The Redeemed Girl App provides transformation tools for women at all stages in their faith journey. Whether listening to a Bible teaching podcast while on the go or having small group leader resources at your fingertips, we believe this new tool will enable women to live for His glory.

The Redeemed Girl App is now available through iTunes and Google Play. It’s is a free download to any apple or android device! Download today and share! 

http://get.thechurchapp.org/share/redeemed-girl-ministries 

“I came to Redeemed Girl Institute with my Bible and a bag full of swimsuits, flip flops, and cover-ups but what I didn’t realize was that I would be leaving with my heart full of love from Christ and this unquenchable thirst for more of God’s word. I feel so blessed to have been a part of such an amazing experience where God’s presence was so alive and transformative. My faith grew in leaps and bounds and as a result my relationship with Jesus is so much deeper and more intimate. I have been able to take the eternal truths I learned at RGI and share them with other women and see firsthand their faith growing as well. I am so thankful for my time in Destin this summer at Redeemed Girl Institute!” -Blake, University of South Carolina

“Attending RGM Institute was by far the smartest decision I made all summer; it exceeded my expectations. The institute was truly a piece of heaven on earth as I was continuously surrounded by authentic community and taught Biblical truth each day. Marian's teachings challenged us to love the Lord above all else and to embrace who we are in Christ which is our true identity. My week spent at RGI refueled my spirit and set ablaze a passion to advance God's kingdom on my college campus. The truth I absorbed that week is still impacting my life today!! I cannot wait to attend next year as well!”  -Kelsey, Ole Miss

"Last summer I had the chance to go to Destin, Florida for a discipleship retreat called Redeemed Girl Institute. This was an opportunity like no other. I have never been apart of a more spirit-filled, informational week. I made some incredible friends and grew in ways that I didn’t even know were possible. We had sessions every morning and evening, as well as free time in the afternoon to explore the quaint city and relax on white sandy beaches. We discussed topics like: Renewing your mind, Knowing your Redeemer, Knowing your Identity, How to be Spirit Filled, Honoring your Mother and Father, Waiting for God’s Best, Sharing the Gospel, Leaving a Legacy, and Walking by Faith.

Before most of our evening sessions we had worship on the beautiful beach, while watching the sun set. I feel privileged that I had the opportunity to be a part of that incredible week at RGI (Redeemed Girl Institute). I learned more about my walk with Christ and made friendships that will last a lifetime. If you're even the slightest bit interested in going this Summer...I promise you wouldn’t regret it." -Ellie, Winthrop University

“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you!” Matthew 6:33

Although this verse is one of the most often quoted, printed, and monogrammed scriptures…I dare say that actually putting this one into practice is quite different than merely memorizing the words. Let’s break this one down a bit, shall we?

Seek…
strive, pursue, or chase after with intensity

First…
your chief and primary objective

The kingdom…
the realm of rule and authority

of God…
where God, our Creator and Savior Reigns!

God revealed to me that by seeking first his kingdom agenda, then all things that I longed for and desired would ultimately be added to my life.   The trick is to get the order right.  Most of us have the order reversed.  The world tells us to seek first marriage, a career, or whatever the next item is on our List, but God says that we are to place him and his agenda as the priority of our lives –trusting him to take care of the rest.

So, what exactly does it mean to “seek first the Kingdom of God?” I was pondering this question recently while at the lake with some friends after church. After a long day of water skiing, we relaxed on the boat watching a beautiful sunset.  Since the group was in a reflective mood, I threw out this question to see what response I would get. The general consensus from this group (all of whom love God, serve God, and are on-fire for His purposes) was that seeking first the kingdom means passionately pursuing our relationship with Jesus Christ and passionately pursuing his agenda instead of our own.

I’m a big fan of that definition.  Seeking first means spending our time, our energy, and our resources furthering the priorities and passions of God’s heart—living by his agenda and not our own. Instead of chasing after a guy, a career or the latest trends, God’s desire is that we pour our lives into his kingdom agenda.

In what ways are you tempted to "seek first" the world's agenda, instead of God's agenda?

As 2012 rolls around, I assume most of us made New Year’s resolutions. Studies show that by three weeks into the New Year those resolutions are put away with last year’s Christmas décor. Here we are at the two-week mark…how is everyone doing? If I can be the first to confess, I’m struggling with mine.

It seems like each year I resolve to eat healthier and take better care of my body. Friends, let me just say, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak! This year, I decided to banish gluten once and for all from my diet. (P.S. according to my doctor, gluten is my kryptonite) and to eliminate it would make me a far healthier woman. Most of the time, I’m pretty good at saying “no” to bread, pizza and the other major players. But do you realize how many delicious and delectable morsels include gluten? EVERYTHING CONTAINS GLUTEN! So, by January 9th as I sat at a table with my favorite chocolate cake, I had a big decision…to give in and eat a piece or to resist the temptation?

This struggle reminded me of our Questions Girls Ask topic: How do I resist temptation? In our last post, we unpacked the meaning of the word “temptation.” Today, we will study what it means to “resist.”

The word “resist” implies a choice of our will. The human will is the place of decision. When the temptation arises to choose God’s way or to choose sin, we, with our human wills, make that decision. The decision we face in each moment is to believe God and to trust that His commands are for our good. At that point we can choose to walk in obedience, or to believe the Father of Lies (Satan), who desires to lead us to destruction, and give in to the temptation.

The primary battle we face during temptation is the fact that Satan is crafty. He targets temptations that appeal directly to the desire of our sinful nature for pleasure, prominence, power and prestige.  As I said in the previous post, he entices us to meet legitimate needs in illegitimate ways. (i.e for the girl who desires love, she is tempted to use her body physically to achieve her desire.) While this is a false intimacy and sex outside of marriage leads to destruction, Satan paints a beautiful picture in our minds and tempts with thoughts that say “sex is no big deal” and “he will love me if…” This is the nature of temptation, but the good news for a Christ-follower, who is indwelled by the Holy Spirit, is that we have the power to resist our enemy.

One of the greatest examples of how our enemy operates is seen in the life of Jesus. Matthew 4 tells of Jesus’ journey into the wilderness where Satan tempted him. The key to this narrative is found in the opening verses.

 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. Matthew 4:1-2

Girls, it is vital for us to note that Jesus was tempted in the place of His hunger. While Jesus was hungry for food, notice what the enemy did.

The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Matthew 4:3

It seems like such a little thing, but Satan was enticing Jesus to use his power as the Son of God to meet his earthly needs without relying on the His Father. Ultimately, this would have been a lack of faith. Our enemy does the same to us. When we are hungry for love, acceptance, importance, recognition or anything the human heart can desire, he tempts us to satisfy this hunger in a way that is disobedient to our heavenly Father.

Thankfully, Jesus is not only our Savior; He is also our example and He empowers us to resist Satan just as He did. Notice what Jesus did in the wilderness when he was tempted.

 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4

Quoting from the Old Testament, Jesus used a Scripture to battle Satan’s temptation. The Word of God is powerful and it is Truth. When Satan speaks his deceptive lies, our weapon against his schemes is the Sword of the Spirit, which Ephesians 6 tells us is the Word of God. While in the wilderness, Jesus faced three temptations. Each time, He resisted Satan by speaking Scripture out loud. We can effectively resist temptation in the same way Jesus did: by countering Satan’s seductive lies by shining the light of God’s truth upon them.

Recently, I spoke a conference for college women. During my talk I discussed the nature of temptation and how our enemy, who desires to kill, steal and destroy, will use our heart’s desires for love and intimacy to lead us into sexual sin. As part of my message I taught the women the power found in God’s Word to resist him and to strengthen our wills to choose God’s best.  Concluding the message I confessed to the women gathered that I, too, was in this battle with them. As a woman of God, living in our culture that bombards us with sex at every turn, I fully understand the battle women face to walk in purity. While dating my fiancé, I’ve heard every lie in Satan’s arsenal about sex.  While I can praise God and say by His grace we have walked in purity, that doesn’t mean we have not been tempted.

A few months into our dating I found myself seriously struggling with thoughts, which I knew were contrary to God’s Word, and thoughts, which were temptations from the enemy to lead me to rebellion. In the midst of this battle, the Lord reminded me of how He responded to Satan’s schemes by saying, “Marian, pick up your sword…it’s time to fight.”

So I did. I bought a small ringed note cardholder and began searching my Bible for every verse I could find on sexual purity. I would write it onto a card and meditate on it throughout the day. Then, when those thoughts and lies would enter my mind, I would speak out loud, just as Jesus did, the Word of God.

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Girlfriends, there is power in the Word! Our enemy will flee, just as he did when Jesus rebuked him. We can demolish his lies with God’s truth.  My challenge to you is this: if you are facing a battle, take up your sword. Open your Bible and find out what God’s word says and resist the enemy!

Many of you have asked for the scriptures I use in my battle for purity. Here is a list: 

Hebrews 13:4

1 Corinthians 6: 18-20

1 Peter 5: 8-9

Revelation 2: 20-24

1 Corinthians 10:12-14

2 Peter 2: 19-22

1 Peter 2: 10-12

Colossians 3:3

1 Corinthians 3:16

Ephesians 5: 15-17

Romans 13: 12-14

1 Thessalonians 4:3-8

Hebrews 3:12-13

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

2 Timothy 2: 21

2 Peter 1: 3-4

Romans 6: 12-14

1 Peter 5:8-9

Hebrews 12:2

Colossians 2:6-9

Whew…what a list! I can praise God and say that these truths have demolished the enemy’s lies. I challenge you to make your own note cards and meditate on God’s Word so you can walk in victory!

Inspired by conversations with real women, this weekly post from Redeemed Girl Ministries answers some of the common questions women ask on their faith journey. 

When I say I can’t begin to count the number of weddings that I have been-in, I am not exaggerating. 27 Dresses? … Please!! Amateur! I’ve worn my share of taffeta and danced as Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” played while some over-zealous groomsman ushered (or rather, pushed) me to the dance floor for my all-time favorite event (insert eye roll) — the humiliating bouquet toss.  I’ve now worn every color in the rainbow as a bridesmaid and read most of Paul’s epistles in my new preferred role, the “official” Scripture reader. Yet, in all of my wedding memories, one moment will always standout as the “i-can’t-believe-that-just-happened-to-me” moment of all. 

A good friend decided to have her wedding in beautiful Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Attending this one was a no-brainer. Seriously, three days of sun and sand was not a big sacrifice for this girl. So I boarded the plane for Cabo, with my maid-of-honor check list and a beach bag full of mindless reading in tow. Girls, the wedding was breathtaking: white sand, crystal blue water and the bride absolutely stunning as she stood before her groom at sunset. Yet, all of these things are not what truly captures my memory.

Oh-No… Just hold tight to your taffeta, do I have a story for you.

So there I stood…feet aching in my three inch heels, holding my bouquet at my belly button, poised next to the bride as the tide rolled in just steps away from us. Taking in the seriousness of the covenant ceremony, I listened intently as the pastor spoke about our awesome God, who is Creator of all things…oceans, stars, animals, the birds of the air, and of course, marriage.

I kid not, at the precise moment the pastor said, “the birds of the air”— a huge sea gull, as if hearing his cue, decided to be a tad bit dramatic and interrupted the ceremony by swooping down and perching himself right onto of my perfectly coifed chignon.

Bird Attacks Bridesmaid News at 11!

I so wish this was fiction. Alas, it is not. For some reason, Mr. Angry Bird picked me out of everyone to sink his talons into. I can only assume that he confused the mounds of bobby pins and hairspray for a suitable nest, or he just really wanted a front-row seat for the exchange of vows. Whatever his reason, I’m pretty sure that the most memorable part of the wedding for all in attendance is their mental image of me wildly flapping my arms and dancing around in order to shoo the bird off my head.

I tell you this story in order to answer a question I often get asked by women: How do I resist temptation? By now, most of you might be scratching your heads and trying to make a connection between an unfortunate encounter with a bird and the daily temptations we all face. I divulge this very embarrassing tale because this experience perfectly illustrates a famous teaching about temptation.  The great reformer, Martin Luther once compared temptation to a bird in the air by saying, “You can't prevent a bird from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.”

Luther’s point is this: everyone is tempted to sin. Temptation itself is not sin, but acting upon it is.. Just think about it.  I did nothing to cause or to invite that sea gull to come after me during the wedding, but I did have a choice…it was up to me whether or not Mr. Angry Bird could build a home in my updo. As Christians, we have a choice whether or not we will yield to the temptations we face.

In this first teaching on resisting temptation, we must begin by answering the all-important question: What is temptation? Pastor John MacArthur said,  “Every temptation, directly or indirectly, is the temptation to doubt and distrust God.”

This has always been Satan’s M.O. (mode of operation.) Just as Satan tempted Eve in the Garden with lies about God’s character, he tempts us in the same manner with a thought or an idea, a lie that says, “God cannot be trusted.”

In temptation, Satan insinuates that obedience to God’s commands will keep us from the longings and desires of our hearts and that our true happiness will be found in disobedience. 

