San Diego: March/April 2016 by AngelicMagazine

JESUS.

MUSIC.

FASHION.

ANGELIC SAN DIEGO

MARCH/APRIL 2016

ANGE P H O T O G R A P H E R M O D E L

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T I F F A N Y

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W A R D D I E G O

GELICMARCH/APRIL 2첫16 JESUS. MUSIC. FASHION.

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WE BUILD CUSTOM WOOD FURNITURE FROM RECLAIMED AND RECYCLED WOOD. "THE LORD WILL FIGHT FOR YOU..." EXODUS 14:14

EXODUS WOOD FURNITURE DESIGNED l CREATED l RESTORED EXODUSWOODFURNITURE.COM SHOP ONLINE

GIRL FORCE US

SAN D I E GO - F O UND E R: NO

1. What is Girl Force USA? Girl Force USA is a Girls Leadership Academy and non-profit based out of San Diego. We work with young girls in areas of Lead various researched based programs. We offer after school programs, workshops, sports camps, and are working toward launching Essentially, what we do is help girls gain the leadership and confidence skills they need to accomplish all their dreams.

2. How did it get created? Truly, it started from a need I didn’t even realize needed to be filled. As a young college athlete, the world around me and my futu knew had it all together, and frankly, so did I. As I counted my chickens with the eggs that lie before me, my dreams of medical sc right side of town seemed a certain destiny. But when I got injured and lost my scholarship, and any real hope of ever being a coll reevaluate. Now, things weren't all TOO bad. I met a group of amazing young women and my comeback was right on schedule. Tim that despite the remarkable intelligence, health, and beauty each of my new best friends possessed, most were in destructive relati themselves with unhealthy body expectations, while others seemed to lessen themselves and their standards out fear. I kept wonder friends felt the need to kill themselves to meet society’s pre-defined standards.

After spending countless hours in what seemed to me like group counseling sessions (their idea of girl talk) these amazing women would berate them, diets that killed them, and lives that didn't fulfill them. The dreadful day came where enough was enough! (Wel my best friend Lily* from the hospital after her boyfriend threw her from a moving car during a fight the night before, I begged h longing to give closure to, "How did you get here?” “You did everything right!" "Where did you go wrong?" "Who forgot about was asking ALL women in Lily's situation these questions. I made it my mission to find out how to save, not only my best friends, fate. It was that day I decided to dedicate my life to helping all girls realize their potential for greatness. I wanted to reach g susceptible to societal pressure, and show them that a fate anything like Lily's will never be an option for their futures. They can b confidence and self worth. They can be a force; not just any force, Girl Force.

3. What is your vision for impacting the greater San Diego community through your organization? Girl Force USA is so proud to call San Diego home! We want to preserve San Diego’s values and uphold its spirit. We want to con each girl can maximize their potential to be leaders in their community, ambassadors of their thoughts, and agents of change in the w social thinking from what ISN’T possible for girls, to what IS possible. We aspire to give girls a bigger vision for themselves, to g women they were made to be, not the women society says they’re supposed to be. We want the San Diego Community to be influential cities, to show the nation just how one community can make a difference in the world. Girl Force USA exists to change and we believe wholeheartedly, San Diego will be the community that will show us how. Truly, we hope more to be impacted by S around.

4. How can people get involved and/or contribute to your organization? This organization can’t exist without the help of an amazing community of people, and getting involved is really easy! Girl Force U anyone who wants to make a difference in the world. You might volunteer your time, space, or make donations. Any gift is trul Donations are so critical to our development and outreach, and every dollar immediately supports our ability to provide girls the their aspirations. Additionally, our volunteers provide crucial support for our organization. Every hour a volunteer provides, impacts alter her path for the rest of her life. Currently, Girl Force USA has many volunteer and internship opportunities available. If yo information form at our website at www.girlforceusa.com/get-involved or donate to a girl in our community at www.girlforceusa.co

O E LLE D E LGAD O

dership and Self-Confidence through a Leadership Summit in September.

