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Rhythms of Life I think fall is one of the most notable seasons of change. It’s not just the cooler weather or the changing colors of the trees. Autumn can bring many changes for us as individuals. This new season may bring you a new season of life. A new year of school is now in full swing, which brings lots of changes on its own! It’s a common time for people to start or end jobs, and possibly even move. Many set goals for how they’ll change by next year. Even if nothing on the outside changes, many people (myself included) often feel an internal change when fall hits. While summer days may feel spontaneous, fall seems to have a more set schedule. It can be hard to adjust unless we learn to find the rhythms of life among these changes. God has set a rhythm to everything. Sometimes it’s the rhythm of words and music. Even in silence, there is a rhythm and order to everything, right down to the organized cells God made to create every living thing. I hope God blesses this season for you, me, and all of us. Once you find your rhythm, you can change the world.
In This Issue Godly Girlz ................................... 3 When Seasons Change ................. 3 Our Maker’s Metronome .............. 5 Psalms ......................................... 8 Girlz in Action ............................... 11 Jamie Grace................................ 11 Being a Light in School ............... 14 Girls Around the World ............... 16 Beautiful Girlz .............................. 18 Modesty Probs: Resolved! .......... 18 SPIES ......................................... 20 Fall Makeup ................................ 22 Fun 4 Girlz .................................... 24 G4C Book Club ........................... 24 Movie Night! .............................. 27 Extra! Extra! ............................... 31 Find more content at Girlz4Christ.org We’re on your favorite social media, too!
From the Editor, Jessica Lippe Design: Lily Garay (cover) and Jessica Lippe (pages) Editors: Jessica Lippe and Lily Garay All other contributors, photo credits, and sources are listed on the page in which they appear. Although we try to ensure that mentioned sites and outside resources are accurate and appropriate, we cannot guarantee due to changes over time. Opinions/recommendations were not swayed by payment. Readers under 13 need to obtain parental permission before reading or visiting any online sites.
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When Seasons Change How to Thrive No Matter What Season You’re In
The summer heat is being swept away by the first crisp breezes of fall. People are exchanging flip flops for boots and slushies for pumpkin spice lattes. Maybe the seasons are changing in your own life. You might be going from junior high to high school, or from high school to college. Even if the changes you’re experiencing are good, it’s easy to feel unsettled. It can be scary to let go of the familiar and delve into the unknown. So how do you successfully navigate a season of change? Check out these three tips: 1. Talk to God about it. I put this tip in almost every article I write because it’s so vital to the success of our Christian walk. The whole point of Christianity is about having a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. One of the most beautiful aspects of that relationship is that we get to come into the presence of our Heavenly Father and tell Him everything that’s on our minds. Ephesians 3:12 says, “Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God's presence” (NLT). Take some time to talk to God today about the change you’re experiencing. Thank Him for the things you’re excited about, and admit to Him the things that make you nervous. Ask Him for His peace to help you as you venture into new territory. 2. Be proactive. Galatians 6:7 tells us “A man reaps what he sows” (NIV). Determine to make the most of the change happening in your life.
Try to thrive where God’s put you by having a positive outlook and taking action. For instance, if you’re moving to a new house, try checking out cool ways to decorate your new room on Pinterest. Perspective is everything and you’d be surprised how much being positive and proactive can bring joy in the midst of change. 3. Keep an outward focus. This one is HUGE. Proverbs 11:25 says, “Those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed” (NLT). Are you going to a new school? Make it your mission to reach out to your fellow students who may seem lonely. Have a new baby sibling? Find ways to help out your mom and dad and encourage them as they take care of the new addition in your family. Loving others is the greatest commandment Jesus gave—after loving God Himself (Luke 10:27). You’d be surprised how much joy can come from being an encouragement to others. What if it’s a bad Change? What do you do when the change you’re going through is really bad? Maybe you, or a family member, have a health problem. Maybe your parents are getting a divorce or you’ve lost a loved one. What do you do when your circumstances start spinning out of control in a direction that breaks your heart? Here are three things to remember that’ve helped me when I’ve found myself going through a season of painful change:
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Three Things to Remember when Change is Hard 1. God will work it out for good. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (NLT). This means that no matter what happens— even if the change in your life is the result of bad decisions other people have made, God will work out your circumstances for good in the end if you choose to trust Him. 2. You’re never alone. When things happen in your life that are out of your control, it’s easy to feel like you’re all alone—but you’re not. Deuteronomy 31:8 says, “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you” (NLT).
same for you. Nothing can stop His purpose for your life; nothing can separate you from His love. The One Thing that Never Changes Even amid all the craziness going on in this world, there’s one thing that never changes, and that’s God Himself. His love never changes. His sovereignty never changes. His truth never changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow (Heb. 13:8), and because of that we can have peace and joy no matter what change life brings.
