Letter to My 18 Year Old Self

I wrote a letter today to a dear girl who is turning 18 soon and will be heading off for college. It sure got my head thinking. Thought I would share it with you; maybe you are turning 18 soon as well....

Dear Sweetheart,

The other day I was thinking....if I was going to write a letter to my 18 year old self, what would I say? Because whatever I would say to her, is what I would want to share with you.

What I would say is it is worth it.
It is WORTH investing in your love relationship with Jesus. He is the only thing you can count on.

It is WORTH it to save your heart, mind and body to give away to just one man one day. I am so, so glad I did.

It is WORTH it to take risks to pursue not only what you love, but what you believe God created you to do.

It is WORTH it to say "no" to some things today, because it will mean you will get to say "yes" to the best.

It is WORTH it to stay close to your family; they are one of the only things that doesn't change.

It is WORTH to find your place in the body of Christ; we need each other.

It is WORTH it fill your mind with the truth of who you are in Him. If you don't, others will fill your mind for you.

It is WORTH it to count the cost now because the dividends are beyond this world.

You will grow, change and mature in the next few years unlike any other. You will make decisions that will impact the rest of your life. One choice at a time, you will create a path that has a likely outcome. Choose it carefully, honey. Forgiveness if free, but healing isn't. You are free to make wise and godly decisions. He'll speak; just be sure to always listen and obey.

All my Love,

Lynn

So Into Me

Don't leave home without it! That seems to be many teens' mottoes when it comes to cameras. There is an overwhelming need to capture everything that's done...to load onto FaceBook. Hours a day can be spent posting pics, updating statuses, and commenting on everything from songs to videos.

Is FaceBook and other social medias simply a replacement of the phone or is it more?

"Almost 60 percent of college students agreed with the statement "People in my generation use social networking sites for self-promotion, narcissism and attention-seeking." The amount of comments per day for some has become the scale where they measure their friendships and for others, their self-worth.

This generation was the first to have praise poured into you when you were small. You were the first generation of kids to receive trophies not for winning first place, but for playing. You were constantly told "You're the princess". While for some, this has been a positive thing. For others, it has fed that selfish heart that we have all been born with and it hasn't turned out good.

This can lead to big problems in life. "Narcissists have an inflated sense of self, so they're prone to take too many risks. And they've proven to be worse at maintaining relationships or working on teams, which you need to be able to do in most jobs." And might I add, to function as part of the body of Christ, to be a stable marriage partner and a balanced parent.

Be aware of the amount of time your're spending on these social medias and what you're posting there. Ask the Lord, "Is this a harmless outlet for me or have I made it more?" Then listen. He'll show you.

1. Joiner, Whitney. "ego trip." Teen Vogue. April 2010: 54 - 55.

New Name

Hey Girls,
The ministry that I am a part of Radical Revolution is looking to make a new name change. We are looking for something that is fresh and speaks to what our mission is. Can you let me know what you think? You can email me at Lynn@proverbs31.org. Can't wait to hear from you!

Name: She Reaches



Theme Verse: “… Press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” – Philippians 3:14 (NLT)


Tagline (& Mission Statement): Encouraging teen girls to reach their highest potential in Christ



About Us: She Reaches is a division of Proverbs 31 Ministries dedicated to reaching middle and high school girls. Our purpose is to be there with you in the ups and downs of life, encourage you find value in the heart of God, and challenge you to reach your highest potential in Christ.

What's The Wise Thing?

If you are joining me here today through my devotion, Here is the Path, welcome! If you haven't had a chance to read it, please do!

Life is full of choices. What classes should I take next year? Where should I go to college? Should I use my money to go on that missions trip with my youth group or get that car that I really need? As I mentioned in my devo, some answers the Bible makes very clear. But what about those that are not?

In Andy Stanley's book, The Principle of the Path, Andy gives some great advice. He says that when we hit up against those decisions in life that we can't find answers for clearly in the Bible, we should ask ourselves this very simple question, "What is the wise thing?". You see, every choice we make is a step and each step evenutually leads down a path to a destination. Is that destination where you want to end up?

Let's say you are trying to decide if you should play lacrosse this spring or try out for the Chamber choir at your school? You know that with the classes you are taking and the demands that each would put on you schedule that it wouldn't be wise to try to do both. So how do you know what to do? Ask yourself the question: What would be the wise decision? Is it wise for you to have a physical outlet to help you to keep your sanity or are you hoping one day to be able to use your music in your future and this group would be a great place to grow? They both sound great. What is the wise thing to do?

When we ask God for His clear direction plus ask this simple question, often a peace will rise up in our hearts that makes the right choice a bit more obvious. Just remember to ask Your Father; He always knows best!