Girlfriend Gazette, Autumn 2014

PLUS! 5 Tips for Sister Sister--Bedrooms • wall letter tutorial and more!

Gazette irlfriend

How to

draw a mosaic

The 5 Love

Languages

Learning Servanthood

Sisters and Their Brothers By an Anonymous brother –in –Christ

THE INDEX

INDEX

In this Issue

7 The Five Love Languages “We're made with different Love Tanks that get filled with different kinds of fuel called ‘Love Languages.’

Everyone has all five Love Tanks, but some go dry faster than others, need filled more frequently, and are more affected by different fuels.”

14 How to Draw a Mosaic Check out this awesome art tutorial, draw your own, and then send us a picture of it!

18 Sisters and Their Brothers “Why is there such a gap between us and our siblings, why the wall? Why are the people you spend the most time with not your closest friends? The people who you see every day, who know you the best, they know who you really are. You are only as godly as you are at home with your family. That got me when I heard it, and it convicts me every time I think about it.

24 The Princess and the Pea Revised “How I think the story should’ve gone.”

36 Your Favorite Things About Fall

MEET SOME OF THE CONTRIBUTORS

Monica Miller | Editor | Layout Artist I’m an eighteen-year-old Colorado-desert native now living in tropical Thailand going on two years. I love to make music, journal, dig into God’s Word, glue, write, drink tea, sing and design. My passion is that you, the young woman reading this, would seek God with all your heart right now wherever He has you. You get me so excited because I know God has so many glorious plans to show His son Jesus through you.

Christy Barkman | Assistant I am an people-person; outgoing and ready for LIVING. I desire to be a "little-Christ", one who does as He did, one who loves Him so much that nothing will come in the way of honoring and imitating Him. Learning to linger over little moments and love them to their core is my passion. Polaroid memories, worn journals and piles of pens, marked-up Bibles, COLOR, coffee-shop atmosphere and heart talks, thrift store shopping, interesting buildings, childhood pictures and videos, kindred spirits and paint samples are some of my favorite things.

Cheyenne Sensenig | Illustrator “What love the father has lavished on me, that I should be called a child of God! And that is what I am!” 1 John 3:1. I am an imperfect person who would probably annoy you sometimes, but God still loves me.

That’s cool! :) I love drawing and playing around with digital art and design. I was born in Canada, grew up in China, and currently am working in the USA. I am 27 - 10 = _ _ years old. I want to go to Antarctica, ride in a helicopter, go to Amsterdam, and work with victims of trafficking.

Savannah Knepp | The Flying Crochet Hook I live in Canon City, Colorado. I have three brothers and four sisters and am the seventh child. My hobbies consist of shopping, sewing, crocheting, playing piano, talking, painting, drawing, crafting and reading. I love living life for what it is: a great big adventure! Finding the little pleasures in life and magnifying them makes me stupendously happy. I deeply enjoy long talks with close friends, a delectable cup of coffee or a really good book. Ladies like Elizabeth Elliot and Corrie Ten Boom have greatly inspired me. I love digging into God's word and being drawn closer to Him.

Cindi Miller | Guest Writer I am a 17 year old who’s still not quite used to the idea of being a senior in high school. Some things that make my life colorful are: my family, playing piano and accordion, ice cream, kids, hanging out with friends, rainy days, crafting, coffee shops, listening to music, and getting busy in the kitchen. I am in need of my Savior every day and so grateful to be His daughter. My desire is that people would see Christ in me and that somehow through my failures, Christ would be glorified.

Janae Miller | Guest Writer I have lived in Kansas for all of my 18 years and love the people here, but soon I will get to travel across seas. I love Jesus and He is everything to me. I also love kids, my family, and friends. I enjoy art, music, writing, coffee shops, rain, going barefoot, stargazing, traveling, my youth group, being staff at RISE Kids Church (check us out on Facebook!), and just hanging out with wonderful people.

“Nothi QUOTE

ing

you do in this life will EVER matter,

Unless it is about

Loving God and loving the people

He has made made.�

-Francis Chan

THE FLYING CROCHET HOOK

How to Make Wall Letters 1. Get Supplies Together - Cereal Boxes (I could get about four letters out of one box) - Paper, maps, or whatever you want to use

Crafts, recipes, & other fun projects by

Savannah Knepp

- Scissors - Glue (Hot glue is ideal, but i used stick glue and it worked fine)

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2. Cut Now cut the front and backs out of cereal boxes.

3. Glue Next, you need to glue the paper on to the boxes, sketch out the letters, then cut them out.

4. Hang Lastly, you hang them on them on your wall!

(They are light weight enough that you can just hang them up with Sticky-Tack)

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The 5 Love Languages CHRISTY BARKMAN

ground. But other times, things that would make you feel like the most treasured person in the world mean next to nothing to most of the people around you when you try it on them.

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ometimes, love is super hard.

