’t have those things we can’t have fun and we aren’t worth anything. But girls, the world is so wrong on that. Hanging out with all of these girls through the years of high school has been such a blessing. Looking back, every time that we’ve been together, growing as friends, has been amazing and fun and some of the best times of my life.
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t challenges. We’ve had our rough times too, our challenges and disagreements, and individual times in our lives when things haven’t been going great. But that’s the beautiful thing about friendship. There is always someone there to help you out and to give you a better perspective.
So don’t worry about not having a boyfriend, focus on developing friendships with your girls. As you do, you will grow, and when the right guy does come along, you will be more yourself than you have ever been because of the girls who helped you get there.
Stay strong and be women of God. Let your girlfriends help you with that.
Love and Hugs,
Madison and McKenzie
“If the devil can’t make us bad, he will make us busy.”
Corrie ten Boom said this quote that I think that many of us can identify with. It’s difficult to set time aside for God. Its sad to say but sometimes we find ourselves occupied in this busy world. SnapChat, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook, they constantly ask for the time that we don’t have. Also, the lust of technology, fashion and of material items are the very things that lead us away. Truthfully, it’s not the world but the devil, a beautiful fallen angel, working behind them.
The bible warns us of the lusts of the world and straightly tells us that it is not from Him. “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” (I John 2:15-20)
Christ tells us in the Gospel of Luke that God knows all our needs and even “dresses” the grass of the field. “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.” (Luke 12:27) We just need to seek His kingdom and His righteousness. That will mean to resist the devils’ soft whispers and get up earlier or to set a time aside to read the word.
Now, I am not pointing my finger at you saying, “You need to do better.” I need to work on this too! I have to read at night or listen to the Word in order to get my daily dose. It is hard! I am not saying its going to be easy, neither did Christ. Matthew 24:9, “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations on account of My name.” LIFE IS NOT A PICNIC! You will be made fun of, laughed at, debated with and maybe even cursed at. But, “Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4) Consider it JOY, it doesn’t say ‘bummer’ or consider this as a tragedy… consider this as a JOY. For it will have its “perfect result”. Perfect means ideal, accurate, exactly or ‘entirely without flaws. (Thanks to dictionary reference)
“If the devil cannot make us bad, he will make us busy.” Some of us know that we are good people and that we come from good families. But, are you wasting the time God has given you to check Twitter? Are you constantly looking on your phone for your crush to reply? Are you exhasted from a world of entertainment?
Analyze these questions, come to a conclusion, and do something about it.
Love, Daphnee
Hey girls,
I don’t know about you, but I like to always be in control of my surroundings. If something is happening that I cannot manage, I get a little frustrated. So, as you can suspect, I’ve been struggling with letting God be in control of my life. (and I sure do hope I’m not the only one)
Let me explain my struggles:
I often don’t surrender everything to God, not wanting Him to know that I lied to my mom about cleaning my room last night, or that I gossiped about someone’s hair the other day. The truth is, He already knows.
1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.” I should have no fear of abandoning my faults to God!
The other is related to patience. There have been some large decisions in my path lately, and I constantly pray about them, however I know how I work. I will pray and wait for the Lord to give me a sign, or answer me, but I will get sick of praying, and search for my own solution. Just the other day I told myself that it wasn’t God’s plan for me to do something because of the expense.
However, Psalm 27:13 proclaims, “Wait with hope for the Lord. Be strong, and let your heart be courageous. Yes, wait with hope for the Lord.” I know now that I need to wait expectantly for an answer from Jesus. Even though it takes awhile, the outcome is a lot better!
I hope you all allow God to guide you, that you surrender to Him, and that you wait for him.
Isaiah 30:18, “But God’s not finished. He’s waiting around to be gracious to you. He’s gathering strength to show mercy to you. God takes the time to do everything right—everything. Those who wait around for him are the lucky ones.”
With love,
Ally (Boyfriend Bears Teen Board Member)
I’m doing a study right now on the book of Leviticus. As you can imagine it is one of the most neglected books of the Bible, yet it plays an essential role in God’s word and gives us vital contribution to our understanding of our relationship with our Creator God.
The key thought of Boyfriend Bears is purity which in essence is the same as Leviticus, which emphasizes the holiness of God and of man. The goal of our Christian walk could be summed up in the statement “Be holy (pure), because I am holy (pure)” (Leviticus 11:45). The definition of holy is ‘that which is perfect, good, righteous, and whole’. It goes without saying that holiness/purity is best exhibited in God Himself, “I the LORD your God am holy”. (Lev. 19:2).
What does it mean though to be pure/holy? It means to be separated from sin and devoted to good (both relationally and morally). Every expression of morality given to us by God is rooted in the reality of His complete wholeness displayed by His holiness. In contrast, the word profane (perverse) means ‘that which is secular, unconcerned with spiritual or righteous purposes’. The basic idea of holiness is that of separation from all that is polluted, defiled, and deadly. Holiness embraces purity and moral integrity. Holy living does not restrict people from enjoying life’s fullest joys. It saves us from the encroachments of Satan, sin, and self, nullifying their destructive and deadly purposes. Living a life of purity by definition protects us to live an abundant life ~ to its fullest measure ~ the life that Christ died for us to have before sin entered this world. Yes, purity is a battle, but Christ already won the war, so the real question is: Are you willing to embrace Him before any other, to return to His ideal for your life?
