Getting it together
Hello!
Welcome to my new organizer/devotional for “tweenage” girls, called Getting it Together!
First things first
This book is intended for individual use only. I encourage parents, Sunday School teachers and/or youth group leaders to freely make use of this devotional for their children and/or students only. No element in this book — whether separately or together as a whole — is to be used for resale or commercial use of any kind, for any reason.
Now that all that legal stuff has been taken care of, let’s get to the fun. ...
Set your own date
This book is designed to get through exactly one year. A neat feature worked into the plan is that your year can start whenever you want it to. It is not dated, so you can start as soon as you get it. That means you can begin January 1, at the start of the new year, or at the beginning of the new school year, or on your birthday, etc. You can even start in the middle and work your way back around. Or maybe you want to work a week at a time according to which topics you’re most interested in. It’s totally up to you — it’s your book. So, have fun with it.
Days of the Week:
• Bring it on, Monday
• Groovy, it’s Tuesday
• Halfway there, Wednesday
• Throw your hands up, Thursday
• Friday finale
and
• Weekend, Woohoo!
These columns are lined down the pages so you can mark down things that are going on, things you want to do or remember. Maybe you want to write down your class schedule or homework that’s due... Maybe you want o remind yourself when some event is coming up.
PAGE 1 each week
So, here’s the story
This section contains the summary of a true story straight out of the Bible.
You may have heard of some of them, maybe not. At the bottom of each story, you will find the book and chapter, or verses, where the story came from and can be found in the Bible — that way you can go read the whole story yourself. You should totally check out the whole story. The space in my book is not nearly big enough for all the great details.
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Be ...
This element shows a word each week to describe the way you might strive to be. They are strong and positive words that can be great characteristics for successful young people. They are meant to inspire you to keep pushing to be a better and more awesome you — because life is hard, and we all need some encouragement sometimes.
Take it to God
In this box each week, there are some ideas to get you started in prayer. It’s important to God that you spend time with Him, bringing Him your thoughts, concerns and dreams. This can help you learn to make a habit of talking to Him regularly.
PAGE 2 each week
You wanna be ...
This box gives you two words that have very different meanings. Read the words and their definitions, and then decide which one most describes you. Which one do you want to be like? Are you already like the word you want to be, or do you want to become the other one?
You should always remember that you have the power to choose to be the kind of person you want to be. Think about words people use to describe you and make choices on purpose to be more like the kind of person you want to be.
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Bible Verse
A Bible verse holds this spot. You will find that a lot of this book is directly aimed at what the Bible teaches us. That’s because the Bible is an instruction manual that God left for us so we can learn more about Him and about how we should live. Every word in the Bible is true; it can help you remember the path God is guiding you down so you can be the best person He created you to be. He loves you very much, and He wants to bless you.
Make a difference
Step up: Do something for others. You have it in you to be a good person and become someone others will be blessed to be around. It only takes one person to make a difference in someone else’s life.
Take it up a notch: If you’re feeling brave and want to really do something big to make a difference — even though it might feel scary at first — go ahead and do something positive that others might be too afraid to do. Or get some friends and do it together. Great things are waiting for someone courageous enough to begin them.
Poll your friends
Are you curious to see if your friends would do the same thing you would do in a tricky situation? In this box, you can ask up to 12 people what they would do. Mark the answers yes or no, depending on how they answer the question. Don’t forget to mark your answer, too!
The miracle Maker
You may be shocked to learn that Jesus, God’s Son, when He lived on the earth, went around healing people who were sick or even dead! In this box, it shows you where you can read about times He did these miracles. Not only that, there also were lots of times God performed miracles for His people. (He still does.)
PAGE 3 each week
Column
This is where I tell you about something I have learned or actually have gone through that relates to the theme of the week. I hope it will help you to remember that you’re not alone, that the tough things you are dealing with are things that others face, too. And that, with God’s help, you can get through them.
Did you know?
This little space is for some fun fact, explanation or interesting info you probably have never heard or thought about before.
PAGE 4 each week
Column
I have written a column that ties together the stuff we’ve been going through with that week’s theme, or explains the Bible story a little better.
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Ponder this
This question box might make you remember something you haven’t paid much attention to before. It’s good to notice things going on around you. If they are positive things, you can choose to be thankful for them — and surround yourself with those kinds of things. If they are negative things, maybe it can help you make choices in the future that can keep you out of situations you don’t want to be in, or that can help you avoid trouble. You often have the power to make things good around you.
Time to take charge of your life
Ultimately, you are the only one on the planet who controls the choices you make. It’s not up to others to do it for you. God gave you a mind and a unique view of the world. Don’t just leave it up to everyone else to make all the effort, doing good things. Think about all the positive things you can do to make things better — and do them.
Something good that happened this week was:
This is a pretty easy one. Mark down a good thing that happened this week so you can remember it later on. We often tend to forget the good stuff while we’re staring at the negative stuff, so this is a good reminder of those great things that we see all the time.
