National Gir ls Ministr ies Director

Candy Tolbert

Teen Gir l Special istMagazine EditorKatie Mattiuzzo

National Gir ls Ministr iesEditor

Lori Van Veen

This Month’s Contributors:

Alissa WalsteadPlanning Balanced Meals During

School

Jennie OlsonEntertainment Center

Karolyn OlsonEtiquette Fit for a Church

Samantha SmithWhen the Mirror Lies

Emily HowardTori Nicktern

Natalya Navarro I Am a Role Model

Piper MartinezDanielle HuverFine Arts Spotlight

Raven ChannelStand Out From the Crowd

Ashlee ChuBeautifully You

Hey Girls!

We all have them. Especially girls. Frankly, we seem to actually have more of them. I know when I have them I feel like I’ve ruined it for all of the other young women out there who have worked so hard to prove that they’re confident and capable.

I’m talking about awkward moments that threaten to destroy your confidence. Here are a few of my classic moments:

Driving over the curb while pulling away from the car mechanic where the walls of the building were made of glass so everyone and their mother saw

Talking about how dreamy the voice of the guy was who took our order at a res-taurant drive-thru only to have him say “thank you” since he was still listening through the intercom from inside the restaurant

Having the woman ask which ballot I wanted when I showed up to vote at my state’s primary elections and I thought she meant what color ballot instead of what political party ballot I wanted

Riding in the elevator for longer than necessary because I forgot to press a button

Pressing the button on the elevator three different times only for it to reject my command

Nervously giggling in an elevator when someone tries to make small talk but there’s not enough time to actually finish your response before they need to get out again

Elevators in general … they make for lots of awkward moments

Holding up my garage door opener and clicking it when turning the corner while driving instead of using the turn signal

There’s really no spiritual lesson behind this letter — it’s just meant to serve as a light-hearted encouragement to any of you girls who feel like you can’t seem to make it through a day, let alone a week, with-out an awkward moment creeping up threat-ening to destroy your confidence. Whether you’re able to laugh at yourself or these recur-ring awkward moments are really causing you to struggle with your self-esteem, let me assure you, the Lord finds you perfect in who you are!

So there — now are you ready to face the new school year?!

Look up Psalm 139:13-18 (NLT). That’ll help. :)

Cover photo by Erica Stephens Pho-tography: ericastephensphoto.com

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by per-mission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by per-mission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

©2012 by My Healthy Church. All Rights Reserved. Permission to copy for church use only.

seasonal favorites | page 2back to school blues | page 4 fall fashion | page 7 bringing back modesty | page 8planning balanced meals during school | page 10sounder sleep | page 12bits of beauty | page 13

tough question | page 14olympians | page 15entertainment center | page 16what do we think about | page 19feature story: etiquette fit for a church | page 20 book nook | page 22feature story: when the mirror lies | page 24 count on clarissa: “cruelty” | page 26i am a role model | page 28fine arts festival spotlight | page 32campus clubs | page 34feature story: beautifully you | page 36

The symbolism between the Peristeria Orchid and the Christian teen girl is pretty powerful stuff. Peristeria is Greek for “little dove.” The orchid gets its name from the dove-shaped center of the flower, and has also been called the Holy Ghost orchid (read Luke 3:21,22). Peristeria Orchids can grow in light or dark, much like a teen girl who has a desire to grow in her relationship with God despite the circumstances around her. The roots require moisture — pure water — at all times. As Christians, we also need nutrition and to be constantly fed through studying the Bible. As you read this magazine, think of yourself as a beautiful Peristeria Orchid — filled with the Holy Ghost, growing in whatever circum-stances you’re living with, whether they be in light or dark, and being fed with the pure truth of the Word of God.

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seasonalfavorites

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what you’ll need:craft gluedried peas and beans(aim for a variety of shapes and colors)

mat and frame

what to do:1. Determine a pattern you’d like to create with the dried peas and beans on your mat. 2. Apply craft glue to the mat to form the pattern you have chosen, and pour the peas/beans of your choice over it. 3. Repeat until you have achieved the pattern you started. 4. Allow plenty of time to dry.5. Place the mat over your choice of photo and frame it.6. Display your new fall photo!

peas & beans art

sample mat

peas and beansmat with frame

finishedproduct!

sugar cookiespeach pie fillingwhipped toppingvanilla ice creamcinnamon

1. Crush the sugar cookies. 2. In parfait glasses, layer crushed sugar cookies and peach pie fill-ing, alternating several times.3. Microwave for a few seconds

seasonal

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acorn bites

chocolate kiss candymini peanut butter sandwich crackerspeanut buttermini chocolate chips

1. Attach the flat end of a choc-olate kiss candy to one side of the mini peanut butter sand-wich cracker using peanut butter as glue.

2. On the other side of the sand-wich cracker, put a dot of peanut butter and attach the flat end of a mini chocolate chip to it to create the stem of the acorn.

2 packages of cream cheese1 jar of caramel ice cream topping1 bag of chocolate coated toffeeSliced apples

1. Spread a thin layer of cream cheese on a serving platter.2. Spread caramel over the top of the cream cheese layer.3. Sprinkle with crushed chocolate coated toffee pieces.4. Serve with sliced apples.

Cream-filled chocolate sand-wich cookiesJar of marshmallow creamPopsicle sticksMelting chocolate

1. Open the chocolate sand-wich cookie and place the halves inside facing up. 2. Spread a liberal amount of marshmallow cream over one sandwich cookie and set a popsicle stick in it. 3. Put the two sides of the sand-wich cookie back together again with the popsicle stick between. 4. Melt the dipping chocolate.5. Dip the sandwich cookie in chocolate and let cool.

crunchy caramel cream cheese dip s’mores on a stick

yummy peach parfaitto warm the pie.4. Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a dollop of whipped topping, and a sprinkle of cin-namon.

have a taste of fall!

Going back to school in the fall can bring on a lot of mixed emotions. You’re sad that the summer and your laid back, relaxing days are gone, but at the same time you look forward to getting back into a routine — espe-cially since it involves being able to be around your friends on a more consis-tent basis.

But going back to school can also bring on a lot of fear and anxiety. Can you relate to the following questions?

What if I get lost?No one likes feeling helpless walking into a full classroom late because they got lost.

•Grab a friend and visit the school a few days before classes start so you can help each other find your lockers (and make sure you know how to use the combina-tions) and classrooms.

•Bring your schedule with you and

practice the route you’ll take

from class to class. Plot out when you will return to your locker so you know what materi-als you need to have with you.

•Check out the lunch line and get an overview of the cafeteria so you can feel more prepared the first day of school.

What if I don’t have any friends?Fortunately for you, there will be doz-ens of other girls throughout your day that have this same fear.

•Meet with your friends ahead of time to compare schedules. See if you have classes in common and plan when you can meet during the day.

•Meet every morning before class so your day starts out on a familiar note. Pump each other up! Tell each other that it’s go-ing to be a good day and that you’re going to be a blessing to others around you!

• E v e r y o n e tends to wait for someone else to take the lead that first week of school — to invite them to

be in their group, to sit with them at lunch,

and to joke with them. Be the one to make the

first move! You have God on your side — live in confi-

dence!

What if people don’t like how I look?Maybe you’re nervous about com-ing back to school because you got a new hair cut, lost or gained weight, are worried about whether your cloth-ing and accessories are up-to-date, or have become the victim of puberty and your skin is less than pristine. May-be it’s the opposite for you — every-one else around you is coming back to school with some sort of change and you look just the same. Whatever the case may be, your fear about go-ing back to school might be what the reactions of others will be.

•Try to see the big picture. Junior high and high school are just a few years out of your whole life, so try to not get so wrapped up in the drama or the quest for a particular image.

•Put on some thick skin! Maybe you love your hair short but your guy friends preferred your long hair. So what?! If you like it, that’s all that matters. Don’t let the comments of others ruin what you think about your new look.

• If someone makes a comment about something you’re already insecure about, blow it off. That’s

SchoolBACK

to

BLUES

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horribly mean of someone to do and that person is clearly not someone that deserves your friendship.

•Adopt the saying, “this too shall pass!” You won’t always be un-der the influence of puberty.

•A few days before classes start, make a list of all of the qualities you like about yourself — your physical qualities, your person-ality qualities, and your talents. Sometimes it does us a world of good to be able to focus on what we like about ourselves so that we can have a boost of confidence before walking into a new situation!

•Stick up for each other. If some-one makes a comment about the way another girl looks, stand up for her, whether you know her or not. Band together with the

girls in your circle of influence to make it a safe zone. People will stand up for you when they see you standing up for others.

What if my teachers don’t like me?It can be stressful having to start all over building a relationship with your teachers when a new school year starts and presents itself with a new sched-ule of them. Will your teachers require a lot of book reading? Will they be ones to give pop quizzes? Are they strict on tardies? Here are some tips for getting off on the right foot with your teachers:

•Turn in homework on time•Be attentive during class•Resist the urge to pass notes or talk during class•Follow directions•Raise your hand and give an

answer every once in a while. Ever been in a class where the teacher asked a question and an endless amount of time passed before anyone spoke? Help your teacher out and participate!

•Write legibly.•Be on time.•Acknowledge your teachers in

the hallways instead of ignoring them!

Don’t underestimate the power of prayer! God is a God of peace. First Peter 5:7 says, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you” (NLT). When you find yourself starting to worry, take some time to pray and give your concerns to God and then do what you need to do to feel more prepared.

Remember that God has placed you in your school, in those classes, and sitting by the people you are for a rea-son. So be a light to them!

