TRUE U: 2015

Thanks for checking out True U’s Roots & Wings Girl’s Day!

Its all about helping girls grow roots, that will help them fly free!

Growing roots of character, self-confidence, value and faith. As these essentials take root, these girls will be empowered to make healthy choices that influence their future. Its about them soaring with the God given purpose in life, free of negative messages from the past, media, self doubt and misspoken word of others. True U is about girls finding their God given value, identity and purpose.

Since 2005, we have hosted smaller scale girls days. However, it has been a dream to scale it bigger – and make it available to as many that can come participate. We have also opened it starting at grade 7 because that is a crucial age for self-image development.

With your $10 registration each participate will enjoy 8 inspirational and informative sessions, a girls day group photo, a TRUE U T-shirt, and a Pizza lunch. We make this possible by the generous donations of others!

Please Register at www.true-u.ca

ROOTS & WINGS GIRLS DAY SESSIONS

“GIRL TALK”

Mirror Mirror: Self-Image

We will discuss the importance of having a healthy self image and how to see through a new lens. What messages do we hear and see that give us negative feelings about ourselves?

Fit & Fun: Healthy Living At Home

It is so important to take care of ourselves body, mind, and soul. This session will focus on fun ways to be active and teaching how to make a delicious smoothie at home.

Girl Meets Boy: Relationships

Girls need to find their intrinsic value rather than base it on a boy or middle school relationship that will disappoint. We want girls to know the power knowing their value, the power of choice/consent. Just because a boy desires them, does not necessarily mean he values them.

Frenemy: Friendships

How do you identify that girl in your friend circle who’s not really being your friend? What do you do? We will walk through what a good and healthy friend looks like, and how to deal with a girl who is a Frenemy.

STICKY: Labels

Words can stick. Negative self talk can stick. But just how do you remove those sticky labels? We will continue our theme on value, and self worth by encouraging girls to identify what negative labels they are carrying at to transform them into truth about themselves!

Creative Sessions

Song Bird:

Girls can find out how a local artist writes songs, and will encourage the girls to pursue their gifts and not give up!

Stylish U:

Want some fast hair or makeup tips, one of our young adults will be giving some instruction!

Stomp: One Girl Nation

We are going to have a blast learning a group choreographed dance by one of our local dance teachers. Tied in with our Frenemy talk, we will learn to work in unity and as a team as a one girl nation – no divisions.

Big thank you to our “Girl Talk” Presenters

Melanie Murray, Jeanette Mackintosh, Rachel Wright, Trina Moss, and Grace Goodridge.

Thank you to the many hands that will make R&W Girls Day meaningful and exciting.

For too long I’ve let others opinions of me dictate SO much.

When friends or pastors have told me NO, when I have felt I should do something in an area of ministry, I’ve just assumed that obviously I must be wrong. Or worse, they don't want me. When it became clear that a leader didn’t like what I was proposing as a ministry option, I assumed I wasn't good enough or worthy for the calling or position. I felt like there was something wrong with myself, or that maybe I wasn't pastoral material.

I have even started to feel like maybe after 10 years of trying to be actively vocationally involved in pastoral ministry (aka. being a pastor for work) that I heard God wrong, after having door after door shut. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I wasn't worth it.

Nobody else seems to see what I have, except my family. Nobody seems to know what I have to offer, or what I can do, or see the strengths I have . . . and . . . It was killing me.

I came across this quote a few months back.

Your value doesn't decrease based on someone’s inability to see your worth

~Author Unknown~

I’ve been thinking about it ever since.

Amazing isn't it. Simple. True. Healing.

It’s amazing how we let other people’s opinions carry so much weight and how quickly we can change our own opinion of ourselves to accommodate theirs. It’s so much worse when we believe the lie that because they don't see what we see then it obviously must not be there. And that is the lie that I had come to believe.

How many us have fallen into that place where we have allowed how others perceive us to determine how we feel about our own self? How many of us have tried to change parts of who we are to accommodate others so we can feel more valued, loved, cherished? How many times have we allowed our value to decrease because someone didn't see our worth?

Your importance doesn't decrease based on someone’s inability to see your abilities

(Who you are, what you can do).

God finds us SO important.

And that value NEVER changes.

NO. MATTER. WHAT.

2 Corinthians 12:9 says that His grace is enough for us, and His power is made perfect in our weaknesses. Basically that means even though we are human and flawed and make mistakes, God’s grace sees past that and the things that are our biggest downfalls and weaknesses are made abilities by His grace. We are important to Him and for Him. And where we are weakest HE makes us strongest, even if someone else doesn't see it.

THAT NEVER CHANGES.

So hold onto your dreams, your calling and who you are. Even if someone else doesn't see your worth, doesn't see what you have to offer or even doesn't think you can do it. Remember that you are worth it and can do it even if others don't always see it.

If you do lack some of the abilities to succeed in those areas, GOD’s strength is made perfect in our weaknesses…

Guest Post By,

Rachel Wright

Starve Your Fears . . . A Story Untold

(Series on Fear)

“Feed your fears and you will starve our faith. Feed your faith, and starve your fears.” Max Lucado

Flush, brush, take the bench. That was my routine as I started playing piano Sunday mornings as a teenager. Yes, the “flush” was me getting sick out of a deep and overwhelming anxiety.

So many of the things I loved and dreamed of started with an obstacle called anxiety.

I loved playing with music teams. However, as a teenager I discovered that this caused me great joy, and great stress all at once. It turns out, I was very fearful of playing piano in public. I would be so nervous I would get physically sick. This was a terrible obstacle. That wasn't all I was fearful of. Growing up, I had always shrunk away from upfront stuff like English presentations and speeches. The fear public performance and speaking became magnified by close proximity to my purpose. As I was provided more opportunities to participate in speaking and teaching - the more I experienced anxiety.