ure seemed so promising. Everyone I chool, a husband and a house on the legiate athlete again, I was forced to me carried on and I started to notice ionships, some continually ridiculed ring why so many of my remarkable

n circled back to the boyfriends that l for me that was.) While picking up her to answer the questions I'd been you?" Although, I'm quite certain I , but ALL women from this dreadful girls, at an age when they are most become leaders, with self assurance,

ntinue to create an atmosphere where world around them. We hope to shift give them a fighting chance to be the a bright spot and among the most e the reality of the world around us, San Diego rather than the other way

USA hopes to serve as a platform for ly an investment in our community. e tools they need to be successful in s a San Diego girl in a way that may ou want to get involved, fill out an om/donate.

THE HOUSE ON BROWN STREET

B Y KAYTIE GAUS - @KAYTIEMAY_ his is a silly story- but I love this story. I had this “dream” house in my mind. If you have seen the show Fixer Upper on HGTV, you know what I mean. Something that looks like a blast from the past on the outside, but when you walk in, you are greeted with central air conditioning and a chic bathroom instead of an outhouse. Well this dream of mine was tangible, we planned on buying a house soon, but not within the next 6 months, and I figured we just might live close enough to the hometown of Chip and Joanna Gaines, to actually get them to come renovate a property for us. One day- this “house on brown street” flashed on the newly listed page of a realty website and I told my husband that even though we weren’t looking to buy just yet, I had to see it. I know we aren’t looking to buy, I won’t get attached, I won’t envision myself living there, I promise- were all things I told my husband. Men- I’m sure you can relate to the way my husband felt when he saw my eyes light up when I saw this house. He knew we were in trouble. Well he was right- I walked in, told the realtor exactly where I would put my Christmas tree, I stood in front of the sink, looking out of the window and thought that maybe I would love to do dishes if I lived in this house. I imagined my dream of my own “fixer upper” becoming a reality. After a day of prayer and conversation, my husband told me we could put an offer on this house. We put in an offer and the next day we were signing contract papers. I say this story is silly, because it was about my dream to own a house, but it was how quickly that dream came true in a matter of days is what makes it unbelievable to me. But in those 72 hours, I put my energy, my thought, my prayers, and my hopes into a realtor to makes this a reality.

"A LOT OF TIMES I FEAR I AM INADEQUATE IN THIS WORLD, I AM TIMID, AND I AM WEAK. BUT GOD TELLS ME OTHERWISE. GOD HAS PROVEN TO ME OVER AND OVER THAT HE HAS A DIVINE PLAN FOR MY LIFE" This makes me think what if I put my hope and energy into the life plan God has for me. Do my eyes light up when I open the scripture and hear God challenging me to get out into the world to do His work like they lit up when I walked through the front door of my house? I can be honest and say a lot of times I fear I am inadequate in this world, I am timid, and I am weak. But God tells me otherwise. God has proven to me over and over that He has a divine plan for my life, it is up to Him to reveal this to me, but it is in my Hands to serve and act accordingly. Many people argue that they are unsure of what God’s plan is for their life. God has told us in order for this to be revealed, we need to offer ourselves as sacrifices, not conform to the world, and commit ourselves to the Lord and then his plan will be revealed. (Romans 12:1-2) How many of us can say we have done this? Too often I know I find myself too consumed with the world and what others are doing around me with the plan that God has revealed for them. Refer to Jeremiah 29:11, God has plans for us. He promises to give us a future. How refreshing is that when we are trapped in our inadequacy? Ask yourself this what would you consider you “little house on brown street” dream? Would it be your dream to serve a mission overseas? Would it be to start a shelter in your community? Would it simply be to serve within your church? Friends, if you have yet to feel like you have been called to do something bigger than yourself, commit yourself to the one above and He will reveal His dreams and plans to you.

NEVER WILL HE LEAVE YOU

HIS LOVE IS THE ONLY ONE WE WILL EXPERIENCE IN OUR LIFE THAT WON'T FAIL US.