“Sin comes to us, taps us on the shoulder or tugs at our shirttail and whispers in our ear: “You deserve better than what God has provided. He’s holding out on you. You deserve to feel good about yourself. I’ll affirm you in a way no one else can. Why live in misery any longer? Come to me. I’ll give you a sense of power you’ve never known before. I’ll expand your influence. I’ll fill your heart with a sense of accomplishment. I’ll nourish your soul. You’ve never had a physical rush like the one I’ve got in store for you. Obeying God is boring. It’s a pain. He’s always telling you to do stuff that’s difficult and burdensome and inconvenient or ordering you to forsake the few things that really bring you happiness. Come on. You’ve only got one life. Obedience is ugly. My way is fun. My way feels good.”-Sam Storms

Although we can’t stop these birds over our heads, God does give us the power through His Spirit and the direction through His Word as to how we can resist and stand firm when tempted.

For example, consider the woman who struggles with sex

Our first step in resisting temptation is to RECOGNIZE where, when and how we are tempted. This week, I challenge you to stop and take an inventory of your life.

• What sins do you consistently struggle with?
• How are you tempted to find life, happiness, or fulfillment in a way that is outside God’s will?
• What are the specific thoughts or ideas that tempt you to sin?
• Sam Storms writes, “Temptation is often strong because it comes in the form of an enticement to satisfy legitimate needs through illegitimate means.” What legitimate desires are you seeking to satisfy through illegitimate means?

Take time to pray. Journal your thoughts and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the specific lies you’ve believed and how the enemy is seeking to deceive you.

In our next Questions Girls Ask Blog, we will continue this discussion and look at specific ways we can “resist” temptation. In the meantime, take this encouragement from God’s Word: Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. James 4:7-8  Precious Redeemed Girls, never forget, God ensures us victory when we resist the devil and choose to draw near to Him.

For His Glory,

Marian

It’s that time of year again, when our radio stations, inboxes and mailboxes are flooded with a galore of Christmas. As any girl, I’ll be the first to admit that a discounted coupon or holiday advertisement can surely cause my eyes to take a second glance, but what really catches my gaze and captures my heart is the Gift that surpasses any present under the tree - J-E-S-U-S!

As a girl who could once careless to what was inside her Bible, I now find myself craving for its wisdom and truth. And how true the statement is that “Revelation Brings Transformation” When we discover the heart of Christ and His love for us – we can’t help but be transformed. We are compelled to love others in the ways He loves us and our hearts in turn break for what His heart breaks for.

My name is Rebecca Harper. This summer I joined staff with Redeemed Girl Ministries. Apart of my job at RGM is meeting with young women on college campuses, who have a desire to start discipleship groups. Often I get asked the question: How can discipleship be done effectively. That question comes with a two part, straightforward and simple answer. My pastor in college taught me that as Jesus’ disciples, our job is to do two things 1) point the way and 2) help clear the path.

Concerning discipleship, He writes: “There’s ultimately nothing any of us can do to force people to grow in Christ. Nothing. So whether we offer a 26-option discipleship program or a 4-option one really doesn’t matter. If someone really doesn’t want to grow, they’re either going to say no 4 times or 26.” – Steven Furtick

And for that reason, effective discipleship must be kept pretty simple.

As disciples, hopefully we’ve all had one if not many individuals in our lives who have pointed us to the greatest Gift, Jesus Christ. These are the individuals who confront us when we are tempted, comfort us when we are lonely and they'll correct us when we are wrong. God brought the woman who discipled me into my life at the perfect time.

I was a sophomore in college and had just ended a four year relationship. A relationship that was not honoring to God; and one that I sought to find my fulfillment, self-worth, and identity in. After that break-up my desire to deepen my relationship with my Savior grew, and in every sense of the word, I was hungry for His truth. During this season of life, I met the women who would model for me what it meant to be a disciple of Christ.

She pointed me to the truth in God’s word, causing my “hunger pains” to only intensify as I began soaking in His truth and finding Him to be The Bread of Life. She became my prayer warrior and accountability partner. She pointed me closer to Jesus and helped to clear the path by giving me books and scripture to deepen my knowledge of God and love for Him. Her guidance equipped me to live the life God design for me to live.

Reflecting on her influence upon my life helps me answer the question…What is Effective Discipleship?

3 Practical things you can do to point the way:

First, Be loving. Jesus’ love should compel us, not constrain us. And who else better to model our lives after than the one who gave love sacrificially and offers it abundantly. The love of Jesus should be the most practical thing we reflect to those who do not know him. We can simply love our neighbors by our actions, words and in our sensitivity towards them. If you see or hear a sorority sister’, friends’, or co-worker’s need and you can meet it - go for it! Live with your head up and your eyes open. Love softens hearts and points and paves the way for the Gospel to be heard.

Second, Be prayerful. In the car. In line at Starbucks getting your Pumpkin Spice Latte. In the office or in class. Over lunch. Be in prayer at all times. Why not simply ask, “Can I pray for you about something or Can we pray now?” The “now” part is for sure going to be a shocker, or at least it was for me. My dearest friend in college became the first person in my life who instead of offering to keep me in her prayers, offered to pray for me in the moment of my hurt. She pointed the way to Jesus through prayer.

Third, Live intentionally. In her book Radiant, Marian Jordan describes a radiant woman as “one who lives intentionally by setting her priorities according to her purpose to reflect the radiance of Jesus”.  We all know how this works. If we desire to do well on a test, then we are disciplined in going to class and intentional about studying. If we desire great, Godly friendships, then we are intentional about staying in touch with our friends and prioritizing our time to meet or talk with them. The same is true about a disciple of Jesus. We deliberately choose to live in such a way that every day, every moment, every hour counts for Christ. We intentionally seek Him and intentionally set our priorities.

Practical ways to help clear the path:

At Redeemed Girl Ministries we provide books, teaching podcasts, blogs and an annual discipleship retreat (Redeemed Girl Institute) to help girls grow in their walk with Christ. In short, we point the way to Jesus and walk out the vision of our ministry: To see young women redeemed by the grace of Jesus, transformed by His truth, and who live for the glory of His Name.

All of these resources are available to you so that you can help clear the path for a friend or sister. Visit our Teaching and Discipleship pages to view our weekly Bible study podcasts, teaching blog, and tools to help you start your own small group.

I pray this holiday season that you will consider discipling a friend or sister in Christ, and that as you seek God’s word together you’ll find yourself fuller than you were the hour after your family’s thanksgiving meal and the sale at the mall will not hold anything to seeing a life transformed through the revelation of Jesus, Our Greatest Gift!

For His Glory,

Rebecca

We'd love your input. Tell us your ideas for effective discipleship. Who impacted your life as my mentor did mine?

I have a lot of needs. 

I don’t mean that in a super high-maintenance-give-me-Prada sort of way. I mean that in a I-am-SO-incapable-of-being-a-loving-Godly-woman-all-the-time way. Yes I said it. I’m just not. I am impatient. Sometimes I have an attitude. And I have absolutely no filter on what comes out of my mouth (this tends to embarrass my friends when we’re in public).

So I ask a lot of God. This past summer I helped out at a camp for Junior High students. Let me repeat that: I spent 22 hours a day surrounded by seven twelve-year-old girls who had a special talent for screeching at inopportune times. Or really, all the time. At least five times an hour I asked God for patience. Fortunately, for both myself and my campers, He always supplied. 

Prayer is a way of asking God for needs.  Do you need comfort? A job? New shoes? Health? Wisdom? The Bible says we have not because we ask not (James 4:2). So go ahead. Ask God for what you need.

In Wilderness Skills For Women, Marian Jordan tells a story of a time when she needed God to give her His love and joy for others. Right after a horrible breakup, she found herself wedding dress shopping with her best friend.

Ouch.

Marian says, “I asked God to help me celebrate other people’s joy in the midst of my sorrow... God answered this prayer in a supernatural way.  Throughout the darkest days of grief and battles with rejection, God gave me a true joy for others that was inexplicable.”

Marian needed joy. Marian asked God for joy. God gave her joy. That. Simple. In Matthew 11:28, Jesus says “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” It blows my mind that the Creator of heaven and earth wants to meet my needs. All I have to do is ask. But I so often deny His help because I think I can do it on my own. We need to daily rely on God to carry our burdens and meet our needs.

But enough of my thoughts. I want to hear yours.

• Tell me about a time when God has answered a prayer request!
• What holds you back from asking God for your needs?

This is the all-important question of "why."

Why I am here?

Why do I exist?

Why do I even get up in the morning?

To understand why we were made, we first must recognize the fact that we are, indeed, “made.” Created. Formed. Designed. Planned. Fashioned. We are not self-existent creatures. We did not create ourselves. We are the purposeful design of one who is the Creator of All Things. The Author of Life. The Holy, Awesome, and Majestic God of the Universe.   The Bible says, “God made man in His own likeness.  He made both male and female. He breathed into the nose the breath of life. (And) Man became a living being" (Genesis 1:27; 2:7 New Life Version.)

This Awesome Being made each one of us. Mindboggling, I know. It is incredible to think about the fact that God, who spoke solar systems into orbit, and who holds the universe together by his power, chose to create you and me…uniquely.

But why?

Why did He create us? The Bible is very clear on this point. Every person throughout history was created for the sole purpose of bringing glory to our Creator. Yes girls, we were created to shine! In Isaiah 43:6-7 the Lord says, “Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by name, whom I created for my glory.” 

Did you notice the last part of that verse? God says that we were created for his glory, not our own. We are designed to make his name known, to lift high his praise, to turn the spotlight on his face. Like stars that light up the night sky, we are designed to shine—to reflect to the world that our God is incredibly glorious.  Author and speaker John Piper explains this purpose in his book, Don’t Waste Your Life, by stating, “God created me—and you—to live with a single, all-embracing, all-transforming passion—namely, a passion to glorify God by enjoying and displaying his supreme excellence in all the spheres of life.”

We are created to make God’s glory known, yet we live and struggle against a culture that says that we are the center of the universe—not God. Shining for God’s glory is a radical shift from the cry of the world that says “make much of yourself!” Our education, marketing, and sadly, even our parents have spent years programming our thinking to believe that we (the individual) are the most important person on earth.  Self-esteem is the highest virtue. Love of self is the utmost concern. It is not only common, but expected for people to place their needs and priorities above all else.

OUR PURPOSE

This begs the question, can we truly be “happy” or feel “content” if we aren’t doing the very thing we were created to do in the first place? I would argue that it is absolutely impossible. This is the fish out of water syndrome. Pursuing our own fame and glory turns the purpose of life upside down and ultimately leaves us completely empty and questioning what life is really all about. 

Rick Warren in his best-selling book The Purpose Driven Life hit the nail on the head with his opening sentence, “It’s not about you.” Ouch! But, as tough as that is to hear, I love his straight-shooting and matter-of-fact approach. He doesn’t break the news to us gently. Instead, Warren confronts our celebrity-seeking, me-first Generation with the hard truth—life is not about us. To know the purpose of life, we must begin with God and with the purpose for which we he created us—to bring him glory.

What does it mean to glorify God? 

Glory is the possession of the character, beauty, and majesty that belong to the Lord.   To “Glorify” means “ to reflect, show forth, demonstrate and express the image of an object or person so that it may be seen by all.”  Therefore, glorifying God is acting like a mirror -- reflecting His presence, His essence, His Life and His Name. To boil all of this down to a single, simple, statement…glorifying God simply means making much of Him. (John 14:13; 16:14; 17:1, 5)  

Consumed

I spent many empty years pursuing my plan for my life, believing the lie that if I could just attain all the little check marks then I would be fulfilled. Here’s the truth: there is never enough.  There is always just a little more to be accomplished, achieved, or acquired. The dogma of our time tells us that through consuming we will find happiness: consuming relationships, consuming possessions, and ultimately through consuming glory for ourselves. Ironically, the secret to life is not found in consuming but in being consumed—consumed by a passion for God and for His glory that overflows our lives like a mighty rushing river.    

For more teaching on this topic: The List: Figuring Out Prince Charming, the Corner Office and Happily Ever After.

Available in the RGM Store.

Normal. Let that word roll around in your brain for a minute. Normal. What is your normal? I kept reminding myself as I looked at the children who, born into brothels, are exposed since birth to the dark evil of prostitution. This life is “normal” to them. They don’t know any other existence.

This morning our team toured the red light district. Under the guidance of locals we walked through the narrow alleyways composed of ancient bricks and wooden shanties and walked up cramped and darkened staircases to view the “cells” where the women are kept in rooms barely large enough for an army cot.

How did they get here? Most were sold into slavery by their parents or husbands. With a promise of fortune to the families their daughters are handed over to agents who then sell them to owners. From that point on they are gone. This is their new normal. Now imagine a child born into this scene. What hope does this child have for the future? Pretty grim. Here the demand for young girls is insatiable and the “owners” expect the mothers to enlist her daughter in the “family business.” She is after all simply a commodity in the hands of a broker.

The darkness can just about overwhelm you. Satan’s agenda to “kill, steal and destroy” is clear. Hopeless is the word one wants to use….except for the one who knows Jesus. One bright spot in our morning was meeting the moms who’ve entrusted their babies to As Our Own. These mothers remember a life before their cell and want better for their children. The contrast between their faces and the faces of the other women that we encountered was dramatic. Hopelessness is unmistakable. It weighs heavy upon the face. Yet, the mothers who lovingly asked about their children bore a different countenance…hope. Hope that their girls would be spared a life of slavery. Hope that their girls would be educated.Hope that their girls would have a voice.

There is a Redeemer,
Jesus God’s Own Son.
Precious Lamb of God, Messiah
Holy One.

