Back to School Prayer

By Carolyn Hulliberger

 

"I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people."

1 Timothy 2:1 (NIV)

 

September is nearly here, and that means "Back to School"...new beginnings, filled with challenges for our students. What better way to impact the next generation than to be praying for them? Even if you don't have children in your home, we all have a responsibility to support and love future generations. After all, the schoolchildren of today are the pastors, presidents, and parents of tomorrow.

 

Here are just a few ideas of how we can pray for our students:

 

1. Pray for their friends. "The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray" (Proverbs 12:26, NIV). Pray for godly friends, and separation from ungodly influences.
2. Pray for a close walk with God. "...And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8, NIV).
3. Pray for your child to feel God's love. "Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:39, NIV).
4. Pray for joy for learning. "Wise men and women are always learning, always listening for fresh insights" (Proverbs 18:15, The Message).
5. Pray for good relationships with each family member. Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God" (Matthew 5:9, NIV).
6. Pray for wisdom to meet all of the challenges ahead. "Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding" (Proverbs 4:6-7, NIV).

 

GOING DEEPER:

1. Commit to praying daily for a student for this school year.
2. Send an occasional note of encouragement to this same student.

 

FURTHER READING:

Philippians 1:9-11

 

Along with caring for her family, Carolyn works as an insurance representative, serves in Oakwood Church's Student Ministries with an awesome group of junior high girls, and is the treasurer for Women's Ministries.

Faithful Sufferers

By Susan Klein

“Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” Jesus said, “but this happened so that the work of God may be displayed in his life.”

John 9:2-3 (NIV)

The Gospels are filled with examples of people being miraculously healed by Jesus. In the above story, Jesus is walking along with His disciples when they come across a man who was blind since birth. The disciples assume (by their question) that surely someone in the man’s family had sinned greatly to bring on such a tragedy. But Jesus enlightens them with truth. His blindness was an intentional  act of God, happening so that others might see the work God was going to do through him. He was chosen to be blind. Jesus then does something peculiar, yet purposeful. He spits on some dirt, pats it into a wad of mud and smears it on the man’s eyes. He receives sight. Lives are impacted. The work of God is displayed.

But, what about the countless others who are not healed? We don’t read their stories in Scripture. Many suffer, not all are healed. It’s a difficult calling, to suffer for God’s purpose, but many are called to do just that. Maybe it’s you. Perhaps you (or someone you know) were born with a condition that you’ve had to endure your whole life. “Why not heal me?” you question. “You healed the blind man, and the bleeding woman, and the leper…” Why not? Same reason. So that the work of God may be displayed in your life.

This very message is conveyed in the Kutless song, “Even If.”

You are God, You are good

Forever faithful One

Even if the healing

Even if the healing doesn’t come

Lord we know your ways are not our ways

So we set our faith in who you are…

You’re still the Great and Mighty One

We trust you always

You’re working all things for our good

We’ll sing your praise (1)

Can you trust in Him?  Are you willing to accept the suffering you’ve been allowed, and trust that God is good, and always faithful? Even if you (or your loved one) are never healed, will you believe in and sing the praises of the Great and Mighty One who has allowed this to happen in your life so that His wondrous works might be displayed?

GOING DEEPER:

1. Discover what happens when you sing a familiar praise song in the midst of your suffering. Or use the song above by clicking on this link: “Even If” by Kutless.

2. Recognize that your suffering may be preparing someone else for blessing, and be willing to be used.

FURTHER READING:

James 5:10-11; 1 Peter 5:10

[1] Even If lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Susan is married to Mark, and has two adult children. She enjoys teaching Bible studies, writing, and tutoring with the Literacy Council. She is a member of the Peace Team at Oakwood.