Maybe it's your brother; you try to show him how much you love him by giving him a spontaneous bear hug and all of a sudden you get demoted to 'embarrassingly annoying sister' status.

Or you decide to buy a small gift for your older sister; You wrap it carefully and leave it out in the open where she'll see it for sure‌.and she never thanks you. Ouch.

We're made with different Love Tanks that get filled with different kinds of fuel called "Love Languages."

Everyone has all five Love Tanks, but some go dry faster than others, need filled more frequently, and are more affected by different fuels.

Some affect you like coffee; pump you up and make you feel like conquering mountains. Some are just like water; you'll take it, but it doesn't do much for you right off the bat.

And they affect everyone differently.

The compliments and advice you lend to your teenage sibling just bounce off and make little to no impact at all.

So, try this: Study these five "Love Languages," and then study those people that you have complicated relationships with to see which ones they match. (Don't be too creepy and detective-like.)

Operation 'Be a Loving Person' flops. You are trying to be a Love-Funnel from the Lord to those around you, and it's not working.

Maybe you can start learning to love them in THEIR own language through the love of Christ.

The way we were meant to.

God can use any effort for His glory, but who's up for being more effective?

We're made with different Love Tanks that get filled with different kinds of fuel...

Did you ever think about the fact that you are trying to love someone the same way that you love being loved? (Did that make any sense?)

Sometimes it works. You'll do something, and your effort will be soaked up like rain on parched

...

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his kind of person will be receptive to the positive comments you make. Also, any negative comments are taken seriously and can be very detrimental. Knowing that they are appreciated and that they

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mean a lot to you is HUGE. When they do little things like taking the garbage out, or washing the dishes don't take it for granted. Let them know you noticed and give them positive feedback.

ing their clothes, or making sure the eople with this love language car is available when they need it take the saying "Actions speak loud- fills their love tanks to overflowing. er than words" very seriously. There Sometimes, I have a hard time backis nothing that will make them feel ing up my "I love you"s with actions, more loved than you doing things but that is exactly what they need to for them. Cleaning their room, fold- see.

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eeling physically connected and secure through little things like putting a hand on their arm ,a spontaneous hug, or just sitting close to people they love maybe while watching a movie or playing a game

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fills their main Love Tank. When I'm feeling down, a meaningful hug can sure help to put me back to rights.

Things like putting your arm around your little brother's shoulder might feel weird, but it might be just what he needs.

brother out to play mini-golf, your ut down your Ipod, close your sister out to coffee, and your friends book, stop what you're doing and out on a shopping trip to spend onegive them your undivided attention. on-one time with them and to let Maintain eye-contact and just let them know how much they mean to them know you're there, you're lis- you. tening and you care. Take your little

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veryone like gifts, right? No one in their right mind would turn down birthday presents or beautifully wrapped gifts under the Christmas tree.

But for these people, it's more than just a gesture; it's their primary love language. Anniversaries, holidays and birthdays are important, but

not only then. "I thought of you when I saw this, so I had to get it," will mean so much. Don't feel like your gifts have to be expensive or rare. Any little package will make their day; a homemade card, a flower bouquet, a candy bar, or even something that will remind them of an inside joke you share.

In c l osi ng.. .

Remember, this isn't a sure-fire cure for not loving people right. Even when you know other people's love languages, you have to make the CHOICE to love them. Loving only when you feel like loving isn't love. Love is a choice. Love is the Lord in us, shining out of us.

Also, if you want to learn what your dominate love language is here's a link to a quick test you can take online: http://www.polyu.edu.hk/sao/publications/emagazine/issue133/love% 20language2.pdf God bless you as you learn to be a channel for His love to those around you. He will be using those efforts for His glory. May you learn to pick up on different love languages quickly, so you can be more effective in your 'loving' efforts.

Read First Corinthians Thirteen. Soak it in.

Left to Right: Janae (18) and Cindi (17) Miller

Q&A

With Janae and Cindi Miller On Sister Relationships

Girlfriend Gazette: To start, how about you tell us a little bit about your family and where you two come in the “line up�.

Janae & Cindi: There are seven of us kids, and the two of us are the youngest. Janae, 18, and Cindi, 17. We have six handsome nephews and three sweet nieces.

Girlfriend Gazette: How close are the two of you in age?

Janae & Cindi: Seventeen months. Trust us, it's a lot of fun.

GG: How would you describe your relationship?

Janae & Cindi: We truly are best friends and have been as long as we can remember.

GG: What is your favorite thing about having a sister?

Janae: There is always someone there for me. I can tell her anything and she won't think I'm weird, and she will at least try to understand me. I get to live in the same house as my best friend, talk with my best friend as we go about our daily work, and laugh about and discuss things that we both care about.

Cindi: Probably the constant companionship, always having her there for me and just sharing life together. She knows me well and gives great advice. Also, chatting about and hashing different events together is a highlight. =) GG: What are some things you like to do together?

