The Rebelution

An All-New Rebelution Website

2006-08-31T16:04:00.000-07:00

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

The Modern Day Gentleman

2006-08-25T19:07:00.000-07:00

The following article was originally delivered as a speech back in 2004 during my time competing in high school speech and debate.

Noblesse Oblige – with nobility comes obligation – a French term intended to convey that those who posses strength, intelligence or wealth are responsible to use such privileges to serve the common good.

It was out of this term that the concept of a gentleman sprang forth. A gentleman was a man who took care to serve and protect those weaker than him – either physically, mentally, or financially – a man who showed respect and consideration for others both by courteous manners and good grooming. It is for this man, or should I say, his modern day equivalent, that I am an advocate today. The gentleman has all but disappeared in our day, and it is high time we brought him back.

In my studies I have found the most neglected aspect of gentlemanly behavior is that of male interaction with the fair gender – in modern English: what it means to be a gentleman toward a lady. Narrowing my subject to this aspect I will also focus, though to a lesser extent, on the responsibility of the ladies to respond to and encourage the proper behavior of the gentleman in their lives, and finally, on both the gentleman and the lady in their responsibility towards God in this area.

Is Chivalry Dead?
For decades gentlemanly behavior has experienced decline. Not only are men becoming less apt to offer service, but ladies are much more likely to refuse it. A man gives up when his assistance is consistently shunned and so does the poor lady left sitting in the car waiting for a gentleman to open the door.

In an attempt to remedy this sad situation I could, as many do, lay out the rules of basic etiquette, encompassing the obvious doors, chairs, boxes, bags, and other such practices. Yet while all of these now uncommon courtesies are admirable they are merely signs that one is a gentleman or lady, not the means of becoming one. And as such a mere review of the appropriate actions is unlikely to cause lasting change.

You see, gentlemanly behavior is an attitude of heart, not a set of rules. Once the proper mindset is attained opening doors, offering chairs, carrying baggage, and the like become merely the predictable consequences of the changed attitude, and become voluntary rather than compulsory.

The New Attitude
To begin, the change in attitude is this – and I am speaking now to the gentlemen – the change in attitude is simply a decision to put the ladies first; their needs and their comfort comes before yours. That is all there is to it.

Now the reason that this change in attitude causes such a huge revolution in someone’s actions is because this mindset is the motivation behind every gentlemanly action. When you offer your chair to a standing lady you are putting her comfort before your own. It is exactly the same with carrying baggage. Opening doors is putting them first by letting them go first.

Name any gentlemanly behavior and I guarantee you will find this mindset there in some shape or form. When a man puts the needs and comfort of women ahead of his own he is well on his way to becoming a gentleman. In fact, he has already arrived and has only to allow consistency to establish his reputation.

Our Greatest Enemy
So, you might be asking, if it’s all so simple why don’t we all experience this wonderful transformation? If this is all it takes why don’t we see gentleman popping up like daisies all around us?

The answer, unfortunately, is that we all contain within ourselves a deeply entrenched root of self-centeredness. Self-centeredness is the antithesis of what makes a man a gentleman. And until it is overcome, consistency in gentlemanly behavior is impossible.

While self-centeredness might not cause you to consciously choose not to open a door, it will instead keep you from even noticing that the door needs to be opened! Self-centeredness blinds you to the standing female and the woman burdened with her heavy boxes because if your mind is absorbed with how to make yourself more comfortable, how to satisfy your own needs, it cannot at the same time be focused on serving others.

So, while self-centeredness looks to serve yourself, a gentleman looks for opportunities to be helpful to others. While self-centeredness attempts to avoid inconvenience, a gentleman is quick to deny himself and accept interruption of his own plans and interests. He is willing to be “put out” and inconvenienced in order to serve others.

Our Primary Battleground
For many of us young men this attitude will mainly be seen in our interaction with our sisters and mothers. They are not guinea pigs or practice dummies! They are the real deal, the main event. Instead of viewing your mother and sisters as some vague exception to the status of ladies, consider them the primary battleground on which you conquer your self-centeredness and lay hold of the calling of a gentleman. Nowhere else do your true colors wave so brightly, and nowhere else is your gentlemanly behavior more deserved or more commendable.

Brothers, serve your sisters. Sons, serve your mothers. Be quick to come to their aid, to offer them your chair, to open the door for them. Ask how you can help them and do it. Think sisters and mothers, then others.

My father once told me that the way I treat my sister and my mother now is the way I’ll treat my wife some day when I’m married. Once the honeymoon is over and the glamour has worn off, the relationships my marriage will most closely resemble will be the ones I have now towards my sister and my mother.

If I really think that I can treat my mother and sister terribly now and then suddenly turn self-centeredness off and turn kindness on — and keep it on — once I get married, then I’m only fooling myself. And if you think that you can do the same your hope is equally false.

An Appeal To The Ladies
Now, I appeal to the ladies, and especially to my sisters in Christ. If you don’t embrace your role as the recipient of our consideration we cannot act effectively as the gentlemen. You can show your care and serve your brothers by making it possible for us to become the kind of men God wants us to be.

Give us opportunities to do the right thing. We may need subtle hints such as, “Will you open the door for me please?” You know we need to be reminded sometimes. And when you can see us trying, please encourage us and allow us to serve you. If our actions are made from a servants-heart don’t take it as implying that we don’t think you can open the door or carry the box. You may not need our help, but we need to help. Please don’t take your side of this process lightly, your response is just as important, as our initiative.

Unique and Critical Roles
Men and women have unique responsibilities. Both are necessary and both are sorely lacking in our society today. We live in a society where chivalry has all but died, where the common man has become the common person, and any differences in gender roles are downplayed. Yet among God’s people I will say that gentlemanly behavior should not be dead, that differences in roles are not discriminatory but complementary; conveying value and purpose for both man and woman.

Dr. Albert Mohler, President of Eastern Seminary, in a message presented at the New Attitude Conference 2004, said:

“Among God’s people we understand that a man is to protect a women; to protect a women’s honor; to protect a woman’s heart; to protect a woman’s reputation; sometimes even to protect a woman’s health, her safety. Guys, that’s our job, God gave it to us. Woe unto the man who fails in that responsibility.”

Among God’s people we must understand that the woman is called to be supportive of godly manhood and her role is integral to the process by which men fulfill their responsibilities as men. Gentlemanly behavior is a training ground of Christian character for both men and women.

Depending on each other’s actions we will either going to succeed or fail in fulfilling our responsibilities. We must refuse to treat this issue just like another lifestyle option! In reality it is a requirement made for us by God – and by God’s grace we can succeed.

Closing Thoughts
Just as with anything else worthwhile the fulfillment of our responsibility to be gentlemen comes at a price. Girls, you may be inconvenienced at first as you allow the guys to get on their feet. Guys, the price that you will have to pay will be your self-centeredness, your convenience, your comfort – in a thousand little ways – in order to put the ladies first, to ensure their convenience, their comfort, and God’s favor.

We are either part of the problem or part of the solution. By holding faithfully God’s plan for men and women, let us make this transformation.

Tuesday Compendium: Odds & Ends

2006-08-22T09:34:00.000-07:00

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

2006-08-20T22:52:00.000-07:00

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!

Sexual Purity: What You Need To Know

2006-08-19T13:55:00.000-07:00

Randy Alcorn is the founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries and author of best-selling novels such as Deadline, Dominion, Edge of Eternity, Lord Foulgrin's Letters, The Ishbane Conspiracy and Safely Home. His non-fiction books include Heaven, The Purity Principle, Pro-Life Answers to Pro-Choice Arguments, and Money, Possessions and Eternity. He and his wife, Nanci, are old friends of our parents and reside in our hometown of Gresham, Oregon.

By Randy Alcorn
Eternal Perspective Ministries
When it comes to sexual purity, we don't have to wonder what God's will is. Scripture tells us straight out. His expectations of his children are much higher than for those who don't know him . . . [Continue Reading]

The Rebelution in the Philippines

2006-08-18T09:23:00.000-07:00

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

2006-08-17T16:36:00.000-07:00

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.

Translate The Rebelution

2006-08-16T21:35:00.000-07:00

Traduzca al español / Traduisez au Français / Traduca ad italiano
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If our bilingual readers could please alert us to the accuracy/inaccuracy of the translations we would greatly appreciate it. We're sorry we couldn't include other languages, but these are all the service provides.

Abraham Cherrix: Victory

2006-08-16T08:31:00.000-07:00

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

2006-08-16T08:30:00.000-07:00

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.

Introducing: CounterCulture

2006-08-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

One of our readers, Cristina Irizarry, has launched a new online magazine called CounterCulture, which exists to activate and challenge this generation to be true followers of Christ. Cristina is adding her voice to the growing network of online magazines and blogs dedicated to making an impact on our generation. As she so aptly puts it, "in this chain of support and accountability, each magazine or blog keeps its integrity to Biblical truth."

The Rebelution welcomes Cristina and CounterCulture as allies in the teenage rebellion against low expectations, and are pleased to reprint the first installment of CounterCulture's initial series, The Essence of Being Young:

Age (Does Not) Matter
By Cristina Irizarry of CounterCulture

It is no surprise that age plays a key role on people’s judgment of who you are. Our culture has defined the teen years as years of doing foolish things. Some associate adolescence with making wrong decisions and being unwise in thought. It is this very mind set that sets the bar for low expectations. Not much is expected or asked from teens.

But when we look at the Bible there is a total different picture of who teens are. It is people, especially in their teen years, that God has called to do great things. These teens held a godly character, had strong convictions, were bold in their walk and obeyed God.

1.) Godly Character
So how do we break this chain of low expectations? The answer lies in our character and hearts. True godly character comes from wisdom. It is not the kind of wisdom that the world gives, but the kind of wisdom that comes from God.

The Bible says: “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5)

And in 2 Corinthians 4:6 it says: “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”

The Bible says we should ask for wisdom, because God will give it to us if we ask. The Bible also states that God Himself has given us “the light of knowledge.” That means that He has made that wisdom available to us. As followers of Christ, God has also given us the knowledge of who He is through Christ.

A godly character develops when we seek God (and His wisdom) and obey Him.

2.) Strong Convictions
I believe that godly convictions are a bi-product of a godly character. Without a godly character you cannot have solid godly convictions.

One can hold strong convictions about politics, relationships (or purity), science, ect. Just to name a few important categories.

The key here is to base your convictions on Gods truth; the Bible. As Christians we don't follow other people, we follow God. Therefore, our convictions need to be in accordance with the Word of God.

3.) Bold In Our Walk
Being bold in our walk is one of the toughest parts of being a Christian. But only because it is tough it does not mean that we shouldn't do it. It’s through doing hard things that we grow. It is essential to be bold in our walk if we are ever to make a difference. No one that has ever made an impact in history or the world, did it by hiding or just blending in. They stood up for the truth and had to be different from the majority of people. They had to be a counter-cultural.

It's through doing hard things that we grow.

The Bible records a time when Jesus disciples were asking for wisdom and boldness. Jesus had been lifted up on a cloud and gone to be with the Father, and the disciples had gone all over the region spreading the Gospel. Jesus had commanded them, before He left, to take the Gospel to the ends of the Earth. He also assured them that He would always be with them (Matthew 28:10).

This is how the disciples asked God for boldness: “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.” (Acts 4:31)

So we can not only ask God for wisdom, but we can also ask God for boldness. And the Bible also says that “...If we ask any thing according to His will, He hears us.” (1 John 5:14b)

4.) Obey God
Obeying God is mainly a combination of the last three points. But the bigger issue here is the heart. Where our heart is, affects our entire walk with God, which in turn affects our witness and our ability to impact the world in a positive way.

Jesus said: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house in the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24, 25)

Obeying God will not be easy sometimes. But Jesus never said that following Him would. He did say that He would be with us, that He would give us the words to speak when obeying Him, and that in the end (by His grace, not by our works) eternal life was ours.

Please visit CounterCulture and thank Cristina for her post.

The Marks of Manhood

2006-08-10T19:06:00.000-07:00

An article by Dr. Albert Mohler courtesy of Boundless Webzine

For Guys Only: The Marks of Manhood
By Dr. Albert Mohler

When does a boy become a man? The answer to this must go far beyond biology and chronological age. As defined in the Bible, manhood is a functional reality, demonstrated in a man's fulfillment of responsibility and leadership. With this in mind, let me suggest thirteen marks of biblical manhood. The achievement of these vital qualities marks the emergence of a man who will demonstrate true biblical masculinity . . .

Click here to read the entire article.

John Piper: Do Hard Things

2006-08-09T15:09:00.000-07:00

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.

Technologically Dependent

2006-08-09T10:09:00.000-07:00

A snapshot of our generation.

'Talking and texting' generation
Cell phones, computers, iPods rule lives of teens addicted to gadgets

By DANA BOONE
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
June 6, 2006

Technology rules the "talking and texting" generation - also known as Generation M for multi-tasking . . . Teens live for their computers and electronic gadgets. But all the cell phones, text messages, e-mails and time spent on MySpace.com come with a price: total dependency.

Click here to read the entire article.

Multitasking: Bringing It All Together

2006-08-08T17:54:00.000-07:00

At the risk of sounding sentimental, I cautiously venture to say that I'm going to miss our series on multitasking. In fact, some of you may have noticed that while this was originally booked as a four-part series, you are now reading the fifth installment.

The purpose of this post is to bring to your attention three points that encapsulate what I believe is an appropriate response to all that we have learned over the past several weeks.

Each of the last three installments have included examples from my own life of practical application. Today, I hope to define more clearly an appropriate mindset with which to approach the issue of multitasking. Here are three principles we need to remember:

1.) Christians Can't Multitask
Of course I don't mean that Christians should never multitask. Multitasking can often be useful and is truly a unique ability that God has given to man. But what I do mean is that Christians don't have the option to do anything besides the one thing we have been called to do. Yes, we may do many different activities, but everything we do -- what we watch, listen to, think about, etc. -- falls under one all-encompassing activity: Representing Jesus Christ.

This means that the standard is not "Am I multitasking or not multitasking?" but rather, "How well am I representing Christ in His commitment to glorifying God?"

Christ lived His life with one purpose: to glorify His Father. And in 1 Corinthians the Apostle Paul issues us the same challenge when he says, "...whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31). That means that whether we're multitasking or not multitasking, the purpose of everything we do is to bring God glory.

The purpose of this series was to give all of us a framework with which to evaluate this prevalent aspect of modern culture in light of the question: "Does it glorify God?" By recognizing the pitfalls of multitasking we are more prepared to answer that question.

The truth is that multitasking almost always hampers productivity, stifles thought, and harms relationships. For these reasons we can answer that, "no," multitasking hardly ever helps us glorify God.

However, the danger is that the lazy part of us wants jump on that to say, "No multitasking, ever." It's much easier to make a legalistic declaration than to continue asking the right questions.

But many, including myself, would be quick to point out that certain forms of multitasking have the potential in some situations to improve efficiency, raise levels of thought, and even increase interaction. Because of that we must take the harder road of not rejecting multitasking entirely, but of carefully evaluating each situation on its own merits.

2.) Consider What You're Not Doing
"The problem [with the electronic movement]," says Edward Hallowell, author of the book CrazyBusy, "is what you are not doing if [it] grows too large. You are not having family dinner, you are not having conversations . . . you are not going on a family ski trip or taking time just to veg. It's not so much that the video game is going to rot your brain, it's what you are not doing that's going to rot your life."

Whether it is focusing on our work, thinking hard thoughts, or loving others with our attention, it's what we're not doing that suffers most from our generation's obsession with media and multitasking. And the reason that we often fail to glorify God is not because what we're doing is necessarily sinful (it may be completely harmless), but because we're not doing something else that we could/should be doing.

Because of that our first consideration should not be, "Am I giving all of my IM conversations adequate attention?" but rather, "Is there something better I could be doing with my time?"

While all the perfect people who are reading this might only need to keep all of the important things they do from fragmenting their focus, the rest of us will probably find that many of the activities that hamper our productivity, stifle our thought life, and hurt our relationships are purely extraneous. When that comes to our attention we must have the maturity and humility to limit or eliminate those distractions.

3.) Take Technology Back
A common theme throughout our series on multitasking -- specifically, media multitasking -- is that our work, our thoughts, and our relationships are being degraded, not by technology itself, but by our unbalanced use of it.

Technology is not our problem. Our problems are a lack of self-control and a lack of vision. We are severely overusing the distractions of media and technology, yet woefully underusing the countless opportunities they provide.

Though nearly all of us have abused one of technology's latest offerings -- namely, online video -- few of us have even begun to explore our new ability to produce and distribute quality video and/or audio presentations on the web, using nothing more than a computer's built-in camera and microphone and a high-speed Internet connection.

Because the ability to mindlessly consume and aggressively produce exist within the same object -- a computer -- we shouldn't say that technology is bad and then live without it. Every gadget has the potential to be used as a tool or wasted as a toy. Technology has and will cause the greatest crises of our generation. But it also has and will provide the greatest opportunities that any generation has ever faced for communicating truth to the entire world.

If there ever was an area where Christian young people should lead, technology is it. As rebelutionaries we have an exciting task -- to show the world what new technology can really do when fused with character, competence, and truth. But it's also up to us to show the rest of our generation what it can't do, and that there's life beyond the screen.

We won't be able to do that if we're just as distracted as everyone else. For that reason we must stand with the Apostle Paul -- following him as he followed Christ -- and throw off the weight and the sin that so easily entangles, and run with endurance the race marked out for us.

It won't be easy, but it will be good.

Read: Intro / Productivity / Thought Life / Relationships / Closing

Brittany McComb: An Interview

2006-08-07T19:48:00.000-07:00

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.

All This Media Is Making Me . . . Bored?

2006-08-07T18:47:00.000-07:00

Thank you to reader, Brittany, for alerting us to this news story.

Underwhelmed by It All
For the 12-to-24 set, boredom is a recreational hazard.

By Robin Abcarian and John Horn
Los Angeles Times, August 7, 2006

With their vast arsenals of electronic gear, they are the most entertained generation ever. Yet the YouTubing, MySpacing, multi-tasking teens and young adults widely seen as Hollywood's most wanted audience are feeling — can it be? — a bit bored with it all.

A new Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll, the first in a series of annual entertainment surveys, finds that a large majority of the 12- to 24-year-olds surveyed are bored with their entertainment choices some or most of the time, and a substantial minority think that even in a kajillion-channel universe, they don't have nearly enough options. "I feel bored like all the time, 'cause there is like nothing to do," said Shannon Carlson, 13, of Warren, Ohio, a respondent who has an array of gadgets, equipment and entertainment options at her disposal but can't ward off ennui.

Click here to read the entire article.

TOS Magazine: An Interview with Alex & Brett

2006-08-05T15:57:00.000-07:00

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.

True Love Meets Multitasking

2006-08-03T10:54:00.001-07:00

Imagine a movie where the noncommittal boyfriend finally gets down on his knees, looks up into the eyes of his sweetheart, and solemnly intones, "Darling, to signify how important our relationship has become to me, I am now removing the second earpiece of my iPod."

Soaring orchestral music rises in triumph as he reaches to his ear, never taking his eyes off of her, and in a radical display of commitment removes the glistening piece of white plastic and places it carefully in his pocket for later use.

After several moments of silence, while his sweetheart allows the last strains of Coldplay to fade from her own remaining earpiece, she returns the display of devotion. Then, they kiss. This is Hollywood at its best.

Laughing At Them? Or At Ourselves?
Of course, we can laugh at the characters' seemingly shallow idea of love and commitment, but at the same time, we need to be careful that we're not laughing at ourselves. An ongoing, four-year study of modern family life led by Elinor Ochs, director of UCLA's Center on Everyday Lives of Families, shows that technology is having a profound impact on what happens -- and what doesn't happen -- at the end of the workday when families reunite.

"We saw that when the [father] comes through the door, the other spouse and the kids are so absorbed by what they're doing that they don't give [him] the time of day," says Ochs. "About half the time the kids ignored him or didn't stop what they were doing, multitasking and monitoring their various electronic gadgets."

TIME Magazine's interviews with teens participating in Ochs' study reveal statements like these: "When I talk to my best friend he'll have one earpiece [of his iPod] in and one out." Or "If a friend thinks she's not getting my full attention, I just make it very clear that she is, even though I'm also listening to music."

This Is Not Just A "Them" Problem
Even in my own life I often find myself working in the kitchen with my siblings -- with both earpieces of my iPod in! Or perhaps I'm sitting in our living room for a family meeting and I'm absorbed in my laptop computer. Just a quick review of the past week convinces me that I could learn something from our "Hollywood Couple" and their not-so-shallow expression of love. I might not listen to my iPod if I was with a girl I liked, but when was the last time I removed an earpiece for my sister or brother? When was the last time closed my laptop for my mother or father?

We laughed at our fictional "Hollywood Couple" because their expression of love was so obvious! "The most basic sign of affection is attention," we think, "everyone knows that!" Yet, we're really laughing at ourselves because our generation is setting records for how long and how completely we can withhold this basic expression of love.

Jesus said, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Do we stand out from the rest of world because of the way we show love for others? Or, are we just like the rest of our generation -- so connected that we're disconnected -- distracted from the people God has placed in our lives?

These are hard questions. But we must challenge ourselves to answer them honestly and with humility. And then we must make ourselves respond appropriately to what we see in ourselves.

Making Things Practical, And Eternal
For me this has meant setting limits on when I can get on the computer, not listening to my iPod when I'm working with my family, and not taking calls in the evenings. For me it's a question of selfishness vs. selflessness. A question of whether I'm going to love my family by being with them 100%, or love myself by partially ignoring them.

I'm not perfect at this, my family can tell you that. And it's not always glamorous either -- there's no soaring orchestral music when I turn off my iPod. Oftentimes I don't even feel like loving my family and I have to cry out to God to help me love them from the heart. He doesn't usually answer that prayer immediately; He seems to prefer that -- by still obeying His command to love my family, even when I don't feel that love -- I act myself into a better way of feeling, rather than "feel" myself into a better way of acting.

I think that is part of what the Bible calls the obedience of faith -- trusting God's wisdom and goodness enough to obey Him, even when I don't feel like it. And as I look to Christ my King -- who commanded this love -- I know with unwavering clarity that His approval, not my entertainment, is all that matters and ever will.

Read: Intro / Productivity / Thought Life / Relationships / Closing

Finding Truth On A Coffee Cup

2006-08-01T05:04:00.000-07:00

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.

Multitasking May Harm Memory

2006-07-28T18:25:00.000-07:00

An interesting addition to our series on multitasking.

By JOANNA SCHAFFHAUSEN
ABC News, July 25, 2006

People who learn something new while multitasking are less able to recall what they've learned later on, researchers from the University of California at Los Angeles found in a new study. They tested subjects on a simple memory task while at the same time asking them to count the number of random tones they heard while learning. Multitasking didn't harm memory during the learning but appeared to make it more difficult to retrieve what was learned later.

Writing about these results in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, neuroscientists speculate that having distractions around when you're trying to make a new memory causes the distractions to get so tangled up with the memory that you end up needing the distraction to be able to get the memory back out of storage. For example, if you listen to the radio while studying for a test, you end up needing the music to be recall what you learned. The memory recall becomes less flexible and more dependent on the situation.

Click here for a more in-depth look at the new study.

Multitasking: Mental Obesity

2006-07-26T12:05:00.000-07:00

"The pursuit of maximum moments drives many a multitasking life and an often-distracted mind," writes Carolyn Curiel in her recent New York Times opinion piece. "We think of America as a sleep-deprived nation, but we are becoming deep-thought deprived, too. A closed door does not stop interruptions, because we are packing the weapons that can shatter concentration or quiet contemplation. Our fingers are always on a button."

Even before computers, cellphones, and other wireless technology, the radio was placed in homes and then cars, helping to fill the dead air that accompanies housework and long rides. But now, technology has pushed our escape from quiet thought to dizzying new heights where we never have enough time to mull over a question that requires a long, complicated answer, because we're constantly beckoned by a million distractions. In the Information Age many of us are a mile wide and an inch deep.

