By: Guest Blogger- Noel MaldonadoAs a Christian, you may be looking for practical ways to help deepen your faith and relationship with God. While there are countless options out there, one that stands out is overnight retreats. Here's how they can help you become responsible, mature, and draw closer to God. Accepting ResponsibilityA great way to help Christians better understand responsibility is by sending them on overnight retreats. When you stay away from home and are forced to fend for yourself, you learn how much work goes into everyday tasks. Also, if you make a mistake, you’ll know how to take on responsibility. This is because you’re able to see the consequences of your actions more clearly. It’s also an opportunity for you to be independent and make choices without the pressure of home life. Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it." Going on an overnight retreat was a great opportunity for me to learn how to take care of myself and be responsible. Emotion ControlA retreat is a place where you can learn useful coping methods to help with daily life or even anxiety. Through games and activities, you can learn things such as anger management for when things aren't going well for you. When you go back home, you’ll likely have a new sense of confidence and self-awareness that will help you cope with everyday life. I know that emotions can be overwhelming, and it's challenging to deal with them. However, a retreat is an ideal place to help children learn coping mechanisms to help them deal with everyday life's challenges. Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." The retreat provided a space for me to be still and connect with God on a deeper level. It was truly amazing! By taking the time to reflect on my emotions and how they were affecting me, I was able to gain a better understanding of myself and how to cope with difficult situations. Spiritual LifeWhen Christians spend time away from the distractions of their daily lives, they can focus on what matters most: their relationship with God. With the help of a Christian staff, you can spend some time in prayer and meditation. This can develop a stronger sense of faith in yourself and a deeper understanding of what it means to be a Christian. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." By being surrounded by other Christians who were also seeking to grow in their faith, I was able to receive encouragement, support, and wisdom from those around me. Community and FellowshipLastly, the retreat taught me the importance of community and fellowship. By being surrounded by other Christians who were also seeking to grow in their faith, I was able to receive encouragement, support, and wisdom from those around me. Through group activities, I was able to connect with others on a deeper level and build lasting friendships. Matthew 18:20 says, "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." By coming together as a community of believers, we were able to experience the presence of God in a powerful way. This was a reminder to me of the importance of fellowship and community in my spiritual journey. ConclusionIn conclusion, overnight retreats can be an excellent opportunity for young children to grow and
mature. They can help children learn responsibility, emotional control, and spiritual growth. They also provide an opportunity for young children to make new friends, experience adventure, and have fun. I have experienced the benefits of attending overnight retreats. They have helped me grow in my faith and allowed me to meet new people and have fun. I would encourage all parents to consider sending their children to overnight retreats to experience these benefits themselves. Lastly, as Christians, we are called to grow and mature in our faith continually. Hebrews 6:1-2 says, "Therefore, let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment." Attending an overnight retreat can be one step towards growing and maturing in our faith.
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By: Chris V It's the Christmas season once more! While it's a wonderful time of year, full of ways to worship Christ and many different fun activities, it can also be a very busy time of year. When your schedule becomes busy, it can be hard to find time to spend with God in His Word, the Bible. (I know it's been a past struggle for me personally!) So, to help encourage you to spend more time in the Word this Christmas season, I've made a Bible reading plan PDF! This PDF is free to download, and you can find it down below. I pray that this plan helps you set your focus, hearts, and worship on Christ this Christmas season and helps you overall grow in your walk with Christ! We'd love to hear from you! How will you spend time with God and in His Word this Christmas season? Let us know in the comments below!
By: Chris V One question I've been asked by several girls this past month is, "How can I stay healthy during 2022?". This is such a good question, and I've had so many points, it was hard to write a blog post on! So, I have compiled several of my favorite tips to stay spiritually, physically, and mentally healthy below! (Also, if you have any of your own points, feel free to post them in the comments section below! I'd love to hear them. :) Tip #1: Take at least 15-30 Minutes a Day to Read Your Bible As Christians, we NEED to be spending time with God every day. We're told in 2 Peter 3:18, "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ...". We do this by digging into God's Word every day, reading it, meditating on it, and praying about it. It's an essential part of growing closer to and in faith in Christ. Your quiet time doesn't need to be hours long either: I normally try to aim for 15-30 minutes. Now, you may be saying, "Wait, I don't have 15-30 minutes to spend reading God's Word each day- I'm a busy girl!" I can assure you, that yes, you probably do have at least fifteen minutes to read your Bible. If you are really tight on time, you might have to cut something out of your day- like scrolling through social media or watching that one extra episode of your favorite show. Trust me, it's definitely worth it! Stuck on where to start reading? The Bible is a big book, God's letter to us! One of my favorite ways to study it is to read one or two chapters from the Old and New Testament, then journal out how what I read relates to Christ and write out any verses that stick out to me. You can also find Bible studies to go through! Some of my favorites are by Nancy Demoss Wolgemuth, Dannah Gresh, and Bethany Beal and Kristen Clark. Tip #2: Take At least 15-30 Minutes A Day To Move Your Body That's right! Moving your body is such a good way to get blood flowing and keep it in shape! Our body is not our own, it is a gift from and made by God (Psalm 139:14) where His Spirit dwells (1 Cor. 16:19). Shouldn't we be good stewards of our bodies like everything else God gives us? (And, like in Tip #1, we ALL have an extra 15-30 minutes a day.) If you're stuck on where to start and are struggling to figure out how to move your body at least fifteen minutes daily, try some of the tips below!