Janae & Cindi: We enjoy playing music together, going to coffee shops, hanging out with our other friends, shopping, and having long (and interesting) talks as we go about our day.

GG: When you're with friends, do you tend to hang out in the same “friend group” or separately?

Janae & Cindi: Well, some of both. We have a small youth group, so often we tend to all just hang out together anyway. As far as who our closest friends are, they pretty much overlap. In some settings, though, we hang out separately, either by choice or happening.

GG: What are some ways you are the same?

Janae & Cindi: A few of our interests overlap, such as, music, crafting, and our love of kids. Our fashion styles and sizes are fairly same, and can complicate things when shopping second hand together. :) We think a lot alike, and frequently say the same thing at the same time.

give up my selfish opinion for her current desire.

Cindi: I think for me it's a lot about giving up my rights. Whether that means admitting that I'm wrong or giving up what I want to do. Also, it's important to realize that my opinion isn't any more important than her opinion.

I can show love to her when I give up my selfish opinion for her current desire.

GG: What are some ways you are different?

Janae: Cindi is sweet, focused, and sensitive. She is very list-oriented, organized, and is in favor of knowing what comes next. Flexibility is not quite as easy for her, though, but she does well at making the most of each schedulechanging situation. Her umph and responsibility inevitably get the tasks at hand completed. She is quieter in big group settings, funny in small groups, and continually serves others unselfishly.

GG: What would you want to say to the reader who is struggling in a sister relationship? : Janae: Do all you can to restore your relationship with your sister. Maybe you think you already have, but there is always room for improvement. And though it takes two sides to make a problem, treat the conflict as if you were the one causing it. In other words, don't blame her. Start by giving up your rights, just little things everyday, and ask God to give you His love for her. Life is so short and the moments fleeting, so let God redeem the messiness.

Cindi: Don't give up, make an effort to pour into her life and realize that she is Christ's important daughter. Give her a lot of grace because Jesus gives us grace all the time.

GG: Do you have any closing words?

Janae & Cindi: Treasure the moments you have together.

You won't always be living in the same house and life is short, so make the most of it!

Cindi: Janae is outgoing, talkative, the life of the party, and a dreamer. She lives in the moment and does awesome at living life to the full. At times practicality and responsibility get pushed to the back, though, because of a newly hatched idea. Her spontaneous inspirations, creativeness, and incredible artistic gifts make her come alive.

GG: What is something you have learned through having a close sister? : Janae: I have learned that it takes work to keep a relationship healthy. Even though we're best friends, we obviously still have issues and things that need to be ironed out. Though it's not necessarily fun or easy, it's always worth the work to make amends.

Cindi: Valuing, investing in and pouring into relationships is so worth it. It's not all easy and there’s stuff to work through. but that just brings us closer.

GG: What are things you have learned about "getting along" even if you don't always agree?

Janae: I have learned (and am still learning!) that sacrificing and giving up my rights goes a long way, even though I usually don't feel like it in my flesh. I can show love to her when I

Valuing, investing in and pouring into relationships is so worth it. It's not all easy and there’s stuff to work through, but that just brings us closer.

By Cheyenne Sensenig

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1. Lightly draw a simple shape outline with pencil.

2. Using a ruler (or other straight edge), draw "double lines" throughout your shape.

3. Continue with these double lines until you have a satisfactory amount, as shown. Be sure to draw lightly, as you will want to erase these later.

4. Start coloring! :) Just be sure not to color inside the double lines. That will be your white space between 'tiles' of color.

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Send us a picture of your mosaic! (See Page 42)

5. Color all the spaces between lines. I used apple-ish colors, but you could use whatever colors you like. I used pencil crayons, but watercolors or sharpies would also be cool for a different effect. At this point, you could erase all the pencil and be finished, or you can continue with the background of the picture as I did.

6. Gently erase the pencil lines. Some might not come off, but that's fine. Draw an outline around your shape, the same distance away from the shape as the distance between your double lines.

7. Using a ruler, draw an edge around your entire picture and begin filling in the background.

8. Tada! The finished product! Now, email a picture of your mosaic (or you and your mosaic) to us at girlfriendgazette@gmail.com by December 10th, 2014 to see it in a future issue!

Q: What is Your

Favorite Thing About Fall?

Answers From You: Jodi: “Sweatshirts” Tashia: “Cool weather, drinking coffee while reading a good book, and colorful leaves.”

Heather: “The cool weather that is great for horse back riding!!“ Andrea: “The gorgeous leaves and the beautiful evening sunsets! And warm drinks on crisp cold days.”

Londa: “Cuddling up in a warm blanket in the chilling evenings with a good book. Love the beautiful fall leaves too!”

Destinee: “Drinking coffee on cold crispy mornings. Also love the cozy fall scents.”

Jodi: “Wearing boots, sweatshirts, and long skirts, and hearing the leaves crunch under my feet as I walk.