Breaking Down the Walls

By Elin Henderson

“For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation”

Ephesians 2:14 (NKJV)

         

If you have ever traveled into many parts of the developing world, you will have noticed something there that we don’t see in most of our neighborhoods…WALLS. Whether it is South America or Africa, most of the homes are built with walls around them for security purposes. And as if walls weren’t enough, there is usually some form of razor wire, broken bottles or the like placed on top to further deter would-be thieves. It is just a fact of life for those who live in places like that. 

Let’s face it, in our country, while people may not have literal walls of concrete surrounding their homes, they often put up some serious barricades and walls surrounding their hearts and lives. Their yards might be open, but their hearts are a virtually impenetrable Fort Knox. Breaking through that will take more than a wrecking ball and some wire cutters. 

There is only One, the ultimate Wall-Breaker, who can successfully penetrate these hardened places. And, what tool did/does He use? It wasn’t a sledge hammer, a wrecking ball or wire cutters, but rather a cross. It was through His sacrifice that He broke down the middle wall separating us, first and foremost, from God...but also walls that divide His people. It will only be through the cross of sacrifice that we too will be able to break down the walls that we so often encounter. 

The cross wasn’t easy. It wasn’t comfortable. It implies sacrifice and death. What does that mean for us? This job of wall-breaking will not be a simple one. It will take time and much sacrifice from our parts. We must count the cost and ask ourselves, are we willing? 

Let’s pick up our one and only tool - - the cross of sacrifice - - and head out into this wall-strewn world, looking to our Leader, the ultimate Wall-Breaker, and trusting Him to bring peace and life to those we encounter. 

GOING DEEPER:

1. Think of those around you, your neighbors, friends, coworkers, etc… What kind of walls do they have in place?

2. How can you wield the cross of sacrifice to help those walls come down, including those within the Christ’s Church? 

3. How about in your life? Can you identify any walls that you might have in place that need to come down? 

         

FURTHER READING:

Ephesians 4:3; Psalms 133:1

Oakwood’s missionaries Elin Henderson (a registered nurse) and her husband Phil serve as church planters with New Tribes in Mozambique, Africa.  Elin is mother to fifteen-year-old Callie and twelve-year-old Elias.

Desert Lessons

By Karen D’Amore

“I am about to do a brand-new thing. See, I have already begun! Do you see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness for my people to come home. I will create rivers for them in the desert!”

Isaiah 43:19 (NLT)

Everything was new and unfamiliar: newly married…newly retired…and newly relocated to a state distant from my family and friends. This new land was dry, dusty and desolate; a stark contrast to my lifelong coastal paradise. Moving from my California beach-town to the Las Vegas desert was God’s plan…not mine!

Once following God’s call into full-time ministry, my new desert translated into a “spiritual desert,” a wandering wilderness for my soul. For four years in that barren desert, I never once felt at home and experienced heartache, loneliness, betrayal, persecution and serious illness. The testing process stripped me down to the bare emotional essentials, where I could no longer hide from personal truths. But it resulted in a deepened faith and renewed inner life that clung to God in total dependence. Parched…I hungered and thirsted for Him, like never before. I was no longer in control. Choosing to let go and let God deepen His purifying work, I gradually  responded in surrendered obedience.

Biblically, the desert is not a place to stay forever, but rather a process of pilgrimage, a journey we must travel through. My desert experience was a time of spiritual purification, preparing me for a new life of freedom and love, in a land that God would eventually reveal. The wilderness drew me to discover spiritual vitality in the depth of my heart - - a hidden oasis - - planted by God. An obedient heart was the necessary component for responding to God’s plan and mission for my life. Hindsight clarified the purpose in those desert lessons, revealing the necessity of each and every difficulty and hardship, as God’s testing and refining tools.

Now, on the transformational end of that desert journey, God has called me to that revealed land. And as I’m living out God’s mission and plan in this new land, I am overtly aware of my inability to have fulfilled His mission without responding in obedience to those invaluable desert lessons.