Tip #3: Eat Healthier, Balanced Meals We all know that bag of chips and a Twix bar don't count as lunch and are horrible for our bodies. But, this is something I commonly see teenage and collage-aged girls wolf down before they are off to their next activity. Like stated in Tip #2, our bodies are created by God and are a temple to His Spirit, which should be the main motivation behind taking care of your body. Think of it this way: gasoline cars can only take gasoline as fuel, not diesel. If you've ever put diesel in a gasoline car, you'll know it causes a huge disaster and the car will not run properly. It's the same way with our bodies: when we fuel our bodies with junk food (e.g., pizza, oreos, energy drinks) we're setting our bodies up to not run properly. This most likely will leave us tired and a hormonal mess! Instead, choose to eat healthier options and try to eat a healthy source of fat, carbs, protein, and TONS of veggies with every meal. Stuck on what to make? Need some healthy recipes? Check out the websites below! Tip #4: Take Time To Pray This is the one I struggle with the most, yet it's so crucial in your walk with God. We need to take time to pray every day though out the day. God loves to hear from His children! For me, I always struggle with two things: remembering to pray and trying to figure out what to pray about! If you struggle with remembering to pray, figure out times of the day where you can add prayer into your daily routine. I like to pray before meals, after my devotion time, and right before I go to bed. Struggling with what to pray about? You can pray about anything! You can tell God about how your day is going, something you are struggling with, and/or lift any prayer requests to Him. I always feel so much closer to God when I pray though out my day! Tip #5: Take a Break! We're busy people. It's a part of our culture! But oftentimes, we get too busy. We need a break to relax and de-stress. God created the Sabbath- a day of rest (Genesis 1)- so we could rest. (Also, God rested too, after six days of creating the universe and everything in it in Genesis 1!) This may mean saying no to going places or hanging out with different friends. It may mean taking on less hours at work so you can take Sunday off so you can rest, not just go to church. We need to rest, and when we do, we feel so much better and can think and function more productively! We can also spend more time with God, taking an hour or two away from everything (yes, your phone too!) and digging into and meditating on God's Word and praying to Him. This is something I personally like to do outside, in His created nature. I always feel so much closer and centered on Him during and afterward, and it refreshes your spirit! Note: Neither I nor A Message for Christian Girls is paid or sponsored by the resources listed above. I hope y'all enjoyed these five tips, and I'd love to hear from you! What is one of the five tips you are going to try? What tips do you have on how to stay healthy this new year? Let me know in the comments below! By: JuliannaHey y'all, Chris V here! A few weeks ago, we were sent a question from one of you awesome girls: Hi! I'm in junior high and I have a major crush on this guy in the grade above me. And a lot of people have told me that he likes me too but I am from a Christian background and I have no interest in dating until I'm about 20. I just don't want to tell my parents about it because I once told y mom about my crush but she said having a crush is ok but i can't act on those feelings. I just do not know what to do. She isn't the only one with questions about the topic of crushes from the Christian perspective! So, Julianna wrote a blog post for you guys on the topic of crushes responding to the question/situation above. Enjoy! Dear sister,
I love your honest questions. Even more, I love your heart to honor the Lord in your life, even your love life. Our entire world — from Disney shows to peers at school to your own feelings — will fight that commitment. But it’s so worth keeping. Let me share a little from both the Word and God’s faithfulness in my life in this area. Our teenage years can be hard — dealing with these new and unexplored emotions feels like being caught in a maze with no way forward. We’re stuck between chemical attraction and the truth we know in our heads. These feelings, while normal and not sinful in and of themselves, force us to ask the most important question of our lives: Do I love Christ above all else? This world lives only for the here and now because they are devoid of both eternal hope as well as the hope in God’s future faithfulness in their lives. As a result, they’re unable to see any greater commitment or love that would make waiting worth it. But as believers, our love for Christ and trust in his promises enables us to surrender what we want immediately and wait for the better future he has in store for us. In other words, when Christ becomes Lord of our life, he also becomes Lord of our love life. We surrender our desires — even those strong and sometimes painful desires we call a crush – to him and allow him to direct the if and when of dating and marriage in our lives. “What if God wants me to marry someone I don’t love?” a girl asked me one time. My answer: learn the character of our God. As our Father, he delights in giving us good gifts, in answering our prayers exceedingly above all that we could ask or think. He may not give us what we in our limited understanding want at a given moment, but he will give us his best! One of our key weapons this battle to trust the Lord and surrender our future to him is our parents. Their wisdom will be an invaluable guide in this journey, for we are often too caught in the emotions of the moment to see clearly. And while you might not feel understood, I promise they do remember what it was like to