Readers are urged to reject the material desolation and moral depravity of the pop-cultured American status quo in this forceful and heartfelt work of nonfiction by a 17-year-old author. While there are no doubt powerful cultural forces acting against a happier way of life, a more sturdy path to happiness and fulfillment based upon God and Christ can be found, if one is willing to seek it. To help lead the reader onto a better path, Biblical references from the New International Version and The Message offer insight into more responsible dealings with such commonplace subjects as materialism, relationships, spiritual fulfillment, and the filtering out of the media.
Readers are urged to reject the material desolation and moral depravity of the pop-cultured American status quo in this forceful and heartfelt work of nonfiction by a 17-year-old author. While there are no doubt powerful cultural forces acting against a happier way of life, a more sturdy path to happiness and fulfillment based upon God and Christ can be found, if one is willing to seek it. To help lead the reader onto a better path, Biblical references from the New International Version and The Message offer insight into more responsible dealings with such commonplace subjects as materialism, relationships, spiritual fulfillment, and the filtering out of the media.
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Overview
Readers are urged to reject the material desolation and moral depravity of the pop-cultured American status quo in this forceful and heartfelt work of nonfiction by a 17-year-old author. While there are no doubt powerful cultural forces acting against a happier way of life, a more sturdy path to happiness and fulfillment based upon God and Christ can be found, if one is willing to seek it. To help lead the reader onto a better path, Biblical references from the New International Version and The Message offer insight into more responsible dealings with such commonplace subjects as materialism, relationships, spiritual fulfillment, and the filtering out of the media.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781615473083 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Holy Macro! Books |
| Publication date: | 04/01/2005 |
| Series: | Fresh Voices series |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 226 |
| File size: | 605 KB |
| Age Range: | 13 Years |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Confessions of a Girl
Truth to Be Told
By Tessa Sean Hershberger, Paragon Prepress Inc.
Fresh Writers Books
Copyright © 2005 Tessa HershbergerAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-932802-97-9
CHAPTER 1
My Generation: Right Where I'm Supposed To Be
WHO AM I?
My generation intrigues me to the bones. I've fallen in love with quietly observing the different personalities, the different ideas, the different fashions, the different passions, and the different ways of getting the heads of the opposite sex turn, stare, and then run into a pole only to embarrass the living hormones out of them. I am living in an extremely unique generation and though I can't say I'm enjoying every minute of it, I can say that I know I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be.
Exactly what generation am I in? Well, I'm 17 and I was born in 1986. Until now, I've always thought I was in what people refer to as "Generation X." I kind of like the term actually. When I hear it I think of words like "EXcellent, EXciting, EXtraordinary ... and EXtreme. But I wanted to get my facts straight so I got on the Internet to see just who Generation X consists of. I ended up finding several different opinions on when Generation X stopped, and to my surprise the date was always around the late 1970s or the very early 1980s. In the Miriam Webster dictionary it says that Generation X is "A group of people born between 1961 and 1972 typified by a college education, dissatisfaction with career opportunities, and pessimism." So, Webster basically says my mom is in Generation X but I'm not, nor were any of my babysitters. Okay. I then found out that the next generation after Generation X is called the millennial generation. So, am I a GenXer or a millennial baby? I'm not exactly sure because it seems as though the term "Generation X" is always used in such a broad way to describe teenagers and for the record, I've only heard the word "millennial" once in my life (actually, I've never even heard the word, I've only read it ... one time ... and the definition for it wasn't even in the 1999 edition of Webster's Dictionary).
Maybe people just throw around the term "Generation X" without really knowing what it means or maybe I was always just confused about the term myself. So honestly, I guess I'm a millennial kid.
I don't really think it matters whether or not you know the real term of what generation you're in, but just to get an idea of where you stand compared to someone my age, see how many of these questions you can (honestly) answer "yes" to.
