April 2021 Issue

Y4G MAG Issue 14| April 2021

LIVING THE AMAZING CHRISTIAN LIFE

#GIRLCHILD ORGANIZATION

SKINCARE ESSENTIALS Enjoy Easter but teach them first editor's note

God's love is free pg 8

learn to commit to what you do from pg 6

contents Table of Contents Editor's Note

Contact Information Real Talk-COMMITMENT Featured Article-Free Love of God Sermon-Watch what you say 2020 RoadMap Fitness-Choosing the right workout clothes Part 2 Covid News A Loss Unspoken Organizational Feature-#GirlChild Book Review Devotional-

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EDITOR'S NOTE

I do not want March to end because it’s the month that I celebrate my wedding anniversary and my birthday.

This year wedding anniversary and birthday is very special because I just added being a mother to my responsibilities.

March is so important in that there are ladies that are close to my heart and they birthday in March as well. Also, this year marks a year since I said yes to my purpose of this publication.

But there is a season for everything so forward we go.

Let me take this opportunity to those that took their time to respond to our call for writers.

Thank you so much for showing interest. We are still in the look out for someone who can write public and sports news, even comic stories.

I mean! anything is possible with God. In the coming months look out for new columns and writers on the publication.

Can we please explain to our children what happened biblically on Easter before giving them Easter eggs. If you do not know, we have internet to look for a more suitable way to explain to your children based on their years of what happened to Jesus, then reward them for listening with Easter eggs. We need to take space in the kingdom as our kids are the next generation.

I love you so much but God loves you even more, Enjoy this month read

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Can we please explain to our children what happened biblically on Easter before giving them Easter eggs

LEBO APRIL 2021

WRITERS WANTED! IF YOU WANT TO BE A WRITER IN THIS PUBLICATION CONTACT US ON ANY OF THE BELOW MEDIA MAY GOD SPEAK TO YOUR HEARTS

GET CONNECTEDWITH US

youthful4god Christian magazine

76 244 266

youthful4god youthful4god@gmail.com

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REAL TALK- COMMITMENT The fact is that I have a choice to not publish the magazine for some months and blame it on a lot of things that are happening in my life. Some of those things are valid reasons and they need my attention like being a mother to my son. I have that choice in my hands and to use it at any time I feel like it fits.

The same thing applies to a church service or pastor. A pastor has the choice not to preach some Sundays because he/she is tired of being preaching the past many Sundays and sometimes people do not show up for the word (preaching) but he/she still preaches. Church service continues even if there are 3 people in the building.

Because God has placed something (purpose) in your heart there must be

We have choices in life, even God gives us a choice in Deuteronomy 30:15 ("Today I am giving you a choice between good and evil, between life and death”). God will never force Himself in your life. He wants to be invited with the salvation prayer that we took when we decided to follow the Christian lifestyle. Even if your invite the Almighty, it does not mean that the road would be easy or where He is taking you will be a walk in the park. It simply means that there will be someone guiding and beside you when in your purpose journey. His grace is sufficient. You need to be committed with body, mind, and soul in your calling or purpose. So that when the mind and soul fail you then you use your body. Mind and soul will be attacked by feeling like you are not doing enough and you have no impact, so you are wasting time, just stop what you are doing. This is when you use the body by the commitment you made to God.

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commitment. This commitment is not based on your feelings but made to God, pastors show up every Sunday and sometimes for the mid-week services. It is not like they feel like it but because they know the WHY they are preaching, WHO they preaching to and the joy it brings for a fulfilled purpose. I believe that pastors work really hard. They preach twice a week if not three times, they deal with the running of the church by overseeing different departments in the church. They counsel us with our problems, be husbands to their wives vice versa, father to their kids, and siblings to their parent’s other children. They have a lot of things on their plate.

