July/August 2009

Christian Conversation -- If you find it difficult to share your faith or to talk about your beliefs, ask a friend or a group of Christians to gather with you to practice engaging in Christian conversation, listening to God, and supporting one another in living your faith.

David Bailey -- Get to know more about this "hippie folksinger" whose life and music have been an inspiration to many. Learn about his struggle to survive a Glioblastoma brain tumor. Reflect on his song lyrics, and listen to his music videos. Allow his hope and faith to encourage you, especially in the tough times.

Facing Your Fears -- Learn more about this basic human emotion and about how it affects you physically. Then discover how one young person learned to handle feelings of fear and anxiety that were out of control.

Holocaust Personal Histories -- Go beyond the history lesson and let your heart be touched by these intensely personal stories of Holocaust survivors.

Just Breathe -- It's a great way to relax, to handle stress, or even to deal with pain. Being aware of your breathing also opens you to the breath of the Spirit within you. Take some time to learn more about the history and practice of breath prayers.

More Creative Ways to Pray -- If you liked the article on pages 74-76 in devozine, check out Sybil MacBeth's book Praying in Color for hundreds of other ways to pray with color doodles and even computer designs. If doodling isn't your thing, Making Crosses by Ellen Morris Prewitt offers another spiritual practice for experiencing God in doing, not just thinking -- by creating crosses. And if you can't sit still to be creative, Praying with the Body is for you! This illustrated guide will help you pray the Psalms with motion.

More School Excuses -- We wouldn't recommend turning in any of these excuses to your principal, but they are good for a laugh!

Pray with Color -- You don't have to be an artist. Just allow yourself to re-enter the childlike world of coloring, then doodle your prayers or express your thoughts to God as you color mandalas.

Questions God Asks -- Reflect on three of the questions God asks us in scripture. To explore more of these questions, check out Trevor Hudson's book Questions God Asks Us.

R U Tangled Up? -- Take a quiz to see how much time you spend plugged in to media.

Sodom and Gomorrah -- Read the story of these two evil cities in Genesis 18:16-19:29. Then learn more about God's destruction of the cities and about the strange story of Lot's wife turning into a pillar of salt.

Take Another Look -- Restoration isn't always about repairing houses. Sometimes it's about rebuilding relationships or even about restoring the cycle of nature by planting trees to return water to the dry, parched earth in Haiti.

Try a Technology Fast -- Imagine all the good things in life you could tune in to if you decided to turn off the TV. In fact, why not try a media fast for just one day?

Walk a Prayer -- Explore the ancient prayer practice of walking the labyrinth. Then make your own journey on an online finger labyrinth or guided labyrinth exercise. And if you and your youth group would like to follow Ashley's lead and create prayer stations to help you "Recharge Your Faith" (see meditation for August 25, page 70, July/August 2009 issue of devozine), check out these ideas for being Contemplative by Design.

Watch It On YouTube -- Check out the trailer for the movie Pay It Forward. View the clip of Mr. Simonet giving his class an assignment to think of an idea that would change the world and to put it into action. Then see how Trevor's plan begins a ripple effect that really does change people's lives. You'll want to rent the DVD and watch the whole movie!

What Is Humility? Discover the true meaning of humility, and explore some practices that will help you cultivate a humble lifestyle.

When Words Fail -- When life is so hard that we are unable to speak our prayers, God listens to our tears and to our hearts. In times when she can find no words of her own, Sarah Arthur has discovered that praying the Kyrie Eleison ("Lord, have mercy; Christ, have mercy.") is one way she can continue to pray for herself or others.