Your Defining Moment

by Cece

Whether you know it or not, at some point in your life you have had a moment that has influenced your future. 

These moments contribute to who we are and everything else about us. Your defining moments may be good or bad; it really doesn’t matter. I have had multiple moments in my life that have made me who I am.

For me, I have more bad defining moments than good. I have had a rough past couple of weeks. My best friend and I got into a fight, she called me names and then I fell off the wagon and cut myself. They are now just barely visible scars, but the moment I took the knife in my hand and the moment my arm swelled and burned are something I will never forget. 

Then about a week or so ago, my dad left. He and my mom had a fight and little did they know I had heard the whole thing. I do not want to disclose what it was about, but my siblings were affected greatly by this sudden change. I have had to grow up a lot lately and be strong for my brother. Lastly, I started not eating. I lost about 6-8 pounds in the last week. I am now eating normally now, but I think I have scared a lot of people lately. They have seen me walk around like a zombie for the past two weeks. |

Until I realized that what I was doing wasn’t helping anyone. I was just making my mom feel worse, my friends scared to leave me alone, and my siblings worried that I couldn’t handle what had happened. 

I don’t want this blog to make you cry or feel bad for me. I want this to show you that even the bad moments in your life are essential  to growing up, to becoming the person who you are. I feel like I have aged about 20 years in this past month. I am a better person; I have a better relationship with GOD, and I now appreciate all the little things in life that I have never noticed before. 

I have created an email at  MightyStrongCece@yahoo.com for anyone who wants to ask me questions, advice or anything. Whatever you want, just ask away. I just want you all to know that I am here for you, and I want to help you with whatever you need.

Viewing my body as God's temple

by Payson

In my life, I've always been the "messed up" friend. The friend who cut herself. The friend who starved herself. The friend who attempted suicide. I've never really known what it was like until just recently.

A very close friend of mine threatened to kill herself a few months back. I raced to her house to find her on the floor, blade in hand, ready to slice open her skin. Luckily, I made it in time, and she didn't go through with it. But let me tell you, that really opened my eyes. 

I had never realized what I put my friends through. I never realized how much pain that they went through for something that I did. I didn't know that it hurt THAT much. But it did. I sat in my friend's house and cried for hours, blaming myself for what she did. "Why didn't I notice it? I know all the signs. I should have been paying her more attention." These thoughts raced through my head, and it made me feel terrible for putting my best friends through this same thing. It will make me think twice when a thought like that ever crosses my mind again.

Also, very recently I found out that a very close friend of mine self harms. I've never been on this end of cutting before. When the text came saying, "Yes, I do," my heart dropped. How could someone so beautiful and so amazing do that to herself. I sat there and looked at the text for a good 10 minutes before responding. I didn't know what to say. I've never been in that situation before. 

I'm sure this is what my friends and family felt when I told them for the first time. Maybe you have felt this way. The best thing for you to do is to encourage them to tell their parents. Then to get professional help. But trust me, I know from experience that won't go over very well. Just be a friend to them. Remind them that you are ALWAYS there for them and that God is there, too. That's what got me through some of my bad days. 1 Corinthians 6:19 talks about your body being God's temple. God gave you that body. He doesn't want you harming it.

It's weird being on this end for once. But God put me through everything that I went through exactly for this reason. So that I can help people who are going though this. It has given me so much knowledge about these things. I have experience that helps me encourage others into recovery. Sometimes I regret going through what I did. But most times I couldn't be more grateful to God. He always knows exactly what He's doing. :)

Understanding beauty

by Ree
I'm just a girl trying to find her place. And I surely do believe that my place is helping other girls who are having trouble understanding that they are beautiful no matter what. 
I am someone wo has suffered for many years believing I am not beautiful enough or good enough for anyone. Yes, my self confidence is still very low, but I am understanding that no matter what I am beautiful.
Pretty much my entire life I looked up to singers, actors, actresses or anyone famous for that matter, but doing so hurt my self confidence. I started to cut myself in seventh grade because I felt I wasn't good enough (but also other reasons as well). I felt as if I would never, ever be good enough. I felt I needed to have the perfect hair. The perfect skin. And of course the smallest body I could possibly have. 
As I got older people at school and members of my own family, would make fun of the clothes I wore, my weight or just the way I looked in general. At that time (my freshmen year), I had been free of cutting for two years, but then one day I just cracked...I let myself slip away back to the pain that only lasted merely a second. 
I was off and on from cutting ever since, and now here I am a junior, and I still am cutting every now and I have been clean for 100 days, which for me is a huge step! Let me help Mighty Strong Girls in letting girls know that they dont have to be a size "0," or have "perfect" anything to be beautiful! 

