What are we seeking to give us comfort?

Jesus is all we need. All the time.

No matter our circumstances or situations we are facing, there’s nothing or no one who can make us feel better or take it away. Except Jesus. He’s it, He’s everything.

As I got into my car this morning, plugged in my AUX cord, and contemplated what I could listen to that would make me feel the slightest bit better, I realized nothing would. In a split second of hopelessness, I felt so defeated.

Evaluating my current state of mind, I realized my bad attitude and “blah” feeling weren’t rooted in anything of real measure or importance. I wasn’t facing a life-threatening or debilitating event or circumstance; I was just simply struggling with my attitude. Blame it on female hormone fluctuations, maybe. But regardless the reason and how small of an issue it looked compared to what some people are facing today, I was still enduring this struggle. As my music selection failed to be the saving source I needed this morning, I realized something… There wasn’t going to be anything I could put into that “saving source” role that would bring relief or change. It’s like trying to fit a round peg into a square opening … ever try that? It doesn’t work. EVER. Without manipulating or breaking the pieces, of course. ;)

So in that moment, God reminded me to focus on the truth in the situation. He’s been doing this with me lately in every situation I’m facing … “What’s the truth in this?” “Find the truth” “Focus on the truth” are all things I’ve been hearing lately when in the midst of a situation in which I’m questioning or wondering.

Sound familiar to anyone?

Yep. Philippians 4:8. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about those things.”

I’ve been coming across this scripture lately, not by any sort of accident. God is using this to remind me to find the truth in situations in which my emotions might be getting the best of me. And by MIGHT I mean emotions that ARE getting the best of me. Female hormones, what can I say? If you don’t understand what I’m saying girls, give it a few years and you’ll know exactly what I mean!

So, knowing that nothing in this situation would help me feel better except the presence and truth of the Lord, I had to ask myself a question. How many times have I looked out to other people or other things to provide comfort in situations in which I was hurting or struggling? Ouch. Talk about self-examination; that one hurt a little bit!

I’m well aware and fully believe that God places people in our lives to be support systems for us and He works through those people, so I’m not discrediting that in any way. BUT … what about the times I’ve looked to music, food, TV, movies, people who may not be the best support, or that “down time” that’s only been isolation, and I don’t feel a bit better afterwards? How many times have I looked to the wrong thing? Probably more than I can even count or even want to know.

Honestly this saddened me. But in that moment I thanked God for His truth and His peaceful presence that surpasses all understanding in times like this. I prayed that I would always be aware of where I’m looking for comfort and that Jesus would be the first place I’d look and turn.

I pray the same for you girls. You are a princess and a daughter of the Most High — take hold of that and claim it, own it. It’s your identity and He longs for you to turn to Him and allow Him to comfort you. His love and peace are infinite. No problem or situation we encounter is too small, he wants us to look to Him and allow Him to help us in everything we do! Let Him be that “saving source” in those times of need; He’s the only one that fits the role, girls! You have a loving Father that longs for you; let Him love on you. You are HIS precious girl!

The Greatest Love

    by morgan wells

As I was reading Francis Chan’s book, Crazy Love, I stumbled upon a couple sentences that were pretty convicting. 

     One of them read, “Most of us, to some degree, have a difficult time understanding, believing, or accepting God’s absolute and unlimited love for us.”  

     Are you guilty of this? 

     Do you ever have a hard time understanding God’s love for you or someone else in your life? 

     Do you find yourself questioning His love when things go wrong or not as planned? 

     I’m not going to lie; I’m guilty of this when certain things aren’t going as I had originally hoped. But… that’s why I’m writing this blog… to show girls how powerful God is and how unconditional His love is for us.

      It’s been quite some time since I’ve blogged, and I could make up some excuse about how busy I’ve been with other things, but the truth is that I have kept my distance from God. 

     At first, it was unknowingly because comfort is my weakness but then it became noticeable. 

     Before you read any further, I want you to think of a few of the many times that God has given you hope through a tough situation… or maybe it wasn’t a tough situation… maybe it was a situation that was a blessing. 

     Looking back, do you see God’s hand in that situation?

     The word love appears in the Bible 551 times. What does love really mean? 

