Sorting Through the Issues~ Abby Massung

Once upon a time, it wasn’t really a choice most people had to face. These days, however, it seems like it’s about as common of an option as what clothes you want to wear. Unfortunately, being homosexual is rising in popularity because being that way is becoming a statement to stand out among teens. This topic is an especially difficult one for Christian teens. Homosexuality is wrong, but how are we to treat them? Should we shun them, should we talk to them? I hope this article will help you with these confusing questions.

A Brief Glance at Some Questions…

  A common belief gaining more and more popularity is that homosexuality isn’t a choice. Many homosexuals are now declaring they were born that way. The truth? It goes against nature to be homosexual (note that God calls it unnatural). Although one might argue that man is now born sinful so they could be born homosexual, it is my personal belief this isn’t the case. Besides, even if a man (or woman) is born inclined to that, they must learn to control wrong impulses just as we all must.

  If you’re thinking the choices of others to be homosexual doesn’t affect us, think again! A good example of this can be found in the TV series Supernatural. Dean and Sam Winchester are brothers who travel around the country fighting demons and monsters. They have no home besides their car, so they frequently stay in motels, and more than once the owners of the hotels have suspected the brothers are truly a homosexual couple looking for a room for the night. This isn’t fiction guys, this is reality. It used to be perfectly acceptable for a couple of girls or a couple of guys to travel together and share rooms and etc., but those days are quickly disappearing thanks to the question of homosexuality. Just as suspicion surrounds men and women, suspicion surrounds women and women or men and men. Now, for a pair of girls to share an apartment together and not be dating guys looks bad (trust me, my older sister got in this position). Whether anyone will admit it or not, homosexuals have affected the rest of us.

Close to Home…

  A couple of years ago, I was attending classes set up especially for home school kids, most of which were Christians. So when I saw my closest friend’s Myspace page announcing she was a lesbian, I was floored. After all, this same girl had chosen to read a series of Bible verses for her reading in speech class (where we’d met). How could that very same girl turn around and declare herself to be a lesbian? It didn’t make any sense.

  Followed closely on the heels of that discovery was learning that another close friend had decided she was bi. Now this didn’t throw me off quite as much since she was from a family of atheists and leaned towards more masculine styles. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder how my seemingly normal friends could end up deciding they were anything but straight. I remained their friends, but it was hard to really know how to act about the whole thing when there never seemed to be any middle-ground according to anything I was hearing. We all fell out of touch after some time, but the question still remained. What was the right reaction to this issue?

  I finally started to really think about this several months ago when I became interested in a guy, only to find out he was gay. He was a really nice guy from what I could tell. He didn’t overact being gay in public like so many do, and he had a huge bright smile for everyone.

   

  What the Bible Says…

  Ok, first, let’s start in Genesis. You know, where God laid out the foundation of how things were meant to be. After explain how Eve came into being and God brought her to Adam, Adam declares how together they were one and calls her woman. After that, this statement is made:

  “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and they will become flesh.” ~Genesis 2:24

  Note that God doesn’t make a guy and a girl for Adam and says “Now pick which one you’d rather have.” No. Instead, He created a perfect match for Adam to have for a partner, and in doing so, laid down the foundation of a Biblical marriage for His creations.

  Next we will head over to Leviticus for a moment. The entire 18^th chapter of this book goes into great detail about what is not acceptable in the area of sexual relations. Among this list God gave the Israelites was this:

  “Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.” ~Leviticus 18:22

  So even back in the beginnings of the Old Testament God proclaimed choosing to be a homosexual was wrong. So what does the New Testament have to say about it?

  “Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received within themselves the due penalty for their perversion.” ~Romans 1: 26-27

  (note: I would strongly recommend reading Romans 1:18-32. It explains how these people came to such a low point of immorality. Interestingly enough, it sounds like it perfectly describes America today).

  This makes it perfectly clear that even after God’s covenant with Israel was complete, He still saw homosexuality as being perverse and unnatural.

