Vol. 2 Issue 1
Go A Quest for Identity and Purpose
One Year Anniversary!
T he Virtuous Da
is One Y
We are so excited that we have been able to share this magazine for one whole year now. A year ago, I messaged a couple of my friends and said, “How would you guys like to help me with a online magazine for teenage girls?” Now here we are today, celebrating one year
of struggles, victories, challenges, and being able to encourage other girls.
I personally want to thank Cecilia Brown and Juliana Ebersole (these are the two girls I messaged a year ago). They are a huge part of making this happen. Cecilia, thank you for always being honest and sharing your opinion. You are a huge help. Juliana, I know you may think you don’t do much, but you are the backbone of this magazine. Thank you for always supporting this. As a team, we would like to thank all of the wonderful girls who have helped out with this magazine over the last year. Kimberly Amstutz,
aughter Magazine
Year Old!
Andrea Powell, you girls are amazing. No matter what we ask you to write, you somehow get it spot on the target. Alaina Burwell, we are so excited to have you on our team now! We are greatly looking forward to what you have to share with us in the next year. Also a huge
r thanks to all of those who gave up their time to write articles and share photos. We couldn’t have done this without all of you!
e And thank you to all of you, who read our magazine and support us through encouraging words. Without you guys our magazine would have gotten nowhere! And last, but oh so not least, thanks to our Creator, Jesus Christ. Without Him, there would be no point to this magazine. He is our channel, our source of life, our inspiration. We thank Him. -Katrina Swartzentruber
A note from the editors Iden·ti·ty noun
The qualities, beliefs, etc., that make a particular person or group different from others What is your identity? We hear this question a lot. I hope while reading through the pages of this magazine, you will notice that when we talk about identity we aren't talking about your driver’s license or your passport; we are talking about who you are as a person and who you are as a child of God. Identity is such an important part of every individual’s life, and our identity in Christ is even more so. -Cecilia Brown
Website:
Thevirtuousdaughter.wix.com/magazine Blog: Thevirtuousdaughtermagazine.wordpress.com Facebook:
The Virtuous Daughter Magazine Instagram:
@thevirtuousdaughter Google +:
+thevirtuousdaughter thevirtuousdaughter@gmail.com
2
One Year Anniversary Letter
12 What is Identity? 14 A Quest for Identity and Purpose: Part 1 28 Letting Go 34 The Importance of Finding our Identity
22 Artistry 32 Dine 30 Amelia Emily Jones 40 DIY 38 Book recommendations
Several Mennonite girls striving to be like Jesus Christ, and sharing His love to other girls! Through this magazine we hope to connect with other girls with similar goals and encourage one another in our walk with God.
Katrina Swartzentruber– Creator, Creative Director Hello Ladies! It brings me much joy to be able share this magazine with you! I am 15 years old, and I live in NE Missouri with (part of) my family. I have 3 older sisters (two of which are married) and one younger brother. I enjoy all things art, such as music, extravagant lattés, and photography. I also love babies and children, telling stories, and writing on my blog and for the magazine.
Cecilia Brown– Creator, Creative assistant
I'm a seventeen-year-old living in the beautiful hills of NE Missouri. I adore being with my family and friends, but when it comes to new people I am a total introvert. I am very fond of dabbling in all sorts of creative pursuits. I like big cups of chai, volleyball, reading a good book, and lively discussions. But mostly I am trying to live a passionate life all for Jesus.
Juliana Ebersole– Creator Hello!! My name is Juliana Ebersole. It is an absolute delight for me to be able to make this magazine happen. I have lived in Mongolia with my family ever since I was 5, so I have enjoyed growing up and living my life there for the past 10 years. I look forward to seeing what God has in store for me and my life. I enjoy doing pretty much anything concerning children. They bring me joy and happiness. I also enjoy keeping in touch with my friends back in the States and pretty much all over the world. I hope you feel inspired and encouraged by our magazine. God bless you all as you shine bright for Him!
Meet everyone who helped out with this issue
Kimberly Amstutz– Staff Writer My name is Kimberly Amstutz. I am 16 yrs. old. I live in Jonesville, Michigan. A friend of mine asked me to be a staff writer for The Virtuous Daughter Magazine. I felt like this was something God wanted me to do, and I have enjoyed writing the articles SO MUCH! As far as hobbies go, I enjoy writing, reading, (mysteries, mostly) and baking. My favorite is probably riding my horse! Cats also hold a special place in my heart!