The following words, spoken by Francis Schaeffer decades ago, are increasingly relevant to our generation: "No one seems to want (and no one can find) a place for quiet," he notes, "because when you are quiet, you have to face reality. But many in the present generation dare not do this because on their own basis reality leads them to meaningleness; so they fill their lives with entertainment, even if it is only noise."

Such escapism makes sense for non-Christians, yet most Christians act the same way -- escaping from meaningful thought through the distraction of technology. I can remember many times when I've felt particularly thoughtful, but then the computer would beckon me. Ten minutes later I would have read a few emails, checked the comment section of our blog, browsed Google News and in the end, entirely lost my train of thought. Oh well, it probably wasn't important. Was it?

Afraid Of Our Own Thoughts
When was the last time any of us took just twenty, undistracted minutes to think about deep, substantial things, like our future or our relationship with God? Did you know that we probably couldn't? Through media our minds have been conditioned (or perhaps de-conditioned) to avoid deep or prolonged thought. We must constantly be moving and doing, but never thinking and planning. Every empty space must be filled with music or movies or Internet or texting or IMing. Every empty space must be filled, except the one between our ears.

By God's grace nearly every distraction we face has an ON and OFF switch, a STOP and PLAY button, or an OPEN and QUIT option. Though technology is increasingly prevalent and our generation faces a media onslaught 24/7, we are not forced to watch, listen or play.

We don't have to listen to our iPods while we're doing the dishes. We don't have to text message anyone while we're riding in the car. We don't have to surf the Internet while we're doing our homework. We don't have to play video games after dinner.

Ironically, we can quit, close or turn off all of these distractions, but we can't do the same to our minds. Our minds can't be shut down. They can only be overpowered, distracted, corrupted and/or atrophied, and that is exactly what our culture is trying to do to them.

I'll be honest, when I have to do a monotonous job like washing the dishes, weeding the yard or mowing the large field at the front of our property, the first thing I reach for is my iPod. When I'm bored my first inclination is to get on the computer and surf the Internet.

The questions I have to ask myself are: "Is there really so little in my own brain that I couldn't occupy myself for a little while with my own thoughts? Has there really been no sermon or book or passage of Scripture that has sufficiently challenged me recently that I could meditate on and think about?"

We fail to realize what an insult it is to our own intellects that we can't occupy ourselves with our own thoughts but must be constantly entertained by other things. We fail to see how dangerous it is not to ponder important questions about who we are and where we're going.

"As Christians," writes Schaeffer, "we must follow God's absolute moral standards, and we must not be robbed of a place of quietness with God." (See Eph. 5:18-19)

"Both in in theory and practice Christians can dare to face the realities of life unclouded, " he concludes. "We do not need these things to fill the crannies of our lives. In fact, we should want to face reality: the glory of the world God has created and the wonder of being human -- yes, and even the awful reality of the Fall and the tragedy of marred men and women, even our own flawed character. We are not to be people of escape. The Christian is to be the realist. To face reality as born again and indwelt by the Holy Spirit is the Christian's calling."

Technology Is Not The Problem
Of course, the problem is not with technology -- Schaeffer was addressing these same issues long before Steve Jobs ever dreamt of the iPod. Rather, the problem is the way and the frequency with which we have decided to use technology. This means that for most of us the question is not whether to have a cellphone, but instead whether the cellphone will be helpful, used as a tool, or distracting, used as a toy.

There are countless profitable ways to occupy our minds, even with the gadgets that often distract us. I almost exclusively use my iPod to listen to sermons or other audio messages that stretch and strengthen my mind, I frequently find thought-provoking articles online and I occasionally have IM conversations that I feel sharpen me.

The key is to make sure that our use of technology is supplementing our thought life, not distracting from it; that it is providing opportunity for deep thought -- not keeping our minds constantly busy dealing with new articles, IM conversations, and song lyrics.

Just as it is ridiculous to think that a constant intake of food will benefit our bodies, it is also ridiculous to think that a constant torrent of information will improve our minds. Like food, information must be carefully selected and properly digested to fulfill its God-given purpose.

Unfortunately, the selection and digestion process takes time that our generation lacks because we can't say no to mental distractions. We're constantly feeding our minds mental snacks but never allowing for quiet reflection or thoughtful meditation. Worse still, we're feeding ourselves "junk food" thoughts -- high entertainment value, all sugar, and no nutrition.

The result is a generation of fatties. If you think physical obesity is a problem in America wait until you see our nation's brains. Mental obesity is the curse of the Information Age.

If we want to lose mental weight we'll need to go on a radical diet -- cutting the fluffy junk food and replacing it with solid, nutritious cuisine. We'll need to get off our behinds and start excercising. We'll need to do hard things by thinking hard thoughts.

Read: Intro / Productivity / Thought Life / Relationships / Closing

Abraham Cherrix: The Sean Hannity Show

2006-07-25T15:55:00.000-07:00

Around 4:30 PM (EST) this afternoon, Abraham Cherrix and his father joined talk show radio host Sean Hannity on the Sean Hannity Show. Below are some excerpts from the 10-minute segment. Abraham is scheduled to appear on FOX's Hannity and Colmes this evening. The show starts at 9 PM (EST).

Throughout the interview Mr. Hannity made it clear that, while he would most likely go with conventional treatment if he were in Abraham's place, he still admired, respected, and supported Abraham in his fight for alternative treatment. At the beginning of the segment, however, the conversation focused primarily on the details of today's decision.

HANNITY: [Y]ou got a new decision that came out just earlier today.

ABRAHAM: Yes, we did. We got a very surprising decision and it was very good.

HANNITY: And that is that you do not have to report to this Norfolk hospital for treatment today.

ABRAHAM: That's correct. As a matter of fact, the judge says that social services no longer have partial custody of me and that I do not have to report to the hospital, our stay has been accepted, and that basically, any court information from the previous hearings are now gone and we're starting anew in the Circuit Court with Judge Tyler.

There has been some question as to what issue the Circuit Court was being asked to rule on. Mr. Cherrix answered this question on the show:

MR. CHERRIX: [W]hat it amounts to is that the judge said that this actually isn't a juvenile issue here, what it is is it's an adult issue and they're going to determine whether or not Abraham's parents, me and Rose, are guilty or not guilty of medical neglect.

At one point, Mr. Hannity asked Abraham a question that many people have probably wondered: Does he think about the possibility of dying because of his decision to pursue alternative treatment?

HANNITY: Abraham, let me ask you a very tough question. I've come to be very impressed with you and your knowledge of your disease, your knowledge of your situation, your seeking alternative remedies, I think it's really admirable.

ABRAHAM: Thank you.

HANNITY: But at the end of the day if you make a wrong decision it could result in your life.

ABRAHAM: Yes.

HANNITY: Do you think about that?

ABRAHAM: Well, I really can't think about that, you know?

HANNITY: But don't you have to?

ABRAHAM: Well, there's always that possibility and, yes, you can look at it. But if I'm going to get better I have to maintain a positive attitude.

HANNITY: No, I agree with that.

ABRAHAM: I cannot look into the future, as I said before, and say, This is going to happen to me and I'm so scared. I can't wake up every morning and say, Oh, my gosh, I'm going to die. You know, I wake up every morning and I say, I'm going to live, and I strive to meet that goal.

So there's that possibility that somewhere along this line we made a wrong decision. But you know what? If I die, I'll die happy, and I will die healthy, and I will die in my home with my family, not in a hospital bed, bedridden and sick.

Mr. Cherrix also said on the program that the court date has been set for Wednesday, August 16th. That gives them a little over three weeks. Please keep the Cherrix family and their lawyers in your prayers as they prepare for the ongoing battle. Most importantly, pray for healing.

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

Confirmed: Circuit Court Puts Hold on Chemo

2006-07-25T11:26:00.000-07:00

Judge Glen Allen Taylor has suspended the ruling that ordered Abraham to undergo more chemotherapy. (Image: WTKR.com)

Spunky Homeschool has confirmed earlier reports that Abraham Cherrix will not have to report for chemotherapy today and will remain with his family. The Accomack County Circuit Court judge has set aside the order of Judge Demps and a new court date is being set in the higher court.

From the WAVY-TV report:

A circuit court judge has suspended the orders from a lower court requiring Accomack County teen Abraham Cherrix to report Tuesday to Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters in Norfolk for mandatory therapy to treat his cancer.

The battle is not over, but there is hope. Keep Abraham and his family in your prayers. Please consider expressing your support through a financial donation.

UPDATE #1
WAVY-TV is reporting that:

In addition, the judge suspended the order requiring that Cherrix' parents share custody over Abraham with Child Protective Services.

UPDATE #2
Response to Judge Glen Allen Taylor's decision to suspend the previous court order:

Abraham: "I feel free today. I was let off the leash." (Source: Richmond Times Dispatch)

Mrs. Cherrix: "We feel like we are going to get to at least be heard this time. We don't feel like we were heard before." (Source: WVEC.com)

Virginia Attorney General, Bob McDonnell: "I applaud the Circuit Court's action in ordering a stay of the lower court order that Abraham Cherrix must receive chemotherapy beginning today... [A]ll citizens are entitled to the right to appeal a district court case, and to have their cases heard anew in the circuit court... It would have been a violation of Abraham Cherrix's due process rights if the lower court order had been implemented prior to an appeal. The interests of justice required that a stay be granted. Our thoughts and concerns are with Abraham and his family as they continue their battle against cancer."

The family wept and embraced when the decision was announced. Read the updated AP story.

UPDATE #3
WAVY-TV on Hampton Roads has been giving extensive news coverage to the Abraham Cherrix case. You can find a link to their video coverage of Judge Allen's decision by clicking here.

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

Video: Abraham on Hannity and Colmes

2006-07-25T10:53:00.000-07:00

Watch Abraham Cherric, his father, Jay, and his lawyer, John Stepanovich, on FOX's Hannity and Colmes last night. Click on the image above to launch the movie or just click here. A partial transcript is included below.

SEAN HANNITY, CO-HOST: Abraham, first of all, you went through chemo. It didn't work. It nearly killed you. You wanted an alternative and you found one. Correct?

ABRAHAM CHERRIX, CANCER PATIENT: That's right.

HANNITY: First of all, I know I speak for this audience. We want you to get well at the end of all this and you shouldn't be having to be fighting this in court.

A judge is compelling you to go to a hospital and receive therapy that you don't want to receive, chemotherapy tomorrow. Have you decided what you're going to do?

A. CHERRIX: Yes, I have. I'm not going to receive chemotherapy, no matter what. This is my body, the body that God gave to me and in the Bible it says for me to take care of this body. It's my temple.

And I believe strongly that I have the right to take and do with my body as I please to do with it, because if you don't — are not able to do with your body what you want to, then you have no rights whatsoever.

HANNITY: I guess I'll ask your father and your attorney. I mean, are we headed for a showdown tomorrow where, when Abraham doesn't show up, Jay or John, he doesn't show up, that they're going to strap him on a gurney and force chemotherapy into his body? Is that what's going to happen?

JAY CHERRIX, FATHER: I can't believe that, in the country that we live in, all the freedoms that we fought for, that there would be somebody in this country who would do that to this young man who's made his decision and doesn't want it.

HANNITY: But Jay, you may lose your son as a result of this. You may be — you may be held in contempt of court. Both of you may end up in jail as a result of this. Have they told you the consequences would be about your decision tomorrow?

J. CHERRIX: Well, the decision is for me and his mother to present him. And I suppose that if — if we don't sign the waivers which they want us to sign, then we'll be held in contempt, and I suppose that that's a small price to pay for freedom.

If they want to incarcerate me because of the belief that we have that this is the best policy, this is the best direction we can go, to find a cure for this child that we really love, then that's a price I'm willing to pay.

Read the rest of the transcript by clicking here.

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

Abraham Cherrix: Tuesday Update

2006-07-25T07:18:00.000-07:00

This post will be updated with Tuesday's news throughout the day.

Abraham Cherrix will appear before the Accomac County Circuit Court this afternoon at 12 o'clock. (Original Image: USA TODAY)

The Court Case
Last Friday's ruling ordered Abraham and his parents to appear at the Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters in Norfolk by 1 PM (EST) today and to consent to whatever treatment doctors deemed necessary. Namely, chemotherapy and radiation.

Yesterday Abraham's lawyers requested that Judge Jesse Demps stay the order until the case could be appealed to the Accomack County Circuit Court. That petition was denied.

But his lawyers, Barry Taylor and John Stepanovich, also asked the county's Circuit Court to take over the case and grant the stay. According to Stepanovich a hearing is set for noon today at that court and Abraham and his parents will be there.

The courthouse is about 80 miles from the hospital in Norfolk, which means that Abraham would not be able to get to the Children's Hospital at the court-appointed time, even if he wanted to.

But since yesterday, Abraham and family have made it clear that they have no plans to consent. In fact, they're determined not to.

"I'll fight until I do die. I'm not going to let it go," Abraham said Monday by phone from his home in Chincoteague. "I would rather die healthy and strong and in my house than die in a hospital bed, bedridden and unable to even open my eyes."

"I've got nothing to lose by what I'm doing," he added. "I truly do believe that this (alternative treatment) is going to cure me." (Source: WTKR.com)

If the Circuit Court upholds Judge Demp's ruling, Abraham's parents may be held in contempt of court. That means they could face losing custody entirely or even jail time. Mr. Cherrix said yesterday that they're ready for the consequences.

"I'm not going to be an obstacle to my son. If a judge wants to throw me in jail, then he's going to have to do that."

Still, Mr. Cherrix said he is confident that "a judge somewhere will stop this madness." If a stay is not granted, he said, the family will "search our consciences and do what's right."

Art Caplan, chairman of the Department of Medical Ethics and director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania, says that the judge's order could be difficult to enforce.

"I don't think they're going to want to shackle Abraham to the table and try to give him chemotherapy," he said. "If he's uncooperative, he could wind up not getting treated. It's hard for me to imagine the state police holding him in a straight jacket."

UPDATE #1
The Circuit Court has granted Abraham's request to stay Judge Demp's order. The Associated Press is reporting:

A judge has set aside a court order requiring a 16-year-old cancer patient to report to a hospital for treatment over his objections. (Source: WTKR.com)

UPDATE #2
Circuit Court judge Glen Allen Taylor has also suspended the ruling that Abraham's custody be shared between his parents and the Department of Social Services for Attomac County. (Source: Richmond Times Dispatch)

Read more coverage of the Circuit Court's decision here.

Mainstream News Coverage
Over at Townhall.com, opinion writer Cal Thomas shares his thoughts:

In an age when we continue to debate "a woman's right to choose" when it comes to a girl aborting her baby and we are told that it is the girl's body and no one else should make decisions affecting it, a boy has no such rights. A girl can be given birth control by the school nurse and even abortion information without her parents knowledge or consent, but a boy can be prohibited from making decisions that affect his life and body. At least the courts are consistent. They forbid parental involvement in either case. In some states, though, parents are held responsible for their kids' illegal and anti-social behavior. Why is it that parents supposedly have power to keep their kids from committing crimes, but can be denied power when it comes to their child's health and welfare?

Cal Thomas: A teen's Y chromosome problem

Across the Blogosphere
Check out Spunky Homeschool's morning post for a roundup of bloggers covering the story. Spunky is doing an absolutely terrific job getting the word out and keeping people updated.

UPDATE: Agent Tim has also posted about Abraham's story:

What is scary about this issue is really summed up in this quote.

“With the court’s decision on Abraham Cherrix, conventional medicine has once against proven itself to be grounded in tyranny. That oncologists must use intimidation and the threat of arrest to scare patients away from safer, natural treatments is a powerful indicator of the sad state of desperation to which the cancer industry has sunk in order to acquire paying customers.”

I hope I am not being too cynical, but I don’t believe they will ever find a cure for cancer — they wouldn’t make enough money.

Please pray for Abraham, Katie, and others like them who are losing not only a legal battle, but also a battle for their very lives.

Agent Tim Online: A Fight for More Than Life

Online Video Roundup
WTKR News Channel 3 of Hampton Roads, VA has been giving a lot of coverage to the Abraham Cherrick story and has video of their coverage available online. To view recent coverage, click here.

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

Abraham Cherrix: The Ballad of Abraham

2006-07-24T12:53:00.000-07:00

Abraham's personal site includes a song written about him by Charles Lowery. Entitled "The Ballad of Abraham," the song tells the story of Abraham's fight with cancer and the courts up until just before last weekend's rulling. The Rebelution has transcripted the words of the song (below). You listen to it by clicking here.

The Ballad of Abraham
Written and Recorded by Charles Lowery

Down in Chincoteague, Virginia a teenager brave and strong / He loves to paddle the water and study all the stars / His parents run a local business, kayaking, the waters around the land / They homeschool their five children, the oldest is Abraham

Now Abraham is fifteen years old, he's lean and he is tall / He helps his dad with the kayak tours, all the tourists, they know him well / He studies the ecology and the environment around his home / He helps raise his brothers and sisters, they all love him so

Now some might call it paradise, the island where he lives / Living so close to nature has made him a unique kid / It was a heartbreak to the family when the doctor had to tell / Of the cancer in his body, but Abraham, he took it well

He resigned himself to chemotherapy and the weaker he became / He never lost his smile, he said, "I'll be healthy again" / For over a year he struggled, he had health and love and hope / But the treatment wasn't working, more chemo, he'd have to cope

Then the parents, they did a lot of research, as many families do / They decided with their son that maybe chemo wasn't the cure / Abraham said the chemo was killing his body, and so / He said he'd have no more of it, a natural cure became his goal

So they went to California and down to Mexico / They found a cancer clinic they believed reliable / The family they were satisfied with the treatment that was prescribed / A natural alternative method, Abraham said, "I will survive"

Then someone informed the authorities and they called it child abuse / The judge ordered tests for more chemo and he said there's no excuse / Your parents will lose custody the law you must obey / Abraham went to the hospital, refused the tests, he said, "No way"

Now the fight is just beginning, what will the judge decide? / Take Abraham away from his family, the loved ones in his life? / The doctors say either way his chances are not good / His life is the hands of God, this, Abraham understood

How can they force the chemo on a young man who will refuse? / How can they force a family which method is best to choose? / How can they take Abraham from the family that he loves? / Do you think that this will help him? The doctor said, "Not very much"

Abraham's father has a message to the families of our land / He said, "I am a combat veteran, I fought in Vietnam?" / "But this is the worst thing that I've ever been through" / "Go tell you children you love them and pray this never happens to you"

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

Abraham Cherrix: Monday Update

2006-07-24T10:32:00.000-07:00

Legal Case Status
At 10:30 AM (EST) this morning, lawyers John Stepanovich and Barry Taylor filed an appeal on Abraham Cherrix's behalf at the Accomack County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. They also filed a motion to stay Friday's ruling and order until after the appeal is heard in the Circuit Court of Accomack County. According to Stepanovich, they will also request a "trial de novo," which means the Circuit Court would try the case as if no other court had heard testimony -- effectively starting with a blank slate. They are still awaiting a response.

UPDATE: One of Abraham's lawyers is reported as saying that if Abraham is forced to comply with the order, because "there's no way to undo the chemotherapy and radiation," it would essentially end their path to further appeals. (Source: AP)

Abraham Cherrix, 16 years old, in his Chincoteague, VA home.
(Photo: Steve Helber, AP)

Mainstream News Coverage
The Cherrix family has still declined to speak to the press since last weekend's rulling, but regardless, several news reports have been published in the past few days, including a lengthy ABC News report entitled Defiant and Exhausted, Teens Refuse Cancer Treatments that documents several teens' stories that closely parallel Abraham's fight for alternative cancer treatment.

Across the Blogosphere
The team of The Rebelution and SpunkyHomeschool have proven to be effective in spreading Abraham's story across the blogosphere. Below are excerpts from some other bloggers who have covered the story:

The Supreme Court has also ruled in favor of parental rights in medical decisions:

Simply because the decision of a parent is not agreeable to a child or because it involves risks does not automatically transfer the power to make that decision from the parents to some agency or officer of the state... Most children, even in adolescence, simply are not able to make sound judgments concerning many decisions, including their need for medical care or treatment. Parents can and must make those judgments. Here, there is no finding by the District Court of even a single instance of bad faith by any parent of any member of appellees’ class... The fact that a child may balk at hospitalization or complain about a parental refusal to provide cosmetic surgery does not diminish the parents’ authority to decide what is best for the child... Neither state officials nor federal courts are equipped to review such parental decisions. — Parnham v. J.R., 442 U.S. 584 (1979)

Ironically, this treatment is agreeable to the child. While it harbors risks, conventional treatment does as well. Abraham has researched the treatment options and determined he is willing to take the risks associated with his alternative treatment plan. His parents have determined him competent to do so and have supported him in this. Where does the state have the authority to intervene in the health decisions of individuals?

Homeland Stupidity: Abraham Cherrix and Patient's Rights

Dr. Albert Mohler shares his thoughts and gives a timely warning:

The real issue here is the right of parents -- rather than a social worker -- to determine the medical treatment of their own children. Note carefully that Abraham's parents have not refused him all medical treatment. He has already undergone one round of arduous chemotherapy. They have allowed him to determine that another round of chemotherapy is not in his own best interest.

What is next? This case sends a chilling signal to America's parents. Christian parents should take special note of this case, for the logic of this court would allow state intrusion into many of the decisions Christian parents make for their own children, ranging from education to discipline.

Let us all pray for Abraham Cherrix -- a brave young man in the fight of his life.

Al Mohler: The Right Medical Treament for Your Child -- Who Decides?

Abraham's Website Live
Abraham's website AbrahamsJourney.com, which was down last weekend (possibly due to high traffic), is up again. It includes information for those who are interested in helping Abraham and his family financially. Click here for the donation page.

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

Abraham Cherrix: NBC Today Show

2006-07-22T11:50:00.000-07:00

Abraham and his father, Jay, appeared with Ann Curry on the NBC Today show. (Photo: Steve Helber, AP)

Read extended excerpts from the transcript of Abraham Cherrix's appearance with Ann Curry on NBC's Today Show. The full transcript is available at TherapeuticsDaily.com after free registration.

For those with Internet Explorer, you can watch the interview.

ANN CURRY: Abraham, I guess the first question now that you know that the growth is still there--in fact, it's a bit bigger--how are you feeling this morning?

Mr. A. CHERRIX: I'm feeling very good. I'm feeling extremely good, as a matter of fact.

CURRY: It's a bit--you're feeling extremely good in part because of these herbal supplements that you're taking that we talked about in the piece. You know, the American Cancer Society says there is no evidence--no evidence, Abraham, that this treatment works. So why do you have faith?

Mr. A. CHERRIX: Excuse me?

CURRY: The American Cancer Society says there is no evidence that this treatment that you're taking works. So why do you have faith in it?

Mr. A. CHERRIX: Well, the American Cancer Society says that there's no evidence, but there is plenty of evidence if they would take the time to actually look through it. I've done extensive research, and I've read the testimonies of people who have been cured by alternative medicine, and I've seen it firsthand. I've met with these people.

----------------------------------------------------

CURRY: You know, Jay, I know this is a heartbreaking time for you, because what you have is a 16-year-old son with a strong will and with a terrible cancer. He's not old enough to vote. He's not old enough in this country, under the law, to take an--to take a drink in a bar. And yet you are allowing him to make this decision--you and your wife--over the possibility of living or dying, facing this cancer. Why are you allowing him to do this?

Mr. J. CHERRIX: Well, when you're a parent you have to start treating children a little bit different when they get to be 12 years old. They start having minds of their own. Abraham suffered through three months of chemo. It was his body. He endured that. And it was his decision to take this medicine. I didn't come to this rapidly. But when we went to the clinic and we met people that had been cured by this, we realized that this was Abraham's best hope for survival.