So What Do You DO?

  Be careful you don’t judge others for being a homosexual. The Bible is filled with warnings about judging others. The reality is, we’re no better than they are. Sin is sin. Our own personal sins maybe be different, but to God, they’re all equally wrong and in need of repentance and forgiveness.

  This doesn’t mean however, that we ought to accept them into our churches as equal Christians (though if they are interested in attending we shouldn’t discourage them as long as they aren’t preforming indecent acts within the church). If you have friends declaring themselves to be Christians and homosexual in the same breath, you need to point out the contradiction to them kindly yet firmly.

 

  “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage –with great patience and careful instruction.” ~2 Timothy 4:2

  “So watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.” ~Luke 17:3

  “But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, and idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not eat.” ~1 Corinthians 5:9-11

  This doesn’t necessarily mean to completely shun them, but it does mean you ought to maintain your distance and try to win them back over to the faith. Although you don’t need to preach to them every day about how wrong they are to be thinking they can be homosexual and Christian, you do need to make it clear to them that it goes against the Bible and try to help them see that whenever an opportune moment presents itself or you feel called to.

  For those who aren’t professing themselves to be Christians, we should attempt to lovingly point them in the right direction. As is obvious to anyone paying attention to what’s going on with this issue in our country, yelling at them and being cruel doesn’t help anything. Besides that, it’s unbiblical. Of course, sitting back and accepting is equally wrong.

 “Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these things but also approve of those who practice them.” ~Romans 1: 32

    “What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. ‘Expel the wicked man from among you.’” ~1 Corinthians 5:12-13

   In the end, we can witness to them, pray for them, and try to bring them to God. We also need to pray for ourselves, that we do not come to accept the sin of the world as something that is okay. Guard your heart. Guard your soul. Guard your Mind.

Did you know that Abby plays both piano and guitar?!

Perfectly.. Inconsiderate~ An Issues Article by Emily Ciszewski

Arriving promptly five minutes early, the young gentleman parks as near to the house as he can, leaving his car running for extra warmth and turning up the heat on the cold night.
He walks to the door, patiently rapping softly three times. Mr. Miller opens the door, “Why hello Jack! Margret is just about ready, why don’t you come in?” Jack hands his hat to the man and sits when asked in the soft leather ‘company’ chair. Mrs. Miller offers him some tea, and he sips it while chatting with Mr. Miller. “Well, you’re a nice boy Jack - you and Margret have a nice night, remember, 11:30 at the latest.” Margret walks into the room then, at exactly 6:30, hair set and dress ironed. “Hello Jack, thank you for waiting, I’m ready now.”
“Just on time - you look wonderful as always. Good-night Mr. and Mrs. Miller, thank you for the tea!”
The two walk out to the car, Jack opening her door and softly closing it after she slides in.
“Hope it’s warm enough for you,”
“Oh, yes it’s perfect, thank you.”
 Sounds perfectly lovely - doesn’t it? Jack is so patient, so thoughtful. Mr. and Mrs. Miller so relaxed and hospitable. Margret so lady-like and sweet. Everything seems so….so….old-fashioned? I wish I could think of a better word - but yet, that is how the little tale sounds, doesn’t it? But don’t you wish that’s how it still was? That people were still so considerate? If so many of us girls are enchanted by this picture of kindness, then how come it’s been disregarded like our Grandma’s doilies? Disrespect is a big issue in America, especially among teens. Where hats were taken off in homes and Church, men and boys don’t even think of removing them. Where doors were quickly held open for the ladies passing through, they’re now closed as the person in front of you walks on. Where women and girls offered hospitalities such as tea and cakes, we’ve cast aside even asking our guests to sit down.
Words such as ‘etiquette’ or ‘manners’ seem out-dated and foreign in our vocabulary. To me, it’s sad. I looked up the word etiquette in my dictionary and here is the definition;

Etiquette: “A high regard for and appreciation of worth; esteem.”