Andrea Powell– Staff Writer My name is Andrea Powell and I am from Lake Butler, Florida. I am 14 and I have enjoyed writing ever since third grade. I enjoy other things, too, like swimming, riding horses, babysitting little kids, playing volleyball and also I love to sing (just ask my family). Overall though, I am just a normal girl, trying (like the rest of you) to be like Jesus and to reach out to others. I hope to encourage and inspire you to love Jesus with all your heart.
Alaina Burwell– Staff crafter My name is Alaina Burwell and I have lived in Mongolia since I was 9! I really love to paint...as well as any type of arts and crafts! I also enjoy photography, and working with little kids!
Dorcas Swartzentruber– Staff Editor Hi! I am the mother of 4 sweet daughters and a lively son, ranging in age from 22 to 11. I enjoy talking, working, and relaxing with my hubby of 25 years. I also enjoy building relationships with my children and with women in my church and community, teaching, and keeping my home (somewhat) organized.
Kim Martin– Staff Photographer Hello, My name is Kim Martin. I am 18 years old and I live in upstate New York. I absolutely love photography and learning about it. I also enjoy doing crafts, working with children, going on road trips, exploring new places, drinking coffee, and being with people. I believe the purpose for my life is not to live for me, but to serve Yahweh with everything I am. Bless you all! :)
Lorissa Hochstetler- Guest writer Hello! I live in Hicksville, Ohio. I work as a nurse in a surgical, trauma, neuro ICU in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Some interests I have include but are not limited to: travel, music, health, relationships, reading, writing, entertaining, and planning/organizing.
Staff Photographers Katrina Swartzentruber Cecilia Brown
11
What is identity? We hear this all the time. Finding identity. I found identity, etc. etc. What does it really mean, though? What does it truly mean to find your identity? The word identity simply means ”the fact of being who or what a person or thing is.” Who you are. What you believe. What you do. So
who are you? What do you believe? I’m going to split identity into two parts. Now, these should not be separate parts, but if both are in harmony they will work together beautifully. The first part is our physical identity. The second is our spiritual identity.
a reflection of our Spiritual identity. Where is God in our life? Do we feel Physical: as though in order to have Christ when you look into first place in our life we must go to the mirror, what do you see? You see you. church, wear the right clothes, and You see who you are, read the Bible and pray for a specific amount each day? While this is imor who you believe yourself to be. When portant, it’s not what being a Christian all is about. Our spiritual identiothers look at you, who do they see? Im- ty should not come from the things agine somebody was we do, it should come from our personal relationship with Jesus Christ. talking behind their back about you. What would they say? While God can see our inward appearance, human beings can’t, so it’s very important that our walk matches up with our talk. The way we talk, how we dress, the way we treat other people. This becomes our physical identity. Who people see us as, and what they relate us to. Spiritual: Our physical identity will always be
A Quest for Identity and Purpose Part 1
By Lorissa Hochstetler
All my life I have wanted to belong and be a part of something. I desire to be vibrant and beautiful; on the inside and outside! I have, in the past, felt ugly at times and like I have nothing to offer the world. I wonder things like: who am I and what is my purpose? Will I always feel this way? Is there something I can do about it? How do I go about getting answers? Where do I start? Maybe you, too, have felt restless and long for answers to questions like these. In this article I will share some of what I am learning in my quest of figuring out who I am, what is my purpose, and practical application on becoming a vibrant and beautiful lady! As a young girl, I lived life to please myself. I found it did not make me happy. I would have these soul-searching moments late at night while the rest of the household was asleep. It was in those times that I would evaluate myself and future. When I was around 11-12 years old, I committed to live my life for Jesus, rather than myself, during one of those moments. Nothing major seemed to really happen at the time besides that I felt a great peace. A peace that is hard to explain, but so real you can just allow yourself to sit back and relax in it. This was the beginning of my quest in figuring out who I am and what my purpose is. Quest: “a long and difficult effort to find or do something� (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ quest). Who am I? One of the first things that come to mind when someone asks me who I am is my name. I am Lorissa. If they need additional identity information, I then provide them with my last name.
