Meet Molly

[I MIGHT have stolen this adorable pic from her FB page ;-)]

Last week I had the privilege of going to lunch with Molly and getting to know her a little bit more by "interviewing" her. For those of you who don't know her, you should start getting to know her because she's pretty awesome. :-) She loves Jesus, loves music, and has an incredibly kind and compassionate heart. I hope reading this interview will help you learn more about her and maybe help build a friendship with her, as well as reveal some ways that you can be praying for her and encouraging her. If you get the chance, drop her an encouraging note in the comment box when you finish reading. Let her know how much you appreciate her!

Name: Molly A. French (Guess her middle name and win a prize!)
Birthday: August 30th
Favorite candy: Sour gummies or York peppermint patties
Fave dessert: Anything pumpkin
Fave food: Either the chicken panini at Jason's deli or twice baked potatoes
What song can you just not get enough of? There's too many to choose from! My current faves are Spectrum by Florence and the Machine, The Usual Results by Man Overboard, and Can't Help Falling In Love With You by Ingrid Michaelson.
Favorite Bands: Panic At The Disco, Man Overboard, The Black Keys, and Mayday Parade Fave Movies: Every Harry Potter, I Am #4, and Bewitched
Favorite Christmas Song: Carol of the Bells
Favorite Christmas Movie: Mrs. Claus
Christmas Song You Can't Stand: Little Drummer Boy
Christmas Movie You can't stand: 3 Days
What's your favorite Christmas memory? When I was about 7 or 8 years old, absolutely EVERYONE in our family got a new bike and stuffed animals from Target. It was AWESOME.
What would you do if you won a million dollars? I'd buy my parents a new house, buy all my family members new cars, go shopping, pay for mine and my sisters' college tuition, take a huge vacation and get VIP passes to the X-games!
If you could only go to one concert in your lifetime who would you go see? Well, I'd obviously go to a concert with all my favorites. Mayday Parade, Panic at the Disco, and Man Overboard.
What do you want to be when you grow up? An interior designer
What are some of your favorite websites to visit? FB, Tumblr, and Twitter
How do you typically spend your free time? Knitting, watching Gossip Girl (I love Chuck!), listening to my ipod, surfing the web, or reading.
What's your favorite subject in school? ceramics (Watch out, girls. This girl knows her pottery. Pretty sure she's made eleventy billion pieces this year already!)
What would you do if an elephant was in your backyard? I'd ride it! :-)
What is your favorite color? turquoise
What's the coolest thing you've seen or heard lately? I'm kind of obsessed with the show Dance Mom's, so when there was an episode of Rizzoli & Isles pretty much based on Dance Mom's, I thought it was pretty cool.
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? New York
What's your favorite state and why? New York again. :-) Because they've got so much to see and do, and they particularly have Broadway and absolutely gorgeous winters.
Where was your favorite vacation? Great Wolf Lodge
If you were an animal, what kind of animal would you be? dolphin (Molly and I totally had a moment of brain connection on this question. As soon as I asked it I thought "She'd be a dolphin" and she blurted out none other than...a dolphin. :-)
If you could spend a day with one celebrity, who would it be? Shawn White
If you could have dinner with one person who is no longer alive (and not a zombie), who would it be and what would you talk about? I'd have dinner with my Great-Grandma. She used to date the gangster Pretty Boy Floyd back in her day, and I'd ask her about it. She also later married an Indian, so I'd ask her all about that too!
If you found out you had one week left to live, how would you spend it? I'd hang out with my parents, go to Mississippi to visit friends and family, ride roller coasters, and go to concerts.
What's one thing most people don't know about you? I used to dance.
What are some of the challenges you face as a Christian in high school? Having to stand up to peer pressure and even lose friends because I don't want to do the things that they do.
Do you find it easy or difficult to share your faith with others? Why or why not? Difficult, because a lot of the time I just don't know what to say.
What are some of the ways you've seen God work in your life? When my Mom had her stroke, doctors didn't think she'd be able to get her vision back. For the past several months she's only been able to see half of my face, but now she can see the whole thing! Also, I've seen God miraculously provide a job for my dad. Several years ago my Dad lost his job and sent an application to Flight Safety in Georgia. It never went through and for the next few years he struggled with employment, but then out of nowhere he got a call from Flight Safety here in Kansas about receiving his application, and that set in motion our move to Kansas. He never even sent an application to Kansas, and come to find out, it was the same application from seven years ago! When he got the job, he was SURE it was what God wanted him to do and where he wanted us to be.
What are your favorite verses?
Romans 12:2 - Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Matthew 6:34 - Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Isaiah 41:10 - So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Can you tell me about one of the most difficult times in your life? Last year a lot of friends turned their back on me and I felt very alone. I spent a lot of time at home with nothing to do and no one to hang out with and didn't feel like I belonged at youth group, so it was a really hard time to go through. But this year I've made a lot of great Christian friends and looking back I'm actually glad that I went through it because I was putting my friends first instead of God. It was a hard lesson to learn, but I'm glad I learned it.
What are some words of wisdom you can pass on to some of the other girls in our youth group? Put God first and put your security in him. Don't obsess over the kinds of things that other kids at school do, like what brands of clothing you wear, what kind of car you drive, who has what or does what or goes out with who and so on. And last, don't become full of yourself.