No matter how scary things may seem, God is with you. He’s your Father, your Savior, and your Best Friend. Not only is God with you, but He understands what you’re going through. Hebrews 4:15 says, “This High Priest of ours [Jesus] understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin” (NIV). Because of Jesus, you always have someone to talk to about the stuff going on in your life. You’re never alone. 3. God’s still in control. It’s easy to panic when things seem hopeless; but we, as children of God, are never without hope. God’s still in control—no matter what our circumstances look like. Nothing takes God by surprise. If He allows something to happen, it’s because He can bring a greater good from it. Even Job, the poor guy in the Old Testament who lost everything, declared in Job 42:2, “"I know that you [God] can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted” (NIV). And he was right. By the end of the story God restores what was taken away, and brings comfort to the wounds Job endured. God came through for Job, and He’ll do the GIRLZ4CHRIST.ORG
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God’s timing is always perfect. By Kristen Hogrefe
God, we miss His perfect plan. Two Old Testament characters learned this lesson the hard way. King Saul forgot his place.
Click, click, click. Beep, beep, beep. That metronome used to drive me crazy as a beginning piano student. If you play piano (or some other instrument), maybe that little device was the bane of your early musical years, too. Of course, my teacher had my best interests at heart, and thanks to her persistence and the nagging of that metronome, my timing improved. All along, I knew its steady beat was right, but I still resented it. Am I that way with God’s timing? Are you? We might say we believe His ways are best, but truthfully, we’d rather speed up the tempo. However, when we rush ahead of
As Israel’s king, Saul enjoyed many privileges and responsibilities. Offering burnt sacrifices was not one of them. During the second year of his reign, he faced a critical test. Israel’s enemies, the Philistines, gathered to attack. Their numbers were “like the sand on the seashore in multitude” (I Samuel 13:5 ESV). In response, the men of Israel fled and hid themselves. Although the text doesn’t contain the message, King Saul must have sent for the High Priest Samuel to come sacrifice to the Lord and intercede on their behalf. In reply, Samuel sent word he would be there in seven days (I Sam. 13:8). GIRLZ4CHRIST.ORG
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Can you imagine the tension building inside Saul? His forces were scattered, and he couldn’t do anything to rally them until Samuel appeared. His panic grew as more men disappeared with each new dawn. At this rate, he wouldn’t have an army left to face the Philistines. Finally, the day arrived, but Samuel did not. Too impatient to wait any longer, Saul offered the sacrifice himself. Guess what? The Bible says that “as soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering,” Samuel arrived (I Sam. 13:10 ESV). Saul armed himself with excuses, but the bottom line was that he had disobeyed God. As a result, Samuel declared that God would not establish Saul’s kingdom (I Sam. 13:14). Do we try to take things that don’t belong to us—or perhaps aren’t God’s design for us right now? Losing our place in a musical piece might leave us embarrassed, but getting out of sync with God’s plan can only bring regret. Abram and Sarai rushed ahead of God’s plan. In Scripture, God made a covenant, an unbreakable promise, with a man named Abram. •
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In Genesis 12, God promised to make him “a great nation” (vs. 2) and give the land to his offspring (vs. 7). In Genesis 13, God told him that his descendants would
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be like “the dust of the earth,” meaning that no one could count them (vs. 16). In Genesis 15, God declared that his children would be as numerous as the stars in the sky (vs. 5).
There was only one problem. Abram and his wife Sarai were old and childless. Perhaps at first, Abram believed God without question. But ten years passed from the initial promise when he was 75 years old (Genesis 12:4). Maybe he needed to “help God along.” He wife suggested he have a child with her handmaid. The result of that union was a boy named Ishmael, but he was not to be the son of promise. Instead, God told Abram and Sarai they would have a son named Isaac (Genesis 17:19-21). He changed their names to Abraham and Sarah to underscore His promise that they would be parents of not just one son, but of many nations (Genesis 17:4, 16). God’s promise came to pass, though not on their timetable. Twenty-five years after the promise in Genesis 12, Sarah bore Isaac to Abraham, now 100 years old (Genesis 21:5). Although God always keeps His word, we often grow impatient. We think our timing is better—only to complicate our circumstances. God’s promises endure. Is there something you’ve been praying
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about for some time? Does God seem to be saying no or not yet? God’s Word provides the encouragement we need to persevere. As we spend time in the Bible, we can identify unchanging truths and apply them to our circumstances. Let’s look at one of them from Abraham’s story. This man had his share of doubts, but the Lord told him: Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward (Genesis 15:1b NKJV). I wonder if these words were God’s way of reminding Abraham that greater even than the child of promise was His own presence in Abraham’s life. Try placing your name in that verse. Say it out loud. Do not be afraid, ______________. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward. The Lord is our shield and our reward— even while we’re waiting, even if God ultimately says no or reshapes our request. God’s timing is always perfect. We would never tell a metronome that it’s timing is wrong and ours is right. We’re aware, sometimes painfully so, that it’s on tempo and we’re not.
