Avery (Poindexter) Sander - Adapted from The Christian Science Journal, July 2007.
About three years ago, I had the opportunity to backpack across a beautiful mountain range in New Mexico with six other young women at Philmont Scout Ranch. We had been grouped together for an expedition offered by Philmont through a unique Venture Scouting BSA (Boy Scouts of America) program. The motto: “Expect the unexpected.” We covered about 200 miles in 21 days, and our group got along fabulously. (more…)
Jordan Krueger - Adapted from The Christian Science Journal, Feb. 2007
Growing up as a Christian Scientist, I learned that God, our true Father and Mother, created me and that I include only what He gives. Science and Health explains that we each reflect all aspects of His/Her nature. This passage illustrates what I was learning: “The masculine mind reaches a higher tone through certain elements of the feminine, while the feminine mind gains courage and strength through masculine qualities. These different elements conjoin naturally with each other, and their true harmony is in spiritual oneness” (p. 57). This oneness means to me that the spiritual qualities of masculinity and femininity constitute who I am, rather than limited definitions of identity derived from physiology and psychology.
As secure as I felt in the knowledge that I am the creation of God, who is both Father and Mother, and that my identity is a reflection of that divine wholeness, I still had a lot to learn about my true nature. Some of this learning came the hard way. I know that the discovery of who we are spiritually is ongoing, but I’m particularly grateful for some awakenings that took place over a few years. (more…)
Quentin The Christian Science Journal, Nov. 2006
Last year toward the end of seventh grade, a group of boys my age and younger created a rumor about me suggesting I did something very embarrassing in sixth grade. There were so many reasons why the rumor was ridiculous. But the boys thought it was amusing.
Things started to get out of hand pretty quickly, and more and more people started to make fun of me when they saw me. (more…)
The Christian Science Sentinel May 15, 2006
Like many teenagers, Mark Evans has nonstop days. He’s an Eagle Scout, captain of his school’s academic team, a trombone player in the marching band, an athlete, and a straight-A student preparing for college next year. For fun? Video games, running on the beach, and hanging with his friends.
But despite his busy schedule, Mark makes time for prayer and studying Christian Science—a discipline he’s found to be key in his life. Mark took the time to chat with the Sentinel’s Ingrid Peschke about this on a recent Sunday afternoon. (more…)
Kindahl Jackson - Christian Science Sentinel, September 18, 2006
To expect progress in everything you do is really important to me. Sometimes it’s so easy to think you’re stuck in a relationship problem, with a class at school, or with your performance in a sport. But I’ve found that with God, you can only-and always-go forward.
I’m a huge multitasker, and like most of my friends I have a very busy schedule, but the daily time I set aside for prayer-even if it’s just five or ten minutes-is absolutely vital to me. Since I was raised in Christian Science, turning to prayer for solutions to all sorts of challenges has become a natural response for me. And I’ve had a few experiences that have especially inspired me and made me even more dedicated to studying this Science. (more…)
Roger Gordon - Christian Science Sentinel, July 24–31, 2006
We were freshman roommates-and we were complete opposites. Dave drank all the time. I never touched alcohol. Dave played poker as if it were a way of life. I didn’t gamble, and still don’t. Dave went to sleep at 4 a.m. I liked to turn in by midnight. He never mentioned God. I went to church twice a week.I suppose a university with 36,000 students doesn’t have the time to match every single person with the ideal roommate. The housing form I filled out asked only one question: Do you smoke?
Dave (not his real name) didn’t smoke, but he did drink. A lot. And while this bothered me on a personal level, it also had a real impact on our day-to-day living together.
One morning, I woke up to find Dave had thrown up in the middle of the night after he came home drunk. It was a mess. (more…)
Caitlin Heimerl - Christian Science Sentinel, July 10, 2006
I originally shared this as a speech for a formal dinner at Principia Upper School in St. Louis, Missouri. The evening honors the senior high-school girls and gives them the opportunity to share gratitude for their experience before they graduate. A month or so before the dinner, the girls in our high school vote for four senior girls whom they admire or feel would have an inspiring message to share at this dinner. I was honored to be one of those four seniors chosen to speak.
The opportunity to make comparisons arises every day. On the surface, comparisons may seem harmless, but when it comes to comparing ourselves, our work, or our achievements with those of others, we start treading on dangerous ground. (more…)
By Chase Clements - The Christian Science Journal, July 2006
“Do you want a drink?” my friend asked me one night last summer in the basement of his house. Two girls were there, and I didn’t want to seem like a loser. I had known that my friend was bound to ask me that question eventually, and my thoughts began darting around at light speed.
At the prep school I attend, popularity is determined by several factors: most significantly, if and how much you drink, how many “cool” parties you attend, and if you’ve had sex. When my friend offered the drink, I felt I had a fairly firm understanding of why I didn’t need it. For one, I don’t want to have to lean on external sources like alcohol to make me popular or to feel relaxed. But the only thing I could think about was how I’d appear if I said no. The fear of doing the unpopular thing began to cloud my thoughts. (more…)
By Verona T. Garcia - Christian Science Sentinel, January 30, 2006
I used to be afraid that if I drew on the spiritual truths that I’d been learning in Sunday School, I’d find them faltering, and that they might even let me down. When other people prayed for me, their prayers worked, but my own prayers weren’t always effective.
By Whitney Boggs - Christian Science Sentinel, February 27, 2006
Last year, I moved out of my family’s home and into a college dorm so I could live on my own and experience college life. The transition was difficult because I was close to my family, and I wasn’t used to sharing a room with anyone.
As a Christian Scientist, my first response to a problem—whether it’s physical or emotional—is to turn to God. I’ve learned I can trust His infinite goodness to provide me with comfort and guidance in any situation. Prayer helps me see the true nature of an individual as spiritual, and this truth heals. So freshman year, when an uncomfortable situation arose with my roommate, I knew prayer would reveal the right solution.