----------------------------------------------------

CURRY: You know, there--this kind of cancer has a high rate of--high survival rate with treatment. Eighty-five percent of patients are alive five years later, according to the American Cancer Society. Jay, I'm going to ask you a tough question.

Mr. J. CHERRIX: Sure.

CURRY: If Abraham, with these herbal treatments, does not survive this cancer, how will you live with yourself?

Mr. J. CHERRIX: Abraham has a serious illness that I worry about every single day since the day that he contacted it. It's something that entirely is a life-defining moment when you have your child in this--as sick as he is. They've only give--when you're faced with a child only being given a 25 percent survival rate by taking chemicals, and this boy doesn't want to do that and you've met folks that actually have survived by taking this treatment, you got to put your hope and you got to put your best foot forward. This is the chance that he has to get better, and it's my responsibility as his father to make sure that he gets the treatment that's going to save his life. And we believe this is what it is.

----------------------------------------------------

Mr. TAYLOR, lawyer: This case has far-reaching ramifications across this country for any parent who has a sick child in this nation who wants to make the decision for the child's best welfare and his health care. And this is what we're fighting for, is the parents' right to make this decision vs. the state stepping in and supplanting the parents' authority and actually trying to take a role that is superior to parents, which we think flies in the face of US Supreme Court decisions.

----------------------------------------------------

CURRY: If the judge rules against Abraham's decision, if he says that Abraham cannot make this decision and he tries to force Abraham to go through chemotherapy, I guess, Abraham, the question is: Are you willing to go to jail for this, or, I guess, also, are your parents willing to go for--to jail for this? Abraham, you first.

Mr. A. CHERRIX: Yes, I'm willing--I am to do that because I obeyed the law by what they say. At least I try to as best as I can. If they want to put me in a juvenile detention, there's really nothing I can do about it, and I will--I will have faith that my parents will get me out. And if they take my parents away, then I will do everything in my power to help them.

Read the rest of the transcript by clicking here (requires free registration).

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

Abraham Cherrix: In Depth Video Report

2006-07-22T10:44:00.000-07:00

Watch an in-depth news report by WAVY-TV, a local Virginia news station. Caution to dial-up users, the WMV file is large (25.4 MB). To watch, click on the image above or just click here.

For those having trouble with the video, below you will find a few select excerpts. The second is compelling evidence that Abraham is a Christian:

Reporter: [Abraham's] cancer came back and there's no guarantee more chemo will cure him. Children's Hospital wouldn't talk to us about the odds, citing federal patient privacy law, but... oncologist, James Stark, says they are low.

Dr. James Stark: I would estimate probably, without looking it up, about 25 percent. So this is not a good situation.

-------------------------------------
Abraham Cherrix: This body is my body and it's God's temple He gave to me and I'm supposed to take care of it.

-------------------------------------
Rose Cherrix (Mother): How far are they willing to go? Are they willing to be sued? Are they willing to be sued for abuse? If I tied Abraham down and gave him a drug, I'd be in court right now for child abuse. I'd be in the jail.

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

Abraham Cherrix: Fighting for His Life

2006-07-21T17:15:00.000-07:00

Original image, courtesy of Tim Dillon, USA Today.

This post serves as coverage central for Abraham Cherrix's story. Updates will be added directly below in reverse chronological order. For first time vistors, the original post is below the updates.

HT: Spunky Homeschool

UPDATE #9: Read the news coverage of the agreement made between Abraham's lawyer and county social workers announced by Judge Tyler on August 16th.

UPDATE #8: Read selected excerpts from Abraham's appearance on the Sean Hannity Show on Tuesday (7/25).

UPDATE #7: Read the media coverage of Judge Glen Taylor's decision to suspend the juvenile court's earlier ruling and watch online news coverage.

UPDATE #6: Watch Abraham on FOX's Hannity and Colmes on Monday night and read the transcript.

UPDATE #5: Read the Tuesday (7/25) updates on the legal case status, news coverage, blog coverage, and online video.

UPDATE #4: Read the transcripted words of the song The Ballad of Abraham that Chris Lowery wrote and recorded about Abraham. Listen to it by clicking here.

UPDATE #3: Read the Monday (7/24) updates on the legal case status, news coverage, blog coverage, and donation information.

UPDATE #2: Read the transcript of Abraham's appearance with Ann Curry of NBC's Today show or watch the video (requires Internet Explorer).

UPDATE #1: Watch an indepth video report by a local Virginia news station with transcripted excerpts. (Source: WAVY-TV)

Abraham Cherrix, 16 years old, in his Chincoteague, VA home.
(Photo: Steve Helber, AP)

Fighting for His Life
Abraham Cherrix looks older than he is, and not just because he's 6' 1". His eyes have a maturity and depth uncommon in most 16 year olds, but Abraham is far from an ordinary young man. Since last summer, he's been fighting for his life.

In 2005, Abraham was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease, a curable form of cancer that affects the lymph nodes. In September he started chemotherapy treatment at the Children's Hospital in Norfolk, VA.

Three months went by, the chemotherapy leaving Abraham bald, nauseated, feverish and weak. "His legs would buckle under him. It pretty much devastated him," said his mother, Rose, who home schools Abraham and his four siblings. (Source: USA Today)

"There were some nights I didn't know if I would make it," Abraham said. He did make it, but in February, tests showed that his cancer was still active, and doctors at the Children's Hospital recommended another round of chemotherapy, along with additional radiation treatment.

After talking with an oncologist (a doctor who studies and treats tumors) about the risks and side effects of the proposed treatment, Abraham decided he wouldn't go through with it.

“They wanted to bring me to the brink of death, then bring me back, try to restore me with stem cells," he explained. (Source: InsideNova.com)

"[It] would kill me, literally. No joke about it," he said. "The first round of chemo almost killed me in itself."

With his parent's backing and under the supervision of a clinic in Mexico, Abraham began pursuing an alternative treatment called the Hoxsey method, following a sugar-free, organic diet and taking an herbal remedy four times each day.

That's when the trouble really started.

Someone — Abraham thinks a doctor at the Children's Hospital — reported the Cherrix family to a social worker with the county's social services department. The social worker asked a judge to require that Abraham continue chemotherapy treatment.

In May, Judge Jesse E. Demps issued a temporary order finding Abraham's parents "neglectful," forbidding them from seeking treatment outside Virginia, and awarding partial custody to the Accomack County Department of Social Services — warning the family that they faced losing custody completely.

Abraham and his family were dismayed.

"What it boils down to is does the American family have the right to decide on the health of their child or is the government allowed to come in and determine that themselves and threaten one way or the other to split our family up?" said Jay Cherrix, Abraham's father. (Source: AP)

Said family lawyer, Barry Taylor: "I don't think any family in the commonwealth would be comfortable with the fact that a social worker with no medical training could make a medical decision for their child. It's an assault on the American family."

The news didn't remain all bleak. On June 1, Abraham and his family gained a temporary reprieve. The judge ordered that Abraham could travel to Mexico to continue alternative treatment if he first had an X-ray in Norfolk to assess the cancer. He agreed.

But a week later, the judge changed his mind and ruled that if doctors decided it was necessary they could order yet another test — like a CAT scan or MRI — something Abraham said would interfere with his herbal treatment. If he refused to comply, Abraham was threatened with jail.

"This is craziness," a frustrated Abraham said. "I talked to the judge, he agreed with me he was going to do what I wanted to do and all of a sudden at the last minute he changes it all around." (Source: WAVY-TV)

When doctors offered an MRI scan, Abraham refused. They obliged, saying that two x-rays were all that was necessary. But the fight wasn't over yet.

A week and a half ago, the court reconvened for further testimony and to make a decision as to whether Abraham and his family could make their own medical decisions. After 11 hours of hearings, all the Cherrix family could do was pray and wait.

"We [already] tried their way, and it didn't work," Abraham's mother explained afterward. "We truly want to see him get better, and whatever it takes for him to get better we will do."

Abraham echoed his mother's words, "This is my body that I'm supposed to take care of," Abraham said. "I studied. I did research. I came to this conclusion that the chemotherapy was not the route I wanted to take."

For Judge Jesse Demps, that wasn't enough. Today he ruled that Abraham must report to a hospital by Tuesday and accept whatever treatment the doctors deem necessary. Their lawyer has promised an emergency appeal on Monday.

"I want to caution all parents of Virginia: Look out, because Social Services may be pounding on your door next when they disagree with the decision you've made about the health care of your child," lawyer John Stepanovich said. (Source: AP)

Abraham is committed to keep fighting for control of his life. Last week, he told Ann Curry of NBC's Today show (Watch: Click Here) that he was prepared to keep fighting, even if it meant going to jail.

"I am willing to do that," he said.

You can tell he meant it.

Let us know what you think. Leave a comment.

Eight Reasons Why I Don't Share My Faith

2006-07-20T08:55:00.000-07:00

Agent 507, a faithful reader of The Rebelution, sent us this short video on evangelism. It humorously examines eight of the popular "reasons" people give as an excuse for not sharing the Gospel. We liked it so much, we decided to share it with all of you.

Watch the video, then head to the comments section and discuss. What "reasons" do you use to get out of sharing the Gospel?

UPDATE: For those interested in acquiring a higher-quality version of this video for presenting at church or at your youth group, a DVD can be purchased here and here.

Multitasking: Doing Less By Doing More

2006-07-19T17:55:00.000-07:00

Post 2 of a 4-part series. Click here for Introduction.

For many of us multitasking is a way to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. "I usually finish my homework at school." says Piers Cox (14) in an interview with TIME Magazine, "But if not, I pop a book open on my lap in my room, and while the computer is loading, I'll do a problem or write a sentence. Then, while mail is loading, I do more. I get it done a little bit at a time."

Unfortunately for Piers, and other teens like him, research shows that doing multiple things at once lowers the quality of each activity.

"People often take pride in their ability to multitask," writes Dr. Edward Hallowell in his book CrazyBusy, "but often they do none of their tasks as well as when they focus on one at a time."

In fact, a 2001 study conducted at the University of Michigan shows that 20-40% of a person's productivity is eaten up by "task-switching," the time it takes to mentally re-engage when shifting from one task to another.

"When you divide your attention, there is a loss on both ends," says Lyman Steil, president of The Masters Alliance, "Our research is crystal clear that multitasking does not mean people are doing their work productively."

Interestingly, many of us enjoy the rush of doing many things at once because it gives us a feeling of control and productivity. In reality our split attention is only serving to hide our diminished efficiency -- we're living in an illusion.

Though certain kinds of multitasking are possible without diminishing productivity -- for instance when the tasks are simple and virtually automatic (think walking and chewing gum) -- most multitasking which requires repeated task-switching is akin to jamming two TV signals down the same cable wire. The result is static, not high-definition.

Nevertheless, according to Presentations Magazine (October 2003 Issue) multitasking is such an ingrained part of our culture that most people don't know how to change, even if they recognize the problem. The most common reason? "There's not enough time to deal with it."

How should we, as young people who have the time to "deal with it," respond to this issue? What is our responsibility? Well, the first step, as always, is to look at what God's Word tells us.

Working With All Your Heart
In Colossians 3:23 (NIV) the Apostle Paul writes, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." This idea of being singly-focused is the secret of true efficiency.

One way that I have tried to apply this in my own life is to never leave my Instant Messaging program open unless I actually need to talk with someone, and to close my mail program when I'm doing any serious writing so that I won't be distracted by incoming emails.

However, when the project is particularly important, I do something even more extreme: I will throw away my web browsers so that there are absolutely no distractions on my computer. When I believe that what I'm doing is important I want to make sure I'm giving it my best, which is all of me -- my full attention. I have found this to be one of the most helpful things I can do.

Of course, I do have my reservations. I am not always eager to completely shut off my connection to people and information outside my immediate purview. In the words of another author, "I might miss something, or someone might miss me. And that would be disastrous. Wouldn't it?"

But, as I close AIM and drag Firefox to the trash, I realize that, no, it wouldn't be disastrous. In fact, it would be better, because right where I am, doing what I'm doing with all my heart, is just where God wants me and my attention.

What This Doesn't Mean
Of course, this doesn't mean we should never multitask. Our ability to multitask is unrivalled by any other creature in God's creation. It is a good gift, just not one to be abused.

What we need to understand is that both our ability focus and our ability to multitask are extremely valuable. We would never want to practice one at the expense of the other. Sadly, our culture's busyness, where the average employee switches tasks every three minutes and is interrupted every two minute, seems to be crippling our ability to focus. Studies show that most employees are unable to focus on any task longer than 12 minutes.

As unfortunate as that is, we shouldn't jump into the ditch on the other side of the road where every little thing we do requires 100% concentration. The Apostle Paul's encouragement in Colossians comes right after he challenges husbands and wives in their marriages, fathers towards their children, and children and slaves in serving their parents and masters. In other words, Paul is exhorting us to honor God by giving appropriate attention to all of our relationships and tasks, not to chew gum with all our hearts.

We show our priorities by the focus and attention we give certain things. When we are gripped by God's Word and fully absorbed in it, we demonstrate that we truly treasure the Bible. In the same way, we show how strongly we believe in the value of our work and studies by the attention we give them.

Our challenge is to get our priorities straight and then not allow our culture's crazy pace to rob our work (whether it be homework or work-work) of the attention it deserves.

Read: Intro / Productivity / Thought Life / Relationships / Closing

Text Messaging On The Rise

2006-07-18T13:31:00.000-07:00

"Email is so last millennium" reports Associated Press writer Martha Irvine, confirming many of the claims made in our June 28th article "Cell-ing Our Souls." Instant and text messaging are replacing email as the preferred method of communication among teenagers.

Read the whole article.

Generation M, for Multitasking

2006-07-17T17:59:00.000-07:00

Our generation multitasks constantly. Chances are that some of you won't even be able to finish this article without checking your email -- while others are already listening to music or IMing a friend. In fact, a recent Yahoo! and OMD conducted survey says that you're probably doing three to four other tasks while surfing the Internet.

Though multitasking has long been epitomized by the corporate executive, it has more and more become a characteristic of the modern teenager -- especially when it comes to media consumption.

A 2005 study conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that even while young people are spending an absurd amount of time on the phone, listening to the radio, surfing the Internet, and watching TV (50 hours per week, and that doesn't even include movies, music or email) the actual amount of media content we consume is far greater due to our ability to interact with more than one medium at a time. Other studies show that teens are packing up to 44-hours of activity into a 24-hour day by doing multiple things at once -- that's nearly a 50% jump!

Consider the following narrative by Heather, an 11th-grader from Chicago: "Last night, I was watching "Sex in the City" on TiVo with my friend and my dad. I heard this song. I really wanted to download it, but I didn't know what it was called. So, first I went online and I tried to download. I couldn't, but then I was online. One of my friends who had been out of town was back, and I saw him online and we started talking. Then I went back to watch "Sex in the City." I just kept going back and forth. I was eating ice cream too. Then I checked my email. It was late at night. It was getting later. So I was just talking to people. No one really went out because it was Father's Day."

Many laud such development as progress -- I mean, Heather was spending time with her family, connecting with friends, eating ice cream, checking her email, watching TiVo, and doing research at the same time! But one has to wonder at the quality of the time Heather spent with her father that Father's Day. In fact, several questions come to mind as I read her description of a seemingly typical night.

For instance, regardless of what it was, does she remember anything about the show she was watching? She couldn't locate the song she was looking for -- did she ever go back and find it? Finally, she seemed to be talking to a lot of people (albeit, not the people she was actually with), but did she feel like she drew closer to any of them?

In an era where it has become routine to conduct six IM conversations, watch TV and Google the names of last season's American Idol finalists all at the same time, such questions must be asked not only of Heather, but of ourselves. Though multitasking has been around for ages, it is our generation that has been dubbed, among other things, Generation M -- M for Multitasking.

The modern level of multiprocessing and interpersonal connectivity is now so commonplace that our generation, who have grown up with it, just don't realize how recent of a phenomenon it actually is. Eight years ago (1998, when I was nine) most home computers weren't even linked to the Internet.

Think about it: We are the first generation of teenagers to have high-speed, wireless Internet access. We are the first generation of teenagers to widely use cellphones. We've learned to juggle a myriad of doodads and options -- text messaging, search engines, PDA's, blogs, Wi-Fi, and cell phones that try to do all of the above. Most significantly, we've been promised that we haven't seen anything yet.

If all this is true, and it is, then there is a tremendous need for us to step back and reassess our generation's proclivity for multitasking. As life gets faster and faster and technology continues to advance we've got to stop texting long enough to ask ourselves whether we're really more efficient when we multitask. How does this "juggling show" we allow ourselves to put on affect our productivity, our thought life, and our relationships?

Read: Intro / Productivity / Thought Life / Relationships / Closing

Brittany McComb: Legal Brief Available

2006-07-16T23:53:00.000-07:00

The Rutherford Institute — representing high school valedictorian Brittany McComb (read the full story, click here) — has recently posted its legal brief in the First Amendment lawsuit it has filed against the Clark County school district.

We know our legal-minded readers will be interested. However, others who have followed the story should also attempt to glean some of the detailed information and arguments it contains.

Although we decided that excerpts were to lengthy to include in this post, several sections of interest include the argument based on the text of the school district's regulations (pages 6-7) and the step-by-step account of the events leading up to the graduation ceremony (pages 7-13).

Download the PDF: Click Here.

Brittany McComb: Extended Video of Graduation Speech

2006-07-16T22:44:00.000-07:00

Readers unfamiliar with Brittany McComb's story, click here.

Those who have followed The Rebelution's coverage of Brittany McComb's valedictorian address (for full coverage, click here) will be interested to watch a new video of her graduation speech, recently uploaded by the Rutherford Institute, the civil liberties and human rights group representing Brittany in legal action against the school district.

The video contains a much longer portion of Brittany's speech than has previously been available, including the moment when her microphone was cut. It also includes an extended record of the audience's response.

To watch it you can either click on the image above or just click here.

Do Hard Things: Time Management

2006-07-15T16:16:00.000-07:00

Brett and I were interviewed by Hannah Farver of Beauty from the Heart for an article on time management for Regenerate Our Culture Online. Read about how we originally came up with the idea for The Rebelution, what we learned about time management while campaigning in Alabama, and how we apply Do Hard Things in our own lives:

Making Time Management Less of a Hard Thing
by Hannah Farver
Between conference planning, keeping up a blog, and studying for the SAT, Alex and Brett Harris qualify as busy. Although some people know them only as the twin brothers of bestselling author, Joshua Harris, Alex and Brett are blazing their own trail with a unique purpose: to start a rebelution. According to their blog, a rebelution is "a teenage rebellion against the low expectations of an ungodly culture." Part of this idea is learning responsibility, including the responsible management of time. Now juggling several major projects, the Harris duo have agreed to answer a few questions for Regenerate Our Culture regarding this topic:

Q. How did you come up with the idea for The Rebelution?

A. Alex: Brett and I competed for several years in the NCFCA, a national home school speech and debate league. In the 2004 season, I competed in the "persuasive" category with a ten-minute speech I had written...

Read the rest! Click here.

How To Become A Better Writer

2006-07-12T10:56:00.001-07:00

Brett and I are excited to share the following writing tips from two well-known and well-loved Christian authors: C.S. Lewis and J.I. Packer. Many thanks to Justin Taylor of Between Two Worlds for both lists. We know our readers, particularly our fellow rebelutionary bloggers, will benefit from the wisdom of both of these great men.

J.I. Packer on How to Become a Better Writer

At breakfast with Dr. Packer earlier this week, Justin Taylor asked him what advice he would give to someone who wanted to become a better writer. Here are the principles he suggested, based on Mr. Taylor's notes from their conversation:

1.) Don't write until you have something to say.

2.) Know your ideal reader, and write with that reader as your focus as if you're directing all of your thoughts to him.

3.) Remember that there are two sides of the brain: the left and the right. The left is the logical side--monchrome gray. The right side handles grammar, imagination, and pictures--that which gives color to life. The way of wisdom in writing is to use color: nouns, verbs, and adjectives that convey pictures. A good communicator appeals to the whole person--both sides of the brain. C.S. Lewis is a great example of this.

4.) There is a place for long sentences, but a long sentence should be followed by a short one. Use plenty of short sentences that will jump off the page and hit the reader between the eyes. Readers need variety--both long and short sentences--to keep them awake.

C.S. Lewis on How to Become a Better Writer

On June 26, 1956, C. S. Lewis responded to a child's letter asking for advice on how to become a better writer. Here are the principles Lewis suggested, as taken from the book The Quotable Lewis (1989):

1.) Always try to use the language so as to make quite clear what you mean and make sure your sentence couldn’t mean anything else.

2.) Always prefer the clean direct word to the long, vague one. Don’t implement promises, but keep them.

3.) Never use abstract nouns when concrete ones will do. If you mean “More people died” don’t say “Mortality rose.”

4.) In writing, don’t use adjectives which merely tell us how you want us to feel about the things you are describing. I mean, instead of telling us the thing is “terrible,” describe it so that we’ll be terrified. Don’t say it was “delightful”; make us say “delightful” when we’ve read the description. You see, all those words (horrifying, wonderful, hideous, exquisite) are only like saying to your readers “Please, will you do my job for me.” [Comment: Sounds like "do hard things" for writers!]

5.) Don’t use words too big for the subject. Don’t say “infinitely” when you mean “very”; otherwise you’ll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite.

For more helpful tips, be sure to check out the post How To Write Good (Like Me) for a humorous look at good writing habits.

Brothers & Sisters: Let Someone Else Win

2006-07-06T10:25:00.000-07:00

The final installment in the Brothers and Sisters series is written by the middle Mally sibling, Stephen. Stephen leads a discipleship group for young men and co-leads Just Men conferences with his father, encouraging young men to be strong and courageous leaders in God’s kingdom. Today he encourages all of us to strive for more than just an average relationship with our siblings… even if that means letting the other person win.

Before we get started, however, Stephen has supplied a few helpful definitions of key terms:
Home: a place where you can say what you think, but no one listens.
Argument: when two people are trying to get in the last word first.
Cooperation: doing what I tell you and doing it quickly.
Peace: the period of confusion and unrests between two wars.
Diplomacy: the art of letting someone else get your way.
Opinion: you can have your own as long as it's the same as mine.
Females: people who take their time taking your time.

It all started very simply... You see our house is not very big and that makes it hard to find enough room for everything. One day, when Sarah was fourteen and I was eight, she started complaining that her desk didn't have enough room. The real problem was that she had too much stuff. I, on the other hand, had a desk with lots of drawers, and because I don’t horde "stuff" like a few other family members [names have not been listed to protect the guilty] some of the drawers were still empty. Guess what happened next?

You guessed right. Sarah actually came and asked me she could use one of my drawers for her stuff. I (being the shrewd businessman that I am) said, “Sure! But for a price.” So, we drew up a rental contract for six months. We both signed it. She paid me the money, and I rented her the drawer.

About ten months later I said, “Sarah, get your junk out of my drawer! Your rent is up.” She replied, “I don’t have anywhere else to put it. I want to keep renting it.” But I said, “No, I’m not making that deal again.” She said, “Stephen, you have to! I have no where else to put it.” The pressure built as we both began to state our views more strongly, neither of us seeing any negotiable options until finally, I (being the shrewd businessmen that I am) took the drawer and dumped everything on the floor.

If you’re anything like me, you like easy things. When there is an argument going on, even over something foolish, the easy thing to do is to keep on arguing—it's what comes naturally to our sinful hearts. We always want to get in the last word. The hard thing is to drop the argument and let the other person win, especially when you are sure that you are right and they are wrong (as, of course, is always the case). This requires meekness. Meekness is being able to give up our wants knowing that God is in control. Meekness is entrusting our pride, our possessions, our reputation, and every other aspect of our lives to God, knowing that He will take care of things. Meekness is understanding that vengeance belongs to the Lord, not to us.

Some people think that to be meek is to be a wimp. But when you really think about it, meekness is not being weak at all, because putting on an attitude of meekness and humility is an incredibly hard thing. It is actually the stronger person who will humble themselves and be willing to “lose.” As rebelutionaries, we cannot settle for an average relationship, or even an above-average relationship with our siblings. God wants us to be best of friends, working side-by-side in His kingdom.

