An All-New Rebelution Website

For all of our readers who keep up with The Rebelution via RSS, we are excited to announce an all-new and improved website and redesigned blog. Please change your RSS feed to continue to keep up on the latest posts: http://feeds.feedburner.com/rebelution

Tuesday Compendium: Odds & Ends

Update: Elena Belle Harris
Thank you all for your continued prayers for Joel, Kimmy and Elena Belle. This morning Kimmy was taken off of the magnesium medication that had stopped her labor. The good news is that she made it to this point. That means that the steroids have had time to stimulate the development of Elena's lungs.

The prayer is now that Kimmy would not to back into labor anytime soon. The magnesium medication will take a maximum of 12 hours to be completely out of Elena's system. So we don't want her to be born until that happens, because it can slow down her heart rate and her breathing. But more than that, the hope is for Kimmy to stay in bed and wait for several weeks before Elena arrives.

Thank you all so much for your comments and prayers. You can also visit Kimmy's blog and leave her a note directly.

The Blackberry Addiction
A new study out of Rutger's University has warned that mobile email devices can be so addictive that they require treatment similar to those given to drug users and are seriously damaging to mental health. The Daily Mail (UK) reports:

The study... claims the Blackberry is fuelling a rise in email and internet addiction, with sufferers able to survive only a few minutes without checking for new mail.

One key sign of a user being addicted is if they focus on their Blackberry ignoring those around them.

Sounds like this study could apply equally well to teens and text messaging. The symptoms sound identical.

The Booklist: New Books, More Descriptions
Our booklist has been periodically updated since it was first published, but last weekend it was thoroughly revamped. Every book has a description, including many new titles from our summer reading.

Go browse the booklist.

Prayer Need: Kristin and Heidi
Two of our sisters in Christ are also in need of your prayers. Kristin Braun, formerly of Spunky Jr. and now at Beauty from the Heart, has been experiencing a variety of health problems for several weeks, including joint pain, fatigue, and headaches. So far doctors have been unable to pinpoint the problem. Please pray for that the correct diagnosis would be made quickly and that God would bring healing.

Please also pray for Heidi of A Blessed Servant. This dear sister is also battling serious illness, even while persevering to read through the entire Bible in 30 days. She documents her progress and thoughts (and provides health updates) on her blog. We encourage all of you to read through her posts. God's grace is profoundly evident.

Heidi's blog remains the first and only Xanga blog on The Rebelution sidebar. In fact, she has inspired us to read through the entire Bible ourselves (we decided on 50 days). Be sure to visit her blog and leave a comment to let her know that you are praying.

UPDATE: If you don't have a Xanga account (required to comment), please leave a note for Heidi in the comments section of this post or by email: thelordismystrength [at] gmail [dot] com

Works of the Heart: A New Look
Erin's blog, Works of the Heart, has a brand new design. Be sure to check it out and keep visiting. Erin has done a great job getting her blog up and running and has posted some great thoughts and articles on the issues of biblical womanhood. Her theme verse is 1 Samuel 16:7, "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

Anything we missed? Let us know. Click here.

Prayer Request: Elena Bell Harris

Some of you may know about Brett's and my niece, Faith Felicity, who passed away last October while awaiting a heart transplant in Southern California. She was two months old.

Her parents, our older brother Joel and his wife Kimberly are now expecting their second child, Elena (pronounced eh-LAIN-uh) Belle.

Her due date is October 3rd, but last night Kimmy began to go into labor. Six weeks early.

If Elena Belle were born right now, she would be in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) at the hospital for quite a while. A particular concern for babies at this stage is their underdeveloped lungs.

Doctors have temporarily stopped labor through medication and are giving Kimmy steroids to speed up the development of Elena's lungs, but our prayer is that she would stay where she is for several more weeks.

The next week will be a challenging one for our family. Please keep all of us, especially Joel, Kimmy and Elena, in your prayers. May God be glorified and His will be done. Thank you, friends!

The Rebelution in the Philippines

Alyssa Chua (left), a 17-year-old rebelutionary from the Philippines, co-authors the blog Godly Ladies in Training with her good friend Christin Alvarez. She has given us permission to post the following essay she wrote entitled 'Finding the Rebelution'.