be a teenager! Even if it’s through looking back on their mistakes, their advice will keep you from having to learn the hard way and making choices that will ruin the rest of your life. I remember in early high school, a young man from my church gave me his jacket because I was cold. What hopefully was only an impartial act of kindness on his part thrust me into struggling with a major crush on him. I realized I was acting irrationally just to try to get time with him. It was hard, but I told my parents, and they wisely pointed out some issues in this young man’s life. “It’s normal to have feelings, but that doesn’t mean someone would be a wise choice for a partner,” they told me. I felt like my world was ending. But over time, it all went away, my feelings changed, and I realized my parents had been right. Of course, that doesn’t mean the Lord won’t fulfill these specific desires down the road. I have one friend who married her first crush seven years later. But those seven years were filled with uncertainty and a lot of surrender until the Lord brought that young man back into her life. Whenever I was struggling with a crush, I would pray that the Lord would bring me a godly man with the character qualities that I was admiring, but that he would also give me the patience to wait until he brought the right man and I was mature in my relationship with the Lord and ready for marriage. In the meantime, you have a high calling in these teenage years as you dedicate yourself to serve the Lord. The more we focus on what God has called us — learning from godly older women, investing in younger girls, and serving our families — the easier the waiting will be. And as we ask the Lord to give us true love for our brothers in Christ, he will give us the ability to encourage them as friends and fellow believers without trying to get their attention or serving as a distraction in their relationship with the Lord. A year ago, a friend and I were convicted to surrender to the Lord any “rights” we were holding onto in life. We made of list, including the right to our dream romance story, and surrendered each of these to the Lord. Our desire was to be vessels entirely devoted to him, wherever he would call us. Last week, we were reflecting back and reminded each other of that prayer. She just quit her job to follow a calling to the mission field, and I could see both the excitement and terror in her eyes. At 25, I’m approaching engagement to a faithful, godly man the Lord brought into my life. Navigating this new season has been wonderful, but it has also brought challenges I never would have imagined in my girlhood dreams. “The Lord’s ways are always right,” we reminded each other. The hard seasons of waiting and surrendering, of disappointment but still daring to hope in God’s promises, are so worth it. Life will continue to bring those seasons, for I am not my own, I am bought with a price. But I wouldn’t trade those battles for anything, because Christ is worth it, and the hope we have of an eternity with him is worth giving our lives for. Whatever the Lord has for you, it will be good. It may not be easy, but it will be good, for our God “does all things well” (Mk. 7:37). Your sister in Christ, Julianna By: Chris V It's the Christmas season! What's the first thing that come to mind when you think of this time of year?
But what's something that wasn't on the list? The real reason for Christmas: Christ. So often during the holiday season, we lose sight of the real reason for Christmas. We become too busy with all the stress and hustle our culture has created around the Christmas season, too focused on giving THE PERFECT gift, having THE PERFECT Christmas meal, being THE PERFECT host, and having THE PERFECT cute family photo. Where is Christ in all of that? While Christmas did originally start off as a pagan holiday, Christians redeemed it, choosing and encouraging others to worship Christ and His birth instead of sin. And while the things listed above are all good things, we can often lose our focus on Christ and instead focus on the busyness and stress that can come with this time of year. Instead of focusing on wrapping presents, decorating the house, and making enough cookies for everyone, we need to take a step back and focus on the real reason for the season (Jesus) and what this means. We need to take time to meditate on the love, kindness, and mercy God showed us by sending Jesus humbly to this earth a baby, born to a virgin mother (Matthew 1-2, Luke 1-3, John 1) to die a brutal death on a cross, taking God's wrath for our sin, and then rising again on the third day, conquering sin and death (Matthew 26-28, Mark 14-16, Luke 22-24, John 18-21). Through Jesus, we are given the free (Ephesians 2:8-10) gift of salvation when we chose to- through faith- believe in him. This is the reason for Christmas. This is what we should focus and meditate on through the Christmas season. How can we focus and meditate on Christ through the [busy] Christmas season? By taking time to worship Him, singing songs that focus on Him, and by spending time with God and reading His Word. (Don't know where to start? Check out the December Bible Reading Plan in this blog post!) Also, by meditating on what Christ has done for you and praying to God, thanking Him for what He has done and just talk to Him about your day! Another thing you can do is use a Christ-centered advent calendar, helping focus your heart on Him. Finally, you can read Christ-centered books that are Christmas-themed, like a Christmas devotional or a book focusing on the reason Christians celebrate Christmas. Christmas is a great time of year to focus your heart on Christ, and there are tons of ways to focus your heart on Him this Christmas season! "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord." |
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