#LIKEAGIRL

All throughout the bible satan has wanted to silence girls.  Take Eve for example.  Satan started with Eve to get to Adam.  He told her lies and got her to believe them in an attempt to destroy her.  Gen. 3:1 "Did God really say?"  Eve listened to the voice of satan instead of listening to the voice of God.  And we've been listening to the lies ever since. 

As girls, we were created to bring forth life. Satan knows that and wants to silence us. 

I was blessed with the opportunity to be a counselor and speaker at a girls conference over the weekend.  I believe it's one of the greatest things I've ever been a part of.  We had a mix of all ages.  86-6 years old.  It was a wonderful time of learning, laughing, dancing (lots of dancing), singing, eating, praying and worshipping our Lord together.  There were also many tears as some of the girls and each of the speakers shared our deepest insecurities.  It's a difficult, and very humbling thing to voice your deepest insecurity from a stage to a roomful of girls, but to be truly free, you have to come out of hiding.  We wanted the girls to know that we all struggle, we all have areas that hurt to talk about, but that in that room surrounded by sisters-in-Christ who love and care for their hearts, it was a safe place to come out of hiding.  There's freedom in exposing the raw and messy, because if you don't, you'll never stop hurting.  I don't know why we didn't have a box of tissue in every chair because oh my heavens!  I know we all cried at least once! 

I cried when a young lady shared about her dad leaving and how she lost her joy for a long time-and again, when she shared how God brought her through it and she got her song back.  I cried when a young mom shared about her struggle with her weight, and again, when a little girl came up to me for prayer saying that she struggles with feeling like she's not enough.  "Oh sweet girl, but you are.  You are exactly who God made you to be." 

Looking out into that audience of ladies old and young I saw such beauty.  Each and every one is so beautiful in her own way.  But for most of them, they can't see it because they've believed the lies that they're not skinny enough, pretty enough, strong enough, brave enough, not enough. 

I told the girls that if they have given their life to Christ that they are His princess, His chosen daughter, and that when they begin to see themselves the way that God sees them that it will change their lives forever.  I know it's true because it's changed mine.  If you can understand just a fraction of the love your Heavenly Father has for you, you can't ever live the same again. 

Ladies, you are chosen, loved, redeemed, spoken for.  We are called to live set apart, to be different than the world, to guard our hearts, minds and bodies.  Having higher standards doesn't mean we think we're better than anyone else, it just means we live for a higher calling.  We are called to honor God in the way we live. 

Remember who you are.  You are His.

Loving my new tank!