You toiled away this summer, so what did you do with that money? Did you work to spend or save? Did you give money to the poor or remember to tithe to your church? Sometimes we give teens a pass on money management, because often parents and adults still see teens as "children." Yet, learning good stewardship over our money as teens will be a bigger blessing when money management gets way more complicated later.

The Bible speaks more about money than love, and with good reason. We all have a rough time with money. Some people love it so much it gets in the way of a relationship with God. Others are so fearful of money that they avoid earning it and think of it as something evil and corrupting. God can bless us with money as long as we learn how to be good stewards over it and use it in the ways He wishes us to. How do we know how God wants us to use it? Well, that comes from a relationship with God. It all starts with that basic foundation.

Proverbs 10:4-5- "Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth. He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son." (NIV)

As a typical procrastinator, I know the burden it places on my life. I've had to work hard to get the energy to plan ahead, and I often have to pray hard for God to give me the ability to put my work first before doing other things. The thing is, getting my work done first almost always brings me more pleasure than putting it off, because then the work doesn't hang over my head.

These verses from Proverbs tell us that God wants us to stop procrastinating and actually get things done. The verse may sound harsh, but it is an important lesson to learn now, when it's just exams, papers, or taking out the trash hanging over our heads. Later, it will seem like so much more.

According to a recent study by the Barna Group, not only are Christian teens less willing to evangelize, but they are also less likely to associate with non-Christians. In 1997, 63% of Born Again teens said they were likely to have evangelized, while the 2009 study showed a decline to only 45%. The study asserted that teens were following a cultural change that dictates making bold faith statements is too aggressive, though most of the students still thought it was "cool to be a Christian."

Harder hit than Protestant teens were the Catholic groups. They showed that Sunday School and small group participation was declining. Protestants actually showed increased religious activity such as praying, worship, reading the bible, and youth group attendance.

So, what do these numbers mean to you? As a Christian teen, are you more or less likely to evangelize or even explain your faith to your non-believing friends? Do you even have non-Christian friends? The study raises a lot of questions about the direction the Christian faith is taking in this generation, yet I wonder if we have answers.

If you are a fan of Sarah Palin, you may have been anticipating her new biography geared directly toward teens. However, Zondervan, the publisher, has announced that it is postponing publication. According to reports by the Associated Press, Zondervan stated that October was not "an optimal time" for the book to be released.

The book was to be titled, "Speaking Up," and it was written by Kim Washburn. It was to be part of the ZonderKidz Biography series. The series has biographies of many pop culture figures such as Bono and Tim Tebow, and the stories are to be inspirations to Christian teens. No further information has been provided as to why the book was delayed, and Zondervan has not stated if it will print the book at all.