This chorus played through my head as we wove our way through the dark alleys back to our awaiting cars. Everything we witnessed today is an affront to the God who made each of us in His own image. The abuse is a sin against His holy name. I firmly believe any act of justice and any work of freedom is an act of worship to the One who spoke each life into existence.

When confronted with depravity of this nature it makes you love Jesus all the more. Please pray for the women enslaved here and throughout the world. In this city alone, prostitution is a billion dollar industry. Most of these women will die before the age of 40 because diseases are so rampant. Please pray for India to be awakened to the sorrow that is at her steps.

I was seated in a coffee shop in London, reading my Bible, and awaiting my flight back to Houston,when two American college students slid into the booth in front of me and asked a simple question.

Hey...sorry to bother you, but we see that you are reading your Bible. We would like to ask you a question...can you tell us who Jesus is? 
 We’ve been backpacking Europe for a few weeks, and we’ve seen the paintings, the statutes and the icons in all the cathedrals ...
 but we still don’t know who this Jesus guy is. ...can you tell us about Him?

“Could I tell them who Jesus is?”

My words fail to convey the weight of their question at that time in my own journey with Jesus. At that time, I was a seminary student, longing for God to use me in some way to advance His kingdom, and was asking Him my own questions:

What is my calling?

To whom do you want me to minister?

How can I best serve You?

Dumbfounded, I paused and stared back at them blankly. Truly not believing that they just asked me the most important question one can ask while still breathing oxygen on this earth. The question of Jesus is the foremost of all questions this side of eternity. Honestly, growing up in the “Bible-belt” of the USA, I didn’t know that there were people who didn’t know about Jesus. I knew that many chose not to follow Him, but it never dawned on me that there were those, right under my nose, who were uniformed about the Son of God.

What resulted from their question that afternoon literally changed the course of my life. Once I realized these young women were serious. I turned in my Bible and read to them one of my all-time favorite Scriptures.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 ESV

From there I was able to tell them The Story. The story of God’s eternal plan of redemption, whereby He sent His Son, Jesus, to save us from our sins and to restore us to relationship with Himself. As I shared with these young women about my Jesus. My Jesus who isn’t an ancient icon or religious relic, but the living and breathing God of the Universe who came to rescue me and who I know...personally, I felt....ALIVE!

For the first time I knew who God was calling me to minister to. He opened my eyes to see that there were millions of women, living in America, who literally have no clue who Jesus is. I walked away from that moment with more empowerment than all my seminary training had afforded me. I knew my purpose--tell women about Jesus.

Six years later, this is still my purpose, my joy, and the activity that makes me feel...alive. The title of this blog is not at all random. Truth be told, Redeemed Girl Ministries first began with a question, asked by girls, with hearts honestly seeking answers about God. Towards that end, we at Redeemed Girl Ministries want to answer your questions. Each week, we will post a blog called “Questions Girls Ask.” We’d love to hear your questions about God, faith, the Bible and living for Him in this world. Let us know what is on your heart. You can post a comment below or you can email us at info@redeemedgirl.org.

For further study: Meditate on John 1:1-18, what do you learn about Jesus from this text? Listen to the following podcast on John 1:1-18 about the Person of Christ. 

Screeching brakes broke the quiet morning calm. The alarming noise was quickly followed by a whirlwind of chaos as our luggage catapulted through the air with the ease of an Olympic gymnast. Coffee cups and croissants joined the fun by doing somersaults into our laps—scoring a perfect 10 for the dismount. Dodging a flying duffle bag, I looked up at my friend Keri, as we tumbled to the ground, and said, “This is sooooooo not normal!”

Travel advisory: there’s absolutely nothing normal about a train wreck in Eastern Europe.

Crisscrossing Europe by rail is hands down the very best way to experience the continent. What American can resist the enchantment of hopping on a train in Rome, falling asleep only to awaken in Paris by morning?  I’ve taken advantage of this incredible rail system on each of my European adventures…London to Paris, Berlin to Munich, Florence to Pisa, and everything in between, but no amount of experience prepared me for a full-blown train wreck.

My friend Keri and I were at the tail end of a three-week toRGM Storeur when we found ourselves sitting on the tracks somewhere in Eastern Europe. I met up with Keri in Munich and from there we set out to visit the countries of Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic and France.  I’d been to Europe a few times before, but this was Keri’s first adventure. So, with all of my “European experience,” I assumed the role of tour guide and sage advisor to my friend, the novice.  Therefore, from time to time, Keri likes to point out in retelling our escapade that I would assure her with the phrase, “This is normal.”

“When we cross the border between Germany and Austria, be prepared…they will ask for your passport.
This is normal.”

“Our french fries in France will actually come with mayonnaise instead of ketchup.
This is normal!

            And indeed, everything was “normal” when we caught the early morning train to Prague. Once settled in our compartment, we placed our coffee and croissants on the table separating us. Keri grabbed her book, while I rested my head against the window, watching the countryside roll along. Lulled to sleep by the rhythmic click clacking of the old train, I was jolted awake when I felt the initial thump of wheels skidding off rail. Objects didn’t stop flying until we finally capsized onto the gravel edge. NOT NORMAL! NOT NORMAL!  NOT NORMAL!

With adrenaline pumping and eyes bulging, we stared at each other. Once we processed what had just happened and realized that we were totally fine…injury free…we laughed until our sides ached.   A train wreck…seriously? Did that just happen?

Finding our strewn bags, we joined the other passengers sitting outside on the tracks. Looking around after the dust cleared, I noticed all sorts of reactions that ranged from hysteria to humor. Some people dealt with the stressful situation with anger while others just waited patiently for the “rescue” train to pick us up.  We took the opportunity to have an impromptu photo shoot on the train tracks…we’d need plenty of evidence back in the U.S.A. …. sure that the tale would grow larger and larger with the telling.

Today, in this retelling, I’m incredibly thankful that I had Keri by my side. She’s a great travel companion: spontaneous yet organized, laidback yet assertive when needed, able to laugh at trials yet filled with  compassion. But more than that, she’s a great friend.

Remembering that moment on the tracks, I can’t help but think of how similar that scene is to this journey we call life. There are times when it feels like everything goes off track, and it is your heart that is skidding into the gravel. During those scary moments, the luggage flying in your face may land nicked and scarred among the rocky terrain of sickness, infertility, heartbreak, rejection, financial crisis, or fear.  It really doesn’t matter the situation. It’s always a relief to know that there is a good friend by your side when you’re stuck, waiting on the tracks for the rescue. 

In my opinion, this is one of God’s greatest blessings in friendship: the companionship that only a good friend can provide. Honestly, none of us ever really knows when life is going to go de-rail, and when you’ll find yourself sitting by the road in need of rescue. One of God’s supreme gifts in these seasons is the provision of friends. Thankfully we don’t have to sit alone…when you have a good friend, a faithful companion, you have someone with you on those tracks who says, “Okay, this is not normal.  But you are not alone. (excerpt from The Girlfriends Guidebook: Navigating Female Friendship) 

Tell us your story. How has a good friend stuck by your side through a tough life experience? 

To purcahse a copy of The Girlfriend Guidebook: Navigating Female Friendship, visit our store. 

Screeching brakes broke the quiet morning calm. The alarming noise was quickly followed by a whirlwind of chaos as our luggage catapulted through the air with the ease of an Olympic gymnast. Coffee cups and croissants joined the fun by doing somersaults into our laps—scoring a perfect 10 for the dismount. Dodging a flying duffle bag, I looked up at my friend Keri, as we tumbled to the ground, and said, “This is sooooooo not normal!”

Travel advisory: there’s absolutely nothing normal about a train wreck in Eastern Europe.

Crisscrossing Europe by rail is hands down the very best way to experience the continent. What American can resist the enchantment of hopping on a train in Rome, falling asleep only to awaken in Paris by morning?  I’ve taken advantage of this incredible rail system on each of my European adventures…London to Paris, Berlin to Munich, Florence to Pisa, and everything in between, but no amount of experience prepared me for a full-blown train wreck.

My friend Keri and I were at the tail end of a three-week toRGM Storeur when we found ourselves sitting on the tracks somewhere in Eastern Europe. I met up with Keri in Munich and from there we set out to visit the countries of Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic and France.  I’d been to Europe a few times before, but this was Keri’s first adventure. So, with all of my “European experience,” I assumed the role of tour guide and sage advisor to my friend, the novice.  Therefore, from time to time, Keri likes to point out in retelling our escapade that I would assure her with the phrase, “This is normal.”

“When we cross the border between Germany and Austria, be prepared…they will ask for your passport.
This is normal.”

“Our french fries in France will actually come with mayonnaise instead of ketchup.
This is normal!

            And indeed, everything was “normal” when we caught the early morning train to Prague. Once settled in our compartment, we placed our coffee and croissants on the table separating us. Keri grabbed her book, while I rested my head against the window, watching the countryside roll along. Lulled to sleep by the rhythmic click clacking of the old train, I was jolted awake when I felt the initial thump of wheels skidding off rail. Objects didn’t stop flying until we finally capsized onto the gravel edge. NOT NORMAL! NOT NORMAL!  NOT NORMAL!

With adrenaline pumping and eyes bulging, we stared at each other. Once we processed what had just happened and realized that we were totally fine…injury free…we laughed until our sides ached.   A train wreck…seriously? Did that just happen?

Finding our strewn bags, we joined the other passengers sitting outside on the tracks. Looking around after the dust cleared, I noticed all sorts of reactions that ranged from hysteria to humor. Some people dealt with the stressful situation with anger while others just waited patiently for the “rescue” train to pick us up.  We took the opportunity to have an impromptu photo shoot on the train tracks…we’d need plenty of evidence back in the U.S.A. …. sure that the tale would grow larger and larger with the telling.

Today, in this retelling, I’m incredibly thankful that I had Keri by my side. She’s a great travel companion: spontaneous yet organized, laidback yet assertive when needed, able to laugh at trials yet filled with  compassion. But more than that, she’s a great friend.

Remembering that moment on the tracks, I can’t help but think of how similar that scene is to this journey we call life. There are times when it feels like everything goes off track, and it is your heart that is skidding into the gravel. During those scary moments, the luggage flying in your face may land nicked and scarred among the rocky terrain of sickness, infertility, heartbreak, rejection, financial crisis, or fear.  It really doesn’t matter the situation. It’s always a relief to know that there is a good friend by your side when you’re stuck, waiting on the tracks for the rescue. 

In my opinion, this is one of God’s greatest blessings in friendship: the companionship that only a good friend can provide. Honestly, none of us ever really knows when life is going to go de-rail, and when you’ll find yourself sitting by the road in need of rescue. One of God’s supreme gifts in these seasons is the provision of friends. Thankfully we don’t have to sit alone…when you have a good friend, a faithful companion, you have someone with you on those tracks who says, “Okay, this is not normal.  But you are not alone. (excerpt from The Girlfriends Guidebook: Navigating Female Friendship) 

 Tell us your story. How has a good friend stuck by your side through a tough life experience? 

To purcahse a copy of The Girlfriend Guidebook: Navigating Female Friendship, visit our store. 

“They will be called oaks of Righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor” - Isaiah 61:3 

This August, forty women from across the country armed with Bibles and beach towels headed down to Destin, Florida for a week of worshiping God, digging into His word, and tanning on the beach at Redeemed Girl Institute. Multiple girls told me that it was one of the best weeks of their life, and everyone, including the teachers, agreed that they had learned so much about God and themselves. Reflecting on the week, however, I realized that we all have a choice to make.

I can come away from the week with just thirty new Facebook friends, seven new twitter followers, and feeling closer to God. 

But is that all I want? Did all thirty of us attendees save money, clear schedules, and drive up to 12 hours for friends and feelings? 

I think not. I think we all came to RGI because we wanted to become more like Christ and grow in our faith.  Although I heard 20 amazing talks by four different speakers, that won’t make me grow an eight of a centimeter if I don’t put their teaching into practice. 

So my second option is to do just that: take what we learned and put it into practice. This option might take a little more work (like I said, we learned a lot). I might have to pour over my notes again and think of practical ways to put it into action. Even then, I still I have to make the choice to change and live my life differently. 

Here are some topics we covered at RGI. Hopefully we will all make the effort to grow in these areas this year: 

• To really serve our redeemer, we need to know who He is. At RGI, we looked into Jesus’ lineage, birthplace, family, life, struggles and ministry. We learned that Jesus is “The Word,” “God,” Eternal,” “Creator,” “The Light,” “Incarnate Son of God,” and “Full of Grace and Truth,” and why these things matter. To become like Christ, we need to know and continually remind ourselves who Christ is.

• We need to renew our minds daily. Even twice or three times daily. We are told not to conform ourselves after the world (Romans 12:2), and to do that we need to spend enough time with the One who is not of this world. 

• We need to be Christ-like in our relationships. As friends, daughters and (potentially) wives, we studied what type of women the bible says we should be.  

• We need to remember our identity. Knowing that we are redeemed and chosen children of God gives us a new identity and new desires. In other words, knowing who we are determines what we do. Reminding ourselves of these things daily is so important in our pursuit to live like Christ. 

• Prayer is powerful. We learned a lot about prayer from Marian Jordan’s talk, but I also learned a lot by seeing every. single. one. of our prayers for the institute answered. Before the institute, we prayed for finances to provide more scholarships. Over half of the girls were able to attend because of scholarships. We prayed for unity, and there was an outpouring of love and community among the girls.  We prayed that God would be preparing their hearts, and every girl came in excited and ready to dig into the word. Prayer after prayer was answered!