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When I got pregnant, there were times when I did not want to seat at the computer for hours designing the magazine or reading articles, or planning how the next issue will entail or look like. I would think how I should be a normal pregnant person and lazy around because I have a good reason because I am carrying something precious yet heavy. When I remember how this magazine came about and the joy it feels each month when I read your comments about how the magazine is timely for the private battles you are facing. I do not let anything stop me, even pregnancy or if it means publishing only 10pages because they were no submissions done.

When I got pregnant, there were times when I did not want to seat at the computer for hours designing the magazine or reading articles or planning how the next issue will entail or look like. I would think how I should be a normal pregnant person and lazy around because I have a good reason because I am carrying something precious yet heavy.

When I remember how this magazine came about and the joy it feels each month when I read your comments about how the magazine is timely for the private battles you are facing. I do not let anything stop me, even pregnancy or if it means publishing only 10pages because they were no submissions done.

After a couple of months of starting the publication, I felt like the magazine was not helping anyone so why should I continue with it. I felt like this because I felt I was putting so much into it and feeling like I am not getting anything out. I shared with a friend my feelings and she said she would be worried if I was not attacked. It’s like she was waiting for me to have a spiritual attack. The devil does not like something that is impacting the growth of Christians so he will do anything to stop it. If he (devil) attacks the source, then the small streams die before they become a river. That is why I always say that we need to pray for our pastors as they face spiritual battles all the time because of their line of duties. We get to church on Sunday and get a very life-changing message and we think God gave them the message in a silver spoon. They fight to have quiet time so that God can speak. Pastors fight to concentrate to get the knowledge that God wants to share with His people. They spend sleepless nights so they seat in prayer on our behalf.

We get to church and see everything moving swiftly, forgetting the preparation it took. Commitment is hard and messy. It is fulfilling when you walk in your purpose. We need to be alert in our calling and know that when all fails, comfort yourself that God is with you. Until He says it’s done that’s when it done. Let us normalize praying for our pastors or kingdom shakers (as we call them in youthful magazine). When they do wrong don’t be quick to judge them but understand and keep them in your prayers.

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ARTICLE BY:

Maemo Ntebang FREE LOVE OF GOD

The Bible in 1st John 4:19 (NIV) tells us that “we love God simply because he first loved us”. It is somewhat difficult to comprehend why we can be loved

unconditionally even as the sinful people that we are, even when we haven’t lifted a finger to do any act of kindness for those around us, but that’s God’s way and nature. Love is one of the most difficult subjects to talk about because most often, it lacks proof and is associated with worldly things such as money, goods, beauty etc, taking these things away, renders us loveless.

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The road to Christianity is not an easy one, there was never a promise that it will be easy, in fact, there are many challenges along the path therefore, those who call themselves Christians should not expect to walk down an easy path. God’s promise to us is that no matter the hardships and challenges, His grace will always be with us to help us achieve His purpose through us.

What does it mean to live under God’s grace? We know that God loved us from the very beginning, that He even sent His only begotten son so that whosoever believes in Him may be saved. God’s grace is, therefore, His undying love for His children. His mercy is always with those who trust and believe in Him.

God knows our weaknesses, our failures, our challenges, and the difficulties we come across in our journey, and He calls us to come to Him just the way we are because He has the greatest love for us. He is able to forgive us of all our sins and cleanse us so that we may be worthy of His presence in our lives. No matter our iniquities He shall never forsake us, He encourages us to denounce the devil and his tactics so that we may be free of his evil ways.

The word of God in Titus 2:11-14 confirms this for us as it says, “for the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say NO to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope – the appearing of the glory of our great God and savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself people that are His very own, eager to do what is good.”

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Indeed, God’s love for us is immeasurable and cannot be compared with any other. It is enough for us to share it freely with others and encourage especially those who have lost hope, those who are heavily laden by life’s challenges, and those who feel they cannot carry on anymore. It is our duty as God’s children to reach out to those in need and share this love with them. Often times we disregard that deep inner voice that pushes us to stay away from evil and do good, we push it aside as if it is just a nagging feeling which does not matter.

