Kirkmont Youth Newsletter

YS STUDENT NEWSLETTER #329

February 18, 2008

Contents
1. Something for Your Heart
2. Surf Report
3. Forgettable Fact
4. Potent Quotables
5. Parting Shot

DON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID!

You get to make a lot of decisions in your life--even decisions that can have a big impact on your future. There's no "magic" formula to getting it right. Making good decisions takes wisdom, and in this book you'll learn how to gain more wisdom and put it to use in the choices you make.

Learn more about "Wisdom On...Making Good Decisions" here.
https://shop.youthspecialties.com/store/product.php?productid=564

Also available in your local Christian bookstore.

Find a Christian bookstore near you:
http://www.youthspecialties.com/store/dealers/

1. SOMETHING FOR YOUR HEART

DECISIONS, DECISIONS

Decisions come in all shapes and sizes. Some are minor and have little or no lasting impact: What should I have for lunch? What should I do this weekend? Others can affect your life in a major way: Where should I go to college? Whom should I marry? Some decisions seem minor at first, but turn out to be quite major. Others seem major, but turn out to be no big deal.

The average person makes hundreds of decisions every day, often without even realizing it. Should I keep my cool or lose my temper? Should I speak up or keep my mouth shut? Should I help that person or ignore his need? Those are just some of the choices we make instinctively.

Of course, not all decisions are made this way. Some require serious thought. Some involve scary leaps of faith. Some can tie your stomach into knots and keep you awake at night.

Situations like those can make you forget how amazing it is to be able to make decisions at all. Especially when you consider the alternative. God, with all of his wisdom and power, could have laid out our lives like an instruction manual: START AT POINT A. GO TO POINT B. PROCEED TO POINT C. He could have preprogrammed every moment of our lives. He could have made us robots, slaves to his commands.

But he didn't do that. When he placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, he gave them one rule: Don't eat from the forbidden tree. But then he left it up to them to decide whether or not to obey him. He gave them the freedom to choose.

Freedom of choice separates humans from the rest of God's creation. Animals have no such freedom. They're driven by instinct and opportunity. When an animal in the wild gets hungry, it eats whatever is available. When an animal is threatened, it attacks--or runs away. When an animal is in heat, it mates. It doesn't consider the benefits of monogamy. It doesn't make plans to meet its future in-laws.

We humans certainly have our share of instincts and drives too. But what makes us different from the animals is our capability to control our urges. Humans are able to look at situations from different perspectives. We can weigh the pros and cons before taking any action. We have the freedom to choose.

I waited 23 years--until I was married--to have sex. It was difficult, but I did it. My sex drive was strong, but it didn't overwhelm the decision-making process. I weighed the pros and cons of the situation, and I decided that my long-term purity was more important to me than any short-term pleasure.

God wants us to choose wisely. He's equipped us to choose wisely. But if we still choose unwisely, God won't interfere. Consider the two thieves who were crucified next to Jesus. (You'll find their story in Luke 23:32-43.) One thief mocked and hurled insults at Jesus. The other thief responded, in essence, "Why are you mocking him? You and I are getting what we deserve, but this man is innocent." He then turned to Jesus and said, "Remember me when you come into your kingdom."

"Today you will be with me in paradise," Jesus promised him.

One man chose to accept Jesus; the other chose to reject him. Notice that Jesus honored both choices. He didn't pressure the first thief to change his opinion. He didn't make threats. And he didn't beg. ("I really am God's Son--the only way to heaven! Please, please, please believe me!") Instead, Jesus allowed the man to make up his own mind. That's how freedom of choice works.

Of course, with freedom comes responsibility. Every choice contains an if and a then: If you choose to do this, then that will happen; if you choose to do that, then this will happen.

The end result is called a consequence, and it's why I'm writing this book. If you want to make wise choices, then you have to consider the consequences of your decisions. Some consequences are positive (as the faithful thief on the cross discovered), some are negative (as the other thief discovered), and some are neutral.

The good news is God has given us plenty of guidance and resources for making good decisions with positive consequences. He filled his Word with wisdom. He created us with brains capable of computing and processing the choices life throws our way. And he made it possible for us to consult and explore his will before we make any decision.

**

Taken from "Wisdom On...Making Good Decisions" by Mark Matlock, copyright 2008, Youth Specialties/Zondervan. Used by permission. Order the book here.
https://shop.youthspecialties.com/store/product.php?productid=564

**

2. SURF REPORT

~ President's Day Quiz--Do you know your Vice-Presidents?
http://www.catsdogs.com/veepquiz.html

~ Presidential Paintball--You may not be old enough to vote, but you can fight it out in a paintball challenge!
http://www.miniclip.com/games/presidential-paintball/en/

3. FORGETTABLE FACT

Each nostril of a human being registers smell in a different way. Smells that are made from the right nostril are more pleasant than the left.

4. POTENT QUOTABLES

"To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace."
~George Washington

"It is easier to do a job right than to explain why you didn't."
~Martin Van Buren

5. PARTING SHOT

If you want to forget all your other troubles, wear too tight shoes.

*All "surf report" internet links and "potent quotables" are provided for informational purposes, and do not imply endorsement by Youth Specialties.