     According to Wikipedia, love is a variety of different feelings, states, and attitudes and it can also be a virtue representing human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is a word that’s confusing for some. We hear people say they love their kids, spouses, and friends all the time. It’s a word that’s thrown around a lot in our culture…sometimes good and others times bad. 

     We can “love” all we want, but it really doesn’t make sense unless we fully understand that God IS love. He does represent human kindness, compassion, and affection when we let Him.

      When we are younger, our parents tell us they love us. When we become teenagers, a boy will tell us he loves us, and when we become adults, our spouses will tell us they love us. 

     No, I’m not saying love is a bad thing, and we should always run away. I’m telling you that our parents, our friends, and our spouses (someday) can’t love us the right way until they love God the most.

      I’ll give an example of this Great Love. 

     Before I came to Christ, I was a mess. I found myself hanging out with people who didn’t really lead me in any direction (which is just as bad as them leading me in a bad direction). I was happy where I was, doing the things I was doing. 

     But… out of God’s great, great love, He found me when I was lost, sent someone to invite me to a Christ in Youth camp, and saved me. THAT is Great Love.

      Telling numerous stories isn’t my intention for this blog… my main intention for this blog is to prove to girls like you that you ARE God’s princess. God loves you more than your parents, friends, or any boy ever could. 

     Some of you girls have been saved by the Lord's unconditional and perfect love. And others haven’t quite yet made the jump. For those who haven’t… fall. Allow God to catch you. Allow God to use you to love others because of Him. 

     And if any of you get the chance, read Francis Chan’s book, Crazy Love. It provides biblical examples, and it challenges you to love God and love others despite our imperfections.    

     “Even though we could die at any moment and generally think our puny lives are pretty sweet compared to loving Him, He persists in loving us with unending, outrageous love.” 

     Go and do. 

     Be a blessing for someone today, tomorrow, and forever. God wants to show you His Greatest Love…will you allow Him?  

Live a TRUTH contrary to the messages you hear!

    by Sarah Reynolds

 So, one day we’ll all grow up and move on from here… right? I mean, it’s not like how we act in the here and now is going to have any major effect on what happens afterward. This place is just a stepping stone, we’re still young, and so we deserve to have as much fun as possible, and if anything isn’t fun we should just quit… right?

     Wrong.  

     This is the view that society has placed into the hearts and minds of this rising generation. My generation. We are expected to behave and think in ways that would make innocents cringe, but hey, we’re just teens right? Kids will be kids, after all.

     I’m here to tell you that’s not the case. We are worth so much more, and capable of so much more than this culture gives us credit for as young people.

      We can write, draw, sculpt, sing, research, perform science experiments, build anything from robots to bookshelves, dance to the beat of our own drums; we can move, speak, encourage, work, save, invest, learn, and form our own opinions.  But that’s not what we hear from the media.

      “Embrace your fear of commitment”

      “Live for Now”

      These are from two different ad campaigns, both angling toward the teens and 20's crowd. Just two of the thousands of advertisements we see each day.  This isn’t even going into all the ones angled at girls telling them how they need to change their bodies to look better, or the ones angled at guys telling them they need to do this or that to be successful.

      It seems like everything in this culture focuses on looking good, being powerful, making it big… and yet things that can get you there (hard work, direction, focus, good priorities) are mocked and belittled, while things that can get in the way of you going far (drugs, alcohol, careless sex, laziness) are overly glorified and quite frankly overrated. 

     We are expected to party because “kids will be kids” but what does that ever really do for us?  When was the last time someone who made something of themselves said, “I got to where I am today because of all those drunken nights in college” or “I am successful because I dated every girl in junior high”?  Can you show me even one example?

     The truth is, those things don’t fulfill us, and they never will. They aren’t what makes us strong, and they won’t create beauty or power in us. However, they will have an effect on our future, despite what the culture we live in may say.

     We live in the age of social media. People could, at any time, take a picture or video of you doing all these things and post it anywhere they’d like. They can find you years later and cause a nightmare. Words out of your mouth can go so quickly, and reach the people you’d hoped they’d never reach, before you can stop or even begin to control it.      Everything you have ever done is at your future employers fingertips should they know how to get it (and generally they do).

     So, this all makes me call into question the original assumption at the beginning of this whole thing: why is this society so insistent that things like drugs, alcohol, and partying the years away don’t matter at all?