I would like to encourage us this month as we approach the Easter holidays which is a reminder to us of the sacrifice that God gave to us for eternal life, let us learn to listen to God when He instructs us and directs our steps carry-out His work here on earth. As the period most synonymous with prayer, fasting and giving let us develop during this period, the habit of identifying those in need within our communities.

Let us not just give material things which may make us feel better or privileged, let us share with them God’s love which will not be shown just once but as a continuous sign of His presence in what we do. As we offer our prayers during this period, let us remember all those that we have lost due to this terrible coronavirus and pray to God that He continues to protect His people from the spread of this virus. May we always be covered by His grace which is always sufficient for us no matter the challenges.

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SERMON WATCH WHAT YOU SAY

A lot of people have not yet realized the power that their words have, either on their lives of

The sooner you start speaking positively about yourself and others, the better. Your destiny can be

those of others. The tongue though small possesses immense power in that it can shape or destroy one’s future. Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death & life are in the power of the tongue.”

The tongue has the power to direct. It is both bits & a rudder for life. Our words can change someone’s life. It is by our words that people

defined by your present words. You can speak yourself out of your current circumstances, The Prophet Joel wrote “let the weak say I am strong, let the poor say I am rich” (Joel 3:10). God is waiting for you to say and believe it, “I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it

will be directed to heaven or doomed to hell.

Luke 1:19-20 tells of how Zechariah doubted

will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart.” (Mark 11:23).

and asked the angel how he can be able to have a child in his old age. The words he uttered were a show of his unbelieve, for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34). God closed Zechariah’s mouth for the whole pregnancy period of his wife Elizabeth, he was unable to speak. This God did knowing the power of words that could come out of Zechariah during his wife’s pregnancy period, there was a possibility of him continuing continued with his unbelieve and in so doing uttering negative words

A lot of people believe that David defeated Goliath by the power of a sling with a stone, but little do they know that David’s victory was claimed even before he threw the sling. The was a battle of words between Goliath and David. When Goliath saw David, he said “am I a dog that you come at me with a stick?” David responded “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies —the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And

towards the pregnancy and maybe leading to the miscarriage of the baby. So next time think before you speak, least God mutes you until He Has finished blessing you.

then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!” (1 Samuel 17:32-50).

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It's clear from David’s response that he won the battle even before it started because of his words. So know that your victories are in what you say.

The scripture warns us about the tremendous damage that we can do with careless words. We should never underestimate the disastrous effect our words can have on another person. We literally have the power to speak life or death to them. We can build them up with encouragement or tear them down and sometimes even wound them very deeply with a negative word. The choice is ours. (James 3).

Do not postpone it for some other time, start it now and watch how things fall into place. Pray that God helps you to be positive in your speech all the time.

Maybe you have been reading this and you were inspired but have not yet received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, we would like to close by praying with you this simple prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe You died for my sins. Right now, I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and life. I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior.

Thank You for saving me. Amen.

With this simple prayer, you are now part of God’s family, start living for Him and find a bible-preaching Church to fellowship with.

By Tumelo Lepere YOUTHFUL4GOD MAGAZINE

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2020 ROADMAP

By Annonymous

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CHOOSING THE RIGHT WORKOUT CLOTHES: PART 2.

BY

ONNEILE KEALOT SWE Fitness Instructor (New Skills Academy) Strong Nation Instructor (formerly Strong by Zumba) YOUTHFUL4GOD MAGAZINE