• We need to leave a legacy. To leave an eternal legacy, we need to share the gospel. 

• We are Oaks of Righteousness (Isaiah 61:3). This was the theme of the week, and means that we were planted by the Lord with the sole purpose of displaying His splendor. All the things I already mentioned, I should do because they bring God glory.  

I could go on (and on), but I think you get the idea of how amazing this week was. We not only got to dig into the word with Marian Jordan, Marianne Henry, Millie Welsh, and Leigh Kohler, but we enjoyed twice-daily worship led by the amazing (and fashionable) Jourdan Johnson, daily mind-blowing private devotionals, and lots of girl time (think tanning, movie nights, and impromptu karaoke). Thanks for all of your support... we can’t wait for RGI 2012!

“Pray often; for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge for Satan” - John Bunyan 

One thing people tend to learn about me pretty quickly is that I’m a talker. I talk to the cashiers at the grocery store. I talk to RGM co-workers when they’re trying to concentrate (sorry ‘bout that). And I talk to myself. So it only makes sense that once I became a Christian, talking to God was totally natural to me. 

However, I have a surprising amount of friends who have been Christians for years and never really understood why we should pray or even how to pray. In a Bible study full of church-goers, asking about a common topic such as prayer can be very intimidating. (I imagine collective gasps and barely concealed shocked faces.) 

Christians often say that your relationship with Christ is like any other relationship - you need communication to deepen it. While this has some truth, our relationship with Christ is so different from our relationships with our girlfriends because we are not equals with God. The fact that the God who created you, me, and Taylor Lautner, who created this entire universe, who already knows what’s going on in your mind, wants to talk to you is both astounding and humbling. He will listen to your ineloquent ramblings and scattered thoughts. He doesn’t even correct your grammar! 

In the next few “Questions Girls Ask,” we’re going to dig into some of the main things the Bible says about prayer. But we also want to hear what you think! 

• What are your questions or thoughts on prayer?
• How does knowing that God wants to talk to you change the way you view prayer? 

In my generation, CDs are vintage, GLEE is a TV show (not an emotion), and having 823 “friends” is normal.

My generation is obsessed with facts and has a constant need to be in the know. Hence we live our lives plugged in, with twitter, email, facebook, tumblr, and google never more than an iphone away. 

We use these sites to broadcast our emotions to cyberspace and to become the most creative procrastinators of any generation yet. 

My generation likes to simplify our lives - defining everything as “like” it material or not, and filing people into stereotypes of hipsters, greeks, or jocks. 

The girls of my generation grew up playing with barbies, and along the way to adulthood we never stopped thinking she was the model of a normal body.  We read magazines with stick-thin girls on every page and will take drastic measures, from eating disorders to plastic surgery, to conform our bodies to an unrealistic size, rarely becoming satisfied with our appearance. 

We live in a materialistic society, where we are told that our worth is defined by owning the latest pair of cheetah-print Tory Burch flats or a Coach handbag. 

My generation has grown up in a time of wars and recessions. We face the pressure of dealing with a broken and broke world, the pressure of being expected to succeed in the perfect career, marriage, and life, and the pressure from our peers of being told that hooking up will bring us status, and alcohol will bring us relief. 

One of the most watched TV shows of my generation is “Jersey Shore.” We are surrounded by an abundance of music and shows that objectify women, and then many adopt these stars and artists as role models.

My generation grew up with “Coexist” bumper stickers, and want to be accepting of everyone and their religion as long as it “works for them.” Christians are criticized if they try and share the gospel, because attempting to change a person’s beliefs is seen as robbing them of their personality and character. 

The constant slew of media we consume tells us to buy-this, wear-that, date-him, and then we will be cool. We will be accepted. We will be happy. My generation needs someone to stand up and say “STOP!” Someone to say that whose we are is more important than what we wear. That our beauty is not determined on our jean size but on weather we shine for our Creator.  That no matter how hot our date is, how many friends we have on facebook, or how high of a GPA we have, we will not experience true joy and freedom until we surrender our lives to God. 

In Isaiah 61, the prophet foresees a time when the Messiah will come and set free those who are captive to sin and in bondage to darkness. What is the result of this freedom? Those set free become “Oaks of Righteousness, a Planting of the Lord, for the Display of His Splendor.”  What a beautiful picture of the vision and purpose of Redeemed Girl Ministries. We are about the business of setting captives free who then become women who live for the glory of their Redeemer.

For the past several months, the Lord has continuously brought the image of an oak tree to mind. As I’ve prayed and planned for the future of Redeemed Girl, I’ve heard the line “Oaks of Righteousness” whispered in my heart and upon my lips.  I believe this is direction from the Lord for our future. We will continue to host evangelistic events on college campuses where Gospel seeds are planted in the hearts of young women. We will pray for God to make their hearts good soil for the gospel to take root. Our vision is that these young women will grow into mighty oaks of righteousness that produce fruit of God’s spirit.

The next phase in this growth process is intentional discipleship.  While evangelism is at the heart of Redeemed Girl, we know that God has called us to “go and make disciples”…not merely converts.  For this reason, I feel strongly led by the Lord to offer young women who desire to grow in their faith an opportunity to attend The Redeemed Girl Institute. This is an intensive discipleship program for those who desire to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ and in their knowledge of His Word.

The first Redeemed Girl Institute will be held August 7-13 in Destin, Florida. We are so excited as young women from across the nation are beginning to register for this week of in-depth teaching and incredible praise and worship. 

My heart’s desire is for young women to fall in love with Jesus and live fruitful lives for His glory.  I pray that God will grow through Redeemed Girl young women who are “Oaks of Righteousness for the Display of His Splendor.” Pray with us as we seek to follow God’s lead and provide events, resources and teachings that equip them to flourish and produce good fruit.

For His Glory,

Marian Jordan

We are so excited to announce the RGM Summer Book Club, which will serve as an online community for women to read, discuss, and grow together! We are kicking off the Summer Book Club by reading Wilderness Skills for Women: How to Survive Heartbreaks and Other Full-Blown Meltdowns. Our book club will include a reading plan, interactive discussion questions, and video commentary by the RGM summer interns. But it won't be the same without you!!!

Here's what other readers had to say about Wilderness Skills for Women:

“I began reading Wilderness Skills For Women and finished it the very next day! It has helped me through some of the rough parts of my life. I have even decided to get baptized! My love for God has grown so much from this book.” - Lisa

“Thank you for writing Wilderness Skills for Women. As I was reading, several months ago, I knew you had felt the deep pains I was feeling and could relate to what I was experiencing. God used that as a way for Him to comfort and remind me that I'm not alone.” – Stacy

“I am LOVING your book, Wilderness Skills for Women. I couldn't put it down tonight because you say everything I feel. I really feel like the Lord gave you these words to help give so many girls hope.” - Ashlee

Buy your copy today!

http://www.amazon.com/Wilderness-Skills-Women-Heartbreak-Full-Blown/dp/0805446702/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1308339562&sr=8-1

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wilderness-skills-for-women-marian-jordan/1009193112?ean=9780805446708&itm=3&usri=marian%2bjordan

http://www.lifeway.com/product/005092468/

Redeemed Girl Summer Book Club kicks off June 27^th! Who's joining us??? (post your comment below)

Orphaned. Abandoned. Poor. Three little kids, ages two, four, and six, left to fend for themselves in back alley dumpsters and cold farmhouses…this is the sad tale of my mother’s early childhood. I’ve heard scraps and pieces of her painful beginning from her older brother and sister at family gatherings for years now.

I can see my family gathered at the table as my mom’s famous banana pudding is passed around. I can hear my uncle telling of the time he used gasoline to build a fire to keep them warm. “Gasoline? Really? Lucky to be alive,” someone would say. You see, my uncle was just six years old, the elder of the abandoned trio, but age didn’t keep him from acting as the protector of his little sisters; he would do anything to keep them warm, fed, safe. The table laughs at his memory as we scoop seconds of the sweet dessert and everyone nods in agreement “the Lord sure kept watch over those babies all those years ago.” More Laugher. More dessert. More praise. 

My mom’s story began in a poor family with a mother who by most accounts must have suffered mental trauma and distress. As many have said, “Women just don’t leave their babies like that.” It goes against nature. The maternal instinct to care and provide is so powerful that we can safely assume, that my maternal grandmother (whom I never met) was a broken and hurting woman. For a woman to just walk away and leave her young to survive goes against nature.  Yet, she did. And those three babies were left to fend and depend on the goodness and generosity of others to help in their time of need. 

As I write these words, I find myself praising our Redeemer who works all things for good! In their same town was a woman named Mamie, who by that point was in her mid-forties who could not have children. She had long since given up hope of having a child. Until she heard from a friend about these little kids…orphaned, abandoned, poor…who needed a momma to raise them as her own.  So she did, she answered the call and in turn, God answered her prayer. 

I can’t imagine life without my grandmother. Honestly, I would have never known that she wasn’t really my flesh and blood…unless, I had not heard the story, time and again, of how she took in those babies and raised them as her own. Her choice laid the foundation of my story. Her decision transformed lives, destinies, and eternities. Mamie raised my mom and my aunt as her own. She loved them, disciplined them, taught them to cook, to sew, and thankfully, to make banana pudding. She became momma.

My own mom is a redeemed girl. Not only did Jesus redeem her physically and provide her a loving home, but in her early twenties, Jesus redeemed her soul. She fell in love with the Lord and chose to raise her own family in His word. This is my legacy.  Just as my mom’s childhood shaped her life, it shaped my own as well.  She and my dad raised five kids of their own. Yet, my mom is a woman who never met a stranger…everyone is family. Throughout my childhood, I saw my parents bring in orphans and family friends who needed a place to stay or a meal to eat. It was just the right thing to do.  Today, every elderly person in her zip code knows that Susie is on standby for a ride to church, trip to the grocery store or just to be included in one of our family gatherings. The legacy of raising others “as her own” was knit into every fiber of her being. 

I didn’t realize how much my mom’s story shaped me until I went on a mission trip to India to serve with As Our Own Ministry. Their name embodies the heart of what they do. They simply want to obey God by rescuing the orphaned and oppressed and raise them…you guessed it … as their own. This isn’t an orphanage—this is a family.  The staff not only rescues girls from horrific situations, but they protect, educate, discipline, care, nurture and guide these young women for the rest of their lives. 

Meeting the girls struck something deep in my heart. I saw in each of their eyes, my own mom, orphaned, abandoned, and poor, who was rescued and redeemed by our Savior and who had a hope and a future because someone chose to love her…as their own.  When I see them, watch them play, hear them sing, and learn God’s Word, I know their past doesn’t determine their destiny, because our God is a mighty Redeemer and He can make beauty from ashes.

This Mother’s Day, you can honor your own mother by giving a financial gift to As Our Own just as I did. Your donation will equip this ministry to care for some of the world’s most vulnerable children in Jesus’ name. Your gift can help redeem girls and change destinies for the Glory of God. Join me in saying, “Thanks, Mom” by supporting As Our Own.

Here’s a special way to say, “Thanks, Mom!”

STEP 1 :: Give to our Thanks, Mom! campaign to honor your mom by Mother’s Day, May 8.

STEP 2 :: In the donation comments box, tell us what you appreciate most about your mom.

STEP 3 :: Download a certificate for your mom that explains the gift you’ve made in her name.

About As Our Own
The extreme poverty in India places girls at great risk for exploitation, enslavement, and neglect. Girls are regularly abused and degraded, forced into lives of bonded labor, either in organized begging or the sex trade.
These girls will face a dark, horrific future—unless someone intervenes.
God has opened the door for As Our Own to rescue girls before they are exploited, giving us the privilege to care for each one as our own—for life. We are building strong communities through our Lighthouse church network and training strong leaders and pastors at our Hope College, all to break these cycles for girls in future generations.

Your gifts make a lasting difference for these girls. Thank you!

Resurrection Love

At dawn that Sunday, Mary Magdalene slipped into the cold Jerusalem morning with one thing on her mind. Her destination was the garden, where they had buried her Savior. She was the first person to the tomb. The other disciples were too afraid to surface from hiding, but not Mary. She didn’t care; she had one thing on her mind—Jesus.  “What could the Romans do to her now?” she thought to herself. They’d already taken away the one thing that mattered to her in the world—her Lord. As she ran towards the tomb--just thinking of the “tomb” caused her stomach to lurch--she remembered the first day she saw Him.

He entered her village, and her world turned upside down. Everyone had heard of Him, but now she would see the One that many believed was the Messiah—the Savior. Could He be? “Just one glimpse,” she told herself. She’d always heard that the Messiah would make all things new—He would heal the sick, give sight to the blind, and free the captives. She did the math and thought, “I’ve got two out of three working for me. Maybe if I just see Him, my years of torture will end.”  She pressed through the crowds, which parted at her presence. No one wanted to associate with such an unclean, crazed woman.  No one but Jesus, that is.

All it took was one touch and she was healed. Jesus touched her, and for the first time in her life, she breathed the sweet air of freedom. She believed. “He is the Messiah—the Son of the Living God.” Revelation brought transformation.

From that moment on, she devoted her life to following her Savior. Words cannot express the love she felt for Him. How can you not love the one who sets you free? How can you not love the one who heals your body, soul, and spirit? How can you not love the one who unconditionally accepts you when all you’ve known your whole life is rejection?

