Soooo I’m sitting here watching America’s next top model.. I don’t know why, it’s just one of those shows I need to watch every week. [can you say addict?!]  ANYWAY.. one of the girls is apparently “gaining weight” on the show and Tyra Banks is quite upset.  I look at this girl and laughed. Not because she is overweight, but because she is, guaranteed, still a size 2 and she’s worried!!  (haha kinda funny cause I’m sitting in my ‘chair n’ a half’ with a big bag of chips…to myself!)  but not the point…

The definition of a ‘nice body’ varies for everyone.  Everybody wants to look a certain way because it gives them confidence.  Everyone wants or has wanted to rock a “hot bod”.   But in reality what does a ‘hot bod’ get you?  The sad thing is, that’s the top thing media idolizes: girls who force themselves to fit into a size double 0, who only wear XS and who you can lift with one hand.  It’s hard for us!

1 Corinthians 6:10: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is IN you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;”

Girls, you are already RADIANT!  Did you just read that? The Holy Spirit, - the same one that sent Jesus, who forgives every single day, gives us life - is inside of you!  He is dying to shine through to the outside!  Your body doesn’t even belong to you because it is a temple for Him.  We shouldn’t be worrying about weighing 100 pounds or having the most recent fashion.  We should be worrying about what Jesus sees.  But because of the stuff we see everyday, it’s so hard to turn away from wanting those things.  If we strive to let Jesus shine through, could you imagine how gorgeous our world would be? We would blow those top models away.

We are all still human and all of us have our days when we don’t feel beautiful and do give in to media’s standards.  But, I have a challenge for all you amazing women of God out there:

Every morning before you leave your house, look in the mirror and give yourself a compliment. You owe it to yourself! You’re insulting God if you don’t because God CREATED you! You are His blessing, so give Him credit for what he created.  Tell yourself how beautiful your eyes are, how smooth your lips are, how your smile can brighten up a room, how your legs are muscular and ready to play a sport…whatever!

But most importantly; tell yourself that you are captivating.  Let God tell you that you are captivating

Captivating.  It is my favourite word ever spoken.  Be captivating for yourself; inside and out.  But top priority…be captivating for Jesus.  He is the only one that matters in the end.

Oh, and one more thing…you are:
beautiful
healthy
wonderfully made
created by the One and only
precious
radiant
courageous
strong

C.A.P.T.I.V.A.T.I.N.G

Before anyone else believes it, you must first believe it yourself.

I love you all

-Steph

I’m sure many of you played the board game called LIFE when you were growing up.  If you didn’t, the premise of the game is that each player makes their way through their life, getting an education, a career, a family, a car, and a house as they go.  Some decisions are made by the player, but sometimes life throws curve balls that each player must adapt to.

I was thinking about the board game randomly the other day, and remembered that the end goal is retirement.  The player with the most amount of money at the end when they ‘retired’ won the game.

Quite frankly, this makes me sick. It makes me sick because it is such a perfect reflection of our North American society.  We are always speeding ahead - getting that education, getting that new car, getting that amazing career…that we forget what our lives are actually about.  It is so sad to me that we are so obsessed with money, comfort, and security that we live our whole lives for the ultimate goal of a cozy retirement.

But what if life throws a curveball?

Three years ago today my best friend Katharine died in a car accident.  She was 19 years old.  If this wasn’t a curveball, I don’t know what is.  The fact is that we do not know when God will call us home.  If we spend our whole life racing ahead, we may find ourselves so far outside of God’s will that we don’t even hear his voice anymore.  I’d rather die broke and ragged serving Christ, knowing that I am doing His will, than congratulating myself at the end of my life at all the money and personal achievements I made.

Girls, let’s play this game called LIFE well.  If you are racing ahead and don’t know why, take this weekend to make some major changes.

Michelle

Have you ever looked around you and felt like everyone is in a relationship except you? Then you get thinking…is something wrong with me?

The answer is NO – nothing is wrong with you.

We are single because God wants it that way.  In His perfect timing the right person will come along.  But in the meantime, celebrate your singleness.  There are ways in which single girls can have an impact on another’s life, which would otherwise not happen if in a relationship.

God puts us in each stage of life for a purpose.  I once heard someone say that they couldn’t handle hanging out with her single friends anymore because they were just not as mature.  Please do not listen to people who say these types of comments.  They are not true.  Maturity is not based on whether you are dating, married or single.

My friend Ruthann Brock once said “The stage of life that you are in means that this is where you can be most effective for the Kingdom”.  The first time I heard this it hit me so hard.  I finally realized that I need to take advantage of being single and use it to further the kingdom.  We will only be single for so long so lets have the biggest impact we can.

So all you single ladies… get up…and make a difference instead of focusing your energy into trying to find a boyfriend.  Take each stage of life as a blessing.

Rebekah

Girls, do I ever had a story for you!  I was sitting in Starbucks about a month ago doing some book writing, and I overheard a conversation that amused me thoroughly.  It was a youngish looking woman, ranting to her close friends at the TOP OF HER LUNGS.  (some people have zero self-awareness)

This is what I heard:  “I just want to be established by 30.  But then I think, oh $#!t, it’s so close!” She went on to explain that she just needs 1.) a man that fits in into her complicated made-up age equation, 2.) a career, 3.) a nicer car, 4.) a solid wardrobe, 5.) a good pet, maybe a dog, and 6.) a good hairdresser (seriously!)

I’ll stand by this statement:  no one ever gets fully established.

There is no “there”.

You’ll never be fully satisfied with ‘where you’re at’.

You will never achieve everything in your mind.

No one has ever ’settled down.’

No one has actually “made it.”

Depressed yet?!

It’s okay.  It’s not your fault.  It’s God’s fault. He made you antsy.  He filled you with hope, and dreams, and vision, and creativity.

Paul put it this way…”Pressing onward towards the prize…”

Or as the old hymn puts it “This world is not my home…I’m just passing through”

If my life was perfect, I wouldn’t be looking forward to spending forever with God.

And I’m looking forward to it very much.

You?!

Over the past few weeks, different opportunities have come my way that have the possibility of changing the course of my life. Pondering over my different options, I came face to face with the selfishness of my own heart. My desire is to do the Lords will, but I found myself weighing out the pros and cons of each option. Was I really willing to give up all I love to follow where ever the Lord leads? To leave my family and my friends? To let go of my dream to one day get married and have a family? After some prayer, my heart was changed. I was able to come to the place of surrender and rest, knowing that God has His best in mind for my life. (Jer. 29:11)

A section in Francis Chan’s book ‘Crazy Love’ seems to sum up perfectly what the Lord has been emphasizing in my life.

” How many of us would really leave our families, our jobs, or education, our friends, our connections, our familiar surroundings, and our homes if Jesus asked us to? If He just showed up and said ‘Follow me’?  No explanation. No directions.  You could follow Him straight up a hill to be crucified. Maybe He would lead you to another country, or perhaps you would stay put, but He would ask you to spend your time helping people who will never love you back and never show gratitude for what you gave up.   Have you counted the cost of following Christ - or was your decision to follow Him flippant, based solely on feeling, emotions or what you could get out of it?”

Are you willing to say to God that He can have whatever He wants?
Do you believe that wholehearted commitment to Him is more important than any other thing or person in your life?
Do you know that nothing you do in this life will ever matter, unless it is about loving God and loving the people He has made?

If your answer to those questions is yes, then let your life match your talk. True faith means holding nothing back; it bets everything on the hope of eternity.”

Jess