We see the word ‘worth’ in there. Worth. “A high regard for and appreciation of worth; esteem.” Though we may not think the people around us are ‘worthy’ of our respect and kindness, God did.

See Him on the cross - bleeding for everyone of us. God thinks we’re worth it. Who am I to defy God?

I’m not asking you to host a tea party and dress up in a colonial dress - (though that might sound like fun!) - the simple point is this;

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”
(John 13:34)

To love as Jesus did….that is no easy task.
Jesus got on the floor and washed dirty feet. Jesus touched a leper. Jesus loved. Jesus died because you and I are worth it to Him.

Hospitality. Love. Kindness. Etiquette. It’s all about consideration for others. About treating others the way we want to be treated.

To open a door - it’s not an old-fashioned idea, it’s simply showing someone you think they’re worth it. To offer someone hot tea on a cold afternoon, or iced in the hot of the day - wouldn’t you appreciate the kind offer? To take off your hat in someone’s home or your Church - it shows you are in debt to them - that you acknowledge their authority in their home, as for Church - isn’t it God’s home?

Ideas:
Open the door for the people behind you, the older couple carrying groceries, the boy with his hands full of school papers.

Offer to help your mom in the kitchen, your sister with her homework, your dad with washing the car.

Avoid interrupting those talking around you, listen with your whole heart.
Ask people to sit down, offer them the best chair, give them extra attention at the table, even if they're not your company.

Make eye contact with the person talking to you, and talk back to them. (I hate it when people just listen but don't comment! :) )
Dress up when you know you'll be having company, even if it's just switching into nicer pants.
Lavish others with the kind of treatment you'd like.

So, the question; What is hospitality? What is etiquette? What are manners?
Answer; Treating others the way you’d like to be treated.

It’s as simple as that.　“Thank you for a wonderful evening Jack, I had a nice time.”
“Thank you for allowing me the pleasure Margret.”
It’s 11:25, Jack hurries to open her door, then escorts her to the house. “I won’t come in, your parents might not be expecting me. Good-night Margret.”
“Thank you, good-night Jack.”
He pecks her cheek with a gentle kiss and she blushes.
He waits till the door opens to her, then slips to his car and drives away quietly. 　

3's a Crowd?~ An Issues Article by Lea Sadler

Pay attention closely to this article, because I’m sure everyone experiences this problem sometime in their lives. My best friend and my other friend don’t like each other at all. In fact, one had to leave my birthday party last year because she was too infuriated to forget and have fun. There was no way I could find out the truth of what happened between them, and to be honest it was too difficult to even get a glimpse of what the issue was. All I knew was that they couldn’t tolerate even being in the same room together. Here’s how to handle different situations and maybe even to let up on the issue as time goes on.

Let’s just start with the basics. If you are struggling with this problem, or if you’re one of the friends who doesn’t like the other one, then try to pinpoint the exact moment when you started disliking or noticing that your two friends resented each other. Around what time was it? What was going on at that time in each of their lives? It turned out, one of my friend’s mom was really sick, and it didn’t look like she had much time left. On the other hand, my best friend usually just overreacts to everything. So a sideways glance from one person can set her off because she’ll think they’re giving her a look. Now that I’ve got you thinking about that, put yourself in each of their shoes and see the other person from their eyes. Are they a threat to each other for your friendship? Are they jealous?

 Before I knew it, they started attacking each other by telling me stories about what the other one did. If this happens, don’t automatically believe it or assume that it’s true. They might be offended that you don’t believe them because “when have I ever lied to you? Why don’t you trust me like you used to?” Explain to them that you don’t doubt their reliability, but you have two stories that need to be listened to and considered. Reassure them that you’re as much their friend as you were before all this started. Make it clear to them what kind of position you are in and ask them to think about how they would feel in your place. Once they see what kind of problem this is for you, they might ease up and try to make things easier. If not, maybe they’ll at least understand. And after that, make sure to ask your other friend about it later to hear their side. The least you can do is hear them out, if you can’t come up with a fair conclusion, then move on because that side issue wasn’t between you and them, it was strictly between them. Just because they brought you into it, doesn’t mean that you have to continue being a part of it. Make them work that little kink out together.