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In 2013, I registered for my first ever half marathon (21.1km). On race day, I put on my favourite neon pink tights and waited impatiently at the start line. When the whistle blew, I took off as fast as I could because I wanted to finish in good time (less than 2 hours). I could not have gone 500metres when my tights started pulling down. I had to slow down holding them with one hand to stop them from slipping down. Let’s just say I learnt the hard way that my favourite tights were not ideal for running. Not all sports clothes are ideal for all sporting activities. For instance, my tights were good for squats but as it turns out, were not good for running. As stated in the last article, it is very important to know and choose the right clothes for your workouts. In this article, we will discuss workout tights; There are many factors to consider when buying workout tights. However, for purposes of this article, we shall only discuss three (3) being fit, material and function. a. Fit: workout tights should first and foremost be comfortable, they should not be too tight or too loose. When you are engaging in any type of physical activity, you want tights that are going to stay in place and make you feel confident as you move around and not be slipping down during a workout. For ladies, choose tights that have a high waist as high waist won’t slip down and won’t leave you uncomfortably exposed. b. Material: One of the most important factors to consider when choosing workout tights is material. Ø Spandex is one of the most common materials used to make tights. It is stretchy and durable and therefore ideal for workout tights as they are easy to move in and some are made with a climate fabric that sweeps sweat off of your skin to keep you dry faster than other active pants. Ø The most ideal tights when it comes to the material is the compression tights. Compression fabrics are tightly woven to help increase the circulation in your legs. They hold your muscles in place while you work out. If you are engaging in an intense workout such as running or kickboxing, they can help reduce your soreness following your workout. Ø When considering different materials, you should also avoid transparent material. You do not want to be working out whilst your underwear is on full display. c. Function: Lastly you need to consider the activities in which you plan to engage in. Ø Running/cardio: High-impact workouts require durable and sweat-wicking material.

Avoid cotton tights for high-impact workouts as it does not dry fast and would eventually become uncomfortable and heavy.

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Ø Stretching: Sitting, stretching and bending over requires extra stretchy tights. Natural fabrics like cotton and bamboo could be a good choice, as they are gentle on the skin. Avoid tights with zippers or drawstrings, as these can press into you uncomfortably if you lay on your stomach, side or back.

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Ø Weightlifting: Tights with a drawstring waist are perfect for functional workouts that transition between weightlifting and cardio.

Ultimately, you need to be comfortable in whatever workout tights you choose. While a wardrobe malfunction may embarrass you for a moment, wearing the wrong workout clothes can seriously compromise your workout session and ultimately results. ’a good pair of tights should feel extremely comfortable and doesn’t require frequent adjustments”

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Covid News

Explaining to my patients why they must still wear masks Attending the COVID vaccine clinic is one of the best parts of my job. It sounds strange but, as a doctor, it is rare for me to finish a general clinic where everyone has been in a good mood.

Covering a clinic will usually involve delivering bad news to a patient or finding something when examining someone that warrants further investigation. But at the COVID vaccine clinic, the clinical staff, the volunteers and the patients are all smiling, although it can be tricky to see behind our masks.

The vaccines have been billed as injections of hope; the way out of the pandemic. Because the vaccines are being given first to those at the highest risk of serious illness from COVID-19, it is mostly the elderly or those with underlying health conditions that we have been seeing.

These are the same people who have been told that they must stay indoors for the very reason that they are most at risk. These are the same people who had the most to lose if they catch COVID-19. In a year where many have not been able to see or hug their family members, it is only natural for them to want to know whether having the vaccine means they can ease up on social distancing measures.

Sadly the answer, for now, is no. The vaccines will help protect those vaccinated from serious disease or death if they do catch COVID-19, but we do not yet have definitive evidence that they reduce transmission.

Although preliminary research from Israel does suggest that transmission rates have come down following vaccination, this has yet to be concluded. Vaccination rates vary depending on which country you live in, but no country has yet vaccinated enough people to assume herd immunity – the threshold at which enough people are deemed sufficiently protected to ease lockdown measures. By wearing masks and socially distancing, you are protecting those who have yet to be vaccinated from contracting the disease.

Many people have asked me what the point of the vaccine programme is if not to remove lockdown and social distancing measures. That is indeed the long-term goal and global vaccination will play a huge part in that. But, today, the point of the vaccines is to stop people from getting sick from COVID-19 and potentially dying from this terrible disease.