Now they can associate me with my family. Sometimes that is meaningless to people that do not know my family. I then go a step further and tell them where I live or what church I go to, associating myself with an area and a group of people. There, surely they will know who I am, now! Still need further identity? OK, let me tell you what I do for a job. All these things are not bad to be associated with and do; in fact, they become part of who we are. I once heard that it is dangerous for us to only find our identity in things that can be taken away. For example, if you find your identity in your family and they are all suddenly killed…then who are you? If you find it rather in your church and it dissolves or is taken out by terrorist….then who are you? If you find it rather in a job/role or a significant other and that is taken away from you…then who are you? I am going to tell you who you are! Genesis 1:27 KJV “So God created
man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” You are the image of God. What distinguishes man from the rest of creation is his likeness to God. This is our core identity. This is an identity that no one on this earth can ever take away. It is for all mankind, not just the believer. Made by Him; made like Him. I accept the fact that I was created by a higher power and made in His image, which gives me identity. However, I find it does not automatically give me purpose. How do I find purpose? I have come to the conclusion that we are all created for a general purpose as well as a specific purpose. The general purpose we are created for is to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12: 30-31). To worship and bring Him glory with our lives. The specific purpose for each of us is as unique as each of our fingerprints!
We were created with specific gifts, talents, and interests. Placed in a unique location, family, and time. There are some things that only you have opportunity to reach out and do, only you. The choice is yours. God gives us a free choice to do these things, but He never forces us. How does one figure out what their specific purpose is? In my life, I am learning that even though it is important to be looking for my specific purpose, I should not to be consumed with trying to figure it out. Rather, I try to focus more on simply having a soft and obedient heart towards Him. Each day, I look to the Lord for direction with a willing heart to obey what He asks of me. In doing this, I believe it will ultimately lead me to living out my specific purpose! I like to learn from the lives of Godly women in history, picking out specific ways they brought glory to God. Some of my favorites are: Amy Carmichael, Corrie Ten Boom, and Elizabeth Elliot. I have to wonder if, while they were in the middle of living their lives,
they knew their specific purpose, or if it simply happened while they focused on living lives with soft, obedient hearts towards their Father. In my quest, I found the value of having a relationship with Jesus. He truly does give more of a reason to live! I was raised in a conservative Christian home and taught about God and the Bible. I felt well instructed from a young age on the fact that Jesus may come “knocking at my hearts door” someday, and what to do to “let Him in.” Once I did that, I felt a little lost as to where to go next. It seemed the instructions ran out, leaving me lost as where to go next and what it should look like. I was encouraged to read my Bible and pray every day, and I did. Well, I tried to anyway. It was hard and the Bible was kind of complicated to read and did not make a lot of sense! I want to share with you some things I am learning and implementing in my life to becoming a vibrant and beautiful lady.
Know Him. Do not make it complicated. Think about it like any other relationship in your life. The only difference is that you cannot physically see Him or audibly hear Him like you are used to in your current relationships. To have a relationship with anyone, you need to be introduced. This introduction to Jesus is extended to us, but we have to “start the conversation.” We do this by recognizing our need for Him, believing He exists, repenting of our sins, and inviting Him to live in us. Talk to Him; the next step in a relationship is to communicate with that person. We communicate with Jesus by praying (talking) to Him. There is value in having formal prayer on your knees but I am also learning the value of keeping the conversation going through each day. He longs for relationship with us, and enjoys hearing you say things like, “Thank you for this beautiful sunset, Jesus” as you pass by a window. Or, “Wow, God, do you see that lady over there crying and talking on the phone? I do not know what is going on in her life, but I just ask you to minister to her, meet her need, and help her to know it came from you.” I talk to Him in my car while I drive, during my job, before and during a test, when I am working with money He blessed me with, and the list goes on. Spend time to learn about Him. When you really want to get to know someone, you make an effort to ask them about their interests, past, and aspirations. It is no different with Jesus. His Word is where you will get to know more about what interests Him, His past, and His future. Oh, wait; it is your future, too! I used to think that the Bible was just kind of a boring, old book (although true), talking about things which happened a long time ago, and that it really did not have anything to do with me today. I am learning it has everything to do with today!
