We have a confession to make. We have never watched an episode of American Idol. Ever. It’s nothing personal. Our family doesn’t own a television and we’ve never had a good reason to keep up with the show online — until a few days ago when Mike Spielman of Abort73 let us know about Maddy Curtis.

Maddy, a 16-year-old Christian (former homeschooler), won over Simon Cowell and the panel of judges in auditions with the song “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen and with her incredible back story as the ninth out of twelve kids (including four brothers with Down Syndrome — three of whom were adopted).

We love Simon’s comment after she’s done singing: “Amazingly, for sixteen — because we get a lot of 16-year-olds that come in here — you’re not annoying. That’s rare.” All the other judges then chime in, “Yeah! You’re not annoying!” Which means Maddy is already breaking through low expectations on the show.

It gets even better. Since discovering Maddy through American Idol, we found out that she and her family live just a few minutes from Patrick Henry College, and many of our friends here know her. Everyone we’ve talked to testify to Maddy’s incredible heart for the Lord and amazing singing ability.

Suffice to say, we’ll be following American Idol this year. More specifically, we’ll be following Maddy Curtis, voting for her if she makes through, and praying God would keep using this young lady as a bright light of faith in Him and love for family.

Share your thoughts in the comment section

The same God who fed five thousand people with one little boy’s five loaves and two fish, took the desire of a seven-year-old boy from the UK to raise £500 for the people of Haiti and turned it into much more (three hundred times more, to be exact). We hope Charlie’s story will encourage you that starting small is better than doing nothing. Whether it is raising money for Haiti, witnessing to friends at school, or volunteering to help out at church, remember that God can do great things when we make ourselves available. So, stop making excuses, and step out in faith!

Boy, 7, raises $240,000 for Haiti appeal
by Agnes Teh • CNN World • Tuesday, January 26, 2010

London, England – He’s no Wyclef Jean or George Clooney, but that hasn’t stopped seven-year-old Charlie Simpson from raising more than £150,000 ($240,000) for the Haiti earthquake.

Simpson from Fulham, west London had hoped to raise just £500 for UNICEF’s earthquake appeal by cycling eight kilometers (five miles)around a local park.

“My name is Charlie Simpson. I want to do a sponsored bike ride for Haiti because there was a big earthquake and loads of people have lost their lives,” said Simpson on his JustGiving page, a fundraising site which launched his efforts.

“I want to make some money to buy food, water and tents for everyone in Haiti,” he said.

And with that simple call, messages of support flooded the site. (cont’d below)

“Such a big heart for a young boy, you’re a little star!” wrote one supporter. “Well done Charlie. A real celebrity,” said another.

More donations began pouring in after the story caught the attention of the British media — with many cheering Simpson past the £100,000 mark.

Even British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is spreading the message. His “Downing Street” Twitter alias said: “Amazed by response to the great fundraising efforts of 7 yr old Charlie Simpson for the people of Haiti.”

David Bull, UNICEF’s UK executive director described Simpson’s efforts as “very bold and innovative.”

“It shows he connects with and not only understands what children his own age must be going through in Haiti,” Bull said in a press statement.

“The little seed — his idea — that he has planted has grown rapidly and his is a place well deserved in the humanitarian world.

“On behalf of the many children in Haiti, I thank Charlie for his effort.”

Money raised by Simpson will go towards UNICEF’s Haiti Earthquake Children’s Appeal which will provide water, sanitation, education, nutrition as well as support child protection.

My name is Truman Falkner and I competed in the National Bible Bee in Washington D.C. last November and placed 2nd! I heard about the Bible Bee from Alex and Brett earlier this spring, so I decided to sign up and “do hard things!”. It has been an rigorous 6 months of study, memorization, and review, but the Lord has taught me a lot through it and I have the privilege of sharing some of it with you now.