The Real Truth

By Cece

     Real and true are words I never hear any more. 
     Now girls are all about conforming to society, trying to make friends, landing the cutest boy and doing whatever they can to be noticed. 
     But honestly going through all the trouble doesn’t guarantee happiness or perfection. All you are really doing is admitting that you are willing to change everything about yourself just to gain acceptance. 
      All through junior high school I was what I considered to be a wallflower. People didn’t really notice me. I was invisible to everyone — the bookworm who never said much to anyone.
     But the thing was…that wasn't who I wanted to be. I dreamed of being the center of attention. I wanted to be different, surprising. 
     I felt as if I was trapped in a box, stuck with the image everyone wanted me to be. Even though I wanted to change, to be defined by me, I didn’t try. I thought no one would accept the new me, so I stayed unhappy and miserable. 
     Little did I know that changing the minds of others wouldn’t be as hard as I imagined. I decided to actually try with my appearance, dressing how I wanted to and taking pride in myself. 
     Once I looked the part, I decided to "act" the part. Instead of taking shelter in my fantasy world of literature, I ventured out of my comfort zone and got involved in debates, conversations, and clubs. I didn’t let the opinion of others influence my decisions anymore. 
     Want to know the real truth about breaking away from the crowd and doing your own thing? It just takes determination and confidence to be who you are. No matter what you want to be or do, you have the power to overcome the status quo.

God's grace is bigger than our failures!

Thanksgiving. 

A day to be reminded for what you're thankful for. But for me, it was a day I had been dreading all year.

Last year, I was "sick" on Thanksgiving day, so I didn't eat. I wanted this year to be different. I wanted to enjoy the good food. Mentally, I was so prepared for it. I was ready for the struggle I was going to face. But I wasn't prepared for what actually happened.

About a week before, I found eight blades on my bedroom floor. I quickly grabbed them without thinking and hid them under my mattress. It was a stupid mistake that I regret, but I can't do anything about it now.

I didn't use them that day. Just knowing I had them felt like a kind of security to me. For that week, I didn't really go to God like I should have. I didn't read my Bible or pray. I shut myself off from Him, which is the stupidest thing I've ever done.

Thanksgiving came along and things were going well. I ate a lot for lunch and kept it down. Then at dinner my grandma said I was getting chunky. This isn't the first time she's said this. But even worse, she asked if my sister was anorexic. So my sister's skinny and I'm not.

So basically my Thanksgiving was stressful. That's normal. I have learned how to handle stress better. But I had blades. It was an easy way out, and selfishly, I cut myself.

A few days later my friends found out, and they told me to throw them away. I didn't listen at first, but I knew keeping them was only going to make it harder for me. So I went out to a lake and threw them. But I stopped at the last one. I held it for five minutes. Then the wind took it and tossed it in the lake. Coincidence? I don't think so.

I failed. I not only hurt myself, but I hurt the people around me too. But, God didn't leave me. He picked me up when I fell down. I let Him down, but He didn't give up on me. I turned my back on Him, but He never left. After all the times I have failed, He hasn't left. Isn't that crazy? He hasn't left. If I had a friend who treated me like I sometimes treat God, I would have been long gone. But that's the cool thing about our God. HE WON'T LEAVE YOU. He didn't leave Paul who was persecuting Christians! If you go to Him when you mess up, he will lift you up. He knows what's best for you.

After everything i have done wrong in my life, I am not a failure. Like a good friend and mentor once told me, "Just because you fail, that doesn't mean that you're a failure." I may be to some people, but not to God. I will NEVER be a failure in God's eyes, and neither will you.

Why?

by Cece

When I was a little girl I was always asking why. It was one of my favorite words. And even now, as a teenager, I still like to wonder why. But this time, there is no innocence to the seemingly harmless question. There is a darkness to it. 

In the seventh grade, I went through a depression stage. I felt like nobody was on my side. I decided to try cutting myself. I mean, people were talking about how it would relieve them from pain, so I thought, ‘Why not.’ I got home and tried it. I started bleeding a lot, and I couldn’t stop crying. I thought I had hit something important. I got up and wrapped my arm up tightly, then went to clean up the mess. I made a vow to never cut myself again. It hurt, and it only made me feel worse.

Fast forward to a few months later. My boyfriend dumped for a girl who hated me, my best friend was spreading rumors about me, and on top of all of that, I was getting notes in my locker telling me I was ugly, useless, and stupid. One note told me to kill myself, that it would make everyone’s life easier. 

So that is what I did, or at least tried to do. But I was too scared, so at the very last second, I chickened out.

From that point on, I felt like nothing. I hated myself and everyone around me. I forgot that I had a mother, father, and two brothers who loved me. All I could do was ask myself, 'Why?' Why would God do this too me? Why would He put me through pain, make me suffer and hate myself? I thought if He really loved me, like everyone says He does, then He wouldn’t make anyone go through that. 

Then I realized something. I was being selfish.