      What truth is being hidden? If it really doesn’t matter or have a negative effect, why do we live in a society where suicide is the third leading cause of death in teens? Why are people in their 20's and 30's, who appear to have it all, still feeling empty and deeply craving something more than what they have?  

      What are we missing?

Payson is bringing her secrets out of the dark...stay tuned!

by Payson

     Wow. It's been an entire year since I've written anything for this blog. That's ridiculous. 
     Hopefully I can write more regularly once this next issue of the magazine comes out. Why do I have to wait until the next issue comes out? Because I will be in the next issue. Like, the real me. So basically this will be my last anonymous blog post. Yeah. I said it. I'm revealing myself! You finally get to know who I really am, which is terrifying to me.
     Having to share secrets and share your struggles with anyone is a scary thing to do. Admitting that you mess up and you aren't perfect is scary. But sometimes it's just necessary.
     In my situation, if I didn't tell anyone about my struggles with anorexia, bulimia, and self harm, I probably would have died. At the time I didn't think that. I thought I was fine. Looking back I can see how messed up it was for me to think that I was okay.
     I've come a long way since then. But that doesn't mean I'm cured. I still struggle. Some days are better than others. But now I have a support system in place to help me through those hard days.
     The next step for me is to basically share who I am and what I've been through with the world. I want people to know that I'm not ashamed of what I've been through. That it's scary, but telling people is okay if it means you will get help. I don't want eating disorders and self harm to be something no one really ever talks about. It's a real thing and a lot of people are affected by it, and if me sharing my story helps people understand that, then that's what I want to do.
     I'm going to be honest. I'm absolutely terrified. But, I'm no longer ashamed. So the next time you'll hear from me, I'll really be me. The real me. With all my screw ups and all my imperfections. I hope you take it easy on me!

Meet our new blogger Sarah!

Hi there!

      My name's Sarah. Pleasure to meet you.  I am a sophomore in high school, and I like to keep myself busy.  I enjoy music very much and dedicate quite a bit of my time to that.  I also babysit, and volunteer in the youth section for my church on Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings.  I tend to be more on the tomboyish side.
      Now that we have the basics out of the way, let's get down to business.  
     First off, I have a confession: I am a bully magnet.  I don't know what it is, but I am. Depending on who you ask, explanations include me being strong willed, having an intense sense of justice from a young age, seeing things as black and white, not being a girly girl, not filtering my extremely loud personality, and just that people are looking for someone weird to take things out on.  That's also my personality in a nutshell.
     Whatever the reason, I never really fit in with the other kids. You know that girl who played tackle football with the boys? The one who went for blocks instead of dolls?  Yeah, that was me. The weight lifter, odd one out, the girl who never, for any reason, would spend more than 10 minutes on her hair.  Haven't changed too much in that aspect.
     The bullying, along with other things, cause a lot of problems for me over the years. I battled depression from a young age but was good enough at putting up a front that no one really knew. People seemed to think I was unbreakable.  Just letting everything roll off me, being a smart aleck, and having no problem being the odd one out.  They never guessed I might be crying myself to sleep.
     I didn't get as bad as I could have. Either way, that's another story for another time.  
     When I was 12, I tried youth group for the first time, right after I graduated sixth grade.  It was probably the happiest night of my life. I continued going there and still attend the same church as I did then. It was a wonderful experience, and for the first time in my life I wasn't the odd one out. I actually fit in pretty well.  
     See, at this place everyone was loud.  No topic was off limits, and it's not entirely unusual for us to ask each other for advice or meet up outside of church. We had fun but knew when it was time to be quiet and serious. And it was the only place I wasn't bullied or avoided. I  could actually just relax and not get made fun of, though it wouldn't really be a family if there wasn't some good-natured teasing.  
     At the winter retreat almost a year later, I became a Christian. 
     Now, don't get me wrong, my parents took me to church as a kid.  I “prayed the prayer” at age 4. But it wasn't real faith for me. It was just my free pass out of Hell – nothing more, nothing less. 
     But this time it was different.
     I was happier, and literally felt lighter. It was as if I'd been carrying a million pounds on my back that were suddenly gone, and it remained that way. It's really hasn't been that long, but so, so much has changed.  
     And you know those bullies I mentioned earlier? Gone.  Every once and a while one comes back to bite me, but they always go away after a week or two. The nerves are gone, and depression is just a tiny thought in the back of my mind. I'll never let it come back that strong again.
     That's my story, or at least the back cover.  
     So, if you want to hate me for it, or name-call, go ahead. I can take it now. No matter what you say, there are people who care about me, and a God who literally loves me enough to die for me.
     So, bring it on.  
     I'll probably write on a wide span of things here, from dealing with bullies and recovering from it to ethics and the Bible. Pretty much whatever seems right for that time or post. I'll experiment, and if there are unanswered questions or it gets a lot of interest there will most likely be more on that topic. 
     I look forward to hearing from you!