1. Can you name the six main characters on Saved by the Bell?
2. Do you (or did you at one time) own one of the following debut CDs?
1. Hanson
2. Amy Grant
3. New Kids on the Block
4. Backstreet Boys
5. N'SYNC
6. Michael W. Smith
3. Did you see Titanic in theatres more than once?
4. Does your cell phone ring to Mandy Moore's latest song?
5. Have you ever owned one or more of the following?
1. My Little Pony
2. Beanie Babies
3. Nintendo
4. Light Bright
5. Easy Bake Oven
6. Furbie (those always freaked me out big time)
6. Did you ever wear stir-up pants, a flannel shirt, and a humongous scrunchie all at the same time?
7. Have you ever worn your hair in a huge side ponytail?
8. Would you recognize O.J. Simpson walking down your street?
9. Can you name the cast of Friends in five seconds or less? (OK, so I've never even watched a whole episode of Friends!)
10. Did you ever own anything in bright neon colors?
If you answered "yes" to most of these questions, you'll probably relate to my voice pretty well in this book. But honestly, your grandma might be able to answer "yes" to all these questions too, so really this doesn't prove anything. I just wanted to see if you could remember that the Backstreet Boys were cool once. I forgot.
Now that we have that covered, I'm going to stop using all the technical terms and just refer to my generation as "my generation" so no one gets confused. And who am I speaking to in my generation? Every young woman and girl that's willing to listen. (And any guy that's somewhat curious.) Whether you want to call me a GenXer or a millennial baby, I don't care. All I can say is that my generation is the generation I was born for. There's so much to say about it. It's one of a kind and though sometimes I wish I could go back to the '20s and get a bob or the '50s and wear saddle shoes, I'd have to say that in the end I'd rather be here. (Anyways, I had a pair of saddle shoes in Kindergarten.) There's so much that has happened in history during my lifetime that involves my peers and there are so many different personalities out there. I know I belong here.
I have lived in my generation for 17 years. I have a heart completely full of inspiration and for a while now it's been dying to be heard. This is me! This is what I have to say! This is how I feel, this is what I think, and this is what I want the rest of the world to know. Come over here and join me while I bask in the Truth that I have discovered.
* * *
IN THE MIDST OF IT ALL
This what my generation is telling me ... in the midst of the Truth I've found
I say I belong in my generation, not because I fit in, but I actually say it because I stand out like a Prada pumping Paris Hilton on the set of Survivor. Look, here I am! I've discovered something different that I think you'll want to hear. A unique way of thinking. Something fresh. Something you might only hear from me. Or ... wait! Do I only wish I stood out in my generation that much? Is it only a fantasy of mine to have not turned my back from this one-of-a-kind Truth too many times and packed my suitcase to travel the overgrown road of mindless conformity?
Some days I decide that I've had enough of the lies and deception that are thrown at me and that I'll no longer listen to the twisted values and morals that my generation is telling me are "right" and "accepted" and "normal." Then the next day I'm stuffing my face with fruit to get that must-have "healthy glow" that I read about in last month's issue of some popular fashion magazine. The next thing you know I'm pounding my head on the wall after finding out that one slice of watermelon has a gut popping 150 calories. (And for the record ... I did just find out that one slice of watermelon has 150 calories. I hope that's a pretty big slice because I'll never skimp out on watermelon.)
Everything around me seems so unstable. Why can't I just decide to believe one single thing and then base everything I do off of that truth? Instead, I feel like I'm going up and down, up and down, as if I'm on a teeter-totter, only it's not as innocent as a child on a playground but it's as serious as a seventeen-year-old trying to figure out life and the total truth of it all. The thing is, I feel as though I have figured out the total truth of it all. It's only a matter of living that truth out and abandoning the ways of my generation to follow after that truth, no matter what the price is, every single day of my life.
Abandon the ways of your generation? Is this some kind of joke? No, I'm sorry, it's not. It's real, it's possible, and it's basically what the rest of the book is about so if you're not too sure about the whole idea, go ahead, put it down. But for those of you who are the least bit curious about what I have to say, read on.
