[ Unashamed: The Monthly Newsletter ]
Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.


[ This is where a witty introductory title goes ]

Welcome to the October issue of the monthly guild newsletter! I hope everyone is enjoying their school year/semester so far, and I hope the beginning of fall is treating everyone nicely with its display of color changes and crunchy leaves. And also pumpkin pie. And apple cider. And the chill and promise of an impending winter.

... anyway. This issue of the newsletter is going to be rather short. While we do have an abundance of prayer requests this month, we have very few announcements, aside from a few ideas for contests that I'll talk about further down, and an announcement about crew. We didn't even have anyone volunteer to share a short snippet for "a word from our crew" so I shall be doing that as well. Not that I'm complaining. Really. smile



[ Let's welcome a new member of the crew! ]

Ladies and gentlemen of Unashamed, we have a new crew member (we're just building and building our administration, aren't we?? xd )! Please welcome Paranormal Zombiiie to the Unashamed crew. Please show her the same respect you show towards the other crew members, and know that, now that she is crew, you can PM her should you need to take up an issue or ask a question.

Welcome to the crew, Para!



[ Here are some ideas ]

So I finally decided that, after being a two-year-old guild (three years in January omgwut), we needed some contests with some prizes. Here's what I'm hoping will go down:

A Halloween-themed avatar contest Free to enter, free to play! During Halloween week (or something), dress up your avatar in its best Halloween costume and enter it to win a gold prize. Not sure how much you'll win (a pretty decent amount, I'd say, since we have a surplus of gold in the mule right now), but it's worth it to try.

Trick-or-Treating in the subforums We're hoping to set up Halloween-related threads in each or most of the subforums, each of them relating to that subforum (the Bible discussion would have a thread about discussing verses that condone or disapprove of Halloween, for example). Each contribution you make to the discussion not only earns you gold for posting through Gaia, but also from us! At least, this is the basic gist of what I'm hoping for.

Be sure to pay attention to the announcements so you don't miss your chance to join in on the festivities! biggrin



[ Feel free to disagree with us ]

I also wanted to redirect everyone's attention to the feedback subforum that we have. Its purpose, for anyone who doesn't know, or who forgot, is for you guys to throw any ideas you might have out at us for us to consider. So! With all this talk about contests and such, if you have any suggestions for a contest you'd like us to try, or suggestions for how we could make the ideas we already have better, put them in there, and we'll take a look. If you have any suggestions at all, whether regarding contests or not, we'd love to hear them.



[ A word from our Crew Captain ]

So this verse is pretty cool, mostly because it points out quite a few things about not only God, but also about us as Christians trying to follow God's calling in our lives. It points out first that we (Christians) have for some time been conforming, or following the world's standards. Next, it says that we must be transformed, and that this transformation begins with a change in our thinking. Finally, it tells us the nature of God and His will- perfect and pleasing.

So let's pick this apart and address these three things, because they all bear some necessity to be discussed.

Firstly, the verse accuses not only the Christians of Rome, but also us, of being a little brainwashed by our respective societies and their standards. If this were not the case, then Paul (and ultimately God) would not have used the choice words "any longer." This is a call to all those who follow Christ that we are to stop what it is that we are doing- blending in with the world, making ourselves hardly distinguished against its grain- and allow ourselves to stick out for what we are- children of God, followers of Christ. For anyone who has forgotten, God urges us not to "follow the crowd in doing wrong" (Exodus 23:2), and after He had led His people from Egypt, He reminded them that they were not to "do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices" (Leviticus 18:3). God made a point of reminding them where they came from, so to speak, and Who had delivered them. "Keep my decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. I am the Lord" (Leviticus 18:5). This is the same standard that He has set for us today. Our society encourages individualism and challenging authority, it promotes excessive drug use, liberal sexuality, and doing whatever it takes to get to where you want to be, no matter who or what must be sacrificed in the process. It tells us that we don't need God, that we should erase Him completely for our lives, or at the very least, keep Him behind closed doors, instead of wearing our faith on our sleeve and dragging Jesus through the public domains of our life. But, as we are constantly reminded, we're not to do what they do, we're not to conform any longer. We need to remember where we come from, and Who has delivered us, and to let everyone know this truth.

