Category: Lifestyle

Posted in Lifestyle

Try Again

Posted on by graceteenmag

“I am not here to make friends ”

That was my go-to line when I first moved to Australia in 2015 when my best friend would ask me why I didn’t want to socialize with anybody at Uni or anywhere else. I had made it very clear to her that I came to Australia just to study and then return to my home country Malawi to settle down.

3 years of studying certainly brought that statement to life; I went to classes, the library, and then home. My routine never deviated from this; I had made up my mind that making friends was just not what I was here to do.

This statement was like a shield around my tiny, fractured heart, it was the layer of protection I needed to tell other people and myself that I was “okay” on my own. Beneath that protective layer of words, was a scared little girl. A girl who had trusted and been let down. A girl who had opened up and had the door slammed in her face.

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Posted in Lifestyle, Mental Health

Unfollow Those You Can’t Really Follow

Posted on by graceteenmag

“Do not covet thy neighbour (10th Commandment).”

Coveting is one of the major sources of dissatisfaction. Whether it may be material things or physical features of others. The Lord explicitly doesn’t want us to be jealous of our neighbour. That’s why he wrote the command for us to remember.

Social media has become such a large part of our lives over the last few years. It has opened us up to see the world from different lenses, but also made us see ourselves in clouded lenses.

It has become the destruction of many young girl’s body images.

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Posted in Lifestyle

How To Deal With Body Shaming

Posted on by graceteenmag

It is so easy for us to get agitated when someone says something out of line. But when someone makes it personal and says something against our body, (something we can’t change). I would not blame you if you wanted to smack them out. Unfortunately, violence should not be our first action. There are ways to deal with body-shaming other than fighting someone because then you are no better than them.

Hurt People Hurt People

Many people that attack others normally have something they themselves are going through. That’s why it is highly advised that you don’t return the hate they are giving you for you don’t know their situation. It’s okay to be the bigger person. As people of faith, we should always show love to others (Matthew 22:39) even though they are the ones persecuting us.  

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Posted in Lifestyle

My First Protest – Black Lives Matter

Posted on by graceteenmag

Name: Michaela Mulenga

Age: 15 years old. 

On Saturday the 6th of June 2020, I attended the ‘Black Lives Matter’ and ‘Justice for Aboriginal Deaths in Custody’ protest in Melbourne with a few of my friends from my youth ministry, PlanetBoom.

1.Why did you attend the protests?

I attended the protest because I am just so sick of the things that are happening as a result of systematic racism in the United States, Australia and other countries all around the world. I am really passionate about the issues surrounding George Floyd and I wanted to be apart of something that could change the way the world works.

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Posted in In the Word, Lifestyle

Switch Your Focus

Posted on by graceteenmag

It’s not all about what’s on the outside…

God doesn’t want us to be chasing after superficial things like looks instead we are to be chasing after him in our lives. He wants us to change our focus from things the world approves of to things he approves of. For he ultimately wants us to be more like him.

Even Jesus was a man of average appearance (Isaiah 53:2) he was made that way so that people would get to know him for his character and teachings, rather than be distracted by his beauty. Those that followed Jesus followed him because of those specific attributes, which we should emulate.

Remember Lucifer was an angel ‘perfect in beauty’ unfortunately he became wicked and we all know how that story ended (Ezekiel 28:11-19).

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Posted in Lifestyle

Redefine Your Sexy

Posted on by graceteenmag

In today’s age we are constantly reminded of what society deems as sexy or body confidence. However, their version of sexy is always changing causing more confusion for those who are trying to attain that level of approval.

Most media outlets show us that the less clothes you have on the more confidence you have in your body. But do we really need to be showing more skin to feel sexy or confident in who we are? We don’t think so! There are so many other things that can define your sexy other than showing more skin. That’s why it is very important to find what makes you feel sexy and not what the world says you should do to feel sexy.

The bible tells us in 1 Timothy 2:9-10 “I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.”

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