For many people, repeated lockdown measures have had a devastating effect on livelihoods and mental health, and I understand that. But this pandemic is not yet over and, until it is, we must continue to adhere to local social distancing guidelines, even after having a vaccine.

BY: https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2021/3/28/has-covid-19-fatigue-caused-athird-wave-in-europe YOUTHFUL4GOD MAGAZINE

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A Loss unspoken When I fell pregnant easily, I thought I was lucky. So many of our friends had been trying for so long without success. I felt a twinge of

But still the nausea persisted. I was desperately disappointed that the extreme symptoms had not stopped by 12 weeks as I had expected.

guilt and sadness for them as I thought about endless rounds of IVF, the costs financially and emotionally, and their longing that went unanswered. It seemed unfair. It made it even

I couldn’t eat, sleep or get through a full workday. I had withdrawn from my life almost entirely, focusing on just getting through each

more wondrous that we had been so blessed.

We were overjoyed- yet surprised- to discover

day. I was pale, exhausted and had long ago lost sense of humour. When I took a bite of bland

we were going to have a baby. We hadn’t so much “tried” as not tried that hard to prevent it; and that where you are lucky in some aspects, you can be unlucky in others.

When started to feel desperately ill at six

potato, the first thing I’d eaten in three days, and had to run to the bathroom, it reduced me to tears. I feared my now rather fragile physical and mental state could not withstand much more. I had lost five kilos in those first three and a half

weeks, my gynae was delighted. But my senses became the enemy. Walking through a restaurant was hell. Opening the fridge door was torture. Smell assaulted me at every turn.

months and, as I only weighted to begin with, knew that I couldn’t afford to lose anymore.

And turned my stomach. “Fantastic,” she said”. “you are so normal!” The novelty wore off after about a week, and the nausea intensified. It was an all-day, everyday feeling of being completely out of killer with the rest of the world.

that the sickness was due to the hormones my baby needed; and would soon pass. My little bean was growing and she was just beautiful.

We were utterly spellbound by her tiny hands, which she could rest on her precious face we read that she was a size of half a banana and

The nausea was accompanied by extreme fatigue and I found I could not make it through a normal day. When I passed out in a meeting, I realised my body wasn’t coping with the dual tasks of making a baby and normal life as I knew it.

weighted a healthy 80 grams. They joy of technology was that we could see her so early on, and begin to know and love her.

My eight-week scan revealed a tiny little bean.

Joy! My gynae checked to make sure there was only one baby and not two that she suspected, that would explain my severe morning sickness. There was just one and he/she looked just perfect.

When 12 weeks came and all was well we began to share our happy news. Our mothers were naturally over the moon. They began to make plans for nurseries, nappies and car seats.

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I reminded myself that it would all be worth it;

I took my vitamins, rested and tried to exercise gently. I went to my scans and prenatal appointments diligently, and, as a 33-years-oldmom-to-be, we were advised to have a nuchaltranslucency scan. When our foetal-medicine specialist fell silent as she checked our baby’s heart, lungs and organs in detail on her monitor, my heart sank. In that moment, I knew. All was not well, after all. My worst fear were confirmed.

What she saw was a defect that was irreparable; our baby was not likely to live to term.

I felt cheated because I knew that the first trimester was the danger period, and we had lived more or less successfully through that.

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I felt cheated because I had endured the most appalling and continual illness, all apparently for nothing. And I felt cheated because I had been pregnant and now I am not, yet I have nothing to show for it.

The technology that had allowed us to see and experience, and form a relationship with our baby-to-be, had dealt us a cruel blow. Seeing her and beginning to love her also made it harder to lose her. Our joy turned to devastation.

