Peer Pressure

We tend to think that peer pressure is something that only teenagers struggle with. The reality, though, is that at all ages we tend to be affected by the behavior of the people around us - for good or bad.

In San Marcos, California, three hundred households were given information about how much energy they used. At the same time they were also given accurate information about how much energy their neighbors used. On the positive side, those who were large energy consumers tended to reduce their usage. But on the negative side, those who had been conserving energy ended up using more energy when they discovered that their neighbors weren't conserving.

In Hebrews 10:24-25 we read: "And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

In our lives, are we allowing the negative thoughts and behaviors of the people around us to drag us down? Or do we make use of the opportunities we have to change the thoughts and behaviors of the people around us for the better? Every day there are occasions where God makes it possible for us to exert positive peer pressure. Don't let those opportunities pass you by.

Ed Bowen

Ed Bowen

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, consider some of these quotations from Dr. King:

"Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase."

"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

Ed Bowen

Service Night

One of the goals that we have as a church is to give people hands-on opportunities to serve other people. On Thursday, January 14, we are offering the first such opportunity for the new year. Everyone is invited to gather at 6:30 p.m. to help make fleece blankets for the residents at a local personal care home. The material will be provided. If you have sharp scissors, please bring them.

If you have ideas about other projects that we could do, please let Tricia Sanders or me know. Our goal is to have at least four such projects during 2010, but we would certainly be excited about accomplishing even more!

Ed Bowen