The Lord never promised us that the Christian life would be easy, but He promised us that it would be worth it. Being best friends with our brothers and sisters and enjoying their fellowship and comradeship is just one of the amazing blessings. I challenge you, as I must constantly challenge myself, to follow in the steps of Jesus, taking the narrow, uphill road—the hard one—knowing that you will reap an eternal reward.

Brothers and Sisters: Responding Correctly To Irritations

2006-07-05T13:15:00.000-07:00

The second installment in the Brothers and Sisters series is written by the youngest Mally sibling, Grace. Now 16 years old, Grace was 12 when she wrote Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends with her brother and sister. Since then, it has sold 30,000 copies. Today she shares stories and examples from her own life as we learn about responding correctly to life’s (and sibling’s) many irritations.

Being the youngest in the family has its advantages. It also has its disadvantages. Older brothers and sisters seem to have a knack for taking advantage of their younger siblings and getting them (or should I say me) to do just about anything.

For example, I tend to sympathize with things that are hurting or suffering, whether people or otherwise. Unfortunately for me, my older siblings Stephen and Sarah used to think this was pretty funny and had fun making me feel sorry for things. You know how on milk jugs they have that plastic band under the cap that keeps it sealed before you open it? You probably just pull it off and throw it away, right? Well, when I was younger, Sarah and Stephen would make me feel sorry for these plastic bands. They named them “pricklies" and every time we threw a "prickly" away, they would tell me how sad the poor little prickly was about being tossed away in the garbage, all alone, with no friends. They even made up a song called “Poor Little Prickly.” Not bearing to see the poor little "prickly" abandoned, I would go and rescue it. Eventually I decided to start a collection. At one time, I had over 80 of them!

Of course, this embarrassing story has a point. Just as I have "mercy tendencies," Sarah and Stephen also have their various gifts, personalities, interesting habits, and “quirks.” God is the one who puts families together. He knows exactly what He is doing. The assortment of gifts and personalities He provides makes the family a very powerful team. However, these differences, which make life colorful and exciting, can also cause a lot of irritations.

As rebelutionaries, we need to learn how to handle irritations in a godly way instead of allowing them to cause damage. You see, our goal is not to seek an irritation-free environment. We will always have irritations in our lives. Instead, God wants us to learn how to handle these irritating situations correctly. In fact, this is one of the reasons God has put us in families. Our brothers and sisters and parents each have different strengths and weaknesses. Their personalities and characteristics may annoy us at times, but if we can’t learn to get along with them, we won’t succeed in our relationships with other people later on in life.

Recently we received a letter from a girl (we’ll call her Lauren) who was having trouble with her sister. Lauren explained that she and her sister share a room, but she likes the room clean and her sister likes it messy. Sound familiar to anyone? Lauren said that she had tried everything: telling her sister to clean up, cleaning up for her, talking to her parents, and even asking to switch rooms. Nothing helped. She was frustrated and didn’t know what to do.

I’m sure we can all relate to situations like this. I know I can. But if we’re hoping to change the other person, or if we’re expecting the Lord to step in and perform a miracle to change our circumstances, then we’re probably headed for disappointment and more frustration. You see, the Lord usually isn’t interested in rescuing us from irritating situations. Rather He is interested in changing us! Just like beautiful pearls are formed when an irritant makes its way into an oyster’s shell, so when we respond properly to “irritants” in our own lives, we will be displaying the beauty of Christ in our lives. You see, irritations are actually good things. They just happen to be irritating!

Like Lauren, the young lady who is struggling with her sister’s "messy tendencies," we need to realize several things when we're faced with an irritation. First of all, we need to realize that we don't deserve anything—not even a clean room. Everything we have is a gift. The Lord gives and takes away, and He commands us to be content in all circumstances.

Secondly, we need to look past the irritation and ask God to reveal the bigger picture. What is His goal in this situation? What is He doing? What do we need to change in our own life? What are the needs of the other people involved? I’ve found that once I am able to look past the irritation, it often feels like a light "turns on” and I am able to see how God is using a difficult situation in an important way for a significant purpose.

So next time you are irritated, remember that this is a test from the Lord. Remember that God could take away the irritation in an instant if He knew it would be best for you. And remember that you are a rebelutionary—being trained by God for the important, world-changing assignments He has prepared for you. The training may be tough; it requires endurance, humility, and lots of patience—but the fruit is eternal.

Brothers and Sisters: Saying "I Was Wrong"

2006-07-03T06:15:00.000-07:00

The first installment in the Brothers and Sisters series is written by the oldest Mally sibling, Sarah. Sarah is the founder of Bright Lights, a discipleship ministry and nationwide network, equipping young ladies to be strong in the Lord in their youth. She is also the author of the new book, Before You Meet Prince Charming (which has already received rave reviews from several readers).

“It’s Stephen’s fault,” I said, feeling hurt and upset. “He needs to apologize to me. I don’t need to apologize to him.”

My brother, Stephen, had hurt my feelings and I felt like I had every right to be upset. “He’s not even trying to be sensitive to me,” I told myself as I wondered what I should do. Actually, I knew what I should do. I needed go to him, talk it through, and humble myself—but I definitely didn’t feel like doing it. I’m sure you know the feeling—when admitting that you were wrong is the absolute last thing on earth that you want to do. You want to just ignore the problem or in some way “get back” at the person who has offended you.

But do we really think things will fix themselves? How will we be able to fulfill what God has for us in the future if we aren’t willing to resolve past problems and apologize for the part we played? How can we expect that God will give us new ministry assignments tomorrow if we won’t obey the assignments He’s given us today?

A few years ago our family was going on a long trip and my mom decided to add a special touch to our travels by making individual trail mix bags for each of us to enjoy along the way. It had dried fruit, nuts, M&Ms, and the like. At the beginning of the trip, we thought the bags were great and enjoyed our snack thoroughly. But you can only eat trail mix for so long, and by the end of the trip, none of us were too excited about dried fruit or peanuts. To top it off, it was the middle of July and all of the M&Ms melted, turning each bag into a big chocolaty glob. Stephen, Grace, and I decided that we had had enough of our trail mix bags.

However, my mother, not wanting to waste anything, decided that she would do something with the leftover trail mix to encourage us to eat it. She took a yellow cake mix, dumped in all the bags of chocolaty goop, and baked it in the oven. When it came out, it looked terrible—much worse than it had before. The papaya in the trail mix turned the entire cake orange. I mean, it was orange. There wasn’t a chance that any of us were going to eat it now—not even Dad, and he usually likes everything! Mom didn’t know what to do. In the end, she decided to save the cake in the freezer. Several months later she brought it out again. And you guessed it—it wasn’t a big success.

Now here’s my point. Most of us don’t like to deal with problems. We hide it, we disguise it, we attempt to cover it up, we try to forget about it, we hope other people will forget about it … but the problem is just going to reoccur until we deal with the real issue. No matter how many new ways my mom tried to serve the trail mix, it wasn’t going to work. In the same way, no matter how many new strategies we try in attempt to “just get by” with our siblings, it’s not going to work. We need to get rid of the underlying problems of bitterness, guilt, anger, and unresolved conflicts. This requires being willing to do an extremely hard thing—admit when we are wrong and ask forgiveness.

As I was feeling upset with Stephen on this particular day and thinking about these things, I knew what the Lord wanted me to do. I couldn’t go to bed angry or just hope my feelings would go away. I needed to take some initiative and resolve the conflict. So even though it was 10 o’clock at night, I invited Stephen to go out for a snack with me. We discussed our little disagreement (which felt big to me at the time). I asked him to tell me what I had done wrong. I asked the Lord to help me see it from his perspective. Suddenly I noticed how nice and sensitive Stephen was trying to be as he explained his point of view. I quickly realized that he wasn’t the only one to blame for our conflict. Although it was difficult to humble myself and admit my wrong attitude, I’m so glad I did. When we arrived home we felt like best friends again.

It may be hard to work through these “little” struggles that occur in our daily lives, but it’s extremely important that we are willing to do so. Think about tooth decay, for instance. It is a physical example of the spiritual decay that we see all around us. Toothaches hurt! It is especially painful to dig out the decay, but in order to fix the tooth you can’t just put in a filling. You’ve got to dig out the decay first. Painful? That’s for sure! But necessary? Absolutely. If you don’t take care of the decay, you’ll end up with a root canal later—or end up being toothless.

Many times in our lives we want to heal the toothache, but we’re not willing to dig out the decay. We know there has been a conflict with one of our siblings, but we’re not willing to go back to them, confess our sin, and ask forgiveness. We simply want to forget about the past and move on. We figure that they’ll get over it and things will be okay. We tell ourselves that it was just a little problem, and we don’t need to worry about making it right. We’re not willing to do hard things.

It’s difficult it is to humble ourselves, especially when we feel that our brother or sister was mostly to blame. Here’s a tip: They usually feel the same way about us! The question is, are we willing to do a hard thing in order to honor God in our relationship with our siblings? Remember, the Lord exalts those who humble themselves. It’s a promise (see James 4:10).

So take the humble road. Ask the Lord to bring any unresolved conflicts to your mind and show you where you were wrong. When you go to your brother or sister, don’t bring up all of your claims and counter-claims. Don’t go in with the purpose of defending yourself and proving yourself right. Just apologize for your own sin and ask their forgiveness. You will find that doing hard things brings tremendous rewards.

ROC: Independence Day Edition

2006-07-01T11:06:00.000-07:00

Check out the latest issue of Regenerate Our Culture, featuring new articles by Tim Sweetman, Alex King, Kristin Braun, Travis Henry and first-time contributor Cody Herche of Legal Redux in a special Independence Day edition.

Make sure you read the article "Getting Involved in Campaigning" by Alex King, which features interviews with three rebelutionary bloggers: Brett, me, and Kierstyn Paulino of Politically Incorrect.

Brothers and Sisters: Introduction

2006-06-30T21:30:00.000-07:00

Brett and I are very excited to announce a new series of posts by Sarah, Stephen, and Grace Mally, sibling co-authors of the book Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends, who kindly took some time out of their busy schedule to write several posts specifically for our readers here on The Rebelution. We are so glad they did.

“Sarah, I am trying to apply God’s ways to my life,” a young lady told me recently, a bright smile on her face. We talked for several minutes as she enthusiastically shared what the Lord was doing in her life.

Yet suddenly her smile faded into a look of distress, and with frustration she explained, “But Sarah, the hardest thing for me, the very hardest thing, is getting along with my younger sister.” As I tried to give her a few ideas about how she might be able to improve this relationship, she repeated emphatically that it was just so hard.

It is hard. In fact, many young people say that getting along with their siblings is one of the hardest things for them to do. But as rebelutionaries, our goal cannot simply be to “get along” or “survive” with our brothers and sisters, but rather to make them our closest friends.

It doesn’t take long to realize, however, that this isn’t going to be easy. The only way to succeed in these relationships, is by being willing to do hard things. Below are three of the most important—yet very hardest—things to do.

Part 1: Saying "I Was Wrong" by Sarah
Part 2: Respond Correctly to Irritations by Grace
Part 3: Let Someone Else Win by Stephen

Over the course of this three-part series, my siblings and I will be taking a closer look at each of these "hard things." We hope you'll join us.

Be sure to check back on Monday for the first installment of the the new series, Brothers and Sisters. While you wait check out Sarah, Stephen, and Grace's ministry website: www.brothersandsisters.net

Busy Signal(s): Cell-ing Our Souls

2006-06-28T13:05:00.000-07:00

"In case you were, I don't know, too busy text-messaging to notice, Americans today are looking to use their cell phones for a lot more than just phoning people."

— Dave Wischnowsky, Enter The Mind of a Teen, June 21, 2006

Cell Phone, Help Me Cheat On My Test
According to recent Siemens Communications Inc. survey many Americans want their cell phones to not only serve as their phone, but also as their MP3 & video player, gaming console, digital camera, and email service.

Not only that, but phone companies are quickly learning that one of their largest markets -- teenagers -- want even more than that.

"Especially among younger people, it appears that customers are ahead of cell phone companies in devising new applications," says an unnamed Siemens Communications spokesman.

But what kind of new features are teenagers across the country clamoring for? That was the question MediaPost.com intended to answer by conducting interviews with dozens of teens across the country.

"We decided a little man-on-the-street follow-up was necessary to confirm that teens want new cell phone features," said MediaPost.com columnist, George Simpson.

The answers offered not only a surprising array of farfetched features, but also a disheartening window into the mind of the American teen -- full of obvious intent to use technology to aid and abet irresponsibility, rebellion against parental authority, and in several instances, crime itself (see below).

Seventeen-year-old, Rye, New York: "I want an auto-redial feature that leaves a voice mail that says, 'I am so NOT talking to you right now.' That would be a real time-saver."

Eighteen-year-old from Garden City, New York: "I wish I could put my cell on the dashboard and have it give me a ringtone like 'I Shot the Sheriff' when I hit a radar zone."

Fifteen-year-old from Calabasas, California: "I'd like to be able to scan in exam questions so I can text them to my friends in the library. My thumbs get really tired having to manually enter them now."

Fifteen-year-old from Hartford, Conneticut: "I want a cell phone that will tell me if surveillance cameras in the mall are fixed on me. That'd be a big help."

Nineteen-year-old, Park City, Utah: "I want a countdown bar, like the battery indicator, that tells me when I am running out of 'anytime' minutes and I'll have to pay back my Dad for the calls that go over the plan."

Fourteen-year-old, Lexington, Virginia: "I want built-in text copy that I can insert into messages with real phrases like "Oh, my god!"; "So totally"; "She is SUCH a [bleep]"; and "Promise me you won't tell anyone else, but..."

Fifteen-year-old, Chicago: "I want a phone that has different background noises, like crowds at a football game or class period change bells that you can switch on, so my parents won't know where I really am when they call."

Eighteen-year-old, Miami: "I want a wire extension that projects my cell screen on my glasses so I can play 'Bejeweled' without looking down during Earth Science. Man, that class really sucks. And I know that fascist teacher totally hates me."

Fifteen-year-old from New Canaan, Conneticut: "I want a voice filter that makes it sound like I'm sober when I call my parents."

Sixteen-year-old from Houston: "I need to be able to block my ex-boyfriend's text and voice calls. He is driving me crazy. You know I tol' him it was O-Vah, but he don't listen."

At School: The New "Mosquito" Ring ToneEven without these crazy features cell phone use is becoming a big problem in government schools for both high school and middle school age-groups -- so much so that schools are having to impose strict policies regarding cell phone use on school property.

"Most public schools have strict policies regarding cell phones at school," says Greg Taillon in his article, "Cell Phones For Kids?" on Preteenagers Today, "I found out that some instructors will deduct up to 5 percent of a child’s grade for a ringing cell phone in the classroom."

Regardless of school policies, Mr. Taillon estimates that up to 75 percent of middle school children have their own cell phone, with this percentage rising in the high school years.

Not only that, but many teens are finding ways around rules against cell phone use in the classroom -- most notably by utilizing a high-pitched ring tone that teens can hear but most adults can't due to the natural loss of hearing sensitivity as a person ages.

"When I heard about it I didn't believe it at first," said Donna Lewis, a technology teacher at the Trinity School in Manhattan in an article in the New York Times. "But one of the kids gave me a copy, and I sent it to a colleague. She played it for her first graders. All of them could hear it, and neither she nor I could."

The high-pitched buzz was originally created to annoy teenagers that tried to congregate in malls while not disturbing adult shoppers. The plan has backfired due to an ingenious coup by modern teenagers, but it is highly unfortunate we can't find something better to do.

Nevertheless, Alex and I encourage you to make the ring tone a family science lesson and compare the ability of different family-members to hear the sound. You can download an MP3 by clicking here. After your done, study this pitch chart, made available by NYtimes.com.

Text-Messaging: U Could B Dumber 4 It
Teenage America's obsession with their cell phones, especially with popular text-messaging, could be damaging our IQ's, according to a recent study conducted by King's College London.

The study of 1,100 adults found their intelligence declined as tasks were interrupted by incoming e-mails and text messages. The average reduction of 10 IQ points, though temporary, is more than double the four-point loss associated with smoking marijuana.

"Doziness, lethargy and an increasing inability to focus reached 'startling' levels in the trials by 1,100 people," writes Martin Wainwright with Guardian Unlimited. It seems that constant interruptions not only damages productivity, but also wears the mind down with constant questions and challenges on often unrelated topics.

According to the JSonline.com, the effect on those who tried to juggle new messages with existing work was the equivalent, over a day, to the loss of a entire night's sleep.

Mike Salman, chief executive officer of All Star Wireless Communications said that he couldn't address the issue of falling smarts. But he did say that most of his young clientele come to his shop seeking cell phones for texting, not talking.

"It's the first question they ask," Salman said, "whether or not a certain phone is good for text messaging or e-mail. And honestly, I'd say more than half of the people who come to me don't even ask about phones for talking on them."

Email Is, Like, So Yesterday
As yet another indication that our desire for instant gratification has reached a crisis-stage, email is being neglected in favor of the more "instant" alternative: text-messaging.

"It's too complicated to send e-mail," explains 14-year-old Jennica Paho of San Jose, "I have to go in and type it, and send it, then wait for a reply."

Ironically, many arguments that were once made in favor of email are now being used against it. In his interview with MercuryNews.com, Alex Stikeleather, 17, of Palo Alto, argues that "e-mail is more like snail mail."

With text-messaging and instant messaging on the rise many employers are becoming concerned because their younger employees are instant-messaging while at work.

"It's an issue lots of employers are having to deal with," says Michael Wood, vice-president of Teen Research Unlimited in Chicago, "The concept of always staying connected with their friends -- they're going to take that with them" as they grow older.

Many teenagers spend hours each day "texting" and "IMing" their many friends. Haggai Dziesietnik, a senior at a California high school says he sends and receives about 280 text messages a day, but in one three-day weekend at Tahoe he logged about 4,000.

"The more friends you have, the more cool you are," says Aston Carney, 11, from San Jose, and most students it seems believe that technology is the best way to make and keep those friends.

What Do You Think?
As always, our goal is not just to provide information but also to encourage thoughtful discussion. Here's a few questions to get us started:

How do we guard ourselves from using technology as a way to get away with sin, instead of as a tool to glorify God?
What are your thoughts on our generation's obsession with text-messaging and IMing?
How much have you noticed "texting" among your own group of friends and acquaintances? How much do you do it?
Where do you think the balance is between using technology to be more effective for God and wasting time, and possibly, energy and brain cells?
How do you think technology is changing the definition of "friendship" among young people today?

"Thank You" from Brittany McComb

2006-06-25T01:39:00.000-07:00

Earlier this evening, Brittany posted a "thank you" message on her Myspace to all of her friends and to others supporting her stand. Praise God for her Christ-honoring attitude. And please, remember to keep Brittany in your prayers.

Saturday, June 24, 2006 - (9:03 PM)

I am writing tonight to give everyone one big, huge, heartfelt thank you. All of the support and encouragement I have received lifts my spirits and urges me to continue to focus on Christ and His love and His plan. And this is where I get my energy and drive to continue forward with all of this. Because the truth is, I wasn't angry that my freedom of speech was denied. I was determined to follow the convictions of my heart, the urging of the Holy Spirit to share God's amazing, all encompassing, forgiving in all circumstances, love.

All of your encouragment has led me to want to encourage you. The stand I took was one small step, one small yes to God's call. After I took this step you all joined in this fight. It amazes me, it astounds me what God is doing, how He took an event where man denied Him and turned it around for His own glory. He truly is all powerful.

When we realize we are nothing, God makes us something. David tells us "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise" in Psalm 51:17. Just know that all those who have told me they respect and admire me, the one who you respect and admire is truly Christ in me. I am nothing without Him. But, it rouses every sense in my soul to think that I am EVERYTHING with Him. I have everything I will ever need, every bit of strength, every word that needs uttering, every thought, every smile, every tear, every bit of compassion. And all that I need to do is tap into His source of power- his Word. Reading his word, sitting silent in His presence, worshiping His name with His people...He will give you all you need for this fight and for this life.

Continue to pray that Christians will be victorious in this fight, that we will be able to proclaim His name, by law, anywhere and everywhere we feel compelled to do so. He says to us, "Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession." -Psalm 2:8...Ask and I will. Not ask and I might. Not Ask and I will put it ahead of you to run after and catch. Ask and I will.

In Christ alone, always and forever,

Brit

For full coverage of Brittany's valedictorian speech, click here.

Video: Brittany McComb on the Today Show

2006-06-25T01:20:00.000-07:00

Watch Brittany McComb on the Today Show. Clicking on the snapshot will take you to the MSNBC.com media center. To download the Quicktime version (.mov) click here.
(HT: Counting Stones of Faith)

For full coverage of Brittany McComb's valedictorian speech, click here.

Video: Brittany McComb Speech and Crowd Reaction

2006-06-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: Watch the extended video of the speech:

-- Click Here --

NBC5i.com has footage from Brittany McComb's speech (read our full coverage). To launch the streaming Windows Media file (.asx) click on the snapshot above or use this link.*

The video itself is slightly confusing, jumping between several clips and cutting the audio several times, seemingly for no reason. A few things remain very clear, however:

The cheers and applause that greeted Brittany's last audible line: "God's love is so great that he gave His only son up..."
The crowd's response to Brittany's mic being cut. Many in the audience began to boo, including a woman who is clearly heard yelling, "Turn the mic back on!"

The end of the video shows Brittany with her parents outside, being interviewed, and holding her speech, handwritten on index cards.

NOTE: If any of our more tech-savvy or Windows-using readers (we're not very familiar with Windows) have a better way of making this video (or other videos) viewable/downloadable, let us know.

Brittany never got to Card #10, which reads "... life to the fullest. I now desire not my own will but the will of God for my life - however crazy or extravagant or seemingly mundane and uneventful that may prove..." (read the full speech)

*If you are a Mac user and don't have Window Media Player, download Flip4Mac from the Microsoft website to view the WMV/WMA files in Quicktime. For Flip4Mac users, you can download the video by clicking here.

For full coverage of Brittany McComb's valedictorian speech, click here.

Full Text of Brittany McComb's Speech

2006-06-24T12:20:00.001-07:00

On June 15, 2006 the Clark County School District halted the graduation speech of Foothill High School valedictorian Brittany McComb. District officials said Brittany's references to Christianity amounted to proselytizing. Below is the full-text of Ms. McComb's speech. (HT: Review-Journal)

Do you remember those blocks? The ones that fit into cut-outs and teach you all the different shapes? The ones you played with before kindergarten, during the good old, no-grades, no-pressure preschool days? I find it funny how easily amused we are as children. Many of us would have sat on the story rug for hours with those blocks, trying to fit the circle into the square cut-out. Thank the Lord for patient teachers.

As one of the valedictorians for our senior class, many might assume I caught on to which blocks fit into which cut-outs quickly. But, to be honest, it took me awhile. Up until my freshman year in high school, I continually filled certain voids with shapes that proved often peculiar and always too small.

The main shape I wrestled with over the years remains my accomplishments. They defined my self-worth at a young age. I swam competitively throughout junior high and high school. If I took third in a competition rather than first, I found I missed the mark; I failed.

But strangely enough, if I took first, I belittled my success, and even first place left me feeling empty. Either way, the shape entitled "accomplishments" proved too small to fill the void, constantly reminding me living means something more. Something more than me and what I do with my life, something more than my friends and what they do with their own lives.

The summer after my freshman year, I quit swimming. I quit trying to fill the huge void in my soul with the meager accomplishments I obtained there. After quitting, this amazing sense of peace rushed over me and I noticed, after 15 years of sitting on the story-time rug, this teacher standing above me, trying to help me: God. I disregarded His guidance for years, and all the while, He sought to show me what shape fits into the cut-out in my soul.

