I met this guy a couple months ago who is exactly what I've been looking for! During church I try to concentrate on God, but it's hard! That's the only part about liking this guy that I don't like. I'm letting him get in the way of my spiritual life. What should I do? 
—Crush-confused

Isn’t it wonderful to find someone you really like? It’s such a good feeling that it can take over your whole life if you’re not careful. The fact that you already think this guy is getting in the way of your relationship with God is a sign that you probably need to take a step back and check your emotions. God created us to love others, but He commanded us to love Him with all our heart, soul and mind. (Check out Matthew 22:37.) It’s also important to remember in the midst of your emotions, that no one can fulfill you except Jesus. Even the greatest guy in the world, even the one you end up marrying, can’t meet all your needs. Only God can do that and that is one reason it’s important to keep your eyes on Him and your heart committed to Him. That doesn’t mean that liking this guy is wrong, but letting him take priority in your thoughts, emotions, and life is.

So, what can you do when your focus starts to stray? Keep these practical things in mind. They seem pretty basic, but they can make all the difference. 1) Make the time you spend talking to God each day a higher priority than talking to this guy. 2) Don’t try to make things happen. Trust God. If something does develop between you, it will be even more important that God is at the center. 2) Be the kind of woman that a guy like this would want to be with someday, even if it isn’t him and it isn’t today. Building that character into your life is more important to God than any human relationship. 3) When you’re in church, choose a seat where you aren’t near him. It’ll be easier to focus on God if you aren’t staring at the back of this guy’s neck. 4) Journaling about your feelings will help you to get them out in a healthy way and bring you back to God as the One who is leading you and providing for your needs. 5) Get to know this guy as a friend. Sometimes we can become obsessed with the idea of someone even before we really know what they are like. If he turns out to be all you think he may be, then you’ll have one incredible friend!

I have a lot of friends who have been asking me questions about God lately. I think the terrorist attacks made them think about a lot of stuff but also doubt God. I want to share Christ with them, but the answers I give don’t really answer their questions. Can you help? 
—The Answer Guy

This is a tough one. First, way to go on talking with your friends and sharing what you know and believe about Christ. Bringing people to a point where they want to know Him is one of the ways that God uses evil for good. Second, it’s important for you to stay real with your friends. It is OK to admit that you don’t know all the answers and that you struggle with some of these questions yourself. You might even suggest that you and your friend meet with your youth pastor or someone else in your church that you think might be able to answer their questions better.

This can be a great learning and growing experience for you, too. Since we don’t know the specific questions your friends are asking, we can’t give you specific answers, but we can point you to some resources that might help. There is a great book called The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel. It takes a look at the evidence for Jesus and the beliefs of Christianity. It might help you to answer some of those tough questions for yourself and for your friends. Another good one to check out is Help Me Believe: Direct Answers to Real Questions by Cliffe Knechtle. Remember that Christians have struggled with tough questions about God all through history—you’re not alone. Some things we have to accept on faith until we meet Jesus face to face and can understand the things that right now our minds can’t comprehend. Hang in there and keep loving your friends—your actions can help lead them to a better understanding of God, even when you don’t have the words to answer all their questions.

I want to go on a mission trip this summer, but I don’t have the money and my parents can’t afford to send me either. How can I come up with the money? 
—Flat Broke

It’s great that you want to go on a trip this summer! And don’t be discouraged, money is not an obstacle for God. If He wants you there, the money will come through. We’ve listed some sourcesbelow to go to for money, as well as some ideas for funding your trip. Keep in mind that even if you don’t end up going on the trip, you can be part of God’s mission wherever you are this summer. You can share Christ at a summer job, as a camp counselor, or by volunteering at a local ministry.

It’s unlikely that all the money for your trip will come from one source, so you might want to divide it up. One good way to look at it is that 1/3 would come from your church, 1/3 from family and friends, and 1/3 from money you earn. With that in mind, here are some ideas for coming up with the money—both the kind you are given and the kind you earn:

— Send an e-mail or letter to family and friends explaining what you are planning and asking them to support you in prayer and financially.

— Create a Web site with pictures and descriptions of what you want to do, and invite friends and family to visit it and consider supporting your trip.

— Ask your youth pastor and/or someone involved in missions at your church if there is money available for individual trips.

— Call or write letters to organizations in town that have a purpose similar to that of your trip. Ask if they’d be willing to sponsor you in some way, or if they would provide a scholarship or matching funds from other donations.

— Ask your friends and relatives for money to go toward your trip in place of birthday and Christmas gifts.

— Contact newspapers and magazines and see if they’ll sponsor your trip in exchange for a story about it when you return.

— Do any work that people are willing to pay you for: Mow yards, baby-sit, walk the neighbor’s dog, do some filing or answer the phones at a family member’s office, shovel snow, clean windows, or any crazy thing you can think of .

— Participate in the National Mission Speakout. By giving a five-minute speech, you may be eligible for $1000 toward a mission trip of your choice! Contact William Wells at wwells@namb.net for more information.

Send your questions to gomail@studentz.com, Subject: Yo Jones! Or snail-mail them to:
Yo Jones!  /  Go! Magazine  /  P.O. Box 7970  /  Colorado Springs, CO  /  80933-7970

Note from jannA & jeremy:  We get so many letters from you that we can’t answer all of them! On the flip side, if you would like us to consider printing your question, please mail it to Go!