Surprise....We're Adopting You!

This girl's foster family hid a camera so they could capture the moment when they told her they wanted to adopt her. See if you can watch her reaction without tearing up at least a little...:-)

You Could Help Write A Devotional...

Girls Gone Wise is looking for teens to have some input in a teen girls' devotional book that's planned to release in 2012. Go here to learn more about it and how you can answer questions relating to popular media, appearance, femininity, glorifying God and several other topics. Your input could be published! Hope some of you take them up on this offer. It's actually a really cool opportunity and a good way to spend some of your time in contemplation of how these things affect your walk with God or whether or not you have a biblical view of them.

Sexual Healing

I don't know if any of you saw this post on Facebook, but I think it's definitely worth posting on our blog. Praying you girls hear this truth, believe this truth, live it out, and speak it to others.



Here's the words of the poem in addition to the video:

Sexual Healing
by Jeffrey Bethke

So lets look as this subject, and i'll tell you why im disgusted,
So tonight looks like sex will be the topic of discussion.
Now sex isn’t evil, for marriage is why God made it,
But I know you like come on Jeff, that’s too outdated.
This is 2011 bro, we do it for recreation,
Hey this is even college, so we do it while you’re wasted.
lets look into that logic lets pop off the seal,
And lets question something we thought is already a done deal,
For example take a rape victim and once it's revealed
When her bruises go away is she totally healed?
I mean the damage is lasting, you can see it in her eyes,
If it was just abused recreation, why did it ruin her life?
I mean if sex is just for fun then why on us does it take such a toll,
Maybe its because You don’t have sex with a body, you have sex with a soul.

That means for me there aint no premarital lovin,
And it aint just because I don’t want a baby in the oven,
Its because I’m staying pure until the day that I’m a husband.
but see this wasn’t always me that’s guarantee,
so lets go back and see who I used to be.
Growing up, I never learned how to treat a lady
If I learned anything from my dad, it was leave the mom, ditch the baby.
I don’t say that to get sympathy, I say that to be real,
Because according to stats, about 40% of you know how that feels.
So I let the tv show me, what the music already told me,
No dad at home, so I let mtv mold me.
And they sold me, so my life revolved around what girl I could get next,
My whole life revolved around this girl name sex.
Shoot I gotta confess Id get at her on text,
But it seems the longer we dated, the bigger the mess
But see ive been there, where my girlfriend was late on that time of the month,
If you’ve been there too, you know what I mean when I say my heart sunk.
I started to justify abortion, I would butter it up
But they don’t have condoms for sin, you can't just cover it up.
I didn’t have a baby, thankfully
Its funny how I was pro-life, until it happened to me.
So dudes think twice before you desire her just cuz she’s hot,
Because your body makes a promise whether you do or not.

Sorry I digress, lets get back to the topic,
How there are guys in here who pressure her even when she says stop it.
Youre not a man, youre just a boy who can shave and you put on a good cover,
Cuz if you don’t respect her when she says no, you certainly don’t love her.
So start studying her heart, and stop studying her booty,
Or maybe invest the same amount of time in her, that you do in call of duty
I mean what makes you think you have the right to get a girl and get naughty?
You should have to touch her heart and her mind first before you ever touch her body
Because she longs to be accepted, she longs to be loved,
So she gives herself up to another guys lust,
it feels good at first, and then she gets bitter,
Cuz the promises of satisfaction it never delivers,
See she's like man I don’t want to, its just too tempting,
So she keeps opening up the present, just to find its empty.
And then she starts to get confused,
Because she keeps getting rejected by all these dudes,
They tell her on a scale of 10 she's a two,
But that aint true, if she only knew,
That Jesus, he loves and accepts us,
Even when we don’t deserve it, he never rejects us,
He heals us from that sin totally infects us,
He does what condoms cant, he emotionally protects us.
I know some of you like “this guy's wack” and you gunna wanna indict me,
But we gotta think rightly, so ill ask politely,
can we really say this isn’t true even slightly?
Touch the forbidden fruit, just to realize its poison ivy
Now we’re numb and we’re itching, and jacked up our psyche
You don’t think you just do it, like your name was nike
Not realizing the consequences of sin, is oh so pricey