4 Things God Taught Me Through the Bible Bee

1. It has helped me to see the true incentive. The anchor of incentive in this competition really did challenge me and continued to challenge me to persevere in giving my all. The prizes were indeed large. But this incentive gradually changed midway. Even with a grand prize of $100,000, it seems the Lord tricked us all by teaching us, through the very verses we memorized, that the true treasure was the Word richly dwelling within us (Col. 3:16, Ps. 119:11) and setting our hope on the reward to come (1 Pet. 1:13, Rev. 21:3-7).

Sitting up there as one of the top 3 finalists (knowing we would all receive sizable prizes), it came up in our conversation, “What are you going to do with the money?” But as we talked, it became evident that we really didn’t care about the money. Now it sounds like I’m telling you the money was an ineffective incentive. No, indeed the money served it’s purpose: It got us in the Word and when we got in the Word we found that the Word itself became a greater incentive than the money!

What other spheres of competition are there in which the very medium of the competition is a greater incentive and reward than the “prize” itself and the very act of competing is worship, testifying to the preciousness of God and the worth of His Word (Ps. 22:22)? So when I got up to that platform and gave the Word of the Lord, the motivation to do it excellently now became because I wanted the Word to look precious. I wanted God to look glorious and worth giving up everything to know deeper, and I believe He was.

2. It taught me to order my life around the Word of God. I often forget about the power of having a focused life. Doing hard things requires hard choices. It changes everything and demands your all. Most significant was the time it demanded of me and I had to stick to that schedule. In many instances, it required me to say “no” to friends, movies, TV, soccer, games… etc. because I had to study the Bible and review the memory passages. One example of how the incentive of the Bible Bee challenged and ordered my life was in regards to diet.

I found myself studying which foods would cloud and hinder my memory (like dairy, sugar, and bleached wheat…) and sought to refrain from those foods. I am reminded of Jonathan Edwards. His early biographer and great grandson, Sereno Edwards Dwight, describes how Edwards “carefully observed the effects of the different sorts of food, and selected those which best suited his constitution, and rendered him most fit for mental labour.” (Works, I, xxxviii). Edwards lived his life like this in doing everything he could to better know the Word. After the Bible Bee, the habits of discipline are still intact and I am committing to continue in the same focused disposition to know the Word.

3. It has taught me that no matter how much of the Bible you know, your heart can be dead with no love of God (John 5:39-42, Rev. 3:1). Our hearts were meant to flow like a river in love for God and our neighbor (John 7:38-39, Mt. 22:37-40, Gal. 5:22-23, 2 Thess. 3:5, 1 Thess. 5:16-18). The Bible is not just a bunch of stories and rules, it is the transcript of His heart. What was burning in the treasury of the heart of God from all eternity, He has spoken (Heb. 1:1, Mt. 12:34-35), and it was meant to burn in our hearts as well.

If I want to know Him, truly know Him (before I see Him face to face and find out I didn’t really know Him), I must treat the Bible as the words of a real person (He is the living Word -John 1). The Lord really wants an active dialogue with us, He wants relationship. He wants us to sit down (not run around under the pressure of memorizing) at His feet and hear His words (Luke 10:38-42). But not just this, relationship is two-way, He wants us to talk back to Him in prayer and ask Him about His word, ask Him to reveal more to our hearts, resolve to believe it and obey it, and ask Him to help us believe it and obey it (these are exactly the kinds of things the Psalmist does all throughout Psalm 119). I

have had to be diligent set aside time to just pray the Word, this is where the heart comes alive. The greatest thing I could say about the Bible is that we must pray it! Otherwise it just becomes empty words on a page (or in your brain) that have little impact on your heart. The Word becomes ineffective against all the onslaughts of sin and temptation if we don’t know to wield it. And the greatest way I know to wield that Sword of the Spirit is by speaking it to the Lord (thanking Him for it, asking Him to reveal it, and to help me believe/obey it) and to my heart (resolving to believe/obey it) by “praying in the Spirit” (Eph. 6:17-18, Jude 20-21).