I felt so completely alone in my loss, although it was just as much my husband ‘s loss and he was just as devastated. It felt so much more immediate and somehow personal to me. As he had felt helpless when he found me sobbing on the bathroom floor after 63 days of throwing up three times a day, he felt helpless now, unable to take away the pain.

For some reason, miscarriage and pregnancies gone wrong are things women don’t talk about but they are far more common than we think. When it happened to me, almost every friend and acquaintance confessed a similar experience or one of a close friend. These are the stories our friends keep from us until we enter this unnamed club. Only then are they shared to provide comfort in the knowledge that we are not alone.

Loss is an undeniable fact of life and, of course, we would not want to overshadow the joyous moments of a friend’s journey towards motherhood, but equally we should not hide out alone in our private loss and personal pain. This experience made me wiser, more serene about life, and more accepting of those things we can’t control. And where it was a happy, lucky accident before, the next time will be long-awaited and much anticipated. I will hope for a perfect, healthy baby, but know with a peaceful heart that this is all in mother nature’s hands.

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NOTE: there is no evidence to suggest that severe morning sickness is in any way related to the potential loss of a pregnancy or that it indicates a defect.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help ·Seek a counsellor that you connect with and relate to. Don’t dismiss your loss, work through it and then let it go. Grief can accumulate and shadow subsequent attempts to have a baby. ·Even a child lost early is a significant loss. Allow yourself to grieve ·Take time out for yourself. Don’t rush back to life, take time to recover if you need it. Nurture yourself back to physical and emotional health. ·Let loved ones support and comfort you. Sharing the loss and recovery process can bring you closer and ease the burden of carrying it all alone. ·Do what works for you. If it helps to provide closure, privately mark the due date of the lost child. ·Things happen; there is no blame. Even if you intellectually know this, you need to accept it emotionally in order to move on. ·Ask questions, gather information. This may better equip you to deal with and process a loss.

Article by Alison O’ryan in Fit Pregnancy October/November 2008 YOUTHFUL4GOD MAGAZINE

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#GIRLCHILD ORGANISATION GIRLCHILD is a non-profit making movement/organization that teach, give, empower, mentor, groom girls of all age groups to know and be what they are supposed to be in life, to develop their thoughts and views and give them the opportunity to challenge norms about what a girl child can and cannot do.

It was formed in the year 2015 but launched on the 28th of November 2020 The surge in Genderbased violence especially against women and girls drove me to join other Batswana in taking part in the fight by launch ring this organization that will empower girls. And as we fight GBV #Girlchild is a platform for girls to reach for their intended goals, give them a chance that even though some have already gone through GBV there is still a chance to live up to their dreams and goals. #Girlchild, we develop girl's physical mental, financial capacities with particular emphasis on poverty alleviation by supporting and strengthening their skills and ensuring that girl's voices, concerns, and issues are presented wherever it is most appropriate. #Girlchild up life vocational skills and entrepreneurial skills among girls who have fallen through the safety net of academic systems that would enable them to face the problem of unemployment, poverty, crime alcohol, social exclusion, and moral degradation. #Girlchild organization's most important aspect is to focus on teaching the girls self-worth, they can be able to navigate life and will be able to avoid being in desperate situations that always affect them negatively. And will also teach girls self-worth from tender age which will help them grow well knowing what they want in life. We believe that a girl who knows her self worth, know what she wants in life where she is going in life, knows wrongs and what is right with having it easy to navigate life because they’re faced with the abusive relationship now and in the future they could easily take a step back from it without compromising their lives and safety because they will know their worth.

In order to achieve the goals of emancipation of the girl child, we engage girls through activities that include, visiting schools for motivational talks, career guidance, educational workshops, talk shows and seminars, Empowerment sessions. But because of covid19, we don’t host so many gatherings as we intended #Girlchild is operating from Serowe village, for now, we shall expand as time goes and we intend to have a country tour, believing God to heal our land from this pandemic covid19.

Everyone should follow us so that we learn more about a life of a Girlchild in broad and fight this GBV together as a nation.