God allows me and others to endure pain and misery to be an example. I could help and reach out to young girls who hate themselves just as much as I hated myself. I could prove to them that life really DOES get better, that all they have to do is forget about everyone else and picture what God would say if He saw you cutting yourself, puking up your lunch, or about to take the life He gave you. 

How do you think he would feel? Happy? Giddy? Excited? 

He doesn’t want you to be unhappy, it breaks His heart. God loves you more than your own parents love you. He wants you to trust in Him with all your feelings and regrets. He is just waiting for the moment when you are finally ready to share.

Editor's note: If you feel you might be at risk for self harm or suicide, please talk to someone. Tell your parents, your youth minister or sponsor, a trusted friend or neighbor, or a counselor. It's important to acknowledge your emotions and reach out for help. There are so many people who love you and are willing to help if you let them!

Fiction: Casting our her mound of crowns

     I stare at my reflection in the mirror. 

     My chestnut hair is shined to perfection, whipped around the back of my head to form a spiral bun. My clear blue eyes are carefully lined in black, but only on the top; never the bottom. Mom says it’ll make my eyes look too small. My lashes are fake, nearing two inches in length. My complexion: fresh and flawless.

     Leaning forward, my arms bearing the weight of me so I can look deep into my own eyes, I try to see who I really am.     
     “Nevada,” mom says. “Don’t lean on that counter like that. You’re gonna wrinkle your gown.”

     Now wouldn’t that be a tragedy? 

     “Sorry,” I mutter without feeling. I straighten my posture and smooth the lilac-colored gown. Mom is in front of me, inspecting every aspect of my face for the hundredth time.

     This is my third pageant this year. It’s only February.

     It was fun when I was, like, 4. Now I’m 15. I’m over it. I’m over being commended for my looks. I’m over being the one with the perfect smile. I’m over having girls jealous of me. I’m over having all this attention. What does it really matter that I was blessed with physical beauty?

     I tried to tell mom this. Let’s just say it didn’t go well. She was super quick to point out how lucky I am, and, of course, all the prizes and money I’ve won; and how now that I’m getting closer to college age, there may be college scholarships to win. Yeah, because I want to win a scholarship for being pretty. How does being pretty qualify me for a college scholarship? Bottom line: mom was not letting me quit.

     These pageants were ruining my life. I just wanted to be a normal 15-year-old girl who hangs out with her friends on the weekends instead of this freak who has to either: A) Practice for a pageant, or B) Be at a pageant. Heck, I’d even enjoy studying on the weekend. Then maybe I’d be able to take college prep courses and qualify for a real scholarship. Or maybe I’d meet a guy who’d want to get to know the real me, not just the me he can see.

     “Get ready, Nevada,” Mom said. “You’re next.”

     I take my place and wait for contestant No. 5 to return back stage. When she passes me, her glowing smile fades immediately, and I recognize the hollow look in her eyes. It’s the same look I saw in my reflection just moments ago.

     “Next up is Nevada Kelley,” the announcer bellows as I step onto stage. I turn on my smile and walk pointedly to the first X. “Nevada is 15 years old. She resides in Thomas City, Illinois, where she is a sophomore at Thomas County High School. She is the daughter of Stone and Nicole Kelley, and has two older brothers.”

     I wave at the crowd, scanning the room of strangers with my sparkling eyes. Then I make eye contact with each judge. As I move off the X and make my way to the far end of the stage, the announcer continues. “Nevada’s favorite subject is biology and she hopes to become a doctor someday so she can be a medical missionary.” Mom didn’t want me to say that. She thought it would sound better if I said I like English because I like to read. It’s a girlier activity she said. Whatever. Why lie?

     At the far end of the stage, I pause, and wave again, sharing my hundred-watt smile with anyone who would have it. “In her spare time, Nevada volunteers at her church’s food pantry.  She regularly spends time at a local retirement home to visit with senior citizens.” The parts he leaves out are that my mom is in charge of the food pantry, not because she really cares about needy people, but because it makes her look good. And the retirement home? Yeah, my grandma lives there. 

     I used to get a rush from being on stage, taking in the admiring gazes of the audience. I used to hope I’d win. Like really, really hope. I used to cry if I didn’t place. Then there came a point when I would cry if I was anything less then Grand Supreme: The one with the biggest crown and the best prizes. 

     Tonight, I want to lose. 

     I want to mean more to my mom than this. I want our relationship to be about something more than pageant life. I want her to ask me about school and friends, find out if there’s a boy I like.

     When I get back to the original X, I am handed a microphone. Speech time. I know it by heart. Mom would have nothing less. I smile and open my mouth to begin, but the words that come out are not mom-approved.

     “I have been competing in pageants since I was 3 years old. My first crown was for Cutest Little Miss Farmer. My mom dressed me in cowboy boots and a denim skirt and sent me up on stage. I smiled my smile and waved my wave, and I won. It was that easy.” 