The third person of the Trinity is our teacher to reveal the Word (John 14:26, 16:13-15, 1 Jn. 2:27), and He wants us to pray and talk to Him. It is also interesting to note that Paul describes the way we are filled with the Spirit is by singing the Word back to Him (Eph. 5:18-19).

4. It has taught me that getting in the Word (to where it abides in our hearts through prayer) is the way to say “no” to sin. Actually saying “No!” (Titus 2:12), and having 5 Bible verses on the promises of God, the deception of sin, and the day of recompense, to back it up that emphatic, “No!”. Even with Jesus Himself, the Word is the thing that revives faith (Rom. 10:17) and keeps us resisting the temptations of sin. In the face of temptation, He shouted what He had nourished His inner man on from His youth, “It is written!” (Mt. 4:1-11).

I believe the greatest deception of Satan is about to sweep the whole earth in our day. If we want to be those who stand firm in the evil day (Eph. 6:10-13) and overcome, we must be those who wield the sword of the Spirit and love the truth (2 Thess. 2:3-15, 1 John 2:14, Rev. 12:11)! In a day when culture blows us around (Eph. 4:14) and entices us to fill our minds with trivial stuff in the name of “knowledge” (1 Tim. 6:20-21, 2 Tim. 3:7), I want to be a tree planted in the house of the Lord (Ps. 1:3, 92:12-15) who meditates on the Word of God day and night (Ps. 1:2) and revels in the glory of it just like Jonathan Edwards described a “greedy miser gathering up handfuls of gold” (Ps. 119:14). And whatever storm may come my way, I can rest assured in the promises of God because in them, I have built my life like a man builds his house on the rock (Mt. 7:24-25, Prov. 3).

I challenge all who read this to, in like manner, give yourself to the Word of God: 1) See the reward and incentive it is, 2) order your life and time around it, 3) pray it, 4) speak it against the temptations of sin — and also consider competing in the next annual National Bible Bee!

Check out the Bible Bee / Leave a Comment

If you have no idea what all of this is about, check out our previous post (or just comment here asking to be filled in) — then join our treasure hunt to discover the what, when, and where of Twenty29.

Detectives, here is your next clue. This clue will lead to another clue, which will lead to another clue, etc. You are ultimately searching for a three-letter word — which are the first three letters of the answer to the very last clue.

When you have solved one step of the hunt, you will play around with the following link to uncover the next clue:

http://www.therebelution.com/twenty29/________.jpg

If your search leads you to a name (e.g. Ben) then insert the word “ben” into the blank space (i.e. ben.jpg). If your search leads you to a website (e.g. www.bmw.com) then insert “bmw” into the blank space (i.e bmw.jpg).

Your next erand is to find a person. He has a “manly” name. Once you discover his name you will try to meet him (i.e. find a picture of him). Once you meet him you will count down 1, 2, 3 — and then use horse sense and black-and-white thinking to discover what he is doing. That will be your last and final clue (and provide the three-letter word you are looking for).

Dear Rebelutionaries,

It is my joy and pleasure to announce that on December 31st, 2009, Dollar for a Drink reached it’s goal of $24,000 for three wells in Darfur, Sudan! Even more exciting? YOU guys played a huge role in helping me reach that goal! Once again, the Rebelution community has proven it’s passion for reaching out to those in need to Do Hard Things for the glory of Christ!

First, may I offer my sincerest thanks to the Dynamic Duo, Alex and Brett Harris, for their leadership of The Rebelution movement, their readiness and joy in helping advance other Rebelutionary causes such as DfaD, and their $1,000 matching gift! These two men are truly allowing the Lord to work in and through their lives, and I thank God for their obedience in following His lead. May the Lord bless you, your family, and your ministry!

Secondly, I wish to offer my hearty thanks to The Rebelution at large, every single one of you out there who helped Dollar for a Drink in any way. Your contributions of money, time, encouragement, and prayers were invaluable to me, and I truly cannot thank you enough! It has been a joy to interact with you again, and I really wish that I could thank you all in person, but I’m afraid that this digital letter will have to suffice. May the Lord bless each and every one of you as you pursue Him in your own Hard Things!