1. Make a list of priorities. When you get home from school, make a list of everything that needs to be done during the week according to the priority. Don’t start Friday’s homework if you have an assignment due on Wednesday. If everything has the same due date, start with the smaller, easier assignments so you can start checking things off your to-do list right away.

2. Eliminate distractions. Don’t allow temptations near you when you need to get some serious work done. Friends, television, social networking sites, and video games can be the enemy of productivity!

3. Get a snack. Trying to be productive is really hard on an empty stomach! When you get home from school, make a quick snack to regain some energy before you hit the books!

4. Take advantage of study hall. It can be tempting to sleep, veg-out, or socialize, but if you have built in time to work on homework during the school day, take advantage of it!

5. Start studying ahead of time. Start studying a week out, briefly reading over and familiarizing yourself with the main points. As the test day approaches, gradually step up the amount of studying you do for that particular subject.

6. Determine what type of learner you are. Some people retain information well by just reading it. Others need to talk it through, be quizzed by a friend or family member, use flash cards, re-write their notes, etc. Figure out what works best for you so you can make the most of your studying time!

study tips!

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APPLE CIDER

BACKPACK

BOOKS

BUS

CAFETERIA

CRISP

FALL

FOOTBALL

HAY RIDE

HIGH SCHOOL

HOMEWORK

JACKET

LEAVES

LOCKER

LUNCH BOX

MIDDLE SCHOOL

PENCIL

PUMPKINS

SCARECROW

SCHOOL

word findfall

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fashion!fall

color palettefall 2012

This black floral blouse looks great under a lightweight jacket with skinny jeans and a pair of tan slouch boots. This outfit is perfect for the school day because since the blouse is layered with a jacket over it. The boots are adorable but com-fortable at the same time since the heel is flat.

This outfit perfectly demonstrates how to wear serveral layers. The thin, long-sleeved brown tee is shown here under a light blue, zip-up sweatshirt. The dark blue denim jacket is a great finishing touch, as are the cute brown flats. Khakis are a comfortable option for school since they tend to offer a more re-laxed fit than jeans!

These wide-legged jeans make an awesome statement! Pair them with a plum purple short-sleeved sweater and a three-quarter sleeved plaid jacket overtop. Add a pop-of-color with a great pair of shoes and you’re ready for the school day!

Need some ideas of cute outfits to wear this fall? Look at these great options! Notice the common theme of layers and jackets. What better way to make sure you stay at a comfortable temperature all day as you’re going from class to class?

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fashion

fashion

bringing back modesty

In a culture that’s becoming increasingly immodest, these four girls broke the mold and took an unconventionalapproach to personalizing their formal dresses — they added elegant sleeves.

How did you go about making the alterations to your dresses? “We had to search for the right mate-rial, the right color, and someone to do it for us. It may have taken longer and been harder than most people would have preferred, but it was definitely worth it. Looking in the mirror and see-ing that I can be beautiful and covered the way God wanted it.”

Have you had opportunities to share with people about why you altered your dress?“We have had tons of opportunities to share how important modesty is — from store owners, to seamstresses, even to moms that thanked us for being positive role models for their younger girls. I was able to talk with store own-ers about ordering modest dresses. Therefore, they know there are still girls that want to be godly in a modest way. You can dress cutely and still be mod-est without settling for whatever is out there.”

Caden, 15

Randalee, 15

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bringing back modesty

fashion

What made you decide to make some alterations to your dresses?“I want people to see Christ when they look at me and know that I have respect for myself. When people see our pic-tures they will know we are the same in and out of church. We looked only at dresses that had modest backs and no low cut fronts, so we could try to cover the rest more easily.”

Why should girls care about modesty?“I think that girls should care about modesty because they care about themselves. Dressing modestly is a sign of respect for yourself and God. The Bible says in Proverbs that a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised and that tells me that dress-ing in a way that pleases God instead of everyone else will gain respect from others and respect for yourself.”

Autumn, 15

Savannah, 17

“I want people to see Christ when they look at me.”

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balanced meals

As a busy teen it can be hard to have a bal-

anced diet. With school,

sports, spend-ing time with

friends, etc., having a healthy diet is not

always number one on your list.

planningduring schoolby alissa walstead

It is often difficult to find tasty, healthy options that are quick and easy to make but it is important, es-pecially as a teenager, to develop good eating habits now because they will carry on into adulthood.

You have probably heard someone, at some time say, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” The reason this is true is because while you sleep your metabolism slows down because your body is at rest. It is not burning calories and fat as quickly as if you were to be actively going throughout your day. When you wake up in the morning eating breakfast will give your metabolism a kick-start for the day and will help you start burning fat more quickly than if you were to wait to eat until later in the afternoon. Breakfast can be the most unhealthy meal in your day because mornings are often times when you grab whatever is at hand before rushing off to school. Protein

bars, sugary cereal, or Pop Tarts, may taste good but can be extremely un-healthy and will not keep you feeling full for a long period of time.

Having a filling lunch is also impor-tant because it can help you not to become as hungry throughout the day, causing you to eat unnecessary snacks. Often times we can look at the calorie or fat count of a food. It is important to make sure that you are also factoring in how filling the food may be and making sure it will not cause you to become hungry again within the next couple hours. Hav-ing a small portion of protein in your lunch will help you to feel full longer.

Even with a filling lunch inevitably you may become hungry again. It is easy to grab a bag of potato chips as soon as you get home from school but having accessible healthy op-tions such as pre-cut veggies, frozen grapes, dried fruit, and pita chips

are just a few options.

Dinner may be the easiest healthy meal to eat but the easiest to over eat at as well. When you over eat you are gradually expanding your stomach making your stomach think it needs more food than it actually does. Even if you are making healthy eating choices it can be too much of a good thing and the food you are eating will eventually turn to fat. A lot of times we think we are hungry when we are, in fact, thirsty. Drinking a glass of water before a meal will help you not to overeat as much. Although eating healthfull takes discipline it will give you more en-ergy and help you feel better about yourself. Indulging is okay once in a while but we are called to make our bodies a temple (1Corinthians 6:19). Eating healthfull and taking care of your body is all a way to honor and respect God.

...that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has introduced a new graphic that demonstrates the portions of each recommended food group? Take a look at it now!

According to the USDA, girls ages 14-18 need: 1½ cups of fruit a day (1 cup = an apple, a banana, 8 large strawberries, etc.)

2½ cups of vegetables a day (1 cup = 2 medium carrots, an ear of corn, a tomanto, etc.)

6 ounces of grains a day (1 oz = 1 slice of bread, 1 cup cereal, 1/2 cup rice or pasta, etc.)

5 ounces of protein a day (1 oz = an egg, 1 Tbsp. peanut butter, 1/4 cup beans, etc.)

3 cups of dairy a day (1 cup = 1 cup yogurt, 1 cup pudding made with milk, 1/3 cup shredded cheese, etc.)

For more information, visit choosemyplate.gov.

1 c. peas1 c. carrotsOlive oil1 egg3 c. prepared rice1 c. cooked chicken, pork, or shrimp¼ c. soy sauce½ tsp. ginger

1. Stir fry vegetables in olive oil for 2-3 minutes. 2. Crack egg in pan with vegetables and mix together until egg is fully cooked. 3. Put prepared rice, cooked meat, soy sauce, and ginger in pan with egg, and vegetable mixture and stir together until heated through.

Need some ideas for healthy, balanced meals for a school day? Check out these yummy suggestions!

A single serving Greek yogurt (comes in a variety of flavors such as: strawberry, blueberry, and vanilla)

¼ c. granola cereal

Put granola over top of yogurt and stir together.

breakfast

Flatbread3 Tbs. BBQ sauce½ c. deli chicken or grilled chicken1 c. of your choice of vegetables (lettuce, cucumbers, sprouts, red pepper, carrots)

Spread BBQ sauce evenly over flatbread and top with remaining ingredients. Note: A serving of fruit is also a good ad-dition to make it a more complete meal.

lunch bbq chicken sandwichgreek yogurt & granola

dinnerchicken, pork, or shrimp fried rice

snackpita chips and hummus

did you know?

Alissa is a homeschooled high school freshman. She enjoys playing piano, guitar, and singing, and is a 4th and 5th grade girls

Sunday school teacher at her church.

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Turn off all electronic devices 30 minutes before you go to bed. This will allow your brain a chance to slow down.

Take a hot bath or shower before bed to relax you.

Keep your bedroom dark — pull the shades, draw the curtains, close the door.

Make notes of things you need to remember to do before you go to bed so your mind is clear.

Silence the phone call and text message function of your phone to prevent being woken up spo-ratically through the night.

Establish a bed time routine — wash your face, brush your teeth, get your jammies on, and settle into bed around the same time every night.

Get a lot of activity during the day. Sometimes a lazy day with a lack of activity can contribute to sleep problems at night. Instead of being tempted to take a nap after school, go for a brisk walk.

Avoid consuming caffeine after dinner.

As you lie in bed, relax all of your muscles. Unclench your jaw and your hands too — you might be tensing up in those areas with-out even knowing it!

Avoid drinking anything an hour before bed — this will reduce your need to get up and use the restroom so many times in the middle of the night!

Refrain from going to bed really late at night and sleeping in a long time on the weekends. This can really mess up the sleep rou-tine you’ve established during the week!

Do you get enough sleep? According to WebMD, it is recommended that teenagers get between 8

and 9 hours of sleep each night.

