30 Apr, 2007
8th-graders hand out laxative-laced doughnuts
Some eighth graders tried to get some laughs when they handed out doughnuts laced with laxatives to classmates, but it was no laughing matter when five were ticketed by police.
There were no apparent injuries but ambulances were dispatched to Sequoya Middle School on Long Island as a precaution, a spokeswoman for the Sachem School District said.
Suffolk County Police said 19 students and a teacher ingested some of the doped doughnuts. They were screened by the school nurse, Holtsville Rescue personnel and field physicians from the county health department.
Two 13-year-old and three 14-year-old were charged with second-degree tampering with a consumer product. The teens, who were not identified because of their age, were issued appearance tickets for Family Court and released to their parents’ custody.
Classes proceeded as usual, but parents were given the option to pick up their children. The district also said it would take “appropriate disciplinary action.”
photo courtesy images.google.com & story msnbc.news.com, 4/1/07
These doughnuts will get you going!
Numbers 32:23
23 But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out.
1 John 1:9
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (ESV)
What does today's God's Story scripture teach us about "getting away with it"?
Let's go back to today's story for a second. Some of you may laughing as you picture kids racing to the bathroom following some free doughnuts. For me the funniest part is that these 8th graders thought they could get away with it? Duh! (It didn't take CSI to find the evidence!)
Be honest. What were you thinking the last time when you thought you could get away with a little sin? What happened? Do you think you still might get caught some day?
Moses, the author of Numbers, gets right to the point doesn't he? We can be sure that our sins will find us out. Often our sin is discovered because we're arrogant and think that we're invincible. Even if we're not caught, or if others don't find out, we must remember that the Lord knows our sin. Sin will always affect us in some way. There are always consequences. We are responsible.
Thankfully, we have a loving God who has graciously taken on the responsibility for our forgiveness. When His Son, Jesus, died on the cross, He made it possible for us to always have our accounts cleaned up.
We can't get away with it, but Jesus died for it. That's God's grace.
How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our lives?
- Thank God that His Holy Spirit makes you aware of your sin. Claim 1st John 1:9 right now for any sin that is "finding you out". Thank Jesus for His complete forgiveness and ask Him to help you make choices every day that will honor and please Him.
- Whenever you eat a doughnut (or just see one, because now you'll be nervous about eating them - what's inside?) remember that you can't "run" from sin. (sorry, that was lame!)
How can we connect today's story, God's Story scripture and our story to others?
- If you have tried to "get away with it" with someone, go talk to him or her and apologize and ask for forgiveness.
- Use this DAILYBIDE as a topic for discussion with your small group or youth group. Be sure to serve doughnuts.
- You probably know someone in your circle of influence (storysphere) who is trying to get away with sin. Don't use this DAILYBIDE to judge them or preach at them. Instead, be an example of God's grace as you figure out ways to care and show them unconditional love. They just might open up and talk to you, because Jesus will help them see that He cares and forgives through your example.
26 Apr, 2007
How Two Teens Were Recruited For Jihad
"We were told to fight against Israel, America and non-Muslims," said Muhammed Bakhtiar, 17, explaining why he wanted to become a suicide bomber. "We are so unhappy with our lives here. We have nothing," he said.
Last month, Bakhtiar and his school friend, Miraj Ahmad, also 17, left their home, families, and boarding school in Buner, a district of the Malakand Division of the Northwest Frontier Province. Their destination was the Muridke madrassa right outside of Lahore, Pakistan’s second-largest city.
The grounds of this madrassa looks much like the campus of any exclusive boys boarding school – except for the bearded armed guards sporting Kalashnikovs checking all those who come and go. There is a cricket field, swimming pool, all sorts of sport activities, and horses too. In addition to religious instruction, the school offers computer sciences, engineering and pre-med classes for students ranging in age from six to 17.
It also offers jihad.
"We read about jihad in books and wanted to join," said Ahmad. "We wanted to go to the Muridke madrassa so we would have a better life in the hereafter."
Ahmad said that he and his friend Bakhtiar were recruited at their high school in Buner. The recruiter offered to take the boys to Muridke for two weeks of training and then to Peshawar where they would be introduced to people and make contacts.
"We were told it is our choice to become a freedom fighter or a suicide bomber," explained Ahmad, who had a neat beard and wore a white Muslim prayer cap. "But we should never fight against Pakistan."
Parents outraged
When the parents of Bakhtiar and Ahmad learned the boys had missed a week at their Buner boarding school, they panicked. They contacted relatives and friends. There were no clues. Finally a nephew remembered the boys talking one night about the Muridke madrassa. He went there and somehow managed to get past the armed guards and identified his cousin, Bakhtiar. He called home to Buner and told the family to come.