This hole gapes as a wide-open trench when filled with swimming, with friends, with family, with dating, with shopping, with partying, with drinking, with anything but God. But His love fits. His love is "that something more" we all desire. It's unprejudiced, it's merciful, it's free, it's real, it's huge and it's everlasting [audience cheering and applause]. God's love is so great that he gave His only son up . . . [Microphone goes dead here.]

Interestingly enough, the school officials knew what was coming next when they cut Brittany's mike -- they had read her speech beforehand and edited out references to God, to Christ, and the Bible. Brittany determined to deliver her speech unedited as an expression of her freedom of speech, but was prevented from doing so.

Below is the rest of the speech Brittany planned to give. School officials called it proselytizing. Brittany says she was just attributing her success in school to Christ and introducing her classmates to the Person who had made the biggest difference in her life.

[His only son up . . .] to an excruciating death on a cross so His blood would cover all our shortcomings and provide for us a way to heaven in accepting this grace.

This is why Christ died. John 10:10 says He died so we no longer have to reach in vain for the magnificence of the stars and find we always fall short, so we can have life -- and life to the fullest. I now desire not my own will, but the will of God for my life -- however crazy and extravagant, or seemingly mundane and uneventful that might be. Strangely enough, surrendering my own will for the will of God, giving up control, gave me peace, gave me a calm I can't even begin to express with words.

Four years ago, recognition as one of the valedictorians for our senior class would have been just another attempt to fit the circle into the square cut-out. But because my heart is so full of God's love, the honor of speaking today is just that: an honor. Without it, I would feel just as full and purposeful as I do at this moment.

And I can guarantee, 100 percent, no doubt in my mind, that as I choose to fill myself with God's love rather than with the things society tells me will satisfy me, I will find success, I will always retain a sense of self-worth. I will thrive whether I attend a prestigious university next fall and become a successful career man or woman or begin a life-long manager position at McDonald's.

Because the fact of the matter remains, man possesses an innate desire to take part in something greater than himself. That something is God's plan. And God's plan for each of our lives may not leave us with an impressive and extensive resume, but if we pursue His plan, He promises to fill us. Jeremiah 29:11 says, " '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 a hope and a future.' "

Trust me, this block fits.

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

Video: Brittany McComb on Hannity & Colmes

2006-06-24T10:49:00.000-07:00

You can watch Brittany McComb on Hannity and Colmes, hosted by YouTube (click the screenshot or click here).

UPDATE: If you prefer, download the Windows Media (.wmv) version by clicking here (HT: exposingtheleft.com).

An excerpt from the interview:

Sean Hannity: They want to silence you! What does that tell about our society right now? That you can talk about anything but that.

Brittany: I agree, it's just... You know, I've succeeded in school, I've succeeded in a lot of areas, and I attribute it all to Christ and all to that foundation in my life. A lot of my knowledge is based on Biblical truths, and that's how I feel I did well in school. And I just wanted to tell my fellow classmates that.

Hannity: So in the middle of the speech, you mention God and Jesus Christ and your mic goes dead, they just cut it off. So what was the reaction of the crowd?

Brittany: Well, when I started talking about God's love and how unprejudiced and merciful and free and huge and just amazing it is, the crowd started cheering and they got excited and that was really encouraging. And when I started to talk about Christ, which is how God's love is manifested, in my opinion, they got angry and they cut off the mic.

For full coverage of Brittany McComb's valedictorian speech, click here.

Looking For Something?

2006-06-23T18:43:00.000-07:00

We are closing out a "crusade" to make it easier for people to find old Rebelution series and posts they want to re-read or share with a friend. Below are highlights and summaries of some of the changes being made to the sidebar.

The Essentials has been updated to include two very old series, "The Importance of Character" and "The World Is Flat," and we've added seven new posts under Do Hard Things and The Rebelution Defined.

If you haven't already, make sure you read the top submissions in The Rebelution's first essay contest, Rebellion vs. Rebelution, now located conveniently under The Rebelution Defined on our sidebar.
My First Shower Nearly Killed Me! has been added as an installment of our Do Hard Things series, as well as You Can't Fake It and It Doesn't Mean You Can't Have Fun.

The Other Stuff section of our sidebar now includes links to Rebelutionary Meetings and several posts related to our Alabama Trip -- as seen in the picture to the right. Multiple other posts have been added too.

Check out the recap of our last three months in Alabama. The Rebelution Works is full of exciting stories of rebelutionary teens we met on the political battlefield.
Be sure to check out the popular posts, Three Teens Define "A Real Woman" and Teen Girls Define "A Real Man".
Read the newly-added posts Stop Wasting Time, Merchants of Cool, and Bored? Read This! -- located in the Popular Independent Posts section.

The Rebelution Blogroll has been cleaned up and restocked with exciting new teen bloggers and excellent non-blog sites.

Hans Zeiger, newfound friend, rebelutionary college student, and prolific author (we're currently reading his latest book, Reagan's Children) has been added to the blogroll with his team-authored blog, Reagan's Children.
HomeschoolAlumni.org exists to help homeschool graduates "meet, share ideas, and find community with other alumni." It's been added under Good Non-Blog Sites as a helpful resource to our many homeschool readers.
Keepers of the Heart and Home is a new online, quarterly publication seeking to edify, enrich, and encourage Christian homeschooled daughters in their calling. You'll find it in the Good Non-Blog Sites section.

UPDATE: Not only do we have a new sidebar button for our booklist, but we've also updated the booklist with some of the new books we're reading, have read, or plan to read this summer.

Check it out: Click Here

Are there any great blogs, websites, or books we've missed? Let us know! Also, if you have suggestions for additional measures we can take to make The Rebelution more user-friendly, please feel free to use email, or the comment section to share your ideas.

Email us at: therebelution [at] gmail [dot] com

Brittany McComb: Silenced At Graduation

2006-06-22T16:36:00.000-07:00

This post serves as coverage central for Brittany McComb's story. Updates will be added directly below in reverse chronological order. For first time vistors, the original post is below the updates.
UPDATE #10: Read an interview with Brittany McComb conducted by Richard Abowitz of the latimes.com blog.

UPDATE #9: Read the legal brief submitted by The Rutherford Institute in the First Amendment lawsuit they have filed in Brittany's defense. It includes a detailed account of the events leading up to the graduation.

UPDATE #8: Watch an extended video of Brittany's graduation speech. (Source: The Rutherford Institute)

UPDATE #7: Read the Christ-honoring letter Brittany wrote to thank her friends and supporters, posted on her Myspace blog.

UPDATE #6: Watch Brittany McComb on the Today Show with her parents. (HT: Counting Stones of Faith)

UPDATE #5: Watch a video with clips of Brittany McComb's speech and hear the audience's response when her mic is turned off. (Courtesy of NBC5i.com)

UPDATE #4: Read the full text of Brittany's McComb graduation speech. (HT: Review-Journal)

UPDATE #3: You can watch Brittany McComb on Hannity and Colmes or just read the excerpt.

UPDATE #2: Reverend Jerry Falwell's column, published June 24th on WorldNetDaily, covers Brittany McComb's story in the context of what he calls "a national effort to eradicate our religious freedoms."

UPDATE #1: LifeSite.net just published an article that contains excerpts from Brittany's appearance on "Jay Sekulow Live!" and AgapePress announces that Foothill High School will be sued as early as next week for silencing her.

"She knew her speech as valedictorian of Foothill High School would be cut short, but Brittany McComb was determined to tell her fellow graduates what was on her mind and in her heart.

But before she could get to the word in her speech that meant the most to her -- Christ -- her microphone went dead." (cont'd article @ reviewjournal.com)

In "Noah Rineresque" fashion, 18-year-old valedictorian Brittany McComb of Foothill High School in Henderson, NV, delivered her original graduation speech -- complete with two references to the Lord, nine mentions of God and one mention of Christ -- instead of the politically-correct version approved by school administrators. Brittany credits her faith in Christ as the primary reason for her success in school, and said she couldn't give her valediction without thanking and acknowledging Him. But before she was half-way through, the school cut her microphone.

Now Brittany is using the unasked-for, but unavoidable national platform the controversy has thrust upon her to campaign for religious freedom and to testify for her Lord and Savior before thousands upon thousands of watching eyes.

Brittany, The Rebelution applauds you for your stand and for your committment to our Savior, Jesus Christ. Thank you for your example. Our prayers are with you.

For more information, go read the Associated Press article, Ben Shapiro's column over at WorldNetDaily, and the Rutherford Institute's press release announcing its decision to legally-represent Brittany in filing a lawsuit against the school district.

REACHING A VERDICT

Read the following interaction from the post Brittany McComb: Legal Brief Available, where we address the argument that Brittany lied and the question of whether we would be just as supportive if she had been Muslim, Buddhist, or Hindu.

Ian Timothy: The only reason I am not just overwhelmingly supportive of this whole McComb ordeal because after all she did LIE. No matter how valiant it might appear to mention the things of Christ that she did you can't get around the fact that she did what she said she would not do. As much as I want to support her my conscience can't let that one small, yet pivital fact be ignored.

The Rebelution: Ian, I really appreciate your comments on this issue, because I know that a lot of people (myself included) have had similar thoughts.

From what I have read, watched, and listened to (i.e. almost everything), I would not say that Brittany lied. To be more precise, I don't believe that she said she would present the edited version of her speech while still planning to give the non-edited version. I think the final decision to go with the original speech came much closer to the actual ceremony.

I think it's also important to note that, at the time, the McCombs and their attorney were in the midst of their attempts to contact and/or meet with the school district attorney to discuss the speech. According to the legal brief, none of their calls were ever returned.

After giving this a lot of thought, the conclusion I believe best explains the facts is that, when Brittany said that she would give the edited version of her speech, she was still hoping that her parents would be able to settle the matter with the school district attorney, whether favorably or unfavorably, prior to the graduation ceremony. It wasn't intended to deceive. Instead, it was intended to appease them until her parents could resolve the issue. Of course, when the school district attorney repeatedly failed to return their calls requesting to meet with him, Brittany was faced with a last-minute decision. She could 1) go along and give the edited speech or 2) give the speech that God had placed on her heart. From the little I have seen of Brittany's heart for Christ, I don't believe she could have stood before her classmates and their families and given a speech with only a generic reference to a "divine being."

However, from an admittedly limited perspective on the last several days and hours before her graduation, I believe that it probably would have been better for Brittany to communicate her decision to the school officials prior to the ceremony. It would likely have resulted in a similar censorship and violation of her freedom of speech/religion, but would have given the school district no basis to say that she was trying to be deceptive.

Hindsight is always 20-20 (or at least, closer to it). But what I can say with confidence is that Brittany's motivation was and is to do whatever God has called her to do (see the full text of her speech). From what I can tell, Brittany has honored her parents in this situation from the beginning. She was certainly not trying to draw national attention. She was simply seeking to share the message God had placed on her heart. Because of that, she has our support.

Suzannah: May I ask if you would have been similarly supportive if it had been a Jew, Muslim, or Hindu who had done the same thing as Brittany?

The Rebelution: Suzannah, I do not expect secular school district officials to act in accordance with my Christian presuppositions. Because of that, my opposition to their actions stems from what I see as a violation of Brittany's constitutional rights of free speech and freedom of religion, as well as violating Clark County school district regulations, which state:

Where students or other private graduation speakers are selected on the basis of genuinely neutral, evenhanded criteria and retain primary control over the content of their expression... that expression is not attributable to the school and, therefore, may not be restricted because of its religious (or anti-religious) content. To avoid any mistaken perception that a school endorses student or other private speech that is not in fact attributable to the school, school officials may make appropriate neutral disclaimers to clarify that such speech is not school sponsored.

In answer to your question: I would be similarly opposed to the school district, even if Brittany was a member of another religion. However, my support of Brittany goes beyond the district regulations or the text of the Constitution or the Bill of Rights. In that sense, my support would differ. Does that make sense?

For more discussion, click here.

For legal purposes it should be noted that the first picture of Brittany McComb is property of K.M. Cannon and Review Journal. It has been edited for use in this post.

Technical Difficulties: Commenting "Malfunction"

2006-06-21T23:30:00.000-07:00

Imagine for a moment a dark-haired, brown-eyed young man, about 17 years old, sitting in front of a white iBook laptop in an apartment in Alabama and experimenting with the commenting features for his blog.

Imagine this young man innocently clicking on "Beta Features" and, being full of curiosity, enabling the first feature he sees: comment moderation.

Further, imagine this young man exiting his browser and -- in the hustle and bustle of the work he is doing -- promptly forgetting all about enabling comment moderation and its consequences.

Finally, imagine the feeling in this young man's stomach when he remembers what he had done (two and a half weeks later) and realizes that there are over 30 comments that neither he nor his brother had seen or responded to -- all pending his "moderation" before they would appear on the blog.

You can stop imagining.

Sadly, the above story is all too real. You see, I (Alex) am that dark-haired, brown-eyed young man and I did, in fact, enable comment moderation two and a half weeks ago and promptly forget all about it.

My deep apologies to everyone who has commented over the past several weeks and not received a response.

As of this evening, at 11:30 PM (PST), all comments have been restored and comment moderation has been disabled. Commenting will now work as it did before and questions will be answered shortly.

Thank you all for your forbearance. God bless you!

Alabama Recap: The Rebelution Works

2006-06-20T10:31:00.000-07:00

Not Posting Is A Hard Thing
Few things are more difficult for Alex and me than not posting. We love to share what we've been thinking about and get input, feedback, and constructive criticism. We love the way that blogging, and reading good blogs, helps us to constantly come up with ways to use this season of our lives to prepare ourselves for an entire life of doing hard, counter-cultural things for the glory of God.

Nevertheless, blogging isn't enough. At some point words become empty unless they are matched with appropriate action. The public proclamation of the ideas behind the Rebelution is meaningless unless it is met with faithful, personal practice of doing hard things in our culture of low expectations.

That is why Alex and I are always thrilled to hear your stories, because your stories prove that the Rebelution works. Blog posts are great, but they can't compare with even one story of how a commitment to "do hard things" changed a fellow young person's life, making him more effective for Christ at home, at school, at church, and in the workplace.

Today we get to share many stories -- stories from our time in Alabama -- that beautifully illustrate what can happen when young people break the shackles of cultural expectations and begin doing what God's Word and history prove they're capable of.

The Rebelution Works In Alabama
Our time in Alabama as Grassroots Directors for four statewide campaigns for the Supreme Court was an intense 90 days of the hardest things we have ever done -- in the muggiest climate we've ever endured. But after three months of 60-80 hour work weeks, working with rebelutionaries across the country to pull off large-scale projects in short periods of time, we can proudly report that the Rebelution not only works, it thrives.

National organizations like Vision Forum and Focus On The Family have said that the Alabama Supreme Court races may have been the most important races in the nation. They were, of course, referring to the candidates and the issues involved. However, rebelutionaries should have an additional reason to view these races as significant, irregardless of the election returns; and that is the unprecedented level of teenage involvement in this historic election.

Whether it was event planning or Get-Out-The-Vote operations, graphic and web design or campaign photography and videography, there were teenagers taking on adult levels of responsibility and performing with high levels of competence. In the end, their efforts were not enough to overcome a nearly 10 to 1 spending deficit. But although they didn't meet with electoral success, what they accomplished, as teenagers, should lose none of its glory.

Today Alex and I would like to introduce to you just a few of the teenage mavericks who accomplished ground-breaking, expectation-shattering things over the past few months.

Colton Davie (Age 17): Photo & Video
Our longtime readers will recognize the name and face of Colton Davie, the young independent filmmaker who, at 16 years of age, was awarded Best Young Filmmaker at the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival for his film, Bluestate - Tolerance for All.

Colton put his abilities to work on the Supreme Court races, serving as official campaign photographer & videographer. In addition to traveling with Alex and me to events across the state of Alabama, including our week-long Join the Rebelution Tour, Colton took part in video and photo shoots for television ads and conducted photo shoots for the Governor's race and all four State Supreme Court races.

Many of his photographs can be seen on Justice Tom Parker's campaign website, designed by Alex King and Jake Smith (see below).

Colton at the Alabama Supreme Court building for a field test in preparation for Justice Tom Parker's campaign announcement.

Noah (17) & Jonathan (17): Newspaper Distribution
Political blogs and newspapers around Alabama commented on a small newspaper called, The Alabama Conservative Review, which was "generously circulated" around the state in late April, seemingly overnight. They recognized that it strongly supported Justice Tom Parker and his allies and was printed by a third-party organization, Republicans for Conservative Judges. However, they never did, and never would guess that teenagers were behind the distribution blitz that blanketed most of North and Central Alabama.

Noah Sanders (pictured on left) and Jonathan Monplaisir, two fellow Christian homeschoolers and rebelutionaries, joined forces with me in orchestrating the one the largest, if not the largest, concentrated grassroots operations of Alabama's election season.

With less than two weeks to plan, we lined up food, housing, and transportation for 55 college students from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, charted eight, 9-hour newspaper distribution routes for the students to drive, and designed a detailed strategy for hitting the biggest, loudest event in Alabama: the Talladega Superspeedway NASCAR races.

By the time the dust had settled we had distributed nearly 200,000 newspapers in less than 36 hours -- at gas stations, restaurants, hotels, convenience stores, auto shops, and on the ground at Talledega -- a grassroots record not soon to be matched.

Talladega Superspeedway property covers 3,000 acres and hosts up to 750,000 NASCAR fans, twice annually.

Two out of thirty-two Route Books assembled by Noah and myself. In order keep our out-of-state college students from getting lost, these books included a route overview, directions with accompanying maps, directions with turn-by-turn maps, detailed maps for high-density drop locations, and a list of drop locations arranged in order according to distance from start.

Alex King (17) & Jake Smith (17): Web Designers
If you haven't had the privilege to witness the work of the design team over at StillThinking, you're missing out. Alex King and Jake Smith are Christian homeschool teens, fellow rebelutionary bloggers, and co-founders of the popular Regenerate Our Culture Online Magazine (ROC).

When Alex and I were asked to recommend a web design team we didn't have to think twice. StillThinking got the recommendation and the contract. The result was one of the most professional-looking campaign sites we've ever seen.

Working with us despite the hectic schedule of the campaign and the time difference (Alex King lives in Maine), the website was produced quickly, but also with a high level of quality.

www.parkerforchiefjustice.com

Heidi Bentley (17): Mobile County Coordinator
Our campaign staff often voiced the wish that we had 67 Bentley Families -- one for each county in Alabama. As County Coordinators for one of the largest counties in the state, their enthusiasm and competence was unmatched -- and heading up their efforts was 17-year-old daughter, Heidi Bentley.

Now when I first started working with Heidi, I thought she was the 24-year-old Bentley daughter, not the 17-year-old. Nevertheless, even with this misconception I was continually impressed by the competence of this young lady I had never met, but had only interacted with by phone and through email. I quickly gained the impression that she was very competent, but I didn't realize that I had misjudged her age by seven years.

By the time I discovered her real age, it was too late. Not only had she already completed many large projects, but she was serving as host for our Join the Rebelution Tour stop in Mobile County. She was reserving a facility, handling publicity, and her family was providing food and housing for our whole team -- including our driver, Nicholas Beckham, and videographer, Colton Davie. (cont'd below)

At a tour stop in south Alabama, with Emily Moore.

(cont'd) My initial response was to feel bad for demanding so much from her -- then it hit me: Not only had Heidi done everything I asked, but she did it all very well. I had expected her to possess the responsibility and competence of someone far older, and she, in turn, had exceeded my expecations.

Isn't that exactly what the Rebelution is all about? When you stop measuring ability by age and you have a young person who is motivated to do hard things, to stretch and to grow -- there is really no noticeable difference between a 17-year-old and a 24-year-old.

However, even as these thoughts went through my head, I still didn't know the whole story. Although my misconception about her age had been corrected, I still assumed that making dozens of phone calls, handing out literature and talking with people about candidates, finding and reserving facilities, etc., fell within the range of her normal extracurricular activities.

Little did I know that every assignment I threw at Heidi was a new challenge. For example, it wasn't until the end of the campaign that I learned that she was not a "phone person." In fact, her family told me that she normally avoided talking on the phone if at all possible. Nevertheless, she had been on the phone constantly for the campaign.

In an email written shortly after the campaigns ended, Heidi shared an even bigger picture of the work God had been doing in her life:

During this whole campaign God has been doing amazing things. I think I have grown more in these past few months than the whole year before!

I laughed when I first read your tour flyer. "Doing hard things" is exactly what God had begun teach me with the beginning of the campaign, and it hasn't stopped with the primaries. He has taken the perspective I had of my own capabilities and stretched it three times around a new and bigger perspective.

I think I have thoroughly shocked my family by doing things that they (and I) never imagined I would be doing. It is amazing what we can do if we will trust God enough to step out of our comfort zones!

Heidi's story is a perfect example of the ideas behind the Rebelution in action. She hadn't read the articles on our blog or come to a Rebelution conference or visited Regenerate Our Culture Online. Instead, she lived it.

Heidi's 13-year-old brother, Michael -- campaign warrior and sign-stacker extraordinaire.

The Rebelution: A Unique Movement
That's what makes the Rebelution so unique. It doesn't require a blog or a conference or a magazine. All it needs are ordinary young people who trust God enough to buck the trends of culture, step out of their comfort zone, and do hard things.

Colton Davie, Alex King, Jake Smith, Noah Sanders, Jonathan Monplaisir, and Heidi Bentley are just few examples out of hundreds of teens who joined the fight in Alabama, in big and small ways. They modeled what ordinary Christian young people are capable of when they commit to doing hard things with excellence -- whatever those "hard things" happen to be. We trust and pray that God will continue to honor them for that committment and we look forward to seeing what God will do with a generation eager to serve Him.

Alabama Recap Coming Soon

2006-06-15T22:12:00.000-07:00

For those of you eagerly anticipating a recap of our experiences in Alabama, rest assured, a recap will be posted soon.

soon, adverb: "shortly after Alex and Brett feel they have somewhat compensated for being away from their family for three months"

Teen Bloggers Win National Championships

2006-06-15T08:37:00.000-07:00

Our host recently upgraded servers, which caused the blog to be "un-updateable" for several days. The following post was written on June 13.

This past week, June 5-9, the National Christian Forensics and Communication Association (NCFCA) held their National Speech and Debate Championship Tournament at Patrick Henry College in Purcellville, VA.

For those of you who are unfamiliar, the NCFCA is a highly-competitive league of some of the most competetent young communicators in the country. Participants begin competition at local tournaments where the top competitors qualify for a regional tournament, and from there, can qualify to compete at the national tournament in June.

Brett and I competed at the national level for three years. Many of our best friends today were made through competing at various tournaments around the country. The "myth of adolescence" was originally developed as a 10-minute platform speech in the Persuasive speaking category. There are few things that God used more to prepare us for the hard things we are attempting now than our years of participation in the NCFCA.

This year's National Tournament was the first one Brett and I have not attended in four years. However, we are pleased to share with you the success of several rebelutionary teen bloggers, each of whom did incredibly well.

Cody Herche and Rachel Heflin of Legal Redux won the Team Policy Debate Championship. This is not only the most prestigious event in the league, but also the most competitive. Brett and I are so proud of Cody and Rachel's hard work, their pursuit of excellence, and most importantly, their firm commitment to glorifying God in all they do. Congratulations, dear friends!

Karen Kovaka of Rhetorical Response won the National Championship in Apologetics -- the defense of the Christian faith. Karen has consistently demonstrated her love for God's Word and devotion to Truth. It is a blessing for us to see God honoring her for that commitment. Congratulations, Karen!

Marshall Sherman of Advancing His Kingdom is officially the nation's funniest homeschooler, winning the Humorous Interpretation National Championship with his parody of the Lone Ranger. Congratulations, Marshall!

What Brett and I appreciate most about each of these young people is their correct understanding of the NCFCA (and other activities like it) as a stepping stone to the higher calling God has for their lives. They have not only developed their communication and thinking skills, but they are applying them, through their blogs and through other real-life endeavors. That's what makes them rebelutionary.

