Introducing the summer 2014 covergirl!

-->

I cry aloud to the Lord;
    I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.
I pour out before him my complaint;
    before him I tell my trouble.

When my spirit grows faint within me,
    it is you who watch over my way.
In the path where I walk
    people have hidden a snare for me.
Look and see, there is no one at my right hand;
    no one is concerned for me.
I have no refuge;
    no one cares for my life.

I cry to you, Lord;
    I say, “You are my refuge,
    my portion in the land of the living.”

Listen to my cry,
    for I am in desperate need;
rescue me from those who pursue me,
    for they are too strong for me.
Set me free from my prison,
    that I may praise your name.
Then the righteous will gather about me
    because of your goodness to me.

           ~ Psalm 142

     Psalm 142 was written by David while he hid in a cave from people who were chasing after him because they wanted to kill him. What is interesting to me is how relevant it is for girls.

     This prayer – this psalm – is offered today in honor of our cover girl. For her story. For the challenges she faced and overcame.
     Her paths were hidden with snares…girls calling her names, pressuring her to do things she didn’t want to do and be who she wasn’t meant to be.
     She was taken off guard. She felt alone. She thought she could handle anything that came, but when it came, it was harder than she anticipated.
     But she sought God. She prayed, not just for herself but for her tormentors. She knew she couldn’t do it alone. 
     And God was faithful. He set her free from the prison, and she praises His name, even still, as the godly gather around her. She reaches and teaches other girls about the faith that got her through, that rescued her from the cave.
     I first met our cover girl when we had a fashion show over a year ago, and even though she wasn’t very familiar with Mighty Strong Girls, she eagerly grabbed a microphone at the event to share her thoughts on why the ministry is so important for all girls. She got it — the purpose, the vision, the NEED. She is truly an amazing Mighty Strong Girl.
     She is determined. She is intelligent. She is compassionate. She is courageous. She is strong – like really strong physically because she spends hours and hours training for the Olympics. She is Tyler Lackland. 
     CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SUMMER 2014 COVERGIRL, AND TO ALL THE INSPIRING GIRLS WHOSE STORIES, PHOTOS, IDEAS AND CREATIVITY HELPED SHAPED THIS ISSUE OF MIGHTY STRONG GIRLS! 
      The magazine is on sale now at http://www.mightystronggirls.com/the-magazine.html. Print copies are $7, and digital versions are $1.49. If you know a board member, see us for a copy if you don't want to pay for shipping. And if you'd like to buy the magazine in bulk copies for churches or organizations, they are $5 each. Just call us at 217.801.7464 for more information!

Why Mighty STRONG Girls?

Someone asked me recently about the name Mighty Strong Girls. Where did it come from?

Honestly, at the time, it just came to me as though not my own. Several things happened afterward to affirm that this was what God would name our little ministry. And then, it stuck.

Today I came across some notes I made from a sermon I heard about the time we were unveiling Mighty Strong Girls on what it means to be strong biblically. The sermon, the scripture and the reasons were all affirming what was already going on in my brain. Strength is so misconstrued, misunderstood and misused from a worldly perspective.

Our world says strength is overpowering, either physically or mentally or maybe even emotionally, another person. The strong will survive. It's a concept central to evolution, too, interestingly enough. Bullying behavior is simply a mirror of what our kids see in the world — the "strong" overtaking the "weak." A theme played out again and again in movies, books, music and even homes.

1 Corintians 1:27 (NIV) says:
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

So maybe you are a "weak thing of the world." What does that mean? Should you throw yourself a pity party? That's what the world wants of you.

Or, you could realize in this one verse that God has destined you — yes, YOU — for greatness. Would it not be so if He had not hand-picked David to not only defeat Goliath but to rise up as king of a nation, to be leader of his chosen people? He loves calling out the unsuspecting to greatness.

Oh, dear girls, you are also HIS CHOSEN. He will use you, when you are ready to listen, hang on to Him and be obedient as He calls you into greatness.

It will be a wild ride, though! Something the weak of our world could never handle.

Because being obedient means having the courage to turn your back on immoral behavior, take on new challenges, have persistence in everything you do, stick up for those being bullied, ignore ridicule, walk away from unhealthy relationships and say NO loudly to a boy's unwanted sexual advances.

Courage is a muscle, and you need to use it to grow it. Today I challenge you to put it to use. Here are some ideas to get you thinking about how you can grow your courage:

• Speak out in youth group. Voice your opinion. Start a conversation. 
• Start your own Bible study or Mighty Strong Girls small group. 
•  Befriend a widow in your church. 
•  Sponsor an orphan. 
• Share the Gospel. 
• Go on a job interview. 
• Confront a problem situation. 
• Apologize to someone in a letter or even face-to-face. 
• Raise money for a good cause. 

You will find the more you employ courage, the stronger you will be. You will hear God's voice more loudly, and you will move into the greatness He has planned for you — your destiny, your very identity.

And as you do, please remember these words from 

1 Corinthians 10:13 (The Message):

No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.

{Seeking greatness in Him alongside you}

Amy