"Changes ain't totally pleasant but they're excellent things," says Mr. James Harrison in the book Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery.

Less than a year ago, I would have disagreed with Mr. Harrison. I didn't like change. In fact, I didn't like anything that would make my life - or even me - different. I wanted things to remain just the way they were. But God had other plans.

This past February, I came across something that changed my life.

A Turning Point
I was browsing through one of the forums where I am a member, when I came across a strange name in a topic title that immediately caught my attention. I opened the topic thread and read its contents. There was a link to another webpage. Out of curiosity, I decided to click on it and found myself at The Rebelution.

Simply clicking on that link changed my life. I learned to look within myself, and I saw the person I really was. I had never done that before. I had never looked at my life and my actions or ever wondered about myself before.

I saw the things that needed to change. I saw the selfish desires that had kept me from serving God fully. I saw the faults that had hindered me from serving others. I saw the pride that had kept me from admitting that I was wrong and the impatience that had kept me from trusting God about my future. Within myself, I saw the "weight" that was keeping me from running my race freely. I saw that I had to change.

The change was not immediate. It took long hours - days of thinking, and meditating on God's word. I had to go through the fire of purging and refining where my past thoughts, actions, and judgments were rebuked. There, I confessed to God of my wrong ways and asked Him to change my heart and my life. Like Mr. Harrison said, the change wasn't totally pleasant, but it was an excellent thing.

A Personal Challenge
Until I came across The Rebelution, I had never ventured out of my "comfort zone" where I had grown used to serving God. I had never accepted the challenges that looked too difficult. I enjoyed things just the way they were. Until then, I had never fully surrendered my life to God.

My comfort zone was a place where everything was just the way I wanted it to be; a condition where I never had to make extra effort or do something difficult; a state where I would sit back, relax, and enjoy myself.

Before, I did not want to step out because I was afraid of failing the challenge and failing in my service to God. It was some time before I realized that no matter how many times I fail the people around me, God will never consider me a failure, and I can always trust Him to give me the strength and courage to get up and go on.

Coming across The Rebelution brought about a challenge to look deep within myself and see the person I really am in Christ. It also brought about the challenge of stepping outside of my comfort zone. It wasn't easy, but looking to God for help, I stepped forward, away from the easy, relaxed life that I was used to living.

Outside my comfort zone, I found that I could serve God more fully and use all my talents unreservedly for Him. Outside my comfort zone, I learned to lean on God for strength, instead of leaning on the small pleasures of this world for comfort. Outside of my comfort zone, I learned to "do hard things."

"Why bother to do hard things?" people always ask. "Why can't you just do the things that you enjoy the most?"

For me, doing hard things meant doing the things I had never done before, the things I considered too difficult, such as serving with a glad heart, looking for a way to learn from my mistakes, obeying whole-heartedly the voice of God. For me, it meant taking action and living more like Jesus.

Without doing hard things, there would be nothing to challenge us to become better people. Without doing hard things, there would be nothing on which to exert ourselves and to mold our character for the better.

A Life-Changing Call
After visiting The Rebelution, I thought, "Now what?" I felt that I couldn't just sit still after that. I felt as if God was calling me to do something.

My friend, Christin, and I created the blog Godly Ladies in Training as an answer to that call. Ablaze with the fire of the Rebelution, we decided to create a joint blog where we could write all about our spiritual journey and the lessons God taught us as we went through life, such as modesty concerning dress.

Why do I want to be a rebelutionary? It is because I want to take a stand in what I believe is right in the sight of God.

A Defining Purpose
I had wandered unintentionally into The Rebelution, and the next thing I knew it had changed my life. It was an experience that I never regretted because it made me a better person. It was a stepping stone that helped me see the things I never saw before. It was a journey that taught me an important lesson that I shall never forget.

I've learned a lot, and I'm still learning, through God's grace.

I don't believe that it was "by chance" that I came upon the thread and decided to click on the link out of boredom. No, I believe that God led me there for a purpose.