Be sure to visit each of their blogs and congratulate them for their hard work and well-deserved recognition. God bless you all!

The Rebelution, Moving Forward (Part 2)

2006-05-30T11:12:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends and Rebelutionaries
Brett and I have broken our "most time between posts" record yet again, shattering the previous record of 9 days with a ground-breaking 17 days between our last post and this one.

However, as Brett and I wrote back in April, the Rebelution is moving forward. During the 17-day period between posts, Brett and I embarked on a 7-day, 7-stop Join the Rebelution tour in cities and counties across the state of Alabama. You can see one of our fliers by clicking here.

Each stop was a 2-hour, 2-session, mini-conference where Brett and I were able to communicate the message of the Rebelution to hundreds of teens and their parents from all over the state, encouraging them to take strategic action in the culture war for our generation, including the historic election taking place in Alabama on June 6th.

Brett and I with the Wyatt girls in Pell City, AL

We are now exactly one week from the Alabama primary election (June 6th) and there is a lot of hard work to be done in a very short amount of time. Please keep us in your prayers over the next week, as well as the Alabama Supreme Court candidates we are working to elect: Justice Tom Parker, Judge Ben Hand, Colonel Hank Fowler, and Alan Zeigler.

Coming Up
Brett and I return home to Oregon on June 13th. We have an interview about the Rebelution coming out in the summer issue of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. We're excited about the opportunity for more homeschool families to catch the vision and join the movement.

We hope to do a lot of writing this summer on a variety of projects. Lord-willing, you will hear more about those as time goes on.

We're also working with our fellow rebelutionaries over at Regenerate Our Culture and others on some exciting ways to advance the cause of the Rebelution in even bigger ways.

How About You?
Have any exciting projects that you're working on? Please keep us updated on what you're doing and let us know how we can help, pray, and promote the work you are doing to turn our culture's expectations of young people on their head.

Email Brett and me at: rebelution [dot] blogspot [at] gmail [dot] com

Thank you all so much for your prayers! God bless you!

Christian Soldier vs. Vietminh

2006-05-13T07:44:00.000-07:00

The following post was written by Gabby J. -- who doesn't have a blog of her own, but has been reading The Rebelution for several months. Thank you Gabby for writing an excellent guest post.

The Vietminh—that name means nothing to most people my age, and perhaps even our parents would give a blank stare if asked what the Vietminh was. I’m going to give you a short summary of who the Vietminh was, and then share how spiritually challenged I was when I found out more about them. Before I progress I’ll pique your interest with a query: Is it possible to learn from people who believe and teach lies? Is it possible to be challenged spiritually by those whom we might see as spiritual enemies?

The Vietminh began in the 1940s as a supposed Vietnamese nationalist organization, but as it progressed in the years to come its communist goals would become apparent. The Vietminh’s goals were to throw off French rule and then establish a communist government. They achieved these goals through a process of three steps, most commonly known as protracted war. During the first stage the Vietminh were mainly concerned with purifying their own ranks and sticking to the goals. The first stage would prove to be a hard stage; they hid from the government and did almost nothing but indoctrinate the recruits they had. The Vietminh’s leaders understood that things would get worse before they got better. Though the recruits were excited to be a part of such a cause, those same recruits would lose their emotional high and some would desert. The Vietminh did get smaller before it got bigger, but it only got stronger.

Throughout the war, but mainly in the second and third stages, the Vietminh concentrated on getting the support of the common people, the peasant farmers of Vietnam. The military leader of the Vietminh, Vo Nguyen Giap, instructed his soldiers to treat the Vietnamese people with the utmost respect so the soldiers would earn the trust of the people. Specifically, to earn the people’s respect, the Vietminh strove to be different from the French colonists. The Vietminh showed themselves friendly to the friendless, loving to the unloved, and strength to the weak.

The emphasis the Vietminh put on gaining people’s trust and respect was a key to the eventual success of the Vietminh. As I had to research the Vietminh for a research paper, I was challenged in my Christian life. These men and women who fought for and supported the Vietminh fought and supported wholeheartedly even though they were, in essence, fighting for what we know to be lies. I am a Christian, part of God’s army, yet so often I find myself fighting only halfheartedly if at all. So often I get on an emotional high after reading a challenging post on the Rebelution or likeminded blog, but am I one of those recruits who will desert when things get tough? Or will I stay and endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 2:3)

The Vietminh gathered support by being different from the French. Am I striving to be different? To be one of the peculiar people redeemed by God (Titus 2: 14) Am I loving the unlovely? Being a friend to the friendless? James 1:27 says that “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” Am I visiting the fatherless and widows in their affliction? Am I showing Christ’s love to people when they need it?

The last thing is this: the Vietminh fought for a social system that has done nothing good for them. They have believed and fought for lies. I know The Truth. Should not I at least equal if not surpass their zeal in fighting seeing I know The Truth? What about you? How are you fighting?

Choosing Our Battles Wisely

2006-05-05T07:30:00.000-07:00

The following post was written by Ednella of Think Upon These Things, a rebelutionary blogger with a passion for her Savior.

"Getzlaf nails Chuck Kobasew along the boards with a hard hit. Corey Perry boards Byron Ritchie a second later and all players skate over and start pushing and shoving."

- HockeyFights.com, Fight Log, April 25, 2006 -

A few months ago, I was amused by to be told that, allegedly, the first two English words that French-Canadian hockey players are taught when they arrive in the States to play hockey are: "Wanna fight?" I don't know if this is true or not, but it certainly tells us a lot about the sport -- and the players.

Hockey is one of the most violent sports, with players repeatedly engaging in fights like the one listed above. I'll be honest. My first reaction was, "What's their problem? It's just a game."

The Question
Here is my question for us: What do we fight for? Maybe we don't get into fist fights, but what things do we rank as worth defending? More importantly, which of those things does God think are worth defending? Chances are we have some misplaced priorities.

I'm afraid that I often find myself concerned about really stupid things. You see, I am a "creature of order." I like to have things just so, and for them to stay that way. Of course, that's not very easy when you have younger siblings.

As my family will testify, one of my biggest pet peeves is where people sit. In my mind, not only does everyone have a seat, but everyone should sit in their seat and no one elses. Unfortunately, this doesn't always go over too well with my younger brother, Stefan, self-proclaimed 'King of the Table'.

I find it a constant struggle, even in silly situations like that, to let go of my personal preferences. The truth is, they really don't matter.

What does matter?
In Romans 12:10, Paul tells us to "love one another with brotherly affection." As Christians we are to build each other up, not tear each other down over insignificant things.

In Ephesians 4:29, Paul exhorts us: "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."

These passages and others like them have convinced me that we need to choose our battles more wisely. As I've thought about what we should be fighting for, three main things stand out: faith, family, and friends.

Fighting for Faith
About a week ago, I read a story on The Rebelution about a Chinese girl who was martyred by the Communists for her faith. Commanded to spit on God's Word, she refused. It was a short story, but it made a big impact on me. Faced with the same decision, what would I do? I pray that I would stand up like that girl did. I want to fight for faith.

Fighting for Family
If you are like me, you have had your share of sibling conflicts. How do we fight for our family, instead of against it? I have found two biblical passages that are very helpful.

The first is Ephesians 4:26, where we are told to not to let the sun go down while we are still angry. The second is Matthew 5:23-24, where Jesus commands us to immediately leave what we are doing and reconcile ourselves with our brother.

In a society where people are trying to redefine marriage and the family, we need to stand up and fight.

Fighting for Friends
One of my favorite examples of fighting for your friend is the Old Testament story of David and Jonathan, where Jonathan remained loyal to David and saved his life. We need more David and Jonathan friendships today. In John 15:13, Jesus tell us: "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends."

So in conclusion, let me restate my question: What should we be fighting for? Not the outcome of a hockey game, not where people sit at the table, but our faith, our family, and our friends.

Be sure to visit Ednella's blog, Think Upon These Things, and leave a comment. Thank you, Ednella, for the great post.

Want to write a guest post for The Rebelution? Email us at info [at] therebelution [dot] com.

My First Shower Nearly Killed Me

2006-05-02T06:20:00.000-07:00

I'm Just Not A Shower Person
I still remember my first shower. It was a horrible experience. I was eight years old and all I had ever known was baths. Baths were neat and tidy ordeals where the water flowed in from below my head and – provided I didn’t splash too much – stayed below my head.

I found showers to be an entirely different beast. The water, rather than flowing as a solid stream that was easily visible and avoidable, sprayed out as nearly invisible and unavoidable droplets that seemed to have a magnetic attraction to my eyes.

I did not ask to be promoted from Junior Bath Taker to Junior Shower Taker, but my parents had set the date for my graduation and protesting made little difference. It didn’t help that my twin brother Alex loved showers and had taken one earlier that week.

Before I could draft my formal petition, let alone get anyone to sign it, I found myself staring up at the dreadful showerhead just as a brave soul stares down the barrel of his executioner’s gun.

However, once the trigger was pulled and the showerhead began rumbling and hissing, my courage melted away, and I was screaming before the first drop hit me.

You see, in my mind there was no moral difference between making your child take a shower and stripping that same child naked and locking him out of the house during a thunderstorm. It was abandonment. I wasn’t a Water Nymph. I wasn’t a shower person. I was a bath person and I was happy that way.

The funny thing is that this morning, nearly ten years later, I took a shower and didn’t think twice about it. I even purposefully let the water spray on my face! It is incredible that what then seemed to be an impossible hurdle is now part of my everyday routines.

We've All Had "First Shower" Experiences
You probably can remember something in your own life that at the time seemed entirely beyond you. Maybe it was something as simple as tying your shoes or riding a bike without trainings wheels. Maybe it was learning to read or solving basic math problems in 2nd grade. These are things that are easy for you now, but were enormous challenges at the time.

My question for you is: What has changed? What is the difference between the enormous challenges of a child and the enormous challenges of a young adult?

What’s the difference between a difficult 2nd grade math problem for a seven-year-old and a difficult Algebra problem for a 15-year-old? Though an algebraic equation operates on a higher plateau than a double-digit multiplication problem that is compensated for by the fact that a teenager operates on a higher plateau than a child.

What’s the difference between my 12-year-old brother curling 15 pounds and me (at 17 years old) curling 35 pounds? Is it not likely that we would be equally challenged by our respective weights due to our different levels of strength?

Compare learning to dance with learning to walk. When you contrast the motor skills of baby with those of a young child you should conclude that though dancing is more complex, it is not necessarily more difficult.

As a musician I can attest to the fact that my difficult piano pieces in Level 9 were no more arduous than my difficult pieces in Level 3. The only variance was my level of skill and tolerance for practice. It is just as difficult for a seven-year-old beginner to practice “Chopsticks” for 30-minutes as it is for a music major in college to practice Lizst's “Hungarian Rhapsody” for three hours.

If A Baby Can Do It, Why Can't We?
With those examples in mind, I return to my question: What has changed? What is the difference between the enormous challenges of your childhood and the enormous challenges of your young adulthood?

And perhaps a more important question: What is the difference between the way you responded to those challenges as a child and how you respond to them now?

I constantly hear fellow young adults say things like, “You know, I did Algebra 1/2, but I’m just not a math person,” or “I’m a terrible speller, my brain just doesn’t work that way.” I’ve had other teens tell me, “I’m just a quiet person. I don’t like communicating much,” and “I’m such a compulsive shopper. If I see something I like I can’t help but buy it.” Or what about, “I’m just such a blonde!”

While I don’t doubt that many teens find math, spelling, communication, self-control and intelligence incredibly difficult, I find it very hard to accept that these difficulties should begin to define their personhood.

We would think it was crazy if a toddler said, “You know, I tried to get potty-trained, but I’m just not a toilet person.” But we sympathize with a fellow teenager who says that he’s “just not a people person.”

If a young child said, “I tried tying my own shoes, but my brain just doesn’t work that way,” we would not say, “That’s alright Johnny, we’ll just have someone else do it for you for the rest of your life.” But if we have trouble spelling we say, “It’s alright, I’ll just make sure I always use the spell checker.”

Low Expectations Strike Again
The fact is that as we get older we begin defining our limitations as what comes easily to us – and our rate of growth in competence and character slows and falters.

When we were children our limitations were not defined by difficulty. Our limitations were not defined by failure – even repeated failure. So what has changed? Why do babies, with inferior motor skills, reasoning ability, and general physical and mental strength, why do they have a nearly 100% success rate in overcoming their big challenges, while teenagers often falter and fail before theirs?

We Expect More of Babies Than We Do of Teens
The truth is that we are incredibly susceptible to cultural expectations and once we have satisfied our culture’s meager requirements we stop pushing ourselves.

Why does every healthy baby learn to walk while very few teenagers are sophisticated enough to have mastered the Waltz? One is expected, the other is not.

Why does every normal baby overcome communication barriers by learning to talk while very few teenagers overcome barriers between themselves and their parents by learning to communicate? One is expected, the other is not.

And why do we sympathize with the poor “non-math” teenager while we admonish the “non-toilet” six-year-old? Because using the toilet is a basic skill that is necessary for life, but unless they plan on becoming an engineer, most people never use Algebra.

We live in a culture that expects the basics, but nothing more. We live in a culture that expects for you to get by (i.e. be potty-trained), but not to thrive.

The Rebelution’s challenge to you is this: Have you really found your limits or have you merely reached a point where our culture’s expectations no longer demand that you succeed?

We Are Capable of Much More Than Is Expected
If you were abandoned in a foreign country with citizens who spoke no English, you would pick up the native dialect. And if your high school required everyone to complete Advanced Calculus in order to graduate you would find a way to do it.

Both necessity and expectations have incredible power to require much of us and make us strong, or to require little of us and make us weak. We live in a culture where few people do more than is required, yet that is the secret of effectiveness in the Lord’s service.

The application of this post goes far beyond math and language, dancing and speaking; those are simply a few helpful examples. The important question we must ask ourselves is: “Am I unable to do certain things, or am I simply unwilling to invest the time and effort necessary to succeed?"

This Is A Serious Issue
Classifying yourself as "this-kind-of-person" or "that-kind-of-person" is one of the quickest ways to greatly increase or majorly hamper your potential. Adults who at one time decided they "just weren't computer people" are missing out on all the convenience and power of technology.

A person who decides early in life that he is "just not a public speaker," and then stops striving for excellence in the area of public communication, has no doubt lost thousands of opportunities to impact the lives of hundreds, if not thousands of people.

History is jammed full of examples of "extremely shy people" who not only overcame their fear of people, but also became famous leaders and communicators. Calvin Coolidge, the United States' 30th President, is just one such example.

One of the most devastating classifications that can be made is when a person classifies themselves spiritually as "not really one of those extreme Christians."

Millions of young people, even Christian young people, live through years of spiritual weakness and build up loads of regret simply because they found their identity in being a rebel.

Closing Thoughts
I wasn't a "shower person" when I was eight, and I'm not sure if I'm a "campaign person" at 17, but by God's grace and through His strength I can do anything. And so can you.

Nearly a decade after my first shower, one of the great challenges of my childhood, I find myself working long hours on four statewide races for the Alabama Supreme Court. When I find myself thinking that this current challenge is going to kill me, I just remember that I thought the same thing about my first shower. Then I smile, and keep on pushing.

Questions for Discussion:
Are there areas in your life that have been labeled as “just not me”?
If so, have you stop striving for excellence in those areas as a result of that label?
What would the impact be on your future if you chose to overcome your difficulties in those areas and mastered them?

NEWS FLASH: Rebelution leaders meet in Michigan

2006-05-01T22:00:00.000-07:00

Lansing, MI -- Sources have confirmed a meeting in southern Michigan between two national leaders of the Rebelution — a worldwide movement of Christian young people rebelling against what they call "the low expectations of an ungodly culture."

The two young ladies, Kristin (a.k.a. Spunky Jr.) and Hannah, were identified by a reporter who first discovered the meeting after making his way through a series of puzzling riddles.

"I was confused at first," admitted the reporter. "I couldn't figure out whether 'near' meant 'adjacent' or 'nearby'. But then the pieces started coming together."

Kristin and Hannah are two of the three co-authors of Beauty from the Heart, a rebelutionary blog targeted at Christian young women. Kristin makes her home in Michigan. Hannah is from Texas.

The third co-author, Lindsey of Northern California, was not present. Her exact whereabouts are currently unknown.

A growing movement, a growing concern

The meeting today was only the latest in a series of high-profile "get togethers" between members of the Rebelution that are causing a stir among secular analysts.

Last year The National Scoop exposed a late night meeting between Rebelution leaders Tim Sweetman (a.k.a. Agent Tim) and Alex and Brett Harris. The three were spotted at a Ruby Tuesday restaurant in downtown Washington, DC.

Now sources are reporting additional gatherings across the United States, including a convention of nearly 500 rebelutionaries in Sacramento on March 11. The sources confirmed that Lindsey of Beauty from the Heart was present at the convention.

A National Scoop reporter who gained access to a top secret map of rebelutionaries reported that it included young adults from around across the United States, in the Phillipines, Australia, Europe, Canada, Africa, and South America.

"These Christian kids think they can be mature and responsible," exclaimed a greatly concerned Wurld Lee Kulture. "Worse, they're starting to network and create a counter-culture. It threatens to ruin everything I've worked for!"

Copyright © The National Scoop 2006

More Than Words: Justice Tom Parker

2006-05-01T13:29:00.000-07:00

The latest issue of Regenerate Our Culture came out today and includes an excellent profile of an extraordinary man: Justice Tom Parker of the Alabama Supreme Court. Agent Tim (a.k.a. Tim Sweetman) did a wonderful job as both interviewer and author.

To read the article, click here.

The Rebelution, Moving Forward

2006-04-25T06:18:00.000-07:00

The Rebelutionary Cause
As we shared last month, we are currently "stationed" in the beautiful state of Alabama, doing some of the hardest things we've ever done. Last time we couldn't give you any details. Thankfully, now we can.

Brett and I are serving on staff as directors of grassroots operations for Justice Tom Parker's campaign for Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. Besides our responsibilities to oversee volunteer efforts across Alabama, we've also been allowed to recruit fellow rebelutionaries into this historic political battle.

Colton Davie, friend, rebelutionary, and recipient of the Best Young Filmmaker Award at the 2005 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival, heads up the campaign's "on the ground" video and photography division.

Über-rebelutionaries, Jake Smith and Alex King of StillThinking and Regenerate Our Culture, are the campaign's web designers. Our website is one the best campaign sites I've seen, and these two guys made it.

This campaign is unique, not only because of the godly character of the candidate, but also because of the likemindedness of the entire team to the message of The Rebelution. Our hope is that it will serve as a model for rebelutionary's involvement in the political arena.

A New Record
The period between our last post and this one marks the longest time between posts since The Rebelution's launch in August 2005.

Since the blog's launch we have interned at the Alabama Supreme Court for two months, traveled to Arlington, VA, for a week of campaign training, completed several large writing projects, and put on a teen conference in Sacramento, CA. Through it all, we found the time to keep the blog running smoothly. The lack of posts recently is a testimony to the amount of time and effort that is being directed into the campaign. We're doing our best to practice what we've talked about on here.

The Rebelution, Moving Forward
The Rebelution need not slow down. On the contrary, it is speeding up. The movement is already having a tangible effect on our culture through the work that is being done in Alabama, Regenerate Our Culture is cementing its position as a source for some of the best, most rebelutionary articles on the web, and the blogs linked on our sidebar are growing and turning out better and better content. It's exciting to watch what God is doing in our generation.

Here's how we'd like to keep that momentum going: The Rebelution is looking for guest writers. Whether you're a big-time blogger or author, just getting started (or don't blog at all), whether you're young or old -- we'd love to feature your work on our blog. Send us an email: info [at] therebelution [dot] com.

Thank you all for your prayers and support. May God bless you all!

Living in Light of Eternity?

2006-04-16T07:34:00.000-07:00

"If there be so certain and glorious a rest for the saints, why is there no more industrious seeking after it? One would think, if a man did but once hear of such unspeakable glory to be obtained, and believed what he heard to be true, he should be transported with the vehemency of his desire after it, and should almost forget to eat and drink, and should care for nothing else, and speak of and inquire after nothing else, but how to get this treasure. And yet people who hear of it daily, and profess to believe it as a fundamental article of their faith, do as little mind it, or labor for it, as if they had never heard of any such thing, or did not believe one word they hear."

Richard Baxter, The Saints' Everlasting Rest

I first read this quote in Randy Alcorn's book In Light of Eternity about a year and a half ago. It remains on the short list of quotations that God has used to stop me dead in my tracks and cry out to Him.

We talk a lot about patriotism in America. Where is our patriotism to our true country? What should it look like?

The Bible or the Bullet

2006-04-14T19:10:00.000-07:00

Read this story. It could change your life.

The Communist soldiers had discovered their illegal Bible study.

As the pastor was reading from the Bible, men with guns suddenly broke into the home, terrorizing the believers who had gathered there to worship. The Communists shouted insults and threatened to kill the Christians. The leading officer pointed his gun at the pastor’s head. “Hand me your Bible,” he demanded. Reluctantly, the pastor handed over his Bible, his prized possession. With a sneer on his face, the guard threw the Word of God on the floor at his feet.

He glared at the small congregation. “We will let you go, “ he growled, “but first, you must spit on this book of lies. Anyone who refuses will be shot.” The believers had no choice but to obey the officer’s order. A soldier pointed his gun at one of the men. “You first.”

The man slowly got up and knelt down by the Bible. Reluctantly, he spit on it, praying, “Father, please forgive me.” He stood up and walked to the door. The soldiers stood back and allowed him to leave. “Okay, you!” the soldier said, nudging a woman forward. In tears, she could barely do what the soldier demanded. She spit only a little, but it is enough. She too was allowed to leave.

Quietly, a sixteen-year-old girl came forward. Overcome with love for her Lord, she knelt down and picked up the Bible. She wiped off the spit with her dress. “What have they done to Your Word? Please forgive them,” she prayed.

The Communist soldier put his pistol to her head. Then he pulled the trigger.

~ Jesus Freaks, by dc Talk and The Voice of the Martyrs ~

I have a question for you: was this girl’s sacrifice worth it? I mean, it’s one thing to lay your life down for a family member or friend or instead of denying Christ, but all she was asked to do was spit on the Bible for goodness sake! If I were in her shoes, with Communist soldier’s invading my Bible study, I’d be praising God that they came up with such an insignificant requirement! I don’t intend to be crude, but if you’ve ever sneezed or coughed when you were doing devotions, you’ve probably already gotten spittle on there. So what’s the big deal?

If you are inclined to agree with the last paragraph, I beg you to realize that her decision was one of extraordinary significance. She chose the precious Word of God over her own comfort and safety; a decision you and I make every single day, but almost always in the opposite direction.

Her sacrifice was worth it because it symbolized something much greater than simply a leather-bound Bible and a quarter-teaspoon of spit. It was a choice between her earthly home and her Heavenly Home, between her persecutor’s threats and her Savior’s promises. She had nothing to lose and everything to gain by choosing God’s Word over earthly comfort. Are we ready to make the same choice?

The answer is that we do make that choice, and we almost always choose comfort. We choose to “spit” on rather than sit under the perfect instruction of Scripture. You and I are constantly “spitting” on the Holy Word of God when we aren’t willing to sacrifice our meaningless comforts for some truly meaningful guidance. And I don’t care if that offends somebody. We offend God, my friends.

A sixteen-year-old girl in Asia laid down her life rather than neglect God’s Word. Are you willing to lay down your magazine? Pray to God that He will grant you the grace to be faithful to His Word. Because, honestly, most of us are too weak to shut-off our computer in order to have some distraction-free devotional time. It won’t get easier till we work harder.

The Bible feeds our spiritual well-being and our strength of character. “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to Your Word.” (Psa. 119:9) We will leave our souls starved and our character unguarded if we fail to make the Bible top priority.