It’s easy to let time get away from you in

the evenings, but now that school is in session

again, set a bedtime and check out these other suggges-

tions to help you get sounder sleep!

soundersleep

tips to help you get enough sleep at night!

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beautybits of

back-to-school beautification

deep conditionGive your hair some TLC and do a deep conditioning treat-ment. Whether you use a hot oil based treatment or anoth-er product that you leave in for a period of time, deep condition-ing your hair will bring life back into your dry, damaged hair.

moisturizeDays of being in the hot sun can really dry out your skin. Find a rich lotion and moisturize your body. Use a lighter, unscented lotion that will allow you to moisturize your face without clogging your pores. And then find a thick lotion to moisturize your feet. Put a pair of socks on to let the lotion soak in.

face maskFace masks are a wonderful way to pamper yourself! Buy a prod-uct that has a little bit of grit in it that can act as an exfoliant, wear-ing down on the dead layer of skin to reveal healthy, glowing skin underneath. Face masks also do a great job minimizing pores — those little dots on your face that can trap dirt and cause zits.

The summer is coming to a close and it’s back-to-school season. All girls deserve a night of Queen Esther-like beautification before heading into a semester of classes! So call up a few friends, pop in a movie (hey, maybe watch One Night With the King which is about Queen Esther!), make some yummy snacks, and have fun pampering yourself with some of the suggestions below.

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floss & fluorideYour teeth even deserve some beautification. Take some time to floss your teeth, brush them well, and focus on the hard-to-reach areas. Rinse your mouth with a fluo-ride mouthwash to strengthen those pearly whites!

mani/pediPick a pretty color to polish your toes and fingernails! Start by fil-ing your nails into the desired shape (rounded or squared off) and buffing the ridges in your nails. Push your cuticles back and polish. Use a top coat to protect your nails from chipping and to give your nails a glossy shine.

drink waterDrinking enough water seems like the hardest thing to do, but it’s one of the best things you can do for yourself! Water not only keeps you hydrated, but it flushes toxins from your body, keeps your brain alert, aids in digestion, and plays a big part in keeping your skin beautiful!

We’ve all heard our share of stories, but the fact of the matter

is, ghosts are not real. According to dictionary.com, a ghost is defined as: the soul of a dead person, a dis-embodied spirit imagined, usually as a vague, shadowy or evanescent form, as wandering among or haunt-ing living persons.

How do we know ghosts, or the souls of dead people making appearances on earth, aren’t real? Because 2 Cor-inthians 5:8 tells us that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. It’s instantaneous and it’s permanent. When a person dies their soul goes either to heaven or to hell. It does not linger on earth. Hebrews 9:27 and Matthew 25:46 tell us that each person is destined to die one time and that after that they will face judgment. For those who have given control of their life to Jesus, that means heaven, but for those who haven’t, that means hell (John 3:16).

Ghosts aren’t real, but demons defi-nitely are. Satan is a liar. His whole ex-istence is based on deceiving people. Just read John 8:44 and 2 Corinthians 4:4. He thrives on leading people astray. Second Corinthians 11:14,15 talks about how Satan masquerades

h i m -self as

an “an-gel of light”

and his demons masquerade them-

selves as “servants of righteousness.” This shows that

they are most certainly capable of giving eager ghost hunters exactly what they want to find by taking on the persona of anyone, putting on an orb light show in an old aban-doned building, or even causing mysterious noises or movements. Satan and his demonic following would love nothing more than to draw in people who are fascinated with their world and to further blind people from the truth of God.

But let’s be honest — we can all manifest quite a frightening experi-ence with our imaginations. A lot of “hauntings” might not be anything more than an overworked mind. That’s why it’s so important to watch what we feed ourselves. A steady diet of horror movies, ghost hunting shows, and supernatural stories will do a number on your nerves after a while! Proverbs 4:23 tells us to guard our hearts because “everything [we] do flows from it.”

If you’ve given your life to God and are pursuing a relationship with Him, then no, you do not need to be afraid. When you become a Christian and accept Jesus into your life, the Holy Spirit dwells in you. The Holy Spirit provides guidance, boldness, and insight into different circumstances. Demonic forces have no interest in dwelling in the same

space as God’s Spirit!

Look at what Romans 8:9 says — “You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.”

And 1 Corinthians 3:16 says, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?”

Simply put, if you have God’s Spirit living in you, then don’t be afraid of Satan having power over you. Deu-teronomy 31:8 tells us that, “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

There are plenty of Scripture verses that tell us as Christians to resist Sa-tan, to keep our minds on God, and to flee evil, so it is possible that Sa-tan can throw as much at us as he can to trip us and discourage us, but he can’t lay a finger on us (so to speak). Here’s a great Scripture pas-sage — “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the dev-il’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. There-fore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand” (Ephesians 6:10-13).

questiontoughQ.Are ghosts real?

A.

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questionDid you get your fill of Olympic events this year? If you’re like many Americans, dinner was eaten in front of the television, you only got up during commercial breaks to quickly get things done, and you had way, way too many late nights because you couldn’t make yourself turn off the excitement. You’ve probably also been walk-ing around humming the famous Olympics theme song (duuuun, duuuun, dudun dun dun dun dun dun dudun, dun-dun-dun dundundun dun dunnnnnn).

Did you know that some of your favorite olympians have been very public about their faith in God throughout their competitions? Check out some of these awesome tweets!

Olympiansdedicated to sports . dedicated to God

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No one is a stranger to fear — no matter what the per-son believes in. That’s why Travis Ryan, a worship pas-

tor at Saddleback Church in Califor-

nia and a dynamic new artist signed to

Integrity Music, jour-neys through the topic on

Fearless, his distinctly rever-ent yet musically vibrant debut.

“The title track, and the whole al-bum, is really a prayer that the church would live out 1 John 4:18 (NIV) — “There is no fear in love; but, perfect love drives out fear,’” he says.

Music and church have always been key components of life for Travis. From watching his own father work through the challenges of being a songwriter/worship leader, to the encouragement found in time spent at Saddleback as a teen, to a discouraging pursuit of a main-stream record deal, Travis eventu-ally discovered his love for music through the calling of a church.

After the record deal fell through and Travis headed back to Califor-nia for college, he was so discour-aged about music that he didn’t

even pack a guitar. But when a small congrega-

tion near his campus was looking for a worship leader, Travis says, “I stepped through that door and fell in love with the church.” And he began to see music in a com-pletely different light. “I began to feel a calling, like every part of my life had been puzzle pieces that were now coming together,” he continues.

Immersing himself in life as a wor-ship leader, Travis discovered a new level of enthusiasm for writ-ing songs with the church in mind. While still in school, he reconnect-ed with Saddleback’s Rick Mun-chow who offered him the chance to lead worship for the church’s singles group. Travis accepted the invitation, finished college, married his wife Hayley, and later

accepted a full-time position as worship leader at Saddleback.

“My heart was burning for the church,” he says, a clear sign that Fearless was about to take shape.

Rooted in definitive rock influenc-es and propelled by the love for beautiful worship melodies, Fear-less inspires believers and seekers to press on past fear, becoming courageous and marked by God’s boldness. You can hear it in the themes of overcoming and awe on these songs Travis penned with a remarkable list of worship writers including Matt Redman, Brenton Brown, Anthony Skinner and Ben Cantelon.

For more information about Travis and to listen to his music, visit his website: travisryanmusic.com

travisryan

16 17

entertainment centersubmitted by jennie olson

Need some pointers on how to choose what movies and television shows to watch and music to listen to? Download the free Music, Movies, and TV Hot Topic at tgm.ag.org.

top 10 Christian songs10,000 Reasons

Matt Redman

Me WithoutYou

tobyMac LosingTenth Avenue

North

Where I BelongBuilding 429

ForgivenessMatthew West

God’s Not DeadNewsboys

The Hurt & the Healer

MercyMe Jesus, Friend of Sinners

Casting Crowns

Center of ItChris August Overcome

Jeremy Camp

#1.#2.

#3.#4.

#5.

#6.#7. #8. #9.

#10.

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(for the week of August 25, 2012, billboard.com)

Northern Irish contemporary Christian band Bluetree is back with its sophomore album, Kingdom. After touring and spending much time away from their home church in Ireland, the Bluetree band members decided to clear their schedule and head home in hopes of becoming more settled and musically inspired. The group was then able to naturally start composing songs for Kingdom, which was recorded in Cold-play’s studio in Liverpool and mixed in Paul Mills’ studio in Franklin, Tenn. The album was released May 8 and is a follow-up to their debut album, God of this City. The songs show an intimate snapshot into the life of the artists, like their hit single “Jesus Healer” that talks about frontman Aaron Boyd’s journey with his daughter, who has cystic fibrosis. The album seeks to build up the church through a grace-centered approach to life with overarching themes talking about who we are as children in the Kingdom of God.

For more information and to listen to Bluetree’s music, visit bluetree.exchangechurchbelfast.com/.

NewSong@newsongonline

Tenth Avenue North@tenthavenorth

Brandon Heath@brandonheath

Jeremy Camp@jeremycamp

Matt Redman@Matt_redman

Decyfer Down@Decyferdown

Newsboys@newsboys

Downhere@downhere

Kutless@kutless/ @jonmicahsumrall/ @

jrmeadkutless/ nickysixx/ @davelux/ @kutlessdrummer

Chris Tomlin@Christomlin

Group 1 Crew@group1crew

Steven Curtis Chapman@stevencurtis

Natalie Grant@Nataliegrant

Casting Crowns@castingcrowns

A compilation of a few of our favoritesTop Christian Artists who Tweet

Music We Like: Bluetree

centerentertainment

centerentertainment

Singer/songwriter Lara Landon does more than just sing about the love of God. The California native also lives it out in her per-sonal and professional life.