If we wouldn’t argue with a mechanized device, why do we argue with God? How often do we tell Him that He needs to answer our prayers … for a friend, a relationship, a growth spurt, a scholarship … NOW? Even though we may think our timing makes sense, the truth is we can’t see or understand God’s schedule. In the Bible, the book of Isaiah speaks to this very truth: For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9 ESV). Let’s stop resenting His timing and learn to conform to it. Our unchanging God has planned the perfect rhythm for our lives, and when we follow it, we can enjoy His best.
Kristen Hogrefe is an author and teacher who encourages young adults and the young at heart to think truthfully and live daringly. To read her blog, learn about her books, or simply say hello, visit KristenHogrefe.com.
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By Jennifer Baringer, JenniferBaringer.com
I love the book of Psalms. It’s my go to place for comfort, calm and perspective, whatever life is throwing at me. Unlike most other books in the Bible, the Psalms give me words to “sing” back to God. Loneliness, anger, fear, gladness, joy, and frustration are just some of the topics covered in the book of Psalms. It’s the stuff of life. But, just what are the Psalms, and how can they help us with this walk of faith we are living? If you’re up for a little exploration with me, let’s take a few days and break down the Psalms into “a little bible study.” DAY ONE: Who wrote the book of Psalms? Let’s turn some pages in our Bibles. Who is credited at the beginning, with writing each of these Psalms?
Psalm 90. How about Psalm 23? And Psalm 127? Many people wrote the Psalms. Moses wrote Psalm 90, David is credited for writing 75 Psalms, including Psalm 23, and Solomon wrote Psalm 127. The Psalms are quite a compilation. If you have a little more time today, flip around the book of Psalms and see who else you can find. (Hint: there are at least seven, not counting the 48 anonymous ones!) DAY TWO: What is a Psalm? Simply, a psalm is a poem, usually set to music. We call that a song!
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Notice the notes at the beginning of some Psalms. “A psalm. A song. For the dedication of the temple. Of David,” is at the beginning of Psalm 30. Psalm 22’s note says, “For the director of music. To the tune of ‘The Doe of the Morning.’ A psalm of David.” These notes give us insight into their purposes.
Read Psalm 84:1-4
Unfortunately…or maybe not…we don’t have the music which was originally used. I find this very interesting, because music changes. What was popular fifty years ago, is quite different from what is popular today…O.K., let’s be real, what was popular last week, may have already slipped down the charts! Having the words, allows us to add our own music, and keeps the Psalms timeless.
But just in case you didn’t know for sure from verse one and two, verse three and four paint a picture of little birds building nests, and flying around inside the big space of the temple. While there are blessed people all around, praising the Lord.
Today, I’d like you to pick a psalm and sing it to the tune that’s currently caught in your head…you know one is in there…we all have them. If not, then pick a tune you really like. Pick a Psalm that expresses your current state of emotions. Fearful? Try Psalm 125. Angry? How about Psalm 37? Joyful? Try Psalm 21. This is one of the most personal ways you can pray or praise and worship the Lord, by singing back scripture to Him. You don’t have to sound like you belong on iHeartRadio; this is just between you and God. DAY THREE: Let’s look a little closer at how a psalm was written. Keep in mind, these are poems, written in a particular style in Hebrew, and usually put to music. The poetry of a psalm is full of imagery. The technical term for this style is parallelism. Instead of rhyming words, as we usually think of poetry, the verses are expanded by the next line. The idea is reinforced by being repeated with different or additional ideas.
Can you tell from verse one where the Lord dwells? Can you see how verse two gets a little more specific? Now we are in the courts, inside the temple.
Take a few minutes and read Psalm 100 today, look for the imagery and the way the psalmist expands the story of this song. Can you picture happy sheep, bounding into the pasture on a beautiful sunny morning? Can you see how their simple act of entering the pasture, brings pleasure to the Lord? And how your simple act of praise, will bring Him joy, too? DAY FOUR: When was the book of Psalms written? The earliest psalm, Psalm 90 was written by Moses. The latest, Psalm 89, was written by Ethan the Ezrahite, which would have been after the Babylonian captivity (that’s after Daniel.) The book of Psalms took over 1,000 years to write. That is quite a time span, yet the Psalms are filled with songs that are still relevant today because they’re filled with emotions you and I feel every day. Look at Psalm 3 What is going on in the psalmist’s life? What happens when the psalmist comes to the place of praying and calling out to the Lord for help? GIRLZ4CHRIST.ORG
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Can you list some of the ways the Lord helps? Have you had difficult times where it seems as though everyone is against you? How can Psalm 3 help you? The Psalms are timeless, it doesn’t matter if you are David, who wrote Psalm 3, or yourself going through a tough time with friend issues, calling out to the Lord is something we all need to do. DAY FIVE: Bringing it home. My Bible is marked up and underlined, but nowhere as much as the book of Psalms. The book of Psalms is full of comfort and ways for me to hear God’s voice in my everyday life. Whatever the issue of the day is.