The parents of both boys said that they believed the Hera boarding school in Buner had brainwashed their sons...
photo & story courtesy worldblog.msnbc.msn.com, 04/01/07
Take it up!
Matthew 16:24-26 (NLT)
Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples,
According to today's God's Story scripture, how can we find true life by losing ours?
Today's story about the teenage boys being recruited for "Jihad" is very troubling.
They were willing to murder innocent people because they believe a lie. Their explanation for wanting to become suicide bombers: "We are so unhappy with our lives here. We have nothing."
Our hearts should break because these teenagers are just two of many who are willing to take the lives of thousands and lose their own lives for something that is false.
Christ has called each of us who have trusted Him as our Savior to be willing to believe and follow His Truth in every part of our lives, even to the point of losing our lives. The Son of God calls us to give our lives in service, not take lives. Jesus is asking us to hang on to nothing but Him.
Tyndale's LIFE APPLICATION STUDY BIBLE notes explain it this way:
16:25 The possibility of losing their lives was very real for the disciples as well as for Jesus. Real discipleship implies real commitment - pledging our whole existence to His service. If we try to save our physical life from death, pain, or discomfort, we may risk losing eternal life. If we protect ourselves from the pain God calls us to suffer, we begin to die spiritually and emotionally, Our lives turn inward, and we lose our intended purpose. When we give our life in service to Christ, however, we discover the real purpose of living.
Christ gave His life so that we could live. Will you give your life to Him?
How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our lives?
- Thank Jesus for laying down His life so that you will experience eternal life with Him in Heaven and a purposeful life here on earth. Praise Him for becoming your sacrifice on the cross. Ask Him to give you the faith you need to trust Him to help you lay down your life in service to Him every day.
- Memorize Matthew 16:24-26. These words of Jesus should represent our daily focus.
- Whenever you see news reports of deceived individuals killing and dying for the sake of Islam, let Christ remind you to give your life for His sake.
How can we connect today's story, God's Story scripture and our story to others?
- Pray regularly for the good news of Jesus Christ to be made known to millions of Muslims around the world. Pray that Christ's followers will show compassion and reach out to them with the loving forgiveness of the true God.
- Pray every day for the men and women who are laying their lives on the line in war zones around the world. Pray that freedom and peace will prevail.
- Use today's DAILYBIDE to encourage your small group or youth group to talk about losing your lives in service to Jesus.
24 Apr, 2007
Kids phone in car-wash scam
From cell phone to cell phone, word rippled through town: Use this number for a free car wash.
Over several weeks, cars carrying high school and college kids lined up six or seven deep outside Severson's Food Plus convenience store in Austin, Minn., waiting for a touch-free/cash-free wash.
With the stolen maintenance code programmed in their phones or memories, they ripped off at least 1,000 washes, police and store officials said.
The stolen suds caper dried up after three weeks, thanks to an astute Severson's employee, former middle school teacher Tom Scrabeck.
On March 19, the car wash malfunctioned, so he stood near it, putting in customer's codes manually. The cars trickled through, many driven by nervous young people with no sales slips. When Scrabeck asked one of them, a teenaged girl, for her code, he said, "She hemmed and hawed and then looked in her cell phone and gave me her number."
Now the hunt's on for the culprits, said Austin Police Chief Paul Philipp.
Scrabeck had some advice for the scofflaws: "Get a job. And pay for your washes."
picture courtesy images.google.com & story startribune.com, 4/1/07
Car wash crooks
Leviticus 6:1-5 (NLT)
1 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Suppose one of you sins against your associate and is unfaithful to the Lord. Suppose you cheat in a deal involving a security deposit, or you steal or commit fraud, 3 or you find lost property and lie about it, or you lie while swearing to tell the truth, or you commit any other such sin. 4 If you have sinned in any of these ways, you are guilty. You must give back whatever you stole, or the money you took by extortion, or the security deposit, or the lost property you found, 5 or anything obtained by swearing falsely. You must make restitution by paying the full price plus an additional 20 percent to the person you have harmed. On the same day you must present a guilt offering.
What does today's God's Story scripture teach us about stealing?
This Old Testament passage was given to Moses and Israel thousands of years ago, but the truth still applies for us today. It points out that stealing involves more than just taking something from someone. Another form of stealing is finding something and not returning it or not returning something we have borrowed from someone. This is not only a sin against others, but a sin against God. If we have stolen anything, we must confess this sin to God, and ask the rightful owner for forgiveness, and return the stolen items with interest.
When I read the story about the kids sharing the code for the "free" car wash, I remembered similar stories of when I was a kid. There was an attitude of "finders - keepers - losers - weepers!" Or "hey, no big deal 'cause nobody got hurt!"