B Y CLARE TUCKER - @CTUCKY ive thanks to the Lord and praise Him because His steadfast love endures forever. Twenty six consecutive sentences in the 136th chapter of the Psalms state "...for His steadfast love endures forever." I remember in grade school when one form of punishment was writing some sort of lesson to be learned out of getting into trouble over and over again on a sheet of paper or the chalkboard. The objective of this form of discipline was usually to make the misbehaving kid have to continuously write out and thus not forget, the way in which he/she actually should have acted. You write your “lesson” over and over again, and consequently you should learn the lesson and become a better behaved kid. This reminds me of the discipline David felt compelled to place on himself when staring at this chapter through the lenses of a 12-year-old me. When the Psalmist here experienced troubles, he had to remind himself that the only soulcalming thing to do is praise the Lord…give thanks to Him, even when it's the opposite of what we want to do in hard times. Give thanks to the Lord and praise Him because His steadfast love endures forever. Twenty six consecutive sentences in the 136th chapter of the Psalms state "...for His steadfast love endures forever." I remember in grade school when one form of punishment was writing some sort of lesson to be learned out of getting into trouble over and over again on a sheet of paper or the chalkboard. The objective of this form of discipline was usually to make the misbehaving kid have to continuously write out and thus not forget, the way in which he/she actually should have acted. You write your “lesson” over and over again, and consequently you should learn the lesson and become a better behaved kid. This reminds me of the discipline David felt compelled to place on himself when staring at this chapter through the lenses of a 12-year-old me. When the psalmist here experienced troubles, he had to remind himself that the only soulcalming thing to do is praise the Lord…give thanks to Him, even when it's the opposite of what we want to do in hard times. His love is the only one we will experience in our life that won't fail us. Our human nature during hard times is to complain, cry, allow anxiety and confusion to infect our minds and choices and feel sorry for ourselves that we should have to even endure troubles. But who do we really think we are that we should never struggle? We live in a world full of believers and non-believers and the enemy has control on earth regardless when we fail to intentionally invite Jesus in and live for Him. The struggles we face are inevitable because of sin and that’s okay because through Christ, we can do all things. We can and we will get through it … and probably learn some big things along the way. When

CALLI DUNCAN

PHOTOGRAPHER TESTIMONY. SAN DIEGO. From the time I was little, like many little girls, I dreamt of one day marrying a handsome prince. I remember closing my eyes at night, and imagining Jonathan Taylor Thomas dressed up like Cinderella’s Prince Charming, and hoping said imagination would lead to sweet dreams of meeting this Prince and falling in love while I slept. It worked on many occasions. As I grew older, this deep desire for an epic romance never left me (though my imagination started leaving out JTT and a fancy prince outfit). I remember sweeping the floors of the sandwich shop I worked at in high school, imagining that my crush would be out by my car with roses when I got off of work. He would then take me away from a life of making sandwiches and sweeping floors and cleaning bathrooms. HA! Now these imaginings seem rather melodramatic and humorous, but it speaks to why I am who I am, and do what I do… I can’t get enough of a great romantic story and wanting to be a part of it. To be as close to it as I can. To document it and share it for all to take part in. It’s why I chose to be a wedding photographer. Before meeting my now husband, I always said my testimony was a story of God’s faithfulness. He guided me, saved me, and kept me pure from the time I was young. In times I was losing faith or wanting to walk away, he was so quick to reveal himself and pull me back. Reflecting on my life and story now, I believe my testimony is also one of romance: an epic love story (though it didn’t always feel like it). The world often cheapens love or turns it into something unreal or fleeting. The world’s value for sex is so small, not something worth waiting for. The world often makes you feel silly for desiring love, and conversely, cool for being strong and independent. To be honest, I didn’t even want to write my testimony on romantic love at the risk of being seen as ridiculous, weak, and out of touch. But it’s for that same reason I knew I needed to. Growing up, I struggled with my desire for a man ALL the time. Wondering if it was healthy, realistic, even godly… I worked hard to be as strong and independent as I could be, and when this romantic yearning would come around, I would try to fight it off.