Find creative ways to get into the Word. Some options may be reading: a chronological Bible, a chapter a day, 6-month or a year-reading plan, focus on a topic or a book. If a verse stands out to you or is given to you during a difficult time, try writing it out and memorizing it. Watch valid DVD’s about the Bible and make it come alive for you! Prepare a place to meet Him. Just like any other friend in your life, you have to make room for them. This special place might be on the couch beside you. Or maybe you need to put this meeting in your schedule. Do you have a place to meet Him? Are there too many things swirling around in your mind when you sit down to read or pray that you cannot even focus? Write them on a paper as they come to mind and tell yourself you will deal with them later. Or ask Jesus to help clear your mind and pray through each thing that comes up, giving those things to Him; He is trustworthy. Do you have an external place you can meet Him? When you sit down, do you see clutter and a mess around you, or just excessive decorating and distractions? You may need to do something creative like my friend has done. Empty out a closet or space. Put some blankets, pillows, and a lamp in there: prayer closet. What a great idea, no distractions! Something I have started to practice this past year is not looking at anything online before I talk to God or read the Word in the beginning of my day. I found I spent more time on there than I meant (or needed) to, and then I had to move on with my day and shorten, or even skip, my time with God. Preparing an internal/external space as well as making time in our schedules is helpful in meeting with Him. I hope you are starting to gain a picture of where your identity comes from, how to go about finding purpose, as well as ways to have a relationship with Jesus. What about being a vibrant and beautiful lady on the inside and outside? ——To be continued …..
Photography by Kimberley Martin
y r t rtis
A
Creating color in life Welcome to Artistry! Today we have with us Melody Zimmerman! She will be sharing how she likes to make coffee. If you enjoy this, you can go to her blog roseonajourney.wordpress.com for more recipes! -Katrina Have you noticed how many recipes,
move from heat and let cool around 5
copycat Starbucks lattes, coffee syrups,
minutes. Add flavorings and transfer to
and delectable photos there are concern- container. I like to use a glass Starbucks ing this one delicious beverage? I am
bottle–they pour pretty well. This recipe
now here to add my “two bits” as well.
can also be used for hazelnut or hazelnut
You see, in my experience, there are
caramel–just play around with it!
some things in these recipes that often
So, about flavor. I tried making caramel
seem lacking–deep flavor, practicality,
coffee syrup using a simple syrup recipe
beauty. I am here to present to you all
(sugar+water) and adding caramel syrup
three.
(like the ice cream topping) to that. I don’t
Caramel Coffee Syrup
know what your experiences are, but I’ve
2 c. Water 2 c. Sugar 1-2 t. Caramel Flavoring (I use Watkins brand) 1/2 t. Maple Flavoring (Watkins) Boil sugar and water for 5 minutes. Re-
always felt as though this was intensely lacking in the one thing it was supposed to be–caramel flavor. It tends to just make your coffee sweet. While that may be delicious, it doesn’t replace a coffee shop drink by any stretch of the imagination. I’ve also tried adding straight caramel
syrup. Again, you have to add a lot to get enough flavor, and by that time, it’s overly sweet (and it gets a little expensive, even to make your own). I’ve never really had much luck with Torani coffee syrup either–it’s just a little expensive to use it daily, and a little too sweet. Using flavorings allows you to be able to adjust according to your taste. If you want more caramel, add more! I also like to add some maple flavoring to enhance the caramel. You cannot taste it if you don’t know it’s there, and it really rounds out the caramel flavor. These cost around $3 a bottle, which sounds expensive. But, when compared to buying a bottle of coffee syrup, this is much, much cheaper per cup. And forward, on to practicality and beauty! I will now present two recipes: one using normal kitchen tools, the other using espresso machine essentials. The first method is not as strong coffee flavored, and is great for using with French press coffee. The second will require some basic espresso-making tools (and not quite as much practicality). First, begin with 1/3 a cup or so of strong coffee, made in your preferred method. The next step is to heat and blend some milk. I warmed up about 3/4 c. milk in my magic bullet jar. You don’t want to boil the milk, but you do want it to be pretty hot. Blend your milk for about 30 seconds. If you like, you can add 1/2 T. coconut oil to your milk while you’re blending it.
