Christa Brelsford is a graduate student at Arizona State University. A few weeks ago, she was in ‎Haiti volunteering at the Cabois Literacy School when the catastrophic earthquake hit. Although ‎she was one of the first Americans airlifted to a hospital, her injuries were so severe that surgeons ‎had to amputate her right foot.

She met Wenson Georges before the earthquake at the literacy ‎center; he wanted to perfect his English so that he could come to the United States, obtain a ‎university degree, and some day open a computer software business. His mother sold coffee in the ‎local market, and he told Christa that he’d never lived in a house with running water or electricity. ‎He wanted to see what life in the U.S. was like. It was Wenson who helped lift the large concrete ‎slabs that had fallen on top of Christa during the quake. He carried her to the U.N. Peacekeeping ‎Mission office and stayed with her all night until she could get help.‎

Between surgeries and physical therapy in the hospital, Christa decided to start a nonprofit charity ‎to raise funds to rebuild the literacy school that crumbled during the earthquake and to give a ‎scholarship to Wenson for helping save her life. From her hospital bed, she chose a name and ‎created a website. Now she’s being interviewed on national news circuits to share her story. “If Americans give a little back,” she said, “it can make a huge difference.”‎

What has God allowed in your life that He wants to use for good? Just look at Joseph. Joseph was ‎certainly in a position to be bitter and vengeful, but listen to what he said to his conniving ‎brothers: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this ‎position so I could save the lives of many people” (Genesis 50:20). Instead of feeling sorry for ‎yourself or moping around depressed and dejected, ask God for an attitude change and clear ‎direction. Reach out to others instead of centering your focus on yourself, and call to mind the ‎blessings God has given you. Cultivate thankfulness regardless of your circumstances, and take ‎action to make a difference!‎

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I played capture the flag over the Christmas break. We were anything but passive when it came to ‎protecting our flag. Those of us who were guarding the flag put our full energy into making sure no one ‎got across our line. The same should hold true for us when it comes to our hearts. Have you drawn your ‎line in the sand? Set your boundaries so far back that the opposing side, the Enemy, can’t even think ‎about capturing your heart and the path that God has set before you.‎

Your inner person always impacts the outside direction of your life. Who you choose to date. To hang out ‎with. Your career. Your choices about college or work. Whether or not you choose to respect your ‎parents. Everything within your heart has an impact, positive or negative, on your life. That’s why ‎Solomon, the wisest, and wealthiest, king to walk this planet, said: “Guard your heart above all else, for it ‎determines the course of your life.” Another translation says, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from ‎it flow the springs of life.” ‎

In every area of your life, you are influenced by your heart. What you fill your heart with determines the ‎direction of your life—and ultimately your destiny. Your heart determines how you view life, the words ‎that you speak, and the steps that you take. If you will keep your eyes focused on the goals God has given ‎you, and protect what He has placed within you, you’ll be on the path to living out your unique calling. In ‎the end, either your beautiful, noble heart will help guide you in the right way or your stagnant, polluted ‎heart will cause you to miss out on God’s best for your life. ‎

Last week, I was reminded of the far-reaching effect our lives can have. As we listened to Martin ‎Luther King III share about his father’s legacy, I couldn’t help but think about what happens when ‎we simply do, with our whole heart, what God shows us to do. No matter the task asked of us, if ‎done with the highest motive, its effect can lift the hearts of others. As reflections of the brilliance ‎of God’s love, our lives–our work and our words–should radiate Life. We are instructed: “And ‎whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to ‎God the Father” (Colossians 3:17, NLT). As you continue with your studies, do them for the Lord. ‎No matter the assignment, humble yourself before God, and in time He will lift you up. ‎

‎“If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures, sweep ‎streets like Beethoven composed music, sweep streets like Leontyne Price sings before the ‎Metropolitan Opera. Sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry. Sweep streets so well that all ‎the hosts of heaven and earth will have to pause and say: Here lived a great street sweeper who ‎swept his job well. If you can’t be a pine at the top of the hill, be a shrub in the valley. Be the best ‎little shrub on the side of the hill.‎ Be a bush if you can’t be a tree. If you can’t be a highway, just be a trail. If you can’t be a sun, be a ‎star. For it isn’t by size that you win or fail. Be the best of whatever you are.”
–Martin Luther King, Jr.

A majority of students start college without knowing what they’d like to major in. For most of us, deciding ‎on a major is a process of discovery. It’s about trying out some courses to find which ones fit with our ‎interests, values, and strengths. Even career searchers tend to “try” their way into new careers. As you ‎continue to think through your major and career options, make sure you do your research. Search out your ‎options. Talk with multiple advisors. As God what He thinks.