It is truly amazing to think that it has been a year and a half since Dollar for a Drink launched back in October 2008; since that time the Lord has proven Himself faithful time and time again. I must be honest with you guys. I experienced a period of doubt and discouragement early on in November about DfaD actually reaching it’s goal this year.

My dad then advised me to simply rest in the Lord and trust Him, allow Him to do the work, and I shouldn’t worry about where things would go. I did, and just three days later Alex and Brett wrote about DfaD on their blog! It was as if God was saying, “Trust me, little one. I’m just getting started!” Everything took off after that point.

If I could offer you guys one piece of advice, it would be to pursue the Hard Thing the Lord has given you to do, no matter how Big. Trust Him to bring you to His desired end! It amazes me that He uses fallen people such as me, and trust me: He can use you as well if you will just step forward and make yourself available!

In terms of future plans for DfaD, I really don’t know what the Lord has in store for me and where I will be next Fall. I will say, however, that if I am able, I will most definitely want to do this whole project over again. Until that time, I will be pushing the pause button on promotion (at least on my end). Please note that you can still do promotion on your own schedule whenever is best for you; we are very flexible!

Again, thank you all so very much! It has been a joy to interact with you all, and I hope to do so again in the future! May the Lord bless you and keep you.

In Christ,
Joshua Guthrie, Director
Dollar for a Drink

The year 2009 has come and gone, though it seems only yesterday it was December of 2008 and I was empty; my heart was crying out for a greater purpose in life; and my head wasn’t even aware something was missing.

Was my cry answered? In the last twelve months have I seen an answer to my prayer? Yes, I have. It was an answer I never expected, an answer I never asked for. The answer to the unexplainable stirring in my soul, the answer I was waiting for, when I didn’t even realize I was waiting. This answer came, not in the form of a vision, or a revelation, but in the form of… a book. A simple book that I received for Christmas would turn my world upside down — if I would let it.

Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations. An interesting title for a book. My parents actually want me to read this? But it seemed the most unique book in the stack I had received for Christmas, so I decided to read it first.

All of New Year’s morning was spent sitting on my bed methodically turning the pages of Do Hard Things. As I read I felt the stirring inside my soul, the stirring that I had never realized was there. It grew with the passing of each page, I realized something that had never before crossed my mind: I could be doing so much more.

“I was content inside my ‘good kid’ bubble.”

I was what people would call a “good kid.” At 14 and a half I obeyed my parents, could have an intelligible conversation with an adult, had never seen a PG-13 movie, was homeschooled, and had never had a relationship with a boy. I wasn’t rebellious, I was content inside my “good kid” bubble.

But while I didn’t do anything bad, did I really do anything excellent either? I was just “good.” As the pages turned and the stirring grew I realized that I had not been called to be “good,” Jesus Christ had not given his life on a cross to make me “good.” I had been called, my Master had summoned me, to excellence.

Toward the middle of the book I came across these words: “The complacency of fools destroys them. - Proverbs 1:32″ Over time, refusing to reach higher, try harder, and risk more robs us of the glorious purpose and wonderful future God has created us for. POP! My “good kid” bubble had just been done away with, the protection was gone, I was out in the open, and I would never be the same.

The Lord expected great things of me, and I was determined to deliver. As I continued flipping pages there was still a stirring in my soul. But it was no longer a searching sort of stirring, it was an excited stirring. “What can I do Lord? How can I further your Kingdom? What would you have me to do? What is my hard thing?” As I read the last page it hit me. Not like a tap on the shoulder, not like a slap on the cheek, but like a semi-truck running over me, I discovered my hard thing.