So this last story is for those who think they’re too dirty
This last story, it's for those who think they’re unworthy.
Read John chapter 8, the woman caught in adultery,
Religious leaders throw her naked in the temple, while she yells “Don’t murder me”
“Jesus! The law commands us to stone this woman!” you hear the hate in their tone,
Jesus pauses and then says, “whoever is without sin, you can cast the first stone”
Can you imagine the sound? Silence all around,
You hear footsteps walk away, you hear stones hit the ground.
Jesus kneels down, the woman thought it was her demise,
He lifts up her face, you see the grace in his eyes,
I don’t condemn you, go and sin no more,
I love and accept you, mercy is yours.
If you’re anything like me you’re like no it cant be, no I cant see,
Why would he die for me?
Then I saw the scene, where I was redeemed
He reached out and touched me, and said Jeff you’re free,
Instantly I was wearing the brightest robe id ever seen,
Perfectly spotless, perfectly clean!
So bright in fact, I thought id go blind,
I said who’s is this? He said “actually its mine”
So stop and think before you eat what society feeds us,
Come follow the King, his name is Jesus.

“Everything is permissible for me”—but not everything is beneficial. 'Everything is permissible for me'—but I will not be mastered by anything. “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food”—but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.
Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. ~1 Corinthians 6:12-20

Wonderfully Made

A good reminder that even in our darkest moments, God still loves us.

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." ~Romans 5:8



Check out the blog that made this video, Wonderfully Made. Lots of good stuff!

Got Questions?

Got questions about God, the Bible, life, love, school, family, friendship, sex, this crazy world we live in, or anything else under the sun? Here's the place to ask! (Aside from just asking in person, of course. We're always glad when you do that!) We don't want church to be a place of we preach and you listen, with no room for the questions that naturally come from living a life of faith and just being a human being in general. Questions are a natural part of growing in our relationship with Christ, and God delights when we desire to know Him and His word more intimately. Ask absolutely anything you want and I'll do my best to answer it on this blog, or even pass it on to James to talk about on Sunday mornings or Wednesday nights. All you have to do is leave your question in a comment, which yes, you can do anonymously. I hope you'll take me up on the offer, because I know there are a lot of questions going on in those brains of yours. So here's your chance...ask away!

Your Sista From Anotha Mista,
Tiffany

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."

~Matthew 7:7-8

Why On Earth I'm Creating A Blog...

Hello, hello! And welcome to the brand spankin', totally awesome, mind-blowing new blog created just for you youth group girls of Metro East. I'm really excited to kick this thing off and am hoping it ends up being a huge blessing in your life. God's laid this on my heart for a long time now, and seeing as how He's given me a love for writing, blogging, youth ministry, and well, all of you girls, this seems like the perfect combination all rolled into one. There aren't really a whole lot of sites out there specifically for teen girls, and the ones that are are pretty sub-par---apparently the ONLY things teen girls struggle with any more revolve around the world of dating. *makes annoyed and disgusted face* Having been a teenager once myself, and personally knowing all of you girls, I know that there's a lot more depth to you and the things that are going on in your world...though I know boys do play a part in it. ;-)

I want to create a place online for you girls where your questions can be answered, your walk with the Lord will be challenged, and you'll get to know one another (and your leaders) more personally. So no, this blog probably won't be the most amazing one you've encountered on the web, but it's specially tailored to your hopes and dreams, talents and interests, struggles and disappointments, and joyful celebrations in life. I hope and pray that this blog reflects God's love for you and is a tool He uses to strengthen your relationship with Him. I'm really excited to see how God uses this ministry, and am looking forward to your involvement, because I will most definitely be contacting many of you about doing something for the blog. That's right, no one is safe from my evil clutches...mwahaha! Now...which one of you wants to be my first victim?

I love you all and am looking forward to seeing you all soon!

Your Sister in Christ,
Tiffany