Add 1-2 T. coffee syrup. If you have your milk in a large blender, pour it into a glass measuring cup or a small pitcher. Tap your milk on the countertop to pop any large bubbles and swirl it around a couple times. Repeat the tap/swirl. Carefully pour your milk in, leaving a little foam/milk in the bottom of your pitcher. Now, for the beauty part! Sprinkle cinnamon (or cocoa, if you’re not a cinnamon fan) over the top of the coffee. Take a spoon and carefully distribute the cinnamon over the top layer of foam–you’re not trying to mix it into the entire cup. Take another spoon (or clean off the one with cinnamon), and scrape off some foam from the milk in your pitcher. Carefully, just touch the surface of the cinnamon with your spoon of foam to make a little dollop. Make a large circle of dots and a smaller circle in the middle. Take a skewer, thermometer point, or something similar (round, but not too fat or too skinny–a toothpick is too small usually) and slice through the dots in a spiral pattern, creating a series of little hearts! Alternatively, you can just put a giant dollop of coolwhip on and pour on some caramel–tada! Now for version two. You will need these items: -Pump-powered espresso machine (you can use a steam powered machine, but you will get little, if any, crema) -Coffee Beans and Burr Grinder (or pre-ground espresso grind coffee) -Metal Tamper (preferably not a plastic one that came with your machine) -Metal Steaming Pitcher (found in some stores as a cream pitcher) -Milk -Coffee Syrup (the good stuff) -Coffee Mug
To begin, turn on your machine and let it warm up. While it’s warming up, empty the grounds from the filter basket if you haven’t already. Rinse it out, dry it, and set it aside. Put the filter holder/handle back on and brew plain water into your cup–either half full or if your machine is set to brew a certain amount, until it shuts off. Microwave the water for around a minute (grind your coffee beans while it’s heating) There are a couple reasons for doing this. Firstly, it will clean off any grounds that are left on the machine from the last time. And secondly, it will warm your cup up so that when you brew your espresso, it is not cooled off by a cold cup. Pour your coffee grounds into the filter basket. Tamp your coffee grounds by pressing your tamper down really hard, and then twisting and pick up. Tap the sides with your tamper to knock down any grounds that got pushed up the sides and repeat the tamping process. I typically tamp mine a total of three times. The goal is to get an even, hard finish. Place in your machine. Empty the hot water out of your mug and add 1-2 T. of coffee syrup–if you don’t know how much to add, err on the side of not enough, since you can add more later. Brew that espresso. In my experience, espresso machines come with either a ‘single’ filter basket or a ‘double’. I always use the double. The reason being that this is not a $400 machine, my grinder is not a $200 grinder and my beans are not fresh. If all of those factors were in place, a single shot would be sufficient. However, with mediocre equipment, I feel like I get the best results with the ‘double’. I usually fill my mug to around 1/3 or just beneath 1/2 full (would be less without the syrup).
Set the espresso aside and turn on the steam function to preheat. While it is heating, pour your milk into your pitcher. Always store your pitcher in the fridge or freezer when you’re not using it so that when you pour in your milk, it stays cold as long as possible. One of my machines took forever to heat up and so I would pour the milk and then set it in the freezer to keep cold while I was waiting. Hold the pitcher in such a way that the metal is flush against your palm so that you can feel the temperature (it works best for me to do this with my left hand). Immerse the tip of the wand and turn the steam on. Immediately after the steam is flowing, bring the tip to the surface of the milk so that it is sucking air in. If you put it too high, you’ll blow bubbles and milk everywhere. If it’s too low, you won’t be getting any air. It should sound something like paper being ripped. Once you can feel the milk becoming warm against your palm, put the tip back down in the milk and play with the angle until the milk is rolling around in the pitcher. If there are loud screeching sounds, your tip is likely too close to the bottom of the cup. When the pitcher becomes too hot to touch, shut the machine off. Wait to remove the pitcher until the steam stops, then set it aside. With a wet cloth, wipe off the steam wand and run a little steam through it to rinse out any milk. Pour in your steamed milk! I purposely poured so that the milk all went under the crema, leaving the top golden. If you like, you can sprinkle cinnamon on top–I love how it tastes with the caramel. Then following the directions above, I added dots and sliced through them to make hearts.
