GPS- Girl Power Safety Tips (All ages & stages)

Put on the whole armor of God, 

that you may be able to stand 

against the schemes of the devil. 

 ~.~

Ephesians 6:11

Ladies, if we will be honest, we have spent more time teaching young girls to put on their make up correctly, how to put their hair together, how to accessorize, and many other things that just come natural to the world of femininity. But in all of this...let's not forget to help young ladies put on the whole armor of God. Today's world is dangerous for girls. Yes, there is a war on Women. It's been waging against fierce females, and women who know what God has called them to carry for centuries.

As I was praying before the Lord, he began to speak to me about the very practical things young women can do to protect themselves in an openly hostile world. Here are some practical GPS (Girl Power Safety) tips that can help you along the way as a budding young adult and young woman in general. 

1. Always be honest about who you are with and where you are going. If something goes wrong, those who love you are going to look for you the last place YOU said you were headed and with the person YOU said you would be with. Really, honesty is the best policy and has saved many lives.

2. Never accept an open drink or food from a stranger or someone you don't know very well.  There have been several cases in the news of late with young girls who were drugged, sexually assaulted, and even recorded by their "friends" for amusement and posted online. This tragedy has led to further tragedy for those families whose children committed suicide, overwhelmed by shame.

3. Always have enough money to make a phone call or take public transportation if you need to leave an unsafe situation. I've heard too many stories of girls who felt like they had no way out because they had no money, they were not driving, etc. If you cannot pay your way, it may be a good idea to sit this one out.

4. If you begin to feel uneasy about a situation, but your friends seem "cool" with it, and ignore you, don't ignore YOUR GUT FEELING. Call your parents or an adult you trust to come and get you or leave if you have transportation and money.

 The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm. Proverbs 19:23

5. Do not allow someone who is "interested" in you to pay your way, especially if you have NO interest in them. Unfortunately, some people equate acceptance of a gift or "let me buy you a drink" as 1) interest 2) ownership or 3) control. And...when you show no interest, this can create feelings of rejection. So, if you have no interest? Pay your own way. Never put yourself in a position to feel obligated because of a gift.

6. Avoid partaking in anything that will alter your ability to make clear and timely decisions. Thus- drinking alcohol or doing illegal drugs  should be out of the question. Both of these alter your ability to make sound decisions. I met a dear woman who was wheelchair bound. Her story? She left a party, high on marijuana and headed home. Her reaction time was slowed and she got into a near fatal car accident. It only takes one bad or untimely decision to change the course of your life.

7.If you or your driver are ever flagged by law enforcement, continue driving and pull over at a well lit stop in PUBLIC view. With instances of police abuse on the rise, it is better to have more than one witness. Most officers are law abiding, but one can never be too careful. If the car is unmarked, call 911 and keep them on the line, stating where you are, and that you have been pulled over. 

8.Even if you are NOT driving, always be aware of your surroundings. Note exits, and landmarks. Use that I phone or Android, and take a snapshot of your surroundings when you get there.

9. Look as cute and glam as you want--but dress sensibly. My test for dressing up? If I had to run, could I actually run?  

10. STAY with your friends in unfamiliar settings. Avoid going off alone with someone you do not know. This is especially important when traveling overseas or to high risk countries known for kidnapping tourists. 

I normally do not write pieces like this, but I felt impressed by the Holy Spirit to put these in writing. Pass them on to your daughters, college friends, sisters, and aunts. 

 You, O Lord, will keep them; you will guard us from this generation forever.Psalm 12:7

My Prayer: Father, thank you for your wisdom and your counsel. Guide us in our friendships, our social activities, and our choices. Let us lean on the good counsel you have placed in our lives so that we will not open ourselves to any snare or trick of the enemy. Thank you for your love! Amen.

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I'm Not WHO I Was

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. 17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!~ Psalm 139 

10th Grade/Present Day

 Last night, I was deep in a conversation with my natural sister when she did what we just LOVE our family members to do: she whipped out a 'blast from the past'. "Do you remember this girl?" she texted me. Well, I did! It was my younger self and Boy,do I remember her! I even remember the outfit. We joked about how nobody could tell us we were not cute back then. I do remember her: this girl was finding herself, skipping school, dating guys who cared absolutely nothing about her. Yes, I remember her very well. This girl was trying to act 25 at 15, experimenting with makeup, breaking rules to see if she could. This girl was told she would not graduate high school and would wind up with 10 kids at the rate she was going. 

I am SO THANKFUL that God had another plan. You see, I'm not WHO I was. And neither are you! I still like my off the shoulder tops (every once and awhile) but the inner me is no longer a girl, looking for identity in what I do, or who my friends are, or how many boyfriends I've had. Giving my life to Christ and making him Lord and Savior has renewed me and I've come to discover my identity in Christ. Now, what God has planned for me shapes my world view, and His plans far exceed my expectation. 

So often, we let people or things from the past hold us to who we were, and not who God has created us to be. I am able to say with assurance, "I'm not who I was!" God, in his mercy, allowed me to make mistakes, allowed me to grow up, and he kept me many times from death when in my immaturity and impatience to be grown, I ran right into trouble! God also set me in a family of those who would counsel, pray, correct, and actively guide me into pursuing my talents rather than pursuing trouble. 

I encourage you to reflect on who God has made you to be and just how far God has brought you from. And remember, you are still a work in progress, a beautiful picture that God is painting!

Psalm 25:7

Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O Lord.

Enjoy the link below to one of my favorite songs! Remember, You're NOT who you Were!

Blessings!