Through traveling the world, Lara saw the pain of those suf-fering from extreme poverty, disease, and injustice — and de-cided to do her part to help.

“My sister and I started dream-ing together about the kind of reality we wanted to see in the world,” Lara said. “We won-dered how we could take the words of Jesus seriously to treat others as we would treat Him.”

The singer launched a nonprofit called New Reality International with her sister in 2006 — an orga-nization dedicated to providing physical, emotional, and spiritu-al healing to those in need.

New Reality started out as a medical missions organization because the people God placed

in their lives were medical pro-fessionals with a heart to serve, Lara says. But as they visited various countries and met with people, they discovered some of their other needs.

“While in Haiti performing sur-geries and medical clinics, one of our team members befriend-ed our translator,” Lara said. “He had lost his house and ev-erything in the earthquake, so we decided to get into home building. New Reality has been building two homes in Haiti, and we are branching out to re-spond to the spiritual needs we are encountering.”

But Lara says we don’t have to go to a third-world country to find people who inspire us.

To drive this point home, she’s launched a national campaign called “I See God in You,” based on her radio single and music video by the same title.

Fans are asked to share stories and photos of people they know or meet who reflect the image of God. The images can then be found on her blog at iseegodin-you.blogspot.com.

“Today with all of the social net-working opportunities it’s easier than ever to start campaigns, blogs, Facebook pages, and videos to bring attention to what you are passionate about,” Lara said. “I believe if you share your passion with people and offer them ways to get involved you will be surprised at what God will do through them to provide.”

For more information about New Reality International, visit newrealityinternational.org.

“‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’” (Matthew 25:40, NLT).

landonlara

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While it’s easy to get overwhelmed with school work, exhausted from late

nights of studying, and tired of the weekly routine, resist the temptation

to play hookie! Hookey is skipping class. Aka, being truant: absent with-

out leave. This isn’t missing school for a dentist appointment, a fever, or a

family vacation. This is deciding to spend the day at the mall, the movies,

the lake, or your best friend’s house [who is also truant]. It’s being absent

from school without following the proper procedures. Don’t do it! As we

said above, your calling for this phase of life is to be the best student you

can be. So be all on. Eat a good breakfast and pack a good lunch. Get

enough sleep and be attentive in class. And don’t think God will think

you’re hilarious for coming up with a creative excuse to play hookey.

Are you doing something to make them mean? :) Ha. Just kidding. We’ve all had teachers who just seem not to be happy people by nature. And that can make for a really difficult year if you spend your days feeling like you’re walking on egg shells and are honestly not doing anything to make them mean. What do we think? Pray extra hard for them. Just like you, your teachers have a personal life outside of school, and you may not ever know what kinds of struggles they’re facing when they go home in the evenings. So pray for them. You can also remember them at special times during the year — Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Teacher Appreciation Day, their birthday, the last day of school, etc. You don’t have to spend a ton of money, but get them a card, a $5 gift card, or a goodie basket of candy. You can also make a conscious effort to make eye contact, smile, and acknowledge your teacher when you enter and leave the classroom. Teaching can be an exhausting way to spend a day! So your acknowledgment might go a long way in making your teacher feel like he/she is making a difference. And back to suggestion number one ... pray some more. Your teachers, mean or nice, need an extra dose of energy, patience, kindness, and creativity!

Extracurricular activities are a great way to develop your interests in other things besides school work. They provide a great outlet for students who love to sing, dance, play sports, play an instrument, paint, mime ... you get the picture! They’re also great to include on college resumes and job ap-plications. Colleges and employers love people who are well-rounded in life. It also shows that you are able to successfully manage your time while juggling several different things. On the other hand, extracurricular activi-ties can be devastating to your grades if you aren’t one of those people who happens to be great at time management. Or it could be that one semester is more difficult than the other and requires more focused time

18 19

studying, and any activity above and beyond school is overwhelming. So what do we think about extracurricular activities? Go for them! But don’t overcommit your-self. Don’t join 17 clubs because you think it’d be good for your future. Use wisdom. Your calling for right now is to be the best student you can be!

What’s your church like when you first enter the main sanctuary doors? For some people, church is a quiet place where solemn music is being played and people enter silently and with a sense of awe and wor-ship. For others, church is a place of boisterous talk where people greet friends they haven’t seen all week long and upbeat rocking music wel-comes them. No matter what your church is like, there is a standard of etiquette that should reflect what church is…the house of God.

There are basic standards of be-havior in most public places. When you go to a movie or a play, you are asked to turn off cell phones , to low-er your voices, to keep within your space. Sometime it’s easy to think that church is the exception. It’s not!

The church has often been labeled as a place with a whole list of things you can’t do. Have you ever felt like

people are judging you because you are young and you may not do things exactly the way older people do them? Instead of rebelling, try to think about what church really is and why your behavior even matters.

The Bible tells us to meet together as believers and to encourage one another.

“Let us not give up meeting togeth-er, as some are in the habit of do-ing, but encouraging one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching” Hebrews 10:25, NIV).

We cannot meet together and en-courage each other if we are of-fending each other. Think about a time you were somewhere and were really interested in the pro-gram or play or sermon and some-one behind you was kicking your seat or crumpling candy wrap-pers. The last thing you probably

thought about was being an en-couragement to them.

Church is a place where we come together to worship God, have God speak to us, and are instructed in the ways of God. When we think about the privilege we have of coming before the holy, righteous, a w e s o m e God, it fol-lows that we want our behav-ior to re-flect that. That means we don’t want to do a n y t h i n g to draw attention to ourselves and away from God (talking, snapping gum, cell phones). That means we don’t want to disrespect His house (put our feet on the pews ahead of us, leave trash behind, use offering

— continued —

we want to show respect

and honor to the One

we are coming to worship in the first

place.

etiquettefit for a church

20 21

envelopes to write notes). That means we do want to show respect and honor to the One we are com-ing to worship in the first place.

I got in trouble once after commu-nion because I started to play with the plastic communion cup and it cracked loudly when it broke in my hand. There were nasty looks all over the place. I learned from experience that proper etiquette was to take communion and then put the cup down immediately be-fore I was tempted to see how far it would bend before it broke.

Our church had theater-type seats that bounced up when you stood. One time after church a couple of friends and I had a race by lying down on our stomachs at the front of the sanctuary and scooting as fast as we could through the rows of seats all the way to the back of the sanctuary. It was after the ser-vice had ended, but that didn’t matter. Legalistic? Not at all. We were in God’s house and that was not showing respect.

Another time I started giggling with my brothers … you know the kind of giggles that you can’t control. All it took was one snap off the fingers of my mom to know that I had crossed the line. Legalistic? Not at all. I was drawing attention to myself and

causing the people around me to be distracted from the service.

You might not have anyone who holds you accountable, but you should know that you would never act like that in front of someone im-portant. How much better should you act in the house of God!

There are times when it is so fun to be with our friends that we sometimes forget why we came to church in the first place. Get in the habit of trying to enter church qui-etly and sit for a few minutes before the service begins and ask God to open your heart to what He has for you. That’s a great way to surren-der your will to Him, and then good etiquette can’t help but follow be-cause you recognize Who you have come to be with in the first place. What happens when your friend is showing bad behavior in church? Remember that we meet togeth-er to encourage each other. That means you have the opportunity to turn things around.

1. Gently tell her you really want to hear what’s going on. Often your good behavior can make it less fun for your friend when she re-alizes you are not going to join her.

2. Suggest that you move closer to the front. It’s much

REFLECT

20 21

easier to make good behavior deci-sions when you are engaged in the service than when you are an ob-server in the back or in the balcony.

3. Come prepared. Pray before the service that God will show you something special in church and that He will let you be an encouragement to your friends.

First Timothy 6:15,16 describes God as “…the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever” (NIV).

How can we ever consider coming before Him with anything other than complete awe and respect?

Karolyn has been married to her wonder-ful husband, Denny, for 32 years. They live in Missouri, have two grown daugh-ters and just got their first grandbaby at the beginning of June. Karolyn’s childhood

as a pastor’s kid has given her a special ap-preciation for the church, but also some funny stories as she learned some lessons the hard way!

storyfeature

1. When I’m at church people see me as ________________________________________________________.

2. When I’m at church I think I do a good job of __________________________________________________.

3. When I’m at church I could do a better job of ___________________________________________________.

4. My favorite thing about my church is __________________________________________________________.

5. The biggest etiquette lesson I’ve learned at church was __________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________.

on your church

22 23

The start of a new school year is a per-

fect time to begin a daily devotional time

with the Lord if you’re not already doing it!

Prayer and Bible study are an important part of grow-

ing in Christ, but often those are the last things we think about dur-

ing our day. Establish a designated quiet time with the Lord everyday and watch how much you grow in Him as the school year progresses! Here are some suggestions for devotionals:

Teen Girl DaybookEach week this free monthly calen-dar focuses on a different theme and provides a daily activity and Scripture passage. Visit tgm.ag.org to download.

Green’s Not Your Best Colorby Mieka Phillips

51 devotionals on all kinds of topics relevant to teen girls, with chapter ti-tles like “Ugly Grudges,” “Beyond the Looking Glass,” “Mood Rings,” “Party Girls,” and “Down in the Valley.”

Life Styleby Whitney Prosperi

Daily devotional looking into the lives of radical women in the Bible like Hannah, Miriam, and Tamar.

