By Staff Writer Kalli Simmerman Watching all of those Disney movies while growing up can really give a girl misconceptions. I don’t know about anyone else but a guy never tracked me down and asked me to marry him just because I had left my shoe at his house. Nor did I [...] Visit this article on Real Teen Faith
Attention, All Dudes: Girls can be strange and foreign creatures at times. We know you have questions you’d like girls to answer. This is your opportunity to ask! Click the link to our formspring below and shoot us your questions. We’ll publish some of the best ones, along with some real, live responses Ask [...] Visit this article on Real [...]
By RTF Editor Abbie Miller As soon as I walked into the youth room, I knew. There was a certain tension in the air. Deep lines creased the foreheads and lips of our leaders. The youth pastor was pacing like a caged, nervous, blushing animal. When we all sat down, we realized we were going to be [...] Visit this [...]
By RTF Editor Abbie Miller As soon as I walked into the youth room, I knew. There was a certain tension in the air. Deep lines creased the foreheads and lips of our leaders. The youth pastor was pacing like a caged, nervous, blushing animal. When we all sat down, we realized we were going to be [...] Visit this [...]
By RTF Editor Abbie Miller As soon as I walked into the youth room, I knew. There was a certain tension in the air. Deep lines creased the foreheads and lips of our leaders. The youth pastor was pacing like a caged, nervous, blushing animal. When we all sat down, we realized we were going to be [...] Visit this [...]
YAY FOR AWKWARD TOPICS! Okay, so if you’re a guy — you were specially selected to receive this message. No, really. I chose ya because you are in various stages of relationships… looking forward, in the middle of, or looking back. You may have noticed I’m writing a book for girls, to be released in 2013. And every [...] Visit [...]
by Staff Writer Matthew VanTryon The conversation was getting heated, and Tyler was trying to keep his temper in check. However, despite his valiant efforts, “#^%*” came out of his mouth. He immediately hung his head in shame. “I promised I would stop that.” As the Chemistry test was being passed down the row, Jessie began to worry. [...] Visit [...]
By RTF Staff Writer Stephany Mendia In ten years there are two things I will remember about high school: The lives I touched, and the lives I wished hadn’t touched mine. It sounds cynical I know, but I hope you all will give me grace when I say that I try my hardest to see [...] Visit this article on [...]
What are you doing for God’s honor today? Visit this article on Real Teen Faith
We hijack your regularly scheduled programming… …To wish our very own Bekah a gigantic happy birthday! Visit this article on Real Teen Faith
by Staff Writer Jennifer Grimes After the death of her brother, heroine Meg Kavanagh realizes that she is made of glass―she’s fragile, and she’s about to break. But moving to Wyoming and attempting to hold together family bonds begins to change things, and Meg realizes she’s not as fragile as she seems. It isn’t until she [...] Visit this article [...]
By RTF Guest Writer Elora Ramirez Sometimes, the biggest step we can make with grace is the acknowledgment of the wrecking ball of pain inside. My recognition came in the form a whisper and a prayer. The minute I admitted my childhood abuse the power shifted and I knew nothing would be the same. For years, my concept of [...] [...]
By RTF Staff Writer Arianna Zander Sweetness dripped off her words like rain, and at each sentence, I felt my hands clench. I knew what she did to my family. The rumors she’d spread, the accusations, the blackmail. “I was only trying to help,” she said, “it was my Christian duty.” Maybe [...] Visit this article on Real Teen Faith
By RTF Guest Writer Amanda Steiner Have you ever noticed that the best movies are those that cause us to experience every emotion? They leave us on the edges of our seats yelling at our television screens. They teach us lessons about life and allow us to walk away motivated. Like any good movie, my life started [...] Visit this [...]
By RTF Editor Bekah Hamrick Martin Some of you know my story. Shame. Loss. Depression. Worthlessness. These are some of the words that haunted me on the darkest nights. I heard the lie over and over again as a teen that life wasn’t worth living. That things would never be different. That nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Would. Ever. Get. Better. I [...]
By Guest Writer Ashli Roussel “You are a liar.” Although I would normally never encourage anyone to speak these words, there is an exception to that rule when it comes to one thing: an eating disorder. In fact, if you have an eating disorder, I encourage you to look it in the face and tell it, “You [...] Visit this [...]
