Are You Ready for School?

Summer's over, the bell has rung, and school's officially in session.

When the word "school" comes to mind, some of us don't necessarily get excited. Let's be honest, as much as we try to like it, it can be a real pain! Between getting up early in the morning and information overload, the new school year can be a lot to handle. 

For me personally, school can really push down my self confidence. You too? Or is it just me? The couple first weeks can be great, but it gets terrifying as the year progresses. Especially when those finals come up. Geez louis!  

So what exactly can we do to avoid losing confidence this school year? I want to share 3 things I'll be reminding myself of and maybe you can too.

1. Start off the year P.O.S.I.T.I.V.E!
(What?!) Yes, positive. When you wake up in the morning all through your first week of school, be positive. Because, who knows what the year will bring you! 

(My brother's favorite verse!)

Phillipians 4:13
"I can do all things through Christ who strengethens me"

2. Don't stress out.
Stress is something that gets to us all, and it gets triggered more once school starts. A few years back, I had some major stress levels when school hit, but I kept forgetting to tell myself to breathe! If you let your mind depend on God, I promise you that He will guide you through everything that can tear you back (:  

Phillipians 4:7
"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

3. Keep your head forward
If you put forth your best effort & have confidence, it makes a huge difference in your year. And when you know that you've accomplished those things, it gains a trait in you that helps you handle stressful things. One helpful thing that I use as a guide at school is a tiny pocketbook of the New Testatment. Now, I admit, I'm not a huge Bible reader, however in my version, there a small section in the front that gives topics like Anxious, Stress, Doubting, and other topics. In those topics, it narrows down verses that fit perfectly for those situations including the page number. It never fails when you can carry the word of God when you need it; they fit right in your backpack! School can be full of obstacles, but with your head foward and a strong heart, you can make this year one of your best!

Psalms 27:14 
"Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengethen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord"




~Madi <3


What do you do to prep yourself before school? Share with us by commenting below!

Everyone Listens to Music

I think the number one factor that has shaken the world is music; we're the music culture. 


Whether it's from from pop, rock, humble, alternative, or one of my beloved ones, jazz, our generation is wrapped up in our iPods and headphones. I know for me, music is something that I need a daily dose of. When I'm at school, when I'm in the car, or even blogging, I always have some kind of background music to listen to!


But before you get too pulled into it you have to ask yourself some of these questions:


a) Is it encouraging? Does it put you in a good mood? 
If you listen to depressing music, it's shown to influence your mood as well. The type of music you listen to shapes you to be that music. You want music that makes you charged up for the day. 




b) Does reflect your personality? 
I know that for me, the type of person I am reflects in the music I listen to . . . as well as the people I know! Everyone has inspirations and role models--they always follow through with music that reflects off their personality too! 




c) Does it have a positive tone? 
The music we can listen to may sound great, but sometimes we can skip over the fact if it has a positive meaning to it or not. If it's not uplifting or doesn't give you some sort of feeling/message, or even some sign of strength, it's not as great a song as you think it is! 




d) Is it inspiring? 
This is a toughie for me. Great music isn't just a great song--it's an outreach. Whether that means you can share it to a friend or not or help you get over something, it is the movement of inspiring. 

Some of the music artists I love listening to that answers to these questions are Lenka, Norah Jones, Ingrid Michaelson, Hillsong, The Fray, Coldplay, One Republic, 
Natalie Grant, Britt Nicole, Audrey Assad, Xenia .

Your turn!   

Comment on this post or/and comment our Facebook what kind of music/artists you like to listen to!


Love, 

Are You a Computer Girl?

This is gonna be short one, I promise.

So many of you girls are crazy internet pros. Facebook has reinvented your world :) Ok, mine too. So I found some websites that I thought you might like to check out in between checking FB and emails.


These sites were started by a woman, by the name of Dana Gresh, who had a burden for girls your age {And who has written awesome books for young girls} . She wanted to reach out, share her stories of the ups and downs of her teenhood and encourage girls to pursue something beyond themselves. Middle school isn't the end all. There is more to life than dating in High school. She clearly and perfectly communicates to girls who they are in Christ and what they mean to God Almighty.

You are a Daughter of the King of Kings.

The Secret Keeper {For Tweens}
- Fashion advice, games, downloads, and devotions...pretty much everything you need to indulge in "girl time" on a good website.

Pure Freedom {For Teens}
-This site was created perfectly for your age group. It has devos, fashion tips, relationship tips, and most valuably, What God says about Girls your age. Check it out.