Weeping as she hurried toward the tomb, she sighed and thought, “He cast seven demons out of me, yet didn’t save His own life from crucifixion. I’m living proof that He had the power—why did He submit to such a death? It doesn’t seem right.”

As Mary neared her destination, she stopped with a fright.  The grave…the tomb…the stone—it was gone! Assuming the worst, she sprinted back to get Peter and John.  “After all, they were the closest to Him,” she thought, “They will know what to do. “ Gasping for air, she reported the news, “They’ve taken the Lord, and we don’t know where they have put Him!”  Upon hearing her information, the two men sprinted to the tomb.

Mary was right. Jesus was not there. Peter and John found the strangest thing; the stone was rolled away and inside …His clothes were neatly folded. Confused, they turned and headed back to join the others. But, not Mary—she stood outside the tomb crying.

The events of the past few days caught up with her. She must have been in shock from watching the brutality of his death, but now with his body missing, the flood of grief poured out.  With hot tears streaming down her cheeks, she bent over to look inside the tomb and saw two angels seated where Jesus’ body had been. The angels asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”  Too overwhelmed with grief to be frightened, she said, “They have taken my Lord away, and I don’t know where they’ve put him.”

What happened next will be forever branded upon her heart. She turned away from the angels and found a man standing before her. Too confused to pay attention, and assuming he was the gardener, she continued on until He said her name, “Mary.”

Stopping in mid stride, she spun around to face the One speaking. She knew that voice! That was the voice that set her free. That was the voice that healed her life. That was the voice that gave her hope to keep living. That was the voice of her Jesus.

“Teacher!“ she exclaimed as she flung herself at Him. Could it be true? Is it really my Lord? How can this be? I watched Him die, but here He is very much alive. As these thoughts flew through her mind, she was unaware that she was holding onto Him, too afraid to let Him go.

Loosening her hold on Him, Jesus commissioned her, the woman who was once defeated by demons, to be His voice of victory, saying, “Mary, go tell the others. I am alive!” Obediently, with a heart overflowing with joy, she ran back to the disciples, becoming the first to proclaim the Resurrection of her Christ. With a radiant smile she declared, “I have seen Jesus—He is alive!”

Mary Magdalene loved Jesus with the purest sense of devotion.  Affection born out of gratitude, she knew what it meant to receive mercy, forgiveness, healing and grace.  More than that, Mary knew that Jesus loved her. After all, it was His love that transformed her from the inside out. Mary models for us a radiant life, one that follows Jesus and serves Jesus in response to His amazing love.  She was so “in love” with Him that worshipping, obeying, and adoring Him was the air she breathed. From death and brokenness, He brought life and wholeness. She glowed with a resurrection love for Jesus—the love found in one redeemed from death in sin to new life in Him!

My testimony is not too different from Mary Magdalene’s (without the whole “eye-witness of the resurrection” tid-bit, of course.) Other than the biggie, I can relate to her on so many levels. Jesus also set me free. Free from insecurities, anxieties, and addictions—powerful enemies that bowed to His name.

Like Mary, I fell head over heels in love with my Savior. How could I not? Forgiveness fuels love’s flame. Now I am whole and healed, something I’d never known before Him. This resurrection love drives me, propels me to follow after Jesus with my whole heart. The more I follow Him, the more I love Him. The more He reveals Himself to me through His word, the more my life is transformed for His glory. I, too, am enthralled. And like Mary, I can’t wait to share the good ne

It is my prayer this Resurrection Week that you and I will let love move us to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with others, just as Mary did. I pray your life and my life will prove to be living demonstrations of the incredible truth, “I have seen Jesus—He is alive!”

RGM is thrilled to announce the Redeemed Girl Institute. A week of in-depth Bible teaching and discipleship by Marian Jordan for women ages 18-30. The institute will be held August 7-13 in Destin, Florida. Space is limited to 75 women...so don't wait to register.

COST is $500 and includes lodging, 2 meals per day, curriculum and tshirt. (Scholarships are available! Please let us know if you need financial assistance.)

Redeemed Girl Institute 2011 will be held at the beautiful Red Fish Village in Destin, Florida. www.redfishvillage.com

Featuring teaching by Marian Jordan

Featuring Worship Leader: Jourdan Johnson.

Please complete this application and email to institute@redeemedgirl.org. Application Deadline is June 15th!! Please email us at info@redeemedgirl.org for more information on scholarships.

“I keep going back to guys to give me value.  It’s a constant challenge that I need to keep God at the center of my life.” –  Senior at North Carolina State University (NCSU)

“I knew I was insecure in my friendships, but I realized it was because I was looking for approval from them.  I need to find that approval in God alone.” – Sophomore, Meredith College

“An application for me from tonight would be to not get bogged down in labels the world gives to us, but to find my identity, satisfaction, and worth in Christ.” – Senior, NCSU

“I was in an abusive relationship where I let him define me as worthless, stupid, etc.  I was challenged and reminded tonight that he does not get to define me.  GOD is the only one who can define me.” – sophomore student, Meredith College

“What struck me was when she was talking about what we look to for value is our god.  I’ve been looking to school, graduation, and the future for my value.  I need to be looking to God for that worth.” –  Junior, NCSU Destino

“I have taken on labels in my childhood, specifically “fat” – I now struggle with an eating disorder.  Tonight has challenged me to continue seeking God in the process of getting better.” – student, NCSU

“When I heard Marian speak 2 years ago, I was not “that girl,” I was innocent.  But I bought her books as a resource.  Later when my fiancé left me, I entered that downward spiral and became “that girl”.  God led me to those books and used them to lead me back to Him.  Now I am a high school youth group leader, sharing the truths I have learned with those girls.” –  senior, NCSU

(Photo of Marian & Kelsey sharing coffee and talking about Jesus at a cafe in Italy.)

Hello, my name is Kelsey and I’m a Redeemed Girl!

I always heard college is the best four years of your life. I began my freshman year at Ole Miss hoping to prove this statement as fact—I would experience all the fun one girl could handle. I quickly discovered that the road traveled by most students is one promising “life,” but is full of regret. The same party scene happens at every college in America: tons of alcohol, random hook-ups, and the pressure on girls to achieve the perfect look is fun for a moment, but maintaining the high proves a vicious cycle. Chasing the next boy and the next buzz leads to a prison of regret. As the chase continues, piece-by-piece of one’s identity is lost.

Sounds like I’m speaking from experience? I am. Night after night of partying, I’d awake in an unfamiliar place and nursing a nasty hangover. Nonetheless, I had the best stories to tell my sorority house, everyone counted on me to have a “good time.” My identity was “the party girl.” Even though I boasted of fun, I’d wake up empty. Ironically, in chasing after life and freedom, I lost both. I felt like I didn’t have a choice. I wasn’t free. If I didn’t go out at night and party…then who was I?

Here’s the part of my story that may surprise you: I was a Christian. Yep, my parents raised me in church. As a kid, I placed faith in Christ. My misery was due to the fact that my lifestyle grieved God. Yet, changing my lifestyle seemed impossible! How was I supposed to go against the norm at college? Take away my “party girl” status, and you were taking away my identity. I knew I needed to change. But how?

Struggling with this dilemma, I attended a conference featuring Marian Jordan. Although I probably attended for all the wrong reasons, God still captured my heart and I fell in love with Jesus! I finally understood why I was never going to find life in things I was chasing. Life and love are only found in Him. I knew I couldn’t continue to live a divided life. I couldn’t continue to pursue the things that didn’t glorify Christ.  

And then I lived happily ever after… nope! 

Change isn’t exactly easy, especially when my friends couldn’t understand my convictions. I think that is why Jesus says we must “count the cost” before following Him. Trust me, living for Him is not popular…even in the South. The easy route was to follow the crowd. Yet, this past year, I’ve chosen to walk with Jesus and in turn, I’ve experienced real life. It’s amazing! My heart overflows as I tell you that I’ve discovered joy, wholeness and life in Him. Now I’m known as “the redeemed girl!”

There are so many girls like me on college campuses who know Jesus, yet forsake Him to follow the crowd. That’s why the message Marian shares in Radiant is absolutely essential. Recently, I took part in a study where she shared Radiant and challenged us to live undivided for Christ. This study taught me “how to” live out my faith in a culture opposed to it. I watched several friends heed her message —literally turning their lives completely around. They are truly radiating His glory on campus! This fall I’m leading a sorority Bible study using Radiant. Witnessing the effectiveness of the message excites me for it’s potential to change lives, change sororities, change campuses, and ultimately a change the world. I want to be part of the undivided generation that shines brightly for His Glory!

 I pray the Lord will work wonders at Ole Miss through this study. Please pray for us and for other Radiant Bible studies happening on campuses across America. 

To start a Radiant book club, click Start a Small Group.  To purchase Radiant, visit the RGM Store.

God is calling forth a radiant generation—one who understands their call to live as light in the darkness. As an author and speaker, I spend much of my time traveling to college campus, interacting with young women who profess Christ, yet struggle to overcome the darkness of their culture. The lure of sexual sin, eating disorders, substance abuse and rampant materialism cripples their witness. After several years of ministering to this generation, I sensed God leading me to write Radiant, teaching women how to shine brightly in a dark world. 

One of the primary challenges I address in Radiant is the issue of the divided heart. While many students I meet may have grown up in Christian homes, made a profession of faith, and even love Jesus; their hearts are torn by the influence of culture and love for the world.  In the following excerpt from Radiant, I address the need for an undivided heart.

Like Samson, our culture desires to extinguish our light. The world’s seductive and deceiving agenda finds a megaphone into our homes through television. I’ve recently learned that the average middle school girl is exposed to roughly 280 sexual images a day. Images that reinforce with every frame that her value and worth as a woman are found in being used as a sexual object. Is it any wonder that an entire generation of young girls see themselves as usable goods and who feel ashamed of their virginity?  A divided heart is the result of the brainwashing that young women endure on a daily basis.

            It is my prayer that God will use Radiant to both challenge and equip young women to stand boldly and to shine brightly for His glory.  After all, Jesus did call us “The light of the world!”

Women today stand at a dangerous crossroads. On one side, there is the way of the world with a carefully crafted message beckoning us to follow (along with the masses) “the way that seems right to man” (Proverbs 14:12). This way says, “put yourself first,” “it’s all about you,” and “do whatever it takes to make you happy.”  While the world is terribly convincing and this way does, indeed, seem right…ultimately, as Scripture teaches, this “way” of seeking self-first leads only to death. What kind of death? Well, I’ll elaborate on that point more in just a minute.

The best-selling novel, Eat Pray Love depicts the world’s message in an enticing and beautiful fashion and if the reader isn’t discerning she can get sucked into its empty vortex and believe its lies. The blockbuster film based on this book releases today, starring the adorable Julia Roberts. Eat Pray Love is the biography of Elizabeth Gilbert, a woman dissatisfied with life who decides to ditch her loving husband and successful career to “find herself.”  

Gilbert sets out on a year-long journey to Italy, India and Indonesia in hopes of discovering life.  Her self-discovery quest follows the way that says “it’s all about you” to such an extreme that the philosophical religion/worldview that she embraces by the end of her journey is one that teaches that she, herself, is god.  She is ultimate reality…and that truth, life, and meaning lie within her.

I read Eat Pray Love while vacationing this summer. While the travel junkie in me loved revisiting some familiar places and the girl in me whose faced head on the issues of emptiness and longing understood her desire, I couldn’t stop myself from repeatedly getting frustrated, tossing the book on my beach towel, and telling my friends how I believe with all my heart that the message of this book is both seductive and deceptive to women.

I’ll make this simple and cut to the chase. Bottom line, …we are not god!

We are not the source of life. We are not ultimate reality. We are created by God and for God and true life is found only in knowing Him. This is the crossroads. Satan’s agenda to kill, steal, and destroy  (John 10:10) is perfectly seen in Eat Pray Love. With the temptation to find “life” Gilbert destroys her marriage and steps down a path that leads her to self-worship—the idolatry of independence, and self to the point of narcissism.

While reading this book, I thought of my mom. Raising seven kids, scraping by to pay bills and trying to keep her sanity amidst the chaos. Would it have ever occurred to her to ditch it all, run off to Italy, and eat gelato! Why yes!  I’m sure every woman in the world at times wants to run away from it all. But thankfully, my mom didn’t run. The reason? Because fundamental to her worldview was the belief that the world doesn’t revolve around her! She sacrificed and put the needs of others before herself, not because she wasn’t “evolved” or “enlightened” but because she “loved.” First she loved Jesus and then she loved her family.  She chose a different way, the way that says “no” to selfishness and embraces life in Jesus. And I’ll tell you one thing…I don’t know a woman in the world who has more joy.

That’s why I think the message of the world is so incredibly dangerous. The attack on women is subtle but deliberate. Tempting us to believe that happiness will be found if we seek ourselves first and ditch anything or anyone that hinder that pursuit.  This message plays out in all ages and generations and is the leading cause of addictions, affairs, abortions, abandonments, and abdication of roles.

I said at the beginning of this blog that women are at a crossroads. Yet, thankfully, there is another way we can choose, it is the way of Jesus…the way of life. Jesus invites us to follow Him.

 Friends, I’ll be honest, I’ve tried both ways. The way of the world with it’s deceptive lures that says, “It’s all about you,” and at the end of that path I discovered, me—my emptiness, my sin, my inabilities, my insecurities, Me. Me. Me. Me.  (Vomit!) Trust me, more of myself is not the formula for happiness. The reason? To seek life in self is the most miserable of all journeys.  As C.S. Lewis said, "Look for yourself, and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, ruin, and decay. But look for Christ and you will find Him, and with Him everything else thrown in."