* * *
1 Corinthians 3:18-19, "Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: 'He catches the wise in their craftiness'." (NIV)
The ways of my generation. What exactly are they? Like I said before, my generation is very unique. Not only are we unique, we're what I would like to call "complicated" and perhaps somewhat looked down upon by the older generations. We've been beat down until we're left with a crummy image of ourselves that we're not sure what to do with. I feel as though a large part of the older generations looks at my generation with a frown, a frown of disappointment. It's like they're saying ... so this is what we get next? These are the kids that are going to step up and take over the nation? This country is surely set for doom. I've got to get out of here.
It's really a shame that they've placed us in such a fixed persona; one that I think will be very hard to escape from. We aren't that bad, are we? I've heard countless stories of people in my age group branching out and making a difference in the world. I've heard accounts of ordinary teens that have done huge things just because their hearts were in the right places. I've read dozens of articles about young people going on mission trips, raising money for the poor, helping the elderly, doing random acts of kindness, and so on. So what's the problem with us? Why can't we seem to get it right in the eyes of authority?
And then I hear a faint voice. It's the fact that your generation has picked the wrong "authority" altogether. It's the fact that the authority you have chosen is false. It's telling you lie after lie, setting trap after trap waiting for the day when you'll stick your foot in the mud and die trying to get it out. You've chosen to follow an authority that is giving you a false truth, a false hope, a false self- image, and a false perception of what life is really about. You've walked out on anything real and you're giving yourselves up to a scam.
So where is this false truth coming from? It's coming from the million branches of the media, it's coming from politicians, it's coming from (some) of our parents, and unfortunately, it's even coming from our closest friends. To put it in a nutshell, the false truth is coming from a little something I like to call society. Our society has set a number of standards for America's youth to live up to and they're rock solid. It's practically a matter of life and death to escape from the way they've molded themselves into our culture.
Society has first set the standard for money and possessions. Money is everything, and unless you've got a lot of it, well, good luck in life. We've been given the directive that we have to buy everything we can afford or else we're poor nobodies without any worth. Our financial status will make us or break us. We must do everything we can to keep ourselves from becoming a "have-not." Risk your life to join the "haves." So this message plays over and over in our minds, like a broken record that plays the same melody over and over and over. The standard was set a long time ago and it has slowly become accepted.
A second standard that society has set is the standard of relationships. It has shown us that divorce is now a normal, everyday part of life. It happens. Don't shoot for a lifelong partner because you'll be lucky to make it to your 10th anniversary. Love? What is love anymore? Bang. That's just it. We don't even know. We can't even tell you what the real thing is. How can we tell when most of our examples of relationships are artificial failures? How can we tell when magazines tell us twenty different things? Twenty reasons why it's more fun to be single! How to turn your friend into your boyfriend! Go from crush to love! You're right. We can't tell.
Thirdly, society has set a standard for how we should look. Just how many fashion and beauty magazines out there are directed towards young women and girls? And it's not even just girls. Guys have been given the standard just as much. If we don't look a certain way, dress in certain clothes, and say the right things, we're just not doing it right. You need a makeover and you need it now!! I don't know about you but that's the message that I'm getting. My hair is not the right color. My arms are too flabby. I'm not on the right diet. I'm wearing the wrong brand name. Again. And I find myself believing it all, because society has wrapped it up in a harmless looking gift box. Needless to say, I opened it up. It was empty.
Society has not only set a standard for wealth, relationships, and appearance, but it has also set a standard for behavior. There's a certain way for guys to act, and there's a certain way for girls to act. Guys: Act tough or go home. Don't show your emotions. Just get the girl and get on with it. Stay cool. "Keep it real" (whatever that means). Girls: Be sexy, but don't let the guy use you. Take control over the relationship. Be strong. Don't let the guy get the better of you. Hold it in. Don't cry. Move on. Get out there and show yourself.
We hear it over and over again. And now it has stuck. It has stuck like glue, and I've believed it one too many times. It's affected me so much that I've felt stupid for not flirting before. It's affected the decisions I've made when buying my clothes. As hard as I've tried to escape it, there's no telling that it hasn't affected me. It has. And it's affected my generation as well.