So what do you do when it’s a Friday night and you want to have some friends over to watch movies but you can’t invite both of them? You can’t choose one over the other, but you can’t not invite both of them either. That night will be brought up sometime and they’ll both be angry that you didn’t choose them (believe me, I did this and it was the wrong move). So if you can’t choose one, and you can’t leave them both out, there’s only one option left. Invite them both. Before people start doing anything, explain to them that it would mean a lot to you if they could get along for at least one night. If they are good friends, they will realize how hard this is for you and do their best to avoid a clash. You might even ask them to step outside and talk to each other calmly to see what the other one is feeling. This would also be a good idea if there is an argument.

I’m not promising you a happy ending where everyone is living in happy-land but these might be some ways to make things easier on everyone. But hey, if they do make your friends finally like each other, or even just accept each other, then that’s even better J

Human Trafficing~ An Issues Article by Rachel Melillo

Human trafficking.  Maybe you’ve heard this term before and don’t know what it means, or maybe you haven’t and you have no idea what I’m talking about.  Either way, it’s time you found out.  Be prepared for some horrifying facts. 

What is human trafficking? Human trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons: by the threat or use of kidnapping, force, fraud, deception or coercion, or by the giving or receiving of unlawful payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, and for the purpose of sexual exploitation or forced labor.  Does this sound familiar?  This, my friends, is modern day slavery. 

Human trafficking is a problem that affects the entire world, including the United States. The United States is a principal transit location for sex trafficking.  Although major cities are the most probable place for human trafficking, it happens in minor cities as well.  I live in Massachusetts, about fifty miles outside of Boston, and I found out about a case not twenty miles from where I live.  Currently, Atlanta, Georgia is the number one city for human trafficking in the US.  The largest victims of human trafficking come from Asia.  Southeast Asia trafficks about 225,000 victims each year and South Asia trafficks about 150,000 victims each year.  Horrifying, right?  

Ready for some stories? 

This story is about a young girl name Asha.  Asha was only nine when her father sold her to a procurer in a Bombay (India) brothel. She was told she would have new clothes, and that she would be working for a nice family who lived in a big house. But where she was taken was a strange place. "Where's the pretty house?" Asha asked shyly. There was no pretty house; just a small, damp room with a cold hard floor that Asha was locked in.

           

A woman unlocked the door and came in to put makeup on Asha's face. The woman then opened the door and allowed in a man. Asha was told she would have to do sexual favors for him. She didn't want to, so she fought. Another man came in, beat her with a belt, and continued beating her for several days. They gave her no food. Weakened, Asha decided it was useless to resist. She serviced her first "client" and continued to do so for the next seven years.

After seven years of doing this she met a man named Devaraj.  Devaraj was different than the other men she had known. She met him at a small church near Falkland Road. There he taught messages of hope that lifted her spirits. He talked of freedom. She visited there as often as she could.

Deveraj helped Asha leave the brothel that had been her home since she was a young girl and moved her into a “Home of Hope.” Now she is learning how to live. She is learning a new trade. And thanks to people who care, Asha’s life is no longer surrounded by pain and disappointment. It is full of hope and optimism for the future.

This story does have a happy ending.  However, there are millions more stories like this one that do not have a happy ending. 

If you’re wanting something that may be a bit closer to home, the next one’s for you.

Three years ago, two teenage cousins, Kimberly and Carol (names have been changed), set off for a 15-minute walk to get milkshakes.  During the walk, the skies became dark and it started to rain.  At that moment, a familiar face pulled up beside the cousins in a white Lincoln. At the time, Kimberly believed the man in the passenger seat was a classmate's father who she knew as Mike. Shortly afterwards, Kimberly noticed that the man was not who she thought. He forced the girls into a brick house just miles across town from their home.