The way of Jesus is the way of real, abundant life because our souls find Something to eclipse the vulnerability of our finiteness.  We long to get lost in the Infinite, and that is exactly who Jesus is….Infinite, Glorious, Almighty, Sovereign, All—Goodness, All-knowing, All-Loving.  As Louie Giglio says, “He (Jesus) is the I AM and I am the i am not.”   To seek life in self is the most futile and bankrupt of journeys…leading only to despair and regret.

Following Him, seeking Him, trusting Him, and knowing Him is the way of abundant life. I’ve followed Him and worshipped Him in both Italy and India and in every country in between. Along the way, I’ve discovered the truth: When our souls are consumed with the One who spoke the world into existence and we are lost in worshipping Him, we discover our true joy, our true purpose, and our true reason for existence. Yes, girls, in finding Him, we find life!

It is my prayer for each of us that today we will all eat, pray and love…

Eat…The Bread of Life, Jesus Christ, the only One who satisfies the hunger of our souls. (John 6:35)

Pray…To the God who hears, the God who sees, the God who moves mountains to answer our prayers!  (Luke 11:1-10)

Love… Experience the ocean of grace and mercy that flow from God’s heart to yours in Jesus Christ, quenching the deepest desires for acceptance and questions of value and significance. After all, the Bible teaches,  “God is love.” He reveals what love actually is and it is His love alone that consumes hearts and minds and cast out all fear.  (1 John 4:7-19)

Jesus said…

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
 John 10:10

“I am the way, the truth, the life, no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

John 14:6

John 1:14 The Message

I recently learned that I would have a great privilege beginning August 1^st. This honor is two-fold. First, I’ve been asked by my home church to teach a Bible study with one of my favorite Bible teachers, Dr. Jim DeLoach. He is a spiritual giant in my eyes and I can’t wait to serve with him and simply sit and learn from his vast wisdom. This man has taught the Bible longer than my parents have been alive!  The second part of this privilege lies in the subject matter, for we will teach through the Gospel of John for an entire year! I am so excited I can’t contain it! 

By far, John is my favorite book in the Bible. I know I shouldn’t have a favorite, but I can’t help it. No other book has impacted my life and transformed me as this book has done. Two words summarize John’s Gospel: Revelation and Redemption…and if you know me at all, you know I love when Jesus is revealed and a soul is redeemed.  

“Beholding His Glory” is a fitting name for this class because that is exactly what one does when reading this gospel…we behold Jesus…the One who is the radiance of God’s glory, the One who stepped on earth and dwelt among us, and the One who laid down His own life for our sins.

If you are in the Houston area on Sundays, and would like to join us as we behold His glory, the class meets at 11 am in the C Gym of Second Baptist Church, Woodway Campus.  For those of you who want to join this study, but can’t make it on Sunday mornings, Redeemed Girl Ministries will post the audio podcast to the  Teaching Blog. In addition, I will write a weekly devotional on John beginning August 1st.  To receive the devotional, subscribe to RGM’s Teaching Blog

 It is my prayer that we behold Jesus, the Light of the World!

Arthur W. Pink, one of the greatest theologians, once wrote concerning the Gospel of John, “In this book we are shown that the one who was heralded by the angels to the Bethlehem shepherds, who walked this earth for thirty-three years, who was crucified at Calvary, who rose in triumph from the grave, and who forty days later departed from the scenes, was none other than the Lord of Glory. The evidence is overwhelming, the proofs without number, and the effect of contemplating them must be to bow our hearts in worship before ‘the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.’ (Titus 2:13).”

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Redeemed Girl Ministries is thrilled to announce The Radiant Tour beginning Fall of 2010. This event is in conjunction with the release of Marian's latest book, Radiant: Living as Light in a Dark World. Our passion is to see a generation of young women live for the glory of Jesus Christ...radiate Christ's love and grace to the world so that others are drawn to His Light.

The event will feature teaching by Marian Jordan and worship leaders Donna Stuart, Jourdan Burks and Katie Warren. To bring The Radiant Tour to your campus or city, email info@redeemedgirl.org  or Contact Us

"Those who look to Him are radiant!" Psalm 34:5

Check out this video to learn more about Radiant. 

The Radiant Tour 2010 from Marian Jordan on Vimeo.

Carrie Bradshaw’s now famous opening line of the movie Sex and the City said it best, “Every year, twenty-something women come to New York searching for the two Ls: Labels and Love.”  As I sat in the theatre — the same day that millions of women around the globe flocked to theatres for the long awaited movie release—I thought to myself, “That is sooooo true!”[1]  Although I’m pretty sure the screenwriter had no intention of writing a profound statement about the state of women’s souls, regardless of his intention, he nailed it. Young women today are indeed on a search, at times a desperate search, for labels and love.  Trust me, I know from personal experience.

Forget about Dior, Channel, or Prada, women are anxiously pursuing a bigger label than any of these names, one that defines them, tells them who they are, and what they are worth. This label is not found on the latest must-have handbag or pair of designer jeans, the label that women are really searching for is one that covers their hearts and reads “Loveable,” “Treasured” and “Adored.” 

And let’s be honest, women are flat-out looking for a love… one that makes them feel whole, accepted and complete.  This quest for love transcends dating relationships, friendships and even marriage, because even when all of these are present, there is still an ache, emptiness, and a hole in the soul that isn’t filled. So, the search continues…

My first book, Sex and the City Uncovered, is all about this search.  The search each one of us makes for “labels and love” and uncovers the solution to our quest by pointing us to a life defined by and filled by the love of God in Jesus Christ.

Since Sex and the City Uncovered was first published in 2007, I have spoken to thousands of young women across the nation at Redeemed Girl Ministries’ Girls’ Night Out events.  At these events, I tell my story of “looking for love in all the wrong places,” and how I, too, bought into the allure of the Sex and the City lifestyle, only to find more heartbreak, shame, and emptiness as a result. 

It never fails, following each talk I meet with young women, whose eyes are filled with tears, and listen as they tell me, “Marian, your story is my story.”  Sadly, until that moment, most of them thought they were alone in their pain. They go on to describe their regrets, their heartbreaks and their desire for a fresh start.  Each of these beautiful young women is confused, hurting, and ready for God’s love to fill the emptiness in her heart.

Here’s the deal, these girls are confused because the messages they’ve heard from media about what defines them and where they should find love has left them with emotional baggage and physical consequences they were not expecting. Life didn’t have the happy Hollywood ending. They are hurting because they are looking for love and acceptance in all the ways the world tells them to pursue it, and yet, they still haven’t found what they are looking for.  I can so relate to their turmoil and, therefore, I have no greater joy in life than introducing women to Jesus—the One who alone defines them and can fill their empty hearts.

Honestly, I had no clue what God had planned when He called me to share my experiences and write Sex and the City Uncovered. I didn’t know that He would so beautifully redeem my story of “looking for love in all the wrong places” so that other women could discover God’s unfailing love.

This book was originally dedicated to “every girl who is looking for love,” and it still is today.  It is my sincere prayer that God would use this book to reach millions of young women with His love and grace and that they would discover the true “label and love” for which their hearts search.

For His Glory,

Marian

www.sexandthecityuncovered.com

"Sex and the City changed everything for me, because those girls would just sleep with so many people."Lindsay Lohan

Candice Bushnell strikes again. In case that name doesn’t ring a bell, she is the best-selling author of the global phenomenon Sex and the City.  Taking a cue from Gossip Girl and Twilight, in her new book,The Carrie Diaries, Bushnell targets a much younger audience and takes readers back in time to discover Carrie Bradshaw as a student before her infamous life ”in the city.” People Magazine reports the book is "aimed primarily at teens." Bushnell stated in a recent interview that her reason for writing this prequel was her desire to explore the teenage years of her most popular character. While that may be the case, I see something else at work here… pure financial gain. Through this book, Bushnell will capitalize on a readership gold mine…teenagers with heaps of discretional income and a massive love for their fashion icon, Carrie Bradshaw.

The new Sex and the City audience is no longer women in their 20s and 30s. Nope. Today, the rabid fans are young women heading to high school dances and cheerleading tryouts, instead of career women heading to corporate meetings and cocktail parties. Frankly, the wanna-be “Carrie’s” and Samantha’s” are growing younger and younger each year.

When Sex and the City first hit the television airwaves via HBO in the late 90s, it was considered risqué and inappropriate for most audiences. One short decade later we find the television show on cable syndication at easy viewing times, and the biggest teen idol in our culture, Miley Cyrus, is starring in the movie sequel.  

So, what’s the big deal you may ask? The big deal is the powerful influence that Sex and the City and shows like it have on young women. Glamorizing a lifestyle that leads young girls down a path of destruction. Case in point, Lindsay Lohan.  A few years back, Lindsay cited Sex and the City as her favorite show as reported by Entertainment Media Corp:

“Even though Lohan was only 12 years old when the Sarah Jessica Parker-starring comedy started, the Mean Girls star admits she loves having open and casual relationships with men, like Sex and the City characters Carrie Bradshaw, Miranda Hobbs, Samantha Jones and Charlotte York.

She says, "Sex and the City changed everything for me, because those girls would just sleep with so many people."

Please don’t miss what Lindsay said about Sex and the City’s influence on her life choices.  She believed by watching the characters and the drama of the TV series that a girl can have sex with “so many people” and everything turns out just fine.

And how has Miss Lohan thrived because of this influence? Well…let’s see? The sweet freckled face girl who first won our hearts in The Parent Trap has now undergone several drug rehabilitation treatments, her brokenness is paraded across tabloid papers every day, she is currently facing jail time, and her once brilliant career has all but disappeared.

“Lindsay Lohan's career has pretty much vanished, as most producers consider her "not bankable.” http://www.worstpreviews.com/headline.php?id=17582&count=0#ixzz0mvjYeAAw 

As I’ve said to young women across this nation through my Girls' Night Out event, “The Sex and the City lifestyle appears glamorous and enticing on television, but real life is flat-out messy. In the real world, we don’t have the benefit of a director who can yell cut, or and editor who can simply erase the consequences of our choices. Real life has real consequences."

My heart absolutely breaks for young women. I know the lies they hear, and I know all too well the consequences that come from believing them. Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way that seems right to man, but in the end it leads to death.”  This scripture is so plainly seen in our culture today. The lifestyle of Sex and the City, which is so celebrated and glamorized, actually leads young women down a path of destruction. I"ve been there and I am passionate about telling young women the truth. 

 In my book, Sex and the City Uncovered, I expose the emptiness and heartbreak of the lifestyle and offer hope for women who are living in it.   The following is an excerpt from the updated edition of Sex and the City Uncovered. In this chapter I exposes the deception of the "sex without strings" myth and offer women truth that will set them free.  

http://www.redeemedgirl.org/templates/files/SATC Uncovered5.pdf  (copy and paste into your browser if link is broken)

To purchase click Sex and the City Uncovered.

First up was the story of some high school students who decided to get their kicks by posting vicious gossip and hateful comments about other girls in their school on a Facebook group. This act of bullying became national news due to the fact that a different girl in Massachusetts recently committed suicide because of her own dealings with “mean” girls.  News anchors, parents, psychologists and school principles are scratching their heads…confused as to why young women would act so cruelly and behave so meanly towards one another.*

By this point I was saddened for the young women, but was moving on with my day. Just then another news story flickered onto the screen. This was the oh-so-news-worthy drama that surrounds the cast of The Real Housewives of New Jersey.  Can we say catfight? These women are bickering, backbiting and passing around petty jabs over silly issues, making high school drama seem tame… each one fighting to outdo and outshine the other.  Not too different from the jealousy and insecurity going down in middle school cafeterias across the country.

As I contemplated the morning news it dawned on me that the same core issue spans multiple generations: our culture promotes insecure women desperate for attention.  The world sends a message that we should focus on self and fight hard to make ourselves #1. What upsets me is that we’ve turned this into entertainment and the next generation is lapping it up like water…hoping to quench the thirst of their souls for attention and love by emulating the seek-me-first attitudes that fuels reality TV.

Is there any wonder that in our fame-obsessed-me-first culture, high school students blatantly publicize their bullying acts on sites like Facebook and YouTube when networks like Bravo give grown women their own reality shows rewarding them with expense accounts, salaries, and a wardrobe that they can keep for the exact same cruel behavior? The problem with this message is that it makes for miserable people.  Why? We weren’t meant to be #1. 

The quarrels, fights, gossip, back-stabbing and drama are all the result of the human heart seeking to find love, life, identity, security and affirmation apart from God. These women (young and old – yes, Housewives, I called you old) have simply believed the lie that they will feel better about themselves if they can make others feel inferior. Or they will feel good if they make others feel small. The problem is that this twisted thinking doesn’t work.  The “me-first” agenda, which is the air our culture breathes, actually backfires, producing miserable and hurting people. In my book, The List, I address this issue directly:

Why are so many of us obsessed with fame? Why do we clamor for the spotlight? Why do we desire our name in lights? For one thing, we live in a culture that screams at us to make much of ourselves. To crave attention, to fight for the limelight, to be the one that is watched, applauded, and praised.  And the other factor is the desire “to be someone.” And clearly, our culture tells us, “you aren’t ‘someone’ unless you are famous.”

