What do I do? My crush doesn’t like me back!

Posted on February 13, 2013

Youth Devotion Crush
In high school I always fell into the trap of liking someone that didn’t like me back. After several years of tormenting myself with crush after crush that didn’t like me back, I realized there had to be a better way. I’m going to share with you some things that I learned on how to handle crushes not liking me back.

  1. Not every person is going to like you – This really freed me up a lot to enjoy life much more.  I began to realize that not every person I met was going to want to date me. Once I realized this, it took a lot of the pressure off to just enjoy life and not care so much if someone liked me.
  2. Turn around, there is probably someone behind you that does like you – Many times its easy to focus so much on the crush that doesn’t like us, that we don’t realize there is a person right beside or behind us at church or at school that does like us. We miss them many times because we are more focused on trying to get our crush to like us that we miss out on other good opportunities around us.
  3. Take a close look at yourself – If you’re noticing that you’re consistently not getting people to take interest in you, examine yourself. Perhaps you’re doing something that is keeping other people from being interested in you. Check up to see if there is something you can work on to become more attractive to others.
  4. Don’t sweat it – Many times you may not find Mr. or Mrs. Right in your school. Many people meet their significant other in college or after high school. If for some reason you’re not finding someone you click with, you’ve got plenty of time after school to find that special someone.

It can be hard when your crush doesn’t like you back to not get sad and think there is something wrong with you. I encourage you to keep trusting God and relying on Him to be the source of your happiness. Even if your crush never likes you back, you can take comfort knowing that God thinks you’re great!

Pray: God, I thank you that you love me no matter what. Even when my crush doesn’t, you do. I choose to make my happiness be in you, not in what others think of me. Thank you for loving me just the way I am! Amen.

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Real Friends With Benefits

Posted on January 20, 2013

Friends with benefits is a term that has become increasingly more popular recently especially among teenagers and college students. Urban Dictionary defines the term friends with benefits like this:

“Two friends who have a sexual realtionship without being emotionally involved. Typically two good friends who have casual sex without a monogomous relationship or any kind of commitment.”

You probably know people at your school that are friends with benefits.  I believe these relationships are so popular because they fill a need that lots of people want: being friends with someone that you really trust, and also having sex with that person.

I believe that God was the one who created REAL friends with benefits.  Yes, you read that right. God was the one who created REAL friends with benefits. Basically, friends with benefits is simply having sex with a close friend.  I believe that is why God created marriage. Marriage allows for sex with your closest friend.  In fact, REAL friends with benefits(Marriage) is way better than anything that you can find in the relationships at your school. REAL friends with benefits is great because it gives you fulfillment that you can never find in a dating relationship. REAL friends with benefits is something that God created for you to enjoy, in marriage.

I encourage you to not allow yourself to settle for anything less than God’s best when it comes to dating relationships.  Sometimes that might mean you may have to wait until God brings that right person into your life. The great news is, God’s best is worth the wait. God can bring a relationship into your life that will be more than you could ever imagine.

REAL friends with benefits is something that will last a lifetime.  REAL friends with benefits will bring you so much more fulfillment than many of the shallow relationships you’ll find at your school.  So, stay strong and wait until you’re married to enjoy the benefits that God created in a REAL friends with benefits relationship, which is marriage.

Listen:  Those Who Wait by Fireflight

Five Technologies Teenagers Need

Posted on December 29, 2012

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As a teenager, you come across tons of technologies every day. It might be texting a friend or listening to something on your iPod, but more than likely you use tons of technology everyday. We’ve come up with five great technologies that we believe every teenager should embrace.

  1. You Version– this is an awesome online Bible resource. It comes packed with tons of features. For example, it offers apps for many of the popular phone and music players, allowing you to take the Bible with you wherever you go! Other cool features include tons of great Bible reading plans, listening to the Bible being read to you, and lots of great Bible translations. You Version is a must have for teens!
  2. eSword– this is available for download on PC. eSword offers you the chance to really dig into scripture. It offers multiple translations, dictionaries, concordances, and commentaries. That might sound super dull, but I found that this tool can really make reading the Bible way more exciting and help you understand some of those hard to read passages.
  3. Social Media– Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest to throw out a few are actually great ways to grow in your faith. Each platform opens up ways for you to share your faith with your friends. You can share a verse you liked from You Version and suddenly you can encourage 100 of your friends. Also, social media is a great way you can connect with others that feel the same way you do about God. Just make sure you’re always careful about where you share personal info.
  4. iTunes – this is an awesome way to encourage yourself in God. ITunes is packed with tons of great Christian artists who offer encouraging and uplifting messages about God. ITunes offers more than just music. Podcasts are a great free way to get encouraged. There are many podcasts out there to encourage and inspire your walk with God, like Studentdevos. Finally iTunes offers books that are reasonably priced. You are able to have tons of great Christian authors right at your fingertips. ITunes gives you lots of ways to grow spiritually as a teen
  5. Money Tracking App – a way to track your money is a really important tool. Whether you have a job, or just have a few dollars from a birthday or Christmas, you should start keeping track of your money now. With just a few dollars you can open an account at a bank and begin tracking your money. Mint.com also offers a great way to set and track financial goals. No amount of money is too small for you to start putting into place good habits. Make it a habit to start giving now. Give to your local church and watch how much God will bless you as you give. Start good giving and savings habits now. The habits you put in place today will set you up for success in the future!