Happy New Year, RTF-ers! What kind of wonderful things did you do to welcome this new year? And how long do you think it will take for you to get used to writing “2012″ on papers? Personally, it tends to take us about a month. Give or take a month… Visit this article on Real Teen Faith
Merry Christmas, RTF-ers! We hope you have an awesome break from school, a great time with family, and a wonderful celebration of the birth of Christ! Visit this article on Real Teen Faith
By RTF Editor Bekah Hamrick Martin You’re not smiling this Christmas. It’s not that you hate the season. It’s just that everywhere you look, you see the face of the one you loved and lost. Some twinkling lights and a few shiny gifts under the tree don’t cover up the pain you feel inside. {Continue [...] Visit this article on [...]
by Staff Writer Stephany Mendia Christmas? Well it’s the most wonderful time of the year! There are chestnuts for roasting, marshmallows for toasting and Jesus’s birthday to celebrate! I read the most interesting short story the other day, that you have probably all heard of — Jesus’s birthday being forgotten about due to Santa. If you haven’t [...] Visit this [...]
Yeah. We know. Christmas is less than a week away. And you’re thinking, If I don’t have all my gift-shopping done now, I’m out of luck! Didn’t we tell you we’re here for you? Um, it’s still true. Just sayin’… So because we know that sometimes life gets crazy and you realize you forgot to buy [...] Visit this article [...]
by Staff Writer Matthew VanTryon Presents are a big part of Christmas time. So, I thought I’d share about a present I got (although not for Christmas) that had an impact beyond simply another ugly Christmas sweater or socks and underwear. This gift involved what I would truly call a “trip of a lifetime” with my [...] Visit this article [...]
…And other things I’m sick of hearing. By Editor Abbie Miller So, confession time with Abbie. (And don’t get excited – no stories of coffee shop humiliation today.) Ready? Here goes… I am a scrooge. But not the kind of scrooge you might think. I’m a scrooge in a way that is probably largely frowned upon in Christian circles. A [...]
Yep. We know. You’ve been eagerly anticipating Monday to see what new gifts we will suggest. It may be the first time you’ve looked forward to a Monday. =) Well, the wait is over! This week it’s time to explore the best fun gifts. You’ve heard us talk about this one before, but we’re crazy about [...] Visit this article [...]
Want a good Christmas laugh? Check out this video from Rhett and Link. Merry charisma wrist! (You’ll understand that after you watch the video.) Visit this article on Real Teen Faith
by Staff Writer Matthew VanTryon Last year, I knew what I wanted for Christmas long before December rolled around. I decided that I would teach myself to play the guitar — because I assumed that any guy who could play the guitar and carry a tune would be a shoo-in to gain the attention of only [...] Visit this article [...]
Yep. It’s that time. The time when people go out of their minds trying to find the perfect gifts for their friends and family. And since we care about you, we’re gonna help you out. It’s a crazy world out there and you really do not wanna wander out unprepared. Heaven forbid, in your quest [...] Visit this article on [...]
Interested in B.Reith’s music after Sam’s review? Check out this awesome music video from his first album. Yeah, it kinda rocks. Visit this article on Real Teen Faith
by Staff Writer Sam Gardiner Ever since being discovered by TobyMac back in 2008, hip hop sensation B.Reith has never looked back. After releasing his debut studio album Now Is Not Forever (featuring the hit song “The Comeback Kid”) through Gotee Records in 2009, Brian became instantly admired for his ability to not only rap exceptionally, but for his amazing voice [...] Visit this article [...]
Happy Thanksgiving, RTF readers! We hope you all have a fabulous day with friends and family. Enjoy some turkey and pumpkin pie (but don’t eat too much!) and celebrate the amazing blessings in your life. One thing we’re thankful for is you, our readers. You make what we do worthwhile. So thank you. What are you thankful [...] Visit this [...]
by Staff Writer Jennifer Grimes Every November since I can remember, I’ve packed shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. I always picked a girl and boy my age and filled my shoeboxes to the brim with crayons, notepads, toothbrushes, soap, and—most important, in my opinion—stuffed animals. By the time I packed the box, I practically had to [...] Visit this article [...]
by Staff Writer Matthew VanTryon Imagine waking up every morning, parched dry. Yet instead of walking downstairs to the faucet and getting a glass of clean and refreshing water, you walk miles later that day to retrieve muddy and bacteria-filled water. This is the situation that many people find themselves in on a daily basis. This [...] Visit this article [...]
by Staff Writer Kalli Simmerman It’s happened to all of us. We come home from a long day of school or work (sometimes both!), kick off our shoes, settle down on the couch for a night full of mind-numbing television when, suddenly, it’s on. We’re ambushed by THE commercial. You know which one I’m talking about. [...] Visit this article [...]
by Guest Contributor Kat Kachmar Imagine you’re a 16 year-old female, with no father in the picture, and a mom who does drugs. You have no accountability. You come and go as you please, do poorly in school even though you’re smart, but no one is there for support and to push you to succeed. One day [...] Visit this [...]
