Tomi's Gods

by Margaret W. Eggleston

Just outside the gate of a little Japanese town stood the shrine of the goddess Kishibojin. Every morning for many months, a young girl came to the shrine and bowed before it in earnest prayer. Sometimes she poured cold water over her body as she prayed. At other times she cut off strands of her hair and offered them to the idol. Tomi Kagata was determined to have the answer to her prayer, and she tried in every way she knew to make Kishibojin hear her. Still her prayer was not answered.

Each day, after Tomi’s prayer was over, she worked hard at a factory. Then, in the evening, she went home to care for her ailing father and two small brothers. Tomi was always tired, even in the morning when she went to pray.

Things had not always been so hard. Although Tomi’s mother was dead, her kind father and loving elder brother had taken good care of the home. Then disaster struck. First, her father became ill. At about the same time, Tomi’s brother, Matsui, began to drink. One day he struck a policeman. To avoid paying a large fine, he ran away from home. Now it was up to Tomi to provide for the family.

Thirty-three Cents

by Minon Auda Hiebert

I clutched the paper and stared. Thirty-three cents! My senior year of academy was only half over, and my account carried a credit of just 33¢.

Father was ill, and Mother could never manage to help me from her meager earnings. When I had arrived in September with my savings of $200, I had hoped that I could work off my expenses. But my wages were low, and expenses were high. Now I had just 33¢ for the rest of the year!

Umbrellas

by Michelle Chai Song

It was another day in Uijeongbu, Korea. The forecast had predicted heavy thundershowers—but I hoped the meteorologists were wrong. My cousin and I needed to take a trip on the subway.

I looked out the window and then turned to my cousin. “No rain yet. Maybe we can get to Chamshil village without getting wet.”

A few minutes later, we opened the door to leave. “Oh, no,” I groaned. “It’s pouring—and it looks like it’s getting worse! We’re going to be soaked from head to foot.”

“Well, you could always take these.” My mother held out a couple of umbrellas.

Supreme Court of the Universe

How much do you know about the Supreme Court? Whether you realize it or not, its decisions affect our laws in big ways. Here are the basics:

• The Supreme Court always has nine justices. No tie votes!
• The Supreme Court is mostly a court of appeals—it decides on cases that lower courts couldn’t settle.
• The Supreme Court accepts only about 100 of around 10,000 cases referred to it each year—the ones justices think will help clear up questions to do with Constitutional law.
• Before the court hearing, lawyers from each side of a case hand in written arguments. At the actual trial, each side has just half an hour to speak and be questioned.
• After the hearing, the justices discuss among themselves which side has the backing of the Constitution. Finally, they take a vote. 
• After the vote, a justice from the majority side writes a court opinion. The judges from the majority side review and revise the report. Finally, they sign it. 
• Once the opinion is made public, it becomes the official interpretation of the law.

Odd beginnings. During its first term in 1790, the Supreme Court had no cases and made no decisions—but the justices still convened. Some judges of lower courts still wore tall white wigs, but Justice William Cushing alone showed up at the Supreme Court wearing his wig. After the boys loitering outside made fun of Justice Cushing, Thomas Jefferson added his opinion: “Do discard the monstrous wig which makes the English judges look like rats peeping through bunches of oakum.” 1 The wig came off!2

Divine court. Daniel 7 describes the supreme court of the universe, where the Ancient of Days and His Son are the judges. In this court, the judge is also the lawyer for the defendants.3 He longs to pardon whoever He can! And unlike human courts, the divine court never errs. “O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for Thou shalt judge the people righteously” (Psalm 67:4).

Puff's Choice

as told by C. Roscoe Swan

Art: Heidi Reinecke

I paused for a moment on the narrow trail and gazed at the rugged California landscape. What a beautiful place to hike!

Suddenly the silence was shattered by the distant roar of motorcycle engines. I listened for a moment. They were getting closer. Someone else had decided to take advantage of this beautiful day in the mountains.

I glanced around. “Puff! Where are you, girl?”

Immediately I heard doggy feet pattering toward me. My Australian shepherd raced up, bouncing and wagging from head to tail. We surely had named her right when we registered her as “Blue Puff Tempest”! I reached down and petted her fluffy blue merle coat. She had so much energy—like a tempest in a teapot!

Uneasy Conscience

by Christina Boyd Evert

It started as a great day. With my homework completed, I actually looked forward to my first period class—sixth-grade science. The class was about to start when I felt a tap on my shoulder.

“Hey Christina, did you do your social studies homework?”

“Yup.” I grinned at my classmate, Michael.

“Could I see it?” he asked.

“Why?”

“Well, I didn’t quite finish. Please, could I use it for just a second?” Michael’s voice had a desperate tone to it.

“But Michael, that’s cheating!” I frowned.

“Oh, come on,” he urged. “I promise we won’t get caught.”

