Crown of Beauty Magazine The Beauty Issue | Page 33

I apologize if I’m getting a little heavy here with talk about Satan, and Hell, and how much he hates us.

But girls, we've gotta see what’s happening in the hour we're living in. Not so that we will be

discouraged and depressed by the darkness - but rather that we will look to Christ and partner with our Mighty Warrior and Conquering Savior! He has commissioned us to sparkle and illuminate the darkness with the light He has placed inside us. We can’t do that if we aren’t aware of what’s going on!

2) he is afraid of us.

In Exodus, Chapter 1 Pharaoh started to oppress the Israelites and made them his slaves because he was afraid of them. Verse 12-13 says: “But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly.”

The same is true of our enemy. The more he attempts to oppress us in fear and dread, the more we rise up and turn to Christ! The enemy cannot win, but he is desperately giving his best fight. And he is a good fighter. But we must determine to keep our eyes on eternity, the happily ever after, and refuse to agree with his cunning lies. He chooses to target the girls because we have a very strong influence over the men in our lives. Remember who followed Eve's lead, after she ate the apple? It was Adam! If the enemy can rip down the princesses, he can successfully keep the men from fulfilling their royal roles as well.

for such a time as this.

We have just learned a lot of new information. We are now responsible for what we know. We cannot allow things to be the way they've always been. With this knowledge, we can't sit back, sip on a Pepsi and say, “Those poor girls. I hope they get better soon,” then go on our merry way. If you're a Christian, you've been called to proclaim liberty to the captives and bestow beauty on those who feel like their lives are in ashes. (Isaiah 61).

If you don't struggle to appreciate your beauty and self worth, and are confident of your identity in Christ, that's awesome, sister! You may feel like some of this does not apply to you, or perhaps you have never struggled in this way. But I can pretty much guarantee that there is a girl in your life right now who needs you to share what you’ve learned. She needs to know the truth about who she is in Christ, and why she doesn’t have to listen to lies anymore!

Just like Queen Esther, every girl has been given a sphere of influence, a place where she can make a difference. We've each been planted in a garden, where we live and grow, and touch the lives of many others. God desires that our lives be like an Eden, a place where He can touch others with His life and His love, flowing out of us. As keepers of our own gardens, we must be careful and watch out for deception. We also need to look and see who is hanging out in our garden. Who can we protect and care for in prayer and love? Who can we influence? For some girls, their garden of influence is at church, school, around their friends, the little kids they babysit, or the blog they update. Whoever you are, I can promise that you have people you interact with everyday, and are powerfully influenced by you.

As guard in my own garden, I will not sit around and watch the enemy deceive and destroy my sisters. I cannot remain silent about his twisted plot. It's the prayer of my heart that the passion etched into these pages will ignite a flame in your innermost being. I encourage you to pray as you read this, and every article in the magazine. Let God's Holy Spirit gently blow on your soul, and increase that ember glow that's twinkling inside you. May it result in a dangerous wildfire, as we declare war against the enemy.

Let passion and protection for your sisters reign in YOUR garden.

Livy Jarmusch has a heart to encourage girls.

One of her favorite ways to do that is through song writing.

Check out her song, “Valuable” on YouTube.

Livy says, “It’s dedicated to every girl who has ever struggled to feel beautiful.”

www.youtube.com/livyjarmusch

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