Sisters and their brothers

BY AN ANONYMOUS BROTHER-IN-CHRIST

You are only as as you are AT HOME WITH YOUR FAMILY.

I am glad someone was asked to write this article. I don't know if I'm glad that that someone was me, because I'm not a writer. This is, however, an article that needs to be written, because—and pardon my cynicism— no one seems to care. No one would ever say this; we don't consciously think it. We simply prove it by living like it.

Since this is a Christian girls' magazine, let's just talk about the Christian realm. As a church kid, I've heard about parent-child relationships, child-parent relationships, peer-to-peer relationships, churchmember-to church-member relationships, but - and I can say this honestly - I cannot remember ever hearing a sermon or ever seeing a book, much less reading one, about sibling relationships. Remember, I said I can't remember. I'm sure I've WHY IS THERE heard it talked about or read some sentences or a chapter on the subject, but nothing that made an impact.

SUCH A

gap

But it's not just other people.

BETWEEN US AND

our siblings?

As I myself began to write this without internet access, and thus the inability to search the web, I could not think of a single Bible verse that dealt with the idea of sibling relationships. Stories that could be used to talk about it, perhaps, but no specific instruction. This probably reveals my lack of scriptural knowledge more than anything, but that's where I am. And this is who they asked to write about "brother-sister relationships." Sorry.

Growing up, my family was very active in church. My sisters (I do have sisters, seemingly my only qualification for writing this article) and I were active in the youth group and teaching Sunday school, among other things.

We were church kids, our parents loved the Lord, taught us well, and encouraged us to serve God.

our siblings. This is part of grow- be...yourself. They've only ever ing up, this is good, this is fine. seen the person you are at But have you ever thought about home. the fact that your siblings may There can come a point where our 'Christian' self is who we are YOUR with our friends (perhaps only the good ones) and our 'normal' MAY HAVE NEVER self is who we are with our sibHEARD YOU lings. If you are anything like me, talk about God the normal 'sibling' me is concerned with his own well being, AND WHAT HE'S Now, looking back, and lookquite a bit more than that of his done in your life ing at the present, I see somesiblings. The 'sibling' me tends to thing. As we begin to grow in be moody, prideful, and downhave never heard you talk about God, it is usually with our right selfish.

God and what He's done in your friends. In the youth group, at a It might sound ridiculous, but life, that they may have never Bible study, off at Bible school. heard you share your testimony? I literally remember waking up We make friends our age and one morning and realizing that They've only ever heard you grow in God with them, not with

siblings

my family members weren't robots and trying to wrap my head around the thought they have their own lives and brains and experiences; that they're not all around to play a supporting role in my life. Has anyone else ever had this strange epiphany?

Why is there such a gap between us and our siblings, why the wall? Why are the people you spend the most time with not your closest friends?

The people who you see every day, who know you the best, they know who you really are.

Jesus does?

Imagine with me for a second. Imagine if your brothers were actually a source of spiritual strength to you. Imagine if your brothers were there to pick you up when you were down, and vice-versa. Imagine if you were able to see when they were hurting or depressed and to actually care, to help, to give.

That’s God's design.

If my brother and I argue, we don't talk for awhile, but eventually we play video games together or shoot hoops and everything's ok.

Not so with sisters, and that probably means that we guys just don't get it when it comes to saying sorry. We don't understand you, but we do love you.

Big sisters, we look up to you.

You are, and have always been,

WHY ARE THE PEOPLE YOU

the most time WITH NOT YOUR closest friends?

SPEND

You are only as godly as you are at home with your family.

That got me when I heard it, and it convicts me every time I think So...how? How should we reabout it. late to each other as brothers and sisters?

If you can't really love your own siblings, how will you love Brother-sister stuff is someyour brothers and sisters in the thing I'm even worse at, bechurch? You can't be a jerk at cause I don't understand how home and a saint in the youth girls work. I know how to relate group. That's hypocrisy. to guys. Other than my brothers, I mean. My brothers just don't Before you keep reading, ask understand that I'm always right yourself, do you want to have a and they're always wrong, but close relationship with your sib- that's another article. lings? Does anything in you want to do more than coexist?

Sisters bring to brothers a risk Do you want to love them like they're not willing to deal with.

supernaturally intelligent to us.

You amazed us when we were young with your authority and wisdom, and you still do sometimes. Little sisters, no matter how much we tease you, we would die for you, and would also take great pleasure in destroying anyone who mistreats you.

Having said that, how do we treat each other? How do we start building each other up instead of tearing each other down?

If there was ever instruction about dealing with siblings, it was from my dad, of course. It was nearly endless, the lectures on treating sisters with respect, refraining from arguing, and most importantly, "speaking words of life." Dad harped on encouragement endlessly, and although we got bored of it, I think it soaked in, at least to my brothers and sisters.

magazine will most likely not be read by a large number of teenage boys. So here goes.