Secondly, the verse says that we must "be transformed." The language of this part of the verse I find interesting, since it uses a very passive voice, as if we ourselves are not to do the transforming of our minds, but are meant to have Someone transform them for us. Which is likely the point. By the grace of God are we made into new creatures (as a previous verse of the month told us). Nothing that we do ourselves, aside from deciding to hand our lives over to Christ, is of any benefit to us. We must let the Spirit change our minds- transform them. Which is very important to remember when witnessing: we do not change anyone's mind, we do not convert anyone- the only thing we do is live by example and plant the seeds. It is God's Spirit that waters them, and changes their hearts. Even though each of us has decided to follow Jesus, our relationship with Him is ever-changing, ever-growing, and as we grow closer to Him, our minds are constantly transformed to better understand Him and His will. Which is the last part of this verse, though not by any means the least.

When we have a heart for God, we are better able to understand what He expects from us, and where He plans to take us. With a mind that has been transformed by the Spirit, we are able to do just what the verse suggests: test His will and find it perfect, for our benefit. The person who follows God's commands (to love Him and to love one another) lives because of them.

The really amazing thing about these three points is how related they are. They all affect and strengthen one another. The more we understand God's will and see that it is perfect, the more we are able to stand out against the crowd, and the more we want Him to transform our minds and hearts, which in turn allows us to better understand His will. And it continues on.

My final parting word is this: We are Christians. Let us not forget Who has delivered us, and let's not forget to let the light of our joy- a result of knowing we are saved- shine so bright that we stick out against the darkness of a Godless world, instead of blending in with it.



[ Prayer requests ]

These are all the prayer requests that have come in during September. If you'd like to make comments and offer support, feel free to post in the individual prayer request threads inside the Prayer Request subforum.

Fushigi na Butterfly
My stepmom is having the baby tomorrow!!! A C-section, in fact. We are all very excited. Just keep her and Ben (my new brother) in your prayers that the procedure goes over without a hitch, and that Kristie (my stepmom) recovers quickly, and also that Ben is healthy. Also, pray for me that I can get there on Friday, safe and sound, to meet him. 3nodding
~.~.~.~

Last week I learned that my brother got his girlfriend pregnant. While I'm excited, because, yay, babies, I'm also very anxious and scared for him. He just turned 18, and his girlfriend is only 17, and they are way too young to have a baby. So please, keep them in your prayers.
~.~.~.~

Lisa Faye
Cecil lost his evening job in June.
Our house payment is $1100. Cecil only makes $800 a month at his morning job.
I was making $800 at Kroger, and buying the groceries, as well as paying on other bills he usually covers.
Now I'm feeling the pinch in my pocketbook as the time for bills draws near. I'm having to choose what groceries I can and cannot buy.
Cecil told me he has an interview tomorrow at The Roanoke Times. If successful, he will be loading newspapers into trucks.
Please pray that he gets this job. He already sold all of his stock to continue payments on this house. If he does not get a job by the end of next month, we're sunk! cry
~.~.~.~

I'm requesting prayer for my manager, Peggy.
I arrived today to speak with her about my schedule. She told me she wasn't feeling well, but to wait a moment.
After we straightened out the schedule, she told me she took a nasty fall at home. Both of her knee caps are severely bruised. She lifted her pants leg to show me her knee. It looked torn up pretty badly. sad
She also was complaining of pain in her ribcage. She suspects it's bruised, as well.
She was limping around, trying to get everything done so they could close the store for construction night work. I suspect she's in more pain than most realize.
I bought her a card and left it at the desk. But she needs prayer. For healing, for strength, for the burden of the store to be lifted from her slightly.
She's a wonderful angel of a manager, and her being hurt like this is the last thing she needs.
Thank you.
~.~.~.~

madisonxx
my grandma has broken the cup that holds the um (not sure of the correct term) but her "arm bone" in place. Well she was finally told that she has to have surgery. She is going in on October 3rd. Please pray that god will let this surgery be successful and that this will help ease her pain. I would greatly appreciate this.
- madison
~.~.~.~

Ixor-san
Hey guys, I am now moved to California but am still feeling less than secure. Money is running out faster than I would like and my roommate can't hold us up on his own. I really need to find a job and fast. I've picked up a ton of applications and am going out again tomorrow to check out some other options. Hopefully, with a newly revised, up-to-date resume that I can type up tonight on my Microsoft Word...