I've made a commitment to spread the Rebelution in the East, starting with my country, the Philippines. It's not that easy - teenagers these days would rather "go with the flow" than go against it. That way, they would blend with the crowd and not be labeled as "odd" or "weird." Teenagers aren't that open to changes that would make them different.

Progress is slow. Culture is demanding. Many teenagers don't seem to care. But I won't give up. I'll stand firm. With God's help, we'll start a Rebelution.

Be sure to visit Alyssa and Christin's blog and thank Alyssa for this guest post.

Girls, we greatly appreciate your share committment to spread the Rebelution among our generation around the world. May God bless you and your efforts.

Theory of Quarks is Vlogging

Emily Ask of Theory of Quarks has started videoblogging (or vlogging) and has uploaded a video of several moviegoers reactions to the recent World Trade Center film. Vlogging is an exciting new development in the Christian teen blogosphere and Emily is leading the way. Bravo, Emily!

Go watch the video. Click here.

Abraham Cherrix: Victory

Abraham Cherrix embraces family friend, Sharon Smith, this morning as his mother, Rose, looks on. (Photo Source: Steve Helber/AP)

The Cherrix family and county social workers have reached an agreement that will allow Abraham to forego chemotherapy treatment. The Associated Press reports:

"It's all over. It's everything we fought for, everything we wanted to ever have, we've won. We got our freedom back," Abraham said outside the courthouse after the hearing.

Under the decree, the Chincoteague 16-year-old will be treated by an oncologist of his choice who is board-certified in radiation therapy and interested in alternative treatments. The family must provide the court updates on Abraham's treatment and condition every three months until he's cured, or turns 18, whichever comes first.

Tyler emphasized that the decree states that the parents weren't medically neglectful.

After the short hearing, the judge looked at Abraham and said, "God bless you, Mr. Cherrix."

The article also contains the news that Abraham's recent visit with a doctor resulted in a optimistic assessment of his cancer's curability.

Abraham said that he saw the doctor last week, and the doctor assured him that his cancer is curable.

The teen said he'll continue following an alternative herbal treatment called the Hoxsey method as well as his doctor's treatment plan. The regimen won't include chemotherapy, but radiation is a possibility, he said.

Praise God for His continued hand on Abraham's life. Let us not forget him and his family as he continues on the path to recovery. Keep this young man in your prayers.

For full coverage of the Abraham Cherrix story, click here.

Technical Difficulties: Missing Paragraphs

UPDATE #2: A big 'thank you' to David MacMillan III for identifying the problem. Everything (as far as we know) is back to normal. God bless you, my friend.

UPDATE #1: Do any of our tech-savvy readers have ideas for how to fix this recent glitch? Brett and I have never had to manually enter "br" tags before. Now Blogger won't display paragraphs unless we do. This seems to be a problem unique to our blog since earlier this morning.

Readers may have noticed some major formatting bugs on the blog today. This is slowly being fixed. For now, please bear with massive paragraph blocks once you leave the main page.

John Piper: Do Hard Things

No, our modern-day hero John Piper doesn't read The Rebelution. But his latest edition of Fresh Words is an unmistakable exhortation for Christians to "do hard things" in the area of gossip. We encourage all of you to read it and take it to heart.

Talking to People Rather Than about Them
by John Piper

You recall that in Luke 18:9, Luke introduces the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector like this: “He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt.” [N]otice that it says that Jesus told this parable TO some [who] trusted in themselves that they were righteous. It does not say he spoke this parable ABOUT them. Jesus was looking the Pharisees in the eye and telling them a parable that implied that they were self-righteous. He was not talking about them but to them.

It is easy—and far too tasty on the tongue of our sinful souls—to talk about people. But it is hard—and often tastes bitter—to talk to them.

Though it may seem minor, it contains a lesson that is huge for the health of our church. Let’s be like this. Let’s not talk to others about people’s faults. Let’s talk to them about their faults. It is easy—and far too tasty on the tongue of our sinful souls—to talk about people. But it is hard—and often tastes bitter—to talk to them. When you are talking about them, they can’t correct you or turn the tables and make you the problem. But if you talk to them about a problem, it can be very painful. So it feels safer to talk about people rather than talking to them.

