What would you do without your best friend?
If you’re anything like me, you might go crazy without that person in your life.
Now, think about all of the friends you have from church, school, extracurricular activities, your job, and your family. What would you do without them?
I am a firm believer that God places certain people in one anothers lives for specific reasons. Some may be more long term than others but they all serve some purpose whether that be for a day (even moment) or for the rest of your life. Ever have a discussion or encounter with someone and think “that was a God thing”, I needed that. I do a lot.
In fact, every family member and close friend I have serves a very unique purpose in my life as I do in theirs, or at least I hope I do in theirs too! If I had the time and could not bore you to death I would make you a list of all the people in my life and tell you how they have formed the person that I am or the way they contribute to my life.
Favorite question: Are you the kind of person who likes to do things on your own? Or do you most often rely on others? Tell a bit about which description best fits your personality and how that’s played a role, positively or negatively, in your life so far.
My response: I am the type that usually likes to do things on my own. This really depends on what we are talking about but usually I don’t rely on others because it takes me awhile to trust people and feel like I can count on them to be there. Most of the time I would rather do it myself so that I know whatever needs to be done gets done. This is something I really have to work on on a daily basis. I am really close to my family and have a close couple networks of friends that I tend to socialize with. This is something I struggle with because I have to remind myself to go out of my comfort zone, meet new people, and let them influence my life.
For me, I know something I have to work on is letting more people become a part of my life and really get to know me. I need to be more trusting of people and realize that I can’t do everything by myself, and neither can you. We need people in our lives to support us, build us up, and help us. God has placed other people in our lives for that very purpose!
Challenge: Take time to write a list of maybe ten or fifteen people in your life that you feel are special to you or close friends of yours. Write how they have helped you or what you think their purpose in your life is. Now, take time to pray for them daily.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Passing the Punch Bowl Test
As a little girl I was a really passive person. More of what you may call a follower than a leader. I was a really shy and tended to follow my close friends around and do whatever they wanted to do instead of leading them and having a strong opinion of what I wanted to do. I was the first to say "Oh I don’t care what we do. You can decide”.
I still am that way to a large extent today, but what I’ve realized is that I too can be a good leader (and so can you!) even if you think you can’t because you are shy or what not. Sometimes I think we misinterpret the definition of a good leader. The childhood rumors and feelings of “leaders” being the clique leaders and being the “boss” is simply not the definition of a good leader. I think as children especially, we view “leaders” and “authority” to be intimidating and overbearing. I never pictured myself as being a leader until recently because I always had an image of a leader being some extremely extroverted and outgoing person that took control.
What I’ve come to realize is that I can be a leader, even as an introvert (and so can you!) whether you’re more like me or more of an extrovert. Being a good leader has little to do with how outgoing you are. It has all the more to do with your character. What I am coming to learn through working with different leaders, friends, and directors in my life is that a good leader is someone who is considerate and aware of what’s going on with their followers, courageous, and has strong character (they always do the right thing even when that may be difficult). They take into consideration everyone’s feelings and then make a decision that they feel is best for the group. A good leader is never overbearing or inconsiderate.
My favorite question: Think about the punch bowl test. What are three character traits you’d most want to be remembered for at a future high school reunion?
My response: friendly, compassionate, and encouraging
Challenge: How can you lead by serving others today? (question 5) How can you be a light today that will cause others to look at you and say “hey, let’s follow her!”
I still am that way to a large extent today, but what I’ve realized is that I too can be a good leader (and so can you!) even if you think you can’t because you are shy or what not. Sometimes I think we misinterpret the definition of a good leader. The childhood rumors and feelings of “leaders” being the clique leaders and being the “boss” is simply not the definition of a good leader. I think as children especially, we view “leaders” and “authority” to be intimidating and overbearing. I never pictured myself as being a leader until recently because I always had an image of a leader being some extremely extroverted and outgoing person that took control.
What I’ve come to realize is that I can be a leader, even as an introvert (and so can you!) whether you’re more like me or more of an extrovert. Being a good leader has little to do with how outgoing you are. It has all the more to do with your character. What I am coming to learn through working with different leaders, friends, and directors in my life is that a good leader is someone who is considerate and aware of what’s going on with their followers, courageous, and has strong character (they always do the right thing even when that may be difficult). They take into consideration everyone’s feelings and then make a decision that they feel is best for the group. A good leader is never overbearing or inconsiderate.
My favorite question: Think about the punch bowl test. What are three character traits you’d most want to be remembered for at a future high school reunion?