Also requesting a prayer for the friend I came out here to be with. he has a possible job as a lab tech and I'd like to ask for prayers for him to finally get his break.

Much thanks in advance.
~.~.~.~

arkansasgoatmama
As I said in the praise forum God brought my family safely thru the storm. But a lot of others in Houston and other places were not as lucky. Two of my favorite places to visit in Texas are Galveston and Kemah. Both were heavily damaged and the people who live there lost everything. I would like us to pray for them all. And in other parts of Texas there was damage and destruction too since Ike was so huge. Here in Arkansas we got the rain, winds. flooding and a few tornadoes from Ike so I would like to pray for those people too. We live on top of a mountain so we are spared flooding but the wind took down some branches from our trees. Thank God they didn't damage anything. But others weren't so lucky. So please pray for all affected by Ike, but especially those in Texas.
~.~.~.~

Paranormal Zombiiie
Okay, so this one is a bit weird and it really creeps me out thinking about it. Actually I am shaking thinking about it. See, me and my old BFF (starting to become friends again) have been deciding to read our bibles more. Well about a month ago, we started seeing shadows that would scare us, either going to church, at church, or even at home reading.
We talked to our Pastor about it and he prayed for us, but I would feel better if more people prayed for the shadows to leave us, and for us to gather courage.
Thank You!
May God Bless You!
~.~.~.~

So, this is not for me, nor is it for anyone in my area. I live in Oregon.
But for people in the east/south region of the United States need our Prayers. Hurricane Gustoff and Hannah are here and coming soon, and people have been evacuated, and have lost things that are precious to them.
As God's Children, we need to pray for them. Pray that their homes and familes are safe, and the God will grant them peace and sercurity in their time of need!
~.~.~.~

freelance lover
Sunday night one of the new pledges in my sorority had to be taken to the hospital right after meeting. She couldn't walk because she had some really intense pain in her lower adbomen. I don't really know all the details, but I do know that she was scheduled for surgery Tuesday.

I pray for a speedy recovery and strength, since she's a freshman and it about six hours away from home, and I know how scary that can be.

[/edit] So my new sister, Cecily, ended up having to leave the university on medical leave for the semester. She left Monday night to go back to Houston. She should be back with us next semester though. I continue to pray for a speedy recovery and that she'll be back soon!
~.~.~.~

ryuu_chan
I've come to you to ask for prayer for a pastor of mine. The church he was at has completely ruined his life. He's had his license for ministry taken away, and is no longer allowed to be a minister. Anywhere. Ever. The group of people who ran the church I was attending wrote letters to the Methodist bishop of the state saying that he was a bad minister, that he was inappropriate with all the young women of the church, and so on and so forth, all of which is completely untrue. Most of the congregation was completely blindsided by the news. This same group did the same thing to three other pastors. So now Andrew Glos, his wife and his daughter no longer have any insurance at all, are on the verge of losing the house they bought, and on top of it all, he's just miserable.

I'm asking for prayer for him and his family and their situation, for the hatefulness of the people at my former church, and for those close to Andrew who know that he did nothing of what he was accused of to give up our anger, and for myself to get over my disgust enough to start looking for another church.
~.~.~.~



[ Praise reports ]

We also like to praise God for what He's done in our lives, giving Him glory for the immense blessings He's given us. These are the praise reports that have been posted in September. If you'd like to praise along with them, or offer your own praise reports, you can do so in the Praise subforum.

Fushigi na Butterfly
I just wanted everyone to know that my stepmom's C-section went without a hitch, and despite being a little jaundiced, Ben (my new brother) is healthy and fine and probably the cutest baby ever (EVAR D< DON'T DENY IT!). Praise God that he came into this world healthy and happy- he is blessed to have such loving family (and I don't just mean myself).



[ October's Birthdays ]

This month, Unashamed wishes a happy and blessed birthday to:

Sir Knil of Wind
laurabee86
ryokomayuka
~Chibi-chib~
[HelloKitty]
Samsoonie
Dirk Bolero
The Lifesong

Hope it's a great one, guys!