Not just a random act of kindness

by Morgan

     When you get to a point of feeling relaxed and comfortable in your walk with Christ, it becomes less and less fulfilling and less and less glorifying to God. 
     These past couples weeks, I’ve felt relaxed and comfortable with where I’m at. I started going through the motions instead of getting something out of what I was doing. To say the least, I started to feel alone in my walk. 
     A couple nights ago, my friends and I made plans to go out to eat at Buffalo Wild Wings for a post-prom fundraiser. My friend Kayla and I felt obligated to go, since our parents were in charge of the whole thing. I also had been praying and asking God how much my limit was on going out, instead of staying in and building the relationships with my family, especially my little sister. I truly believe that I felt obligated to go because God was going to put something or someone in my path to turn me back to Him. 
     Before my friends and I ate, we prayed — as we always do. We prayed for continuous nourishment and strength with the essential tools God provides for us. We, too, prayed for the relationships He has given us and guidance in our everyday life. 
     We then ate our food and talked about random things that were going on in our lives and just caught up on things we don’t get to talk about as much anymore. 
      While we were waiting on our check, the waitress came up to us. She informed us that someone saw us praying before we ate and paid for our check. My reaction was just as you all would think. I got the chills and prayed. I then realized that God reminded me I’m not alone in my walk with Him, nor will I ever be. He reminded me that although storms and troubles may come, He will always be there to calm down the storm for me. He controls all things. He is in charge of all things. 
     We will have doubts along the way, and we will stumble, but God catches our fall. He has caught mine several times, and I know He is always right there with open arms, waiting to catch yours.
     "And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen." – Philippines 4:19-20. 
     God will exceed all the needs we might have. If we’re feeling lonely, He will hang out with us. If we are feeling down, He will lift our spirits back up. If we think we are failing, He will help us succeed. God never fails. 

What is love?

It's a feeling, right? I mean, that's what everyone says. That's what you believe, because when you watch a movie or read a book with a romantic scene, it makes your heart leap. You FEEL it — sometimes from your head to your toes. It's a moment, a little slice of time — maybe even a 30-second commercial that makes you ewwwww and awwwwww and your heart does a little flippy-flop. 

Yep. It's a feeling. 

When you feel it, the emotion of love, directed toward another, then he feels it back. Or sometimes he doesn't.You either love someone or you don't, right??? It's not a choice. It's a destiny, completely out of your control. Like an emotion, a feeling. Right? 

But what about unrequited love. It's painful. Love should never cause pain. That was something else. A crush. Infatuation. Not love. Something that's supposed to be good shouldn't make you feel so bad… So, OK, love is NOT an emotion. 

But love, it's definitely a noun. It's a place you can find, if you try really hard. Not a place that you visit, but a place you can arrive at if you have a good map and the person reading it with you really wants to reach that destination, too. YES! YES! That's it! You fall in love — that place where you feel strongly for another person. Yes, you could spend eternity here in this "happily ever after." Right there. On the map!

Love is definitely a PLACE. Well, except, oh what about divorce. If love was a really a place, how could it go away after you get there? How could love possibly fall off the map? Cease to exist? Swallow itself whole?

OK, so maybe love isn't a place. Is love still a noun? Noun. A noun is categorized by people, place or thing. We know it's not a place or a thing. Is love a person? Who loves more than anyone? Jesus?

Is love Jesus? Jesus extended grace, forgiveness and mercy to EVERYONE. Not just Jews. But to sinners. He was definitely loving. And He commanded that we should "love our neighbors." 

Wait, these things Jesus did…they are all verbs. A verb? Could love be a verb? An act? 