PAGE 5 each week
Puzzles
Yay! It’s the puzzles page! My favorite! There are some different games and activities that, hopefully, you will find entertaining.
Claiming the Promised Land: You’ll need a friend to play. Each player takes turns connecting two dots that are next to each other. Once you complete a box, put your initial (or x and o) inside it. Whoever has the most boxes at the end wins.
Matthew 7:7: If you look up this verse, you will see that it says seek and you shall find ... easy-peasy.
You are: You are who God created you to be. Don’t ever waste your time comparing yourself to everyone else. You are unique. There is only one you. Hopefully these words will remind you of how special you are. God loves you. He took very special care to create you just how you are.
Wandering the Wilderness: Follow the letters to discover a sentence — only don’t cross your path. Don’t worry, if you get stuck, I provided the answers.
Doodle Box: Drawing area, cartoons, whatever ...
PAGE 6 each week
It’s a Bonus page!
It could be anything ... I built some mazes, space for drawing or writing, etc. ... who knows?
Week 01
Loneliness
Did you know you don't have to be stuck feeling lonely? There's someone around who loves you — no matter where you are. God wants to hear from you, and better yet, He wants to hang out with you.
Week 02
Attitude
You'd probably be surprised to know that your attitude makes a much bigger difference than you think. That's why it's really important to make an effort to keep a good one. Read about how a certain city famous for its bad reputation wasn't the only one with an attitude problem.
Week 03
Bullying
Everybody deserves to be treated well. Whether you're being bullied — or you are a bully, Jesus taught us the right way to act with others. It can be scary to face someone who is being mean, and even scarier to react correctly, but God knows what we're dealing with, and He's right there with us through it.
Week 04
Disappointment
Disappointment is a real let down. It makes you feel terrible and can be a hard emotion to shake off. Sometimes figuring why you're disappointed can help you sort out what to do about it. Other times, you may just have to trust God that it's for the best.
Week 05
Different
Being different is exactly what we're supposed to be. God created us that way. So why should we be ashamed of who we are or waste our time trying to be like someone else?
Week 06
Humiliation
Humiliation can be really hard to take. It's probably best to figure out if it's really all that serious before getting all upset about it. This week you'll hear about some major humiliation that happened to a real super hero with great hair.
Week 07
Self Conscious
Worrying too much about what others may or may not notice about you can become a distraction, not to mention a complete waste of time. When you're on solid ground you aren't as stressed about those things.
Week 08
Communication
Do you struggle with getting across what you're trying to say, but it just doesn't come out right? Or worse, you don't manage to get it out at all? Check out a story about a confrontation between a real jerk and a hot-tempered warrior — and a young woman who changed the whole situation.
Week 09
Depression
Depression can be a real hard thing to deal with. Is there someone you know — or maybe it's you — who is battling this problem often? Is it time to ask for help?
Week 10
Confusion
Did you ever wonder where all the different languages in the world came from? Well, here's an interesting story of how God used confusion to line out some troublemakers.
Week 11
Peer Pressure
There's no use playing the blame game when you knew all along what was going on. Find out why peer pressure can only influence so much — the rest is on you.
Week 12
Bad behavior
Behaving badly might come across as exciting and fun in the movies, but in reality there are unpleasant consequences for refusing to adhere to reasonable actions.
Ever had a day that just seemed to be too much? Ever had so many crazy or bad things seem to hit you all at once or come nonstop like someone was throwing baseballs at your head? Being overwhelmed can be very hard, but there's Someone ready to help.
Week 13
Overwhelmed
Everybody has been stuck having to face fear at some point. See how to turn the table on fear by learning to lean on the One you can trust most.
Week 14
Fear
Week 15
Betrayal
Betrayal is a tough one to get through. It's hard when someone you trusted does something hurtful. Take heart, though, you can get through it.
Week 16
Rejection
Jesus faced the ultimate rejection, so He can definitely relate to our struggles with it. Let's look at how awful it must have been — even for the Savior of the world.
Week 17
Guilt/shame
Week 18
Self image
Some of Jesus' closest friends and students wrestled with guilt and shame. If they had a difficult time with it, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself about it. We all do things we feel bad for later; it's what we do about it afterward that matters.
There was this kid facing a giant who can tell us a lot about self image. He knew who he was because he knew his Creator really well. Self assurance is all in Who you know.
Week 19
Arrogance
Week 20
Perfectionism
Vanity and arrogance can be serious indicators that the root issue of pride is close by. A king named Belshazzar got lined out quick as the writing on the wall became clear.
Trying to be perfect is always going to be sorely out of reach on most occasions. And jumping onto your own plans without God's direction won't get you very far.
Week 21
Emotional
Week 22
Neglect
Emotions certainly have their place in our lives, but letting them take over and be the boss in our decision-making is not too stable.
It's hard when you feel left out of things. Neglect, if it happens a lot, can really weigh heavy on you, making you feel unloved.