     I take a deep breath, and for a brief moment wonder if my mom had thrown up yet. 

     “I used to love being in pageants. The thrill of everyone knowing I was the fairest of them all validated me. It made me think I was someone just because I was pretty. No one at a pageant cared what my grades looked like. I was never asked what book I was reading. All that mattered was my dress, my hair, and my makeup. Everything on the outside mattered. No one cared what was on the inside.” 

     I place my hand over my heart and take a few steps forward, peering down at the stone-faced judges.     
     “What’s on the outside doesn’t make me who I am.”

     I walk to the right a few paces. 

     “Right now, I know I look breathtaking. I look perfect. I could be on a magazine cover, or in a commercial. But who am I? Who is Nevada Kelley? Nevada Kelley has one friend because all her time is devoted to pageants. Nevada Kelley has never had a real boyfriend.

Sure, boys like me, but it’s because of my looks. They don’t know me.” 

     I take a deep breath and try to fight the pain that comes every time I think about the one boy I thought might actually like me.

     “Society today has their set of ideas for how a girl should look and act. We are expected to look like,” I pause and look down at my size-zero body, “Well, like me. Girls who don’t fit the mold are shunned and exiled in their schools, in their families, even in their church youth groups. The pressure girls feel today to belong is agonizing. No one cares about your intelligence or if you want to be a medical missionary. People care about what you’re wearing and how you’ve fixed your hair. A heart and a mind carry no value today.” 

     I take a few steps to the left and scan the audience. This was not your typical pageant speech, and they were captivated. 

     “But tell me this: What does this physical beauty matter if no one knows me? I would much rather have 78 crowns at home for my character than for my looks. My looks mean nothing to me.” 

     I pause, debating if I should really take this where it needed to go. Yes, yes I should.
     “If God appeared here on stage beside me now and said, ‘Nevada? You can have one or the other: Your physical beauty or the beauty inside you,’ I would gladly give up my looks.
     "But you know what? Most girls will tell you they would give up just about anything to be attractive. People look at your appearance. God looks at your heart. And I’ll take God’s approval over yours any day.”

     My smile had long since faded. I turn and hand the mic over and head offstage. After a moment of stunned silence, I hear applause.
     Shocked, I look back. People were standing! I was getting a standing ovation! Really?
     My spirit soared like it used to when I enjoyed this. I felt renewed. I was appreciated for being me!

     “What was that?” mom snaps when I reached her.   The scowl on her face tells me she wasn’t planning on commending my heartfelt speech. 

     “It’s what I wanted to say, Mom.”

     “It’s not what we practiced.”

     Tempted to retort in a way I’d regret later, I choose my words carefully. “Not everything in life has to be practiced.”

     She snorts. “It does if you want to win!”

     I shake my head.
     “Don’t you get it? I don’t want to win. I’m tired of being this fake person. I just want to be me. I want to be normal.”

     “Nevada, why on earth would you want to be normal?” She said it like it was a bad word. “You are beautiful! God has blessed you with this and you should use it to your advantage.”

     “No, Mom. You’re wrong. God may have blessed me with looks that are pleasing to the eye, but He never intended for me to use them to my own advantage. Anything God has blessed me with I should use to benefit others. And my real gifts are in here,” I point to my head, “and in here,” I spread my palm across my chest. “I am done with pageants, Mom. Sorry.”

     I turn on my three-inch heels and leave my mom to ponder what I’d said.
     No matter her wrath, I had already won.
     My true crown comes from above and it’s the only one I’ll ever need.

Now it's
your turn!

Stretch your wings and try your hand at writing! We know Mighty Strong Girls have stories of their own. If you would like to see your short story or poetry in the magazine or blog, email it for consideration to 

editor@mightystronggirls.com 

All submissions will be considered for publication, but special attention will be given to entries that show the realities of being a teen girl in today's world.

Baggage

Emotions are a huge part of being a teenager. During our adolescent years, emotions begin to fluctuate and, for some of us, emotions completely take over.

 

Itʼs easy to deal with positive emotions, like happiness and joy, but the negative emotions arenʼt so simple. Itʼs not easy to get rid of anger, hurt and frustration. The important thing is that itʼs possible to move past them, with Godʼs help. If we shove these emotions down and donʼt deal with them, they become baggage.

Baggage isnʼt fun. Iʼve dealt with baggage that accumulated over my transitions. The little things add up. I had thoughts like, I donʼt want to move...why do my parents think this is best? and Wow, all my old friends have moved on without me. Now Iʼm all alone. These were my emotions talking, but I didnʼt share them with anyone. I shoved them down inside.

 

I felt like it would be bothersome if I tried to talk to my parents or a friend about my feelings. Well, I was wrong, and my baggage got heavier until I could no longer move.