Jesus spent forty days in the desert, where He obeyed the Father through testing and suffering. This is equally true for us. Through testing and suffering, we are challenged to obey and choose between God and evil. Jesus emerged from the wilderness, prepared for His ministry and mission… obediently proclaiming the Kingdom of God all the way to the cross. As Christ-followers, our desert lessons prepare us for our God-ordained missions: to ultimately draw others to Jesus!

GOING DEEPER:

1.  Do you resist or respond to your desert experiences?

FURTHER READING:

Mark 1:12; Deuteronomy 8:2-3

Married to Dan, Karen, a retired police officer, currently works as a Manicurist at Craig Berns Salon and  Foot Care Specialist at Shorehaven Senior Facility.  She also serves on Oakwood ‘s Women’s Special Events team.

If I Could Tell You

By Lexi Ellis

”If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”

Galatians 5:25 (ESV)

I recently re-read prayers and journaling I had written a while back. Some were written a couple of years ago after a friend confided in me she was struggling with eating issues, despite our thinking she was doing great. My heart was aching and, in this specific situation, I couldn’t talk to anyone about it…except my all-knowing God. I asked for the right words to say, if any, and for the Holy Spirit living in her to convict her to do the hard work and get help. I wrote:

You told me your secret today. I’m not going “to tell.”  But if I could tell you, I’d say it’s much easier “getting by”  than joyfully living, because real living requires encountering scary things. It requires dealing with this stuff. It requires surrendering the control of “I-can-do-this-on-my-own”  and recognizing there’s life beyond this. If I could tell you, I’d talk about God’s command to “address”  our struggles - - that sometimes we need to work and wrestle with hard things. So right now, I’m praying for the Holy Spirit to speak into your life. I’m praying the Holy Spirit speaks to me about what words and when. If I could tell you, I’d say I’m heartbroken for you and I want you to address this because I love you like crazy. [1]

In Hebrews 12:1-3, the author acknowledges sin that “so easily entangles.” Because of this, we need to “throw off everything that hinders.” By addressing struggles and sin in our lives, we become available to “fix to our eyes on Jesus.” Our entangling sin and struggles can’t separated from our relationship with God. We need to reject complacency - - a much easier choice - - and choose an active-ness to identify struggles and sin and do something about them. It’s not to try to achieve perfection, but to continually be working on “our stuff” to remove barriers in our relationship with Christ.

My friend recognized her struggle prevented a closeness with God and others. I’m so thankful she made the hard choice to address it. As I read through my journal and prayers for her, I went back to give Him prayers of thanks.

My friends, what obstacles in our lives inhibit our relationship with our Creator? If I could tell you, we need to address them. If I could tell you, a deep relationship with Christ means we release our control and continually deal with our struggles and sins.

GOING FURTHER:

1. What sin or struggle is inhibiting your intimacy with God? How do you need to address it?

2. For whom can you be actively committed to pray?

GOING DEEPER:

Hebrews 12:1-3; Galatians 5:15-25

[1] edited for privacy and space

Lexi teaches sixth grade. She and her husband, Andrew, have a dog named Calvin. She serves with Oakwood’s Children’s Ministries and is the Fresh Start Coordinator.

Weep With Those Who Weep

By Susan Klein

“Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.”

Romans 12:15 (NIV)

One of my most poignant and treasured memories is when my pastor and his wife wept with me. I had just lost a baby, one that they both had fervently prayed God would spare. In His sovereignty, He did not. The next morning, they entered my hospital room, sat on my bed, took my hands, and wept with me. They did not offer words of wisdom, or condolences. They did not quote Scripture to me. They just wept with me in my time of great sorrow. It was a balm for my weary soul and provided just what I needed at that very moment.

The shortest verse in the Bible, Jesus wept (John 11:35, NIV), shows our Lord’s humanly felt compassion for His dear friends who were mourning and weeping the death of their beloved. He knew, being God incarnate, that He had the power to change their circumstances, yet He chose first to stop and experience their pain with them. He didn’t try to bandage their hurt with well-meaning words. He did not sit back and watch silently. He saw their grief, which touched His own heart, and He wept with them.