But is this right? Is fighting for our share of the spotlight why we were made?

To understand why we were made, we first must recognize the fact that we are, indeed, “made.” Created. Formed. Designed. Planned. Fashioned. We are not self-existent creatures. We did not create ourselves. We are the purposeful design of one who is the Creator of All Things. The Author of Life. The Holy, Awesome, and Majestic God of the Universe. The Bible says, “God made man in His own likeness.  He made both male and female. He breathed into the nose the breath of life. (And) Man became a living being." (Genesis 1:27; 2:7 New Life Version)

This awesome Being who revealed Himself to be God made each one of us. Mindboggling, I know. It is incredible to think about the fact that the one who spoke solar systems into orbit and who holds the universe together by his power, chose to create you and me…uniquely.

But why?

Why did He create us? The Bible is very clear on this point. Every person throughout history was created for the sole purpose of bringing glory to our Creator. Yes girls, we were created to shine! In Isaiah 43:6-7, the Lord says, “Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by name, whom I created for my glory.” 

Did you notice the last part of that verse? God says that we were created for his glory, not our own. We are designed to make his name known, to lift high his praise, to turn the spotlight on his face. Like stars that light up the night sky, we are designed to shine—to reflect to the world that our God is incredibly glorious.  Author and speaker John Piper in his book, Don’t Waste Your Life explains this purpose by stating, “God created me—and you—to live with a single, all-embracing, all-transforming passion—namely, a passion to glorify God by enjoying and displaying his supreme excellence in all the spheres of life.”

We are created to make God’s glory known, yet we live in and struggle against a culture that claims that we (the created ones) are the center of the universe—not God (The Creator). Shining for God’s glory is a radical shift from the cry of the world that says, “make much of yourself!” Our education, marketing, and, sadly, even our parents have spent years programming our thinking to believe that we (the individual) are the most important person on earth.  Self-esteem is the highest virtue. Love of self is the utmost concern. It is not only common, but expected for people to place their needs and priorities above all else This begs the question, can we truly be “happy” or feel “content” if we aren’t doing the very thing we were created to do in the first place? I would argue that it is absolutely impossible. This is the fish out of water syndrome. Pursuing our own fame and glory turns the purpose of life upside down and ultimately leaves us completely empty and questioning what life is really all about. 

Rick Warren in his best-selling book The Purpose Driven Life hit the nail on the head with his opening sentence, “It’s not about you.” Ouch! But, as tough as that is to hear, I love his straight-shooting and matter-of-fact approach. He doesn’t break the news to us gently. Instead, Warren confronts our celebrity-seeking, me-first Generation with the hard truth—life is not about us. To know the purpose of life, we must begin with God and with the purpose for which we he created us—to bring him glory.

Here’s the incredible truth: when our lives are centered on God and His glory, an incredible transformation occurs…we become men and women who are secure, whole, and confident in Him.  The old adage is so true…bullies and mean girls are just insecure people looking for love.

When we center our lives on glorifying God, we are free. Free from the unrelenting competition, insecurity, jealousy, strivings, and drama that comes from fighting to be first. When we love God and are secure in His love for us, the compulsive need to be #1 is eclipsed by the reality of Who He is and His undeserved grace.  The beauty of this right ordering of life is the gift of joy and peace. The happiest people in the world are those who humbly seek to put God first, others second and themselves last.  Maybe that’s why Jesus said the “Greatest Commandment” is to simply “Love God and Love Others.”

To purchase The List:

http://www.amazon.com/List-Figuring-Prince-Charming-Happily/dp/0805446710/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272479734&sr=8-3

*For more on this story, see Katie McCall’s piece on ABC 13 http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/video?id=7371811)

As this season’s tour of college events comes to a close, it’s evident that God continues to work through Girls’ Night Out events all across the country.  From The University of Texas and The University of Tennessee to The University of Missouri, each school was a great success!

The Girls’ Night Out at UT (in Austin) was attended by over 300 girls!  Many long-time prayers (by sorority sisters) were answered as girls received Christ as their Savior for the first time.

The Girls’ Night Out at UT (in Knoxville) provided Marian with many great opportunities to minister one-on-one.  True transformation was seen as Marian encouraged and challenged each girl she spoke with and prayed over.

The University of Missouri event produced a great harvest of 97 salvations!  Praise God for moving in the hearts of so many girls this past season.  One more to go...UTSA tomorrow night at 7:30pm...please pray! 

February 3-5, 2010 RGM headed to the northwest region of the United States for two Girls' Night Out events. The first was held at The University of Idaho and the other at Washington State University. Hundreds of young women attended these events and learned, many for the first time, of God's amazing love. Please continue to pray for the staff and leaders of Resonate Church in this region as they follow-up with young women who placed their faith in Christ and as they lead book clubs for those who attended. 

Next stop...Boston! This place was extra special for Marian since her "hero" in the faith, George Whitfield, preached his last sermon here during the Great Awakening. Today, Boston is home to more universities than any other city and the students are in need of the Truth found only in Jesus Christ. Marian shared her story at a city-wide event held at MIT and at Wellesley University. Prior to the events, Campus Crusade staff gave out free copies of her book to college women in Boston. Here is a great picture that was captured on the subway of young women reading the book.

On February 16th over six hundred young women filled the ballroom at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington's Girls Night Out event. The Campus Crusade staff went over the top with making the night fun for the women in attendance. UNCW is known as "party school" so Marian emphasized the true life and joy that can only be found in a relationship with Jesus. Please pray for the Campus Crusade staff as they seek to disciple the young women who came to faith. 

I'm writing this in hopes that you all will join Redeemed Girl Ministries in prayer for this campus, and others like it, and lift up the evangelistic event that is being held there on April 20. Also pray for students who are facing the onslaught of lies and persectution, and for them to stand boldy for Jesus Christ.

Faith and Inheritance from Breakaway Ministries on Vimeo.

On Thursday, January 28th the RGM team pulled into Oxford, Mississippi for the long awaited Girls' Night Out event at Ole Miss. The Campus Crusade team did an incredible job of promoting the event, and a 1600 young women were in attendance. Praise God for the 114 girls who came to Christ at this event. Please continue to pray for the women of Ole Miss and the CC staff as they follow up with those who made decisions.

Hey Girls!

2010 is right around the corner and we wanted to give you an idea for a Redeemed Girl Resolution. In her book, The List, Marian Jordan writes, “The secret to true beauty is spending time each day with the Beautiful One (Jesus). There are many ways to have ‘Beautiful Time’ with the Lord.”

We want to encourage each of you in 2010 to make Beautiful Time with Jesus a top priority. On our website you'll find a page titled Quiet Time Tips...click here to go straight to it.

A favorite of Redeemed Girl Ministries is called the R.E.A.P. (Read. Examine. Apply. Pray.) method.  All you need is your Bible, a journal, a quiet place and an open heart. This method is best used with a Bible reading plan, which can be found at www.BibleGateway.com, as well as other sites that we have listed for you at www.RedeemedGirl.org.

Email us at info@redeemedgirl.org to let us know what you've learned or become our friend on Facebook (page name is Redeemed Girl Ministries) or follow Marian's tweets (her Twitter name is MarianJordan).

Happy Reading Redeemed Girls!

Redeemed Girl 2009 Year in Review from Marian Jordan on Vimeo.

Redeemed Girl India Trip from Marian Jordan on Vimeo.

Team India is safe and sound! We've been immensly blessed with full days of ministry, but absolutely ZERO internet access. So...i'm just now able to catch you all up on all that we are doing. Let me just say that your prayers are being answered!!! God is moving here. We will be home in a few days, but i will post a few more times in the meanwhile to let you guys know about the incredible ministry happening here.

The entire team sends their love!!

Marian

What an amazing day for Team India.  The rain has finally cleared! In case you didn’t know, the Houston team somehow brought a hurricane to India with us (although they are called Cyclones here) and we’ve been in heavy rains for a few days. But we awoke today to beautiful clear skies and the temperature dropped a few degrees—the perfect weather for our first day of pastoral training. 

Biff and Adam are preaching on 2 Corinthians this week to a packed chapel filled with local pastors and men who are in pastoral training school, many of  whom drove from hours away to be taught the Word of God. Biff commented that he was “overwhelmed by the crowd” and loved seeing how “eager the men were to learn and grow in their walk with the Lord.” I had the joy to teach Indian women (ministry staff and wives) from my favorite book of the Bible—the Gospel of John.  We had so many women attend that we had to move the meeting outside. Praise God! Please continue to pray for the three of us as we work with translators and communicate God’s word to those hungry for it.

We have a week to go and we are already dreading the day that we will say goodbye to our girls. We just returned from our second evening with the young women at Grace Home.  Our goal this week is to teach the girls about their identity as Daughters of the King. We hope to encourage them with God’s love and to shape their thinking around His truth.  Tonight Jenny Gutierrez taught an amazing lesson about Ruth and Jennifer “Tank” Seals trained the girls to make gospel bracelets.  Check out the photo to see the swanky spin we put on an old standard…we know you all will want one too.

The past two days we’ve had the joy of working with kids rescued out of brothels, who are now living under the care and guidance of Godly men and women who nurture, protect, and provide for their every need.  These girls are redeemed in every sense of the word.

To watch them worship Jesus is a beautiful sight to behold. I’ve always thought that our love for Jesus is in direct proportion to our perceived need for Him. That old formula holds true: these girls absolutely love Jesus!  We don’t need to understand Marathi to understand the praise spilling from their lips.  

After our visit with the children at Faith Home we drove several hours through the Indian countryside to our next destination, Grace Home. We will be here for several days. The team is doing extremely well. Thank you for your prayers. We are all healthy.  Although I am personally being tortured with the news that two cobras (9ft. long) were recently spotted where we’re staying. (P.S.  I hate snakes.) The team loves to entertain themselves by telling me this info. Good times.

We are now at Grace Home (aka Cobra nest… I’m just kidding. We are very comfortable and the food is amazing that the women prepare for us.)  Upon arriving here we’ve been given new Indian titles.  “Uncle” is the title reserved for elders. “Didi” means older sister. “Dada” means older brother.

Biff  “Uncle”—He is an amazing pastoral leader. Our team truly looks up to him and appreciates the gentle spirit that God has blessed us with in him. Not to mention that he’s just hysterical. Please pray for Biff as he is teaching the pastors for the next few days.

Adam “Dada” & Jennifer “Didi” Seals—we love our mighty duo. On a funny note, you can pray for them because India has a no P.D.A rule. And if you know these two at all, you’d know that they like each other…a lot! So asking them to not hold hands in public was a big deal. :)  Seriously, please pray for Adam as he is also teaching the pastors and  for Jennifer as she is leading all of our crafts and activities.

Susanna “Didi”—she is a prayer warrior and truly brings God’s heart for the oppressed to our team. Please pray for her as she  teaches about Esther to the girls…encouraging them to become the future leaders of this country.

Debi “Didi”—Debi did a great job teaching with me last night as we instructed the girls about God’s incredible love for them. She asks that you pray that she not get overwhelmed with emotion about what these girls have endured, but to see their future and to offer them hope in Christ.

Jenny G. “Didi” –Jenny is a great asset to our team and brings a wonderful gift of compassion. Please lift us Jenny as she prepares to teach the story of Ruth to the young girls. Pray also for her peace in the face of wickedness. She specifically asks that you would pray that she can forgive the men who are abusing and using these women.

Marian “Didi”—Please ask the Lord to fill me more and more with His Spirit—for apart from Him I can do nothing.  I will teach the staff women and the girls every day for the next three days.  Pray for God to move and that translation would not hinder the teaching of His word.

Also, please pray for Ralph, the leader of Charasia, as he seeks the Lord for vision for the road ahead for the children God has entrusted to them.

This morning our team toured the RLD. Under the guidance of locals we walked through the narrow alleyways composed of ancient bricks and wooden shanties and walked up cramped and darkened staircases to view the “cells” where the women are kept in rooms barely large enough for an army cot.

How did they get here? Most were sold into slavery by their parents or husbands. With a promise of fortune to the families their daughters are handed over to agents who then sell them to owners. From that point on they are gone. This is their new normal. Now imagine a child born into this scene. What hope does this child have for the future? Pretty grim. Here the demand for young girls is insatiable and the “owners” expect the mothers to enlist her girl in the “family business.” She is after all simply a commodity in the hands of a broker.

The darkness can just about overwhelm you. Satan’s agenda to “kill, steal, and destroy” is clear. Hopeless is the word one wants to use….except for the one who knows Jesus. One bright spot in our morning was meeting the moms who’ve entrusted their babies with the ministry that we are working with. These mothers remember a life before their cell and want the same for their children. The contrast between their faces and the faces of the other women that we encountered was dramatic. Hopelessness is unmistakable. It weighs heavy upon the face. Yet, the mothers who lovingly asked about their children bore a different countenance…hope. Hope that their girls would be spared a life of slavery. Hope that their girls would be educated.Hope that their girls would have a voice.

There is a Redeemer,
Jesus God’s Own Son.
Precious Lamb of God, Messiah
Holy One.

This chorus played through my head as we wove our way through the dark alleys back to our awaiting cars. Everything we witnessed today is an affront to the God who made each of us in His own image. The abuse is a sin against His holy name. I firmly believe any act of justice and any work of freedom is an act of worship to the One who spoke each life into existence.