1. ASK YOUR BIG BROTHER

Although the Bible doesn't give us much detail, we know that Jesus was a big brother to several brothThe times my sisters took the ers and sisters. The Bible time to encourage me literally calls him the Firstborn stick with me to this day. I reamong many, and we are member the exact words, and "fellow heirs" with Him, the notes they wrote are in my which means...he is our Big journal. I like to turn there to Brother. Imagine how he remember how much they lived, how he showed love meant to me, the encourageto his siblings. And if you're ment coming at desperate serious about this, bring times when I was dying inside. your siblings before God If you take one thing from this and pray for them. It is article, let it be the importance amazing how Jesus will give of "words of life." you his heart of love for your brothers.

God speaks through people and he seems to especially enjoy speaking through siblings.

2.LISTEN TO These people closest to me are YOUR MOUTH the last people I expected to really speak into my life. Funny, Read James 3. isn't it?

Now think of the words you So here is the list on how to use with your brothers, start treat your brothers. listening to what comes out of I'd much rather write to guys your mouth, the sarcasm and about how to treat their sisters, cutting jabs. The power of death is in your words. I reabout how buying a latte or chocolate for them fixes every- member these kinds of words from my siblings, too, and I'm thing, how their sisters are sure they remember the clever, overemotional and we're stabrutal shots I've taken at them. ble, how to walk on eggshells Turn off the poison and ask Jewhen their sisters are dating, and how it's really all their sis- sus to help you bridle your ters' fault anyway, but alas, this tongue.

3. START BY WRITING Most of us, guys and girls, are too scared to say nice, meaningful things to each other, scared of the stuttering and the suspicious looks and mumbled "Thank you's". It's awkward and weird and we've never done it before, and I get that.

So write a note. Write a bible verse. Write about something you see in their life that's good.

Put it on their dresser. Trust

THOSE TIMES MY SISTERS TOOK THE TIME TO ENCOURAGE ME LITERALLY STICK WITH ME TO THIS DAY.

me you have no idea how in need they are of "words of life."

4. TAKE A COMPLIMENT Once in awhile, and I mean a long while, we will venture out of our man-shell with eyes wide to grunt a compliment when you do something we thought you couldn't or - dare we say anything - are looking particularly good. Please,

please smile and say, "Thank you." This is hard for us to do, and if we get smacked in the face, we will likely submerge again, never to resurface. In my humble opinion, if anyone has the right to comment on your clothes or hair, it's your brothers. We, unlike other young men in your life, don't have ulterior motives.

Practically, just four things.

But put them together (especially the first three) and you have the power to change your brothers' lives, and to

make your siblings some of the closest friends you have. This is not something I have done well by any means; I feel slightly hypocritical as I write this article. It is something that I have seen in my parents and my sisters. And I want to live like this.

To live like Jesus. So let's ask him to give us his Spirit, with all the fruits that it brings, so that we can be Jesus in the lives of our brothers and sisters. It's more than worth it.

The Princess

01

and the Pea

revised

HOW I THINK THE STORY SHOULD’VE GONE Written and Illustrated By Cheyenne Sensenig

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THE NEXT MORNING:

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THE SAME THING HAPPENED OVER AND OVER

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ALL OF THE PRINCESSES COMPLAINED 14

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THE NEXT MORNING:

IDEA LIST

Things To Do with Siblings 1. Coffee Shop at Home Set up a little “coffee shop” in your bedroom.

It doesn’t have to be anything fancy

just light a couple candles and play some soothing background music. Invite an older sibling (or even a younger one!) over to chat and enjoy your favorite drinks!

2. We’re Now Sculptors Have you ever noticed that making homemade playdough (and playing with it!) is something every little kid loves to do? If you have little siblings, mix up this recipe and then sculpt things together.

Playdough is fun no matter how old you are!

Playdough

Add:

Mix, Stirring to dissolve:

2 tbsp. alum

1 1/2 cups of boiling water

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

1/2 cup salt Food coloring as desired

Pour liquid into bowl of flour and stir well. Knead until smooth: 2 cups flour Will keep for a long time if stored in a tightly closed plastic bag when not in use.

3. Walks Go on walks together. If you have little siblings, make it fun by compiling a list of objects to find while you are out and about… kind of like a scavenger hunt!

4. Play it On the Table There is nothing quite like bringing out a board game for everyone to enjoy together.

Playing some of those classic table games is a great way to interact as a family! If you seem to play the same games over and over how about adding a few new rules to shake things up?

5. Lights, Camera, Action! Get the video camera out and make a goofy movie together.

Come up with a

short story line or just make it up as you go. It might be so funny and ridiculous that you’ll never want to show it to anyone else… but that’s okay. You’ll never regret the recorded memory you’ll share as siblings.