So what do we try to get away with? We may not be stealing suds, but do we need to clean up our attitude about somehow "ending up" with something that belongs to someone else? You know - they really won't care, or they didn't need it anymore, or they already have more than they need, or by now they've forgotten about it and it would be really look bad if...
STOP THIEF! We can't rationalize anymore...make it right with God and the person we stole from...plus a little extra! It's what the Bible says to do!
That little extra is 20%. That means the young car wash crooks would have to wash 1200 cars!
How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our lives?
- Thank God that His Word is so clear and practical! Confess any sin of stealing to Him right now. Thank Him for His forgiveness and ask His Spirit to give you the courage to confess and make things right with those you have stolen from and if necessary - with the law. Ask Jesus to help you live every day with integrity.
- Ask God to help you remember, as you make a written list of anything you have stolen or borrowed and not returned (books, DVDs, clothes, tools, money....). Return what you have taken (with interest). It may cost you some time, money and embarrassment, but it will be worth it! You will be amazed at the freedom you will find!
How can we connect today's story, God's Story scripture and our story to others?
- If you need to return something you have stolen or kept from someone, be ready for them to question why you are being honest and making it right. This will be a great opportunity for you to talk about how Jesus has changed your life story.
- If you have a friend who confides in you about stealing something and they regret it, offer to help them apply today's DAILYBIDE. If they don't regret it, pray for them and look for the opportunity to offer your help.
- The next time you drive through a car wash, take along someone who needs Jesus. Use the "wash" time to talk about today's car wash story and/or to share how God has been teaching you to clean up your act about stealing.
23 Apr, 2007
Columbine Grads Relive Tragedy
Virginia Tech graduate student Regina Rohde was putting away the dog and getting ready to head to campus when news broke that there had been a shooting on campus.
Her feeling might not have been so different from the tens of thousands of other students who experienced the shock and trauma of Monday's shootings at the Blacksburg, Va. campus but for the fact that she has lived through this before.
Eight years ago almost to the day, Rohde was eating her lunch in the cafeteria at Columbine High School when the first shots were fired in what became one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history, a nightmare she is now revisiting in Blacksburg.
"I was one of the extremely lucky ones [at Columbine]," Rohde said today in a phone interview from her off-campus home, which she shares with her fiance, Kenneth Elsner, who also attended Columbine. "I was able to exit the school prior to any of the mass casualties that happened."
Both Rohde and Elsner were freshmen at Columbine at the time of the shooting. After graduation, Elsner enlisted in the Marine Corps while Rohde attended Texas A&M University. They began dating a year after finishing high school, and will get married in June.
"I've had my perspective of the world spun around a few times," says Elsner, whose family lives about a mile from Columbine High, in Littleton, Colo. He describes the process of coming to terms with a tragedy of such proportions as gradual.
"It really hasn't hit home," he says of Monday's shootings. "It doesn't for a few weeks, until things start getting back to normal. But it's a different kind of normal."
But the feeling of safety that Virginia Tech students once felt, Elsner warns, will be a long time in returning.
"You lose your security," he says. "I went to Iraq and I saw how bad people were living, and I came back to the United States and I felt secure again. You can drive along the road and not worry about things blowing up. It gives me a feeling of placement in the world."
Now, he says, that sense is once again in jeopardy.
photo & story courtesy usnews/blogs/news.com, 04/20/07
A new kind of normal?
Isaiah 40:6-9 (NLT)
The Word of God Stands Forever
6 A voice said, “Shout!”
I asked, “What should I shout?”
“Shout that people are like the grass.
Their beauty fades as quickly
as the flowers in a field.
7 The grass withers and the flowers fade
beneath the breath of the Lord.
And so it is with people.
8 The grass withers and the flowers fade,
but the word of our God stands forever.”
9 O Zion, messenger of good news,
shout from the mountaintops!
Shout it louder, O Jerusalem.
Shout, and do not be afraid.
Tell the towns of Judah,
“Your God is coming!”
After reading today's God's Story scripture, what could we say is normal and abnormal?
God's prophet Isaiah makes it very clear that God's Word is constant and we are not. We wither away just like grass and flowers.
Though we are mortal, God's Word never fails and will last forever.
It is normal for us to face uncertainty and change before we die. God and His Word are abnormal because He never changes and in Him is life eternal.
Today's scripture came to my mind when I read the interview with the Columbine grads who were connected to that tragedy and the one at Virginia Tech. Look again at their comments:
"I've had my perspective of the world spun around a few times."
"...it's a different kind of normal."
"You lose your security,"
"I came back to the United States and I felt secure again. Now, that sense is once again in jeopardy."
No matter how difficult life's questions can be, God's Word provides lasting solutions to our needs.
When we trust Him completely, we can discover a new kind of normal even when life seems abnormal.
How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our lives?
