Brenda Rodgers

Category: Raising Girls

  • Helping Your Daughter Have a Servant’s Heart

    Helping Your Daughter Have a Servant’s Heart

    Back at Christmas I hung an Advent calendar I bought to do “Random Acts of Kindness” activities with my daughter. You may be familiar with Random Acts of Kindness that is popular now at Christmastime. A different service activity corresponds with each day of Advent. Search Pinterest and you’ll get more than enough ideas including anything from baking cookies for your neighbors to taping coins to vending machines to making necessity bags for the homeless.

    I started off strong with our Random Acts of Kindness activities. For the first two days my daughter chose the number, I read to her the activity for that day, and we completed it.

    Then life happened.

    If you’ve ever struggled with doing Random Acts of Kindness Activities with your daughter, then this post is for you. Read the rest of my story and how I hope to cultivate a servant heart in my daughters at Prayers of Girls.

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  • There’s No Formula for Raising Kids

    “Whatever you do, just get this right.”

    I sat in the glider-rocker in my daughter’s nursery, eight months pregnant with her, pouring over parenting books. You would think with expecting a baby in a few weeks the books would be about breastfeeding and sleep schedules. But no. Instead they were about discipline and training – subjects I wouldn’t need advice on for a few years.

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  • Thou Art Exalted :: The Perfect Bible Study for Your Girl!

    A few months ago I stumbled upon this amazing ministry called Thou Art Exalted. Anytime I learn of a new ministry for girls I’m eager to find out more because I’m passionate about mentoring and disciplining girls well, especially my own.

    Thou Art Exalted is the most creative way to teach girls about Jesus than any other resource I’ve found. You know how girls LOVE to do crafts?? Even my four-year-old asks to paint and glitter on a daily basis. Well, Thou Art Exalted is a ministry after an artistic girl’s young heart!

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    Thou Art Exalted was founded by Annie Pajcic with the mission to inspire, develop, and deepen women and girl’s personal relationships with Jesus Christ through speaking, writing, and CREATING! The creating is what makes Thou Art Exalted fun and unique! Never have a seen a study that incorporates something girls naturally love into it.

    I had the privilege of reviewing one of Thou Art Exalted’s Bible studies for tween and teen girls called He Knows My Name: 20/20 Mini Lessons for Girls (with Five Art Projects). And after I reviewed it I bought it for my ten-year-old niece for Christmas! She loved it!

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    What I Loved Most about This Study

    It’s relevant to tween and teen girls’ lives!

    What I loved most about this Bible study is how relevant it is to tween and teen girls’ lives. Each lesson is two pages. The first page is what makes this study unique and perfect for girls. There is an explanation of the Bible verse called “Sheep’s Corner” and within that there’s a fictional story to go along with each lesson. The story takes the Bible verse and makes it relatable to the girls’ lives through real-life scenarios they might experience at home, school, extra-curricular activities, or church.

    The second page includes application questions, scripture verses for further study, further explanation of the lesson, and a prayer.

    There are fun features including a playlist of popular Christian songs!

    Some other features that I loved about this study was the page at the beginning called “How to Have a Quiet Time” that walks girls through what it looks like to have a growing relationship with Jesus. In the back of the study there is a page called “Promises of the Good Shepherd” with “When You … ” statements that include Bible verses to use in each of those circumstances. There’s also a playlist with popular Christian songs girls can download from iTunes – how fun!

    The art projects are engaging and there are colorful photographs in the directions!

    My niece who I bought this Bible study for is truly gifted in creativity! She wants to be an artist when she grows up and is already an artist in so many ways!! What’s great is that this study includes art projects that are age-appropriate for tween/teen girls. They’re not too babyish, and I think all girls will enjoy doing them because the finished projects are things they’d like to have to use and hang in their rooms.

    Here’s some other things you need to know: 

    • It is for girls ages 10-14.
    • It is based on John 10:3.
    • It is for small group and individual study.
    • There are 20 minute lesson plans with extra Scripture for further study.
    • There are prayers for each lesson.
    • There are personal applications.
    • There are five art projects.

    You can get a FREE download of Lesson One HERE!! 

    Here Are Some Other Neat Resources!!

    thou art exalted 4I also bought these Conversation Scripture Cards for my niece and for my daughters! They include a scripture verse and conversation starters.

     

     

    thou art exalted 3And be sure to check out Art Box! This is an one-year subscription of creative devotional lessons that come directly to your inbox each month.  ArtBox is filled with art projects, memory verses, recipes, community service ideas, and more!

     

    thou art exalted 2There’s an App too!! Be sure to download the Thou Art Exalted Free Mobile App for teen/tween girls (available for iPhone, Android, and Kindle)!!

     

     

    This Bible study is perfect for a small group of girls for a home small group or as an individual study with you and your girl. You could also use it with girl(s) you mentor. I highly recommend Thou Art Exalted and all their resources. Be sure to follow the ministry and Annie on Facebook and Instagram!

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  • Why It’s Smart to Write Your Eulogy

    Why It’s Smart to Write Your Eulogy

    Every other Thursday night I meet a young friend for coffee. She’s getting married in June, and we sit and talk about life and marriage. Right now we’re reading through What Did You Expect? by Paul David Tripp together. I  highly recommend it.

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  • How Public Parks Make My Daughter a Better Person

    How Public Parks Make My Daughter a Better Person

    Recently I recalled a funny “When I’m a parent I’ll never . . .” moment I had with my husband long before we had children. We were walking in our neighborhood and I saw one of those super fancy jungle-gym, playground apparatuses in someone’s backyard. You know the ones? Not the ones made of steel pipes like I had growing up, but the ones made of solid wood with a clubhouse on the top, swings on the bottom, and a rock climbing wall? Yeah, that one.

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  • A Prayer You Should Be Praying for Your Daughter But Probably Aren’t

    A Prayer You Should Be Praying for Your Daughter But Probably Aren’t

    I have this friend who has something I want so badly but will never have. She has a lot of women in her life.

    My friend has a sister. She has some aunts. She still has her mom. And she even has her grandmother. Not to mention the women on her husband’s side of the family, too.

    What makes them even more of a blessing is that they all live fairly close to her, they’re all healthy, and they all spend a lot of time with her and her children.a-prayer-you-should-be-praying-over-your-daughter-1200x627

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