Article and Photography by Melody Zimmerman
A young women’s journey to finding complete ident
Written by Juliana Ebersole and Katrina Swartzentru
tity in Christ.
uber
Imagine with us for a moment, if you would, that you are in a comfortable, deep sleep, and you are dreaming a glorious dream. In this dream, you are clothed in magnificent beauty of a white flowing gown, sewn with silver thread. You feel like a princess. Suddenly, you hear the sound of hoof beats, and you glance up. From a distance, you see shining armor and a gallant, sturdy man. He is riding atop the most beautiful white horse you have ever seen, and your heart is already flying to him. But then as he comes closer, you begin to notice more things. His armor isn’t shining. It’s rusty and tarnished. The horse isn’t white; it’s grey with a shaggy mane. And what happened to the handsome knight? He’s old and ugly.
That Flameless Fire We all have dreams. Dreams of adventure, dreams of boys, dream of who you’d like to be, what you’d like to do. But what if the same thing happens to you as what happened in the dream? What if when we take flight, we fall? Life is so full of opportunities, but all you see is a flameless candle. You feel pointless. Flameless. Void of any meaning. You feel no passion. You feel no meaning. To where do you turn? To where do you run?
has given you the power to choose whether or not to take His As it says in John 15:5, we are the purpose. God has a beautiful stobranches, God is the vine. Every- ry in store for you. And all you thing we do should be an outflow have to do is let go and say of Him. And without that True “yes.” Vine, we are pointless. We are Setting it Ablaze flameless. Void of any meaning. We all must come to a point So what now? What does it mean at our life where we see that to “let go”? It means laying everywithout Jesus, we are living our thing—ideas, plans, hopes, life in vain. But what can we do? dreams, everything—at the altar. God is the Almighty Creator of the Cutting loose of the ties that bind world, but the amazing thing is you—guilt, worry, pain, sorrow— that while He is the Almighty Creand trusting in God to take it all ator of the world, He still chose to and transform it. We must not create you, and because of that, simply try to brush these things we believe that He has a very speoff into the wind, because they cial purpose in store for you. As it will eventually boomerang and says in Ephesians 1:11, ”In him we come back to us. We need to pick were also chosen, having been them up and place them in the predestined according to the plan hand of Jesus, who is always of him who works out everything standing there waiting. Because in conformity with the purpose of what do you gain if we keep those His will.”(NIV) See, before you things tucked away in your heart? were even born, God had your life Ask God to search you for any hidplanned out. He has a very speden places, and fill every nook cific purpose for you, and yet He
Igniting the Flame
and cranny. Step out on Faith, and Surrender. He is always there waiting. Even when we think we are worthless, He says we are priceless. “He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.” Psalm 40:2(ESV)
Feeding that Flame What did you do when you became a Christian? Accept the fact the Jesus paid the price for your sins and asked Him into your life? Yes, this is what we need to do. Sadly, most Christians stop there. Yet Christianity is so much more than that. It’s
having a personal, connected relationship with Jesus Christ, our Relentless Lover. It’s cultivating a growing relationship with Him. Picture this: a girl just got engaged. She is finally his. Nobody else can come and sweep her off her feet because he has. All of her friends are certain of her engagement and are joining in with preparation for her wedding day. She talks to fiancé daily, and she listens when he wants to talk. She waits eagerly for her wedding day, when she will finally be able to be at his side—forever. So who are you? Are you spoken for? Are you in a deep relationship with your First Love, Jesus Christ? Let go, and say “yes”.
No-churn Coffee Ice Cream Ingredients: 2 cups heavy cream 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk (I prefer Eagle Brand) 5 tsp instant coffee + 2 1/2 tsp warm water (I love using Folgers instant coffee) 2 tsp vanilla extract Instructions: In a large bowl, whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Dissolve instant coffee granules in warm water and stir into heavy cream mixture along with sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract. Pour ice cream mixture into an airtight container and freeze for 5-6 hours or overnight.