 

I guess the moral of the story is that when life gives you emotions, make an effort to deal with them, whether itʼs internally (with God), or externally (with a family member or friend). Donʼt complain over and over to yourself, because thatʼs not going to help. Moving is a really hard thing...one of the hardest things to deal with in a lifetime, and itʼs not good to isolate yourself.

Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, and He made a way for us to give up our bad emotions and baggage to Him. Heʼs waiting with open arms. He wants our baggage. Surprisingly, itʼs not pleasant to give our baggage to Him, but after itʼs gone, thatʼs when the good feelings start to return. Start now, say a prayer, and ask God to help. Heʼs always there.

 

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” ~Philippians 4:6 

Who do you give credit to?

We were down 56-51. There were ten seconds left and when I hit my three pointer, my coach called a time out. After the time out, the clock was slowly running down and my teammate hits another three to help us successfully beat a team that’s got a lot of talent.

 

For the next couple weeks, I was so happy we won because of all OUR talent and strength. We, as a team, did it. 

What’s wrong with the last sentence? Everything! First off, we don’t have any strength or talent without God graciously giving it to us. For the past three years I didn't see that it isn’t my strength, or my teammates strength, but my Heavenly Father’s strength!

 

As a Junior this year, I’ve decided to put my pride behind me and fully trust God on and off the court. Why do something when I’m giving the credit to myself? Doing that is like getting an A on a test and cheating off my neighbor to get it. It’s not my credit, but I’m going to play it off as if it is.

 

I’m getting prepared for a big year of basketball with my team. I’m practicing, running, and eating healthier…wait, who am I kidding? I love food, and I won’t give that up unless God asks me too. As I was saying, I’m giving it my all this year. I’m trying to be a witness to my team and my competitors.I thought to myself, "How do I do that without telling them about Jesus during the game? I got it! I’ll write verses on my shoes." I kept replaying this is in my head and realized that Jesus comes first… Always!

 

I wasn’t sure what verses to use, but two jumped out at me. "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is my strength of my heart and my portion forever!" - Psalm 73:26. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” - Philippians 2:3. 

I proceeded to write these verses in sharpie on the back of my shoes to remind myself and the others around me that all the glory goes to God!

 You might be wondering how this has anything to do with a Mighty Strong Girl, but I’ll just come out and tell you that my place to mentor and show who Jesus is, is on my sports teams. God gives us unusual places to be a witness, but it’s important that you are obedient to everything He calls you to do! Swallow your pride and listen for God’s calling in your life.

Swimming out of a whirlpool

By Payson

You're swimming in an ocean, just minding your own business when all of a sudden...

A WHIRLPOOL ERUPTS! Quickly you get sucked in by its amazing force as you struggle so hard to escape it's viscious grip. You go around and around, over and over again, but you get tired of fighting. You see no point in trying because you see no way out. Then, just like that, you're gone. You've been sucked in. Totally consumed by this whirlpool.

Could you see it? Could you see yourself going around and around this whirlpool? It's pretty easy to picture in your mind, right? Well go back up to that paragraph and read it again, only this time, replace the word "whirlpool" with "addiction."

This is how I visualize my addictions. I was totally consumed by my eating disorder. I was totally consumed with my cutting. It became an obsession. I couldn't escape from the iron grasp that they had on me. The farther I got in, the harder it was to get out.

But I did get out. You know how? God. God found me and put so many amazing people in my life. He reached out to me, even though I didn't want to be reached out to. God did the impossible. He saved my life. 

I could have easily cut too deep and hit a vein. I could have had a heart attack while purging. I could have developed heart problems because of the anorexia, or I could have succeeded in my two suicide attempts. But I didn't. He didn't let me.

Can you believe that all of this was caused because society told me I wasn't beautiful? More and more people are being sucked into this whirlpool filled with sick lies and twisted beliefs made by society. When will it stop? I mean, who gets to decide when enough is enough?

These "whirlpools" need to be stopped, but how? It seems impossible. I honestly don't believe that they ever will be stopped completely. You're going to face struggles every day of your life. It sucks, I know. But you know what really helps? Wearing God's armor. 

Ephesians 6:13 says, "Therefore pick up the full armor of God so that you can stand your ground on the evil day and after you have done everything you possibly can to still be standing."

God will pick you up. He will save you from the whirlpools of your life. He can do anything if you give your trust to him 100 percent. Had I not done this, I would be 6 feet under ground at this very moment. It's scary to think about really. But here I am! Writing this for you today, as happy and as healthy as I have ever been! Sure, I'm still struggling, but it's nothing compared to what it was.

God got me out of my whirlpool, and now I'm swimming free!

The Beginning

By Meg

Okay, I love telling this story.

On my first day of seventh grade, I walked into Athens High School more confident than Iʼd ever been in my life. It seems strange thatʼd Iʼd feel this way, but all my life leading up to that point Iʼd been unconsciously preparing myself for that moment.