My response: friendly, compassionate, and encouraging
Challenge: How can you lead by serving others today? (question 5) How can you be a light today that will cause others to look at you and say “hey, let’s follow her!”
Extreme Makeover
As soon as I began reading this chapter, my mind instantly pictured sitting in front of the television and watching the show Extreme Home Makeover. You know the show where they build a less fortunate family a new home with the latest appliances etc-makes me cry like a baby every time!
Sometimes we do need to get the bugs out as Claudia and Kim point out in “One Girl Can Change the World”, similar to getting a complete makeover.
My favorite question: “How do you feel after confessing your sins to God? Do you believe that you are forgiven?
My response: I always feel like a giant weight has been lifted when I confess my sins to God. I love knowing that God, our heavenly Father, loves us no matter what. His love is unconditional. There is nothing we could ever do that would make Him love us less. How powerful! Sometimes after asking for forgiveness and feeling better because it’s off my chest, I still have a hard time believing that I am really forgiven and that God does not see me as any less of a person. What a difficult concept to grasp! There is one video that always comes to mind when I think about God’s forgiveness of our sins. I would encourage you to watch it. Its Rob Bell’s NOOMA video called “Lump”. In this video Rob explains that there is nothing we could ever do that would make Him love us less and we don’t need to try to hide or run away when we mess up. It’s a really powerful- watch it!
Challenge: At a Christ in Youth Conference I attended last summer they had a day where everyone attending the conference received two wrist bands. We were told to write a sin we personally struggled with on each wristband. We turned them inside out so that our sins were kept to ourselves and wore them all day long as a reminder. At the end of the evening session we broke the “chains” (wristbands) off our neighbor and left them on the floor as we walked out of the auditorium symbolizing God taking away our sins through his crucifixion on the cross. This was such a powerful demonstration to me of how we should view our sins. You may want to try this. Or at least take time to honestly examine all the areas of your life and be real with yourself on what you need to stop doing and how you can take steps to break the sin. If you are comfortable, it may even be a wise idea to discuss this sin that you are struggling with with a close friend you know will hold you accountable or an adult or mentor that you trust.
Sometimes we do need to get the bugs out as Claudia and Kim point out in “One Girl Can Change the World”, similar to getting a complete makeover.
My favorite question: “How do you feel after confessing your sins to God? Do you believe that you are forgiven?
My response: I always feel like a giant weight has been lifted when I confess my sins to God. I love knowing that God, our heavenly Father, loves us no matter what. His love is unconditional. There is nothing we could ever do that would make Him love us less. How powerful! Sometimes after asking for forgiveness and feeling better because it’s off my chest, I still have a hard time believing that I am really forgiven and that God does not see me as any less of a person. What a difficult concept to grasp! There is one video that always comes to mind when I think about God’s forgiveness of our sins. I would encourage you to watch it. Its Rob Bell’s NOOMA video called “Lump”. In this video Rob explains that there is nothing we could ever do that would make Him love us less and we don’t need to try to hide or run away when we mess up. It’s a really powerful- watch it!
Challenge: At a Christ in Youth Conference I attended last summer they had a day where everyone attending the conference received two wrist bands. We were told to write a sin we personally struggled with on each wristband. We turned them inside out so that our sins were kept to ourselves and wore them all day long as a reminder. At the end of the evening session we broke the “chains” (wristbands) off our neighbor and left them on the floor as we walked out of the auditorium symbolizing God taking away our sins through his crucifixion on the cross. This was such a powerful demonstration to me of how we should view our sins. You may want to try this. Or at least take time to honestly examine all the areas of your life and be real with yourself on what you need to stop doing and how you can take steps to break the sin. If you are comfortable, it may even be a wise idea to discuss this sin that you are struggling with with a close friend you know will hold you accountable or an adult or mentor that you trust.
Listening to His voice
In the hustle and bustle of life I often find it hard to find that quiet time to really listen to God. Yet, it’s so crucial! For me, I try to make it a habit to spend time with God every day but I know from personal experience it is not always as easy as it seems! I think it’s really important to get into some type of a daily routine to spend time with God, especially to listen.
I like waking up early and spending time in prayer in the morning and then reading the Bible or listening to a Christian podcast in the evenings. In addition to this daily time with God, I’ve found it’s really important to take larger blocks of time on occasion and just listen to God or praise him for all of the things He is doing in my life. Everyone is different so you have to find something that works for you. For me, I like taking walks in the woods outside and spend time listening to the silence and it is there that I can hear God’s voice above all of lifes distractions.