Have you ever wept with someone? The common bond that is experienced at that very moment is unlike anything else! When a person is in the midst of her sorrow or despair, what she desires most is to be comforted, not insightful theology or the recitation of memorized verses for just such an occasion. There comes a time for that, later, when she is on the road to healing. In the heat of the grief, she just wants to know that she is not alone in what she’s feeling! And grieving with her is comforting.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4, NIV)

Just as we rejoice with others when they are rejoicing, so ought we take our Lord’s example and weep with those who are weeping. Don’t be afraid to let them see you grieve. They’ll sooo appreciate it!

GOING DEEPER:

1. How do you tend to respond to someone who is grieving? Do you give space, try to offer words of encouragement, quote Scripture...?
2. Perhaps you are not a “weepy” sort of person. How might you tangibly grieve with someone in her despair?

FURTHER READING:

Isaiah 40; Romans 15:1; Galatians 6:2

Susan is married to Mark, and has two adult children. She enjoys teaching Bible studies, writing, and tutoring with the Literacy Council. She is a member of the Peace Team at Oakwood.

Presence

By Elizabeth Cole

“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

Psalm 34:18 (NIV)

You know those times where everywhere you look there is joy and ease? Those times of easy laughter and delight in all being just as it ought to be? This has not been one of those weeks.

You know those times when the losses are heartrending and senseless? Those times when you search for a word sadder than sad? This has been one of those weeks.

Both close and from afar this week, I have borne witness to loss of life, loss of a dream, and loss of international ministry due to moral failure. It’s a week of deep disappointment.

Wise counselors have said that when it seems that everything has changed and gone sideways in our lives, we need to rehearse what hasn’t changed; state the facts that are still true, despite all that has happened. Say what you know that you know. So here’s a start.

We know that we know:

Our God is present. …he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  Hebrews 13:5b; I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.  Psalm 16:8 (NLT)

Our God gives us presents of hope, encouragement and strength.  May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. 2 Thessalonians 2:16

Our God has a future for us beyond the present. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”  Revelation 21:1-4 (NLT)

GOING DEEPER:

1. Keep adding to this list. What do you know that you know to be true, even in the midst of brokenheartedness?

FURTHER READING:

Isaiah 40; Psalm 23

Elizabeth is a wife and mother of three grown daughters and two sons-in-law. She is the Director of Connecting and of We Women at Oakwood Church.

A Picture of My Father

By Susan Klein

“Behold the lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”

John 1:29 (KJV)

On a recent visit to my favorite deli, my husband and I had a most unusual encounter. As we perused the deli case, an older gentleman appeared behind the counter. He wasn’t dressed like the other employees and didn’t ask for our order. The owner, I wondered? He reached into the case and took out a large green olive and popped it in his mouth. We watched him savor the morsel with audible moans of delight, as if it were the greatest delicacy in the world. Noticing our glances, he reached for a spoon and procured two more plump olives. Extending the spoon over the top of the counter, he nodded for us to each take one. We obliged, and enjoyed the olives almost as much as he had.

He finished chewing and spit his pit into the palm of his hand. What took place next stunned us both.  He reached that same hand over the counter to receive our pits. We eyed each other incredulously! He wanted us to put our chewed on, and now, rather disgusting pits into his hand?!! As if reading our thoughts, he quietly nodded toward his open palm. Reluctantly, we obliged, tentatively placing our pits into his waiting hand. Here was this humble and considerate man, graciously receiving that which had just been spit out of two strangers’ mouths. He smiled appreciatively, disposed of the pits, and walked away.

I was so struck by this amazingly unheard-of gesture. As we drove home, I mulled over the scene in my mind. What a beautiful picture this man was of our heavenly Father. God took that which He valued most, and generously offered it to us, without our asking, and while we were strangers (sinners) to Him. He didn’t have to share His Son, but out of His immeasurable love for and graciousness toward us, mankind got to savor Jesus as He walked this earth, enjoying His presence and tasting of His goodness. Then, when the appropriate time had come, He willingly took our sins upon Himself. As God incarnate, He could have refused the cross or offered up another person to take His place. But instead, He chose to carry our sins Himself. And now, every time someone obediently places his or her trust in Him, I imagine He smiles appreciatively.