I went into the multipurpose room off the high school hallway and walked over to where my new class was sitting. All of a sudden a boy (whose name I will not disclose) yelled over at me, “Hey, are you new?”

Of course I answered, “Yep, sure am. My nameʼs Meg.”

I will always remember that boy as the first one ever to talk to me at Athens Junior/Senior High School. Of course, for the first two weeks of school he thought my name was May, but itʼs whatever.

Athens High School was good for me. Thereʼs no question I have made lasting friendships there, and it felt amazing to have God work through me in others' lives, and to feel God working inside me through the people at Athens. My family found an amazing church, and we settled down on a 5-acre patch of heaven. I buried my fears and sadness about the move until those feelings were gone.

Unfortunately, the pain returned four years after we moved to Illinois. My dad took a job in Anchorage, Alaska, and we moved back.

Going through a transition takes something out of you. After moving away from all my amazing friends in Illinois, I feel completely lost. This struggle isnʼt just something that happened a long time ago that I can talk about easily; this is something thatʼs happening right now. And if you're reading this blog, itʼs probably happening to you, too.

The thing is, when God throws you a curveball, you can either stand there and let it hit you in the face, or you can catch it. Iʼm going to be completely honest. I let the ball hit me in the face. And right now, Iʼm trying to chase it down.

The first transition brought me closer to God. I felt like I was making a difference in Athens for other people, but here in Chugiak, Alaska, I feel totally separated from everyone and everything. Including God.

Now, Iʼm not here to complain. Itʼs the last thing I want to do. I just want you to know Iʼm not an expert on transitions. Iʼm still learning even now. Let me tell you this: Iʼve come to realize that sometimes what we feel isnʼt what is true. God is here with me, and God is there with you. Sitting next to you. Right now. All you and I have to do is go to Him, and He will give us rest.

Make an effort to like the new place God has put you. Who knows, He might surprise you. :)

Examine yourself from a new perspective

by morgan

We all have people we look up to. They could be your parents, super heroes, celebrities or someone close to you who has had a big impact on your life. There are some people who might even look at a magazine and see a pretty girl and say, “I look up to her because she is beautiful! “ I’ve heard many of my peers who will compare themselves to ladies on television or in magazines.

I used to always want to match up to whoever everyone thought was pretty. I wanted to be beautiful in the world's eye; God’s eyes didn’t matter to me. 

Why do we do that to ourselves? 

Is it because society has brainwashed us, or is it because people tell us we don’t fit the world's standards? What people thought used to get to me because I wanted to be perfect, but is there really such a thing?

In my eyes, a role model is someone you want to live like. A role model challenges you to be a better person. 

I was once told that you should make someone’s ceiling your floor. Those words have stuck with me to this day. When someone dies and you see where they lived at, you should want to start from where they left off and continue on the legacy.

“You have younger eyes watching you!" This is a phrase I am constantly hearing from the very person I look up to. 

How true is that? Whenever you are doing something, who are you giving the glory to? Are you giving all the glory to you, or are you giving all the glory to God?

Once I realized how true that statement was, I started living in a way that was glorifying to God and everyone around me. When I think of someone as a role model, I think of faith, hope and love. I want others to look up to me, and see who I live for and where my happiness comes from. I want to watch others grow around me, and I want to watch them give the glory to God in everything!

My goal is to leave a legacy that most don’t understand. I want to watch others test my faith, and I want to stand up for what I know is true. I don’t want others to look up to me because they think I’m good at sports or pretty. I want people to look up to me because I’m a good Christ-like example of what God wants from each of us. 

Are you a good role model? Would you want others to look up to you as you are right now? How can you change that today?

Have you ever chased happiness?

     We all have struggles we have to face. Some are bigger than others, but they are usually a learning factor in our life. God never promised us a perfect life; He just promised us a life with Him and a life of love. Every struggle, heartache or loss we have, God is right there with us. 

     From my seventh grade year to my freshmen year in high school, I wanted to fit in. I wanted to hang out with the cool kids, go to all the parties and disobey my parents for the satisfaction of getting a laugh out of it. During the winter of my first year in high school, I made a decision that hurt everyone around me, a decision I would regret. I went to my friend’s house, and had a party with a couple of other friends. I made choices most kids make. However, I didn’t want to be like other kids. For the next year, I felt like I’d let myself, my family and my Heavenly Father down. 

  The summer between my freshmen and sophomore years, I was invited to a Christ in Youth conference with my church! A lot of my friends were going and they wanted me to have the experience they did. I was very open-minded and knew that what was supposed to happen would. While there, I heard a couple voices. One was from God, and the other was from Satan. At first, I had a hard time distinguishing them, but once I figured it out, I knew my life would change! I got home and knew that all the temptations I had left with would come back if I allowed them to! At first I did, but I had a friend who pushed me to be a better person, and a friend who realizes what true happiness means. She is a friend who cares more about my eternal life than my earthly life. I never noticed love like that before, and I knew if I felt good about that love, then the love of Jesus Christ would surpass all understanding. 

