One Girl

If you are joining me here today from my devo running at RadRevolution, thanks for coming!

"Will the real me stand up?" Do you ever feel like you could ask yourself that question? Do you ever wonder "Who am I?".

It doesn't really matter what your age, once we are old enough to figure out that if we change this thing or that we will be liked more, it is hard NOT to do that! The truth is, there is only One that we should be doing that for, it is Jesus Himself. He is the One we need to be living to please each and every day.

One way that we can help ourselves to be one person is by being in God's Word everyday. Just like you need food and water, we need His word if we are going to please Him by becoming more like Him.

Could you use some help getting in the Word each day? I'm giving away a Mom and Me prize pack - For a teen girl- the 3 book series B.A.B.E. series by Andrea Stephens (Beautiful, Accepted, Blessed, Eternally Significant) for the teen and for Mom a $10 gift card to Starbucks along with Lynn's CD "Building a Bridge to Your Child's Heart". Just leave me a comment below on what would most help you in your life to be "one" girl; the same girl at home, school, church and work. You're comment could help another teen. Just click on comments below!

At RadRev, we are in the process of looking to give our ministry a new look and we would love your input. What do you think of the new name "She Stands"? We believe that each day you are making choices about standing up for Jesus and our desire is to be your friend along that journey. What do you think? Please let us know in the comments below as well :)

Happy Tuesday,
Lynn

The New Virginity

"The New Virginity" is what VH1 called the abstinence stance in their show with the same name this month. It is the sexual revolution in reversal. Celebrities such as the Jonas Brothers, Jordin Sparks, Miley Cyrus, Demi LaVado and Selena Gomez are all endorsing not following the crowd and saving sex for marriage. They proudly wear purity rings on their wedding finger as a visual reminder of the decision they have made.

Marketing promoters have discovered that there is plenty of money to be made in this virginity marketplace and every one wants a piece of it; from thongs made for you with wording such as "Want some? You can't have it" to scanty cami's with similar wording. Stores that typically go for an adult market have found a whole new gold mine in your culture. There is even an Ipod app with a virginity pledge!

So, is this new awareness a positive thing for your culture? I say "yes" and "no". Yes, there is much talk about saving yourself for your future spouse, but are teens and celebrities really doing that?

Many celebrities as they grow up discard their clean images and a sex-filled image fills it place as noted by celebrities such as Britney Spears or Jessica Simpson. These double messages are very confusing as we try to figure out this thing called love. Why wasn't waiting the way to go any more?

And what about all of those abstinence pledges. Unfortunately for many, pledges don’t work. A recent study has shown that in the majority of the cases, teen virginity pledges are broken, especially when made in large groups such as conferences and when the pressure really pours on in the college years. The reason: they are not made from your heart. It is something placed on you by your youth pastor, parents or even Christian friends.

What works is a close relationship with Jesus. True love is a person; his name is Jesus. Whether you are sexually active or not, every one looks for true love. That true love is Jesus Christ. He is enough to fill what all of us are looking for!

Do you have the desire to spend the rest of your life before marriage (if you get married :) pure? If so, how can you do it? There is a lot of pressure out there and it really does seem like every one is doing it.

You need real reasons to say "no". When hormones are flying, the party meter is running and accountability is low because you are in the wrong place at the wrong time, the your mind doesn't think of things such as pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and the future. What can motivate wise decisions is a Person; the One who loves you unconditionally, perfectly and is NEVER FAILING. There is no one on the earth that can promise that...not even Edward Cullen.

What can you do? Get some time with your parent, your pastor or small group leader and ask real life questions and get answers that are not peer-driven. Continue the process of making the right decisions with loving and caring adults helping to lead the way with love your motivation.

Got some questions? Post a comment by clicking on comments below or shoot me an email at lynn@proverbs31.org. You can also find me on facebook at Lynn Martin Cowell. I'd love to hear what you have to say!

What is God Like Anyway?

I am SO excited about the teen conference I get to speak at on February 13th at The Gate in Kinston, North Carolina. To start off the conference, I want to answer some of the questions that the girls asked last year, but we didn't get to. A big one was "What is God like?".

This morning as I was preparing for the conference, I literally found myself giggling at just how cool God is! How amazing is His love, acceptance and forgiveness.

God is...

The Perfect Father

Isaiah 64:8 "Yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay. You are the potter; we are all the work of your hands." NIV

For some of us, the word "father" conjurs up thoughts that are less than perfect (we all have fathers that were human), but we need to start by getting past any of these negative images of what a father is. God, our father, is perfect.

As this perfect father, He is love. I didn't say that He is loving, which is an action. I said "He is love". It is who He is; it is His character. Since it is who He is, He cannot do anything that is contary to love.