1 Corinthians 13 tells us about love that it is patient and kind. It rejoices with the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love, writes the apostle Paul, is greater than hope and faith. 

What? How can love BE patient and kind? Can love really rejoice and bear all things? What things? Like my hurt, frustration and fears? Can love really DO that? How could love be greater than faith? Faith, it requires so much. And yet love is greater than faith? Really? 

Could it be that love is how we act out our faith, the very vessel of hope? 

If love is a verb, and not a noun, it means our service is love. What we DO, day in and day out, is love — or is not love. Our choices are reflections of our love. Our every word and action is a mirror held up to our hearts. 

Love sees the real person, but does not care about the sins, shame and darkness. Love pushes you toward the light. Love doesn't care if you are vulnerable or hurt or are without makeup. Love picks you up and dusts you off without condemnation, envy or anger. 

Love isn't afraid of pain or loss; love doesn't shy away from even society's most rejected. Jesus, he ministered to prostitutes and the hated Samaritans. Nobody was outside the reach of Jesus and his love. 

Love doesn't require a promise or commitment, just a moment. Love wants to be known and used, and even if you turn your back on it, love will extend its hand again and again.

Yes, love is definitely a verb, embodied in the life of Jesus, a noun. Love is compassion lived out in actions, choices, daily steps of faith ready to help us overcome pain, anger and emptiness. There, time and again to offer hope and healing. 

Day 37: What are you waiting for? Change the world!

Today's reading — Proverbs 26-27

One of the Mighty Strong Girls challenges is that you grow your faith in an environment that is FUN, healthy, authentic and true.

But sometimes change is hard, and always it requires a commitment.

Have you ever heard the saying, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results."

If your life feels crazy or out of control — perhaps a reflection of the world around you — then maybe you should first look to you. Be introspective and see what needs to be changed there first.

You see, dear girls, we FIRMLY believe God has given you unique, amazing gifts that you can use to change the world. But you can't do it without first stepping out in faith. Looking inward. Looking toward God. Operating outside your comfort zone. Doing things differently than the world does them. And listening for God's still small voice. All of this means doing things different, because after all, that's the ONLY way to get different (new and better, too!) results.

So what does this have to do with Proverbs 26-27? Today's verse is Proverbs 26:11 (one of my favorites):

As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.

So it seems God is the original author of this concept. Want different results? Stop repeating the same mistakes. There's freedom and beauty and strength in change.

{seeking what's new and different}
Amy

Day 36: Will you stand on the sidelines making excuses or jump into the battlefield?

Today's reading — Proverbs 24-25

Today's scripture is one that popped right out of me. Maybe I was intrigued as soon as I noticed the word "strength." But verse 10 in Proverbs 24:10 almost seems to affirm the world's view of strength, that it's not OK to stumble, that it's weak to fail.

If you falter in a time of trouble, how small is your strength!

I would like to take another perspective of this verse. Do you know anyone who struggles with addiction? Do you know how many temptations they face in a day? An hour? The ticking seconds in a minute?

It's important to remember not everyone's trouble looks the same. So putting it in perspective further means that if I'm only faced with a temptation once a week but overcome only every other time while my sister faces six temptations a day and overcomes five of them, who is stronger?

When faced with a barrage of temptations, how often do YOU succumb? I think we need to celebrate each victory, for each time we turn away from that which can harm us, how strong we are indeed! And we need to focus on our own celebrations without comparing or criticizing our sisters in their battles. 

God wants us to get to a point where we don't falter, because we have learned to lean on Him. Will we succeed every time? No, because we are human! Will we grow our faith and be transformed when we seek Him with our whole heart? You bet!

But look at the next two verses:

Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?

I actually like the Message version even more, Proverbs 24:11-12

Rescue the perishing; don’t hesitate to step in and help. If you say, “Hey, that’s none of my business,” will that get you off the hook? Someone is watching you closely, you know—Someone not impressed with weak excuses.

I think what impresses me most about teen girls is that they see the struggle of their peer group and — even when they themselves are facing serious battles — they desire to pull their sisters from despair. They so wholeheartedly seek to help each other, and they are begging for more to join them! They want us to come alongside them in this effort to overcome the damage done by low and negative self image.