Borrowing God’s Glassesby Lacei Grabill

Daily devotional broken down into four sections tackling the questions of “Who Am I?,” “Who Is God?,” “Who Are Chistians?,” and “Who Am I Created to Be.”

Devotions for the God Girlby Hayley DiMarco

365 one-page devotions intended to help teen girls learn more about God and the purpose He has for them. Each devotion includes Scrip-ture and reflections.

TH1NK Life Change Seriesby NAV Press

Five-book series covering the books of the Bible Ruth/Esther, Ephesians, James, Mark, and Romans.

22 23

quiz:what is YOURspiritual gift?

1. What makes you the happiest is: a. Being able to give financially to a worthy cause b. Being able to lead a small group or a Sunday school class c. Being able to have a group of your friends over to your house d. Being able to share your testimony with someone e. Being able to be behind the scenes assisting with something

2. People tell you that you are: a. So generous of your time, money, and talents b. A really good communicator and that they can learn well from you c. A really good host and that they love coming over to your house d. Really good at being able to share your faith with others in a variety of contexts e. So helpful and willing to do whatever needs to be done without complaining

3. You get upset when: a. You see people in need b. People are missing out on an opportunity to learn c. People don’t take care of their home or other belongings d. You encounter people who don’t know the Lord and are lost e. Something needs to be done and no one steps up to do anything about it

Results Mostly As: You have the gift of giving. You give of your time, money, and of your talents as often as you can. It brings you great joy to be able to share what you have with others.

Mostly Bs: You have the gift of teaching. You are a good communicator and not only can people easily learn from you, but they want to learn from you. You have the patience to help others understand and you never make them feel dumb for not getting it.

Mostly Cs: You have the gift of hospitality. While this doesn’t necessarily mean you’re an amazing cook, it does mean that you love to create an environment that is warm and welcoming to the people who come over. You are kind and pay attention to details. When people walk into something you’re hosting they feel at ease.

Mostly Ds: You have the gift of evangelism. You’re the kind of person that finds all kinds of opportunities to share your faith and to reach out to those who don’t know the Lord. It burdens you to see your loved ones away from Christ.

Mostly Es: You have the gift of serving. You love to be behind the scenes busily working to help out. You rarely complain because you genuinely like to help where you can. People can count on you to do a good job and are blessed by the positive attitude you bring to your tasks.

The entire chapter of 1 Corinthians 12 is dedi- cated to talking about the spiritual gifts given to Christians. Take this quiz, check out your results, and then head on over to 1 Corinthians 12 to read more about your particular gift. Can you think of someone from the Bible who shared your same gift?

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Eighteen years. Five feet, six inches. 100 pounds. These numbers equaled the profile of high school senior, Sar-ah Stanley. And so did these: 500 calories, 1 hour, 2 years. Only 500 cal-ories consumed and one hour of car-dio per day for two years. This is the profile of anorexia. “I’m just not hun-gry,” she would say. Somehow this phrase went undetected for months as Sarah dropped from a healthy 120 lbs., to less than 100 lbs. at 5’6 ½” tall.

Plagued by inferiority and misguided comparisons, she became entrapped by her own longing to be desired. Her worth waited to be discovered just under the surface of her own per-spective. With the road to recovery still a consistent battle, Sarah relies on her faith to be her guide. She em-braces a newfound confidence and is a cherished free spirit who loves people. Though it was a laborious journey, she believes this life experi-ence will enable her to impact girls

who struggle with eating disorders and self-worth.

Raised in Wagoner, Oklahoma, Sarah enjoyed the quaint culture of the mid-west and the security of country life. Being the daughter of a city billing clerk and an Oklahoma State Game Warden came with the blessing of a stable home and the responsibility of the family name. She reveled in the luxury of a tight-knit group of friends and prominence as the captain of Wagoner High School’s cheerleading squad. Sarah was actively involved in her local church and was cultivating a passion for girls ministry. From an outside perspective, Sarah lived a perfect life.

However, outside perspectives can be deceiving. Sarah had always been small. Small arms, small legs, small waist, and small chest. Not all of which are desirable to a teenage girl. From her physical appearance to

her intelligence, Sarah had been the punch line of many jokes since she was young. The taunting was easy to laugh off, but when the laughter was silent, she was left to consider the truth behind every “just kidding.”

Sarah recalls watching make-up com-mercials as a child. Like most young girls, she was mesmerized by the model’s beautiful hair and flawless skin. But she would shake her head in disbelief as a L’Oreal advertisement played its famous tagline, “Because you’re worth it.” Looking up at her mom, she would say, “No. I’m not worth it.”

“As women, our ultimate goal in life is to be loved. We want to be desired, and when people’s actions don’t sat-isfy that longing, we start to believe we don’t deserve it,” said Sarah.

As she started growing during the later years of high school, the change

— continued —24 25

in her appearance was easily ob-served but not unhealthy. When two inches of height resulted in gaining 20 pounds, weight became Sarah’s focus. A number was the goal, but comparison became the complex. For years, Sarah and her best friend, Leslie, were two halves of a whole. But as her perspective changed, the equation shifted, and Leslie seemed to be everything Sarah was not. Les-lie was smarter, smaller, and prettier. All of Sarah’s insecurities were mag-nified in the wake of Leslie’s “excel-lence.” Their friendship didn’t suffer, but Sarah’s self esteem did.

Changes in life came alongside the changes in her body. Sarah’s church was shaken by a controversial situa-tion, and her youth pastors resigned. These mentors had influenced her most impressionable years; now their decision to stand for what was right had removed them from her life. The stability she had once counted on in the church was gone.

When reality plants itself into the cen-ter of a teenage girl’s fairy tale, the re-sult can be drastic. For Sarah, loss of control and feelings of inferiority led her to the only attainable conclusion.

“If I couldn’t do anything else, and if life wasn’t good anymore, I could at least be skinny,” said Sarah.

The eating disorder didn’t take shape instantly. She began by cutting calo-ries and exercising, but within the month 500-700 calories was her daily limit. She would run miles everyday, in addition to cheerleading practice. She spent her free time online researching ways to “Drop 5 Pounds in a Week.” Living on Diet Pepsi and salad, Sarah’s goal was to see her bones.

“The true test was my clavicles. If my collarbones were protruding under my skin, then the day was a success. If not, eat less,” she said.

In 2007, her senior year of high school, Sarah had returned to 100 lbs. At the peak of the disorder, it wasn’t about

control. It was about overall attractive-ness. She would compare herself to stars in the media and models in mag-azines, even her friends at school and strangers in public. The terms skinny and attractive were synonymous.

“I didn’t wear big clothes or try to hide my body. I wanted people to tell me I was skinny,” she said. “Not only that, but I thrived off of comments like ‘you look sick’ or ‘you should eat more, you’re skin and bones’.”

Though compliments reflected success, the anorexia was destroy-ing her life.

Sarah recalls days that she would lie in her bathroom floor and weep, wanting to throw up but unable to. As a Christian, she knew all the Scrip-tures about self-worth and identity in Christ, but knowing and choosing to believe were two different things.

“I was literally disgusted by my ap-pearance. I would constantly tell God I hated myself and the way He made me look,” she said. “I looked in the mirror and saw a fat, ugly person that no one wanted.”

The summer after graduation, Sarah spent two weeks leading worship at youth camp with the team from her new church. At one evening service, she felt God speaking to her about her eating disorder. She knew that if she didn’t stop, it would kill her. There was no question that anorexia would kill her physically, but spiritually and emotionally as well. This revelation shook her core being, and for the first time she told what she had been dealing with. Life from this moment would be an uphill battle.

The next fall, Sarah was a freshman at Evangel University. Anorexia had been like a recurring dream since the summer, but she had been on the defense. However, the transition to college life had been challenging, and the pressure of classes coupled with a long-distance relationship was weighing on her by spring. Over-

whelmed and out of control, she re-verted to the one process that guar-anteed satisfaction. Sarah dredged up her past habits and made them into her future. She spent those months an emotional wreck, drop-ping weight as if she had it to lose.

Sarah struggled with her eating hab-its until the conclusion of her sopho-more year. But that summer, she decided the months of fighting her silent battle were over. It was impera-tive to love herself before she could accept love from others. Though ev-ery meal required the choice to eat, she understood the importance of that small decision.

“No matter how much temptation I feel to skip a meal, I constantly re-mind myself that I am no longer a vic-tim of anorexia. Not eating is not an option,” she said.

Sarah is currently a newly wed and graduate of Evangel University. She has sustained a healthy weight for almost three years. Surrounding her-self with a support group has played a crucial role in maintaining this life-style. Self-worth and inferiority issues have been weaved through all as-pects of her life, now the process of removing them is a constant mental game. Every day is a challenge, but each day Sarah is stronger and more equipped for the struggle. Though anorexia created a “high,” Sarah in-sists that it’s nothing compared to liv-ing free of the disorder.

“It’s not worth it. After believing lies for so long, every thought and feel-ing must be reframed,” she said. “Learning how to love yourself is the hardest and most important part.”

Samantha is a native of Conway, Missouri. In 2011, she earned a B.S. in Communication Studies from Evangel University, Spring-field, Missouri. She currently

serves as the Administrative Coordinator for the Healthy Church Network, where they work to revitalize and strengthen churches Assem-blies of God churches in the United States.

24 25

storyfeature

Clarissacount on

Clarissa sank into her seat and lost her appetite. She put the sandwich down she’d been looking forward to eating all morning. All she could do was watch from afar as a table of her classmates poked fun of a physically handicapped girl who was sitting one table over from them. The girl didn’t seem to notice since her back was to them, but Clarissa was very aware of the snickering, the point-ing, and the imitating they were do-ing of her shaking motions and the way she walked.