Our day five challenge, is on-going. Try reading a Psalm or part of a Psalm each day. Find the verses that mean the most to you, and mark them, so you can go back again and again. I think you will find once you start, you will want to keep it up. If you’re interested in hearing the poetry of the Psalms set to music, check out The Psalm Project. I have been enjoying the variety of singers and music. They are working on putting all 150 Psalms to music in this project. However you go forward, go with a song (Psalm) in your heart! Thanks for sharing a little bible study with me. -Jennifer Baringer
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By Jessica Lippe, Girlz 4 Christ editor
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Jamie Grace’s music found a place in our hearts ever since she rocked out with Toby Mac in “Hold Me”. Today, this spunky, almost-26-year-old is releasing her third album, ’91. We caught up with Jamie Grace Harper just as she was about to head into the recording studio.
While she gets inspiration from her sister and the rest of her family, Jamie Grace has become a role model to millions of others around the world. In her songwriting, her carefully-selected lyrics point others to God with an upbeat rhythm. It’s hard to imagine a girl with a big personality having any insecurities or regrets. She wanted to make sure that Girlz 4 Christ readers, particularly teens, live today to the fullest.
“The songs on this record are a continuation of what I’ve been trying to say, to encourage others” she explained to me. Our conversation moved through her focus on music. Jamie Grace told me about several of her music inspirations. She’s influenced by Nichole Nordeman’s songwriting and English gospel music for the message it spreads. But I got the impression that her favorite musician is Morgan Harper Nichols, who is also Jamie’s big sister.
“Enjoy where you are in the present. Don’t get too focused on what happens next. Enjoy right now. You don’t get to be a teenager for too long. Don’t wear a lot of makeup as a way to try to look older. If you’re fourteen, don’t try to look like you’re seventeen. Think about the way you carry yourself. Enjoy your parents, brothers, and sisters. Soon you or they will get married, or have kids, and life’s going to change. I wish I would have enjoyed that time more.”
“I love Morgan’s voice and music!” In fact, her whole family encourages her; not only in her music but in all aspects of life. “My family inspires me and we spend a lot of time together.” When a lot of people her age are pulling away from their family and trying to establish a separate life, why is Jamie so close to hers? “I think it’s important to surround myself with people who are good and solid. For me, that’s my family for sure. If having a bad day, obviously you’re not going to recover fast but if you have a healthy balance of good people around you, they can help with the difficult thing without sugarcoating anything.”
Songwriting, recording, and touring take up most of Jamie’s time, but she has a lot of other interests she pursues when she can. “I like to cook and I like to eat. Any time I get to do stuff with food, I’m happy. At home, I’m into movies. Anytime my friends come over, it means we’re going to eat food and watch a movie. We just talk through the movie. I’m a pretty chill person when I’m not on tour. I like to be on tour with people I love. “This is random, but when I go to places that have minor baseball leagues, I love the comradery of the live game. It’s not crowded or stressful at all.” Because of the sporting events and other fun things the areas have to offer, Jamie’s favorite places
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to tour include Charlotte North Carolina, Minnesota, Texas, Georgia, Alabama, California, Ohio, and Portland Oregon. If you chatted with Jamie Grace, whether about music, family, food, sports or anything else, she would end up directing the conversation to the reason she does all that she does: her heart for the Lord. “The main thing for me is my faith. trust Him for sure. I wouldn’t be where I am without my faith in the Lord. Sometimes we think that trusting in God makes everything easier. But sometimes, life is going to be hard! The beauty is that when we trust in God, we don’t have to walk through that alone.” After some extra chitchat, I prayed over Jamie’s recording session for that day, and then we parted ways. She went into the studio, and I posted on social media that I finally got to interview Jamie Grace, which I had been hoping for since back in 2011 when Girlz 4 Christ started and Jamie Grace’s first album came out. Although she and I are close in age and have a strong love for the Lord, the similarities in our lives pretty much end there. But both of us were excited to share this experience with you and encourage you in your walk with Christ. And we both love to party like a princess!
The tracks that Jamie Grace was working on at the time of this interview can now be heard on her recentlyreleased independent album, ’91. For more information, visit JamieGrace.com.
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By Priscilla Doran
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School is probably the teenage girl’s biggest platform to influence others for Christ. In all schools, and all places, there are broken people in broken situations, and all of these people need to know Jesus.
