Last year my studies at college seemed particularly difficult. Even though I enjoyed studying, I had to work hard to make up for deficits, or areas in which I was behind. Although during my course of studies I’d learned to let God guide me when I had to choose courses or solve complicated calculations, a certain pride had gotten hold of me. It was an I can do it myself attitude.
One of my favorite things about the Christ is that it helps me understand who I am. It’s funny, but the best way for someone to find out what he or she really is like is to learn what God is like. People aren’t God, of course, but they do express God’s nature. The quality of God is the same quality of God’s spiritual creation—and spiritual creation is the true you and me. (more…)
What I remember about seventh grade is finding myself in a new school about five times as big as I’d ever known—I was stumped by algebra, and the girl who wanted to help me get through that class was my only friend. Neither of us were cool, and she didn’t care, but I longed to be accepted by the in-crowd. But every attempt to connect with them ended up in some awful embarrassment. It was a painful time of learning how to make friends and how to be a friend.
I watched a Dr. Phil show on Girl World yesterday—the world where girls bully each other mercilessly. It was eye opening and scary. Dr. Phil said that a recent survey of sixth- and seventh-grade girls showed that almost one in three admitted to hitting someone as a form of bullying. And that doesn’t even count verbal abuse and cyber bullying. That’s a crazy percentage, and frankly, don’t you think that one abused kid is too much?
No doubt about it, the show had some good ideas on how to deal with bullying. They talked about things like talking to your parents, teachers, or other school authorities if you’re being mistreated at school. They talked about how important self-esteem is and what you can do to protect yours.
This Easter I went to Easter Camp, which is a camp in the United Kingdom for Christian Scientists. There were lots of fun activities during camp, along with plenty of opportunities to talk to others about Christian Science and to grow spiritually.
One of the discussion groups I went to was about exams. I had some exams right after the Easter holidays, and more over the next few months. I felt it was a good idea to get a more spiritual perspective on taking them.
Prayer and action go hand-in-hand. Over the past three days I have dedicated myself to a prayer marathon. It was a time for me, and others, to prayerfully support the Ngochoni Petals of Africa School in Kenya, East Africa.
When I traveled and volunteered at the school last March, I discovered that it had overwhelming needs. At first I had no idea where to start. After a spontaneous inspiration, I got approval from my church to hold a prayer marathon in the church’s Christian Science Reading Room to support the Petals School in prayer, awareness, networking, and new ideas that came along the way.
Lauren H. – Christian Science Sentinel, August 27, 2007
Last year at middle school, it felt as if I didn’t have a good group of friends I fit in with. The friends I’d known since kindergarten were growing apart. Some of them were only focused on schoolwork, some were ignoring me, and some were making new friends.
by Roger Gordon
“Man! I only got a 1450 on my SAT’s! I have to take them over again!”
I heard this type of remark from friends and fellow students all the time in high school. My high school was rated one of the best public schools in the country, and my thinking was challenged more in some of my high school classes than in some college classes I took. Unlike many people, I loved my high school experience and I will always be grateful for it. But it did have its drawbacks. Not only were the students I went to school with incredibly bright, but my high school was minutes away from the prestigious Stanford University, and I sometimes felt stuck in a sea of intellectual superiority.
by Christian K. – The Christian Science Journal, June, 2007
A few months after the school year started at my boarding school, I had an ear problem. One night I noticed a buzzing of some sort in my left ear when I went to sleep. It had been hurting for a while whenever I was talking, running, wrestling, and even sleeping, but I mostly ignored it. That night the noise in my ear got annoying.
by Lizzie Witney
Hi guys. Well I’ve started at my new school and I’m now having a great time so far. I have found some excellent friends who express loads of joy, peace, and love towards me and my other mates. I also get to eat loads of Indian curries at school, which I am slowly starting to like!
To be honest after the first few weeks at my new school, I was feeling quite low, I missed my old friends and my grades were going down. There were many topics I had not previously studied.
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