Week 23
Rebellion
Week 24
Addiction
There are tow kinds of rebellion ... one is a good kind, but the other is very bad. A king and a future king both dealt with it.
There are few things more difficult than seeing someone you love trapped by addiction. Maybe the one who's struggling is you. Know that Jesus cares about what you're going through.
Week 25
Forgiveness
Week 26
Responsibility
Is it fair to ask God to forgive you when you mess up, but you don't feel like you should have to forgive someone else when they mess up?
So, what's the deal with chores? Why should I have to do stuff I don't like to do? Can't I just have fun all the time? Umm, no.
Week 27
Stress
Week 28
Worry
Stressful times are a reality for too many people, too often. Though some stress cannot be avoided, we can do a better job of keeping it to a minimum.
Worry can wreck a person's whole outlook on life. We need to practice getting a better handle on worry through building our trust in the One who holds our future in His hands.
Week 29
Death
Death is a difficult issue to face and learn to cope with. It forces us to ask the question, what happens to us after we die? Knowing the answer to that can make all the difference.
Week 30
God's lead
Following God's lead will never steer you wrong. But you will have to stay in constant communication with Him and learn to listen for His guidance. With practice it can be done.
Week 31
Doubt
Week 32
Desperation
Doubt can be a really discouraging issue to deal with. Gideon wrestled with doubt, but God was patient with him and used him for a great purpose.
When the struggle gets too deep or the outlook seems bleak, remember the One who controls the wind and the waves. [NOTE: This topic contains mature content and must have a Letter of Attestation signed and emailed to vicky@vickyomisa.com in order to receive the content through a provided email. Click the button to get to the attestation form.]
Week 33
Loyalty
Week 34
Obedience
Even the best of friends may let you down from time to time. But there is One who will never leave you nor forsake you ...
Three pals got into a really heated situation when they refused to bow to their king. They chose to do the right thing, even though no one else would. God rescued them from a death sentence from King Nebuchadnezzar.
Week 35
Temptation
Week 36
Sin
Temptation is not from God. If you are struggling with a desire to do something you shouldn't, then it's time to run straight into His arms.
Sin is something that separates us all from God. Thankfully, Jesus paid the price to redeem us. Sin no longer has the final say.
Week 37
Salvation
Week 38
Miracles
You ever seen somebody walk on water or a paralyzed man get instantly healed? What about water turning into wine? Or someone getting raised from the dead? True stuff. It's all in the Bible.
Jesus paid the ultimate price to save us from our sins. We will probably never be able to fathom the cost — until we make it to Heaven, at least — and maybe not even then.
Week 39
Pride
Week 40
False idols
If you ever needed proof that know-it-alls don't really know it all, God's word has a lot to say about pride.
Idolatry may look a lot different these days, compared to the the times of the early Israelites, but it's unfortunately still alive and well. Check yourself for things you treasure more than you should.
Week 41
Love
Love is something we all think we know something about. Have you ever considered how God describes love? It means a lot of things we might need more practice with. Good thing Jesus gave us a good example.
Week 42
Belief system
It's important that you know why you believe the way you do. Don't rely on others to just feed you their views on stuff. Search it out for yourself. Seek truth.
Week 43
Your words
There are a few reasons why it's important to watch your words. Choose them carefully. God hears them all.
Week 44
Greed
Greed is not just a hoarding habit, it can cause you to waste years of your life chasing after something that can't be satisfied. It's far better to be content with what you have.
Week 45
Purpose
Week 46
Determination
There an important job to do, and it's got your name all over it — because God put it there.
Having more than a little fortitude is going to help you in life. Determination is often necessary to get the job done.
Week 47
Anger
Week 48
Homosexuality
There are lots of reasons one might get angry ... fair enough. But there are only certain ways that are appropriate ways to behave under those conditions.
Parents, this is another deep subject to go over ... be a part of the learning process. [NOTE: This topic contains mature content and must have a Letter of Attestation signed and emailed to vicky@vickyomisa.com in order to receive the content through a provided email. Click the button to get to the attestation form.]
Week 49
Talent
Week 50
Popularity
Gifts and talents are tools God gave you for a specific purpose. It's your job to figure out what they are, and then use them for God's glory. That's what they are there for.
Being the most popular person around is not necessarily the best thing. Just ask Noah and his family before they had to take an extra long cruise while God wiped evil off the earth. They were the opposite of popular to society in their day. But it turned out God's opinion was the only thing that mattered.
Week 51
Sex
Sex is a topic that is too often ignored or shielded from those who need to be having those conversations. A parent or guardian needs to be in on this lesson. Work through it together. [NOTE: This topic contains mature content and must have a Letter of Attestation signed and emailed to vicky@vickyomisa.com in order to receive the content through a provided email. Click the button to get to the attestation form.]
Week 52
Money
What good are all the riches in the world, if you lose your soul? Money has its place and its uses, but it's a tool, not a replacement for God.
You want answers?
We got 'em!