Don’t you just love it when God gives us a little glimpse of Himself?!!

GOING DEEPER:

1. What pictures might God be showing you of Himself in your everyday encounters?

2. Would you be willing to share them with someone?

FURTHER READING:

Psalm 34:8; Luke 10:21; Hebrews 12:2-3

Susan is married to Mark, and has two adult children. She enjoys teaching Bible studies, writing, and tutoring with the Literacy Council. She is a member of the Peace Team at Oakwood.

Remove My Helmet

By Lexi Ellis

“…because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

Romans 10: 9-10 (ESV)

In the musical Shrek, Donkey asks Shrek the ogre who he would be if he could be someone different. Shrek sings/responds how he’d be a Viking or poet or the hero in the story… anything different than being hated and despised without anyone truly knowing him.[1]

Some of the lines in the song are these:

“So yes I'd be a hero, and if my wish was granted 
Life would be enchanted, or so the stories say. 
Of course I'd be a hero, and I would scale a tower 
And save a hot-house flower, and carry her away 
But standing guard would be a beast, I'd somehow overwhelm it, 
I'd get the girl, I'd take my breath, and I'd remove my helmet.” [2]

The line “remove my helmet” is poignant because, in the show, Shrek completes the job of rescuing Princess Fiona. She assumes he is her Prince Charming and demands he remove his helmet. After debating, Shrek does and Fiona does not hide her disappointment very well. 

Isn’t that really what we all want? Regardless of age, our deepest desire is to remove our mask or helmet and be loved regardless of who we truly are…however flawed or ugly we think (or are told) we are. Some would argue a basic human need involves being accepted. Whether middle-schoolers or adults or young children, I think one of our deepest desires is to “remove our helmet” and be accepted regardless. 

Aren’t you glad God created that desire and also fills it personally?! Scripture is clear that not only did God love us enough to send His Son, but He also accepts us as we are and invites us into a transforming relationship with Him. There is no rejection when we remove our helmet with God. It is a relationship where we can approach His throne without fear…because of His work on the cross. 

Shrek longs for being accepted when he removes his helmet. We have the privilege of experiencing that through the grace of the cross. May we be those who live that Truth.

GOING DEEPER:

1. Do you still experience fear when removing your helmet before God?

2. What do you need to do to remember He accepts you as you are?

FUTHER READING:

Ezekiel 20:40-41; John 6:37

[1] Listen to the song by clicking HERE.

[2] http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/shrekthemusical/whoidbe.htm

Lexi is married to Andrew and has a dog named Calvin. She teaches sixth grade and serves with Children’s Ministries and is the Fresh Start Coordinator.

Wisdom Rush

By Elin Henderson

“Incline your ear to wisdom and apply your heart to understanding… if you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures Then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God, for the LORD gives wisdom.”

Proverbs 2:2, 4-6 (NKJV)

I’m no history buff, but I do know that the Gold Rush of ’49 is responsible for the massive people movement that populated the western coast! When word first came out that “there’s gold in them thar hills!” people flocked by the score, mad with gold fever, willing to lose everything to strike it rich!! Many went, but only a few were successful in their search. Why is this? Well, I’ve never dug for gold, but from the stories I’ve read, it was no easy task. It took determination, courage, strength and persistence. The good stuff wasn’t on the surface, but way down beneath and nothing short of blood, sweat and tears, unearthed it. Everyone longed for it, but few found it. 

How many times in a day do we find ourselves crying out, “God, give me wisdom!” If only we had a Fort Knox of wisdom, we could access any old time! But it’s not that way. Wisdom is available, but we have to be willing to dig for it!! It’s valuable, not to be squandered, but to be cherished and utilized to its fullest.