- Talk to your loving Heavenly Father about whatever seems abnormally difficult in your life right now. He is ready to listen and offer you His comfort, His loving guidance and His strength so that you can carry on even when you can't understand the "why" of life.
- Commit yourself to regular study of His unchanging, always truthful, eternal Word.
- Keep a written journal of your questions for God and what He teaches you as you wait for His answers.
- Whenever you walk on the grass or see flowers this summer, let God remind you that though your earthly life will eventually fade away, His love and eternal plan for you will remain constant.
How can we connect today's story, God's Story scripture and our story to others?
- Continue to pray that the families and friends of those connected to the Virginia Tech tragedy will experience God's comfort and the hope that is found only in Jesus Christ.
- Ask Jesus to give you great wisdom and sensitivity in talking to your friends and family who need Jesus. If someone in your storysphere is really open to God's Story, you could share today's DAILYBIDE with him or her. Talk about the normal and abnormal parts of life and ask if you can share what you have been learning in God's Word?
photo courtesy images.google.com, 04/20/07
19 Apr, 2007
Teachers, fellow students were disturbed by man 'who never spoke a word'
BLACKSBURG, Va. - They met across the professor's desk. One on one. The chairman of the English department and the silent, brooding student who never took his sunglasses off.
He had so upset other instructors that Virginia Tech officials asked whether the professor wanted protection. Lucinda Roy declined. She thought Cho Seung Hui exuded loneliness, and she volunteered to teach him by herself, to spare her colleagues. The subject of the class was poetry.
Roy, other officials, investigators, acquaintances and neighbors helped fill in a dark portrait Tuesday of the bespectacled young South Korean citizen who had sought bizarre expression in literature and then massacred 32 fellow students and teachers here Monday in the worst shooting rampage in U.S. history. As police closed in, he shot himself and was found on the floor of a classroom building with his weapons nearby.
Cho, of Centreville, the son of immigrants who run a dry cleaning business and the brother of a State Department contractor who graduated from Princeton, was described by those who encountered him over the years as at times angry, menacing, disturbed and so depressed that he seemed near tears.
He often spoke in a whisper, if at all, refused to open up to teachers and classmates, and kept himself locked behind a facade of a hat, sunglasses and silence.
Unanswered questions
Authorities still are not sure what set him off and what propelled him Monday as he stalked the halls and classrooms of Norris Hall with two semiautomatic pistols, chaining doors closed and murdering and maiming as he went.
Authorities found two three-page notes in his dorm room after the shootings. They weren't suicide notes and provided no clue about why he did what he did. Instead, they were expletive-filled rants against the rich and privileged, even naming people who he thought had kept him down, federal and state law enforcement sources said. Two government officials said he had been treated for mental health problems.
Police also are uncertain why Cho stopped and shot himself to death in Norris Hall, where most of his victims lay scattered around him.
Any comprehension of what happened seemed to come only in hindsight.
photo & story courtesy msnbc.com, 04/18/07
He needed Jesus
Few imagined what Cho Seung Hui would do.
Luke 4:16-21
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”
20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (ESV)
What does today's God's Story scripture teach us about Jesus being The Good News?
In this passage, Jesus is quoting from Isaiah 61 and letting people know that He is fulfilling the prophet's picture of the future.
At the time of Isaiah's words Israel was still a conquered and oppressed people, so Isaiah must have been referring to the future Messiah - Jesus Christ.
The bottom line is that Jesus is The Good News now and forever for the nation of Israel and to everyone today who will receive Him as Savior. Jesus has compassion for the poor, the captives, the blind, and the oppressed. He offers His love, grace, forgiveness and hope.
As we learn more about Cho Seung Hui's story, it's obvious that his evil act was more than a sudden outburst of anger. My heart breaks for him because it seems that Cho was captive to the lies of Satan and blind to the freedom he could have had in Jesus Christ.
Cho was and is now eternally responsible for his choices.
But you have to wonder...was there ever a time when someone tried to learn Cho's story? Did any follower of Jesus ever try to connect their story and God's Story to Cho's story?
How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our lives?
Thank God that He sent His Son Jesus to be The Good News! Ask His Spirit to help you, a follower of Jesus, to be good news as you communicate The Good News to a broken world. Ask Jesus to help you recognize the opportunities He will give you to tell others your story and God's Story because you have listened to their story...
How can connect today's story, God's Story scripture and our story to others?
- Pray every day for the joy you have in Christ to be evident to others.
- Pray for God's Spirit to give you the compassion of Christ and to notice someone who is captive to Satan's lies and blind to the Truth of Christ.
- Use the unfolding story of Cho in conversation with friends who need Jesus. By talking about Cho's pain and needs, you may learn more of your friends' stories.
