This is ELISSA updating! We haven't updated in a while, but I'm updating now. So yeah.
Last weekend's service at Elevate was amazing. It's topic was GIRLS,
and about the pressure us girls go through (and we know it's a lot).
When peer pressure comes, what are we supposed to do?
Elevate told us an easy way to deal with peer pressure. There are just five steps.
1. Ask yourself, "What am I pressured to do?"
2. Ask yourself, "Am I excited about this action? Or am I scared? What is my conscience telling me?"
3. Stop and think, "What will I gain from doing this?"
4. Think, "What will I lose from doing this?"
Then it's time for your decision: yes, or no? And whatever you
decided, stay FIRM in your decision; let your yes be yes, and no be no.
Elevate also said that the world tells us "you are only beautiful...IF."
...IF you look good
...IF you shop at the right stores
...IF you hangout with the right people
...IF you wear make-up
IF.
Girls can be so influenced by this worldliness, that no one can see who
the real person behind all this stuff is. You can't see
her true self.
But none of that is true!!! When God looks at us, he sees beauty,
because He MADE us beautiful. Period. No if, no make-up, no fakes. Just
YOU.
God is so much cooler than the world and their "'IF'
Beauty". Besides, the beauty that God sees in you, requires no long
hours of flat irons, or tons of money. Isn't that awesome? Isn't that a
RELIEF? He made us the way we are to BE, we don't have to change our
outside appearances to be BEAUTIFUL. God made us to do his will and to
be
part of his creation, and His will for you doesn't require anything but
YOU, and YOU ALONE.
Bye!
~Elissa
(Note: Kristen did a spell-check. ha ha ha)
| 
)...and is translated in a way
that we pre-teens and teens can understand. God definitely works in
this place.