Advice: Girlchild let your voice be heard. #Girlchild conducted: Launch on the 28th of November 2020 and to conduct Girls chat/Empowerment on the 24th of April 2021 in Mokatse Modipane village at Epic Gardens. For further information contact 73 140 440.

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BOOK REVIEW

MOVING FORWARD, a pioneering book, answers timeless questions on breaking free from stagnancy, using Biblical truths. Author Stephanie Ike uses her gifts of communication and teaching to break down these truths in an easy-to-understand and digestible format.

We've all experienced that moment where we wish we could start all over again. Failed marriages, lost friends, addictions, lost jobs.

This is not the life we imagined. Yesterday can sometimes leave us stuck, sad, shamed, scared, and searching. Sheila Walsh This life-changing book will awaken readers encourages readers to face the pain head on to the truth of continual progress and instill and then start again, from right where they within them an understanding of walking in are. She shares that when she discovered purpose. MOVING FORWARD guides readers "I'm not good enough and I'm good with through a framework of letting go, trusting that," everything started to change. In It's God, and pressing on.

Okay Not to Be Okay, Walsh helps women overcome the same old rut of struggles and MOVING FORWARD will release many from pain by changing the way they think about the bondage of the “victim mentality” and God, themselves, and their everyday lives. empower you to know that you are already She shares practical, doable, daily strategies equipped with everything you need to make that will help women move forward one continual progress. You will come to know step at a time knowing God will never let that God even accounted for your mistakes them down. when He created you for His purpose.

By Tony Kelesitse

Luke 11:1-4 11 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father,[a] hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.[b] 3 Give us each day our daily bread. 4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.[c] And lead us not into temptation.[d]’”

When you read Luke 11 you meet Jesus and his disciples going at it as usual. The disciples asking questions and Jesus reaponding with his insightful parables.

Along the chapter, the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. Within this prayer we learn that God is a father to us all. This means he ia able to fulfill our needs according to his role as a father. A father is supposed to love, protect and provide. The relationship we have with our fathers exists because we are his children.

So before you can become your mother's child, you are first God's child and his fatherhood is a right that you have by virtue of being created by him. While we learn that God is our father and he can provide for us, we must acknowledge that there is a level of responsibility that falls on us as his children. First of all we need to be obedient to our father by listening and carrying out his commands. Wanting to be a child of God only because you are hoping to gain something from God is a one way street.

Those of you who make way for God's will to be done as Jesus prayed are in a better position to benefit from what the father has to offer.

God as a father to all of us is an abundant source of everything we need to live a full life. Therefore we are heirs and heiresses to his kindgom and all its riches. Think of it in the same way any father leaves his estate to his children when he dies, only that God can never die but still he avails his riches to us. And again, it is important to remember that we have an obligation as children to

follow God's commands and walk on the path he sets for us.

The other most important thing that we learn from The Lord's Prayer is that God as our father is forgiving. His mercies are renewing every day which also means that God also forgets once he forgives us. Just as all the other lessons we picked in the previous sections, there is a part we are also expected to play. When we get forgiven by God we should also forgive others when they do wrong to us. When talking about forgiving others, this also involves forgiving ourselves because there are some things that we have done that haunt us and we have not recovered from them. Jesus deliberately mentioned the issue of forgiveness in his prayer because he knows that we are human beings and we often find ourselves in conflict.

In summary, the resonant message from the Lord's prayer is that we have a father and therefore we have a relationship. A relationship is a two-way street that needs to be maintained actively and deliberately.

God's power and his glory will always prevail in every situation. Giving way for God to play his role in our lives as a father is a starting point to accessing our blessings and promises. We give way by playing our role as his children and as Jesus said, His Kingdom will come and whatever is stowed away for us in heaven will manifest here on earth

l i t l i n t u un t t x e x n e n h t h n t o n o m m YOUTHFUL4GOD MAGAZINE

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APRIL 2021