But as I’ve grown, I’ve found freedom and hope in this longing. Dear friends, what I’ve learned is it’s okay to desire a man and to be in love. I truly believe the Lord designed romance himself. He is the author of it! He made Adam, and it was good, but it wasn’t good enough. So he made Eve! Man and woman were made to fit together… But here’s the really cool, beautiful part of it: our love stories don’t just wait for a man. God is our first and forever love… and he knows how to romance us better than the men we are waiting for or even have. Long before meeting my husband, I experienced this romancing in so many ways. The stars in the sky, fireflies sparkling along the highway on night drives, evenings drinking wine with dear friends, exploring new coffee shops in Chicago, and feeling his peaceful presence in times of worship were like flowers from Him to me. He was wooing me all along, and still is. It’s a cliché, I know, but as soon as I had embraced my love story alone with the Lord, he provided exactly the man I’d been holding out and praying for! And now when I think about marriage as an image of God’s love for us, I am absolutely overwhelmed. My husband doesn’t replace my romance with God; he simply is an extension and reflection of it. This is why I am, and always will be, a hopeful romantic :-)

MELISSA EDWARDS

S TYLIST TESTIMONY. S AN DIEGO. "IT WAS THEN THAT I STARTED TO SPIRAL WHEN MY DAD LOST HIS BATTLE AND OVERDOSED. I

STRUGGLED WITH MY FAITH AFTER PRAYING FERVENTLY OVER HIS LIFE AND BELIEVED GOD FOR THE BEST. THIS WAS CERTAINLY NOT HIS BEST. "

arcotics Anonymous was the first exposure to any sort of religion and spirituality for my family, as my dad sought solace from a heavy crystal meth addiction. Through the wreckage and divorce my early adolescent years were consistently spent in church after that, as my mom passionately found her strength through this higher power NA gave her. Although deeply sensitive and emotional, I still managed to grow up with a pretty solid foundation. I ached for my father who still struggled with addiction and had now suffered through a drinking and driving accident and was paralyzed. This was all terribly confusing and awkward but I still got good grades, stayed away from parties and did lots of hobbies through high school. I even chose on my own to go to a private Christian college. It was then that I started to spiral when my dad lost his battle and overdosed. I struggled with my faith after praying fervently over his life and believed God for the best. This was certainly not His best. Once I lost my faith in a good and merciful God, and I began doubting he indeed had a plan, I lost hope and direction and myself repeated self a destructive lifestyle with drugs and alcohol. It went from an innocent dabbling to full blown addiction. There have been so many rock bottoms, deep depression, wake up calls, suicidal thoughts and seriously I should be dead moments. Through the blows of rejection, disappointments and the hardships of life I have somehow managed a mysterious resilience that has enabled me to bounce back every time, no matter how painful or slowly, there was always a silver lining in each meltdown. For example, after suffering a broken heart from a break up, I also got fired from Supercuts, of all places. I felt like I was already settling my dreams and passions the minute I applied there, so my ego and pride were deeply wounded. It was through being unemployed however, that I was available to answer the call when I was first asked to style an engagement shoot. This one photo-shoot led me to an opportunity to assist for a bridal artistry company in which I finally saw the niche and style I enjoy creating. Simply being available is one of the biggest requirements in freelance styling and that would’ve never happened if I had a commitment to 40 hours a week at minimum wage. The last few years, I feel like I’ve finally flourished and feel meaning and value in my career and I know that it was only through renewed strength and a refreshed attitude from God, because there have been so many times I wanted to give up at this career path. I am not a fan of the cliche ‘everything happens for a reason’, as I don’t believe he had all this pain in mind for me- they were simply a byproduct of my mistakes and choices, but through it I have seen that he trades beauty for ashes. I get messed up on theology, disenchanted with mundane religion, and angry when I don't see resolve. I still don't have an existential meaning to it all but I can't deny that He's been after me, he's had his hand on me and he is indeed merciful. There is so much pain and darkness that I’ve tried to numb for practically a decade. I think that's whatever I'm after with wanting to create something beautiful in my career. I think it's my resolve.