As this perfect father, He is tender toward us. Zephaniah 3:17 describes Him well, "The Lord your God is with you; he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you; he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." (NIV)

These are loving words; words of intimacy. He takes great delight in you. Delight means to take great joy or extreme pleasure. The God of the universe receives extreme pleasure in you; his creation.

He will quiet you with his love. This phrase brings up images of my husband, Greg, holding one of our babies when they were wailing. He was quieting them with his love; reassuring them that he was near and was caring for them.

He will rejoice over you with singing. My husband has sang songs to my kids from the day they were born; mostly songs that make them laugh. I can just picture the Father doing the same; rejoicing over us!

He knows you, gets you and still loves you! Sometimes you might not feel like that is true with your parents. They may have no idea about the thing you are doing in your life or the things you are thinking about doing, but your heavenly Father does and still loves you! Psalm 139 says He knows you inside and out...and still loves you! Aren't you SO glad? I sure am!!!

I am so glad; so grateful to have a perfect Father! Lord...Thank you!

Bring it On!

"I can't wait for the new semester!" Ever feel like you just have to have a change? Gotten in a rut that you just can't seem to get out of? That is what I love about the New Year. It gives me a sense that it is time for change; time for new.

What "new" are you wanting? New friends? New classes? Sometimes, we wish we could have a new family!

One new we can all have is a new heart. Last year you may have done things you wish you had never done. Seen things you wish you had never seen. Said "yes" to things that took you to places you wish you had never been. Your mind might be screaming ugly things at you, "See, that is who you really are. You've really messed up now!" But you know what? Your mind and the enemy of your heart, Satan, is not telling you the truth.

Jesus says it is NEVER too late! He says that He will always forgive; always take us back and make us new. Friend, it is never too late to get a fresh start. Don't give up. Don't look at the way things are and say, "I can't get out. I'm stuck. I can't change." Maybe you can't; but He can! He is a miracle working God; always has been and always will be. RUN to Him! With all you have, run to Him and just see what miracles He will do when you take your life and give it to Him.

Do you need help getting on the right path? Just leave a comment below or email me at Lynn@proverbs31.org. I'd love nothing more than to help you get off the path you are on and onto the one that leads where you really want to go!

The BBS - Best Big Sister that is!

Do you have a little brother or sister that drives you crazy? Maybe they’re going through that stage where even though they’re eleven they talk like they’re four? Are all of their questions pushing your buttons? “Can I borrow your straightener?” “ Can I hang out with you and your friends?” “Will you give me a ride to my friend’s house?”

Well, I have a confession to make: I was once the annoying little sister. In fact, I was the annoying little sister to six sisters and brothers! But you know what? They didn’t make me feel like I was. In fact, I felt just the opposite.

My closest sister in age is Janet, who is five years older than me. When I was little, I wanted to be just like her; I thought she was so cool! Janet was on the cross country and track team at school. She got along great with my parents. She was a leader in our youth group. She had a cute Christian boyfriend. She didn’t party or get into trouble and she was nice to me! What a great big sister!

I’m not sure if Janet was being intentional or not, but she had a huge influence in my life. She often gave me great advice, “Lynn, don’t party; it’s not worth it”. “Save yourself for the man that you will marry one day; it will be worth it.” Not only did Janet give great advice, she lived it out. She didn’t tell me one thing and live another. In fact, I believe it is because of her example of getting married as a virgin that I was able to do the same! Janet’s life made me want to copy her.

How about you? Are you aware that your little sisters and brothers are watching you, listening to you, copying you? Whether you know it or not, they are and like Janet, you have the opportunity to influence them either for good or bad.

So what are some ways that you can be intentional about influencing your siblings for good?

1) Do a Bible study together. Pick out a study that is a great fit for the two of you (if you need some help, ask an adult you respect) and set aside an hour or so once a week to study God’s word together. This one will produce great results for both of you!

2) If you have a little sister, take her shopping and help her to choose clothes that are modest. Just like you, your little sis is surrounded by those who have less than godly ideas of what looks terrific! Demonstrate to your sister that you can look great and glorify God too!

3) Recommend Christian music for her MP3 player. When I find a great band, I share it with my friends; they are always glad to hear about a great new group. Your sibling is the same. When you loading up your MP3, recommend it to your sibling too!

4) When your brother or sister is getting caught up in school drama, give a godly perspective. It probably wasn’t too long ago that you were in the same boat. Help them to work out their relationship struggles, using God’s word for advice.

5) Help your sibling become eternity minded. So many things in life really don’t matter in light of eternity. When your brother or sister is having trouble at school or on the ball field, help them out by reminding them this stuff is only temporary!