Inside the house, the two girls found out that the once-friendly man who offered to give them a ride was actually a violent pimp named Deric. During the next 24 hours the girls were fitted for skimpy outfits, assigned fake names (Ambrosia and Heavenly), and taught the rules of prostituting.  They threatened to hurt the other cousin if they didn’t cooperate.

During the day, the girls were locked in a home and at night they were forced to have sex with men for money in Toledo motels. They earned up to $500 a "date," all of which went to their pimp.

This story also has a somber-sweet ending.  Both girls are scarred emotionally, physically, and mentally.  However, they were rescued, which is more than I can say for the majority of human trafficking victims. 

My final piece here is how YOU can help.  The most important thing you can do is be aware and prevent it from happening.  Human traffickers can pretend to be talent scouts for some agency and either get you to follow them, or make an appointment with them later.  Never get in car with a stranger, especially a male. Follow basic safety advice.  Don’t walk alone in medium to large city, even if it’s daytime.

The second thing you can do is raise awareness.  I’m fairly certain that most of your friends or classmates don’t know a thing about this MAJOR issue, and they should be.  The more people who are aware of this issue, the less likely it will occur.

The third way you can help is through benefits and clubs.  Look online for organizations fighting human trafficking and hold a benefit concert where the proceeds go to that organization.  While you’re at it, hand out materials telling people about this problem.

Now for some numbers and facts:

·         As many as 27 million people are victims of human trafficking, At the height of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, 80,000 people were sold each year.

·         After drug dealing, trafficking of humans is tied with arms dealing as the second largest criminal industry in the world, and is the fastest growing.

·         The average cost of a slave around the world in $90.

·         More than 2/3 of sex trafficked children suffer additional abuse at the hands of their traffickers.

·         The average age of entry for girls and boys ranges from 11-15.

·         The International Organization for Migration estimates that each year 500,000 women are sold (trafficked) to local prostitution markets in Europe.

Sources:

·         http://www.notforsalecampaign.org

·         http://www.acf.hhs.gov/trafficking

·         http://www.thehomefoundation.net

·         http://www.humantrafficking.org

·         http://www2.ed.gov

·         http://abcnews.go.com

Self Harm: Cutting~ An Issues Article by Abby Massung

W6 (Who, What, Where, When, Why, Walking-in-their-shoes)

 >Who: Virtually anyone has the potential to become a cutter. There’s no age limit, gender requirements, or race restrictions. However, people who are under large amounts of stress are more susceptible, and girls tend to make up the majority of cutters.

 >What: A cutter is someone who uses a sharp object, usually a knife or razor blade, to cut or scratch their body. At first, it may start off being infrequent and not seeming to be very dangerous. Unfortunately, however, it is a problem that only escalates.

  At first, it may start out being something the person does maybe once or twice a month and only causing minimal injury; but it can quickly become several times a weeks and causing serious injuries with lasting scars. It can move from a concealed part of a leg or arm to a wrist. There may only be a few pinpricks of blood when a cutter is new, but as time goes on, you begin wanting more and more, and you’re eventually leaving gaping wounds streaming blood. In short, cutting is a deceptively slow yet addictive self-destruction.

 >When: It may begin as following through on a seemingly innocent impulse. Usually, it’s done when the cutter is in a stressful situation and desires a way to block out whatever it is they’re having trouble dealing with. In some cases, a cutter may feel that cutting is the only way to get the attention they’re craving, or the only way they can freely express their emotions. Cutting is done whenever a cutter feels an urge strong enough to compel them to cut, although some may prefer nighttime, due to the fact that they’re less likely to be disturbed by anyone.