  A year later, and I’m on the pursuit of happiness. I am living a life for Jesus. I’ve learned that it’s not my life, it’s His. It’s not my kingdom I’m furthering, it’s His. Reading the bible, going to church, and praying daily will strengthen your relationship with God, but once you realize it takes more than that to live a full Christ-centered life, you will be filled with more joy than you could imagine. You’ll have a happiness that surpasses all understanding -- the happiness of Jesus Christ. 
     You may have a horrible past, and you may have made a lot of decisions that weren’t pleasing, but Jesus says you’re never too late, I’ve always been here waiting for you with open arms.  You can change your life right now and experience the world in a whole different way. Once you take those steps to being a better person, you’ll realize how special and important you are in the King’s eyes.  “He must become greater I must become less." (John 3:30)

Discovering true strength

By Payson

Have you ever thought about how strong your bones are? Like really thought about it? 

How do those people who karate chop cement blocks not break their arms? Easy.Their bones are stronger than the cement. A few years ago when I realized this, I made a conclusion: Bones = Strength.

My hip bones jet out. Thats just how my body is. But when I wasn't eating you could really see them. Some poeple would hate that, but me? I loved it. That could have been the eating disorder talking; but I saw my hip bones, and I felt strong. Same with my collar bones and my wrist bones. Being able to see my bones was a reminder of how strong I was. I constantly rubbed them. It made me feel skinny. It made me feel strong.

When I really think about that now, it makes me sick. I allowed the media to brainwash me into thinking that having your bones visable is a good thing. It makes you "beautiful." But really, with the media being accesible as it is, how could anyone possibly get around it? Honestly, there are very few days when I feel good about my body. I feel like I should be as skinny as I used to be 50 pounds ago.

Back then I thought being 70 pounds and over 5 feet was normal. Take a look at the women in magazines and on TV. That seems normal. But go to the doctors. That's way underweight. That's unhealthy. 

About 5'3 and 120 pounds. That's healthy. That's normal.

Some days all I want to do is be skinny again. I want to be able to fit into my friends' clothes. I want to be able to see all the individual vertebrae of my back bone. I want to weight less than 100 pounds. I want to be society's screwed up version of beautiful.

But other days I can look at myself and be okay with it. I can look at myself and realize that being healthy is better than being skinny. I like the size of my clothes. I am happy with myself. I see myself as pretty. I am aware that being beautiful on the inside is better than being beautiful on the outside

So, when I think of strength do I think of body builders? Football players? Those guys who karate chop cement?

No. I think of the strength it takes to get through life with society's lies being pushed in your face. The strength it takes to be able to recover from eating disorders, self harm addictions, depression, anxiety -- all the things I have dealt with. The strength it takes to look in the mirror and be okay with what you see.

The strength that God has given me is unbelievable. I'm actually grateful for what I've been through. It's made me who I am. It's made me discover a new definition of strong.

You don't have to have giant muscles to be strong. If you can look at youself the way God sees you, then I consider you to be one of the strongest people on Earth. It's not an easy thing to do. I'm far from it, but I'm working on it. Gods making me stronger and stronger each day, and I can't thank him enough.

Overcoming change

     By Meg

     When you open your eyes in the morning and look out your window, what’s the first thing you see? For some it might be a city sidewalk. For others, it might be the neighbor’s house, or a bright green yard stretching to a cornfield. 

When I looked out my window in the morning, I saw mountains. 

You see, until I was 12, I lived in the small town of North Pole, Alaska. As you can probably imagine, mountains are all over the place in that northernmost state. When I was young I could never get enough of the mountains and spent most of my time enjoying their beauty in the cold, northern outdoors.

We never think about how closely attached we can become to our physical surroundings, and they’re often taken for granted. Our families and friends are always on our minds, but the outdoors? Not so much.

The summer before my seventh grade year, my parents decided to relocate to Athens, Illinois. Before this, I hadn’t truly realized how important Alaska was to me. But it was too late. Before I knew it, Alaska was out of sight. My friends were gone, my church was gone, and my mountains were gone.

When I first arrived at my house in Athens, I strongly disliked the view. No offense to Illinoisans, but the only thing I saw when I looked out my window was corn, and I considered that a downgrade from mountains. I found myself missing not only my Alaskan friends, but also my beloved home state. It’s amazing what tugs at your heart when you leave your home. Memories you’ve long forgotten reappear. You reach out for something steady, something in your life you can count on, but it seems like nothing can ease the hurt. 