- Pray for the students and families connected to the tragedy at Virginia Tech to experience the comfort that only God can provide. Pray that followers of Jesus who are close to that community of grief will be able to connect their story and God's Story to those who need Jesus.
- Pray for Cho's family to experience Christ's love through the love of Christ's followers.
18 Apr, 2007
Students search for answers
BLACKSBURG — On a day that would prove to be the worst in their school’s 135-year history, many Virginia Tech students awoke and went to class oblivious to the events unfolding just buildings away. But as the day wore on, their realization of the tragedy itself and then of its extent would leave them shocked, angry and searching for answers.
...They checked news of the events online and talked with family and friends over the Internet and on their cellphones. Many harked back to the first day of classes in August, when the school was shut down as authorities searched for escaped prisoner William Morva, who is now accused of fatally shooting a security guard and a sheriff’s deputy that day. Others referenced a pair of bomb threats over the past two weeks that temporarily shut down portions of campus.
...But as the day progressed and the death count rose, feelings of fear and panic seemed to grow more pronounced. Informed by news updates and calls from family members, students began to talk about what the day’s events meant to them, their friends and their school.
“I don’t feel safe anymore,” said Michael Kiser, a freshman from Lebanon, Va. “Honestly, we’ve had two people in the campus area with guns [including Monday’s events and the Morva incident], two bomb threats in two weeks. I feel safe when I’m in my room and in my office, and that’s it.”
...on a campus with 26,000 students, everyone expected to be personally touched by the tragedy.
...Senior Liz Hart is one of many students helping to organize memorials for the victims, including a candlelight vigil tonight on the Drillfield.
About 7 p.m. on Monday, she said some students were already pulling out of the initial jolt and looking toward some of the long-term challenges they face.
“We’re at the point where the shock is beginning to wear off and we’re starting to realize that this is a very real situation that we need to get through,” she said.
photo & story courtesy roanoke.com, 04/17/07
WHY?
Job 42:1-5 (NLT)
Job Responds to the Lord
1 Then Job replied to the Lord:
2 “I know that you can do anything,
and no one can stop you.
3 You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’
It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about,
things far too wonderful for me.
4 You said, ‘Listen and I will speak!
I have some questions for you,
and you must answer them.’
5 I had only heard about you before,
but now I have seen you with my own eyes.
What does today's God's Story scripture teach us about what to do even when God's wisdom can not be explained?
The background to Job's story up to this point is that he had asked God "WHY?" sixteen times to explain all the suffering he had endured. After God's speech to him, Job humbled himself and God blessed him with a family and even greater material possessions than he had before.
In today's text, Job is admitting that he had been foolish in questioning God's control and wisdom. He confessed his attitude of demanding God to explain His ways.
As I write this DAILYBIDE, I'm watching news reports of the Virginia Tech tragedy. The shock and grief is overwhelming. The question of "WHY?" is mentioned in television interviews every few minutes.
Today's story about students searching for answers to the shootings at Virginia Tech, leads me to believe that there are many family and friends who are asking God the "WHY?" question.
You and I may be asking the same question as our hearts and prayers go out for the friends and family of all the victims and for our country.
The hard reality is that God's wisdom in this event may not be explained in this earthly life. So what do we do?
Job's story gives everyone an example to follow. We must come to the point where we don't demand for God to explain the "WHY" and in humility recognize that our focus must be on the "WHO".
This "WHO" is the almighty, loving God Who uses His wisdom to accomplish His perfect plan. Our response must be absolute TRUST in Him because:
God's wisdom is understood through His Spirit.
God's wisdom and knowledge are infinite.
God's wisdom is part of accomplishing His purposes.
God's wisdom may not be explained in this life, but we must trust Him.
- Praise God for His infinite wisdom, which He reveals to us through His Spirit as He accomplishes His perfect purposes. If you have been angry with God in demanding an explanation for the circumstances in your life, admit that right now - He understands and loves you. If you have been using what you can't understand about God's ways as an excuse for not trusting Him, admit this to God right now and ask His Spirit to give you the faith you need to trust Him in complete humility. Thank Him for the fact that He will continue to use all of His wisdom to help you glorify Him as you become more like Jesus.
- Pray every day for God's Spirit to give you faith to choose to trust Him rather than doubt Him as you face life's unanswered questions.
- Keep a written list of your "WHY" questions in life, but at the top of your list, write:
I'M TRUSTING THE "WHO" AS I WAIT FOR THE "WHY"
How can connect today's story, God's Story scripture and our story to others?
- Pray that the families and friends of those killed in the Virginia Tech shootings will experience the peace that only Jesus Christ can provide.
- In the next few days you will hear more and more in the news about this terrible story at Virginia Tech. Whenever you do, pray for God to use His wisdom and power to reach many people for Christ through this story.
