My name is Marie. I’m 16, and I attend Christian Science Sunday School in Paris.

More than seven years ago, when I was in fourth grade, my knees were painful and I had bumps on both of them. My parents are not both Christian Scientists. They decided to take me to a doctor.

He diagnosed a tendon problem. He told me, “You have a choice, Marie. Either you have surgery, or you sit out the year and do no sports.” (more…)

To me, running is a perfect way to glorify God. It allows me to express strength, freedom, dominion, and persistence. What a great way to overcome all types of mental and physical limitations!

I began running cross-country during my sophomore year in college. Unfortunately, my first season was a little frustrating, as I dealt with several different injuries. So at the beginning of last fall, I was resolved not to experience a similar situation. (more…)

For the past twenty years, my wife and I have been committed urban cyclists, with our “family car” being a small fleet of bikes. We cycle through city streets with tricky left-hand turns and up-hill climbs in traffic, sharing lanes with cars, buses, trucks, and other cyclists. I even ride during Canada’s snowy winters. While not everyone feels at ease cycling in a big city, God helps me feel safe and secure. (more…)

Two years ago, I found myself biking under the sizzling sun, breathing heavily, climbing a steep incline in the Black Hills of South Dakota with a number of Christian Science teens from my National Leadership Council, a group that’s associated with DiscoveryBound. (DiscoveryBound is a program that provides year-round fellowship for Christian Scientists and their friends.) This bike ride was meant to stretch our limits and would give us many opportunities along the way to rely on God for strength and direction.

For the middle part of the excursion, we had a full day of mountain biking planned. (more…)

Since 2001, when someone at church introduced me to rowing, I have competed in about 100 races, from small high-school dual meets, to collegiate national championships and international competitions. Inevitably, my racing has taught me about effective preparation for success. (more…)

Cruising down the bike trail beneath a beautiful blue sky, pedaling against a warm breeze, I took in the splendor of the surrounding scenery. Grateful to be in the company of good friends, I thanked God for the joy and beauty of the afternoon.

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By Susie Rynerson

During my time at the TMCYouth Spiritual Activism Summit in September, I got a new perspective on the concept of reflection. Not only as a result of metaphysical work, but also from experiences there.

Reflection was a persistent theme in the Bible Lesson leading up to the Summit weekend, so I thought and prayed about it deeply. Of course it was not an unfamiliar concept. But often when I see the “same old thing” in my study, I ask God, what new can I learn about this today?

This time around (God’s always got more up His sleeve), I realized that in order for me to see anything, such as a beautiful red rose in my yard, it has to be continuously reflecting light in all directions. The rose doesn’t possess or radiate its own redness or send it only to rose-lovers if perchance it’s having a good-petal-day. It simply reflects the red range of sunlight-waves which are constantly coming to it, because that’s the way it’s made.
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