Disgraced Mary

By Kelly McFadden

In a loud voice she exclaimed, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"
Luke 1:42-45

Teen pregnancy is one of the most difficult things a young girl can go through. Some choose abortions so they don’t have to face their parents or friends with news that they are pregnant. Others who carry the child drop out of school and face the challenge of being shunned by family and friends. Let’s face it. Pregnant unwed teens are not looked upon with a great deal of respect, even in this more “tolerant” day and age, let alone throughout history.

How Facebook is sexualizing young girls

Teen girls have always obsessed over their looks, says Randye Hoder at The New York Times. But social networking is pushing them to a disturbing extreme

Thanks the to ubiquity of internet-connected cameras, young teens have developed an unprecedented level of self-consciousness and an obsession with sexing it up to solicit more "Likes" on Facebook. Photo: Jan Haas/dpa/CorbisSEE ALL 191 PHOTOS

Best Opinion:  N.Y. Times

In today's "hyper-public internet age, young teenagers are relentlessly living their lives camera-ready — and it's not a pretty picture," says Randye Hoder at The New York Times. Internet-connected cameras are everpresent, and young girls are obsessively posing for Facebook, whose "Like" feature — the ultimate gauge of popularity — drives girls to out-sexy each other to win the coveted clicks. Here, an excerpt:

[T]he glare of the camera is never far away. And that is affecting how adolescent girls conduct themselves in their actual, everyday lives. Girls this age, who have felt pressured historically to look their best most of the time, suddenly seem to feel as if they need to look their best all of the time. In turn, always being "on" seems to lead some girls to pose for pictures that are oversexualized: Pouting lips, lots of cleavage, short-shorts, crop tops that showcase a bare midriff. 

What Is a Birthday Blessing?

A Birthday Blessing is simply a way in which to bless the person having his or her birthday by means of a practical demonstration.

I'm doing the Birthday Wishes at our home church and as it is in our nature to bless people at House of Praise Home church, I now want to bless you too when I share my experiences gained in the ministry of blessing people on their birthdays.

Be sure to also read my pages on birthday prayer and birthday scripture and birthday speeches.

See How It's Done With A Princess:

Birthday Blessing for a young girl.

Props: a beautiful crown and a sash (optional)

I had sensed God telling me that all girls, young and old, wants to be 'daddy's girl'. All we want is to be made to feel that way.

The young girl will be given the opportunity for today to be crowned"Princess for a day."

The message is that God is our Father and to Him we are princesses and that He loves us so. All we have to do is: believe.

Even dads are reminded by this - to be affectionate, positive, loving and gentlemanly toward their daughters.

Something to do: let all the girls in church go to their dad to sit on his knee and dads tell their daughters that they're their princesses.

23 More Ideas!

For 23 more ideas on how to bless your church members on their birthdays, visit the webpage on Birthday Props. 


gotquestions http://www.fueling-christian-life.com/birthday-blessing.html