No one would have guessed it. I was outgoing, bubbly, involved in various extra curricular activities, and had plenty of friends. I wasn’t shy. I didn’t look or act nervous. No one else would even know this was happening. Not a huge deal right? Common Kristy, there are worse things. True, there are.

So what were my options? Just don’t speak in front of people – problem solved right? Not for me. I knew at the age of 15 that my life would be devoted to a ministry context. This meant . . . dun dun dah. . . . frequent occasions where I would have to speak to more than a couple people at a time teaching and preaching.

Facing this fear/anxiety was not optional – I had to if I wanted to fully use the gifts God deposited in my life, and if I wanted to fulfill purpose and walk towards my dreams.

How is it that God would give me a gift and give me a desire to do something that also caused the greatest of anxieties?

He does tend to birth strength from weakness.

So what did I do? Did I quit? No, even though I often felt like it. Did I stop dreaming? No, I had potential brewing. Did I make excuses? Hum…sometimes. Did I cry about it? Yes. Did I wonder why? Yes. Did I pray about it? Absolutely! I needed to grow in my gifts – and to do that I had to face my fear.

You see fear wants you to feed it – but stepping out of your comfort zone helps to starve it!

Knowing I needed to overcome this paralyzing fear – I did something radical. I signed up for grade 11 drama class! Did I mention this fear was at its worst around my peers? So, I signed myself up for a semester of frequent washroom visits, stress and butterflies flapping wildly in my stomach each morning. I fought a deep desire to STAY HOME from school or miss the bus. But, I stuck with it. Lesson learned – though fear took me to the bathroom, it did not overtake me!

“One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn’t do.” Henry Ford.

I’d like to say that after this “exposure therapy experiment,” the fear faded quickly. But it didn’t. It was years of facing the fear on a piano bench, classroom presentations, teaching seminars, speaking at retreats, and preaching. I had to starve it out, because it wanted to be fed. It wanted to grip me. It wanted to steal my future.

I can still remember a Bible College class where I stood to give a presentation and NOTHING, I mean like NOTHING came out of my mouth. I had to just sit back down in my seat. Everyone was confused because they had no clue of this anxiety. This episode was very discouraging. One left a stinger for a time. But again, I couldn’t stay paralyzed by failure. You don’t have to be paralyzed by set backs or fear either.

I can also remember a women’s retreat I was to speak at. I was in ministry and newly married. Jeff drove me to the Saturday evening service because I really didn’t feel well. In fact, when we pulled up to the location, my whole body was aching so bad with anxiety I couldn’t walk. Jeff had to carry me to the door of the lodge room. He then stopped, prayed for me and I walked through with God’s help to deliver a message. Little did the women know I was physically carried to that door and God carried me the rest of the way.

There were many more stories like that one.

“COURAGE is not the absence of fear – but the triumph over it. The brave [wo]man is not the one who does not feel fear, but who conquers that fear.” Nelson Mandella

Do not allow fear to paralyze you or your future. Fear stifles our thinking and actions. It creates indecisiveness that results in stagnation. Anxiety can create cycles of avoidance and retreat.

You have treasure in you that is not meant to be hidden!

I have known talented people who procrastinate rather than risk failure. Lost opportunities cause erosion of confidence, and the downward spiral begins. Your not taking a risk working through fear breaks your confidence more than taking a risk and failing.

So what fears to you have? What fear might hold you back from your future? What fear do you want to break through?

The thing is, breaking through fear and anxiety often comes through doing the opposite to how you feel in the moment. Take action. Find someone to help through a process of breaking through anxiety be it a mentor, teacher, Dr., counselor, or pastor.

“Thinking will not overcome fear, but action will.” W. Clement Stone.

I am thankful that today, many years later things are better. It is not that I do not get nervous at times. But working through the debilitating part of that anxiety was a process. I attribute having overcome much of this fear to a few key things.

1) My parents’ parenting: my parents from a young age taught me to follow through on commitment (even if I didn’t feel like it), held me accountable, were very consistent, were supportive, and encouraged me to follow my dreams.

TRUE U TIP: Its ok to be lovingly pushed through a struggle - towards your potential. Someone to help you stay on track, be consistent and accountable to your goals.

2) Saying yes: instead of saying no to opportunities to do what I loved and dreamed of because of my fear and anxiety – I said yes. At one point I really felt like God told me to say yes to opportunities and not run away from them. Discomfort doesn’t necessarily mean you weren’t meant to do something. Be courageous about working through your fear. Doing nothing might guarantee you get stuck.

TRUE U TIP: Taking steps through fear towards your destiny breaks its hold on you! You can do it.

3) Faith: as a woman who values faith in God, that really is the number one ingredient to overcoming struggle and fear in our lives. We can’t do it all on our own, we need God’s help, strength and wisdom.

Live for and concentrate on something bigger than yourself. A heart full of hope and purpose helps motivate you to overcome fear.

TRUE U TIP: Let Him help you through your struggle and face your fear. Many times God asked people to “take courage,” and assured them He was with them. He’s with you if you ask Him to be!

“For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but He has given us a spirit of power, and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind, and discipline and self-control.” 2 Tim 1:7

STARVE YOUR FEAR . . . do not let it paralyze your potential or dictate your future.

“Feed your fears and you will starve our faith. Feed your faith, and starve your fears.” Max Lucado

* This is a short synopsis of a personal story of overcoming a specific fear and anxiety. So many suffer from anxiety disorders of many kinds, please see your Dr. if you have questions about anxiety. (You are not alone! Did you know 1 in 5 have an anxiety issue?) I will be writing more specifically and in depth about the nature of anxiety in future posts.

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