Something else that I really enjoy doing while spending some quiet time with God is shutting my bedroom door, turning off the lights, turning on my stereo to praise music, and laying on the floor in the middle of my room and spending time in prayer. Sounds corny, I know, but for me it works. I would encourage you to find a place that works best for you, whether that may be. Make it a habit to listen!
My favorite question after this chapter: Hebrews 4:12 says “the word of God is living and active”. How have you experienced it “coming to life”? Describe your experience.
My response:A couple years ago I was feeling really overwhelmed and stressed. I began having a lot of anxiety to the point where I was having a really hard time sleeping and eating. I could not enjoy virtually anything because I was so overwhelmed with these going on in my life. I continued to pray about it and was feeling like nothing I was doing was helping. As I sat awake in bed one night unable to sleep, I pulled my Bible off my night stand and began leafing through the pages with no intention of what I was going to read. Just looking for something that hit me, I suppose...
Have you ever shut the Bible and then flipped it open, skimmed the page and repeated the process over again until something hits you?
Well, I do that a lot! I flipped to a random page and when I looked down, the first thing I read “come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Right then and there I realized that God was speaking to me-- wrapping his loving arms around me, and telling me that everything was going to be okay.
Have you ever had a moment like that?
Challenge: find a quiet place and commit to spending time in prayer with God every day. I think you’ll be amazed at how God chooses to speak to you through his word, through music, through other people etc.
I like waking up early and spending time in prayer in the morning and then reading the Bible or listening to a Christian podcast in the evenings. In addition to this daily time with God, I’ve found it’s really important to take larger blocks of time on occasion and just listen to God or praise him for all of the things He is doing in my life. Everyone is different so you have to find something that works for you. For me, I like taking walks in the woods outside and spend time listening to the silence and it is there that I can hear God’s voice above all of lifes distractions.
Something else that I really enjoy doing while spending some quiet time with God is shutting my bedroom door, turning off the lights, turning on my stereo to praise music, and laying on the floor in the middle of my room and spending time in prayer. Sounds corny, I know, but for me it works. I would encourage you to find a place that works best for you, whether that may be. Make it a habit to listen!
My favorite question after this chapter: Hebrews 4:12 says “the word of God is living and active”. How have you experienced it “coming to life”? Describe your experience.
My response:A couple years ago I was feeling really overwhelmed and stressed. I began having a lot of anxiety to the point where I was having a really hard time sleeping and eating. I could not enjoy virtually anything because I was so overwhelmed with these going on in my life. I continued to pray about it and was feeling like nothing I was doing was helping. As I sat awake in bed one night unable to sleep, I pulled my Bible off my night stand and began leafing through the pages with no intention of what I was going to read. Just looking for something that hit me, I suppose...
Have you ever shut the Bible and then flipped it open, skimmed the page and repeated the process over again until something hits you?
Well, I do that a lot! I flipped to a random page and when I looked down, the first thing I read “come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Right then and there I realized that God was speaking to me-- wrapping his loving arms around me, and telling me that everything was going to be okay.
Have you ever had a moment like that?
Challenge: find a quiet place and commit to spending time in prayer with God every day. I think you’ll be amazed at how God chooses to speak to you through his word, through music, through other people etc.
What kind of leader am I?
This chapter had me laughing out loud. The idea of our leadership styles reflecting the way that we eat a lollipop seemed a little strange to me at first but the more I read and thought about it, the more I realized how on target Claudia and Kim are. Oh, I’m a saver and optimist by the way. What about you?
My favorite question at the end of this chapter: “How do you respond to the idea that we are all one big bag of assorted flavors? How might God want you to do a better job of understanding and accepting people with different personalities and leadership styles? Share a specific example.
My response: I think it’s amazing that God created each and every one of us uniquely so that when we work together we are capable of achieving great things as one big bag of assorted flavors. When I begin to think about my close friends and family members it makes me laugh because I realize that every person that is in my life serves such a great purpose!! I have friends and family members in my life that are similar to me and that I go to when I need some understanding and support. I also have those people in my life that cause me to see things from another perspective. These people challenge me and help me become a better person. My sister for example, is what I would describe as more of a twirler and strategist. When the two of us work together we can accomplish great things! Emily, my sister, is a big picture person and is very creative and good about planning. I however, would consider my strengths to be more in the logistics and details of planning. Together we make the perfect team. Sometimes these differences make it difficult to relate and understand one another, but when we are able to work out our differences we are one great team. If we were all the same flavor, life would be so boring!
