St. Patrick’s Day

St. Patrick’s Day is on Sunday so it’s time to get your green on! And we have some great outfit ideas for you to be inspired by.

Outfit #1: Wear green boyfriend capri pants with a lighter shade green tank top under a gray zip-up hoodie with a pair of adorable shoes!

Outfit #2: Wear a cute green blazer unbuttoned with a plain white top underneath and skinny jeans. Complete your outfit with a cute pair of wedges and some jewelry.

Outfit #3: Wear a cute white and green striped tank top under a denim jacket with a pair of white ankle jeans. Accessorize with some cute jewelry.

Little do we Americans seem to know, but there’s more to St. Patrick’s Day than pots of gold, shamrock-shaped sugar cookies, and “Kiss me, I’m Irish” T-shirts. It’s a holiday that celebrates something with much greater eternal importance.

It celebrates the first missionary to bring the good news about life in Jesus Christ to the unreached people in Ireland. Patrick.

To make a long story short, Patrick was kidnapped from his home in Britain by Irish raiders and taken back to Ireland to work as a slave. After six years of captivity, he escaped and went back to Britain. But God called him to be a missionary — to Ireland. To share the love of Jesus to the very people who kidnapped him and wronged him. Talk about having a reason not to like someone!

But Patrick accepted God’s call in his life and went because the people of Ireland needed to hear about the God who could save them. Patrick was one of the first modern day missionaries and evangelists!

The word evangelism can be really scary to some people. We have visions of walking door to door with tracts or of standing on street corners with signs preaching about the end of days. But there’s so much more to evangelism than that!

What is Evangelism?

Evangelism is sharing the good news of Jesus Christ to those around you.

Why is Evangelism Important?

Evangelism is important because:

a.) Heaven and hell are what’s at stake. The lost people in our lives will for sure spend eternity somewhere — it’s just a matter of where. Without a personal relationship with Jesus they will spend all of forever in a place of eternal torture, sadness, and away from the Lord. But with a personal relationship with Jesus they can have life forever — joy, peace, and wholenesss — in Heaven.

b.) Evangelism is a command. Mark 16:15 says that Jesus commanded the disciples to “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone” (NLT). That doesn’t sound like a suggestion, does it? Evangelism is important because Jesus commanded it.

Here are three simple ways to evangelize to those around you that you might have overlooked.

1. Love people

John 13:34,35 says, “I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (NLT).

If Christ was love it would seem that the best way to share about Him with others would be to love them. Let’s read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 to get a better idea of what loving people looks like.

 ^“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.  It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance” (NLT).

2. Be an example of Christ

Ephesians 5:15-20 says, “Be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (NLT).

Sometimes our lives alone are enough to give us opportunities to evangelize. If people in our lives observe our behavior long enough, they should be able to notice that the way we live is different from how most people live. We can be an example to those around us of Christ. Take a minute to re-read this passage and make a list of the behaviors we should exhibit as followers of Christ

3. Extending an invitation

John 1:40-42 says, “Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”). Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, “Your name is Simon, son of John — but you will be called Cephas” (NLT).

Did you see the example Andrew just showed us in this passage? Andrew had already met Jesus so he invited someone else in his life who hadn’t (his brother). They went and from there, Simon’s life was changed forever.

Sometimes the simplest way to evangelize is to just invite your friends to church activities. A lot of people might not feel comfortable coming directly into a church setting but would love to come to a picnic, special concert, or a fun youth activity. You don’t always need to have a salvation sermon prepared at every moment — just take the opportunities you’re given to invite your unsaved loved ones to church where they too can meet Jesus.

Take a few minutes to jot down some ideas of how you can have the forgiveness, the compassion, and the boldness to be an evangelist to the people around you like Patrick did. As you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this upcoming weekend, remember the deeper meaning behind the holiday, and let it serve as a reminder to pray that God would empower you and give you opportunities to witness.

Pick one day to stay in your jammies from the time you wake up until the time you go to bed.

Go to breakfast with a friend. Friends and pancakes make life so much more happy!

Write letters to five different people you haven’t spoken to for a while. Include a photo, a fun recipe clipped from a magazine, or if it’s a grandparent, your latest art project or writing assignment. They’ll love feeling included in your life.

