A Cellist in the Tuba Section

1 Corinthians 7:17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches.  (ESV). If you read the blog post  Moving into Ministry , you'll know that each of us has been given different spiritual gifts by God. One of the most difficult things to overcome when it comes to spiritual gifts, and life in general really, is the comparison game. So often we feel like we need to compare ourselves to others. We think things like: He's more spiritual than I am because he can speak in tongues. She's prettier than me because she's got a thigh gap. I'm so much better than her because I don't drink. And on and on and on... Comparison is a trap because it takes our focus off of the unique plan that God created for our lives. That causes several problems: we fail to accomplish things that God wants us to do which makes us feel distant from God. In addition, losing our focus causes us ...

The internet has a lot of options for finding sermons or Bible-based resources. However, some sources are more helpful than others. Below, I have compiled a list of some resources that I have found helpful (I'm not getting any money off promoting these sources, I just genuinely want to share them with y'all). They deal with loneliness, relationships (platonic and romantic), and other problems teen girls are facing. I hope you enjoy this list, and feel free to suggest other resources in the comments, or directly to me by filling out the contact form on the right. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7h5BHax06c  This sermon talks about relationships, and is the first part of a series on relationships. It's very helpful, humorous, and sparked ideas for my post "God's Desire for Community". The second sermon in the series, found on YouTube as well, brings up the idea of dating yourself, which has totally changed my perspective on singleness and really helped me...

Imagine that you hear about a fall dance at school. A friend tells you that everyone will be dressing up for this dance, so you find a really cute cow costume assuming that she meant it was a Halloween dance. You're dressed up in your cow costume and you get out of the car, and...everyone is wearing dresses and suits. This is a formal dance, and you are standing outside in a cow costume. Imagine how out of place you would look and feel in that situation. Maybe you would wait outside for your mom to pick you back up, or you'd walk home, or maybe you would brave it out and pretend that you're a royal cow. Regardless, there would be no way to hide how out of place you are if you go in to that dance. However, as a Christ follower, the difference between our lives and the lives of people who haven't yet begun a relationship with Christ should be that different. It's important to note: I'm not saying that non-Christians have all the fun while Christians are staunc...

Jesus was a plain-looking man. Think about that. Sounds pretty normal at first. However, Jesus literally designed his own face. After all, He is God, so He could have created his human body to meet every male beauty standard there was. He could have chosen to draw people to him because of his appearance, but He didn't. He chose to give himself a plain face. Isaiah 53:2 says For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. (ESV) I believe this holds several important lessons for us today as women who are often held to impossible beauty standards. First, this is a wonderful example of humility. Jesus chose to humble himself and give himself a plain face. Secondly, it is an example for priorities in our lives. Internal perfection is more important than external perfection. Use your internal beauty to draw others to you rather than obsessing about your exte...

It may happen to you once a week, once a day, or even once every hour. You look at someone else, and you think about your flaws in comparison to their "perfection". You wish that your stomach was flatter. your thighs were thinner, or your double chin didn't exist. For young women, the comparison trap is so easy to fall into, especially when it comes to weight and body image. However, you don't have to fall into it. There's a way out. Read Psalm 139. The entire psalm describes how well God knows you, but verses 13-16 talk specifically about the care God took in creating your body. Your body was knitted together by God. Knitting projects are painstaking projects that take a long time. You don't knit something for someone if they aren't worth your time. Appreciate the amount of effort God put into forming each detail of your body. He made you just the way you are for a reason, and He loves the way He made you. You are already perfect; you don't have to...