I talk with a number of students who are ‎moving through college without researching their options or the path they are on. For instance, I ‎frequently talk with students who are interested in the medical field but have done little research to ‎back their interest. They know some about medical school, or dental school, or pharmacy school, or ‎nursing school, but little about the allied health programs that make up a majority of health-related ‎professions (e.g., cytotechnology, diagnostic medical sonography, nuclear medicine imaging sciences, ‎occupational therapy, and physician assistant).

As you continue to learn what it means to be a student, ‎remember Proverbs 25:2: “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of ‎kings.” Trying out new opportunities and searching out our options may be more of a spiritual discipline ‎than we first considered. ‎

Check out this Francis Chan video from one of his Challenge Conferences. Are you ‎living the life God has given you to its fullest, or are you just holding on for dear life? What ‎does God want you to do this semester in obedience to Him?‎

For more from Francis Chan, pick up his bestseller Crazy Love that challenges ‎Christians to ditch the lukewarm life characterized by control, safety, and an absence ‎of suffering and live in obedience to Christ’s call. www.crazylovebook.com ‎

Charles Schwab, President of Bethlehem Steel, hired Ivey Lee, a consultant to increase his ‎efficiency. “Show me a way to get more things done with my time,” Schwab said. He agreed to ‎whatever the fee if Lee’s suggestion worked. Some time later, Lee handed Schwab a piece of paper ‎with his plan. It said:‎

‎1. Write down the most important tasks you have to do tomorrow.‎
‎2. Number them in order of importance.‎
‎3. When you arrive in the morning, begin at once on #1 and stay on it until it is completed.‎
‎4. Re-check your priorities; then begin on #2, then #3.‎
‎5. Make it a habit every working day. Pass it on to those under you.‎

This one idea turned Bethlehem Steel Corporation into the largest independent steel producer in the ‎world within 5 years. In a time when most people were earning $2 a day, Lee received a check for ‎‎$25,000. Schwab admitted later it was the most profitable lesson he had ever learned.‎

What can you glean from this today? How about starting off the new semester on a different foot ‎than last? It only takes a couple minutes each day to write out your list and order its importance. ‎Be honest with yourself. What is really the most important thing you need to accomplish, not the ‎thing you feel like doing or would rather do? Check off what you finish, and keep moving down ‎the list. I think you’ll be amazed at the results. Resolve this semester to skip the procrastination. ‎Learn from the wisdom of someone else.‎

For more inspiration, listen to David Jeremiah’s message on Procrastination (1/6-7/10) at ‎www.davidjeremiah.org/site/radio.aspx. ‎

I recently read about a new study from San Diego State University that determined that American ‎young adults are feeling more stressed, anxious, and depressed than their parents or grandparents ‎did. The study analyzed data from more than 63,000 high school and college students between the ‎years 1938 and 2007. Researchers found that 85% of college students were worse off, mentally, ‎than their forebears in the 1930s and ’40s, even though students in those days were dealing with ‎the Great Depression and World War II. Lead researcher Jean Twenge explained, “When you talk ‎about generational change–as this study does–it’s really about changes in the culture…These ‎results suggest that as American culture has increasingly valued extrinsic and self-centered goals ‎such money and status, while increasingly devaluing community, affiliation, and finding meaning in ‎life, the mental health of American youth has suffered.”‎

Take some time this month before classes start back up to evaluate what’s important to you, to reflect on what ‎you value. Are you putting your trust in the temporary things of this world, or the eternal things of ‎another? Are you pursuing status, money, and recognition for yourself or contentment, ‎relationships, and growth? If you have the opportunity, visit your grandparents, older neighbors, or ‎a local nursing home or veterans’ hospital in your area. Listen to their stories; learn from their lives. ‎Then set some goals for yourself for the upcoming year. You don’t have to be swept along in the ‎tide of our frayed culture. Go against the flow this year, and choose to live in peace, trust, and joy, ‎not stress, anxiety, and depression. “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let ‎your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in ‎everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace ‎of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” ‎‎(Philippians 4:4-7). ‎

Happy New Year!‎

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This Christmas season, why not think about how you can give to others in need? You don’t have ‎to make a lot of money or even have a lot of time to give a little something extra to someone ‎struggling in your community or one on the other side of the world. As we celebrate the birth of ‎our Christ, let’s remember how richly blessed we are, how He has given to us, and share those ‎blessings with others. Here are a few ways you can give this season. There’s still time!‎

‎– Choose a Salvation Army angel. Visit www.salvationarmyusa.org or your local mall to see if ‎angels still need to be adopted. You can pick up a few gifts from their wish lists to help children or ‎seniors in financial need. You can also drop some change in their red kettles or volunteer to ring ‎the bell for an afternoon.‎

‎– Adopt a Prison Fellowship angel. Donate to helpangeltree.org or check with your local church to ‎help children whose parents are in prison receive Christmas gifts and connect with their parents.‎