Go to a matinee movie.

Deep clean your room. Make it fun — set up a laptop on your bed and pop in a movie. Have a tall glass of juice, soda, or hot chocolate sitting by to reward yourself for progress you make every few minutes!

Clean out your closet.

Take naps. You’re a teenager — you need a lot of sleep.

Cook dinner for your family.

Read through a book of the Bible. Choose a book you’ve been wanting to read and tackle it over some hot chocolate during your break. Choose a version that is easy to understand, like The Message or the New Living Translation.

Learn something new. Learn how to crochet, embroider a hand towel, make fondant cakes, sew a blanket, play a new song on the piano, bake a pie from scratch.

Plant flowers.

Give your car or your parents’ car some T.L.C. Wash it, vacuum it, and take some window cleaner and paper towels after all of those icky fingerprints.

Invite a friend over for pedicures. It’s spring … almost flip flop and sandal season. Polish up those toesies!

Call up a friend and get day passes to your local gym. Have fun working out, using their pool, and taking a class.

Have a themed movie night with friends complete with two or three movies to match the theme and snacks too.

Make ice cream floats out of all different kinds of sodas — grape, lemon lime, orange, cola.

Head over to a thrift store and challenge yourself to put together an entire outfit for $_____ or less.

Have a slumber party with your girlfriends and take turns doing each other’s hair and make-up.

Find a friend that has a game system that would allow you guys to have fun while doing an aerobic activity. Finish off your workout with smoothies.

Take a day trip with your friends or family to somewhere an hour away, just to explore new sights.

Spring Break

Spring is upon us and that means one thing … spring break is coming up! Need to update your spring wardrobe with a few cute pieces? Check out these ideas!

Spring Break Outfit: Wear a lightweight, striped tank top under an unbuttoned cardigan with skinny corduroy pants. Complete your spring break outfit with cute boat shoes! Add an infinity scarf and a purse for your accessories.

Spring Break Dressy: Wear a cute ¾-sleeve dress with a great pair of boots, a floral print scarf, long necklace, and earrings.

Spring Break Jammies: Need a festive, bright pair of pajamas to celebrate the passing of winter and the coming of spring? Get a pair of floral capri pantsand matching bright tank top. Slip on a pair of terry cloth flip flop slippers and spend some time relaxing in your new seasonal pajamas before bedtime!

Exercise

What’s your activity level like during the day? Depending on the size of your school, you might get a lot of brisk walking in from hustling from class to class. Maybe you have gym this semester and are forced to be physically active as you strive for an A in that class. But some of you might be thinking that one of your New Year’s resolutions will be to start exercising a little bit every day.
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Goal: Exercise more.
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All good goals need an action plan to help you achieve them. Think about what an action plan might look like for you.

Make a list of activities you enjoy doing that will get you to be active (factor in the weather for your area right now). This could be walking around the mall, jumping rope in the garage, doing an aerobics video, running up and down the stairs in your house, doing sit-ups to the beat of your favorite song, etc.
What will your exercise routine look like? Will you start with jumping rope in the garage and then use a few heavy cans of food as weights and follow it all up with a nice walk?
How often will you exercise? Every day? Three times a week?
How long will you exercise? Fifteen minutes every day? Thirty minutes three times a week?
When will you exercise? Early in the morning before school? Right after school? After dinner?
Keep a journal and write down what you did during your exercise session and how long it lasted. You might even get to the point where you increase your activity level and frequency because you actually start enjoying the exercise. Imagine that! Keep records of all of that in your journal so you can see how far you’ve come.

Exercise may come easily to some of you, but for others it might be challenging to incorporate a workout into your already busy day. It can be hard even to think about wanting to exercise when you get home from school feeling exhausted. But guess what … exercising will most likely give you a boost of energy. So instead of collapsing on the couch in front of the television with a bag of chips, try a physical activity and a healthy snack first!