So, here's my challenge to you today. Find a way to get involved with the work of Mighty Strong Girls. Many women and girls of all ages will be needed to fight this battle. Can we count on you to help? Or will you stand on the sidelines and know what our girls are facing and yet make excuses for not getting involved?

God is calling us. Girls are asking for this. The time is now, and the work is plenty.

{stepping up in faith}
Amy

Day 35: How you can get rich beyond measure

Today's reading — Proverbs 23

I had a well-meaning family member who spoke over me as a child that I should seek a high-paying profession. 

As long as I could remember (from age 6 or 7), I wanted to be a writer. It was my absolutely passion, and I could envision nothing else. Plus, when it came to other subjects, there was none I was better at in school. I was definitely not strong in math, and while I loved science, I did not perform well in chemistry and physics. I felt conflicted by what this man was telling me. Writers don't typically earn a very high income! In my naïveté , I simply sought happiness, which he left out of the equation entirely — something creating an utter confusion in me.
Proverbs 23:4-5 offers a kind of wisdom contrary to that given to my family member:

Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint. Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle. 

Does this mean people who are wealthy are bad? Of course not! Money is amoral. It is without blame. It's the coveting of money and the uses of money by a human mind or hand where blame comes in! 

I know many physicians and successful business people who have been financially blessed. As a result, and because of their heart to follow their passion and calling in life (and not to chase money), their donations and contributions toward Christ's kingdom have a multiplying effect. They are cheerful givers who are living out their identity in Christ in both occupation and gifting. 

How do you measure up here? Do you think about how much money you will ultimately earn when you weigh career choices? Or do you follow where your heart leads, ask for God's guidance and seek out a blend of your heart's desire and His will for you? 

I must admit I've done both in my lifetime, and I came to wisdom in this matter much later than I'd like to admit. It wasn't that long ago that I sacrificed godly service to work more hours so I could "make more money." But I was no longer giving back with my creative talents to the God who handcrafted me and made them a special part of who I am. And when I did that, I was not blessed. My "riches" seemed to go out of my bank account as quickly as they were deposited with nothing to show for it. 

There's a balance in here that God wants for you. Girls, God has a unique plan for you. When you cast aside the money matter, you will be blessed beyond measure! He will pour riches upon you that have eternal value, and your checkbook may not be overflowing, but you will have ALL that you need!

{grateful for God's blessing}
Amy

Day 34: Serving can lead to spiritual riches!

Today's reading — Proverbs 22

This chapter was very convicting to me. Made me think about wealth, poverty, debts, fear of the Lord and how all these things can either work together for His glory ... or not.

Today I'd like to talk about verse 16: 

He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth 
and he who gives gifts to the rich — 
both come to poverty. 

For some reason, this made me think about the photo shoot we did not long ago for a Mighty Strong Girls magazine column on different body types. (For the record, I made seven girls FREEZE for an outdoor photo shoot. They probably still haven't forgiven me...it was brutal!) 

But as I edited the photos this morning, I was reminded that God isn't examining the outer shell, though they are all uniquely different. The bottom line is that girls of many shapes, sizes and colors are ALL beautiful to Him! 

I think in verse 16, poverty isn't necessarily material poverty but spiritual poverty. It comes in many shapes, sizes and colors — just like the body type. So beware....whether you are oppressing the poor to increase your wealth or whether you are giving something to someone who doesn't need it. Because the path he wants you to take is the one that leads to a cheerful, giving heart. One that leads to eternal life and spiritual riches!

How can you apply this to life. Instead of taking a prized pair of jeans or prom dress to a consignment store or giving it to a friend who lacks nothing, perhaps you can donate it to a homeless shelter or ask your pastor if there's a family struggling in your own church with a daughter who could really use and LOVE your selfless donation.  

As a side note, I want to mention that we had MANY, MANY dresses donated to Mighty Strong Girls for a style show and dress sale fundraiser last month. It was amazing. I'd like to share one story from that event. The mom of one of the girls happened to tell me days later that her daughter is given an "allowance" of $100 per prom or homecoming dress. Anything above that she must pay for on her own. This girl donated a $500 dress to Mighty Strong Girls. This was a big sacrifice, as she might have been able to sell it for $300. A girl attending the event bought it for $50, which was donated to Mighty Strong Girls. What a priceless, amazing act of kindness. My heart is full when I hear of these stories! And that, dear girls, is what a Mighty Strong Girl does! 