“What’s wrong?” Clarissa’s best friend, Andrea, asked. “You’ve been whining about being starving all morning. Why are you not shoving your face right now?”

“Look,” Clarissa pointed across the

lunchroom towards the table of unashamed bullies. “They’re making fun of that poor girl.”

“Wow … that’s low,” Andrea replied when she saw what Clarissa was talking about.

Just then the girl turned over her shoulder and got a clear picture of the scene that had been going on behind her back this whole time. She turned back around and fumbled around trying to repack her lunch box. Clarissa couldn’t tell for sure, but she was pretty certain there were tears running down the girl’s face.

“What do we do?” Clarissa asked, her eyes fixed on the girl.

“Well, what can we do? Besides, it looks like she’s leaving. They’ll stop once she’s gone,” Andrea said.

“All the more reason to say something now! They need to know that what they’re doing is wrong!” Clarissa ex-claimed as she pushed

her chair away from the table and stood up.

With every step she took towards the table of bullies

her confidence seemed to dwindle. Afterall, these were

her classmates — people she was going to see again in just a

few short hours. And every Mon-day, Wednesday, and Friday at that. What if they started making fun of me too? I just met these people. We’re only a few weeks into this school year … that’s a long time for them to make my life miserable too.

After making a quick pros and cons list on her slow march across the lunchroom, Clarissa decided that she had no choice but to stand up for the girl who was being merciless-ly teased for her physical handicap.

“Hey,” Clarissa called to the hateful table. Now what do I say? Dear Je-sus, please give me the words to say so that I can help this girl and not make her even more of a target to these guys. Give me your boldness.

“Leave her alone,” Clarissa said with authority.

The table of her classmates stopped what they were doing and turned their attention to Clarissa. All of their attention. And all of their eyes. There were 16 eyes, to be exact. A few of them behind glasses.

— continued —

“Cruelty”

26 27

26 27

“Why should we do that?” said one of the classmates at the table who was clearly positioning himself as the leader of this pack of tormentors.

“Because there are eight of you and one of her and she’s done nothing to you guys to bring on the kind of humiliation you guys are caus-ing her,” Clarissa said while making stern eye contact with each mem-ber of the table.

She shocked herself with the amount of confidence she was ex-hibiting right now. For someone who spends more time tripping up the stairs, burning her forehead with the curling iron, and forgetting things she even specifically wrote

on sticky notes not to forget, she was speaking with the kind of confi-dence and boldness that could only come from God. Thank you, Jesus, for being with me.

The bullied girl from the next table overheard what Clarissa had said and slowly turned back around to face her persecuters. Her move-ments were jerky, her steps clumsy and unsteady, but as she stood next to Clarissa her entire disposition changed — she was being validated by a fellow girl who knew her value despite her physical handicap.

A few of the bullies at the table con-tinued to snicker with one another, but the rest of them looked sheep-

ishly down at their lunches. The ring-leader of the group backed off and sat down in a spot at the farthest end of the table away from them.

She had done it.

Clarissa turned to the girl, smiled, and introduced herself. “I’m Clar-issa. What’s your name?”

“Lauren.”

“Lauren. Nice to meet you. Come on — come eat with us,” Clarissa warmly said while she grabbed Lau-ren’s backpack for her.

Across the lunchroom Andrea moved her stuff over to make a spot for their new friend.

Bullying is abuse. Typically, bullying can be categorized as emotional, verbal, or physical abuse. It usually involves subtle methods of coercion such as psychological manipulation. Victims of bullying suffer in many ways including emotionally, physically, and academically. Though it can be a very painful and difficult experience it is, unfortunately, all too common. About one in five students feels bullied at some point during their school years.

Have you or any of your friends ever been bullied? How did it feel? How did you react? How did it stop?

Read Proverbs 11:16-18 Would you rather gain respect or wealth? Why? Do you think kindness benefits you in the long run? How? What do you think the “sure reward” is? Why does living righteously mean that you’ll receive that reward?

Read Luke 6:27-36 Why is it so important to love your enemies? What does it mean to “bless those who curse you”? Read Luke 6:31 again. This is often referred to as the Golden Rule. What do you think it would be like if everyone lived by this rule? What does it mean for you to live by this rule? What does this passage say about how we should treat the victims of bullies? What does it say about the way we should treat bullies?

Read Ephesians 4:1-6 Why is it important to keep unity with other Christians? What can you do to keep unity? Is your church a safe place? What should you do if you see someone is feeling left out or bullied at church?

for more Hot Topics, go totgm.ag.org/hottopics

bullying

We all have them in our lives in one form or another whether good or bad. They might change from year to year or even week to week, but we always have them in our lives. Some might be older than us, richer than us, or more famous than us, but oth-ers might be the complete opposite.

They are role models.

Role models are people we look up to. People whom we strive to be more like. You might have several dif-ferent kinds of role models in your life. You might have role models you look up to because of their great fashion sense or incredible ability to

sing, but they might not necessarily be people that you would look up to for relationship advice, work ethic, or for their morals.

Scripture takes role modeling very seriously. Take a look:

“If you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea” (Matthew 18:6, NLT).

Good motivation for us to watch our own actions, huh? Since we never know who is watching us we need

to make sure that we are always act-ing in a way that honors the Lord. When someone sees our actions they should be able to clearly understand who we are emulating — Jesus!

Here is a great passage about the awesome position we as Christians have as role models to the world around us, and the importance of not letting anything compromise that:

“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world — like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Fa-ther” (Matthew 5:13-16, NLT).

In the next few pages you’ll read what three teen girls just like you have to say about role models!

— continued —

i am arolemodelWho do you think is looking up to you?

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Q. Why are rolemodels important? A. It’s good to learn from oth-ers. The saying “Learn from your own mistakes” doesn’t have to be true. Learn from others so that you don’t have to go through it too. It’s also good to have someone to watch and be able to say “I want to be like them,” because then you know what your goal looks like. It’s a lot easier if get a picture of your goal. It makes life a lot easier when it comes to making hard decisions.

Q. Who are your role models?A. My parents are my biggest role models for sure. They are some of the most amazing people you could ever meet! They are willing to do anything for those they love. They are hard workers, great providers, great listen-ers, and they live their lives to please God no matter the cost.

Also my youth leaders and teachers. They are the ones who help me get to where I want to be. Without their guid-ance I could honestly say I wouldn’t be where I am today. They constantly chal-lenge me, give me advice, and they truly care about me. No matter what I do, they are there to help me get back up and point me in the right direction.

Q. What qualities are important in a role model?

i am arolemodelname: emily

grade: 11 thstate: ohio

“God has given me the joyof salvation and I want to spread it to the world!”

A. It’s important to take the job seriously first of all. People are always watching a role model. How the role-model acts in certain situations will most likely be how the people that look up to them will react in similar situations they face. They need to be loving, merciful, compassionate, willing, and on fire for Jesus.

Q. How has God used you to impact others because of your position as a role model?A.Just recently, I started volunteer-ing at a café near my home. It’s a non-profit Christian organization with the goal to feed and supply the needs of the homeless and less fortunate. People can come and get food, coun-seling, and clothes for free. No strings

attached. I can honestly say it’s my favorite place to go. When I see the smiles on the kids faces when I hand them a bowl of soap or a tuna sand-wich, my heart melts. There is no job that is more rewarding than helping people who are in need and showing Christ’s love to them through serving.

God has given me so many opportuni-ties to be a role model. But even so, I try and search out even more opportu-nities to be a mirror of Christ. I may be the only Bible that some people read, so I must be aware of opportunities that may arise at any time.

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Q. Why are you a role model? A. I know that by doing well it is always a blessing for somebody else, even if no one sees it. I also want to grow the faith of generations that are coming as so many have helped me grow in my faith.

Q. Who looks up to you? A. I would say mostly younger kids. My sense of humor really helps me to relate with them.

Q. What makes a person a role model? A. There are not always good role models to follow. Anyone is a role model when you think about it, good and bad. Sometimes it depends on how open you are about yourself.

name: tori

grade: 10

th

state: ne

w jersey

it all balances out. Just like Paul, he was in shackles but yet he praised God. That man has got some faith let me tell ya! So, God caused the earth to shake and, hey, no more chains. If you declare God‘s love, God will show you even more love.

Q. How has God used you to impact others be-cause of your position as a role model? A. I want every living and breathing soul to know that I am there for them. That God is there for them. I can give God parts of me and He will mold it into different talents, but when I give Him all of me, He will mold me into the godly woman and role model that I am called to be. Right now, I am trying to give Him my all.

People are always watching you, so if you want to be a good role model then you have to always remember that.

Q. Who are your role models? A. Honestly (even though I hate to admit it) it is probably my parents. I catch myself saying the things they say and doing the things they do. That makes me laugh sometimes. And definitely Paul from the Bible! He went through so much agony, suf-fering, and heartache without even giving up on God. I want his desire and thirst for our God!

Q. What qualities are im-portant in a role model? A. I would have to say all the fruit of the Spirit, but mostly love. For if you put God and love before everything,

“God wants all of His children to be fishers of men and set a good example

for generations to come.“

i am arolemodel

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Q. Why are you a role model?A. All I can really say is that my fo-cus is solely on God, and whoever puts their trust in Him is bound to rub off on others in a positive way.