‎– Find a local family in your community. Talk to someone at a local hospital, home health care ‎agency, cancer treatment center, school, church, etc. about reaching out to a person or a family in ‎your community who needs help this season. Gather some friends or family members and go ‎shopping for the adopted family for new clothes, toys, Christmas dinner, etc. Offer to meet up for ‎coffee and gift-opening.‎

‎– Volunteer to serve dinner at a local homeless shelter or soup kitchen this Christmas. Remember ‎to check back throughout the year too, when most people forget about helping.‎

‎– Invite an international student from your campus or someone far from home to spend the ‎holidays with your family. You can share your family’s traditions and provide a warm home away ‎from home for a few days.‎

‎– Send a family overseas a sewing machine, goat, or new well. You can donate to ministries like ‎World Vision (www.worldvision.org) and Gospel for Asia (www.gfa.org) and provide gifts for ‎families that will continue to improve their standard of living and family income. Even $5 can ‎provide a blanket on a cold night.‎

Get creative this year and reach out to others. Set the bar higher for yourself and for those around ‎you. It’s easy to focus in on giving to the ones we love, but what about those who have no one?‎”I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” ‎‎(Matthew 25:40). Merry Christmas!‎

Did you hear about CNN’s Top Ten Heroes of 2009? Every year, CNN hosts a global search for ‎everyday individuals who are changing the world. More than 9,000 nominations were submitted ‎this year from 100 countries. The heroes range from an Army veteran who distributes pediatric ‎wheelchairs to kids in need to a breast cancer survivor who drives mobile mammography vans to ‎help uninsured women. The categories include Championing Children, Community Crusaders, ‎Defending the Planet, Medical Marvels, Protecting the Powerless, and Young Wonders.‎

Three Young Wonders were chosen this year as finalists for outstanding achievement from a person ‎‎25 years old or younger; Jordan Thomas was named a Top Ten Hero. Jordan, 20, of Chattanooga, ‎Tennessee, lost both of his legs in a boating accident when he was 16. While in the hospital, ‎Jordan visited other amputees and remembers seeing so many kids who didn’t have parents or ‎family to support them nor health care to pay for very expensive prosthetics. Jordan launched into ‎planning ways to help these kids. Since then, his Jordan Thomas Foundation has raised more than ‎‎$400,000 to provide prosthetics for children in need. Now a full-time college student in ‎Charleston, South Carolina, Jordan spends his summers at home working at a prosthetics and ‎orthotics company. He’s taken it upon himself to be the voice for the amputee community and ‎help many more children live normal and happy, productive lives: “When you’re thrown into the ‎situation, you just kind of adapt and you make the best of it,” Thomas said. “There’s nothing that I ‎really cannot do.”‎

In what situation has God placed you that you can make a difference? “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” (1 Timothy 4:12). Look for a need around you or a talent or skill you have ‎to offer. Start small, and see where God leads you. He’s called us to be the salt and light, the ‎heroes, of this world. Be inspired!‎

Read more about the other young wonders at ‎
http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cnn.heroes/archive09/index.html. As a college student, Shin ‎Fujiyama witnessed extreme poverty while volunteering in Honduras; today, his organization ‎Students Helping Honduras has grown to 25 campuses nationwide and raised $750,000 for ‎education and community projects. Alex Griffith, now 16, was adopted as a baby from a Russian ‎hospital; he’s now raised more than $60,000 to design and build a playground for that hospital.‎

Do you remember Job?

He lost his health. His family. His finances. His farm. He lost everything. On top ‎of that, his wife told him to curse God so he could die, and his friends were jerks. But, what was Job’s ‎response to all of this? A higher perspective. In the midst of extreme pain and loss, he learned that ‎God’s ways are higher than our own. It makes no sense to panic or overfocus on our circumstances. In ‎comparison to our destiny, they are small. We can survey our circumstances, but we should fix our ‎eyes on God’s perspective.

When did God move on Job’s behalf, restoring twice as much as he had ‎before? Not when Job did more for God. Not when he pulled himself up by his bootstraps. He was ‎taken higher when he prayed for his friends. The moment Job began to pray for his friends is the ‎moment God began to work to restore what had been taken away. So, what one thing could you do ‎that would change everything about your life? Pray for your friends. Change the way you speak about the people around you and your circumstances. If you will determine to take your focus off of yourself and to pray for ‎those God has placed around you, you’ll change your life.

When our words show that we agree with ‎God, our lives are taken to a new level. The higher level that He intended. Our prayer: “God, create ‎within us pure hearts and tongues. Give us the strength to be people of hope. Help us to see prayer ‎as a spiritual discipline, not as an option. We ask that you would give our friends a spirit of insight and ‎wisdom. Take them to new levels with you.‎”