All good goals need some sort of reward. Set a specific number of days you plan to work toward. For example, reward yourself when you have exercised consistently for one week (however many days within that week you had decided to exercise). Perhaps your reward could be a day off from exercising. Perhaps it could be a special

Healthy Eating

What is the food like that you eat every day? Is it brightly colored, fresh, and light? Or is it fried, packed with preservatives, and heavy? Do you eat regular meals or just grab snacks and fast food when you can?

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Goal: Make better nutritional choices.

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All good goals need an action plan to help you achieve them. Think about what an action plan might look like for you.

Look up what the daily nutritional guidelines are for your age group.

Make a list of your favorite foods for each food group (grains, dairy, vegetables, fruits, proteins).

Make a second list of healthy snacks you can incorporate into your day.

Practice making better nutritional choices when you go out to eat. Ex: Instead of getting a side of fries with your chicken fingers, maybe opt for a side of applesauce, baby carrots with dip, or green beans. Keep in mind you are a teenager and life shouldn’t be all about rigid diets — so learn to balance healthy choices with enjoying life. This goal is simply about making sure you’re getting enough nutrition from each food group — not to encourage weight loss!

Keep a food journal and make note of what you eat during the day. Assess your food choices at the end of each day and calculate how many servings of each food group you had. From there you can gauge what you need to improve on for the next day.

Fill a pitcher with the daily recommended amount of water so you can track your progress. Factor in the water you drink during the day at school too. Try adding cucumber or lemon slices to your water if you need an extra boost of flavor!

And all good goals need some sort of reward. Eating nutritionally may come easily to some of you, but for others it might be challenging to incorporate the number of recommended servings of the different food groups into your day. And it might be an even bigger challenge to drink the recommended amount of water for the day!

Set a specific number of days you plan to work toward. For example, reward yourself when you have implemented the recommended number of servings for each food group for four days in a row. Perhaps you could reward yourself with a milkshake, candy bar, or a breakfast sandwich on the way to school. Think of something that will be an incentive for you and a number of days you think would be appropriate to strive for! And start making better nutritional choices today!

Devotions

What is your quiet time like with the Lord every day? Thriving, encouraging, and regular? Or dying, depressing, and infrequent? The new year is a great time to make a commitment to revive your daily time with the Lord!

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Goal: Spend time every day with God in prayer and Bible study.

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All good goals need an action plan to help you achieve them. Think about what an action plan might look like for you.

What time of day works best?

Will you use a devotion book or read directly from Scripture? (Keep in mind, if you choose a devotion book, make sure it’s one that drives you to Scripture every day so you’re diving into the Word of God in addition to reading about Him from an author’s perspective.)

How long will you spend each day?

Will you journal or just spend time in meditation?

Will you keep a list of prayer requests or just pray as the Lord helps you remember things?

Will you use some sort of reading chart to help you read through the Bible in a year?

And all good goals need some sort of reward. Having a quiet time may come easily to some of you, but for others it might be challenging as you may have to be more conscientious, set reminders, or clear your schedule until it becomes second nature and you can’t imagine going a day without spending time alone with God!

Perhaps after one week of consistently doing your devotions you reward yourself with something like downloading a new worship song from iTunes to listen to. Think of something that will encourage you to be consistent.

Need some suggestions for devotion books you might be interested in? Here are some ideas:

Teen Girl Daybook

Each week this free monthly calendar focuses on a different theme and provides a daily activity and Scripture passage. Visit tgm.ag.org to download.

Green’s Not Your Best Color, by Mieka Phillips

51 devotionals on all kinds of topics relevant to teen girls, with chapter titles like “Ugly Grudges,” “Beyond the Looking Glass,” “Mood Rings,” “Party Girls,” and “Down in the Valley.

Life Style, by Whitney Prosperi

Daily devotional looking into the lives of radical women in the Bible like Hannah, Miriam, and Tamar.

Borrowing God’s Glasses, by Lacei Grabill

Daily devotional broken down into four sections tackling the questions of “Who Am I?,” “Who Is God?,” “Who Are Christians?,” and “Who Am I Created to Be.”

Devotions for the God Girl, by Hayley DiMarco

365 one-page devotions intended to help teen girls learn more about God and the purpose He has for them. Each devotion includes Scripture and reflections.