Yes, society has told us many things; things that are extremely easy to believe, even if you think you're smart enough not to. Society has ultimately become our authority figure and whether it is friends, the media, or your high school English teacher, society has surrounded us like water surrounds an island. It has become a part of how we stay afloat in life. It "supports" us and "comforts" us. It answers us when we question life. But let me tell you- a large part of society is only waiting for us to sink, waiting for our hearts to become so heavy that life isn't even an option. We're holding on, and it's just waiting for the perfect moment to blind our eyes for the very last time and convince us to let go. And let's face it: it isn't waiting to catch us after the fall.
My Own Thought What standard that society has set has affected you the most and why? How do you feel about that standard? Is it true? Is it easy to live up to?
______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________
A SINGLE PROPOSITION
Now would be the time to pay attention Acts 2:40, "... he warned them; and he pleaded with them, 'Save yourselves from this corrupt generation'." (NIV)
I hesitantly take baby steps to center stage. The spotlight is shining in my eyes and I step up to the microphone. The audience is impatiently waiting for me to begin speaking. I nervously shuffle my feet as my brow sweats and my hands become jelly. I tap the microphone to make sure it's on and a loud, screeching ring of feedback immediately sends the audience into an annoyed frenzy of groans. My heart jumps and I suddenly wish that the floor would open up and swallow me. No. You have to say this. Get back up there and say it with confidence. They might laugh. It doesn't matter. They'll think I'm crazy! It's a possibility. But if I don't say it now ... you'll regret it ... I'll regret it.
So, here goes. I have a single proposal to my generation. I have a plea to my generation. So, if you're interested, listen up. Let's raise the bar. Let's run away in reckless abandonment of the world. Let's dance in the Truth. Let's live the lives we are being called to. Let's set the standard higher than it's ever been before. Our generation was born for such a time as this.
I feel very strongly that our generation can do better, that we can prove society wrong and begin to climb the ladder to the one and only Truth. Our generation has so much to offer to the world and it's about time that we stepped in and made a worldwide, permanent change. God has called us on a mission and we must take the responsibility to answer that call.
My Thoughts
________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
CHAPTER 2A Predetermined Mission: The Chance to Make History
A ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY
One that I just can't seem to pass up!
1 Timothy 4:12, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity." (NIV)
A few months ago I started taking an interest in reading the newspaper every day (or at least bits and pieces). It all started when I discovered a daily column in my newspaper, The Akron Beacon Journal, called Porter's People. It's a small column that has a bunch of tidbits of gossip here and there that mostly deal with stupid things people do or say. They're mostly about celebrities, and then there's one of my favorite tidbits entitled "Dumb Crook News" which always offers a laugh. And there's always one entitled "The Final Word" that usually comes from a latenight television host and makes fun of some highly targeted politician.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Confessions of a Girl by Tessa Sean Hershberger, Paragon Prepress Inc.. Copyright © 2005 Tessa Hershberger. Excerpted by permission of Fresh Writers Books.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents
Title Page,Copyright Page,
About the Author,
Acknowledgments,
Dedication,
Introduction: It's Only Me Talking,
Chapter 1 - My Generation: Right Where I'm Supposed To Be,
Chapter 2 - A Predetermined Mission: The Chance to Make History,
Chapter 3 - What's Love Got To Do With It? A Lot!,
Chapter 4 - Where Moth And Rust Destroy: Where Are Your Treasures?,
Chapter 5 - Who's That In The Mirror? The False Image We've Formed,
Chapter 6 - Looking Through The Father's Eyes: The Truth To Who We Are,
Chapter 7 - Modesty: A New Approach,
Chapter 8 - It's All In The Mind: God's Greater Calling To Purity On The Inside,
Chapter 9 - A Hope And A Future: Learning To Trust God With The Puzzle Of Life,
Chapter 10 - Finishing The Race: Keeping The Bar Raised And The Passion Strong,
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