Take a look at yourself and imagine the whole world being just like you. If we’re being honest with ourselves I’m sure we would all say that would be no way to live!
Challenge: Be intentional about finding your leadership style (including your strengths and weaknesses) today and realize your friends and family members’ leadership styles as well. Try to see those who are different than you as being some of the most influential people in your life because they may cause you to change for the better and look to those that are similar to you to offer support and understanding.
My favorite question at the end of this chapter: “How do you respond to the idea that we are all one big bag of assorted flavors? How might God want you to do a better job of understanding and accepting people with different personalities and leadership styles? Share a specific example.
My response: I think it’s amazing that God created each and every one of us uniquely so that when we work together we are capable of achieving great things as one big bag of assorted flavors. When I begin to think about my close friends and family members it makes me laugh because I realize that every person that is in my life serves such a great purpose!! I have friends and family members in my life that are similar to me and that I go to when I need some understanding and support. I also have those people in my life that cause me to see things from another perspective. These people challenge me and help me become a better person. My sister for example, is what I would describe as more of a twirler and strategist. When the two of us work together we can accomplish great things! Emily, my sister, is a big picture person and is very creative and good about planning. I however, would consider my strengths to be more in the logistics and details of planning. Together we make the perfect team. Sometimes these differences make it difficult to relate and understand one another, but when we are able to work out our differences we are one great team. If we were all the same flavor, life would be so boring!
Take a look at yourself and imagine the whole world being just like you. If we’re being honest with ourselves I’m sure we would all say that would be no way to live!
Challenge: Be intentional about finding your leadership style (including your strengths and weaknesses) today and realize your friends and family members’ leadership styles as well. Try to see those who are different than you as being some of the most influential people in your life because they may cause you to change for the better and look to those that are similar to you to offer support and understanding.
What's my Passion?
What am I passionate about? This question may seem fairly simple to answer at a first glance-for me its music, nature, my family and close friends, helping people, etc. After reading the title I almost gave myself a pat on the back and said “well you’ve got this chapter nailed already, Laura”. But then as I read on I realized that what this simple question appeared to be at first, led to a series of bigger questions I could not seem to answer…
What is my purpose? What is God’s plan for my life?
When determining your life mission statement, I think it’s really important to focus on the person deep inside your heart that God has created you to be.
My life mission statement is to be a witness for Christ, encourage, and counsel those who cross my path on a day to day basis. As a young lady seeking a degree in Psychology and Bible, I felt that this fit for me, for the time being. I have always loved helping people, and being an encourager.
For you, this may be something related to music, art, business, education, ministry, service, politics, the possibilities are endless. God has created each and every one of us with unique gifts and abilities. So what makes you tick? What makes you excited and energized? What gifts has God given you that you can use for the glory of His Kingdom?
Helpful Hint in writing your life mission statement:
1. Free write about where you see yourself in ten years or so. If you had to make an educated guess about what would you be doing what would it be? Where would your time and energy be spent?
2. Make a list (perhaps 10 or so) of verbs that you are good at and enjoy doing
3. Begin narrowing down this list until you come to one or two that you think fit well. It may even be helpful to talk these other with a close friend or family member that knows you well
4. Do the same process in regards to “whom”. Is there a group of people, or age group you are specifically passionate about? Maybe a cause you believe in?
5. If you’re still stuck you’re probably thinking about it too hard. This should be something that is simply and describes YOU!
Challenge: Now that you have your mission…GO. Try everyday to live out your mission in some way or another, set reasonable goals, and discuss them with a close friend that will hold you accountable to the person that God wants you to be!
What is my purpose? What is God’s plan for my life?
When determining your life mission statement, I think it’s really important to focus on the person deep inside your heart that God has created you to be.
My life mission statement is to be a witness for Christ, encourage, and counsel those who cross my path on a day to day basis. As a young lady seeking a degree in Psychology and Bible, I felt that this fit for me, for the time being. I have always loved helping people, and being an encourager.
For you, this may be something related to music, art, business, education, ministry, service, politics, the possibilities are endless. God has created each and every one of us with unique gifts and abilities. So what makes you tick? What makes you excited and energized? What gifts has God given you that you can use for the glory of His Kingdom?
Helpful Hint in writing your life mission statement:
1. Free write about where you see yourself in ten years or so. If you had to make an educated guess about what would you be doing what would it be? Where would your time and energy be spent?
2. Make a list (perhaps 10 or so) of verbs that you are good at and enjoy doing
3. Begin narrowing down this list until you come to one or two that you think fit well. It may even be helpful to talk these other with a close friend or family member that knows you well
4. Do the same process in regards to “whom”. Is there a group of people, or age group you are specifically passionate about? Maybe a cause you believe in?