In darkness, light shines brighter. If Corrie Ten Boom could share God's love in a concentration camp, you can share His love in school. Because there is so much opportunity to share God's love, it can be overwhelming. The first thing I suggest doing is praying, because God knows where He can use you. Scared of openly talking to people? A wonderful way to be a light for all people is to simply be Christlike. Study the Bible. Meditate on God's Word. Apply it to how you live. I remember once that a pair of boots I really wanted were on sale. I saved up the twenty dollars, marched to the store, and set the boots on the checkout counter—only to find out that I was 25 cents short. I had nothing. My dad had nothing. I was starting to despair—all this work, just to find out I'm a quarter short? And then the girl behind me in line stepped up. And she gave me a quarter. I remembered that forever. A simple act of kindness like that (and the fact that she was wearing a John 3:16 T-shirt) was forever cemented in my memory, and I still want to be like her.
Isn't that the way we want others to think of us? If we are living the way God wants us to live, we will naturally be lights in a dark world. I heard about a Christian who asked the cashiers at Starbucks if there was anything he could pray about for them. In just a year's time, that entire Starbucks was transformed. Every person isn't just background noise; they all have stories. They are all much deeper, much more broken, more steeped in suffering, than they may seem, and school is a place to find people like that and share God's love with them. And a last thing to do, whether this is at your school, church, co-op, or neighborhood, is to organize Bible studies or prayer groups to strengthen the Christians that you already know. Fellowship is one necessity for Christians. Even just asking other Christians if you can pray for them is a great way to start. At my fitness class, the Christian instructor and I have a great friendship where we pray for each other. That is very encouraging and uplifting to me, that in even exercise classes, God provides Christian friends and other lights. This school year, I challenge you to not just focus on getting good grades, but also focus on how you can be a light for Jesus. Again, there are people everywhere; and even though we may take them for granted, God doesn't. He created every one of them and values every one of them, and it's our job to do the same. GIRLZ4CHRIST.ORG
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Name: Joyce Liberty Majors
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Girlz 4 Christ has readers spanning six continents and numerous island nations. In this issue, we’re traveling to the continent of Africa, to an eastern landlocked country called Uganda. Meet our reader Joyce and get to know the rhythms of her life. On family: My family consists of my mom and dad, 12 sisters and a baby brother. A typical day: Most days I wake up and go to school. When I get home, I do homework and help around the house. I like to help cook dinner and take care of my younger siblings. We always eat dinner together as a family. The best site in her country: Murchison Falls is a landmark in Uganda and a place that I like to go on safari with my family. Her favorite vacation and weekend getaway: For vacation, my favorite place to go is the beach on Lake Victoria. For the weekend, sometimes we go to the big city of Kampala to watch a movie and have dinner. Favorite food: I love my mom’s homemade pizza and calzones. I also really like tacos! On language: I speak English and Luganda
to music. I also love to bake, especially donuts! What say would say if trying to convince someone to visit her hometown: I would tell them that the weather is very nice here – tropical all year round. There are stunning sunsets and sunrises too. On future dreams: One day, I would really like to move to Venezuela and work as a missionary, bringing Christ to the people there. I would also love to study law. I also really like singing and acting, so maybe one day I will be some kind of performer. Where she would love to live: My wish is to one day live in America, India, or Venezuela. On community involvement: I like helping out at my mom’s school, Amazima. Joyce’s life: I really enjoy meeting new people. I would tell others to encourage them that even tough situations can be possible with Jesus! He makes even the hard things easy! Interview questions by Jessica Lippe. Learn more about Joyce’s family and their ministry at amazima.org. And check out page 24 for her mom’s latest book!