One of the biggest burdens is a debt you have to pay or owing someone. Sometimes it’s little things, like your friend’s hair tie or a good book. But what about when your friend owes you? And what if it isn’t something as minuscule as a hair tie? It can be lies, backstabbing, broken promises, jealousy, and other hurts that seem unforgettable – and unforgivable.
To be honest, I’m am terrible at forgiveness. True, I’m good at saying, “Yeah, sure, I’ll forgive you.” But the problem is, my heart is never in the sentiments. Those words mean nothing without feeling the emotion, and letting go of what’s grieving me. What I never realize in that moment is that Jesus forgives me daily of the ugly sins I commit. Even though I know these truths in my heart, my anger at the injustices can get out of control and I let it overwhelm me. Sometimes I even soak in self-pity because of the “terrible” things that someone has done to me.
This, I know, will always be a battle for me. I have the tendency to hold grudges. But I’m willing to fight against that. And I hope that in each situation I face, where I am asked to forgive, that I can let go of my anger and my hurt and see how blessed I am, not how persecuted I am. Jesus gives me tough positions so I can work through them and learn from them. Not to let my bitterness bog me down in my walk with Him. But to help me push harder towards the goal of Heaven.
Love, Brielle Boyfriend Bears Teen Board Member
“Ugh, I have nothing to wear” Jessa thought as she threw on another frumpy sweatshirt. As she trudged up the stairs straining to keep her eyes open she remembered the math assignment sitting unfinished in her backpack. Signing Jessa got out a bowl and box of cereal, only to discover that they were out of milk. “Perfect…” she grumbled. Glancing at the clock on the wall she realized that she was late, she flew out the door hauling her backpack behind her.
A few hours later Jessa nervously glanced down at the paper her teacher had just handed back to her. She had worked so hard on this paper, even skipped going shopping with her friends to finish it. Her stomach sank, scrawled in red ink at the top was a C-. “You have got to be kidding”, she groaned.
After school Jessa made her way to the locker room to suit up for her basketball game. As she put her hair in a pony tail she attempted to put aside the stress of the day and focus on the game ahead of her. Jessa reached down to retrieve her basketball shoes from her gym bag, but instead her fingers only found the bottom of her bag. “No, no, no, no, the game starts in fifteen minutes, they have to be in here”, she thought. Jessa continued to rummage through her bag, but her shoes were nowhere to be found. “Ugh, I hate my life”, she moaned.
Let’s face it, Jessa didn’t have the best day, but just because one day didn’t go the way she planned doesn’t mean that her entire life was spiraling out of control. Some days it feels as though your life is tumbling down around you, on those days it is easy to feel discouraged about life as a whole. But we have to remember who holds our future and that every day is a new start. Don’t let a bad day make you feel like you have a bad life.
Lauren, (Boyfriend Bears Teen Board)
As teenagers we are always looking for ways to be “free” right? Whether it’s finally getting the long-awaited license or the new “IPhone 6s golden IOS 7 when will they stop updating this thing” to talk with friends (and check Facebook 50 times per day), we’re always looking for freedom. (Yes I know that type of IPhone doesn’t exist…it’s an exaggeration people.)
But look at the cases when people do things because they are trying to be rebellious and free. What usually happens? They speed and get a ticket (that one’s from personal experience.) Or they go out and party and then get kicked off teams. They text compromising pictures of themselves and then those pictures get spread around. Noticing a pattern here? Those things that the world tells us will make us “free” just cause a lot of destruction, a lot of sadness, a lot of pain. If someone asked you the definition of freedom, would you define it as destruction, sadness, and pain? Of course not. So what is the definition of freedom?
The Encarta Dictionary defines freedom as “a state in which somebody is able to act and live as he or she chooses, without being subject to any undue restraints or restrictions.” Ok I know, that sounds like it contradicts some of my point but wait, because here comes the kicker.
At the beginning of each of our sessions, we go over the definition of purity. In the dictionary, purity is defined as freedom from sin and guilt, innocence chastity. Freedom from sin and guilt. Freedom.
Ok imagine this: There is a God. The one true God. He makes plants, animals, the earth, the whole universe. Then he thinks up people and adds them too. But these, people, how he loves them. He comes up with the idea of freedom, that these people will be completely unhindered by the knowledge of good and evil and just know good. That they will live unburdened by death and destruction. But things happen, bad things. Then, many years later, God sends a piece of himself to earth to be with these humans as one of them. He grows up among them and makes friends with some of them. Finally, he does something that is so unexpected, so crazy, so out there that no one believes it. He, being God, dies on a cruel execution device bearing the weight of the sin of all of humanity. And the thing is this plan has been in motion since the beginning of sin. And for what? So that he could restore that first, pure freedom to this humanity that he so loves.
But the sad thing about all of this is that we look at this beautiful story of redemption and love and we weigh this freedom against that of this world, a paler version of freedom that always ends in enslavement, and we choose the paler version. We choose it.
Everyone struggles with this. This choice is, in fact, why there is sin. Because humanity chooses the darkness over the light. But people, we have a better option. We have the best option. I think we might want to consider it.
McKenzie – Boyfriend Bears Teen Board
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