- Use this story as a conversation starter to learn more about the stories of those in your storysphere who need Jesus. Focus on listening rather than feeling the need to answer the questions, especially since we don't know the answers. BUT, this may be an opportunity for you to share more of your story - that you are trusting the "WHO" as you wonder about the "WHY".
16 Apr, 2007
Teen mom stabs baby 135 times
Stillwater, Minnesota - A 17-year-old girl stabbed her newborn baby 135 times in a "panic state" and then tossed her body in a garbage can outside her home in this Midwestern state, authorities said.
The high school senior told police she gave birth on the floor of the laundry room in her home last Monday, according to court documents.
Nicole Marie Beecroft said she saw the baby's finger move and then stabbed the child in a "panic state", the complaint said.
An autopsy determined the infant was born alive, but suffered numerous puncture wounds in the chest area and bled to death from 135 sharp-force injuries, the complaint said.
"She kills the baby and now her life will be changed forever," Washington County Attorney Doug Johnson said on Thursday.
Beecroft was charged with first-degree, or premeditated, murder and was being held in a juvenile detention facility. She was scheduled to make her first court appearance on Friday.
The girl's mother told police she did not know her overweight daughter was pregnant. The Beecroft family does not have a listed phone number.
Authorities were tipped off on Tuesday when an anonymous caller told police that a cashier at a Cub Foods grocery store in St Paul had given birth to a stillborn baby and threw it in the garbage at her home.
The investigation led to Beecroft's home, where they found the baby's body inside a trash bag outside on Tuesday. Inside the trash bag, investigators also found a black-handled knife and some towels, according to the complaint.
photo courtesy AP & story news24.com, 04/13/07
Confused and helpless
Matthew 9:35-38 (NLT)
The Need for Workers
35 Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 He said to his disciples,
What does today's God's Story scripture teach us about the compassion of Jesus?
Everyone has a story. Sadly, many people have a story that is filled with a twisted plot and a tragic theme. Nicole, the girl who has been charged with killing her baby seems to fit Matthew's description of someone who is like a "sheep without a shepherd".
Jesus feels great compassion for people who have problems so great that they don't know how to get help, or they are so down, they don't respond to help that is available. He wants to bring healing and hope to their lives through His love, forgiveness and power.
The amazing thing is that He wants to use us. Jesus said we should pray for people to respond to His need for workers. Quite often, when we pray for something, God uses us to answer our own prayers! He wants us to see the need and trust Him to empower us to meet the needs of others.
Many people are ready for the turning point in their life story. They will give their lives to Christ if someone shows them and tells them God's Story.
Are you willing to be that person?
How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our lives?
- Thank God that He sent Jesus to rewrite your life story. Praise Him for the fact that you know your story will have a happy ending - living with God in Heaven forever! Ask His Spirit to empower you with Christ's compassion for those who are hurting and feel helpless. Pray that people will respond to the need for being God's workers. Ask Jesus to give you a willing, humble heart to be one of those workers.
- For the next few weeks, whenever you see a baby or a picture of a newborn infant, let it be a reminder of Jesus calling you to reach out to those who are confused and helpless.
- Write a note of thanks to someone who showed Christ's compassion to you at a time when you may have felt confused and helpless.
How can we connect today's story, God's Story scripture and our story to others?
- Pray specifically for Nicole, the girl in Minnesota who is charged with killing her baby. (Just think about what could happen if thousands of DAILYBIDE readers pray for her!)
- At least once a week, be intentional about showing Christ's compassion to someone who is confused and hurting, without expecting anything in return.
- With your youth group or small group, come up with a strategy for reaching out to those who are confused and helpless in your school and neighborhood.
13 Apr, 2007
CBS fires shock jock over racist slur
US radio host Don Imus was dumped by CBS Radio today in an inglorious end to a 30-year career that erupted in controversy over racist and sexist comments about a women's college basketball team.
The move came one day after he was jettisoned by MSNBC, which had broadcast his radio show on television and after several major advertisers backed out after he called the mostly black Rutgers University team "nappy-headed hos".
"Nappy" is a slur describing the tightly curled hair of many African-Americans, and "ho" is slang for "whore," usage of which has exploded in hip-hop music and popular culture.
"From the outset, I believe all of us have been deeply upset and revulsed by the statements that were made on our air about the young women who represented Rutgers University ... with such class, energy and talent," CBS president and chief executive officer Leslie Moonves said in a statement.
Imus was not immediately available for comment.
CBS said the cancellation was effective immediately. The show was carried on 61 stations across the United States.
CBS Corp unit CBS Radio made millions of dollars annually from the show and had originally said it would suspend him for two weeks starting Monday while it mulled what action to take.
No rash talkin!