{seeking spiritual riches alongside you}
Amy

Day 33: Does God really CALL people to jobs?

Today's reading — Proverbs 21

One of my favorite books of 2012 was Richard Stern's "Hole in the Gospel." It tells his testimony of how he came to the helm of World Vision, and his fast-moving story had me twitching. 

God wanted him to give up his riches and position as a corporate CEO and oversee World Vision, a Christian organization that helps combat poverty and more. 

I used to wonder how people could say they were "called" to do something. It sounded like a nice word to persuade the rest of the world they had a personal relationship with the Lord. The Lord doesn't care enough about a person's job to "call" them there. Or. Does. He? 

I loved Stern's story because he dug his heels in. He did NOT want to take the job. He did not want to give up his comforts, and he didn't even think God was calling him even as the signs started to build up. 

But eventually it became too much. God's fingerprints were all over it. He WANTED Richard Sterns, and God would stop at nothing to prove it to him! 

Girls, I have attempted to resist God's subtle urgings in the past. He usually doesn't stop at one attempt. He's been so faithful to give me more than one sign to convince me of His will for me. 

That's why I loved verse 30 in today's reading: 

There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord. 

What He wants, He gets. And if it involves you, there's no tool at your disposal that could stop Him. And girls, would you really want to? 

He KNOWS best. And best of all, He knows you. Those special passions, gifts and desires in your heart, He will draw those out of you so you can do His work in His time.  

I know. Because He called me here. To Mighty Strong Girls. To use the best of what I have been gifted with to serve Him. And you. 

Sometimes it's scary. But all the time, it's a pleasure. It's part of my identity in Christ. And you have one, too, right now that will continue to grow and evolve and stretch your faith! It's that beautiful thing that makes you shine from the inside out; it's what makes you who you are; it starts and ends with Him!

{xoxo}
Amy

Day 28: Is it gossip or isn't it?

Today's reading — Proverbs 16

What do you do when others gossip? I mean really, tell me what you do by commenting below. It might help another girl! 

I hate gossip. But it hasn't always been that way. In fact, it took me a long, long time to recover from this addiction. That's right, gossip can be ADDICTING! 

And exhilerating. Because finding someone who is equally aggrevated by someone's sinful behavior is like winning a scratch-off lottery ticket. Once you start scratching, you just want to keep buying them. We Christians like to call this type of gossip "venting" and dismiss it as healthy. It's like therapy, you know! 

But check out Proverbs 16: 28....

A perverse woman stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends. 

My daughter read me an American Girl story on this subject not long ago. One girl in a dance class thinks another has stolen her prized locket. She confronts a mutual friend, who tries to talk her friend into having a discussion rather than accusing the girl. In many instances, she gets sucked into the gossip and doesn't stand up for the girl. Even she is in doubt of the truth with all the lies and gossip swirling around. Eventually the girl has to move to a new school because the one girl doesn't stop making her life miserable. In the end, the girl who was the confidante realizes that she might have picked the wrong girl to befriend when the other girl finds the locket in the bottom of her dance bag. 

Sometimes it's hard to avoid gossip. Other times, it's hard to discern what is and isn't gossip. Is some second-hand information OK to share with a friend you are trying to protect? Perhaps rumors that a boy who professes to be a Christian is really looking to take advantage of girls? If you share that information with a friend is it gossiping? 

I think it's important that no matter when or how we speak, we carefully contemplate our words and question our own motives. Are we looking to stir up dissension? Do we know that's the consequence? How would you feel if you were the person on the other end? 

{praying for discernment}
Amy

Day 27: Ever want to reel in your words?

Today's reading — Proverbs 15

I grew up hearing "Think before you speak." I don't remember if it was my mom or dad or grandma, church or school, but this was a mantra spoken over me as I matured. 

I'm sure it helped curbed my tongue a time or two. But what probably made a bigger difference was screwing up. Sticking my foot in my mouth, which — incidentally — I still do from time to time. It was embarrassing and made me feel less of a person that I would say something rude, gossip about a friend or not think about a person's feelings before I spoke. That icky feeling made me not only more regretful but also more cautious in the future. 

God has a saying, too. It's a little more lengthy but way more introspective. 