6. My Next Room Neighbor’s Mailbox Set up little ‘mailbox pouches’ by either putting little envelopes on each of your brother and sister’s bedroom doors or, if sets of siblings share rooms, by each person’s bed. Then, use this as a fun way to drop little encouraging notes (or even small gifts!) off to each other!

7. Sister’s Hair Salon Girls of any age like to play with each other’s hair, right? Get together with your sisters some night and have a little mini hair salon. Get all your hair combing supplies out and have some fun practicing cute little braids on each other…like this one:

8. The Life of a Diva If getting locks of hair untangled is not your cup of tea, how about a spa night? If you don’t have any fancy spa supplies, that’s fine! Just soak your feet in hot soapy water and rub nice smelling lotion in afterwards!

Servanthood Learning

By Monica Miller

Jesus said, “whoever would be great among you must be your servant.” How many of us actually take these words literally in our day-to-day living? Often, we act like the world should revolve around us. Everything we do has to have some sort of gain for ourselves.

But what would happen if we would start living the kind of sacrificial lives Jesus calls His daughters to live?

What if we were to do serve unselfishly, value and care about other people, give up what we feel entitled to, humble ourselves and remember what life really is all about? I think the world would begin to get a clearer picture of who Christ is and feel His love like they’ve never felt it before.

But even if we want to try to be more selfless and servant-hearted, where do we even start? These are good questions. How about we dig into God’s Word to discover some answers together? Let’s turn to Philippians 2:1-10.

First read all 10 verses and then we’ll talk about what this passage says.

1. Get your Motives Straight “…Do nothing out selfish ambition or conceit…”

We spend so much time (and money!) on selfish ambition and conceit (anything we do for ourselves or to make people think well of us). We go to great lengths to make sure we wear only the “in” clothes, buy music that’s only

recorded by artists who are considered popular and cool, post about ourselves on social networks, come up with witty and sarcastic lines to get attention, and the list goes on.

I’m not saying all of this to communicate that we should wear frumpy clothes, listen to sad music and have a solemn faces in public. None of those things I listed are at the heart of this pride issue. Actually, at the heart of this whole thing is that Jesus sees my heart. He sees my pride, my insecurities and all the other filthy stuff.

The fact is we can do “good” things with just as much pride as the girl who we think haughtily demands attention in public.

We can be the first person to offer to be on the church clean up crew, baby sit the busy mom’s kids every day and sign up to get involved with every charity and ministry in town. But, if we’re doing it to feel better about ourselves or get people to think more of us it isn’t servant hood at all. It’s just another form of selfpromotion!

child then it will be a delight to humbly serve!

3. Give Up Your Rights “…Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others…”

There are certain things I feel entitled to in life. It’s my turn to sit in the front seat of the car. I have to get up early tomorrow so my sister shouldn’t keep the light on reading so late. I did more work today so I shouldn’t have to do the supper dishes yet too. I planned this get together with my friends so I should have the most say in what movie we watch.

But there’s nothing about that kind of mindset in this verse. This verse says I need to look at the needs of others instead of defending what seems best for me.

If I live putting other people’s needs before my own, when it’s not my turn to wash the dishes I can still wash them because I’m not so concerned about what benefits me the most.

If we truly want to serve others we have to do it out of a love for them, and for Jesus, not out of a love for ourselves. That takes a lot of humility.

It takes humility to do things that we won’t always get thanks for in return. It takes humility to do the least liked job without any reward. But Jesus humbled Himself and that’s what He calls each of us to.

2. Recognize the Value of others “…but in humility count others more significant than yourselves….”

Often, we have problems in relationships because we feel like we need to put people down in order to feel good about ourselves. Sometimes even, when other girls are better at things then we are, it makes us feel insecure.

But humble people rejoice with others when they do well because it is no longer about making themselves look better…. It’s about the other person. So if we are truly people of humility we will actually genuinely feel even more happiness when others succeed then when we succeed.

If we can see everyone around us as God’s chosen

If we can see everyone around us as God’s chosen child then it will be a delight to humbly s e r v e

4.Live In Christ “…Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross…”

God Almighty, Jesus, humbled Himself, emptied Himself, and took on the form of a servant. Every single day Christ was on earth He was serving and sacrificing. That alone should stir up conviction.

But He did even so, so much more for us; He gave up His life to ransom us. The world never has, or never will, see such a pure, humble example of servant hood.

Jesus was not looking into His own needs at all – if He would’ve been He never would’ve came!

So now I need you to go back and read that first phrase again, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.”

That kind of humility, that kind of servant hood, it truly is ours through Christ Jesus. If we surrender to His Holy Spirit He will teach us to live emptied of ourselves but alive in Him!

5. Look Towards the Final Goal “…Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

And this is the reason any of us should be servants: to point people to Jesus!

Let’s seek to live lives of selfless servant hood, to the glory of God the Father!

God Almighty, Jesus, humbled Himself, emptied Himself, and took on the form of a servant.