It Only Takes a Spark

You know the song: “It only takes a spark to get a fire going . . . ” (In fact, this time of year you may find yourself around the campfire singing it quite often!)

But it does take a spark! 

Just as the tiny mustard seed grows into a large plant, and a little bit of leaven raises a whole batch of bread, even a small word or act for Christ can grow into something big. Jesus will bless and multiply our efforts to work for Him—when we start!

“Every follower of Jesus has a work to do as a missionary for Christ in the family, in the neighborhood, in the town or city where he lives” (Testimonies for the Church, Volume 2, page 632).

Do you want to share your faith but are not sure what to do? Here are a few suggestions to get you started. Why not see how much you can accomplish in the next few months?

Crazy About Clouds

Matter of perspective. Over most of the lower 48 states, it’s cloudy 50–70% of the time. Over these same states, it’s also sunny 50–70% of the time. How can this be? It’s simply a matter of perspective. You can call mixed skies partly cloudy, if you please—but they will also be partly sunny! Of course, some places are cloudier than others. The cloudiest places in the U.S. are the Great Lakes region and the Oregon and Washington coast; the sunniest area is the Southwest.1

Sowing in the clouds. It takes more than water vapor to make a rain cloud. The vapor needs something to cluster around and make a droplet—something called a nucleus, such as salt or dust. Sometimes clouds that have enough water to rain never do simply because there are no particles to form raindrops. Because of this phenomenon, scientists have developed a technique called cloud seeding to encourage rain in dry areas. Airplanes fly through clouds, dropping tiny pieces of compounds such as calcium chloride or silver iodide to make “seeds” for the raindrops. Sometimes these particles are shot up from the ground, using rockets, balloons, or anti-aircraft guns.

Don’t steal my cloud! Because of arid climate conditions in certain areas, China is one of the top users of cloud-seeding technology. In fact, it’s so common that the government uses it to “guarantee” good weather for national celebrations. Cloud seeding does cause disputes between neighboring communities. Cities race each other to harvest rain—and the losers accuse the winners of stealing precipitation!2

Cloudy protection. Did you know that clouds have altered world events? A number of battles have been confused or called off due to fog or rain—and God’s providence. One battle in the Revolutionary War was even named “Battle of the Clouds” because a torrential downpour stopped the fighting.

Holy cloud. God used a cloud to protect and guide Israel on their journey from Egypt to Canaan—and to veil His glory in the most holy place. But this cloud was more than a mix of water vapor and dust particles. This cloud was holy—because it was God’s presence! It showed God’s heart longing: to dwell with His people.

1. National Climatic Data Center.
2. The Guardian, July 14, 2004.

Unrealistic Choice

by Anne Connue

The congregation at a little country church had just sung a few hymns. Now they watched as their well-beloved pastor stood up and took his customary place behind the pulpit.

After an opening prayer, the pastor announced, “For prayer meeting tonight I have a special treat for you. One of my dearest childhood friends is in the audience, and I want you to meet him. In fact, I’ve asked him to share something with you. I’ve encouraged him to say whatever is on his heart.”

The pastor sat down as an elderly man stepped forward and greeted the audience with a smile. “We all like stories,” he began, “and tonight I have a story for you that particularly touches my heart. It involves a father, his son, and the son’s young friend.”

The man’s eyes held a faraway look, as if he were seeing things that no one else could view.

The Hand That Never Lets Go

by Ellen White

The sun shone brilliantly on the dazzling snow of one of the highest mountains of the Alps. In those mountains, an English hiker followed his guide along a narrow path. The Englishman reveled in the beauty all around him. He trusted his guide and followed fearlessly in his footsteps, although the track was new to him. Suddenly he hesitated as the bold mountaineer stepped across a deep, narrow chasm. Then, holding out his hand, the guide asked the Englishman to step across. Still the traveler hesitated, but the guide encouraged him to follow. “Take my hand,” he reassured him. “This hand never lets go.”

Unmistakable Beauty

I’d never seen this woman before, but when she walked into the sanctuary one Sabbath morning, right
away I knew I liked her. Silver hair gently framed her aging face, and her simple clothes had clearly seen better days. Even so, she radiated an unmistakable beauty. Her soft steps spoke of confidence and grace, and everything about her sparkled with warmth and friendliness. When I finally got a chance to speak with her, it seemed like we would never run out of things to talk about!

Yawning Yet?

Try to read this without yawning!

Learn it young! Babies yawn even before they are born! Researchers say they yawn as early as 20 weeks old in the womb.

That’s fishy! We humans aren’t the only ones who yawn. You’ve probably seen cats and dogs yawn—but did you know that fish and birds also yawn?

Frequent activity. Yawns may be short, but over the course of years, they really add up. Some estimate that we yawn 240,000 times in a lifetime!

In Touch

Dear Young Disciples,

My friends and I had been canoeing for several days. The weather had been great—sunny and warm, hardly any rain, and not too much wind. But still, after hours and days of paddling out in the elements, we were getting tired.

