Tag Archives: integrity

LifeTeen.com Blog

To Party or Not to Party: The "Good Influence" Argument

By | September 5, 2012

2012-09_LT-PartyorNot

Not going to the party makes a much bolder statement. It doesn’t mean you’re judgmental. It doesn’t mean you’re anti-fun or anti-friend. It means you’re pro-God. You might think people won’t notice or won’t care, but you’re wrong. No, the entire school might not take notice but some people will. Your courageous example to step away might be exactly what others need to see to do the same. There are others who, if given another option, would rather not be at the party.

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LifeTeen.com Blog

Thinking About Drinking?: The Bible, Alcohol, and You

By | September 4, 2012

2012-09_LT-ThinkingDrinking

I talk to teenagers just about every day, and the conversations are often the same. They deal with the Bible and what the Church teaches and how challenging it can be to live a holy life in an unholy culture. I’d say that most teens that I talk to are truly looking for the Lord; some, however, are looking less for the Lord and more for the “loopholes.” For instance: “I heard that the Bible doesn’t say drinking alcohol is a sin.”

“Well, no, the Bible does not say that drinking alcohol is a sin,” I respond. I then go on to explain that it does become sinful (very easily), if any of the following happen…

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LifeTeen.com Blog

Supermarket Sanctity: How God Tests Our Integrity

By | September 27, 2010

A few years back, I was in the checkout line at my local grocery store. As I paid and the last few things were packed into the bags, the young cashier handed me my change. I thanked him, accepted the money, grabbed the receipt, and exited with my cart (the one which – as usual – had one malfunctioning, very annoying wobbly wheel).

Looking down on my way out I noticed that the cashier had given me too much change.

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LifeTeen.com Blog

Stop Copying Me! Cheating at School.

By | September 22, 2010

I can’t be the only one who’s dreamt this: You’re running late to class, and when you barge into the room you realize (A) that you’re still in your pajamas, and (B) there’s a test you totally forgot about! It’s a horrible feeling, being unprepared for something you can’t escape. I remember one particular time when I realized there was a Chemistry – that morning. I was sitting in English class, a place I’ve always felt more at home, and was freaking out when my friend handed me something.

It was a copy of the test she’d stolen from the teacher’s desk. This was exactly what I needed, right? But I couldn’t ignore the steadily rising little voice inside that said, “This is wrong.”

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LifeTeen.com Blog

Dorm Room Catholicism: Staying Holy After Senior Year

By | September 17, 2010

The words fun, freedom, and adulthood probably come to mind when you think about the adventure you’re about to embark on. For those just entering college, get ready. Dorm life is very different from living in an upstairs room at your parents’ – with your meals made and an early bedtime. We wouldn’t leave you stranded, so here’s some advice for both guys and girls on how to keep your integrity inside your residence hall. We asked Megan and Luke Reetz, a couple from Colorado who have both served on university campuses as Catholic missionaries, to share their wisdom for men and women.

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LifeTeen.com Blog

The Mystery of Modesty

By | September 9, 2010

The words of this year’s theme, “Behold the Mystery,” can be seen around every corner and heard from every mouth here at Life Teen. As I thought and prayed about it, I remembered learning that the word mystery comes from the Latin “mysterion.” It means something that is revealed while at the same time concealed.

This definition fits well with the virtue of modesty.

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LifeTeen.com Blog

Want Heaven's Area Code? 5 Ways to Talk to God.

By | September 8, 2010

Working at a cell phone store, I find very few customers that don’t consider their phone a necessity. So when they come in with a freshly wet phone they dropped in the toilet… they are not calm.

If my customers cannot live one day without their cell phones that connect them to the people they love, why can some Catholics live without praying daily?

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LifeTeen.com Blog

From The Editor's Desk: What You See Is What You Get

By | September 1, 2010

This is the official announcement of our September 2010 theme for LifeTeen.com content

Whether it’s in the headlines of Hollywood or the chambers of Congress, it seems that scandal’s everywhere these days. Celebrities, politicians, leaders… everyone is ready to prove that what they say and what they do aren’t the same things. But the stars of newspapers and gossip websites aren’t the only ones whose talk doesn’t match their walk. We all know how easy it can be to be ‘Catholic’ on Sundays. Hanging out with our ‘church’ friends and sitting in Mass, we can seem like the perfect Catholic.

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