Do your words cut or heal?
Proverbs 12:18
18 There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing. (ESV)
What does today's God's Story scripture say about trash talkin?
All right, I know the verse uses the word "rash", not trash. And it is saying that these "rash" words can be like a sword thrust, not some vulgar verbage on the airwaves. But you get the connection between today's media headline story and God's Story.
Proverbs 12:18 really doesn't need explanation. In the context of the theme of wisdom in Proverbs, our words to others will show us to be a fool or someone who is full of God's wisdom.
Don Imus is trying to apologize and offer healing words to the Rutgers basketball team but the damage has been done. And he's done.
How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our lives?
- Answer this question honestly: Do your words bring hurt or healing to others?
- Talk some words to Jesus right now. Thank Him for the practical truth of His Holy Word. Confess any way in which you have been hurting others with words, whether to their face, behind their back, or online. Thank Jesus for His forgiveness. Ask His Spirit to help you fill your mind with God's Truth, so that you'll be full of wisdom and express words of Christ-like love toward others. Ask Jesus to use your words to bring healing to the lives of those who are hurting.
- Memorize today's verse as a reminder for how God wants you to talk to others.
- If someone has hurt you with words, ask God to give you a Christ-like attitude of forgiveness toward them, even if they never apologize.
How can we connect today's story, God's Story scripture and our story to others?
- If you have hurt someone with your words, go apologize and ask for forgiveness. It will be an example of someone who has a new story through following Christ, which is part of God's Story. It may give you opportunity to learn more of their story as they respond to your apology.
- This one may seem even harder. At school or at the work place, when you see someone "thrusting a sword" by trash talking someone in a hurtful way, intervene in a calm way without playing the role of judge. Just try to be a peacemaker while standing up for someone who is being picked on. Get ready, because this may really open up some conversation about your story.
- Use the Don Imus story to discuss with others the need to use words to build others up rather than putting others down.
12 Apr, 2007
World's tallest man gets hitched
The wedding must have been something to behold, with the 7ft 9in groom towering over his 5ft 6in bride.
Bao Xishun, the world's tallest man, is back in the news for his wedding to Xia Shujuan, a 29-year-old saleswoman, after seeking a bride through the personal ads.
"After sending out marriage advertisements across the world and going through a long selection process, the efforts have finally paid off," the Beijing News newspaper reported.
The 56-year-old Mr Bao ended up marrying a woman from his home town Chifeng in Inner Mongolia, who is nearly half his age and more than two feet shorter.
Confirmed last year by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's tallest person, Mr Bao was of normal height until 16 but then put on a spurt that doctors were unable to explain, reaching his full height in seven years.
After a stint in the army, where he was recruited for a basketball team, Mr Bao returned to Inner Mongolia. He now herds livestock and performs publicity stunts.
photo & story courtesy guardian.co.uk, 03/28/07
Mixed marriage?
Ezra 9:1-2 (NLT)
Ezra Prays About Intermarriage
1 After these things had been done, the leaders came to me and said, "The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring peoples with their detestable practices, like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians and Amorites. 2 They have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, and have mingled the holy race with the peoples around them. And the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness."
2 Corinthians 6:14 (NLT)
14 Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?
What does today's God's Story scripture teach us about applying Biblical faith to marriage?
Tyndale's LIFE APPLICATION STUDY BIBLE notes provide this insight:
9:2 Some Israelites had married pagan spouses and lost track of God's purpose for them. The New Testament says that believers should not "team up with those who are unbelievers" (2 Corinthians 6:14). Such marriages cannot have unity in the most important issue in life - commitment and obedience to God. Because marriage involves two people becoming one, faith may become an issue, and one spouse may have to compromise beliefs for the sake of unity. Many people discount this problem only to regret it later. Don't allow emotion or passion to blind you to the importance of marrying someone with whom you can be united spiritually.
This scriptural instruction is not just about a Christian marrying a person who believes in a false God. It also means that a person who is following Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord should not marry someone who is "religious" and just believes in God's existence.
I remember being on a flight when I sat next to a very cool lady who loves and follows Jesus Christ. Her story included a husband who had an affair and left her and their three kids. She talked about God's faithfulness getting her through this difficult time. He is restoring her and has given her a wonderful hope for the future.
Wanting to understand more of her story, I asked her if her "ex" was a follower of Jesus?
She replied, "I don't know. When we got married, I knew he believed in God, but I've never seen him live out a personal commitment to Jesus Christ on a daily basis."
Whether you're a teenager or just young at heart, I have a question for you: Will you commit to viewing marriage God's way? It's the only way.
Being tall or short does not matter in marriage, but growing together in Christ does.