On free time: I enjoy writing and listening GIRLZ4CHRIST.ORG
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Problem: You have to dress for work, but you also have to bike there. Solution: Long skirts can get tangled in the bicycle spokes, while shorter skirts can reveal too much while pedaling. But this skirt from MOD Sportswear will keep you covered. Besides the built-in shorts, the skirt snaps together to make them more like shorts for extra modesty and safety. The material is comfortable and durable as well. It even includes two large zippered pockets, so you can skip trying to keep track of your purse. The one downside is that the snaps are noticeably exposed. But if your job involves sitting at a desk or standing behind a counter, no one will notice anyway. Get your own: modsw.com
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Problem: Your day is packed with school, church, gym, friends, clubs, and more. Even though there’s a range of activities, you don't have time to change between them! Solution: An athletic skirt allows for a full range of movement, but still looks classy in less casual situations. We've featured Kosher Casual skirts before for their amazing versatility, and this skirt is no different. The cute knee-length skirt has built-in shorts hidden underneath, as well as a zippered pocket to safely store some cash or a house key. The lycra fabric (think swimsuit material) is stretchy and lightweight. You may still want to change your shirt between activities, but having universal bottoms means one less thing to carry around. Get your own: koshercasual.com
Problem: Looking nice or feeling comfortable- do you really have to choose between the two? Solution: Skirts that are both pretty and comfy do exist. It can be tough to find a fashionable skirt made of soft material. We’ll point you in the right direction: check out Cleo Madison. Since this is a fashion company focused on making modest clothes, you can also be comforted that this skirt will cover you enough to be appropriate. You can wear this skirt while hanging out with friends, studying, or going out to eat. No matter what you do, you’ll be focused on the fun you’re having instead of feeling uncomfortable in your clothing. Get your own: cleomadison.com
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Integrating Health and Spirit Whenever I took health classes in middle school or high school, the teacher told us about the “Health Triangle”. This meant we were to picture our total health and wellbeing as a shape with three sides: one side represented physical health, one was for mental health, and the final one was social health. The teachers stressed that we needed to make sure we were taking care of all three sides of the Health Triangle. If we took care of our physical health by eating well, exercising, and sleeping enough, but didn’t take care of our social health by interacting with peers and family, then our triangle would be lopsided and we would not really be healthy. While I thought that the Health Triangle was a good representation, I noticed it was missing something: spiritual health! Maybe it should be a Health Square? Since I went to public school, spiritual health either wasn’t mentioned, or was categorized with mental or social health. But I felt that spiritual health was just as important, (actually, more important) than the other three health aspects. After graduating, someone affirmed to me that spiritual health was indeed important, but also pointed out that there were many
other elements of health that we didn’t discuss in health class! She used the acronym SPIES as a reminder of five important health aspects: Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Emotional, and Social.
Spiritual Health: Knowing your faith and living a life that aligns with what you believe.
Physical Health: Taking care of your body through hygeine, eating, moving, and resting.
Intellectual Health: Informing and challenging your brain through learning and trying new things.
Emotional Health: Understanding your feelings, including creating more positive experiences while appropriately dealing with negative ones.
Social Health: Interacting and bonding with friends, family, and other important people in your life, and setting boundaries with others. Taking care of these different kinds of health can certainly improve your life. It can GIRLZ4CHRIST.ORG
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be a struggle to keep everything balanced, though. The good news is, you can often work on two or more aspects of health at the same time! In this issue, we’ll suggest a few ideas on how to integrate your spiritual health with physical health. Try a few of these ideas and come up with some ideas of your own! 1. Download a sermon podcast to listen to while exercising. 2. Hike up a hill or mountain and have a Bible study at the summit.
by a Christian movie, show, or video sermon. (See page 28 for a few suggestions.) 9. Walk or bike to church. 10. Do you sing in the shower? Try a worship song! 11. Tape a verse to your bathroom mirror. Memorize it as you brush your teeth. 12. Use a concordence to look up scripture about health and our physical bodies.
3. Try “prayerwalking”- as you walk or jog around your neighborhood, pray for the people and buildings you pass.
13. Make a fruit salad with nine different kinds of fruit. Use each one as a reminder of the nine fruits of the spirit. (See Galatians 5.)
4. Prepare a healthy family meal for a Sabbath day of rest.
14. Find a workout buddy with whom you can talk about God.
5. Read or listen to a few Psalms to wind down before bed.
15. Volunteer for a ministry position that involves lifting or moving around. Perhaps setting up before church?
6. Pray before meals. 7. Listen to upbeat praise music to pump you up for a vigorous workout. 8. If you use indoor exercise equipment, you can often work out longer if you’re entertained
I hope you join Girlz 4 Christ’s network of SPIES! You can send your health secrets to Girlz4Christ@yahoo.com Note that these health tips are only suggestions and not to be taken as medical advice. Please discuss any concerns you have with your doctor.
By Jessica Lippe
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Fall Makeup
Fall is yet another season to celebrate the beauty of God's creation—leaves, fall colors, cold weather, and blue skies—and along with fall is plenty of back to school events and activities. Have fun and stay stylish trying out these three new makeup looks! #1: On The Go Everyday should feel a little bit special, but not too over the top. Here's a style that you'll love for school: simple, easy, with just a touch of sparkle! Eyes: Apply nude eyeshadow as a base coat. Pat a small amount of dark brown eye shadow in the crease. Line the top and bottom of eyes with black eyeliner pencil, and apply mascara. Face: Along with your normal foundation/concealer routine, use some medium pink blush Lips: Finish off with some pink lip gloss and you're out the door! Optional: Wax and powder eyebrows.
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#2: Cinnamon Shimmer
#3. Thanksgiving Dinner
Want to try something a little more special? Celebrate the season with this simple yet cheery cinnamon style.