5 Tips

For

1. Divide Your Space to Express Your Own Styles We have found that letting each other decorate our own spaces, such as, dressers, desks, etc., can help minimize style disagreements. You may not like everything she comes up with, but remember that she probably doesn't always fall in love with how you decorate either.

2. Learn to Collaborate Although having your own space to express yourself is important, learning to work together in an area is just as, if not more, important. Decorate together, ask her for advice, and learn from each other.

3. Share Tight Corners For us, that tight corner is our closet. Our clothes are squished and our shoes are stacked, but it works. When we both need to access our closet, we

SisterBedrooms

either slide the doors to the middle or one of us learns to practice our reaching skills, or our patience. So, wherever your "tight corner" is, learn to make it work. Share, and get over it. :)

4. Pick Up After Yourself Keeping your things tidy will make your space feel bigger and shows respect to your sister. Organizing well, too, will help you keep track of your things and give you more space in general.

5. Create Your Own "Cozy Corners" Especially if you share a bed, you need some place to relax and have some alone time. Be creative, it doesn't have to be much or anything fancy. Use some fun pillows, blankets, or bean bags, and viola, you have a cozy spot!

See an interview with Janae and Cindi on Page 12

Want to Join the Next Challenge?

See page 42 for Details

Photo

CHALLENGE Entries from You

love to read

Sharing a Bedroom

Heather

“Anyone who says they only have one life to live must not know how to read a book.�

Heidi

Karina

Valarie

Jodi

“Money talks. Mine always says, ‘wanna go to the bookstore today?’”

-Unknown Londa

“The book to read is not the one that thinks for you but the one which makes you think.”

–Harper Lee Tashia

Danae

RaVonne

Mary

“The more that you read, The more things you will know.

He more things that you learn, The more places you’ll go.”

- Dr. Suess

Meet our Siblings

THE MODELS

Jerica

NAME:

Nikki

Chloe

Michael

Israel

Jerica

AGE: You expect me to give out that information? I’m 21!! No, actually I’m 11.

Sibling Of: Monica Q: In your own words, how do you feel about photo shoots? Kind of fun yet really annoying.

Q: If you have time to do anything you want, what do you do? Is this a trick question? Whatever I have time to do? I like working on my movies. I like to edit my movies. I like to draw, I suppose.

Q: What is your favorite color and why? Blue, light blue. I like it because it’s just a happy color and the color of the ocean.

Q: What is your favorite food? Spaghetti, Beef Jerky, Spaghetti… did I say that already? I also like lasagna.

Q: What’s something you do with your siblings that is fun? Is that a real question? Slumber parties.

Q: What are 5 things you are grateful for? Plane tickets, money (I actually don’t have any money), Littlest Pet Shop, imagination and making movies on computers

NAME:

Israel AGE: 10

Sibling Of: Monica

Q: In your own words, how do you feel about photo shoots? Pretty good. Well it was kind of boring… your sisters just tell you what to do the whole time.

Q: If you have time to do anything you want, what do you do? Play basketball or play basketball on the iPad. Q: What is your favorite color and why? My favorite color is blue because it is the color of the ocean.

Q: What is your favorite food? Probably...cheeseburgers.

Q: What’s something you do with your siblings that is fun? Being annoying to them, hanging out with them, playing games, watching movies.

Q: What are 5 things you are grateful for? Mom and Dad, Burger King, Dairy Queen, McDonalds and ice-cream Q: What is your dream job? Three letters! Capital N. Capital B. Capital A. What does that spell? NBA! Words of wisdom: God loves you, my sisters are nuts, and never be a Taxi Driver.

NAME:

Michael AGE: 13 Sibling Of: Christy

Q: In your own words, how do you feel about photo shoots? Well, sorta fun, but they can also get pretty boring after a while, but with you guys it was fun!

Q: If you have time to do anything you want, what do you do? Either read a book, or play basketball.

Q: What is your favorite color and why? Red, probably cause it's the color of my favorite football team.

Q: What is your favorite food? Pork chops, grilled by my dad.

Q: What’s something you do with your siblings that is fun? Going to coffee shops for art meetings.

Q: What are 5 things you are grateful for? Jesus Christ, the Bible, family, friends, and the students at Igo Q: What is your dream job? I don't know, maybe landscaping.

Words of wisdom: Um, to always love and have fun with your family!

NAME:

Nikki AGE: 7 Sibling Of: Monica

Q: In your own words, how do you feel about photo shoots? It was so awesome I want to do it again! I like spending time doing it with my friends and my sisters and my brother. I’m We saw kitty cats and took pictures!

Q: If you have time to do anything you want, what do you do? I would ask mom to play guess who with me, play with toys up stairs in my bedroom (and with Jerica’s stuff!). I also like doing school.

Q: What is your favorite color and why? My favorite color is blue because it’s a sky color.