That night as we ate supper, “Ian” vowed he was going to bed as soon as he’d washed his dishes. We laughed. He couldn’t be serious. The rest of us planned to take a walk to a massive waterfall close to camp. Who would miss that? Besides, it was only six o’clock, and hours from sundown!

My Dreams for His

by Jessica Pendleton

Life apart from love is just not working out too well for this planet I call my own.

The painful cries of suffering humanity can be heard from every corner. And when one lets the surrounding needs really sink in, there is no question: A life of even the most faithful service is as a drop in the ocean compared to the great need.

And yet in the midst of it all, I stand with my dreams clutched tight. Some are shattered beyond belief, while others remain pure and strong and beautifully whole. And I wonder: Can I really afford to trade my dreams for the dreams God has for my life?

Turning Time Wasters to Tools

by Cheyenne Reiswig

Yes, I'm a smartphone user, and this photo is evidence.
It was taken with my phone!

I don’t know about you, but when I read inspired statements like these, my conscience winces a bit:

“Our time belongs to God.”

“The value of time is beyond computation.”

“Of no talent He has given will He require a more strict account than of our time.”

“We have no time to waste, no time to devote to selfish pleasure, no time for the indulgence of sin.”

“Christ regarded every moment as precious.”1

I do try to be efficient with most of the hours in my day: the time I devote to work, study, cooking, etc. But what about the spare moments—the hours driving (or riding) in the car, the minutes between breakfast and going to work, my lunch break, and evening time when I’m waiting for family worship?

I’ll admit it: When I have unscheduled free time, too often I reach for my smartphone or my laptop. Either way, time gets frittered away as I check out the latest happenings in distant friends’ lives, watch humorous video clips, or read blogs.

All in All

by Kezzia Keener

It’s not like he didn't have everything. Power, popularity, and approval followed the steps of this Pharisee who outwardly lived a blameless life (according to the righteousness stipulated in the law). This suited him fine—he wanted esteem, honor, and greatness—and he didn't hesitate to pull others down in order to gain a higher position for himself. But everything changed when this man, a “Hebrew of Hebrews,” came face to face with glory and saw himself as he really was: a sinner in need of grace.

Look on the Inside

by Gabrielle Rich

Sometimes old sayings remind us of important truths—adages like “looks can deceive,” and “be nice to others no matter how they look, sound, or smell.” We all know that in order to be like Jesus, we have to look on the inside and not judge by appearances—and yet many people do just the opposite. When I was about eight years old, something happened that really helped me understand why it’s so important to look past the externals.

A week after Christmas, my mom and I went to the grocery store. For some reason, it seemed that every place we went in the store, I saw an old man with a cane. The man had a big, prominent wart, and I thought he looked very strange. I hoped I wouldn’t have to talk to him! I went through the whole store thinking about the funny man and hiding behind my mom so I wouldn’t have to look at him.

Thought for 2015

From Young Disciple magazine, Volume 24, Number 3.

In Touch

Dear Young Disciples,

When “Shane” came in late to Sabbath School with chains around his neck and a stud in his ear, I didn’t think I’d have much in common with him. Still, I didn’t want to be rude. I wanted him to know Christians are kind, so I asked God for grace to be friendly and show Him Christ’s courtesy.

That afternoon our youth group went for a hike, and along the trail, Shane told me a little bit of his story. His life had been full of many sad, worldly experiences he now regretted. But just a few weeks ago, he had learned how much God loved him and had decided to give Jesus his life! Already he was changing his lifestyle, including his diet and music choices. Even though everything was new to him, Shane was open to whatever Christ asked.

As it turned out, Shane was also a serious hiker and musician, so we actually had quite a bit to talk about. In an hour, someone I had shied away from had become my Christian brother.

When it comes to the heart, you and I can’t read it, no matter what we see on the outside. We don’t know who is on the edge of Christ’s Kingdom, wanting to step in. By a word, look, or action from a Christian, these “fence-riders” can be pushed away or drawn in.

Shane taught me that whether or not someone looks like a candidate for conversion, God is drawing them. Will you be His channel of love?

Your friend,

Ellie's Christmas Prayer

by Ruth Scott

The sun hung low in the western sky as two weary prospectors plodded down a narrow, snowy road. Already the clouds resting on the craggy mountain peaks glowed pink and gold, and soon shadows darkened the travelers’ path.

“I reckon it’s at least five miles more to a settlement, Jim.” Bill Brand thrust his walking stick into the snow. “No way can we make it before dark, and I’m tired enough to flop right here in the snow for the night.”

Jim Fry snorted. “I’m for movin’ on, Bill, till we come to the first shack. Must be one not far around this next bend. Why should two lucky gold panners sleep out in the cold—and on the night before Christmas Eve, no less?” Jim lengthened his stride, and Bill huffed to catch up with him.