“With those words I gave my teenage life away…”

Memories came rushing back, painful memories. Twelve years old, reading a school assignment like a good kid. What I encountered scarred me forever. It was an explanation of abortion, the different methods, and dangers. Before I got through the first method tears streamed down my face, and sobs shook my twelve-year-old frame. Now, over two years later, the wounds that had been cause by seeing the words “baby” and “suction” in the same sentence were opened anew as the Lord revealed my hard thing to me. “No Lord, that can’t possibly be it,” my heart cried. “I can’t handle that, it’s too painful, it’s too hard!”

I couldn’t sleep that night, instead I lay awake with ideas and plans running through my head. I didn’t put them there, He did. All I could think of was trying to get them out. But finally surrender was necessary, or sleep would never come. “I trust you Lord, do as you will with me.” With those words I gave my teenage life away, and I would never get it back (and I don’t want it back).

Now, a year later I have endured struggles and rejoiced in victories in my fight for the unborn. I have started a nonprofit organization called Coins and Quilts 4 Life that is dedicated to being,”a voice for those who cannot speak and a love for those who have been given the chance.” To find out more about what this organization does, or to offer you support please visit our website.

So much has happened in a year, sometimes it is difficult to remember how things were before I read Do Hard Things. Nevertheless, when I do succeed in remembering I cannot help but praise my Saviour for rescuing me from the clutches of complacency, giving me a Holy Ambition to pursue, and opening my eyes to the vast potential that I hold as a young person…

Some questions for discussion:

• Reflect back on 2009. How are you a different person than you were a year ago? Do you see growth?
• What is one of the major lessons God has taught you the past year?
• How have you stepped outside your comfort zone this past year?

A little more than a month ago we asked you to show the world what really matters to teens this holiday season. You came along side Joshua Guthrie and helped Dollar for a Drink raise nearly $10,000 to bring this year’s total to $19,185.

Just recently, Joshua made it on FOXNews Memphis to share his vision for the project. Watch the video (above) and consider making a contribution. It is not too late to donate! Dollar for a Drink is suspending the Christmas deadline. Let’s make one last push to help Joshua reach his goal of $24,000 and three wells for Africa.

+ DONATE / FACEBOOK / PROMOTE +

Send Checks To: Dollar for a Drink, P.O. Box 570, Medina, TN 38355

Dockers, the khaki brand of Levi Strauss & Co., is asking men to man up and wear the pants. In a world of advertising that constantly buffets men (and women) with distorted views of manhood and womanhood, the campaign seems like a breath of fresh air. Yes, they are trying to sell pants — but there are good ways to sell pants and bad ways to sell pants. This seems like a pretty good way.

In an interview with Brandweek, Jennifer Sey, Dockers’ vice president of global marketing, said that “sensitivity, chivalry, ambition and decisiveness” are the traits they wish to highlight. The new promos hopefully will “inspire today’s men to be men,” she told Brandweek. In today’s world that is pretty bold.

Check out the “man-ifesto” on their website and then come back here and share your thoughts. What do you think about Dockers’ vision of manhood? In what ways is it accurate? In what ways is it inaccurate? What really makes a man a man?

+ Join the Discussion / View the Man-ifesto +

Twenty-year-old Lila Rose and her pro-life student group, Live Action, have been hard at work the past three years uncovering the medical lies and manipulative counseling offered at Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion chain.

“They will do or say anything in order to sell more abortions to more women, whether it is covering up sexual abuse or lying to women about medical facts,” says Rose. “Our team has visited dozens of Planned Parenthood clinics undercover. Planned Parenthood, while claiming to support patient self-determination, operates with an ‘abortion-first mentality.’”

The video is the first in Live Action’s “Rosa Acuna Project,” a multi-state undercover audit documenting Planned Parenthood’s abortion counseling. Planned Parenthood has come under fire recently after Live Action’s investigations found them willing to conceal sexual abuse and accept donations targeted to abort African-Americans only. Videos of abuse cover-up prompted state investigations of Planned Parenthood and diversion of the abortion giant’s public subsidies.

Take the time to watch the video (above), share it with others, and support Lila and her team with your prayers as they continue their new media movement for life!

Learn More About Live Action / Help Spread the Word