Article by Andrea Powell. Photography by various
There is something about knowing exactly who you are and being ok with it that is so hard for me. I hope I’m not the only one. It’s funny that I was asked to write on this, because it had been on my mind and I had been “struggling with it” I guess you could say. I had/have questions running through my head like: “What kind of a girl am I supposed to be? Will others think I’m weird if I just completely let my guard down and be who I am at home with my siblings? What if I DO let my guard down and be me and me isn’t such a good person? What if others are secretly annoyed at me and find me really hard to get along with and just don’t tell me? What if they’re just being nice to
me because they have to? How
Maybe you are wondering how
much should I change of who I am this applies to finding your identity to please someone else, or should and purpose. Well, let’s do a little I at all? But then, who am I any-
word study:
way?”
Godliness:
Wow, that was a lot of questions! Maybe I am the only girl that feels
In the Bible I was using, the cross reference was Hebrews 13:5
this way sometimes and maybe all which says; “Let your conversaof you girls should be writing ME
tion be without covetousness; and
an article! But I guess I will do my
be content with such things as ye
best to be of SOME help. But be-
have………”
lieve me, I am just writing what I know to be true. The hard part is BELIEVING it and LIVING it. so I am going to divide into two parts and talk about IDENTITY first and then PURPOSE. IDENTITY: Recently, I have read a couple of verses that REALLY stuck out to me on this subject. “But Godliness with Contentment is Great Gain.”
So could this verse be rewording the previous verse? Let’s see: what does ‘conversation’ mean? CONVERSATION: literally means your conduct. So re-wording it would be: “Let your CONDUCT be without covetousness (excessively eager to obtain and possess something that isn’t yours);
and be content with such things as have, and try to become what they ye have.” Could that ‘something’ be someone else’s character or the person they are? We all know what content-
are. But rather, be ok with who you are as a Child of God and His continued working in you.” Well, I was definitely surprised at what I found. So your identity
ment is, but what exactly does
should not be altered by what oth-
‘conduct’ mean?
ers might think of you. You should
CONDUCT: personal behavior or
not let them intimidate you into be-
course of actions.
ing something you are not. Your ul-
So could one meaning of god- timate identity is an Adopted liness actually be (putting Hebrews Daughter of Jesus Christ. 13:5 in my own words): “Don’t let
“Having predestinated us unto the
your personal behavior/actions de- ADOPTION of children by Jesus pend on what others are. Don’t
Christ to Himself, according to the
covet the person they are or some- Good Pleasure of His will.” thing they possess or a talent they
Ephesians 1:5
So what others think of us is total- wanted. It’s very natural. And we all ly unimportant, as long as we are
need to have a purpose in life. And
living a life fully surrendered to Je-
as Christians, we do have a pur-
sus and His will and way for our
pose. It is, of course, to glorify God.
lives. Wow! Just let that sink in.
That should be our ultimate goal in
THAT is what I find so hard to truly,
life.
truly believe and live out. I think for
There is one thing that makes you
us as humans it’s just natural for us feel like you have a purpose, to worry about what others think.
though. And for me that is making
But constantly worrying about what goals. I make goals every month in others think about you takes joy out three different categories: personal, of life. And it’s really quite pointless
spiritual and physical. It makes me
if you are living according to God
feel like I have a purpose and it
and His Word.
makes me feel organized. It’s good
Purpose:
for you to, at the beginning of every
Everyone wants to feel needed and month, sit down and think through… your life really.
Think about what you want to be, and the things you want to aim for to become that. There are always things to work on and things to become better at. So I challenge you to do this with me. Maybe you want to do weekly, or even daily goals, too. Or maybe even big goals for a whole year—it’s totally up to you. And to sum it all up, read Paul’s goal and make it your own: “But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of Christ Jesus.” Each one of you are beautiful and unique in your own special way. You are the apple of your Father’s eye. Be who God created you to be and don’t be ashamed of it.
By Alaina Burwell
DIY Stress Ball
For this DIY you will need: A funnel A small amount of oil of any kind A thick balloon A cup of flour (I didn't use all of it!)
2.Pour as much flour as you can 1.
Insert the funnel into the top of the balloon.
into the balloon. (I had to use a spoon at the end to get the rest in!)