6) Demonstrate for them how to respect your parents. They may have friends who don’t honor their parents; be a positive example!

7) Recommend some great books you have read. Libraries and bookstores are loaded with all kinds of books; some good and some not! Point your sibling to books that is not only good, but good for them!

8) Encourage your brother or sister to get involved in a small group at church or Christian school club where they can grow in their faith. If you’re close to the same age, ask them to come with you!

9) Take some time to do something with your brother and sister that they like to do. If they are younger than you, get on the floor and play Legos! If they are older, ask them what they would like to do and then carve out time just for them. You’ll be demonstrating unselfishness!

10) Lastly, pray with your sibling. Nothing can be more powerful than to hear someone you look up to praying for you.

I hope this gives you some great ideas on how you can be a positive role model for your sibling. You never know, maybe one day your sibling will be writing an article about you!

Even More

“I’m just so tired of being good. Tired of sticking out; not fitting in! At school today the guys were talking about how “hot” the new girl is. Then one of them said, “Yeah, but she won’t do anything because she came from a Christian school. You know Christians won’t do anything!” It’s like we’re abnormal or something!” It was painfully clear that Hannah was frustrated. Stuck in a world where right is wrong and wrong is right, she seems to be getting worn out with going against the crowd.
Do you ever feel this way too? I do! It all can look SO great – a world revolving around music, clothes, photo opps for FaceBook, guys. Yet when we do “go there” it just feels wrong. Are there certain places or events that cause you to try to be a part of a crowd that isn’t best for you? What's a girl to do?

I think Paul got it. I’m glad he did because what he said sure helps me feel like I’m not alone. In 1 Thessalonians 4 he encourages his friends to keep living in a way that pleases God; in fact, do it even more!

Maybe that is the answer. Instead of trying to be the kid in the middle – a little bit Christian and a little bit like everyone else, we should try going all out! Maybe we should go God’s way and just see what happens. Maybe, just maybe, there is another girl who feels this way too and wants to go all out for God, but doesn't want to do it alone? Where can you find a girl like that? Christian club at school? Youth group at church?

In another book, Paul gives us a little heads up about what can happen if we do. In Galatians 6:9 he tell us to keep on doing what pleases God, not because you have to follow some list of rules, but doing it out of love! The results will be a life filled with God’s goodness. Now, sometimes that those good things don’t show up right away. But I have seen it happen! I have seen time after time when God completely blows my mind away by bringing things into my life I just never thought of! Try it; try Him! You just might find He’s the answer you’ve been looking for!

How do you start? Try replacing the things that are pulling you away from God with some time with Him. Get a new devotional book that will really challenge you to move forward in your relationship with Him.




Galatians 6:9 “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” (NLT)

1 Thessalonians 4:1, "One final word, friends. We ask you—urge is more like it—that you keep on doing what we told you to do to please God, not in a dogged religious plod, but in a living, spirited dance. You know the guidelines we laid out for you from the Master Jesus. God wants you to live a pure life." (The Message)

New Year - New Friends

A new school year! Exciting, yet scary. Can't wait one minute; nervous stomach next.

One of the great things I always looked forward to in a new school year was the chance to change things up a bit and meet some new friends. Different classes brought new opportunities to meet kids I had never hung out with before. Some times, though, those first few days can be weird. Trying to get a conversation started can be awkward. What if they think I'm weird? What if they already "have enough" friends and aren't looking for any new ones?

I know when I walk in a new place, I can feel uptight at first. But just think, if I feel that way, they probably do too! So how can we break the ice and find out if that new girl sitting next to me might just be my new best friend?

First prepare some great "ice breaker" questions. Everyone loves to talk about themselves, so asking questions is a great place to start. How long have you lived here? What activities are you thinking about participating in? What school did you go to last year? What do you think might be the best thing about this year? Once they answer that question, based on their answer you can ask another. (Be sure to comment back with your own answers to the questions, that way you are starting a conversation and not just asking questions!)

Next, really listen when she talks. So many people want to do all of the talking. If you are a real listener, you'll stand out as a great friend right from the start!

Lastly don't be afraid to do some inviting. Ask her to hang out at lunch, study for a test coming up or go to the first football game. Everyone wants to be wanted and asking her to hang out says just that!

As a final note: be sure to keep your eyes open for the kid who is new to your school. I recently read a startling statistic: kids who move more than three times have twice a likely chance to try to commit suicide. Moving is tough! Look for the girl who is twice as nervous as you and try to help her fit.

I'd love to hear how your first day of school goes! Stop back by and let me know.

Always His,
Lynn