Start collecting your spare change to help build the Esther School! And once you do, send your money to:
Bring Change Campaign
PO Box 7259
Grand Rapids, MI
49510
BRING change to bring CHANGE!
February 1st, 2012Tired Tomatoes
January 15th, 2012Are your tomatoes tired? What about your bananas, or your cheese? When you buy your food from large, chain grocery stores it has to make a long trip (and everyone knows long trips are exhausting!). Because this food often has to travel so far by truck, boat, or airplane, it is bad for creation. The fuel used to transport food for a long distance pollutes the air, and the packaging often ends up in landfills.
So how do you keep your tomatoes, bananas, and other food from being tired? BUY LOCAL! When you buy your food locally, it eliminates the long travel, extra packaging, and a lot of the pollution that comes from transportation – not to mention your food will be a lot less tired (and a lot fresher) when it reaches your mouth! And buying locally means you are supporting your community. When you buy food from your neighbors you are putting your money back into the area where you live!
Do you think buying local will limit what you can buy? Guess again! You can buy all types of food from local farmers’ markets or CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) groups. You can find bread, cheese, fruits, vegetables, and even meat at a market near you. So stop by one today and check it out!
And here’s a fun little video to further explain the whole tired tomato thing . . .
Tips to Love Your Work
January 6th, 2012Do you ever feel lazy when it comes to doing things you don’t want to do? Try these three easy tips to help you do your work and do it well!
Christ in Christmas
December 19th, 2011
Hey girls!
Christmas is just around the corner, can you believe it?!
I am really excited for this next week! It’s packed full of time spent with family, friends, and hot chocolate! It’s really easy to fill up the time around Christmas with these fun activities and others – like sledding, baking cookies, opening presents, and watching Christmas movies. But when we live with integrity, we find ways to keep Christ in Christmas.
This week, how will you remember to keep Christ in Christmas? What can you do for someone else or for yourself to remember that Christmas is about the birth of Jesus – the Savior of the world?
Leave me your comments and share how you are living with integrity this Christmas!
Year-Long Celebration
December 5th, 2011The Christmas gift of Jesus is so great that we should celebrate it for more than just a season! Live with integrity and thank God for all He’s given you!
Worship Wonders
November 14th, 2011
When you hear the word worship, what do you think of?
Do you imagine a church packed full of people singing praise songs? What about sitting in silence? Or eating right?
All of these things (and more!) can be worship. Worship is a time when you focus on God and choose to do things that honor (respect) Him.
This month, Macy on a Mission challenges you look at worship differently than you have before. Worship isn’t limited to the things listed above. It’s a time meant for just you and God. What makes you feel closest to God? Think about that, and use it as your worship this month.
If you aren’t sure what other ways you can worship, here are a few suggestions!
- Quiet time: God tells you to be still. When you are still, quiet, and think only about God, you can hear His voice. You might not physically hear Him whisper in your ear, but He is there. When you stop what you are doing and set aside time for just you and Jesus, you are worshipping Him. When you are building relationships with your friends, you spend time together. So, when you are building a relationship with God, you need to spend time with just Him. Be still.
- Say His name: Do you like it when other people call you by name? God likes it when we call Him by name, too! He has so many different names that help you learn about Him. Next time you spend quiet time with Him, say His names out loud or write them in your journal (Check out Isaiah 9:6, Revelation 1:8, Matthew 1:23, John 10:11, or 1 Timothy 6:15 for a few ideas!).
- Smart Choices: Your body is a gift from God. He made every tiny cell in your body. But even though He gave you your body, it is His temple – He lives in you and you are His masterpiece. He wants you to take the best care of your body by exercising, eating fruits and vegetables, and getting enough sleep. When you do these things with the intent of keeping your temple holy, you are worshipping God.
- Celebrate!: When you get excited at a baseball game, a concert, or a play you might clap your hands or cheer. These are two ways you can express your excitement, happiness, and thankfulness. But how come we don’t use these things to celebrate Jesus and what He did for us? Try this next time you are worshiping! Clap along to a song, jump up and down, and get excited! God saved you!
- Active for the King: The church is the place you attend on Sundays, but God doesn’t live there – He lives in you and the world around you! Spend time in your community helping your neighbors weed their gardens, take out their trash, or collecting food items for a local pantry. God loves you and the people around you. When you help them, you are worshiping God. How will you worship God in your community?
True Friends
November 2nd, 2011
Do you know what it means to have true friends? When you live wisely, you surround yourself with people who love Jesus. Watch to learn more!
10 Ways to Fight Gossip
October 15th, 2011
photo credit: http://www.musical-theater-kids.com/tweens.html
Hey girls! Here are a few ways to help you ditch the gossip this month. Follow these 10 easy steps and you will see your conversations change in no time!
1) Be positive – When a person starts talking negatively about someone, say something positive about them.
2) Stop the news flash – Resist the urge to spread the really juicy news you just heard. If you keep spreading it, that’s gossip!
3) Think before you speak – Think about the words you are going to say before you say them. Are they kind words that will build someone up?
4) Change the subject – if your friends start down the road of gossip, a red flag should go up to trigger a change in subject. Bring up something that’s happening at school, or maybe talk to your friends about a fun project your working on. These things don’t involve talking about people behind their backs.
5) Always think the best – When you hear gossip, go out of your way to think the best about that person. Don’t get so caught up in the negative talk that your view of them gets turned around.
6) Stop the nonsense talk – Have you ever been in a conversation where you realize you are talking about something for no reason? If you and your friends get on the topic about something that doesn’t matter or wont benefit someone else, stop the conversation and change the subject. Make all your conversations helpful and count!
7) Ditch the gossip queen – Do you have a friend who is always gossiping? Talk to her about how gossip hurts herself and others. If she doesn’t stop the gossip, think about finding a new group of friends. Before you know it, her habits will begin to rub off on you. So ditch the gossip before it grabs hold of you!
8 ) Question master – when you hear something that sounds unfair, unreasonable, or untrue, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Ask your friends where they got their news and if it’s really something they should be spreading.
9) Be the stop sign – when you overhear gossip, don’t spread it. Be the stop sign and make it stop.
10) Prayer partner – instead of talking about others, invite your friends to pray for the people in your school, church, families, or friend group who need help. When you turn to prayer, God will help you keep your words on track.
Which one of these is the hardest for you? What about the easiest? Leave me your comments!
Trading Gossip for Praise
October 1st, 2011
Have you ever encouraged someone? Using wise words builds up the people around us! See how trading your gossip for words of praise will encourage everyone this month!
Good Stewards: Recycling Clothes
September 15th, 2011
Hey Girls!
How are you doing with the Clothing Challenge? Is it easy or hard? I can’t wait to hear from all of you, so make sure you leave me your comments!
I wanted to share this video with you. If you watched the previous vlog with the GEMS staff responses to the Clothing Challenge, you will notice that many of us realized how much we have and how much we don’t need. Many of us emptied out our closest at the end of the Challenge and donated our clothes to local churches, clothing donation centers, and recycling plants. These are all great ways to dispose of old clothes because they reuse the goods instead of throwing them away.
When people throw away their old clothes, they end up in landfills and sewers where they can sit for years at a time. This is harmful to creation because the clothes are litter – they pollute the land they sit on and are harmful to animals that find them.
As a Christian, God wants you to be a steward of His creation. Being a steward means you are responsible and take care of what God has given you – which includes your clothes. By donating and recycling your clothes, you are being a responsible steward and taking care of the creation God gave to you.