How to Choose Your Friends
July 11th, 2008
By Joel Hilliker
Does it matter who you hang out with?
Maybe your school is full of cliques. Everybody seems to have their group that they hang out with, oftentimes shutting others out.
Have you ever stopped to think about how people choose their friends? Yes, people with the same interests or tastes in clothes or music gravitate toward each other—but, just as often, the group you’re in tends to shape your interests or tastes. In fact, the people you spend time with can change your life, for better or worse.
Think about who you spend time with—at school, after school, on the weekends. Not your family, but your friends. What kind of people are they? What draws you to them? What do you do together? How do you usually act around them? What do other people think of them? Do your parents like them?
You may not realize this, but who you choose as your friends says a lot about you! Choosing the right friends is an important responsibility. That doesn’t mean becoming part of a clique and shutting others out. It means being smart about who you spend the most time with and allow yourself to be influenced by.
Camp Is Here!
July 11th, 2008
posted by Michael Dattolo
With PYC under way for the next three weeks, many of us who work on the website are busy teaching various sports and activities there. So, for the next few weeks, you might see fewer posts than normal.
A Newfound Respect
July 9th, 2008
posted by Adar Kielczewski
I like to exercise about three times a week. Sometimes I get more in than that, sometimes I get less. I was recently fired up to do a really challenging workout. Like at the beginning of most workouts, I started warming up.
Today I’ll start with pull-ups, I thought. So I excitedly jumped up to grab the bar. Now I’m not very good at pull-ups, and I can really only do chin-ups, but I’ve been getting better. I used to not be able to do any, but now, with a small jump, I can pull myself up.
There’s a type of pull-ups called “kipping” pull-ups. The difference between these and regular “dead hang” pull-ups is the momentum created by swinging one’s hips. This momentum makes the pull-up easier. I was trying to learn to kip. I barely got started when ….
How YOU Can Make a Difference
July 8th, 2008
By Ryan Malone
A man was walking along a beach where thousands of starfish had been washed ashore. Wanting to rescue these helpless creatures, he started picking them up one by one and throwing them back into the water.
Along came another man, watching skeptically. Finally he spoke: “There are thousands of starfish on this beach,” he said. “How can you expect to make a difference?”
The man picked up another starfish, looked down at it, then looked at the skeptic. “I’ll make a difference to this one,” he said as he tossed the starfish into the sea.
The Best Sport I Almost Hated
July 7th, 2008
With summer camp coming up for quite a number of teens, I thought this story from our archives might encourage some who aren’t as fond of certain sports. ~Adar
By Malinda Moutz
It was a blistering-hot, sticky, humid day in August, and I was about to do something I did not want to do: learn how to play soccer. I didn’t have anything against the sport itself, I just knew it was not going to be for me. Sure, there were a lot of people who did like to play. But when I went to summer camp that year, I really didn’t think I would be one of them. However, I also came to camp with the goal to try my best at everything I did.
The Midway Miracle
July 4th, 2008
posted by Philip Nice
June, 1942. The South Pacific Ocean is on its way to becoming a Japanese lake. Since their first smashing surprise attack at Pearl Harbor, the Imperial Navy and Air Fleet have strung together an almost perfectly unbroken chain of Japanese victories and American humiliations. Now the empire of the rising sun has its sights set on a new target: Midway.
American morale is sitting low in the water, and vibrant Japanese confidence couldn’t be flying higher. December 7, 1941, a day which still lives in infamy, had witnessed an astonishing Imperial Air Fleet morning attack that exploded U.S. deterrence and military pride. It sank or almost ruined 350 aircraft and 18 ships, including all eight battleships of the United States Pacific Fleet. Almost 2,400 servicemen were killed. Japanese losses for the day totaled less than 70 men and only 29 of its 353 planes.
“WAR!” Daily newspapers proclaimed the news from the theater—and the news was bad. Since the Pearl Harbor pummeling, every battle has further torpedoed American power and pride in the Pacific. The Japanese Empire has advanced through Guam, Wake Island, the Philippines, the Dutch East Indies, Hong Kong, Malaya, Singapore and Burma—brutally.
Now it is Midway’s turn.
Why Red, White and Blue?
July 4th, 2008
By Ron Fraser
According to the Oxford Concise Dictionary a flag is “a piece of cloth … used as a country’s emblem or standard.” An ensign, from the same source, is “a banner or flag.” A standard is “a distinctive flag.” In the same sense, an emblem is “a heraldic device or symbolic object as a distinctive badge.”
America, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and even the original Canadian flags are red, white and blue.
What significance are the colors of the traditional flags of the English-speaking peoples? Just what is the significance of the English-speaking peoples being branded by these three colors—red, white and blue—in addition to the colors of their royalty being gold and purple?
The nations of Israel, following the conquest of the northern kingdom by Assyria and the southern kingdom later by Babylon/Chaldea, progressively lost their individual and collective identity. The marvel of it is that the most dominant of those nations, the Josephite nations prophesied to inherit magnificent national blessings from the beginning of the 19th century, have unknowingly carried the signs of their national identity throughout their period of greatness over the past few hundred years! Those colors—red, white and blue—and the colors of royalty—purple and gold—were the very colors chosen by God to embellish His temple in ancient times! Yes, believe it or not, the English-speaking peoples have a direct connection to ancient Israel! Every American flag that flies is a witness to that!
For more on why we love the red, white and blue, check out “Flag Day” on theTrumpet.com.
“Must Go!”
July 3rd, 2008
posted by Philip Nice
It’s on. Here at headquarters, Philadelphia Youth Camp preparations are rolling right along, with Herbert W. Armstrong College students receiving their assignments, instructors working on their lectures and counselors getting to know their campers—on paper, at least. I remember pouring over my campers’ applications during my counselor years. But this morning, one application stands out: mine.
My Day With Dad
July 2nd, 2008
Reader Kenneth H. requested more articles about getting along with your parents, which reminded me of this story from our archives. Enjoy! -Adar
By Gareth Fraser
Ever had a special day with a relative? Dad, Mom, Grandpa or Grandma? I am sure we all have, at one time or another.
A special time that stands out in my mind was back in October 1991. My family had flown the three-hour flight from Queensland, Australia, to the city of Christchurch, located in the South Island of New Zealand.
The Club I Love
July 1st, 2008
posted by Adar Kielczewski
A few months ago I saw a movie that sparked an idea for me to begin a book club. Now, being at headquarters has its challenges sometimes—one of which is finding time for yet another activity. One of my friends brought this up when I mentioned my “brilliant” idea. Discouraging thoughts came to mind: Who wants to read anymore anyway? Didn’t I do enough reading in school? I was dissuaded—for a while.
So a few months passed and I forgot about it.
But that’s not how it ends! Coming back from a recent road trip, a car full of girls got to talking (as you know we always do) and I brought up my idea once again. This time it stuck! And so a book club was born.