Jesus does not call us to make safe choices. He calls us to make loving choices.

But Jesus does not call us to make safe choices. He calls us to make loving choices. In the short run, love is often more painful than self-protecting conflict-avoidance. But in the long run, our consciences condemn us for this easy path and we do little good for others.

So let’s be more like Jesus in this case and not talk about people, but talk to them, both with words of encouragement, because of the evidences of grace we see in their lives, and with words of caution or warning or correction or even rebuke.

Read the full article by clicking here.

Brittany McComb: An Interview

Richard Abowitz from the latimes.com blog has posted an interview he conducted with Brittany McComb. For readers unfamiliar with Brittany's story, click here for our coverage. For the rest of you, excerpts from Brittany's interview are below.

Question: [One of my readers asks]: "Why didn't you take legal action when the school edited your written speech? Couldn't this be handled without showboating at the commencement?" Leaving out the value judgment of 'showboating,' did you think of doing something before the incident?

Brittany: Oh, yes. My mom called the school board lawyer and his secretary promised to call right back and didn't. We tried numerous times to get in touch with the [school] district lawyer. From the moment they gave us the revised speech we began calling. It was like he was avoiding us and not returning our calls. We tried so many times and graduation was nearing, school was already out, we didn't know what to do. I think people get the impression that this was set and done and all premeditated, but things just came into place the way they did. It was never like beforehand I was like, "Oh, they are going to cut off my mike and I am going to have a lawsuit." No. I never thought about media. I just thought about expressing what was in me and that was Christ. It was the knowledge I gained from His words. There was a set of guidelines they gave us for writing the speech and I followed them step by step. Everything about their editing violated my logic and my principles. I was kind of shocked by it. I was like, "Why are they doing this?" I've been a good kid. I've done everything they asked of me in every aspect of school life.

Question: I think the one question readers feel most focused on is why you at first agreed to give the edited speech and then did not do so? There is a sense running through many of the comments left on my blog that you were deceptive in doing that. When you said you would give the edited speech did you mean it or were you fibbing?

Brittany: You mean when I said I'd give the edited speech?

Question: Yes. Did you at first agree to give the edited speech?

Brittany: Yes. The actual situation was that the my assistant principal confronted me in the hallway and demanded to know what I was going to do. My parents were out of town, we still had not contacted the lawyer, everything was chaotic, and I was like "What am I going to do?" I had no idea. So I had to say something and I was at my wits end. I was very intimidated. So I kind of said, "yes" and I regret it. I wish I had stood up right then for myself.

Question: So you did agree to give the edited version at first?

Brittany: I didn't know what I was going to do. I did say I would give the revised speech. I regret it. But it wasn't malicious. I wasn't thinking, "I'm going to stick it to you to get my free speech." Christ has abundant forgiveness. I really just wanted to tell my classmates about this light and love in my life and it tore me apart that they (school officials) did not want me to be who I am. It was like they wanted me to lie over who I am. In hindsight I regret not standing up for myself right away.

Read the rest of the interview by clicking here.

For full coverage of Brittany's story, click here.

TOS Magazine: An Interview with Alex & Brett

The summer issue of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine features an interview with Brett and me. See the cover and excerpt below.

TOS: I agree. And really, being “above average” doesn’t mean much when the average is so low!

Alex: No, it doesn’t. It reminds me of a study that was done about expectations in public schools, and it concluded by saying that the current ceiling for young people is really much closer to where the floor ought to be! In other words, the highest we’re allowing ourselves to go -- in competence and godly character – is really much closer to the lowest we should be allowing ourselves to go. Unfortunately, many home school students tend to compare themselves to that low standard. They say, “Look at me! I’m articulate, I’m respectful, I’m mature for my age!” And if they don’t, other people will say it for them! The problem is that we live in a society where even mediocrity is considered exceptional. We don’t even have to exert ourselves, and we’re still showered with praise. Again, we’ve lost sight of the biblical standard.

TOS: So how do you see young people returning to that biblical standard? How do teens bust the myth of adolescence once and for all?