- Thank God that His Holy Word is clear, practical, and has your best in mind when it teaches us about marriage. If you have been practicing a secular view about relationships in dating and marriage, confess this to God right now. He will forgive you and empower you to see it and do it His way. Ask Him to prepare you for a Christ-centered marriage or to trust His plan for you, if you never marry. Praise Him for His perfect love for you!
- Memorize 2nd Corinthians 6:14 as a reminder to only consider marriage - God's way!
- In your journal, make a weekly note of evaluation of your perspective and actions regarding dating and marriage. Are you living God's way in this part of life?
How can we connect today's story, God's Story scripture and our story to others?
- Talk about today's DAILYBIDE with other followers of Christ. Encourage each other and hold each other accountable to apply God's Story on the subject of marriage.
- Use today's story about the world's tallest man getting married to a regular sized woman as a conversation starter with someone in your storysphere who needs Jesus. Have some fun talking about the differences you see in couples. Look for the right moment to share part of your story, which includes a commitment to marry someone else who is a follower of Christ. Listen for their response without feeling like you have to give a mini-seminar on Biblical marriage.
- Pray for your friends and family members who are not viewing relationships from a Biblical perspective. Ask Jesus to reveal truth to them and for them to see a Christ-centered relationship lived out as an example for them to see a little more of God's Story.
11 Apr, 2007
Artist: Many offers for chocolate Jesus
NEW YORK - An anatomically correct chocolate sculpture of Jesus Christ infuriated Catholics and even led to threats, but the artist says offers to buy or exhibit the piece have been pouring in.
Artist Cosimo Cavallaro said that because of "some people who are fanatics" and the threats he received, he had stored the sculpture in a refrigerated truck in an undisclosed location.
A Manhattan gallery called off a planned exhibit of the 6-foot sculpture — called "My Sweet Lord" — amid a deluge of complaints from Catholics, including Cardinal Edward Egan.
They were offended by the confection, which does not include the loincloth typical in religious portrayals of Christ. Many also were outraged that the gallery planned to display the sculpture during Holy Week. The exhibit was to have run through Easter Sunday inside Manhattan's Roger Smith Hotel.
Cavallaro said the controversy spurred "thousands" of e-mail messages from people offering help, donations and exhibition space.
"It's quite amazing," he said.
photo & story courtesy news.yahoo.com, 04/01/07
Sweet Jesus?
Psalm 34:8 (NLT)
8 Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!
What does today's God's Story scripture teach us about the taste of God?
We don't know if David, the psalmist, ever ate chocolate, but he knew how good it was to taste the goodness and faithfulness of the LORD.
David wrote this after pretending to be insane in order to escape from King Achish. In Psalm 34, his theme is that whether God delivers us in times of trouble, we can be sure that He always hears and acts on behalf of those who love Him.
When David writes, "taste and see", he is not saying "hey, check out God if you feel like it." He is saying, "trust God, I know you'll like it."
It's interesting that while many find the "My Sweet Lord" exhibit to be blasphemy, "thousands" of other people think it's great and are offering help, donations and exhibition space. Jesus has always been at the center of controversy and He always will be because He is the only Way to the Living God.
For those of use who claim to be Christ followers, there should be no controversy about trusting Him. Every day we should "taste" and see how the LORD is good.
Obedience is the best way to taste and see that the LORD is good. This is another way to understand what it means to abide in Him. Obeying Jesus will help us remain in His love and according to Christ's words in John 15, this will make us full of His joy! As we trust and obey Jesus daily, we will continue to acquire an even greater hunger for tasting His goodness.
You can over do it on chocolate, but not on Jesus!
How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our lives?
- Chocolate is one of the most addictive, pleasure-giving options in life. Write down a list of whatever gives you pleasure and perhaps has become almost an addiction for you. It might be anything from music to sports to alcohol to shopping to_______________. Is your taste for these greater than your desire to taste the goodness of the LORD?
- Pray right now - Lord Jesus, thank you for your love and your faithfulness to me. I confess to you that I have been tasting more of _________________ rather than obeying you and tasting your goodness. Fill me with the joy that comes when I abide in You. Use the power of your Spirit to help me grow in your love and grace!
- You'll like this one: whenever you see or eat chocolate, let it be a moment of worship when you taste and see that the LORD is good!
- Read all of Psalm 34 to learn more of God's faithfulness to David.
How can we connect today's story, God's Story scripture and our story to others?
- Pray that your life will be an example to others of someone who is full of Christ's sweet joy.
- Give out chocolate bars to your friends and family. When they ask why, share your story as it relates to today's story and God's Story. You could get the conversation going by asking them if they think the chocolate statue of Jesus is wrong or ok?
- Forward this DAILYBIDE to some friends and family to encourage them. Invite them over for something chocolate. Hang out and learn more about their stories. Then eat some more chocolate!