5. If you’re still stuck you’re probably thinking about it too hard. This should be something that is simply and describes YOU!
Challenge: Now that you have your mission…GO. Try everyday to live out your mission in some way or another, set reasonable goals, and discuss them with a close friend that will hold you accountable to the person that God wants you to be!
Princess with a Purpose
I loved reading this chapter--After reading it I really began to believe and see that God knows everything there is to know about each and every one of us and has a purpose & plan for our lives. I also felt it was a good chapter because it discusses how as young ladies we sometimes put ourselves down. Sometimes we feel like "I'm not good enough", "pretty enough", "smart enough"...the list goes on and on. But God says Daughter, you are mine, go out and change the world. Read Psalm 139. Such a powerful Psalm--really hit home to me.
My favorite question at the end of this chapter was "Do you act differently when you feel beautiful? If so, share an example. What keeps you from believing that God calls you beautiful?"
For me, when things are going well in my life I feel beautiful. I feel as though I have it all together. However, whenever I am going through rough times I often see myself in a different light. I become less confident in the person I am on the outside and inside and begin to close myself off from others. I have also noticed that when I don't really believe that I'm pretty or feel confident in myself, I become more shy and reserved. When I feel beautiful I am usually more outgoing and confident in myself. I feel like I can change the world. Whenever I put on my finest clothes, "drees up", and wear make up, I usually have a better day because I feel confident, capable...beautiful. While it's easy to sometimes feel this way, it's crucial to realize that God calls us beautiful on the insdie and out each and every day. We are His daughters, His girl.
The truth is that God calls us beautiful every day, no matter what clothes we decide to put on that morning. We are "workmanship created in Christ Jesus".
I loved this chapter and I think it's crucial that we as young ladies realize that God created us and calls us beautiful and gives us our own unique purpose. We really need to believe it! Reading Psalm 139 (suggested by Claudia & Kim in the "One Girl Journal) really helped me to grasp this concept. After reading it, I realized that if I really believed I was beautiful every moment of every day, I would never have the feeling that I was not good enough.
God loves us unconditionally- He created us- calls us Beautiful- calls us His daughters- calls us His girl!!! It's so easy to walk through life and feel like no one really knows you and what's going on in your heart. Isn't it awesome to rest in knowing that there is someone out there that knows everything about you and knows you better than you even know yourself and has a plan for your life that is bigger than your wildest dreams?!
So I would like to encourage you to ask yourself this: what keeps me from believing I am beautiful as God calls me? How would I act if I really believed that? I would also suggest reading Psalm 139. I really got a lot out of it :)
My favorite question at the end of this chapter was "Do you act differently when you feel beautiful? If so, share an example. What keeps you from believing that God calls you beautiful?"
For me, when things are going well in my life I feel beautiful. I feel as though I have it all together. However, whenever I am going through rough times I often see myself in a different light. I become less confident in the person I am on the outside and inside and begin to close myself off from others. I have also noticed that when I don't really believe that I'm pretty or feel confident in myself, I become more shy and reserved. When I feel beautiful I am usually more outgoing and confident in myself. I feel like I can change the world. Whenever I put on my finest clothes, "drees up", and wear make up, I usually have a better day because I feel confident, capable...beautiful. While it's easy to sometimes feel this way, it's crucial to realize that God calls us beautiful on the insdie and out each and every day. We are His daughters, His girl.
The truth is that God calls us beautiful every day, no matter what clothes we decide to put on that morning. We are "workmanship created in Christ Jesus".
I loved this chapter and I think it's crucial that we as young ladies realize that God created us and calls us beautiful and gives us our own unique purpose. We really need to believe it! Reading Psalm 139 (suggested by Claudia & Kim in the "One Girl Journal) really helped me to grasp this concept. After reading it, I realized that if I really believed I was beautiful every moment of every day, I would never have the feeling that I was not good enough.
God loves us unconditionally- He created us- calls us Beautiful- calls us His daughters- calls us His girl!!! It's so easy to walk through life and feel like no one really knows you and what's going on in your heart. Isn't it awesome to rest in knowing that there is someone out there that knows everything about you and knows you better than you even know yourself and has a plan for your life that is bigger than your wildest dreams?!
So I would like to encourage you to ask yourself this: what keeps me from believing I am beautiful as God calls me? How would I act if I really believed that? I would also suggest reading Psalm 139. I really got a lot out of it :)
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