Brett: The battle cry of the Rebelution is just three words, but it’s an explosive concept: Do Hard Things. That’s it. And “do hard things” is a mentality. It’s a mentality that flies right in the face of our culture’s low expectations. The world says, “You’re young, have fun!” It tells us to “obey your thirst” and “just do it.” Or it tells us, “You’re great! You don’t need to exert yourself.” But those kinds of mindsets sabotage biblical character and competence. “Do hard things” is just the opposite. It’s how we build character and competence. It won’t drop to meet the low expectations, it won’t just do what comes easily, and it won’t become complacent. It applies no matter who you are or what level you’re on, because there’s always something harder to do, something that will take you outside your comfort zone and cause you to grow.

TOS: First, wow! That sounds great! Makes me want to be a rebelutionary, too. Second, could you explain how the “do hard things” mentality fits into the bigger picture of the Rebelution?

Alex: The Rebelution is made up of three fundamental parts. We’ve talked about two of them: character and competence. The third one is collaboration. It’s not enough for us to be individual exceptions. It’s not enough for us to try to ignore the culture. We have to create a counter-culture. The way we do that is by networking, exhorting, and encouraging one another in the fight. By God’s grace, that’s what the Rebelution has become. And when you have a community of young people mutually committed to doing hard things in their teen years for the glory of God, that’s an incredibly powerful thing.

Be sure to check out the summer issue of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine for the entire interview and a sidebar on the Rebelution by Tim "Agent Tim" Sweetman.

Finding Truth On A Coffee Cup

Brett. Me. And Coffee.
Brett and I don't drink coffee. This is not because we dislike it or because we don't think other people should drink it. Not at all. Other people have more self-control. As for us, we're wary of the money we'd spend if we made coffee a daily (or even weekly) habit.

TRIVIA: Alex and Brett went through three months of campaign work in Alabama without drinking any caffeine.

But despite our lack of coffee-drinking, Brett and I still like to frequent cafés for important meetings, brainstorming sessions, and coffeehouse evangelism. And every so often, when we feel the need for a change up in our ordinary work routine, we'll pack up our satchels (complete with Bible, laptop, current book and yellow highlighter, pen and notebook) and drive to a nearby Starbucks, find a table, order an Odwalla, and settle in for an hour or two of reading, writing and conversation.

With Coffee Comes Truth (Sometimes)
Our readers who frequent Starbucks for the coffee should be familiar with its "The Way I See It" coffee cup series. Each cup comes complete with an often philosophically-flawed quotation from a particular writer, actor, musician, businessman or other "notable person."

Once and a while, however, you will find relevant truth on a coffee cup. This quote by Brian Scudamore is one such example:

The Way I See It #70

"It's difficult for people to get rid of junk.
They get attached to things and let them define who they are.
If there's one thing I've learned in this business,
it's that you are what you can't let go of."

- Brian Scudamore, founder and CEO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?

Of course, Mr. Scudamore is talking about physical junk, "stuff" that people accumulate in their closets, attics, and garages that they just can't get themselves to throw away. But his observation applies to more than broken karoake machines and Star Trek memorabilia. It also applies to the many little "things" we allow to take up space in our own lives that demand our time and attention, our energy, our money, or all three. They may seem small and inconsequential at first, but if we're not careful, they begin to build up and crowd out more important things. They begin to define us.

What Can't You Let Go Of?
What things are you allowing to define the way you live your life? Is it seeing all the hottest movies? Owning all the latest clothes and accessories? Watching television? Playing video games? A look at our generation shows that for many young people, it's things just like that. For others it could be things like doing your hair, aimlessly surfing the web, listening to music, or daydreaming about a certain someone.

Maybe those examples don't fit you. That's a good thing. But let's ask the question another way: How easily do you let go of things that should define you? You know, asking that question of myself brings deep conviction. How many times have I let an opportunity to share the gospel slip away? How often do I skip prayer and devotions and then spend my time on trivial things?

I Am A Christian
I am reminded of Hebrews 12:1 where it says, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

Notice that not everything that hinders us is sinful. As rebelutionaries we have to be willing to throw off even the non-sinful "stuff" that slows us down. We don't do it in order to be saved, we do it because we are saved. That's what obedience means for Christians.

That is how we're truly defined.