I was recently inspired by an article in the Huffington Post about role models and how they are disappearing from our culture. The article mostly focuses on male role models and how hard it is to find them, but the article itself got me thinking.

It’s not that role models are disappearing, it’s that they are in our faces and then they disappoint. How many times have we idolized someone and they couldn’t stand up to our expectations, they were found to be flawed. I think the media does tend to expose this very often, but is it because the wrong people are put in the spotlight?

When will we learn as humans that it is just as much up to us individually to BE role models rather than just complain about how annoying it is that media of the entertainment and sports worlds ruin future generations?

“Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:18

We continually see that Jesus lead by His actions, he didn’t rely on others to do it and then comment about it. Is it important to protect our own hearts and the youth we surround ourselves with from the rubbish out there? Of course it is. But I would say that it is equally if not more important for us to act upon it and be role models ourselves.

I know there are people out there who changed my life and shaped my heart that I don’t even remember.

By Max Lucado

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21”

Six hours, one Friday.  Mundane to the casual observer.  A shepherd with his sheep, a housewife with her thoughts, a doctor with his patients.  But to a handful of awestruck witnesses, the most maddening of miracles is occurring.

God is on a cross.  The creator of the universe is being executed.  It is no normal six hours.  It is no normal Friday.  Far worse than the breaking of his body is the shredding of his heart.  And now his own father is beginning to turn his back on him, leaving him alone.

What do you do with that day in history?  What do you do with its claims?  They were the most critical hours in history.  Nails didn’t hold God to a cross.  Love did.

The sinless One took on the face of a sinner so that we sinners could take on the face of a saint!

Ten Things I Want To Tell Teenage Girls

March 25, 2012  in Blog with 787 Comments

1.  If you choose to wear shirts that show off your boobs, you will attract boys.  To be more specific, you will attract the kind of boys that like to look down girls’ shirts.  If you want to date a guy who likes to look at other girls’ boobs and chase skirts, then great job; keep it up.  If you don’t want to date a guy who ogles at the breasts of other women, then maybe you should stop offering your own breasts up for the ogling.  All attention is not equal.  You think you want attention, but you don’t.  You want respect.  All attention is not equal.

2. Don’t go to the tanning bed.  You’ll thank me when you go to your high school reunion and you look like you’ve been airbrushed and then photoshopped compared to the tanning bed train wrecks formerly known as classmates – well, at least next to the ones that haven’t died from skin cancer.

3.  When you talk about your friends “anonymously” on Facebook, we  know exactly who you’re talking about.  People are smarter than you think they are.  Stop posting passive-aggressive statuses about the myriad of ways your friends disappoint you.

4. Newsflash: the number of times you say “I hate drama” is a pretty good indicator of how much you love drama.  Non-dramatic people don’t feel the need to discuss all the drama they didn’t start and aren’t involved in.

5.  “Follow your heart” is probably the worst advice ever. 

6. Never let a man make you feel weak or inferior because you are an emotional being.  Emotion is good; it is nothing to be ashamed of.  Emotion makes us better – so long as it remains in it’s proper place: subject to truth and reason.

7.  Smoking is not cool.

8.  Stop saying things like, “I don’t care what anyone thinks about me.”  First of all, that’s not true.  And second of all, if it is true, you need a perspective shift.  Your reputation matters – greatly.  You should care what people think of you.

9. Don’t play coy or stupid or helpless to get attention.  Don’t pretend something is too heavy so that a boy will carry it for you.  Don’t play dumb to stroke someone’s ego.  Don’t bat your eyelashes in exchange for attention and expect to be taken seriously, ever.  You can’t have it both ways.  Either you show the world that you have a brain and passions and skills, or you don’t.  There are no damsels in distress managing corporations, running countries, or managing households.  The minute you start batting eyelashes, eyelashes is all you’ve got.

10.  You are beautiful.  You are enough.  The world we live in is twisted and broken and for your entire life you will be subjected to all kinds of lies that tell you that you are not enough.  You are not thin enough.  You are not tan enough.  You are not smooth, soft, shiny, firm, tight, fit, silky, blonde, hairless enough.  Your teeth are not white enough.  Your legs are not long enough.  Your clothes are not stylish enough.  You are not educated enough.  You don’t have enough experience.  You are not creative enough.

There is a beauty industry, a fashion industry, a television industry, (and most unfortunately) a pornography industry: and all of these have unique ways of communicating to bright young women: you are not beautiful, sexy, smart or valuable enough.

You must have the clarity and common sense to know that none of that is true. None of it.

You were created for a purpose, exactly so.  You have innate value.  You are loved more than you could ever comprehend; it is mind-boggling how much you are adored.  There has never been, and there will never be another you.  Therefore, you have unique thoughts to offer the world.  They are only yours, and we all lose out if you are too fearful to share them.

You are beautiful.  You are valuable.  You are enough.

Amazing truths for teenage girls.

http://kateelizabethconner.com/ten-things-i-want-to-tell-teenage-girls/

Today is a gorgeous day in Massachusetts. Its unseasonably warm and sunny which is just incredible. On my lunch break today I found a field and just laid in the sun - soaking in those glorious rays. Around my head I could hear all sorts of insects - yuck. I am not too fond of anything that is small and has more than 4 legs, flies or crawls all disgusting-like. So immediately I start to open my eyes and look for the bugs - it was totally distracting me from the beauty of relaxation.

I started to think about why I cared so much about the insects.. why I cared if one landed on me, or got stuck in my hair. Sure… its totally gross - but I think the real reason behind it is fear. I’m afraid I’ll get bitten or stung, or one will burrow and build a nest in my hair.

Then I compared that to the relaxation I was longing for and decided that I wouldn’t worry about the bugs. I made the choice to ignore them. And with that choice came an incredible half an hour of sunshine, easy breathing and prayer - it was beautiful.

Why does this matter? Because I think I do this with a lot of things. I let a fear get in the way of life. I let it get in the way of living in a moment, or enjoying exactly where I am. I wonder how many things I have missed because of fear.

God tells us over and over again in the bible to not be afraid.

But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. - Psalm 56:3

For I hold you by your right hand— I, the LORD your God. And I say to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.’ - Isaiah 41:13

But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here! ” - Matthew 14:27

Why is this loving, anxiety smashing truth so hard to pay attention to? God knows how damaging fear is to our joy, and He tries to protect his children by instructing us in the danger of fear. How do we get rid of our fears? I think we do this by trying to live in the now and seeing God’s trustworthiness grow in our lives. As our trust grows our fears will diminish.

Choose to not be distracted by the insects!

Yet again, another post from Max Lucado that is just an incredible inspiration.

I am so grateful for these words today!

¹² Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”  ¹³ When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. Acts 4:12-13

God uses unschooled ordinary people. Period.