>Where: You can find cutters around the world, but statistically, there are larger numbers in the USA than anywhere else. Usually, a cutter will seek out a secluded place where they have no fear of being discovered. A bathroom is a prime choice because you can wash away blood much more easily without fearing someone will see your freshly bleeding wounds. A bedroom with a locked door is also a top pick. It’s their territory, and they feel they have more control over it. However, if they have to share the room, they will probably avoid using the room to avoid their roommate accidentally witnessing.

>Why: Feelings of loneliness and distress will push a person into cutting. If you’re in pain, and a doctor offers you a pain pill, wouldn’t you take it? The pill will only mask your pain of course; it won’t heal you, but you just want the pain to go away. Cutting can work in a similar way to get rid of mental pain. Physical pain, cutting, helps us to lose focus on the mental pains and issues that we’re facing. It doesn’t last long, but just like the pill, it masks the pain we wish to forget.

  Unfortunately, also like the pill, cutting can become addictive. It becomes how the cutter handles strong emotions – even happiness at times, if you can believe that. When they don’t have a knife or something to cuts themselves with, they don’t really know how else to convey the emotions that they’re feeling. That’s why it’s so hard for them to just stop. A cutter has to relearn something that most people take for granted – self-expression.

  Finally, hopelessness can rope them in. They can’t just stop, and they know it. They try over and over, but they fail. They’ve lost control, and they’ve resigned themselves to the belief that they can never stop, and that they’re wholly worthless after what they’ve done to themselves. After all, who could ever possibly love someone who was so messed up?

Walking in their shoes…

 

  This could get kind of scary if I get it right, but I think you ought to give it a try. It may help you better understand a cutter and help you to relate to them.

  Close your eyes and inhale slowly through your nose. You can smell it – the sickeningly sweet, somehow metallic, coppery scent of blood. You know that smell so well now. It fills you with both excitement and fear. You open your eyes and look down at your arm. In the dim light of your bedroom lamp, you see a line of fresh blood seeping from the wound you just made. God knows how many times you sliced that same spot over and over until it had reached this point. Absently, you wondered why you had, but you don’t dwell long because you can’t, the pain is wearing off.

  Again you take up your razor blade and dig it into your arm, slowly, painfully dragging it across your flesh. It hurts, but that’s what you love so much about it isn’t it? The sweet release of all you’re worried about. Right now, nothing matters. Except for the slices in your arms, you can’t feel a blessed thing. It’s wonderful in a rather twisted way, you admit to yourself.

  As if in a trance, you watch the blood begin to rise up and out of the cut. You can’t look away from it. You’re sickly fascinated by it. You love the sight of it, though you can’t quite say why. Maybe because it tells you you’re still alive? Maybe it’s because it’s so real? Heck, it could be because you like the color for all you know! You just know that somehow, you can never seem to get enough seeing it.

  You slice yourself several more times, being careful to put most of them in easily concealed places. Not like your parents would care of course, you think with a bitter, inward laugh. They might as well be blind. They’ll believe anything you say about where those cuts came from, no matter how absurd or unrealistic. Why? Because their brains simply won’t allow them to register the truth, plain and simple.

  Then, your knife slips slightly too deep while dancing across those fragile blue veins in your wrist. Your heart stops as you watch blood rapidly welling up, coming more quickly than you’d intended. Panicking, you snatch up a tissue from nearby and press it to your wound. You hadn’t meant for it to go that deeply, but that was the problem with cutting your wrists. They offered you more and quicker blood, but press a little too hard and you could regret it.  

  The bleeding slows and you lean back into the pillows on your bed, close your eyes yet again, and feel the cool run of your own blood running down your arms from the cuts. You toss the blade into the trash. It served its purpose. With relief, you welcome the familiar numbness that seeps over you. You’re just barely aware of the pain in your arms, but mostly, you just don’t feel anything. It’s a good non-feeling.

 The high quickly wears off however. Reality sets in. Your mind clears and you realize what you’ve done…again. Last time you’d sworn you wouldn’t ever do it again, but once again, you just couldn’t stop yourself. Once again, as you wash your stinging wounds, you vow to never cut yourself ever again.

