November/December 2008

Be a Peacemaker -- Check out the Peace Learning Center website, which is dedicated to creating a culture of peace by teaching peacemaking and conflict resolution skills to youth and adults. Be sure to try Peace Navigator, the online game that focuses on peacemaking rather than the rage, war, and violence found in many video games. Also visit TakingITGlobal.org, the world's most popular online community for youth interested in making a difference. Connect with other young people, find inspiration, access information, get involved, and take action in your local and global communities.

Click for Food -- Play FreeRice, an online vocabulary game, and for each correct answer, the UN World Food Program will donate 20 grains of rice to end hunger in the world. Or visit the Hunger Site and click a button to provide food to the hungry.

Cutting -- Find out everything you want to know about cutting, why people do it, and how to get help. If you are cutting and want to stop, learn what triggers your urge to cut and what to do when you feel this urge. If a friend is cutting, find out what you can do to help. And if you haven't read it already, check out the raw and honest story by one of our devozine writers about her struggle with self-injury and the help she found through the organization To Write Love On Her Arms.

Death's Friend Grief -- Grief doesn't usually feel like a friend, but it does help us come to terms with death. Learn what grief is and isn't, and learn the stages of grief that you may be experiencing.

Doubles Tips -- Tennis anyone? Hone your doubles skills, and learn how to play together on and off the court.

Eating Disorders -- Learn more about the different kinds of eating disorders, their causes and treatments, and what you can do if you suspect a friend has one of these problems. Also check out devozine's candid conversation with Prelude's Rachel Hockett, who describes her struggle to free herself from an obsession with weight, food, and exercise.

Etch-A-Sketch® Love -- To better understand the unconditional love of God, grab your Bible and read the Book of Hosea. Then use an online Etch-a-Sketch® to create images of love and forgiveness to email to your friends or family members.

Foundation for Hospital Art -- While volunteering at a hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, John Feight came up with the idea of painting the sterile walls to make hospitals a more beautiful place of healing. Through his efforts, over 500,000 volunteers and patients have joined to paint 35,000 murals in hospitals around the world. Find out how you can join a paintfest - there may be one close to you soon!

How Forgiving R U? -- Take a quick quiz to find out, or spend a few minutes evaluating your feelings and actions toward someone you need to forgive. If your hurt is deep, you may need a lesson in "Surviving Snakebite."

Learn More about TWLOHA -- To Write Love On Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people who are struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, or suicide. Get the facts about these issues, read the TWLOHA blog, or get involved. If you need help, check out the long list of resources available to you.

Living with Cancer -- Take time to read and be inspired by Melissa's Prayer Journal, the handwritten prayers of a 19-year old college student as she faced life with cancer. Also, learn more about Gilda's Club, an organization founded in memory of Gilda Radner, the famous comedian who died of cancer. Visit a Clubhouse in your area; or sign up to be notified of the year-end launch of "The Living Room," a new online support community for youth and adults who are living with cancer and for their family and friends. And be sure to check out the long list of resources and information about all kinds of cancer and related issues.

More about Depression -- Get the scoop on depression -- types, symptoms, what causes it, and 5 ways to fight it. Also, check out how devozine writers have learned to cope with depression.

More about Gerry Bertier -- You probably first heard of Gerry Bertier in Remember the Titans, rated one of the best sports movies of all time. Read the story of this famous athlete and his Foundation for Spinal Cord Injury Research. Also learn more about the Wheelchair Olympics, in which Gerry participated after his football career ended, and see what events took place in the Paralympic Games in Beijing this past summer.

Practice Forgiveness -- Discover how to make forgiveness a spiritual practice through which you break down walls and seek reconciliation with others and with God. Many people find that it helps to have daily reminders or exercises, to read what others have said about forgiveness, or to journal.

Practice Shalom -- Learn more about the concept of shalom and begin to practice peace as a spiritual discipline. Support your practice by using daily cues and breath prayers as well as journaling exercises. Also, explore Taize worship, another practice popular with young people, as a source of peace.

Put Your Pennies to Use -- Imagine 83 things you can do with a penny! Or support someone else's little big idea and empower an entrepreneur in the developing world to overcome poverty.

Restorative Justice -- Learn more about this theory of justice that emphasizes repairing the harm caused by criminal behavior. Restorative justice attempts to move beyond punishment in order to change wrongdoers and, if possible, make wrongs right. Check out a review of the movie The Power of Forgiveness, which captures the stories of people and communities who model for us the life of restoration and healing.

Soli Deo Gloria -- Learn more about the dance company begun by devozine writer Rachel Starr Thomson and her cousin Carolyn. The mission of Soli Deo Gloria -- which means "all for God's glory" -- is to praise and serve God through the performing arts.

Stay in Touch -- If you or a friend has moved away, ease the distance with an electronic postcard or devozine e-card.

Surviving Cliques -- Reflect on the pros and cons of cliques. Then learn how to determine if your friendships are healthy ones and how to cope with cliques, whether you are on the inside or are feeling left out.

The Ichthus Symbol -- Find out why the sign of the fish is a Christian symbol. And while you're at it, explore some other symbols of the Christian faith.

The Red Sky Adage -- Explore the origin of this saying, including the reference in Matthew 16:2-3. Then discover if there is any truth in it.

Walking the Labyrinth -- Learn more about this prayer practice and about various ways to walk the labyrinth path. Discover what insights other teens have gained into the meaning of the labyrinth. Then experience walking or being carried through an online labyrinth.

Watch the Homerun Video -- For a little background on the story of 3 college softball players who changed the way the game is played, check out one of the many videos and articles about this amazing act of sportsmanship. Also see the homerun hit and "the carry" on YouTube, and discover what players Sara Tucholsky and Mallory Holtman told devozine about their famous game.

What's a Triathlon? -- Learn more about the history and the future of this multisport event, as well as the ways youth are involved in these events. Then use the same kind of discipline required of an elite athlete to carve out time each day to pray, to do devos, and to read the Bible.