I know how hard it is to transition from one place to another, and I'm here to tell you help is coming. God is directing your life, and He has it all planned out! He knows who you’re going to meet tomorrow, and who your next great friend is. He’s felt every fear you’re feeling, and been through every trial you’re facing. It’s hard to be the new girl, yes, but He’s placed people in your new home who will reach out to you and welcome you to this new place, as long as you are willing to be part of His plan. 

I pray that as I tell my story to you through this wonderful magazine, God can speak to you as He once spoke to me. You may not like the view right now, but God put you where you are for a reason. Believe me, He knows what He’s doing.  

Meg enjoying the view with family. 

Your prayer life is the sum of your investments

By Morgan Wells

“Basketball practice is going to be hard today!” 

Those are the words I heard from my peers at 3:08 p.m. one day during sophomore year. It was a routine for us. Getting yelled at and expecting a hard practice. 

My coach used to say, “What you put into it is what you’ll be sure to get out of it.” 

Those words have stuck with me since that day. Since then, I’ve grown and realized he wasn’t being mean at those hard practices, he was just showing us what hard work looked like and how it pays off when you play a good game. 

Everyday Monday-Friday, I get up, take a shower, eat breakfast, brush my teeth, and get ready for school. Most days, I wake up early and have time to kill. Could I watch music videos on TV, get on social networking sites, or fall asleep for a couple more minutes? All of those ideas sounded perfect to me until I heard a voice. A voice that most ignore, and I won’t lie,  I have my selfish moments where I listen to myself and the world around me instead of that important voice. 

This voice is easy to hear if you’ll listen closely, and really acknowledge the importance of it. The voice I heard on the morning of Sept. 4 changed my whole vision of the world around me. I felt comfortable with my relationship with God, until He said, “If you feel comfortable, you’re doing something wrong.” 

“I’m reading my bible, worshipping, and listening to a sermon every morning before school,” I told Him. “What else can I do?” 

“Morgan, you say you’re going to pray for that one person, but why aren’t you doing anything else about it?” 

I was always told that prayer was the only thing you could do for someone, but I realized this morning, prayer is the first step to everything. You pray before you go to bed, start your day, or even before a sporting event. 

I pray because I need God’s strength before I can do anything. I need God to give me a good night's rest, I need God to give me a good day, and I need God to give me the strength to conquer any game, test, or relationship. 

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.(Proverbs 3:5-6)” 

I put all my trust in God when I was saved on Aug. 7, 2011, but I’m learning each day you may have doubts, you will think your falling, and you will blame God for things you can’t control. It’s not about how many times you think you will fall down, but rather how many times you trust God to have your back, and know that He will always catch you! 

Your heavenly Father loves you more than you’ll ever known. Whenever you’re willing to give your life to Him, you’ll realize He already gave His son’s life for you. 

My coach was right, what you put in to something is what you’re going to get out of it. 

Diving in...with faith

By Payson

Well.

I have absolutely NO idea where to start.

I guess I might as well introduce myself. I'm a girl. A teenage girl. But I guess that's obvious. Why else would i be blogging for Mighty Strong Girls? I'm your average teen. I sleep all day if i can help it; I hate doing chores; I love music; and I hate vegtables. Well, there's one thing that not many people know about me: I self-harm.

I've been cutting for a few years. In the middle of that I developed an eating disorder. I've been through a lot in my short life. All caused by poor self image. I never felt good enough. Society told me I had to look a certain way to be "beautiful." I couldn't be over 100 pounds. That was too fat. 

Growing up I looked up to so many actresses and singers. All of whom were beautiful and skinny. I wanted to be like them. That's what caused my eating disorder. I cut as a way to cope. I wanted to feel something other then sadness. It was my secret shame. I wanted to keep it that way.

But that didn't last. People found out. A lot of people found out, and after a year of hard work and many painful nights, here I am. Better then ever. No, I'm not healed. I still struggle everyday. Trust me, I'm nowhere near healed! But I've come a long way.

Recently, I went almost three months without harming myself. But then one day I stumbled. I hated myself for it. 

I went a water park with some friends a week after I cut, not realizing that I couldn't show my leg. I didn't get in the water the whole time. I had to lie to my friend's face about why I didn't want to swim. That made me hate myself even more.

God was with me through it all though. He put me through that little stumble to make me realize the fight isn't over. That even when I turn my back on him, He won't leave me. He loves me so much. It's insane.

When I look back on my life, I'm not upset with it. I've made some awful mistakes, but none were big enough for God to leave my side. 

I've often wondered why God would put me through this. A few weeks ago, He was speaking to me through His word, and I finally figured it out. God is going to use me to reach out to other girls with similar issues. That is His plan. At least for now. 

And I am going to dive in full-heartedly. I'm ready for what God has in store for me, and Mighty Strong Girls has already been a big part of my life, so I figured this would be a pretty good place to start.