         Fast forward four days…

  Tears rush from your eyes and you desperately clutch a cloth to your arm, willing with all your might for the bleeding to stop. You inwardly curse yourself. Why are you so weak? Why couldn’t you have stopped like you’d planned to do all along?

  For the next couple weeks you wash and care for your wound, praying that it won’t become infected, and wishing you could go to the hospital to get stitches, the scar from this one was going to horrid. If only you’d never picked up a blade to cut yourself in the first place.

  I wish I could’ve given you a better picture of it all. The feelings, the smells, everything. I’m capable of it, but I can’t do it. I’ve gone more in depth, reliving actual cutting “sessions” before. The result was an effect description. But reliving those moments is something that is simply not safe for me to do. It’s been half a year since I last cut, but the memories are far too powerful, and more than once, reliving those times has resulted in a literal bloody mess.

  I don’t know if I can ever fully relate how hopeless and shatter a cutter’s life can be. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. It’s a self-imposed destruction from the inside out. It leaves you as a shadow; only a faint glimmer of what and who you once were, and you will never be the same as you were before it all.

God’s Take…

  “You are the children of the lord your God. Do not cut yourselves or shave the front of your heads for the dead.”

           -Deuteronomy 14:1 (NIV)

  That’s a pretty clear statement, right? That was what God told the Israelites in the Old Testament. Now, personally, I hold a belief that not necessarily everything in the Old Testament applies to us, based on this verse:

  “By calling the covenant ‘new’ he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.”

             -Hebrews 8:13 (NIV)

I take that to mean that God used Christ to make His covenant with Israel obsolete, and set up a “new” covenant in the New Testament, not just with Israel , but with all people. So I tend to look for confirmation about things in the Old Testament in the New Testament, because not everything that applied to the Israelites applies to us today (clean and unclean food for instance). So here’s what the New Testament has to offer us:

 

  “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”

      -1 Corinthians 6:19-20

  “Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.”

      -1 Corinthians 3:16-17

  Although these verses can be comforting to those who are suffering bodily harm at the hands of another, it’s far more sobering to a cutter. It’s very clear that our bodies’ are God’s and we shouldn’t mistreat them, and that includes cutting ourselves. Maybe the order isn’t quite so plainly put, but it remains the same as from the Old Testament: cutting is a no-no.

  Getting help to stop is a must for a cutter, but that doesn’t mean that friends should shove that help down their throats either. If you have a friend who cuts, my suggestion would be to be there for that person. Let them know they can count on you. Urge them to seek out help, but don’t in any way make them feel threatened. If they think you’ll tell others or try to force them into stopping, they’ll retreat and block you out, and they’ll tell you lies to make you think they’re doing alright when they’re not.

  If you are a cutter, or are involved in any form of self-harm, please, get help. You’ll probably regret telling someone eventually, but you really need someone to at least be able to talk to about things and to be there for you. It can be anyone as long as you trust them.

                              

 Issue’s Soundtrack (go to: projectplaylist.com to hear full songs)

   1. Scars-Runaway City

   2. When She Cries-Brit Nicole

   3. Dear X (You Don’t Own Me)-Disciple

   4. Moving On- Decyfer Down

   5. Missing Pages-Seventh Day Slumber

   6. Fading-Decyfer Down

   7. What I’ve Overcome-Fireflight

   8. Beautiful Tonight-Krystal Meyers

   9. Hanging On by a Thread-The Letter Black

  10. Silent Screams-Eowyn

  11. The Motions-Matthew West

  12. Secrets and Regrets-Pillar

  13. Never Surrender-Skillet

  14. Lose it all-Pillar

  15. Carousel-Linkin Park

  16. Hero-Superchi(k)

  17. Hold-Superchic(k)

  18. Get Back Up (TobyMac)

  19. To Know That You’re Alive-Kutless

  20. Mistakes-Kutless