Verse 28: The heart of the righteous weighs its answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil. 

That's right, when we just say things without thought, we are prone to sinning, to gushing evil. When we pause to think about what we're about to say, when we really ponder the words our tongue is forming and contemplate their consequences, we are acting with righteousness. 

When we do it, when we weigh our words, there are no icky feelings. It's just one way you can live more joyfully! I don't know about you, but happiness is what my heart desires. 


{thinking before I speak}
Amy

Day 26: Act out your anger

Today's reading — Proverbs 14

My morning devotion — delivered daily to my email in-box (you can sign up to have ours sent to your email, too!) was all about anger. Then I opened up Proverbs to our place today, and guess what? 

It seems today's theme is anger. 

So let's chat. What makes you mad? Bullying? Gossips? Peer pressure? Ungodly behavior among your friends? 

Anger....well, I don't necessarily think the emotion of anger is a bad one. It's what you do with it that can cause you to stumble and sin. 

Take a look at how it's discussed in Proverbs 14. 

From verse 16, it's clear that hotheaded and reckless behavior are considered foolish. But the wise fear the Lord and "shun evil."

Later, in verse 22, it says that if you plot evil you will go astray. So it's unwise to use your anger to do "bad things." 

But I believe you can take the anger and use it for good — developing a plan for love and faithfulness, also from verse 22. 

As I write this, it kind of reminds me of Mighty Strong Girls. It's pretty easy to get mad when you think about how girls are portrayed in the media as sexual objects, how they are shoved into a box with all the expectations and stereotypes for our gender, how they are second-class citizens. It's angering to learn about how prevalent female genital mutilation still is in most African nations. It's downright disgusting that many women are pressured to have abortions or even kill their newborn babies — simply because they are girls. 

Most people believe these facts justify a plan for evil against those who would commit such atrocities. But God. He says NO. He says make a plan that is written in love and faithfulness. 

So instead of attacking the enemy, Mighty Strong Girls is attacking the problem by offering a positive alternative. We aren't the only one. There are so many wonderful organizations doing great and awesome things out of love and faithfulness to help girls RISE UP!

My dear girls, you can do this with the anger in your lives, too, no matter the situation. Pray about it. Think about it. Don't be hotheaded and act out your anger with immediate hatred. Instead, take that energy and pour it into something positive. Be the change you want to see! 

{xoxo}
Amy

Day 24: Is your tongue a tool for destruction or for hope?

Today's reading — Proverbs 12

Sometimes it feels so confusing when it comes to dealing with mean people or bullies. On the one hand, the Bible tells us to turn the other check and love our neighbor. But many of God's beloved prayed for their Lord to strike down their enemy — and He did. God also tells us to love ourselves, and some people who tear us down consistently are hard to be around because they challenge this very notion. 

What's a girl to do? 

From today's reading, verse 16 states: 

A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent woman overlooks an insult. 

Mighty Strong Girls, that's what we call self-control. Practice it early and often. It's a gift, particularly when you join as one in marriage. Sharing a living space, bank account, schedule and children are all instances when it's not all about you. Learning to submit or control our selfish notions is a gift in relationships! 

So, at the heart of this verse is really the best advice my mom ever gave me: ignore them. Just ignore the bullies. It drives them crazy. They act because they are seeking a (your) reaction, and they are jealous. (Eventually they will give up on you if you continue to overlook insults, and in this way, God will strike down your enemy by removing her from your path.)

But please be careful that you are not on the delivering end of insults. Because you know what? Jealousy is not only ugly but it's rooted in fear. Jealousy is NOT from God. It's a sin that causes us to stumble in other ways — seeking approval from man, cursing God's name, plotting against others, coveting our neighbor's possessions. It's a slippery slope. 

Also, look just a couple verses down in verse 18: 

Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise bring healing. 

Just like the insults hurled at you hurt, so does your negative reaction. Your words can either tear down or build up, so choose them carefully — even as you overlook the words of fools. For, there is JOY for those who promote peace, as promised in verse 20. 

Today, use the tool between your teeth to build up. I love the devotion in my Bible that speaks of three-word groupings: I love you, You look great!, Good for you, I forgive you. Three words that can transform relationships and lives. 

Girls, GET WISDOM! 

{Hugs}
Amy