These are some technologies that if used can really set you up for success in the future! Check them out and let us know what ones you liked!

you’ve messed up sexually…now what?

Posted on November 19, 2012

Its easy when you’ve gone to far sexually to think that there is no hope.  You might think that you’ve messed up too much and there is no hope for you.  This couldn’t be further from the truth.  If you’ve gone to far sexually in a relationship, things aren’t over for you.

Its also easy to think that now you can’t do anything for God or to let going to far with sex make you think that God doesn’t love you or care for you.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  God loves you.  That will never change. He might not be super happy with a choice you made, but that doesn’t change his love to you.

Teenage Devotion - Going too far sexually

So, how do you move beyond going to far sexually?

  1. Talk to God about it. – Simply let God know how you feel about messing up sexually.  The Bible talks about this in 1 John 1:9.  He says if we let him know when we mess up, that he will forgive us, and cleanse us from all our sin.  So let God know about it and don’t let it stop you from talking to God.
  2. Ask God for healing – Depending on the nature of your sexual relationship, you might be experiencing some pain or hurt from the situation.  Ask God for his help and healing for the situation.
  3. Make a new path.  Decide to set up good boundaries in your dating relationships to keep you from going to far sexually again.  Find ways to protect yourself.  Also, continue to stay close to God.  As you fall deeper in love with God, it becomes easier to say no to sexual temptation.

Messing up sexually is not the end.  God is always there to help you get back on track if you’ve messed up sexually.  Remember that you can always go to Him to get the help and healing you need to live a life free from sexual sin.

 

knowing vs doing

Posted on November 15, 2012

Teen Devotions

As a teenager I wanted to be liked so bad. I would do or say anything for a laugh. I remember one time I was trying to impress my cousin. We were camping with our grandparents and I got the great idea to write swear words in the dust on the side of the camper. I got a laugh out of my cousin and later I got into a heap of trouble from my grandma.

I knew when I wrote on the side of the camper that what I was doing was wrong, but I did it anyway. Why? Because there is a difference between knowing and doing. I knew the right thing to do. I knew it was wrong, but I chose to do it anyway.

I believe each day we are faced with decisions. We have to choose each day if we are going to make decisions to live for god or to not live for God. We know the right things to do. We can know that we are to love God and serve him, but until we do something about what we know it will not do us any good. There is a huge difference between knowing and doing.

I encourage you to not only know the principles in the word of God but to do them. This will release the power of God in your life!

“If you decide that it’s a bad thing to worship God , then choose a god you’d rather serve—and do it today. Choose one of the gods your ancestors worshiped from the country beyond The River, or one of the gods of the Amorites, on whose land you’re now living. As for me and my family, we’ll worship God .” (Joshua 24:15 MSG)

The Truth About Sex

Posted on November 14, 2012

Try turning on the TV for more than 30 seconds without seeing a commercial that is sexual in nature or without seeing a TV show that doesn’t have the main characters sleeping around. TV makes sex seem amazing, like it is so great, and we all need to get out there and just starting doing it.

Now in all fairness, sex is amazing. Its fun, and enjoyable. However, the way that most people are using sex today is totally wrong. Sex is meant to be used in one way…marriage. People will tell you that is old fashioned, not possible any more. Don’t believe them for a second.

I have never met a person that waited to have sex until they were married that has regretted it. NOT ONE!! Sex was designed by God as a gift, to be used in a marriage relationship. God wants you to have fun and to enjoy sex…but he asks that you wait until marriage.

Why do you think that is? Is God trying to keep you from having fun? Is he just too old fashioned and asking too much of us to wait? God created sex, and he knows the best way for us to use it. Think of it this way, if you wanted to know how to use your computer, where would you go to find out how? You might start by going to the website of the person that made the computer. You’d start by going to the person that made it to find out how to get it working/how to use it. In the same way, we should go to God to find out the right way to use sex.

God created sex for us to enjoy, but within the boundary of marriage. He’s not trying to keep you from having fun, he’s trying to protect you from heartache, STD’s, and pregnancy.

I encourage you to live your life sexually pure…with God’s help you can do it!

Read: Uncensored–Dating, Relationship, and Sex: You Think You Know, But You Have No Idea by Jeanne Mayo

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