What if you were an orphan? I know what you’re thinking. Okay, Halee, I see where this is going, but I’m not exactly ready to adopt right now. I kinda need to finish high school… Don’t worry. I’m not advocating teen parenthood! But you’re not too young to make a difference. Check out this video and [...] Visit this article [...]
This month, we’re talking about causes, ways you – yes you, the teen sitting at home – can make a difference in this world. You have that power. Here’s what an RTF alumnus, Derek Hanisch, had to say: “We all have causes that are near and dear to our heart. As a childhood cancer survivor, [...] Visit this article on [...]
by Staff Writer Arianna Zander As I sat in the hospital waiting room, I noticed the people around me. The grandmother seated across from me avoiding eye contact, twisting her sweaty hands. A little girl ran past me crying, begging her mother to leave. And outside of the room, his face pressed against the glass, a [...] Visit this article [...]
By RTF Staff Writer Shannon Meiers It was almost midnight. I should have gone to bed over an hour ago. But I couldn’t. The draw of the shiny blue screen was too much to bear. My red-rimmed eyes darted to the battery indicator on my laptop. 10%. Good. Time for one more status update. Even as [...] Visit this article [...]
By RTF Editor Abbie Miller It all went down one day in my local Starbucks, where I’d gone after class for a few hours of homework, studying, writing, and mindless Facebook surfing. As I waited for my laptop to come out of hibernation mode, I looked around at my fellow caffeine worshippers. It was a full house [...] Visit this [...]
By Guest Writer Rebecca Good One Wednesday morning, before five o’clock, I was awakened due to the fact my right leg joints were in excruciating pain. I’ve gotten joint pain in my legs numerous times before, ranging from mild to extreme. This time, it was extreme. The pain was so bad that I just wanted someone [...] Visit this article [...]
By RTF Staff Writer Jennifer Grimes Studying can be a drag sometimes, but I’ve found some pretty nice sites that lend a helping hand. Since school is in full swing, I thought I’d share them with you. (I’m in no way affiliated with these sites, and, though I’d like it a whole lot, I’m not getting [...] Visit this article [...]
By RTF Staff Writer Sam Gardiner [Originally published here.] Note from the editor: we’re super-excited to introduce our newest staff writer, Sam Gardiner. Give him a warm welcome in the comments! You may know Satellites & Sirens as being responsible for “Anchor”, their debut single that climbed the Christian rock radio charts last year. After [...] Visit this article on [...]
By Guest Writer Ashlyn Slamans How many times have I heard that phrase growing up? It seemed so cliché when I heard my mom repeating that line to me over and over. It didn’t matter if it was movies, music, books… as a young teen I just didn’t get the concept. Of course I didn’t watch [...] Visit this article [...]
Anyone who’s ever experienced bullying via the internet knows it can go from “joking” to serious within minutes. This month, we’ll be hearing and reading some real-life stories from people who have experienced cyber-bullying firsthand. What do you think about it? Do you know anyone who’s been victimized by it? Have you been victimized by it? [...] Visit this article [...]
By RTF Staff Writer Stephany Mendia I smiled when I opened the email and found out that this month we were focusing on the Internet. This first semester of school I am taking a class called History of American Pop Culture which is about what the title says, America’s popular culture from the 2000’s to [...] Visit this article on [...]
By RTF Staff Writer Arianna Zander It started with a doctor asking me, “Do you have a history of claustrophobia?” I answered no, already wondering what sort of torture she was going to inflict on me. After another 500 questions (OK, maybe only 15), I was trapped. In 6 days, they were going to stuff my [...] Visit this article [...]
Lynn is the author of His Revolutionary Love, a book that helps girls develop a higher self-esteem by discovering Christ’s life-altering love. Interviewed by RTF Staff Writer Shannon Meiers How long did it take for you to formulate the idea behind your book? Several years ago I started hanging out with a group of high school girls. We [...] Visit this [...]
We’re music-mongers here at Real Teen Faith. We’re always excited to discover new music, and we love getting the lowdown on upcoming album releases. That’s why we love FreeCCM.com, an awesome Christian music website. They offer a free (and legal!) download of a new song every week. You just have to register – and that’s free [...] Visit this article [...]
By RTF Staff Writer Kalli Simmerman “We’ll no longer be needing you.” When I read that email, my stomach just clenched. Only a few days before I had been informed that I was being let go from my other job due to budget cuts in the school. Now, within a matter of two days, I was [...] Visit this article [...]
Happy Retro Day!! To go with our current them of “back to school”, we decided to re-post this great story from Halee about her hilarious high school debacle. Enjoy! By RTF Editor Halee Matthews It was a rite of passage – a mean, painful initiation. Nearly every person at my high school suffered through it [...] Visit this article on [...]
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