Do you want to impact this world for Christ? Do you want to be a Godly young man or woman? Sidney Howard said, “One-half of knowing what you want is knowing what you must give up before you get it.” What are you willing to sacrifice? When will you stop offending God by neglecting one of His primary means of grace in your life, His written Word?

Do not let the opinions of your friends or the customs of your family get in the way. Make the change today.

Start asking yourself the questions, "What does priority mean to me?" "What does it look like when something is top priority in my life?" "What does neglect look like?" "What other means of grace am I neglecting?" and most importantly, "What does the Bible have to say about all this?" Start with Joshua 1:8 and Psalm 1:1-2. Ask yourself, "What are these verses saying? What do they mean for me?"

Was that girl’s sacrifice worth it? You can bet the world it was.

Originally posted on August 22nd, 2005

Rebelutionary, Meet Your Commander N' Chief

2006-04-11T06:35:00.000-07:00

How do we strengthen our character? What methods should we utilize in order to be men and women of integrity? There are few answers as fitting as this: become acquainted with Jesus Christ.

It is wonderful for us to understand and embrace doctrines of faith, grace, justification, and sanctification. They all provide strength to resist sin and a steady arm to help us back up when we fall. But it is much, much better to be familiar with Jesus Christ Himself, to see His face, and to catch a glimpse of His splendor. This, according the J.C. Ryle, “is one secret of eminent holiness.” If we wish to become stronger in resisting sin, what better way than to study Him “who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin” (Hebrews 4:15)?

Here we are, lacking in strength, courage, and patience. Lacking the power to stand, to move forward, and to make a difference in our evil world. We find it so easy to conform to this world and so very difficult to go against the flow. We seem to fall back two steps for every one step we take forward and all our “firm” resolutions turn out short-lived and useless.

This is the beauty of Christ’s sufficiency! In Christ alone “all fullness dwells” (Col. 1:19)—in Him alone do we find all that we need to successfully combat sin. We are strong Christians only in proportion as we lean on Him. It is only when we stop hoping in our own strength and place all our confidence in Christ that we will accomplish great things.

To know Christ and the power of His resurrection is the true secret of spiritual strength. Then only are we armed for life’s battles. Then only are we ready to journey through life, and move forward. Then only will we overcome the world and cause change. “I can do all things,” says Paul, “through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13).

Our own weakness highlights the power of Christ to strengthen our will! He promises “my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor. 12:9) Let us, as the Apostle Paul did, boast all the more gladly in our weaknesses so that the power of Christ might rest on us.

With this in mind what better way is there to fortify our character than to dwell on Jesus Christ? Yet how do we do that? Here are two ways:

1.) Read the Gospels: It would be so beneficial if Christians studied the four Gospels more than they do. Of course, all Scripture is profitable (2 Tim. 3:16), and I don’t mean to esteem the Gospels at the expense of other sections of Scripture. But it would be good for those who are very familiar with the Epistles to become more acquainted with Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Why do I say this? Simply, because the Gospels were written that we might familiarize ourselves with Christ. Think about it for a minute, the Holy Spirit has told and retold the story of His life and death, the things that He said and the things that He did, four times over. Four different witnesses have drawn a picture of our Savior and our Helper. Four different inspired hands have communicated to us His ways, His manners, His feelings, His grace, His patience, His wisdom, His love, and His power. How can we ignore such an open invitation to study and internalize these attributes and qualities?

2.) Talk With Him: How many of us wonder that our relationship with Christ isn’t strong when we neglect to invest the time and effort necessary to any friendship? I would challenge you, pick your closest human friend and then imagine what would happen if you invested the same amount of time and effort into that relationship as you do in your relationship with Christ. Would you be just as close? Closer? Or would you barely see each other, barely talk to each other, and barely care that you weren’t? Think of it this way: closeness with Christ will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from getting close to Christ. You decide.

I would encourage you, don't hesitate to run to Christ this day. He is “a friend that sticks closer than a brother” (Prov. 18:24), who understands your weaknesses and turns them into strengths. We must be consumed with Christ or we will be consumed with this world and by this world.

J.C. Ryle, “Holiness”
“Ought not the patient to be familiar with the Physician? Ought not the bride to be familiar with the Bridegroom? Ought not the sinner to be familiar with the Savior? Beyond doubt it ought to be so. Surely we cannot know this Christ too well! Surely there is not a word, nor a deed, nor a day, nor a step, nor a thought in the record of His life, which ought not to be precious to us.”

Note: I have kidnapped J.C. Ryle. By force I took him as my co-author, and together we wrote this post. I cannot more heartily recommend his writings—especially “Thoughts For Young Men” and “Holiness.” Furthermore, I’m probably not going to release him until we finish this section on Character. Finally, if you see Kris Lundgaard, author of “The Enemy Within,” please warn him that I plan to kidnap him as well. Ransom notes will be coming soon.

Originally posted on August 19th, 2005.

Building a Character House

2006-04-09T09:01:00.000-07:00

I had never heard Mother’s voice like that, and I had never heard her call Father “Charles.” I thought my heart would pound itself to pieces while she was telling him what I had done. Hard as Father could spank, he never hurt me so much with a stick as he did when Mother stopped talking. He cleared his throat, and then he didn’t make a sound for at least two full minutes.

When he spoke, his voice was deep and dry, and I knew he must have been coughing a lot on the way home. “Son, there is no question but what the thing you have done today deserves severe punishment. You might have killed yourself or the horse, but much worse than that, you have injured your own character. A man’s character is like his house. If he tears boards off his house and burns them to keep himself warm and comfortable, his house soon becomes a ruin. A man with a ruined character is a shame on the face of the earth.”

~ LITTLE BRITCHES, BY RALPH MOODY ~

As I read that excerpt, I can’t help but thinking that we are building today the character houses we’ll live in tomorrow; that what each of us will become later in life largely depends on what we are now. J.C. Ryle (1816-1900) wrote in his book, Thoughts For Young Men, “Youth is the seed-time of full age, the molding season in the little space of human life, the turning-point in the history of man’s mind.” Are we taking that seriously?

We must understand that there’s a tsunami of “advances” coming that will profoundly damage all but the sturdiest character houses. We’ve got to be working now so that when the wave comes, we’re ready for it. Robert Freeman once said, “Character is not made in a crisis—it is only exhibited.” The crisis is coming, what we need to ask ourselves is, “What kind of character will this crisis reveal? Am I strong enough to resist sin? Am I consistent in saying no to temptation? Or do I only get by when there is nothing there to tempt me?”

Remember, the time is coming where it will become more and more difficult to avoid sin and more and more necessary to develop the strength of character to resist it, fight it, and conquer it.

The landscape is changing rapidly. We must turn to God and plead with Him to grant us the grace to strengthen our character now, before it’s too late. What would you think of a soldier who decided to learn to operate his AK-47 on the battlefield? Or of the parents that wanted to teach their baby to walk on a tightrope? You’d think they were crazy, right? But are you hoping to do something equally extraordinary by putting off the development of your character until you’re in the middle of the storm?

It is now that we must become acquainted with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is now that we must make the Bible our intimate guide and adviser. It is now that we must get a clear picture of the evil of sin. If we don't get serious about these things today it won't happen. Do not underestimate the power of habit—especially the habits of youth.

J.C. Ryle put it well when he said, “Habits are like stones rolling downhill, the further they roll, the faster and more uncontrollable is their course. Habits, like trees, are strengthened by age. A boy may bend an oak, when it is a sapling. A hundred men cannot root it up, when it is a full-grown tree.”

The prophet Jeremiah made the same point when he asked, “Can the Ethopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then may you also do good, who are accustomed to do evil.”

If you can get anything out of this post, please, come away believing that you will become what you are and that you will live in the character house you build today. It will never be easier to serve God than it is right now.

Originally posted August 17th, 2005

The Special Challenges of the 21st Century

2006-04-07T03:51:00.000-07:00

On August 19th, 2005, Brett posted the first part of a four-part series on character. Over the next week, we'll be going through that series, both for the many who have not read it, and for the others who cannot be reminded enough about the critical importance of biblical, principled character.

On August 9th, 1995, Netscape, the first mainstream web-browser, went public; and the world has never been the same. But the incredible benefits provided by the Internet are accompanied by lethal dangers. It took three years for the Internet to even begin to take off, but there were already 14 million pornographic Web pages. From 1998 to 2003 that number jumped to 260 million; a 2,000% increase in just five years.

This post is not about pornography; but it is all about how technology presents tremendous new challenges to Christian character; and about what we need to do about it. I strongly believe that it is foolish for my generation to assume that the next ten years will treat them the same way the last ten have. If we think technology has peaked and that things will remain largely the same with just a few added “conveniences,” we are gravely mistaken. Think of any ten-year-olds you know. The Internet is ten years old.

Technology itself and the challenges it presents are in their nascent form.

Over the next 5-10 years advances in technology will allow pornography and the sex industry to push so far into mainstream culture that they will no longer be generally considered dirty or taboo. Yet this is only one of the challenges our generation faces. According to Marvin J. Cetron and Owen Davies from the World Futures Society, medical knowledge and development are currently doubling every eight years. The speed of change in the medical field is outpacing the public’s opinion on the ethics of things such as stem cell research, genetic engineering, cloning, DNA mapping, surrogate motherhood, infertility solutions, selection of a child’s sex, use of fetal tissue, artificial organs, organ cloning, and life support.

Mark Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington, writes: “Technology will continue to reshape people in such a way that their attention spans will be shorter and they will have difficulty distinguishing truth and lies, and the deluge of information will become so great that separating the useful from the trivial will be laborious. [Furthermore] the tsunami of information and services customized to please individual people will create a culture of self-absorbed, narcissistic people consumed with themselves and unconcerned about serving other people.”

These are barely the tip of the iceberg; but their magnitude and scope are unique to our generation. Which is why you must be aware of them. In a world that continues to celebrate debauchery and advance technologically the moral challenges facing our generation will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen.

I am convinced that as our world continues to change it will become more and more difficult to actually avoid exposure to sin and will become more and more necessary to develop the strength of character to resist it, fight it, and conquer it.

I’m calling you to be the kind of young men and women who are willing to fight the fight against sin. I’m calling you to cut off your hand or gouge out your eye rather than lose your soul (Matthew 5:29-30). Character is a victory, not a gift. It requires war, not diplomacy.

The time for lukewarm Christianity is behind us. This country will not survive another generation of Christians that fit in.

If Christ Was Not There...

2006-04-04T05:05:00.000-07:00

The title of this post is taken from one by über-blogger Tim Challies about two weeks ago. Mr. Challies was at the time reading a book that I was also reading, God Is the Gospel by John Piper. Both of us were struck by the following passage:

The critical question for our generation--and for every generation--is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there?

I'm ashamed to admit that far too often I find myself at a place where I feel that I could be completely satisfied with a beautiful, bountiful, sinless, sorrowless, and Christless heaven — a heaven that, as Mr. Challies writes, "[does] not include the one who purchased my redemption so that I could be there in the first place."

As Piper says, "The best and final gift of the gospel is that we gain Christ!" And yet "in place of this, we have turned the love of God and the gospel of Christ into a divine endorsement of our delights in many lesser things."

To quote Mr. Challies again:

And so we return to the question: If I could have a heaven that was built around all I wanted and all I loved and all I desired at my weaker moments, would this satisfy me? I know in my heart of hearts that it would not, for I know that it would not be heaven if Christ were not present. But in my day-to-day life, I know that I often consider heaven as being a place where what is most important to me is what is most important to me here on earth. This would be true, if only Christ were always foremost in my thoughts here and now.

Do I wish to be a man of character and competence? Do I long to be ready and able to accomplish all that God has called me to do? Then let me treasure Christ above all else.

As Piper writes, "Nothing fits a person to be more useful on earth than to be more ready for heaven. This is true because readiness for heaven means taking pleasure in beholding the Lord Jesus, and beholding the glory of the Lord means being changed into His likeness."

Merchants of Cool: Teens, Culture, and MTV

2006-03-31T11:15:00.000-08:00

In January of 2004, David Kupelian, vice president and managing editor of WorldNetDaily.com and Whistleblower Magazine, published a shocking, but excellent, exposé of modern youth culture (Link: Part 1 - Part 2), based in part upon a 2001 PBS Frontline documentary (Link: The Merchants of Cool).

CAUTION: Due to the nature of the topic, Mr. Kupelian's article and the Frontline documentary (linked to above in order to give proper credit) contain graphic language, as well as disturbing themes, images, and descriptions. This post includes choice excerpts, in hopes that you won't have to dig through any grime to find them yourself.

Both article and documentary were targeted at an adult audience, however, much of the information is of arguably greater importance to young people themselves. In this post I will be letting Mr. Kupelian and others speak for themselves, with brief additional commentary. Please consider carefully what they have to say:

"They want to be cool. They are impressionable, and they have the cash. They are corporate America's $150 billion dream."

That's the opening statement in PBS's stunning 2001 Frontline documentary, "Merchants of Cool," narrated by Douglas Rushkoff. What emerges in the following 60 minutes is a scandalous portrait of how major corporations – Viacom, Disney, AOL/Time Warner and others – study America's children like laboratory rats, in order to sell them billions of dollars in merchandise by tempting, degrading and corrupting them.

Think that's a bit of an overstatement?

It's an understatement.

Both Mr. Kupelian's commentary and the Frontline documentary confirm many of the messages we've written about here on The Rebelution. They do so by going in depth and undercover into modern, media-defined youth culture:

"Today," [Frontline correspondent Douglas Rushkoff] discloses, "five enormous companies are responsible for selling nearly all of youth culture. These are the true merchants of cool: Rupert Murdoch's Newscorp, Disney, Viacom, Universal Vivendi, and AOL/Time Warner."

"The entertainment companies, which are a handful of massive conglomerates that own four of the five music companies that sell 90 percent of the music in the United States – those same companies also own all the film studios, all the major TV networks, all the TV stations pretty much in the 10 largest markets," University of Illinois Communications Professor Robert McChesney reveals in the documentary. "They own all or part of every single commercial cable channel."

Professor McChesney echoes the theme of The Rebelution's post My iPod Is My Best Friend, explaining how the entertainment companies use all forms of media to shape and mold the character, and consequently, the desires of young people:

"They look at the teen market as part of this massive empire that they're colonizing... [A]nd their weaponry are films, music, books, CDs, Internet access, clothing, amusement parks, sports teams. That's all this weaponry they have to make money off of this market."

And as The Rebelution wrote in The Myth of Adolescence:

[M]edia-saturated youth culture, not only follows trends and fads, but it creates them. Classrooms, TV shows, magazines, and websites, are not only addressing us at the level of social expectations, but they are in fact dictating those expectations.

Mr. Kupelian agrees, describing the same concept with even greater candidness:

[C]ompanies are creating new and lower and more shocking... marketing campaigns, disguised as genuine, authentic expressions of youthful searching for identity and belonging, for the sole purpose of profiting financially from America's children...

This would be bad enough – if corporate America were just following and marketing the basest instincts of confused, unsupervised teenagers. But they are not following, they are leading – downward.

According to Rushkoff, it's a vicious cycle:

"It's one enclosed feedback loop," Rushkoff says. "Kids' culture and media culture are now one and the same, and it becomes impossible to tell which came first--the anger or the marketing of the anger."

And as Frontline reports:

[O]bservers say [that] as everyone from record promoters to TV executives to movie producers besieges today's teens with pseudo-authentic marketing pitches, teenagers increasingly look to the media to provide them with a ready-made identity predicated on today's version of what's cool.

Both Mr. Kupelian and the documentary spend a considerable time addressing two such "cool" creations of corporate youth-marketing: the "mook" and the "midriff."

The mook, Mr. Kupelian states, is a caricature of the wild, uninhibited, outrageous and amoral male. Take for instance, professional wrestling, the most-watched shows among teen males today.

The midriff, on the other hand, is a mini Britney Spears, obsessed with appearances — a sexual object, but proud of it. While the mook is arrested in adolescence, the midriff is prematurely adult. As was written in The Myth of Adolescence:

In what could be considered the most maddening aspect of this crisis, not all areas of maturity are being stunted... It is heartbreaking that so many young girls, while constantly pressed to become more and more sexually alluring, are not expected to attain any notable level of character beneath the surface.

And of course, the media is very careful to undermine the young person's ability to receive and benefit from the wisdom and experience of their parents and other God-established figures of authority:

[S]ays Miller, "it's part of the official rock video world view, it's part of the official advertising world view, that your parents are creeps, teachers are nerds and idiots, authority figures are laughable, nobody can really understand kids except the corporate sponsor."

The purpose of Mr. Kupelian's article (and the purpose of this post) is not to create a feeling of hopelessness, but to call us to action — to wake up and recognize the lies of our culture for exactly what they are: lies. As Mr. Kupelian concludes, our only hope in combating the culture is to "create (or plug into) another culture entirely - a subculture."

Mr. Kupelian, sir, thank you for stating the truth with such boldness. Allow me to introduce you to The Rebelution.

For those of you who have been around since the beginning, you may remember the post "Rebelize" Your Youth Group, where the following was written:

The only way to truly combat cultural expectations is to create a [counter] culture that results in an entire community of mature and responsible young people.

Brett and I believe that it was for that very purpose that this blog, and now the conferences, came into existence. Our sidebar of links to fellow rebelutionary's blogs and websites (like Regenerate Our Culture) is just the beginning of an online counter-culture that is quickly becoming a very real Christian youth movement — a movement of young adults rebelling against the rebellion and corruption that is being constantly thrown at them.

Thoughts, ideas, or questions? The comments section is open.

The World Is Flat (Part 1): Competition On Our Plateau

2006-03-30T16:19:00.000-08:00

On August 9, 2005, Brett posted the first installment of The Rebelution's first-ever series: "The World Is Flat." He had just finished Thomas Friedman's book by that title, and was asking himself, "How does a level global playing field affect teenagers?" The following post was his attempt at answering those questions.

The convergence of technology and events over the past several decades has allowed India and China, as well as many other countries, to become major players in the global supply chain for services and manufacturing; so argues Thomas L. Friedman in his book, "The World Is Flat." As the title indicates, Friedman believes that the playing field is being leveled.

This isn’t news to us. The “Made In China” label can be found on winter jackets from Timberland, on the cheap toys accompanying McDonald’s Happy Meals, and on the yellow Livestrong bracelets that champion cancer research. Many of us have recognized the thinly veiled Indian accent of the young man walking us through our computer glitch, though not all of us know that this Microsoft employee is actually working from a cubicle in Bangalore, India.

Technology has multiplied the possibilities for collaboration. Call center operators and assembly line workers can be hired, paid, and put to work wherever it is cheapest and most efficient to do so. This is recognized by Microsoft, Dell, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Nike, Wal-Mart, Texas Instruments, etc, etc, etc. The newest methods of collaboration have been adopted in the medical field, where doctors can scan handwritten medical reports, diagnoses, and prescriptions at night before heading home and receive them back the next morning as transferable digital files (carefully transcribed by workers in India) and peer reviewed (most likely from doctors in India or Australia who operate in the opposite day/night time zone).

This means that China, India, Australia, etc. are gaining the ability to do work that they wouldn’t have been able to do 10 years ago. More importantly, they've taken work that was done by Americans 5 years ago and are doing it for a fraction of the cost. Why the change? Technology. Fiber optic cables that run to all corners of the globe carry anything that can be digitized, and countries far behind us are picking themselves back up by feeding on the scraps from our table. They do our manufacturing, they man our call centers, and they wait their turn. For now many of them seem to understand that the United States paves the way, but others seem ill content to remain inferior. As one Chinese businessman put it, “First we were scared of the wolf, then we wanted to dance with the wolf, and now we want to be the wolf.”

These countries have been pushing themselves to compete with the U.S. and have now been granted the technology to stand on our plateau. The question is, “Are we ready for them?

Registration Open For Orlando Conference

2006-03-28T05:56:00.000-08:00

The Rebelution is still looking for hosts for the 2007 tour [Click here for target regions and cities]. If you have already contacted us about hosting please make sure that we have contact information for you. You can email us at: rebelution [dot] blogspot [at] gmail [dot] com

Do Hard Things in the Midst of Pain

2006-03-26T12:05:00.000-08:00

Faith Felicity was born to Joel and Kimberly Harris on August 8th, 2005, about 10 months after their wedding. However, as ultrasounds had revealed prior to birth, Faith had a severe congenital heart defect called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), a complicated medical condition and the most severe of congenital heart defects. It can be most simply understood that Faith had only half a heart.

The plan was to undergo a sequence of three open heart surgeries known as the Norwood Procedure. But because of further abnormalities of Faith's heart, an infant heart transplant was the only option. Joel, Kimi, and Faith immediately relocated to Loma Linda, CA, to await an available heart. It never came.

On October 6th, 2005, Faith Felicity went to be with the Lord — having touched the lives of untold thousands in her two months on earth. Her legacy lives on in the lives of her parents, Joel and Kimberly, who suffered greatly, but did so with patience, hope, and an abiding faith.

Kimberly Noelle Harris (or Kimi), who has just recently started the blog, Kimi Harris, Nonconformist, is much more than a sister-in-law to us. She is lover of Christ who inspires us to greater devotion. She is a seeker of God who moves us to press in harder after holiness. And she is particularly qualified to write on the subject of pain and suffering. In the following guest post, she does so eloquently and beautifully.

Christ promised many things for us, and some of my favorite promises are found in John 14. We find in this chapter the promise of an eternal home with Him, the promise of the Holy Spirit for our help, a promise to answer prayers and, one of my favorite promises, a promise for His peace:

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful." (John 14:27)

The reason this verse means so much to me is because I know of His other promises. He has also told us that we will be persecuted:

"Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you..." (John 15:20)

But not only will most of us deal with persecution, but we we will also deal with "various trials." This could include personal sickness or disease, birth defects, paralysis, death of close friends and family and the list goes on. This is why in both 1 Peter 1 and James 1, we find references to rejoicing in the midst of trials.

I don't bring this up to be a doomsayer, or to bring fear or discouragement, but rather to encourage you in your walk of doing hard things. I would like to encourage you to do hard things in the midst of persecution and hard trials.

It is easy to get excited about the idea of being a rebelutionary but have inaccurate ideas of what that will be like. We could have visions of going out and changing the world with our wise rhetoric, outstanding logic, and courageous stand. The crowds cheer and the confetti falls. This, of course, is possible.

However, if we follow hard enough after God we are most likely going to meet bitter opposition and ridicule from the world. This, on top of personal pain found in this sinful fallen world, could potentially squash a young rebelutionary's ambition.

In an attempt to prepare hearts and minds for the likely hardships of being a disciple of Christ, I would like to bring to the table a discussion of suffering. One of the great themes of this blog is doing hard things. One of the hardest things we will do in this life, is to go through suffering or persecution in a God-exalting way.

I do not intend this post to be a comprehensive theology of suffering, but rather I would like to propose a few challenges to you in how you deal with pain and persecution.
Challenge #1: Do what's right, even when it costs you.
When I was on a secular campus, saying the politically incorrect but biblical viewpoint could cost you your social standing, your teacher's approval and your grade. Will you be silent, or will you take a stand? In this day and age, you could even lose your job for sharing Christ with your co-workers. Do you consider soul winning important enough to lose your job over?

College campuses aside, standing up for unpopular biblical ideas will often cost you discomfort, ridicule and scorn -- even from more secularized Christians. Will you be passive in the face of opposition? Or will you be courageous despite the opposition?

It is possible that persecution in the United States will become much worse very soon. Dr. Albert Mohler estimates that in ten years it will be illegal to preach the gospel in our "free" nation. If that day comes, what and who will you stand for? Would you be willing to stand up for your beliefs even if it meant imprisonment?

Christ was ridiculed and persecuted. And if we are truly following Him we should expect the same. Do hard things. Stand by His strength.
Challenge #2: Worship God when pain enters your life.
The Book of Job offers a striking example of this when Job's entire world falls apart. His wealth is taken away, his children are killed; and all for no apparent reason. How does he respond? He grieves, he tears his robe, he falls down and worships God.