Job found this to be true in his search for sense and wisdom in the midst of trial. The first 11 verses of Job 28  give us a lovely word picture of a mine and the intense work that goes into finding treasure in its depths. Then Job says, “But where can wisdom be found and where is understanding? Man does not know its value…” We search blindly for it, desperate to find it, but often unsure of where to start. Before we lose heart, he adds, “God understands its way and He knows its place.” He’s got the map of the mines! Then, in the final verse (28), God speaks directly to man and reveals that map. “Behold the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom and to depart from evil is understanding.” It’s like He’s saying, “Start here! Keep digging in this vein and you will find it!!”

Are we willing to dig, in order to find the wisdom we desperately need? It’s often in the midst of the struggle that we come upon the rich nuggets we’re longing for. So, pick up your map, start where He says to start and keep digging!  He has a whole cache waiting for you. Are you ready for a Wisdom Rush?

GOING DEEPER:

1. Spend some time in Proverbs noting wisdom verses.

2. How much time do you devote daily to wisdom fever?  

FURTHER READING:

Proverbs 4:5; Proverbs 9:10; Proverbs 31:26

Oakwood’s missionaries Elin Henderson (a registered nurse) and her husband Phil serve as church planters with New Tribes in Mozambique, Africa.  Elin is mother to Callie and Elias. 

What Does a Miracle Look Like?

By Lisa Boyer

“Ask and it will be given you”

Matthew 7:7a (NIV)

Several years ago, we prayed for a miracle…we needed a miracle. My sister Shirley had gallbladder cancer and the outlook for her stage of cancer was grim. Statistically, she had no more than 18 months to live. She’d already lost over 20 pounds in less than two months and now she couldn’t eat much at all before “feeling full.” She was wasting away to nothing in a hurry!

We thought we had a miracle when she met with one of the best gallbladder specialists in the country, but for reasons he never explained, he passed her case off to someone else…who then passed it off to someone else. By the time the surgery was scheduled, we were down to someone “willing” to take her case. Obviously not the miracle we were praying for.

Her tumor was the size of a football and we would have loved to have a stunned surgeon come running out of the operating room shouting, “It’s a miracle, the tumor is gone!!” But he didn’t…instead, he came out of surgery and said, “Well, I bought her some time.”

A miraculous recovery after the surgery would have been awesome! But rather than the seven days she was told she’d be in the hospital, she was there for 20. It seemed that everything that could go wrong did.

We would have welcomed any miracle during her radiation and chemotherapy treatments, but instead she was pale, thin and tired.

Where was our miracle? Had it truly been the “time” the surgeon had bought? And could that be considered a miracle if that extra time was spent getting radiation and chemotherapy treatments?

I’m sure there was plenty that God was doing that we didn’t see, but if it were truly a miracle, wouldn’t it be huge and noticeable to everyone? After all, isn’t that what a miracle looks like?

Not always.

There’s our annual family campout where I spent a weekend with 23 family members. It was unremarkable as far campouts go…food, swimming, rain, leaky tents, campfires, card games and laughter.

Nothing was out of the ordinary, so I almost didn’t notice the miracle…Shirley was there! It had been 66 months since her surgery and she was still with us. And not just with us, she looked great, had gained weight and had more energy than I did! Bottom line, she was healthy and that is nothing short of a miracle from God. He answered our prayers…in His time and in His way.

GOING DEEPER:

1. Look around. Are there miracles you have missed because they didn’t come in expected ways?

2. If God hasn’t answered your prayers in the way you thought He should, will you trust Him and thank Him anyway?

FURTHER READING:

Isaiah 65:24; John 11:1-45; 2 Corinthians 12:8-10

Lisa has been married to Ted for more than 20 years and they have two teenage sons. Lisa administers Fresh Start’s Facebook and blog, and loves hanging out with and impacting teenage girls for Christ.