A Girl’s Best iend

Navigating through life’s obstacles can become insurmountable at times — even more so if you are a teenage girl trying to figure out your direction in life. Cambree Lucas is only 14 years old and a freshman at Lowndes High School, but clearly she is already establishing her path and making a strong statement about her faith in the process.

Cambree, an avid reader, recently discovered author Grace Valentine on Instagram. She received her first Grace Valentine book on Easter from her parents. Since then, Valentine has become one of Cambree’s favorite authors. Grace has written three books, Am I Enough?, Is it Just Me?, What Will They Think? and her fourth book, To the Girl Looking For More, will be out in April. Raised in Louisiana, and a graduate of Baylor University, Grace currently lives in Orlando, Florida. She is a young, vibrant Christian author, blogger, podcast host, and speaker who loves God and has a heart for young girls and the struggles they face every day. Her readers love that she is young, vivacious, and real. “I like to write about Jesus, my mistakes, what I’ve learned, and I dream of a world where no girl cries because she doesn’t feel good enough,” Grace explains.

Grace is not only an author, but she is also a mentor and a special friend to so many young girls like Cambree, who has read all of Grace’s books, and her mini-books that she posts online. “Grace’s books are so relatable and a perfect fit for high schoolers like me,” Cambree said. “She is the friend every young girl needs.”

Well, that could have been the extent of their encounter, but Cambree was bold and faithful. A few months back, she messaged Grace on Instagram and asked her to come speak to her cheer team in Valdosta. Grace and Cambree communicated back and forth until they agreed upon a date when Grace would already be in Valdosta for another scheduled event. Cambree was so excited Grace could come! She immediately began planning the event, with help from her mom, Jenna.

Cambree invited some of her closest friends who were also fans of Grace to a luncheon at Oak Line Farms on Saturday, February 4, to meet Grace. Twelve girls were able to attend, along with a few moms — Casey Langdale and Whitney Robinson, LHS varsity cheerleader coach. Grace brought her grandmother, Myra Shiver Valentine, who is a former Hahira cheerleader.

After lunch, Grace sat down with the girls for an intimate discussion. The girls were given an opportunity to talk about their lives, their struggles, and their fears freely. Cambree said, “Grace showed genuine interest in our lives, and she related her advice to the Bible and to the people in the Biblical stories. She showed so much compassion for the struggles we face. God moved in so many ways that day, and He created lots of new friendships and memories we will cherish forever.”

Emma Allbritton, a junior at Lowndes High School, said, “I learned from Grace to not let the enemy get in the way and that even if something doesn’t go my way, a bad thing can become a good thing, if it becomes a God thing!”

Cambree and her friends are learning that navigating life’s treacherous path can be accomplished. Having a true relationship with God and friends like Grace makes this attainable and sustainable. The true friend every young girl needs is God and a special friend like Grace who will boldly share His truth! | VM

“We weren’t called to speak our minds, we are called to speak the Spirit. True boldness requires courage, self-control, humility, and wisdom. Boldness doesn’t require perfection, just a perfect God working out the details for His good and our good. Boldness isn’t exclusive to the loud personalities. It is given by the Holy Spirit, and it is available to all of us. I want you to forget the lie that Jesus wants quiet and one-dimensional women on His team. Throughout this book, you will see that you can be bold and gentle, purposeful, and true to your personality, humble and confident. A little messy, yet expectant and even misunderstood and forgiven. Jesus listens to women, but to walk in purpose, we must listen to Him.” – excerpt from Grace’s book, What Will They Think?

Grace’s books can be purchased on Amazon, Books A Million, Grace and Cloth in Madison, Florida, and other bookstores.

Connect with Grace:

@thegracevalentine

@grace96, or website www.gracevalentine.org

Her podcast: Water into Wine www.gracevalentine.org