3. Take the oil and pour as much as you can get into the balloon and mix it by scrunching the balloon up.
4. Tie the ball tightly and there you go! A DIY stress ball!
Chapter 4 “The Not-So-Perfect Summer Job” Amelia was pumped. She just couldn’t believe it. It was finally happening! She had been offered a summer job, weeding flower beds for her neighbor, Ms. Averie. Amelia’s mother warned her that the work would be hard, and Ms. Averie wasn’t the most pleasant woman to work for, but Amelia insisted. You see, all her friends already had summer jobs, and Sharon even had a full time babysitting job for the Norton family. Not that Amelia wanted to babysit those Norton brats, but at least Sharon could say she had a full-time job. And now it was Amelia’s turn. Ms. Averie had scheduled Amelia to begin working in 2 weeks. In that short time, Amelia told everyone she met about her job, even though she hadn’t officially started. Her first day of work dawned a beautiful day, as well as humid. Amelia was up before the sun, overcome with excitement. She was determined to arrive for her first day right on time. And she did too. Ms. Averie answered the door, with a scowl on her face. “Oh. It’s you.” She frowned, “Follow me to the shed.” Amelia followed the crippling old woman across the lawn to the garden shed. Ms. Averie gave brief instructions, and left Amelia to begin. At first Amelia enjoyed herself. Pulling weeds at her own pace was actually kind of peaceful, and she slowly worked her way through the front flower bed. The day was hot and humid, but she didn’t really notice; after all, weeding gardens wasn’t all that taxing if you took your time. At 4:00, she put her garden tools back in the shed, and ran to tell
Ms. Averie that she was finished for the day. Ms. Averie answered the door with a nasty look. “Well, child,” she sneered, “Did you enjoy yourself?” she asked sarcastically. Amelia’s heart dropped. She forced her eyes to meet Ms. Averie. “Umm, yes Ma’am, I did.” Ms. Averie pounded her cane on the step and yelled, “Well, that wasn’t what you came here to do! Did you realize, that it took you ALL DAY to weed just ONE flower bed, and even after all that, you still did a very messy job. You missed half the weeds in that garden! Are you sure you don’t want to water the weeds before you leave, since you seem to be so fond of them?” She said with a smug look. Amelia just looked at the floor and stammered, “I’m sorry… I uh… guess I wasn’t
paying attention….” Ms. Averie just turned around to go back inside, but before she slammed the door, she said, “Come back tomorrow morning! You are going to have to re-weed that whole flower bed, just to make sure it’s done right,” and she was gone. Amelia just stood there for a moment, taking it all in. “This isn’t how a job is, is it? My friends all made it sound like so much fun…. But I can’t quit, not after I told everyone about my new job, not after I boasted so much! That would just be too humiliating!!!” Amelia turned and walked home. Her mom greeted her with a hug, and asked how her first day was. Amelia just shrugged, said it was fine, and went to her room. She so badly wanted to tell Mom about Ms. Averie, she so badly want-
wanted to just quit her ‘job’, but she just couldn’t take the embarrassment. The next morning, she slowly walked over to Ms. Averie’s house. She halfheartedly knocked on the door. Ms. Averie answered the door with an irritated expression. “You know what to do!” she snapped to Amelia, and slammed the door. Amelia set to work, this time determined to do it right. But somewhere inside her she wondered if there would ever be a way to please a grumpy old grouch like Ms. Averie. Continued in the next issue
Book Recommendations
Reading someplace to go when we have to
Stay we are
Spoken For Embracing who you are and whose you are
Written by Robin Jones Gunn and Alyssa Joy Bethke Say Yes to the Love Story of Your Life A great romance was set in motion before you were born. A relentless Lover is pursuing you, and He has made His intentions clear. He wants you to be His forever. How will you respond to the One who longs for you to be His with your whole heart? In Spoken For, Robin Jones Gunn and Alyssa Joy Bethke speak to your heart about what it means for you to belong to Christ, who you are because of His love, and how that affects the way you live. Drawing on biblical promises and their personal experiences, these two friends share what it’s like to live out God’s unfolding love story. Through Alyssa’s sweet love story with her husband Jefferson Bethke, and through Robin’s translating this to our relationship with Christ, this book will draw you in, and draw you closer to God. Who are you? Who do you belong to? You are not up for grabs. You are spoken for.
Naomi Waldron!
Next issue: The Beauty of Friendships