You're 3 steps away from a striking fall look! Don't leave for a party without trying this festive makeup idea...
Eyes: Start, applying warm brown eyeshadow to the crease. Blend peach shadow into the crease. Blend dark purple and cool toned brown shadow from the outer corner to the crease. Apply a glittery purple brown eyeshadow over the base of the lid and lower lash line. Mix warm brown and peach eyeshadow on lower lash line as well. Add pale gold eyeshadow on the inner corner and browbone. Lastly, apply winged eyeliner and mascara.
Face: Creamy foundation Eyes: Apply shimmery brown shadow, colorful lower lash eyeliner, such as Makeup Forever Eyeliner in I-24. (Line the waterline only) and mascara on top and bottom lashes. Lips: MAC Lipliner in Soar. Pink lip gloss.
By Priscilla Doran
Face: Use your normal foundation and concealer routine. Lips: Use a nude or brown toned lipstick, and you're set! Palette Used: TooFaced's Peach Palette in: PurĂŠe-Candied Peach- pink/peach/pink with orange-y undertones Delectablematte, dark purple Charmed I'm SurePeach Pit- Nectar-glittery pale gold
Pro Tip: Remove makeup by using cotton ball dipped in coconut oil.
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Ten years ago, teenager Katie Davis made a bold leap of faith. After graduating high school, she moved from Tennessee in North America to Uganda in Africa! A chain reaction of God at work resulted: Katie adopted thirteen orphaned girls, founded a nonprofit called Amazima to feed and educate at-risk local children, and started a vocational program for women. You can read all about this in her first book, Kisses from Katie. Now, Katie returns with a second book and an update on her life. Why did you feel it was important to write a second book several years after publishing Kisses from Katie? I didn’t really ever think that I would write a book after KFK. This book came about in a very different way than my first one. Most of the manuscript was written in journal entries and prayers and on post-it notes in the quiet, sacred spaces when I was pouring my heart out to God. I didn’t write with the intention to write a book. I was writing to work out my faith, and to lean into Him during a time of dryness. As I poured out my heart to Him, I knew Him more deeply and my trust and hope in Him grew. After many years of searching Him out in this way, I felt God saying it was time to share those words and felt Him leading me to knit them together into this manuscript, and so it went from there. Because Daring to Hope describes a lot of tragedy you have faced in life and on the mission field, do you have any go-to scriptures or phrases you repeat during hard times?
What a great question. There really wasn’t one phrase or one verse that carried me. But it was more the Bible on the whole, opening His Word and exploring it, believing that He would meet me through it, and remembering to take time to pray – to read the words of God and then pray with Him, to go to Him in my grief and questioning. I did end up spending a lot of time reading about Abraham and Isaac and the way God provided a ram in the thicket. It’s a story I’ve known since I was a young child, but it touched my heart in new ways. I love that Abraham knew so certainly that God would provide, even when He didn’t see it yet. Another Psalm that I have found myself repeatedly praying is Psalm 63. It is such a beautiful heart-cry to God, declaring His love as better than life. I have known these words to be true. What is your role in Amazima? How does that compare to your role in your home? My role at Amazima has been shifting as the organization has been growing and as my own family has been growing. I think GIRLZ4CHRIST.ORG
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my title is now Founder and Chief Visionary? But I joke sometimes that I am the troubleshooter; our staff are amazing so I really only get called in for big decisions or emergencies! I remember when it was just me writing some of my friends at home asking them to help send students to school. And now we have about 70 staff, most of which are Ugandan, and we have a new Amazima school, which is incredible. It’s been messy and we’ve learned a lot of things along the way, but I’m in awe, really. I never sought out to start an organization or grow it like this. I just want to be faithful. At home, I now have fourteen children (and a lot of them are teenagers now!) and a husband, so there is a lot happening at home all the time. There are shoes everywhere and meals to make and we make a lot of noise. We always have people coming in and out of our house, visiting or staying with us. We love opening our home to whomever God brings.
If you were chatting with someone considering going into ministry, what would you tell them? I would tell them the very first and most important thing to following Jesus is knowing who Jesus is. We cannot follow someone we don’t know. Don’t look to the right or to the left. Only emulate Jesus. Read His words. Pray continually. Look for Him everywhere. I didn’t set out to start a ministry or adopt 13 children or live here in Uganda permanently. I didn’t have big plans. I just put one foot in front of the other and walked forward in faith. It sounds simple, but the truth is, it was hard work and scary and exhausting. At night, I would question and wonder how I got to where I was and what God was up to. Sometimes I think people have an idealized version of what “ministry” is, but to me, there is no separation between ministry and family and home and work. It is all one thing – life. Our life is ministry, wherever God has us.