When confronted with depravity of this nature it makes you love Jesus all the more. Please pray for the women enslaved here and throughout the world. In this city alone, prostitution is a billion dollar industry. Most of these women will die before the age of 40 because diseases are so rampant. Please pray for India to be awakened to the sorrow that is at her steps.

Today begins our first official day of ministry. After a very short night’s sleep, the team awoke, packed, grabbed breakfast and is now flying to our next destination. Traveling from the hotel to the domestic airport gave us a glimpse of Mumbai—streets bustling with motorbikes, fruit stands and pedestrians blending with the constant sound of horns blaring as we passed by.

Today we will visit the (RLD) and minister to women who are still enslaved there. Please pray for our protection, for us to be Spirit led, for each of us to extend the love of the Father to these women, and for us to see everything through His eyes. After our time there we will then spend an afternoon with the children. 

As I’ve surveyed our team I realize we are all feeling the same emotion: uncertain. Uncertain about what we will see and experience…and uncertain if we are prepared for the days ahead. But in the midst of our uncertainty is a powerful certainty. We are CERTAIN that….

·      The Lord goes before us and He prepares our way….

·      Greater is He Who is within us than he who is in this world….

·      It is not by might, nor by power but by His Spirit….

·      He is before all things and in Him all things hold together…

I’m so grateful for the fact that despite how we feel, we can REST knowing that God is with us. He is mighty to save, and He is sufficient for all that we need.

Everyone here sends their love and gratitude for your prayers.

After months of planning and praying and after what seemed like an eternity on the plane…we finally landed in Mumbai! Thank you for your prayers for travel safety! They were definetly heard. We made it through the airport without a hitch!

I’ll post more soon….we are having internet problems today.

Over the past few years the Lord has awakened me to the plight of women enslaved by the sex trafficking industry. Across the globe women are taken from their families, imprisoned, and horrifically abused. Without a voice and with no hope of freedom, these women are prisoners to an institution that treats them as less than human. Through news outlets like Dateline NBC and Hollywood movies like Taken, this issue has become a hot topic. Yet is anything really happening to help these victims?

I recall thinking when I watched the movie Taken (a film about a girl abducted and sold into prostitution) how much the story mirrored the Gospel…depicting the passionate love of a father who fights to redeem his daughter from captivity. Sounds a lot like Jesus, doesn’t it? Luke 4: 17-19 tells us that Jesus took the scroll of Isaiah and found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me For He anointed me to preach gospel to the poor, He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed. This is the heart of God. Knowing the Lord’s concern for the oppressed and His compassion for the captive, I knew He was stirring my heart to do something…. but what could one person do in the face of such evil? Thankfully, I’ve learned that we can rest knowing when God stirs our hearts to act, He is already at work…our job is to just be available.

Around this time a guest speaker (Ralph Borde, President of Charasia Ministry) visited my home church, Second Baptist of Houston, educating us on the work God is doing among women in India. He shared his desire for a team to come and minister to the very women that the Lord had placed upon my heart. The following is the vision he shared: “India has millions of women and children who are victims of the horrific prostitution industry. It is our goal to rescue children whose mothers are enslaved in prostitution, thereby saving the children from being forced into child prostitution, as well as providing an opportunity to witness to their mothers. Our hope is to bring many women and children out of their terrible bondage into a life where they know the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Of course I knew immediately that the Lord was calling me to go…after all, these are girls desperate for the redeeming love of Jesus Christ.

As usual, God’s timing and His plan are perfect! Everything worked out with my travel schedule and ministry obligations in order for me to lead the trip. Our mission is two-fold. We will teach and disciple the young women who’ve been taken out of brothels and the men on our team will train pastors who are planting churches across India. For more information about the ministry, please visit www.charasia.org. I joyfully write these words from a cramped airplane seat bound for India. Our team is amazing. We are small in number but mighty in Spirit. In the months of planning we’ve bonded and are of one heart and mind.

Please pray for us as we travel. Lift up the women and men that we will be serving and please check back here for updates each day. For His Glory, Marian In the photo is “Team India”—Biff Johnson (Pastoral Leader), Adam and Jennifer “Tank” Seals, Jennifer Guiterez, Debi Ostrom, Susannah Thorn and Marian Jordan (Team Leader)

*Pictures coming soon!

*Pictures coming soon!

"The ladies retreat, hosted by Second Baptist Church Cypress Campus at Carolina Creek Christian Camp, was a time of sweet fellowship and God's presence was strongly felt.  Marian taught on the book of Joshua and focused on becoming the woman God designed us to be by experiencing the abundant life we have in Christ.  I was challenged to continually set my mind on His truth and believe. We were all encouraged to find rest in the One that provides it, Jesus.  On Friday evening, after Marian spoke, we had a fun craft time with yummy treats and girl time!  What an amazing retreat!!"

-Jennifer Abbott, retreat coordinator

Marian loves going anywhere where she can say “Go Cowboys!” - although she was a little confused since she wasn’t in Dallas. When Marian arrived in Tulsa she was greeted by her good friend Kari Kennedy, who whisked her to Stillwater for the “Woman vs. Wild” event at Oklahoma State University.  After a quick stop by the home of famous country singer Garth Brooks, the event was under way with hundreds of girls eager to learn wilderness skills. Marian challenged them to walk by faith and trust God in the midst of trials and pain.

This event was special because of the time Marian was able to spend counseling girls in their moment of heartbreak and see God heal their pain. It was a late night filled with girl talk and pizza as Marian hung out with the planning team until the wee hours of the morning.

Marian and her friend Tonya departed humid Houston for the sights and smells of a glorious fall in Western Kentucky (unlike Houston, Bowling Green actually has 4 seasons!).  Driving from Nashville to Bowling Green and seeing the leaves turning colors and the beautiful countryside was such a great treat! Once in Bowling Green, the home of Western Kentucky University, Marian and Tonya were greeted by Campus Crusade staff member Jill McGuire and her amazing “Girls’ Night Out” planning team - a fun and crazy group of girls who have a passion to see God move on their campus. Wow, did they do a great job planning their event and getting girls to attend.  The room was packed and filled with a buzz of excitement.  Praise God for the number of girls that attended and indicated they wanted a relationship with Christ.

It was a late night and early morning as Marian had to be back in Nashville for two live TV appearances on Fox Channel 17 “Tennessee Mornings” and Channel 4 “WSMV” - where she promoted her latest book, The List.  Marian spent the rest of her time in Nashville catching up with friends and meeting with her publisher.

Redeemed Girl Ministries, in partnership with the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, hosted two Girls’ Night Out events at The University of Oklahoma - one campus-wide event and the other just for sorority girls at the Pi Phi house. For the sorority event, the planning team did a great job making the night fun for all with a fashion show and lots of goodies.  Marian spoke on the topic of understanding your identity in Jesus Christ.  She also spent time debunking many myths that define women as sexual objects.

While in town, Marian was able to catch up with Leslie Herring, a former student, who showed her around campus…thanks Leslie!  Marian was so encouraged by the campus-wide event where she met with students from all over the world….India, China, Russia, as well as Okies from Oklahoma.

Special thanks to Kelly King and Kristin Weir from the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma and Amy from the Baptist Student Union at OU for making it such an incredible week for us!

Last week was packed full for us. Right after the event at Texas Christian University, RGM flew into Tulsa, Oklahoma and then drove to a small town named Talequah (you say it “tala-quaa”) for a Girls’ Night Out.  Talequah is the home of Northeastern University - alma mater of Carrie Underwood! Marian did a quick radio interview about her new book The List and then we met with the crew from the BSU about the evening’s event.  Many thanks to the The Baptist Student Union who did a great job getting the word out and the venue was packed. 

After Marian’s talk, there was a ton of door prizes to be given away…everything from spa products to hand-made blankets from women in local churches.  The girl’s had a great time and were very attentive to God’s truth. About 30 girls indicated on their decision cards that they wanted to know more about a relationship with Christ…so exciting!  The time was sweet and many girls came up afterwards sharing how much they needed to hear what Marian said and that they are going to begin living more like priceless treasures rather than trash.

The next morning found us up early, armed with Starbucks and heading to “Good Day Tulsa” where Marian was interviewed about Girls’ Night Out and The List. Although we are Texas girls we sure loved our time in Oklahoma!

“Girls’ Night Out” at Texas Christian University was so much fun for all!  RGM had been working a long time with Campus Crusade for Christ to have this event on TCU’s campus and we were so excited to finally be there.  The college leaders where amazing and we got to have dinner with them at McKinley’s (the cutest place with great chicken salad!) before the event.  It was special to hear from their hearts the prayers they had been praying for their campus.  

Marian spoke about true identity…confronting the lies that many girls believe about where they find their value and worth. Praise God for the great turnout—hundreds of young women participated and over 50 girls indicated that they were interested in beginning a relationship with Jesus Christ. Praise God for bringing many girls to hear the truth their hearts were thirsty for.  Just like all the other “Girls’ Night Out” events, please pray for the campus leaders as they go forth with follow-up and for the book clubs that are now beginning on the TCU campus.  

RGM always loves visiting The University of South Carolina!  This trip was Marian’s third time to visit for a “Girls’ Night Out”.  One thing that’s been incredible to see is the way God is moving through the Greek system…years ago there were no small groups and now there’s one (and in some places more than one!) in every sorority! 

The venue was packed for “Girls’ Night Out” and the event started with fun music and games and then Marian shared a great message.  The best part…53 girls indicated on their decision cards that they wanted to know more about a relationship with Jesus!  Please pray for these girls as they learn more about Jesus and grow in their faith.

P.S. Another great part about visiting Columbia, South Carolina…we get to see our dear friend Kitty Hurdle.  We love you Kitty!

Marian spoke vibrant truth into the lives of the girls and after the event we just about wiped out of every book we brought…the girls were so eager to learn more!  It was encouraging to hear that every sorority on campus is starting a bookclub with “Sex and the City Uncovered” this Fall.  Marian met with the leaders following the event to encourage and train them for leadership.  Then off we went to enjoy Mexican food with the leadership team at El Guapo. Funny name…yummy food. :) 

Looking over the comment cards from the evening, we found out that 34 girls wanted to know more about a relationship with Christ!  Praise God!  Please pray for the girls at UNT.

At the end of August RGM made our way to Memphis, Tennessee (via Little Rock)– home of Elvis Presley and many other cool people!  It was our very first trip of the “school” year and we were excited to visit Briarcrest, a christian school that invited Marian to speak to their student body – girls individually and boys, yes boys.

Once we arrived in Little Rock we loaded up our rental car and headed downtown for lunch. If you ever find yourself in Little Rock you must eat at The Flying Fish and when they ask “Do you want to make that snappy” say yes and they’ll give your fish a little “kick”.

Off to Memphis we drove, listening to sermons and music from our ipods or whatever was on the radio.  Sometimes we even watch movies...driver keeps eyes on road and passenger narrates.

The first event of the trip was planned for middle and high school girls and their mothers.  It was a great night! The next morning Marian had two sessions with the girls and one with the boys.  It ended up being a really sweet time and the students were so respectful and attentive.  God is really moving at that school and we pray the students will keep their eyes on Christ and not be brainwashed by the lies that the world feeds them.

Go Saints!!!

Dear Redeemed Girl Ministries Support Team,

We hope this letter find you doing well! As always, we thank God for you and your partnership with what He is doing through Redeemed Girl Ministries. This summer has been a great one, kicking off with Greek Summit, a Campus Crusade retreat for sorority girls from all over the southeastern United States.  Marian was asked to attend to encourage the girls in their faith (many of the girls came to know Christ through their schools’ Girls’ Night Out event). It was a refreshing time for all.  Marian arrived back saying, “It was encouraging to see how hungry the girls were to go deeper in their faith and take the next step. It was the vision of RGM coming to life…seeing redeemed girls who long to redeem girls and live for God’s glory.  At the end of my time there, I saw many girls surrender to the call God had placed on their lives.”

Next up for RGM was a six-week Bible Study at Second Baptist Church on the topic of Marian’s fourth book – yes fourth! – titled Radiance, a study about being radiant women in a dark world that seeks to mask our light. The Bible study was followed by a variety of conferences and church events, including Campus Crusade for Christ’s National Conference in Fort Collins, Colorado where Marian was asked to lead an afternoon seminar.

As the summer now comes to a close, we’ve been working hard to prepare for an exciting and packed Fall line-up.  November holds a new adventure as Marian travels to India to share the love of Jesus with girls there. The vision of the trip aligns with the vision of RGM – to see women transformed by the grace of Jesus Christ.  Please lift up Marian and the team members as they travel November 8-19. On top of the blessing of numerous opened doors for the gospel, God has blessed us with a great opportunity to expand our online presence.  RGM is currently finalizing a new and improved website, specifically designed with Redeemed Girls in mind!

Another big announcement for the Fall is the release of Marian’s third book titled The List: Figuring out Prince Charming, the Corner Office and Happily Ever After (B&H Publishing).  The List is set to release September 1^st, but if you’re eager to pre-order it you can visit Amazon.com and search “The List by Marian Jordan”.

God continues to encourage us as we walk the walk of Faith and follow His lead.  We are continually thankful for open doors to share God’s truth, financial provision for every need big and small, safety and protection while traveling, and our perfectly-sized office space.  On top of all that, we thank God specifically for each of you and for your prayers, support and partnership in taking God’s truth to girls in need.

For His Glory!

The Redeemed Girl Team