It so just… nice. Oh! And also um...yellow! I like yellow because if we didn’t have the sun it would be dark.

Q: What is your favorite food? Strawberries and sugar mixed together!

Q: What’s something you do with your siblings that is fun? I play guess who with them, I play basketball with Israel, I play playdough with Kelci, and I play Little Pet Shops with Jerica, and take walks or play hide-and-goseek with Monica.

Q: What are 5 things you are grateful for?

My family, my friends, rainbows, God and Thailand Q: What is your dream job? People that sell animals.

Q: Words of wisdom: Tell people about God.

NAME:

Chloe

AGE: 9 Sibling Of: Christy Q: In your own words, how do you feel about photo shoots? Um… tiring. Um… worth it.

Q: If you have time to do anything you want, what do you do? Go up on the roof.

Q: What is your favorite color and why? Blue because it looks refreshing.

Q: What is your favorite food? Pasta Q: What’s something you do with your siblings that is fun? Have girl parties.

Q: What are 5 things you are grateful for? My family, friends, nature, animals, and a good home.

Q: What is your dream job? I forget, there's a job I really wanted to do... Ummm... A artist, probably.

Words of wisdom: I'm not good at those. Always put toothpaste on your toothbrush, and maybe have parties as much as possible.

“Kind words

can be short and easy to speak,

echoes are truly endless.�

but their

-Mother Teresa

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EXCLUSIVES.

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WORTHY READS

Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends Sarah, Stephen and Grace Mally Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends is a great read on sibling relationships, written by siblings. As they share stories from their own life experiences, Sarah (22), Stephen (16), and Grace (12) show us that siblings really can become our best friends. If you have a brother or a sister, I highly I recommend this book. –Monica

Indescribable Louie Giglio and Matt Redman "Stop and consider God's wonder" Job 37:14 “ Astronomers now believe there to be more stars in the visible universe ( what we know to be there) than there are grains of sand on all the world's beaches and deserts. As it turns out, we are even smaller than we thought we were." -Indescribable How often we go about our daily lives, activities, work, and schedules and we forget to stop and consider who God is and simply stand in awe.

Indescribable is a short book but full of mind blowing pictures and facts of the Universe that all point back to our Creator and Indescribable God who is calling us to a relationship with Him.

Where in the world do you want to

travel? (and why?)

Photo Challenge

Reflection

Send your answer to girlfriendgazette@gmail.com to see it in an upcoming issue!

Send Us Your Mosaic!

This is a no-competition photo challenge welcoming all levels of photography. Send your “Reflection” photo to: girlfriendgazette@gmail.com by September 15th, 2014 to see it featured in an upcoming issue. (Please, no photos with writing on them.)

Need some Pinspiration? http://www.pinterest.com/GazettePins/reflection/

It’s easy!

Step 1. Do this issue’s art project , a mosaic, in any shape. (page 14) Step 2. Scan a copy or take a picture of you holding your masterpiece Step 3. Email it to girlfriendgazette@gmail.com and wait to see it in a future issue!

Behind the Scenes: Enjoying McDonald’s after the hard work of a photo shoot!

Ps. There’s Still More!

Heart Bunting After I (Monica) made it for the photo shoot (see pages 7-11) I hung this heart bunting up on my window.

It really is fun to see all the shapes and styles of bunting you can make… why not give it a whirl?

Pet Portfolio As Imagined and Illustrated

by My 11-year-old sister, Jerica

My name is Timber and I am a dog. I live in Pawtopia, on the south coast of Tail Fish. My owner’s name is Johnny Timberton. He also owns a cat named mittens… she’s annoying. She says dogs don’t know anything but she plays with a little piece of yarn all day long. Go figure.

I remember one day, on my master’s birthday, she was the one who took a bite out the cake and got it all over the ground… but guess who had to sleep in the dog house all night! Me! The next day my friend Tom and I chased her all the way up a tree. I barked at her ‘til midnight. That sure scared her! But… it wasn’t all fun and games when my master found out. Guess who had to sleep in the dog house again?

Let’s think of happy things. Like dog biscuits and chew toys! Do you know what a dog’s best friend is? It’s not man… it’s his chew toy! And maybe a steak (oh dear… now my mouth’s watering).

Back to the subject: my life. I’ve been alive for about 100 dog years and 4 human years. Or something. I was born in a little box… I don’t remember much about that… partly because my eyes were still closed. But I still remember smelling dog food for the first time! I also remember, when I was three-weeks-old, I stepped out into the real world and out of the cardboard box and mother’s reach (because I was under the couch). And now I am four-years-old doing about the same thing.

I must come to the end because my editor says this is getting too lengthy. So… remember: choose dogs and let the CATS live in the dog house!

GIVEAWAY! Make sure you keep a close eye on the blog,

girlfriendgazette. blogspot.com for your chance to enter a Giveaway—soon!

Giveaway Coming Soon !

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