Andrew Chen

Andrew's favorite poem is called "Halfway Down".

Halfway Down
by A. A. Milne

Halfway down the stairs
Is a stair
Where I sit.
There isn't any
Other stair
Quite like
It.
I'm not at the bottom
I'm not at the top;
So this is the stair
Where
I always
Stop.  

Halfway up the stairs
Isn't up,
And it isn't down.
It isn't in the nursery,
It isn't in the town.
And all sorts of funny thoughts
Run around my head;
"It isn't really
Anywhere!
It's somewhere else
Instead!"

A. A. Milne is a children's author best known for writing the Winnie the Pooh books. He served in both World Wars and was a playwright before his success with Pooh surpassed his success with his plays.

This poem is originally from the collection When We Were Very Young published in 1924. Many people think that Christopher Robin is the narrator of the poem. Andrew learned about this poem in 2nd grade. It's relatable for him because he sometimes likes to sit or lie down in the middle of the stairs.

For his Bible verse, Andrew chose a verse from Romans:

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Romans 8:31

This short verse encapsulates what should be our attitude to adversity in all circumstances: what can really do us any harm, if we have the Creator of the universe on our side?