Q. Who looks up to you?A. I really enjoy talking to my friends at school about God, and some have even said that they look up to me. I am very blessed to hear that because i know that God is slowly working His way into their lives.

Q. What makes a person a role model?A. Someone who is honest and can guide others, but also be led by those who are strong in Christ.

Q. Why are rolemodels important? A. Role models are important be-cause they are positive influences on people. If they are Christian, then they should be reflections of God and should be able to help guide some-one who is struggling spiritually.

Q. What qualities are im-portant in a role model?A. Dedication and humility are very important qualities for a role model to possess.

Q. How has God used you to impact others be-cause of your position as a role model?

A. I’ve been able to minister to people through music and that has been a huge blessing for me. About a year ago my friends and I were giv-en the opportunity to lead worship at the 2011 Girls Ministries camp and it was so awesome to see what God was doing in the young girls lives. I was able to grow up going to camp, but it was a whole different experi-ence to be a helper. I can’t wait to see what God has in store for me, but I know that as long as my focus re-mains on Him, He will continue use me to impact others.

i am arolemodelname: natalya

grade: 11 thstate: california

“I try my best to follow the path that God has for me without wavering. My walk may not be perfect, but each day I know that I grow stronger in Him.”

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Q. When did you realize you had a gift for creating art?A. I realized I had a gift for cre-ating art when I was about 6 years old. When I was drawing a horse, I remember my mom telling me that God had given me a gift of drawing.

Q. How did you come up with the idea for this piece?A. I love to draw animals and I wanted to point people to Jesus. So, I immediately thought of sheep. I be-gan to think of how we are spotted and He is spotless. I wanted to show our need for Jesus. A picture began to form in my mind and it became what it is now as I began to sketch it.

classes through my school years, though. Recently, my parents allowed me to begin private art lessons that I plan to continue through the year.

Q. What are your plans for the future involving art? A. I’m not quite sure yet. I’ll have to talk to God about that. He was the one who gave me this gift and He will show me what He wants me to do with it.

Q. What would you tell other teen girls who have a love for art? A. I would say to have fun doing it. I would also say to persevere when it gets frustrating. If I had not perse-vered when I thought my piece was not turning out like I wanted it to and had I not trusted God that He would use me, I would not be talking to you today. Use it for Him and His glory.

Q. What would you tell other teen girls who are still trying to figure out what their giftings are?A. I would say to pray, talk to your parents about it, and try things out. When you find it, do it the best you can for Jesus. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17, NKJV).

Q. How does your piece fit the Fine Arts Festival theme of Relentless After the One?A. I believe my piece ties in with the theme because the sheep are spotted (sinful) and hurt and they are coming after the one who can cleanse and heal them. Some are re-lentless for themselves and some are relentless for others.

Q. Tell us about how you created this piece — what materials you used, tech-niques, etc.A. I began by using pencil to lightly sketch the composition. I used light, medium, and dark charcoal pen-cils and charcoal sticks. I also used a kneaded eraser and a stick eraser. Tortillions, stumps, and my fingers were my blending tools.

Q. Have you had any for-mal art training or have you developed your talent on your own?A. For the most part, I have devel-oped my talent on my own. I have taken a few home school co-op art

Fine Arts FestivalSpotlight

name: pipergrade: 7thstate: texas

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For more informmation about Fine Arts Festival, visit:http://faf.ag.org/

Q. When did you realize you had a gift for creating art?A. While taking art classes in elemen-tary school, I would get compliments from my teacher and friends on my art-work. This made me realize that art is something I enjoy and am apparently good at, so I continued to pursue it. Q. How did you come up with the idea for this piece?A. Well I started with searching the Bible for passages that went along with the Fine Arts Festival theme, Relentless After the One. Then one of my friends actually mentioned the verse Luke 4:18 (originally from Isaiah 61), which talks about proclaiming good news to the poor, freedom for the prisoners, recovery for the blind, to proclaim the year of our Lord’s fa-vor. When I heard this verse, I felt like it summed up what the mission for Christ was all about, to go out there and reach those who don’t know Him. So I took that message and decided

to draw someone I would like to reach. After that, I came up with ripping her mouth off from the part of the verse that talks about pro-claiming. I feel that it is my job as a Chris-tian to proclaim Je-sus Christ to this girl, and her mouth be-

A. I would tell them to continue practicing and pursuing that interest. My art teacher in high school would always tell me to never go out without a sketch book, which I later realized was such a great tip. Whether your drawing life around you or figments of your imagination, practicing that in-terest will help you develop your style, technique, and creativity. It is also a great place to put down ideas when-ever inspiration comes, because trust me, inspiration can come when you least expect it.

Q. What would you tell other teen girls who are still trying to figure out what their giftings are?A. I would tell them not to be afraid of trying new things, you might learn that your good at something unex-pected. Also, to continue seeking God, because I believe He’s the one that blesses us with different gifts and talents. In the same way, I also believe that God will honor those who use those gifts to glorify Him.

ing ripped off symbolizes that mission. Q. Tell us about how you created this piece — what materials you used, tech-niques, etc.A. I began by drawing a sketch of a girl I found in a photo. Then very care-fully ripped her mouth off to the side. Then colored her using Prisma Col-ored Pencils, layering multiple colors over and over to give her those dif-ferent shades and tones, resulting in a more realistic portrait. Q. Have you had any for-mal art training or have you developed your talent on your own?A. Yes; when I was younger I had art classes in school and took private art lessons on the side as well. Then I just continued taking all the art classes I could throughout high school. Q. What are your plans for the future involving art? A. I hope to find a career in art. I am currently thinking about going into Art Therapy. I like the idea of using art as a counseling method. I also hope to have my own business selling art on the side someday.

Q. What would you tell other teen girls who have a love for art?

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Fine Arts FestivalSpotlight

name: daniellegrade: freshman in collegestate: illinois

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here’s mytestimonystand out from the crowd:

Thirteen-year-old Raven Channel overcame her fears and stepped up when she felt like God was calling her to lead a Bible study at her school. Can you relate to her story? Check

I do what I think Jesus would want me to do.

Don’t be scared to talk about God to your friends and don’t be scared to start a Bible study/Christian group. Who cares what people think of you. The only thing that matters is you’re doing what God would want you to do!

Everyone gets scared because they don’t want to “stick out” and because they want to “fit in.” I’ve learned the hard way just be your-

self and go after God. He loves you!

Here is one Bible verse that may help you: “Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is im-possible; but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26, KJV).

Set your mind on your goals and follow your dreams.

out her testimony!

Hello, my name is Raven and I am 13 years old. I am going to talk to you about my Bible study and get-ting it started.

At first I was really scared. My friends asked me about having a Bible study and I was afraid to tell them that I wanted to do it because I was afraid of what other people thought of me. I didn’t want to stick out. I have made it so far in life with my Christian friends. I know that I belong to God but I don’t stick out.

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campusstart your own

club

Step #1: PrayerThe first step in starting a club in your school is to pray. Pray for God’s wisdom and direction, pray for favor with the leadership in your school, pray that amazing connec-tions would be made with other Christians in your school that can come alongside you and support you, and pray that your club makes an impact on your school.

Step #2: ConnectConnect with other students — ones who would be interested in helping with leadership and ones who would be interested in at-tending — and connect with your school’s administration. For more information and downloadable .pdf resources to help you better pre-pare you to talk with your adminis-tration, click here: http://youthalive.ag.org/campusclubs/start.cfm.

Step #3: EquipIt’s not enough to just get permis-sion to start a club — you need to be fully equipped so your club is as effective as possible! Between free downloadable resources on the NYM website, the Campus Club Digisource, and an e-newsletter for Campus Club leaders, you’ll have great resources to help you launch your club.

Not sure what type of devotional to use as you lead your group? Check out the monthly and weekly meet-ing guides provided as a free .pdf downloadable on the Youth Alive website. Discussion topics include How to Pray, What Is Temptation?, and Get a Vision. There are also discussion g u i d e s on social concerns like cults, s u i c i d e , and relationships. Click here for a complete list of topics: http://youthalive.ag.org/resources.cfm.

Have you been thinking about uniting with the other Christians in your school and starting up a Bible study? Well stop thinking about it and do it! The start of a new school year is a great time to launch a small group, and the National Youth Ministries De-partment (NYM) has some great resources to help you.

For more detailed information on each of these three steps as well as a complete list of free resources and tips, visit NYM’s Youth Alive Campus Club site at http://youthalive.ag.org/campusclubs/.

Challenge the girls in your group by offering the Teen Girl Daybook, a daily devotional tool from the national Girls Ministries Department. Each week this monthly calendar focuses on a different theme and provides a daily activity and Scripture passage. To download this free resource, visit http://tgm.ag.org/loft/art/.

Hot Topics are a great option for the girls in your group. Hot Topics are designed to provide leaders with a guide to lead biblically-based dis-cussion on topics that are relevant to girls today. For a complete list of topics, visit the Teen Girl Ministries site at http://tgm.ag.org/hottopics/.

Need something just for girls?

©2002 Gospel Publishing House. Permission to copy for Youth Alive club use only. 1

SACRIFICE

Inning Purpose: To learn the meaning of “sacrifice,” and what it means to live sacrificially.

“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering” (Romans 12:1, The Message).

INCLUDE (WEEK 1) SMALL GROUPS—SACRIFICE

Purpose: To discuss the importance of sacrificial living.