Wow. Are you up for that?

Our society -- including much of the Christian world -- says it's okay to be angry and bitter when calamity strikes. That's the easy, natural thing to do. The trial does hurt, it does bring searing pain. Our automatic response is anger. But the hard thing, and even more importantly, the right thing to do while grieving, is to worship God.

Why would you, and more importantly, how could you do this? That brings me to...

Challenge #3: View God as more valuable than all else.

What could possibly make us willing to give up our freedom, our standing in the world, and our comforts, all for the sake Christ? The answer is to catch a glimpse of the infinite value of Christ -- His immense worth and complete beauty.

When your health fails, a family member dies, you face infertility, loss of wealth, or if Mr. or Mrs. Right never comes, why would you -- and how could you -- still choose to worship God? If you know the all-surpassing value of God; and if His absolute sufficiency satisfies you; then you won't be able to do anything else.

This is the foundational truth that prepares and helps us deal with pain. It is not attempting to downplay the ache of loss or the pain of disease, but it is recognizing the superior worth of Christ.

Remember the parables that Christ spoke about the kingdom of heaven being like a treasure and a pearl?

"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field which a man found and hid again, and from joy over it he goes and sells all the he has and buys that field. Again the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it." Matthew 13:44-45

Notice that both of these men gave up ALL, yet they did it with great joy! Why the joy? Once again, it is because they recognized the superior worth of what they were obtaining for their sacrifice. If we can wrap our minds around this incredible truth, then we can more fully understand the meaning of James 1:2, where we are instructed to "consider it all joy" when we face various trials -- and we will be better prepared for every trial this world holds for us.

In closing, I would like to make one final point. If you have gained the impression that facing trials correctly is done in our own strength, then you have misunderstood. It is only through God's opening our eyes to His worth, and through our relying on Him, that we can do right.

It is not about pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps, it is about kneeling before Him in humble submission, crying for help, confident in His eternal mercy.

May we all rely on Him more, and ourselves less. May we consider ourselves lowly, and Him highly. May we consider ourselves weak, but Him strong. And when the storms of life break, take comfort in His promise that He will never leave us nor forsake us.

For a more thorough understanding of suffering, listen to or read John Piper's series entitled, Job: Five Sermons on Suffering, read Joni Eareckson Tada's book, When God Weeps, or Trusting God: Even When Life Hurts by Jerry Bridges.

Make sure you visit Kimi's blog, read her post on what it means to be a 'nonconformist', leave her a comment, and bookmark her blog.

The Rebelution: A Challenge For My Generation

2006-03-25T14:23:00.000-08:00

On the evening of August 8, 2005, two days after Alex started his blog "Conscientious Contemplation," his twin brother Brett decided to start a blog called "Rebelution" and posted a short paper he had written a few months earlier.

Should I ignorantly assume that the blessings I have received in way of gifting & talent, position & family, country & freedom, have been given blindly and without purpose? Should I, heedless of their potential, throw these things away for the sake of convenience? Will I take the road so often traveled and go with the flow rather than against the current? Will I choose the fate of the common man or that of the uncommon man?

Needless to say, a life of sin and sorrow is readily available to all, whereas a life of purity, honor, and virtue is only granted to a precious few. The gifts necessary to change the world are as rare as the man who tries it, while the ability to conform to the world is evident in all its abundance.

The path of the righteous man is overgrown and seldom used. It is a lonely road, often uphill and through deep valleys. The common way offers many amenities, it is a well-worn path, easily traveled and with plenty of company.

Righteousness is work comprised of fleeing from temptation, running to Christ, fighting the good fight, running the race, and wrestling with myself. Complacency, however, offers a road devoid of care. I give myself to the very things I should flee from and fight with. So much easier to choose, so much simpler, and just what we want—yet not what I want.

To change the world God has changed my heart. To fight the fight God has won the war. To run the race Christ has set me free. All this is mine through Christ Jesus my Lord, yet this is the road often missed, often forgotten, often ignored.

The harder road lies before those who choose life and godliness, yet the greater destination, a glorious paradise and a wonderful feast.

This is the path I have chosen, to follow God and to do His will—to change the world, to be a leader—to shine as a light in the darkness that I’ve been placed in, not by chance, but by sovereign purposeful design. Should a candle set in a dark room assume that darkness is his fate? Would it be acceptable for the candle to make peace with the darkness? Not when he holds the potential for glorious light!

Therefore I must take all precautions to guard myself in all holiness, righteousness, and purity. Sin cannot be endured. The war is on, the fight is God's—therefore I will be victorious. No truces will be made; no terms will be accepted. Victory is my end and that through Jesus Christ.

Reminding myself that one slip will destroy all possibilities of great service I will take and pursue all measures of accountability and protection. For if sin reigns I am ruined, and if it gains I have lost.

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: because of the Lord’s great love I am not consumed, for His compassion’s never fail. They are new every morning; great is His faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.”

In what confidence, you ask, do I make such resolve? Not in my strength for it has failed. Not in my previous accomplishments for they are pale. Not in hope of willpower for it is weak and corrupt. Not in conscience for it is dull. Not in my head, or arms, or legs, or hands, or feet, or anything in me that could supply strength physically, mentally, or spiritually, for they have all failed. They have all fallen short. They have all broken promises they vowed to keep. They have never brought me true or lasting success. They never will. I have no hope in myself.

In what confidence, you ask, do I make such resolve? I make resolve in the strength of God, in the grace, mercy, and power of Jesus Christ. In the salvation I know I have through Him. From the righteousness I have received from Him, from the robes of white that cover my sin, from His blood that was spilt for me, for the love that I feel in His embrace, for everything that is not me and is Him—in this I trust and in this I rest my hope.

You may wonder on reading this whether I will follow through with this resolution. Will it be only sad irony ten years hence that such a thing was ever written by these hands? Will this be a scrap of broken dreams and aspirations? Will I forget in an hour what was so clear and true now?

The answer to those questions will be decided by where I put my trust. Know this to be true: if my trust, despite my words, is in myself, then laugh at my humiliation. What a fool I was. Yet if my trust, as my words testify, is in God, then know with unwavering clarity that there is nowhere I will not go, no mountain I will not climb, no success that will not be realized, as long as all is done for God's glory and in His strength. If my trust is in Him, then honor Him for my success. It will be beyond my dreams and yours if He can only pull my trust to Himself for its eternal resting place.

Who am I? I’m a Christian.

Playing Catch Up: Atheism, Predestination, Books, Music, Mice and Governmental Spheres

2006-03-24T11:55:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, August 6, 2005, some guy named Alex Harris started a blog called Conscientious Contemplation, with this as his first post.

I probably should have started this some time ago... As it stands now, I have a lot to catch you up on. Because of this, I will not be discussing each topic at the depth that I would like. As a further note, please forgive me for being URL happy on my first post. I should calm down, somewhat, within a few months.

To begin, I would really like to get my two latest writing projects (the first a practical and philosophical critique of atheism and the second a nearly 10,000 word argument for the Calvinist doctrine of predestination) on here, but I haven't figured out a way to host them where they can be downloaded. I'll let you know when I do.

More recently my primary focus has been a semi-intense reading plan my father put together for Brett and I, the details of which are outlined below:

Current Reading:

'Future Grace' by John Piper
'The Lexus and the Olive Tree' by Thomas L. Friedman
'America and Vietnam' by Albert Marrin
'Winning the Future' by Newt Gingrich

Completed Reading:

'The Tipping Point' by Malcolm Gladwell
'Joshua Generation' by Michael Farris
'The Radical Reformission' by Mark Driscoll
'The Fabric of the Cosmos' by Brian Greene
'The Enemy Within' by Kris Lungaard
'The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination' by Loraine Boettner
'God's Lesser Glory' by Bruce A. Ware

Coming Up:

'The Underground History of American Education' by John Taylor Gatto
'The Harsh Truth About Public Schools' by Bruce Shortt
'The World is Flat' both by Thomas L. Friedman
'The Most Real Being' by J.A. Crabtree

Suffice to say that the great wealth of knowledge that my mind is being forced to digest is having a profoundly positive effect on my overall understanding and awareness of the world around me. Philosophy class (coupled with my own theological study and my current reading) has really served to connect a myriad of things in my mind.

Moving on: In the world of music we are currently enamored with the British band Keane. The trios unusual makeup of only piano, drums, and vocals makes them unique by itself, but their musical talent and maturity is what sets them apart, in my opinion. Their album 'Hopes and Fears' is one of the few where you come to love every track.

As a random fact, I wish I could get one of these, even though I have a laptop.

To conclude, I recently read Alabama Supreme Court Justice Tom Parker's dissenting opinion in a child custody case that has been making headlines recently among the legal and judicial community. The attention is due to several unique aspects of the decision. First, 7 of the 9 justices wrote opinions on the case (unheard of numbers). And second, several justices made multiple references to Scripture to support their decisions. However, it was Justice Parker's lone dissent that I found most compelling and true to both the Founder's intent and biblical teaching on governmental spheres of authority. The AP article on the decision can be found here. Fellow blogger Chad Degenhart links to the full text of Justice Parker's opinion and includes a few (though not all) of the more relevant excerpts here.

There you have it: a highly condensed summary of my recent contemplations. Soli Deo Gloria

Two days later (August 8, 2005) Alex was pleased to announce the availability of his most recent writing projects (mentioned above):

1.) A Practical and Philosophical Dissertation on Atheism

2.) A Treatise Regarding the Supposed Incompatibility of the Divine Sovereignty and the Human Will

(Heart) Breaking News

2006-03-23T03:57:00.000-08:00

Temporary Suspension
The Rebelution Blog is sorry to announce the temporary suspension of our new series "Busy Signal(s)," which will cover the dangers of our generation's media saturation, as well as the innovative and creative ways technology can be used. The reason for this suspension is simple: we don't have time to write it.

The Rebelutionary Cause
Alex and I are currently "stationed" in beautiful Alabama, doing some of the hardest, biggest things we've ever done. We believe we're going to break the twine and twig of cultural expectations in a way few teens have done in recent history. And we'll need your help.

One of the ongoing ways you can help is by being patient as we allow our current obligations in Alabama to steal time away from writing here on the blog. We promise that our work In Alabama is for you guys. We're trying to practice what we preach in a big way -- and in a way that will open doors for all of you. However, in order for us to really aim for excellence, the focus that has made this blog successful must be transferred to our current efforts.

The "Sweet" Suspension Plan
The current plan is to post Rebelution Re-Runs, by going through the archives and educating many of our new readers with some of the essential (and fun) history of The Rebelution. These re-runs will be posted throughout each week, with new posts (currently our "Busy Signal(s)" series) coming out once a week, most likely on Sundays.

We are also in the process of recruiting several excellent guest posters to address a wide range of subjects that will interest rebelutionaries. The duration of this format is indefinite, but who cares? It will be a blast!

The Mysterious Preview
As you may have noticed, we haven't actually told you what we're doing in Alabama -- that's because we can't, yet. But we are very excited about how it will change the landscape for teenagers across the country, by turning culture's expectations upside down. You'll be hearing from us soon about what's going on, and especially, how you can get involved. Stay tuned.

Busy Signal(s): Our Wired Generation

2006-03-21T08:12:00.000-08:00

"Last night, I was watching "Sex in the City" on TiVo with my friend and my dad. I heard this song. I really wanted to download it, but I didn't know what it was called. So, first I went online and I tried to download. I couldn't, but then I was online. One of my friends who had been out of town was back, and I saw him online and we started talking. Then I went back to watch "Sex in the City." I just kept going back and forth. I was eating ice cream too. Then I checked my email. It was late at night. It was getting later. So I was just talking to people. No one really went out because it was Father's Day."

~ Heather, 11th grade, Chicago, June 2003 ~

Welcome to the Generation of the Millenials (born 1980+) -- we are plugged-in, switched on, charged up, and constantly connected to a network of digital devices and multimedia, bringing the "world" to our fingertips in a way no previous generation has experienced.

According to a June 2003 study conducted by Harris Interactive and Teenage Research Unlimited (TRU), the average 13-24 year old spends a cumulative 50 hours per week talking on the phone, listening to the radio, surfing the Internet, and watching television. That's more time than they spend in school -- and it doesn't even include watching movies, listening to music, or emailing.

We live in an age where computers, video game consoles, cell phones, satellite & cable television, PSP's, digital cameras, IMing, PDA's, iPods and TiVo rule the teenage playground -- with more and more teens owning them and using them.

On a typical day, a teenager selects from 200+ cable television networks, 5,500 consumer magazine titles, 10,500 radio stations, 30 million blogs, and over 2 billion websites. There are currently 240 million television sets in the U.S. -- 2 million of which are in bathrooms. [1]

Studies continue to show that not only is media and technology pervasive -- we can't get away from it -- but more and more teenagers believe they couldn't live without it. Vicky, a 17-year-old from Chicago, describes life without Internet as, "Tormented: I would just be sitting, trying to think of something to do. That would be my life."

Clearly, this cultural phenomenon deserves our generation's critique, as well our involvement. We cannot afford to act as passive spectators in a digital revolution which is reshaping us, our peers, and our world.

The consequences of media saturation, such as multitasking and our dependence on instant gratification, must be addressed. The effects of media saturation on brain function, school and work performance, family relationships, and our walk with God must be carefully examined.

Technology is not bad. We must look for the positive and innovative ways in which we can use and adapt to new technology. But we must never forget what it can't do -- and more importantly -- what we can't do while we're using it.

To Be Continued.

[1] "Born To Be Wired: The Role of New Media for Digital Generation" Executive Summary from Harris Interactive and Teenage Research Unlimited (TRU) - Commissioned by Yahoo! and Carat Interactive.
[2] Images courtesy of Harris Interactive and Teenage Research Unlimited (TRU)

Reflections On A Teenage Edwards

2006-03-20T11:10:00.000-08:00

In God's wisdom reflection is best done in retrospect, rather than at outset. As we bring our series, "A Teenager's Resolutions," to a close, we would like to reflect on five prominant characteristics of young Jonathan Edwards, in hope that we might all be challenged to live our lives with greater passion for holiness and for the glory of God.

Driving Passion For God's Glory
We first observe that at 19 years old, Jonathan Edwards desired to be all he could be for the glory of God. In Resolution #1 Edwards establishes the purpose of every resolution that follows, when he writes, "Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God's glory." In Resolution #5, "Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can."

At 19, Edwards constantly challenged himself for greater victory over sin (#56), greater knowledge of doctrine (#11 - #28), greater discretion in company (see below), and greater "exercise of grace" (#30) -- all for the purpose of glorifying God through the subsequent character and competence his efforts produced. [#2, #4, #6, #41, #47, #50, and #63]

Constant Self-Examination
Secondly, we observe that at 19-years-old Jonathan Edwards thoroughly and consistently practiced self-examination. This inclination is displayed in Resolution #37 where Edwards writes, "Resolved, to inquire every night, as I am going to bed, wherein I have been negligent, what sin I have committed, and wherein I have denied myself: also at the end of every week, month and year," and in Resolution #48, "Resolved, constantly, with the utmost niceness and diligence, and the strictest scrutiny, to be looking into the state of my soul, that I may know whether I have truly an interest in Christ or no; that when I come to die, I may not have any negligence respecting this to repent of."

Edwards' devotedness to searching his own heart, discerning his motives and desires, and then subjecting them to the light of God's truth, is highly admirable. When Edwards focused inwards, he did so in order to bring his heart and mind -- his emotions and his thoughts -- into greater alignment with God's perfect holiness. Too often we focus inwards in order to discern "how we feel" and then we allow our feelings to dictate our actions. At 19, Edwards would have none of that. [See also: #3, #24, #25, #27, #28, #40, #41, #60, #67, and #68]

Tender-Heartedness
We secondly observe that at 19 years old, Jonathan Edwards genuinely cared about people and sought to be agreeable in every social context. In Resolution #70 Edwards wrote, "Let there be something of benevolence, in all that I speak." And in #31, "Resolved, never to say anything at all against anybody, but when it is perfectly agreeable to the highest degree of Christian honor, and of love to mankind."

More than any other subject, Edwards' Resolutions addressed his interaction with his fellow human beings -- including his family. In Resolution #46 he wrote, "Resolved, never to allow the least measure of any fretting uneasiness at my father or mother. Resolved to suffer no effects of it, so much as in the least alteration of speech, or motion of my eye: and to be especially careful of it, with respect to any of our family." In case the 18th century English confuses you, Edwards is making an incredible commitment not to argue or whine with his parents. Not only that, but he pledges not even to allow his temper to reveal itself in his voice, or by rolling his eyes. His love for others was the result of his experiencing the love of Christ. [See also: #13, #16, #31, #32, #33, #36, #47, #58, and #66]

Eternal-Mindedness
Fourthly, we observe that at 19 years old, Jonathan Edwards often thought of death and eternity. In Resolution #7 he writes, "Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life." And in Resolution #17 "Resolved, that I will live so as I shall wish I had done when I come to die." In Resolution #22 young Edwards spoke of obtaining "as much happiness in the other world" as he possibly could. And in Resolution #55 he seeks to act as if he had already seen the "happiness of heaven" and the "hell torments."

Young Edwards' concern was for his reception into eternity -- not the reception of men. He embraced the truth of James 4:14 "You do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." At 19, Edwards would not adopt the "I'm Invincible" attitude of modern teenagers. He both understood and thought about death and eternity. This was not morbid introspection, but served to focus his heart and mind on what really mattered. This long-term perspective prevented him from getting caught up with how he could best attain immediate pleasure and motivated him to strive after eternal pleasure by denying himself. [See also: #9, #10, #19, and #50]

Dependence On Grace
Finally, we observe that at 19 years old, Jonathan Edwards placed his trust, not in his own strength of will, but on the grace and mercy of Almighty God. The only introduction Edwards makes to his 70 Resolutions is this powerful statement: "Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God's help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ's sake."

In Resolution #53 young Edwards determined to "cast and venture my soul on the Lord Jesus Christ, to trust and confide in him, and consecrate myself wholly to him; that from this I may have assurance of my safety, knowing that I confide in my Redeemer." To those who believe Edwards' resolutions and introspection reveal a man-centered view of salvation and assurance -- as opposed to a Christ-centered and grace-dependent view -- believe so no longer. It was love for Christ that prompted Jonathan to strive after holiness, and it was trust in God's grace that made him hope for victory over vice and sin.

Questions for Discussion:

Of the five characteristics outlined above, which two are most lacking your life?
Do you endeavor to develop character and competence for your glory or for God's glory?

When was the last time you spent time inquiring into the state of your soul, your motives, or your current level of love for Christ?

Are you loving others as Christ loved you? Do you, as Edwards' did, place special emphasis on how you treat your family members?

Do you make decisions based on short-term or long-term consequences? When was the last time you thought of the "happiness of Heaven" or the "torments of Hell?"

Do you hope in Christ alone for salvation, and in God's grace alone for progress in your Christian walk? If not, who and/or what are you trusting in instead of God?

Read Part One - Resolutions #1-10
Read Part Two - Resolutions #11-20
Read Part Three - Resolutions #21-30
Read Part Four - Resolutions #31-40
Read Part Five - Resolutions #41-50
Read Part Six - Resolutions #51-60
Read Part Seven - Resolutions #61-70
Read Closing Statements

A Teenager's Resolutions (Part 7)

2006-03-20T10:59:00.000-08:00

THE RESOLUTIONS OF JONATHAN EDWARDS
61. Resolved, that I will not give way to that listlessness which I find unbends and relaxes my mind from being fully and fixedly set on religion, whatever excuse I may have for it-that what my listlessness inclines me to do, is best to be done, etc. May 21, and July 13, 1723.

62. Resolved, never to do anything but duty; and then according to Eph. 6:6-8, do it willingly and cheerfully as unto the Lord, and not to man; "knowing that whatever good thing any man doth, the same shall he receive of the Lord." June 25 and July 13, 1723.

63. On the supposition, that there never was to be but one individual in the world, at any one time, who was properly a complete Christian, in all respects of a right stamp, having Christianity always shining in its true luster, and appearing excellent and lovely, from whatever part and under whatever character viewed: Resolved, to act just as I would do, if I strove with all my might to be that one, who should live in my time. Jan.14' and July '3' 1723.

64. Resolved, when I find those "groanings which cannot be uttered" (Rom. 8:26), of which the Apostle speaks, and those "breakings of soul for the longing it hath," of which the Psalmist speaks, Psalm 119:20, that I will promote them to the utmost of my power, and that I will not be weary, of earnestly endeavoring to vent my desires, nor of the repetitions of such earnestness. July 23, and August 10, 1723.

65. Resolved, very much to exercise myself in this all my life long, viz. with the greatest openness I am capable of, to declare my ways to God, and lay open my soul to him: all my sins, temptations, difficulties, sorrows, fears, hopes, desires, and every thing, and every circumstance; according to Dr. Manton's 27th Sermon on Psalm 119. July 26, and Aug.10 1723.

66. Resolved, that I will endeavor always to keep a benign aspect, and air of acting and speaking in all places, and in all companies, except it should so happen that duty requires otherwise.

67. Resolved, after afflictions, to inquire, what I am the better for them, what good I have got by them, and what I might have got by them.

68. Resolved, to confess frankly to myself all that which I find in myself, either infirmity or sin; and, if it be what concerns religion, also to confess the whole case to God, and implore needed help. July 23, and August 10, 1723.

69. Resolved, always to do that, which I shall wish I had done when I see others do it. Aug. 11, 1723.

70. Let there be something of benevolence, in all that I speak. Aug. 17, 1723

Questions For Discussion:

In #61 Edwards speaks of "listlessness." How often do you feel "listless" and what do you do to deal with it? In what ways have you endeavored to re-fix your mind on Christ?
In #63 Edwards writes of "a complete Christian." What would such a person be like? Have you ever known someone who would fit Edwards' description?

In #65 Edwards speaks of laying his soul open to God: "all my sins, temptations, difficulties, sorrows, fears, hopes, desires, and every thing, and every circumstance." When was the last time you quiet time with the Lord (no iPod, no anything) and opened your soul to Him?

Terri Schiavo: Teen Blog Roundup (Part 2)

2006-03-19T06:31:00.000-08:00

Karen of Rhetorical Response reminds us of why she is one of our favorite teen bloggers:

In The Abolition of Man, CS Lewis correctly predicted the moral state of the western world. With the decline of firm belief in absolutes, the modern world has been left with a moral code that is little more than a frail shell. This code cannot stand against serious onslaughts and shatters when the need for strength and resolve is greatest.

Perhaps the most tragic example of the consequences of weakened principles is the life and death of Terri Schiavo, the woman who, one year ago, was starved to death by the will of her own husband. At a time when protecting those too weak to protect themselves ought to have been the primary concern, America's moral code betrayed some of its greatest principles: the sanctity of life and the defense of the weak and helpless... [read the rest]

Catch Word puts forth an excellent critique of a culture that has deified the Enlightenment concept of reason:

In a world defined by reason and feelings, there is no room for humanity. Reasonable people should think it only sensible to let Terri go. She was in a vegetative state that any reasonable person would abhor. Think of all that she had been. And now to be confined to this broken, twisted body… How could we let her go on like that? What reason was there? With Terri’s right to die we have carried, “I think therefore I am,” to “We can see that you think, therefore you are.”

What reason? That is where the paradigm of Reason breaks down. It is an unanswerable question. Why are we here and what makes us human? For what reason? Humanity is more than reason, and we know it. That’s why we go away from a book of logical plots and cardboard characters unsatisfied. In a world devoid of spiritual realities though, “I” is the only logical answer to the meaning of life. But as nice as that sounds, it is not at all fulfilling.

Humanity is more than rational thought. Life is more than happiness. “I think therefore I am” is not enough to explain the love of a mother for her difficult child or helpless laughter at your best friend’s stupid joke or the sacrifice of patriots for generations they will never meet. These belong to the realm of something bigger than reason… [read the rest]