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Katie’s 13 daughters. Photo Credit: Mary McLeod
Just to imagine the contrast, what do you think you would be doing in your life now if you had stayed in Tennessee? I have no idea! I cannot even imagine it! What was your favorite story or chapter to write in Daring to Hope? The toughest one? Well, I really love the chapter where I talk about my good friend Patrick and his adoption of baby Gift. I had fostered that little baby for many months. His mother tragically died on Christmas, and he had been a gift to my heart and our family during our own grieving. When Patrick knocked on my door and said that he would adopt baby Gift, I shrieked with so much joy – it was overwhelming to my heart, really. Adoption is such an incredible blessing, and to know that Patrick would get to experience it, and that baby Gift would have a family, I wept! I also get to write about my marriage, which I believe has been God’s greatest gift to me and our family outside of salvation. When I think of where He has brought us from, the way He has made our family complete, I am overwhelmed by His goodness. I also share in Daring to Hope about my two friends, Katherine and Betty, who I got to nurse and care for in their last days. I sincerely believed God was going to heal both of them – that they would recover and
that all of the days and weeks of prayer and medicine and spoon feeding and holding their hands – that God would answer and heal them – not just for me but for their children! And so when they went to be with Jesus, I just couldn’t wrap my heart and mind around it. It was devastating. Even today, I well up remembering. Writing about it was hard, as I felt all those emotions all over again. But I truly think that God was continuing to heal my heart and assure me of His goodness as I typed it all out years later! What an incredible privilege that God chose me to walk with them during their last days—to stay with them and sing over them and wait beside them as they fought so valiantly. I felt His nearness so tangibly during that time, and I wouldn’t trade that for anything. Do you purposely pursue seeing God through every situation? How can others follow your example? Yes, very much so. I mean, there are times I am just like anyone and I have a gut reaction that isn’t very honoring. But I try to pull back and take everything to God as much as I can. I think it’s important that we learn to look for the work of the Holy Spirit in the people and situations around us. You have to practice seeing His miracles around you, because they truly are always there. And I have amazing people like my husband and my family who help me when I have trouble seeing. GIRLZ4CHRIST.ORG
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Have you ever gazed longingly at the engagement rings in a jewelry store? That’s where we meet Grace, a twentysomething farmgirl over the moon about getting married. True, her boyfriend hasn’t even proposed yet, but it’s just a matter of time, right? When he visits her on college break, she gets a surprise. It’s a ring… on another girl’s finger! Heartbroken, Grace experiments with new relationships, starting with Jared. But when their differences in values makes dating each other miserable, Grace decides to approach romance in a new way. She has a lot to learn before getting that longed-after princess cut!
There aren’t many movies where you know the ending before you even watch it. But the events leading up to the climax of “I’m Not Ashamed” will keep you on the edge of your seat! Based on the inspiring true story in the midst of the tragic Columbine Shooting, follow teenager Rachel Joy Scott’s life, including her faith, her art, and her untimely death. Find a story of hope in this tragedy.
This is a television series instead of a movie, but bingewatching this still makes for a great night with friends or family. Randy Wilcox is a racecar driver whose family recently forced him into retirement after a racing accident. They move from Atlanta to a small Colorado mountain town, into an inherited dilapidated hotel. The quirky townsfolk often cause hilarious situations for the Wilcox family in this mockumentary. Whether it’s trying to avoid buying a coffin, or dealing with the fanfare of Tim Tebow coming to celebrate a community holiday, Randy and his family try to navigate their way through this new lifestyle- and all without WiFi or cell service!
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Sight & Sound Theatres is a production company known for their incredible, bigbudget musicals based on accounts in the Bible. While most of us can’t visit their stages in Pennsylvania and Missouri, we can enjoy their film adaptations. On PureFlix streaming, you can view several of Sight & Sound’s plays, including Ruth, Joseph, and Moses. But my favorite one to watch was Noah.
Her mother died years ago, and now her father’s in jail. Sixteen-year-old Dior now must survive on her own. But her storage unit hideout and cunning skills are nothing compared to her mom’s old writing box, which she uses to write prayer requests to God. Each morning, the note with the prayer request has disappeared, but God goes on to fulfill her need.
This historically and Biblically accurate story is delightfully interwoven with show-stopping songs and even real-life animals running past the audience. You’ve probably read about Noah dozens of times, but now, you’ll get insight into the faith it took his family to build a giant ark!
Dior needs friendship, money, and safety, all of which she includes in her prayer notes. But more than anything, she needs a restored family. Will God pull of a miracle of this magnitude for her? She hopes so, and before the woman who is trying to track her down catches her!
You can view all these movies for FREE! When you visit our website (Girlz4Christ.org), you can find a special link for a free month of PureFlix movie and show streaming. While you’re there, check out our online articles for even more movie reviews! GIRLZ4CHRIST.ORG
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