YOU WILL NEED:Refreshments

MEETING AGENDA:1. Pre-meeting prayer (leaders)

2. Welcome and attendance

3. Announcements

Inspire week speakerInvest week outreachOutreach assignments to club members (hang up posters, invite friends, etc.)Other

4. Icebreaker

5. Small group discussion

6. Biblical support and application

7. Prayer/dismiss

DISCUSSION:Divide into groups of three to five students and ask them to discuss the following questions. You may want to select a facilitator for each group to keep the discussion moving. You may also wish to provide each facilitator or each group with a list of the questions and comments to be discussed.

Instructions:

You are on a sinking boat and the lifeboat will carry one less person than is in your group. For the purpose of this discussion, there are no creative solutions. One person must surrender his or her life and each of you must make a compelling case why you should be the one to die. You cannot suggest someone else should die; you can only make a case for yourself. You need to convince the other people in your group why you should be the person who doesn’t step into the lifeboat. After each person has presented his or her case, have your team vote for the person with the most compelling case for who should be left behind.

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©2002 Gospel Publishing House. Permission to copy for Youth Alive club use only. 1

DESTINY

INCLUDE (WEEK 1) SMALL GROUPS—DESTINY

Purpose: To challenge students to find their purpose right now as well as in the future

YOU WILL NEED:Food

Items for Icebreaker (pre-cut shapes, tape)

SAMPLE MEETING AGENDA

1. Pre-meeting prayer (leaders)

2. Welcome and attendance

3. Announcements

Inspire Week’s Guest Speaker

Invest Week’s Student Speaker

Outreach assignments to club members (invite friends, posters, etc.)

4. Icebreaker: Find Your Spot

5. Small group discussion

6. Prayer/Dismiss

ICEBREAKER: “FIND YOUR SPOT”Before students arrive hide precut circles (in different colors) or stickers throughout the room. Have enough for each person or pair and have multiple copies stuck around the room. When students arrive give them a circle or sticker that matches the ones hidden in the room. In-struct students to find as many stickers or circles as they can that match the one they were given.

The hunt is on a time limit (2-3 minutes, however this can vary per group and on how many stickers are hidden) Only stickers that match the original one given count as points.

However, the tricky part of the game is that if someone finds a sticker they can take it regard-less if it is their sticker or not. For an extra twist, if a player sees someone with their sticker or shape the player must do something creative about the sticker to get it (for example: sing a song about the sticker, make up a poem, etc.)

DISCUSSION

A. Have everyone pick a partner. Then have those groups of two find another group of peo-ple who they do not know very well. Go through a list of approximately five questions, in-volving what the students see themselves doing in the future (may or may not be a career) for example:

1. What are some things you like doing that you really want to continue in the future?

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WEEK 1

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©2002 Gospel Publishing House. Permission to copy for Youth Alive club use only. 1

LIVING FOR GOD

Inning Purpose: To encourage students to live a godly lifestyle.

INCLUDE (WEEK 1) SMALL GROUPS—LIVE

Purpose: To discuss the importance of a Christian lifestyle.

YOU WILL NEED:Choose one of the discussion options from “Small group options” below.Refreshments

MEETING AGENDA:1. Pre-meeting prayer (leaders)

2. Welcome and attendance

3. Announcements

Inspire week speakerInvest week outreachOutreach assignments to club membersOther

4. Icebreaker

5. Small group discussion

6. Prayer/dismiss

SMALL GROUP OPTIONS:Option 1—Discussion groups

Divide into groups of three to five students and ask them to discuss the following questions. You may want to select a facilitator for each group to keep the discussion moving. You may also wish to provide each facilitator or each group with a list of the questions and comments to be discussed.

1. What kind of people do you enjoy being with the most?

2. What qualities about them do you like?

3. Describe their lifestyles.

4. How can you tell if a person is a Christian?

a. By their clothes?

b. How they treat others?

c. What activities they are involved in?

d. What types of people they hang out with?

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WEEK 1

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Content used with permission by the National Youth Ministries Department: nym.ag.org.

Beauty or brains? Since when did we have to choose between one or the other? I believe it may have started around the time society told us the pretty girl gets the guy and the book smarts girl only gets the better grades. Contrary to this popular belief, some of the most successful actresses, models, and business women have impressive resumes — which inevitably include their academic achievements.

Let me take you back eight years to when I was a freshman in high school. Although my focus was on my studies, cheer, and clubs, I still wanted to be fully accepted by my friends; rather than be sin-gled out. You see, I hung around the “cool kids” but was set apart because of my faith and priorities. There were many times I wasn’t in-vited out to parties or included in everyday conversations because I would rather be studying, at cheer

practice, work, or church. I wasn’t even allowed to wear makeup until I was 15; and even then it was in limited amounts. Let’s face it, not being able to wear makeup in high school would make any girl stand-out. I felt my lack of makeup some-how made me lack beauty. It was then I decided that girls who didn’t take their studies seriously were “prettier” and received more at-tention. In turn, I would dumb my-self down around people — espe-cially the guys — so they wouldn’t be annoyed with or intimidated by me. Needless to say, it didn’t work. People thought I was ridiculous and that’s exactly how I felt.

You see, I wasn’t myself — which is never beautiful. First Peter 3:3-4 (NIV 1984) says, “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment ... it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which

is of great worth in God’s sight.” It took time for me to fully accept the truth that beauty and brains go hand-in-hand. Because girls that purposely dumb themselves down are unattractive and unhappy.

Beauty is about being who you are — which includes being smart. Beauty be-gins on the inside. A gentle spir-it, modest character, and loving personality gives a radi-ance to the face that no makeup could ever replicate. Though it seems cliché, beauty truly comes from within. Haven’t you noticed even the prettiest face can mean nothing if the personality and ac-tions don’t follow suit? The world‘s idea of beauty is found in a makeup

you.beautifully

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“beauty is about being who you are”

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bag and on the scale while God’s idea of real beauty is found in the heart and seen through good ac-tions. Know that God called you good, very good. Finished. From the very beginning. For you are fearfully and wonderfully made.

Don’t be deceived by charm or con-

vinced that outward beauty is eter-nal (Proverbs 31:30). You possess a beauty all your own. Whether you like to learn, sing, act, build, play, or create, be your own kind of beauty. Who you are on the inside matters more than what you look like on the outside. Only be concerned with being beautifully you.

Ashlee graduated from Girls Ministries as a Silver Medalist in June 2008. Ashlee has attended Azusa Pacific University, coordi-nated international events with

Invisible Children, and was a contributing author for Foundation Restoration. Currently, she is the Social Media Manager for SoCal Girls Ministries, a writer for The Be.Loved Blog, and a Marketing and Event Coordina-tor in Los Angeles.

“No one can truly love or respect you when you can’t be yourself around them. Don’t feel scared to be yourself around someone. There will be plenty of people in this world that will love and appreciate you who are worth being in your life.” - Ryan

“I told my daughter to just be herself; that she is an amazing young lady, bright, godly, beautiful, and a natural leader. That there was no need to be like any of her friends to be ac-cepted, but instead to be an example to them and that they would want to be like her.” - Nick

What would you say to a girl who wasn’t being true to who she is?

“If you can tell when someone else is ei-ther being fake or is trying to be someone they’re not, don’t you think others can tell when you are? If someone’s not willing to accept you for you who are they’re probably not a per-son you want to be around anyway.” - Justin

“Only be concerned with being beautifully you.”

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prior i t ies

kindness

laziness

prayer

Matthew 6:33 Colossians 3:23 Luke 12:34 Deuteronomy 6:5 Ephesians 5:15,16

monday tuesday wednesday thursday f r iday

TeenGirlDaybooko

Watch your favorite movie. Make note of examples whe characters show kindness to one another.

Journal — Write about a time you showed kindness and it benefited you.

Do you have difficult people in your life? Make a list of 5 ways you can show them kindness this week.

What can you do to make sure you never forget the kindness God has shown you throughout your life?

Journal — Write about a time when you showed kindness when it was really difficult. What was the outcome?

It can be easy to get involved in drama when you don’t have enough going on during your week. Find a hobby if this starts to happen!

Make a point to wake up at a decent time on the mornings you have off. It’s important to catch up on sleep, but it’s also important not to sleep away the day!

Think of a few ways you can be more like the ant in this passage.

What is the difference between resting and laziness?

Talk to God throughout your day — while you’re jogging on the track, while at your locker, or waiting for class to start.

Journal — Write about a time when someone you love made you feel really low on their list of priorities.

Like in everything we do, we should follow Jesus’ example. Notice how Jesus found a private spot and carved out time to pray. We should do the same !

On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the awesome, how good are you at doing what this passage says?

2012 Gospel Publishing House. Springfield, MO 65802. All rights reserved.c

september

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Tomorrow is See You At The Pole where students around the country will gather before school to pray. Join them!

1 Thessalonians 5:17 Matthew 18:19,20 1 Timothy 2:1,2 Luke 6:12 Philippians 4:6,7

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Had a bit of a sedentary day? Go for a brisk walk to get some exercise instead of sinking into the couch!

Ephesians 4:32 Proverbs 11:17 2 Timothy 2:24 Psalm 106:7 Luke 6:35

Genesis 2:1-3 Ecclesiastes 5:12 Psalm 104:19-23 Proverbs 6:6-11 2 Thessalonians 3:11

3 4 5 6 7

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Take some time to pray for government officials — state and national leaders.

Be a list maker! Your time will be much more produc-tive if you can identify the tasks that need to be done each day.

According to this passage, what should our number one priority be? What would that look like in your life?

Make a list of your top priorities during the week. How can you love God in all of those things?

Make a list of things you treasure — clothes, movies, a boyfriend, money, being the best. Does your heart desire these things over the things of God?