TH1NK Life Change Series, by NAV Press

Five-book series covering the books of the Bible Ruth/Esther, Ephesians, James, Mark, and Romans.

Fabulous Colors

In today’s blog we’re going to be looking at what colors look best on you based on your coloring. But first and foremost, let’s make one thing clear — never ever, under any circumstances, avoid wearing something you like because it doesn’t follow the color “rules”! In high school I had a guy I liked tell me that red was not my color. It was several months before I wore anything red again because I was so insecure. So this blog isn’t meant to discourage you from wearing colors that you like, but instead, it is meant to help you learn more about yourself.

Blondes: Blondes with pale skin look good in more muted colors. They might wear something like this or this.

Brunettes: Rich, bold colors look great on brunettes! Think bold reds, greens, blues, pinks, and yellows. Brunettes might wear something like this or this.

Red heads: Red heads look great in purples and shades of earth tones, like green, brown, red, and orange. Think autumn! Red heads might wear something like this or this.

Dark: Because of your dark hair, you can pretty much wear any colors, like this or this.

by John Maempa, Director, Office of Prayer and Spiritual Care

Here we are on the threshold of another new year. It’s an interesting year, even a disconcerting year for those who suffer from ‘triskaidekaphobia,’ a term describing those who suffer from an abnormal fear of the number 13. As you probably know, there are a number of multilevel businesses and hotels that do not have a 13^th floor. And, we’re all familiar with the superstitions surrounding Friday the 13^th. Having been born on a Friday the 13^th, I probably would have license to be at least somewhat uneasy, but that has not been the case; 13, is, after all, only a number, right along with its neighbors 12 and 14.

Note that Jesus, along with His 12 disciples, comprised a team of 13. In Jewish culture, at age 13, a boy can become a Bar Mitzvah (son of the Law); a girl is eligible to become a Bat Mitzvah (daughter of the Law) at age 12. What some might not know is that 13 also factors significantly into our nation’s founding and history. We’re all familiar with the original 13 colonies. When the Great Seal of the United States was designed, the number 13 was symbolized in eight different ways. Above the eagle’s head on the front, 13 stars are arranged in a kind of constellation; the eagle bears on its chest a shield with 13 stripes (our nation’s flag bears the same number of stripes); in the eagle’s left talons are 13 arrows and in its right talons is an olive branch bearing 13 olives and 13 leaves. The banner in the eagle’s beak reads, “E Pluribus Unum” which is 13 letters long and means “Out of many, One.” On the reverse side of the seal is the unfinished pyramid with 13 levels, and above the pyramid is the Latin phrase, “Annuit Coeptus,” which also 13 letters long, means, “He has favored our undertaking.”

In all of this, 13 has come to symbolize unity. Unity was crucial to the 13 colonies as they sought independence from Britain’s rule, becoming the United States of America. Unity is essential to so many things, most certainly to our work in the local church and across our Fellowship. In his closing exhortation to the Corinthians, Paul wrote, “Be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you” (13:11, NIV). As we enter this new year may we be of one heart, mind, spirit, and purpose so that God’s work will move forward with greater power and effectiveness than ever before.

Taking Your Measurements

There will be lots of occasions in your life where you will need to know your measurements, particularly when you start getting into the world of formal dresses! Many clothing manufacturers use the hip and inseam measurements to label their pants, for example. So instead of being able to walk into the store and pick up a pair of size 5 jeans, you’d need to know your measurements off the top of your head, or at least be able to guess so trying on pants isn’t a complete nightmare. Another common occasion to need your measurements is when you buy bras. Your chest measurement is that wonderful 32, 36, 40, etc., number before the A, B, C, or D cup size.

So here’s how to take your measurements!

Use a cloth tape measure as opposed to the metal retractable one your dad keeps in the garage.

To measure your chest: Wrap the tape measure under your armpits to your back and around the fullest part of your bust.

To measure your waist: Wrap the tape measure around yourself at the area above your belly button and underneath your ribs.

To measure your hips: Hold one end of the tape measure at one hip and wrap it around the largest part of your rear and then bring the tape measure back around to the front.

To measure your inseam: Hold the end of the tape measure at the top of your inner thigh and measure all the way down to the bottom of your ankle.