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Friends Edition (January/February 2018)

Find presents for a special friend that deserves more than a candle or lotion; get rid of the friend-busters in your life; decide to get back in touch with a long-lost friend; and discover tips on how to be a better listener.

Find presents for a special friend that deserves more than a candle or lotion; get rid of the friend-busters in your life; decide to get back in touch with a long-lost friend; and discover tips on how to be a better listener.

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SKGfun<br />

magazine<br />

helping girls navigate the teen years, with big smiles and copious laughter<br />

<strong>January</strong>/<strong>February</strong> <strong>2018</strong><br />

<strong>Friends</strong>


SKG fun<br />

J A N U A R Y - F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8<br />

CONTRIBUTORS<br />

- writers -<br />

REBECCA CARAWAY / KATE JONES / ANNA MCCAULEY /<br />

AMANDA BROWN / JULIA FINDLEY / HAILEY HUDSON /<br />

OLIVIA NICKERSON / SARAH CNOSSEN<br />

- photography -<br />

LEAH BUFFALINO<br />

- design -<br />

AMANDA BROWN<br />

Volume No. 7, Issue No. 1<br />

W W W . S K G F U N . C O M


TABLE OF CONTENTS<br />

SKG FUN<br />

THEME: FRIENDS<br />

Get in Touch 04<br />

Be a Better Listener 06<br />

Put Your Phone Away 08<br />

4 Super Fun, Super Cute, Super<br />

Unique Gifts for Your Bestie<br />

08<br />

Put Your Phone Away<br />

11<br />

16<br />

Prepare with Prayer<br />

Make a Friend's Day 22<br />

T-shirts 25<br />

Credits 26<br />

Front cover: Leah Buffalino<br />

T<br />

My Friend and I False Alarm<br />

14<br />

Prepare with Prayer 16<br />

Break, Bust, Burst 18<br />

22<br />

Make a Friend's Day<br />

Visit<br />

SKGFUN.COM<br />

to view this current issue on your<br />

computer


SKG FUN<br />

EDITOR'S NOTE<br />

Amanda Brown<br />

E D I T O R - I N - C H I E F<br />

The number one question I get when I tell people I'm homeschooled is, "But . . . what about your<br />

social life?" For a while, the only social life I had was made up of church and co-op (extracurricular<br />

activities). Then I got into soccer and my world expanded beyond anything I ever thought it could.<br />

Yes, homeschoolers have a social life. It may not be as large as others', but as important as friends<br />

are, good grades are more important.<br />

As an introvert. making friends for me is difficult. No longer can I use the playground method:<br />

marching up to someone and demanding they play with me. Now I'm in college, surrounded by<br />

adults that are learning how to make a living.<br />

This semester, I was walking around and so may people were waving at me. It took me a few<br />

minutes to process all this. Like . . . wait! I made all these friends this semester? Who was this<br />

friendly, outgoing Amanda last semester?: During Winter Break, I managed to retreat in my room<br />

again. I wrote my book, listened to my music, and had very little to do with the outside world<br />

besides work.<br />

But it's good to be back in the company of my fellow humans. If you're an introvert, dare yourself to<br />

shed your stereotype and try to be friendly. You'll amaze yourself . . . I mean, I amazed myself!<br />

Me, the girl who used to write letters and ask people for permission to be their friend.<br />

God made us to be a relational creature. As fun as it is to be all alone sometimes, reach out and<br />

challenge yourself to be more friendly this year than you ever have.<br />

Here's to making and being a friend!<br />

Amanda Brown<br />

S K G F U N | 2


A FRIEND IS ONE THAT KNOWS<br />

YOU AS YOU ARE, UNDERSTANDS<br />

WHERE YOU HAVE BEEN, ACCEPTS<br />

WHAT YOU HAVE BECOME, AND<br />

STILL, GENTLY ALLOWS YOU TO<br />

GROW.<br />

- WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE<br />

S K G F U N | 3


FEATURE<br />

JANUARY/FEBRUARY <strong>2018</strong><br />

SKGFUN.COM<br />

why you should write a long-lost friend<br />

in touch<br />

By Rebecca Caraway<br />

get<br />

T h e r e ' s s o m e t h i n g a b o u t o l d<br />

f r i e n d s , t h a t ' s h o w t h e s a y i n g<br />

g o e s .<br />

And it's true we all have a<br />

good friend who maybe you<br />

grew up with, but then<br />

something in your life tore<br />

you apart from each other.<br />

A few years pass but then<br />

you're cleaning your room and<br />

you come across an old photo<br />

of the two of you and you're<br />

hit with the pain of Nostalgia<br />

and regret. You think about<br />

contacting them but you are<br />

worried that it might be weird<br />

since too much time has<br />

passed. Here’s a list of a few<br />

tips and reasons why you<br />

should contact them.<br />

1 . T h e y m o s t<br />

l i k e l y f e e l t h e<br />

s a m e w a y .<br />

If you and this person you<br />

want to reach out to were<br />

really close they most likely<br />

miss you as much as you miss<br />

them.<br />

Depending on how you fell<br />

apart there's a high chance<br />

they miss you<br />

and would love to reconnect<br />

with you.<br />

S K G F U N | 4


with an old<br />

Reconnecting<br />

like you could be<br />

friend<br />

hope you found these tips<br />

I<br />

and don't forget that<br />

helpful<br />

takes a lot of effort<br />

friendship<br />

time to build but it's<br />

and<br />

worth it. Nothing is<br />

absolutely<br />

than a good friend who<br />

better<br />

knows you and will always<br />

really<br />

by your side!<br />

stay<br />

FEATURE<br />

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017<br />

SKGFUN.COM<br />

2 . I t w i l l b e n e f i t<br />

y o u r c o n f l i c t<br />

challenges. Also you don't know what's been<br />

going on with your friend since you’ve been<br />

apart. They could be going through a rough<br />

time and reconnecting with an old friend<br />

like you could be just the thing they need.<br />

r e s o l u t i o n s k i l l s .<br />

Reconnecting with an old friend can be a<br />

little awkward at first especially if you lost<br />

touch because of a fight but if you are able<br />

to work things out it will benefit you in the<br />

long run. Fixing a lost relationship will<br />

help you learn to deal with conflict in a<br />

mature manner which will help you in the<br />

future as an adult.<br />

just the thing they need<br />

4 . t h e y<br />

e a c h o t h e r .<br />

Since you and your former best friend<br />

have been out of touch for a while, the two<br />

of you have probably gone through a lot<br />

of hard things since you were friends. The<br />

great thing about old friends is that they<br />

know all about your past and your former<br />

scars so they know how to help you in<br />

new<br />

Old friends have known you since before<br />

you were even really you, they’ve seen you<br />

grow to the person you are today! Since<br />

they've known you for so long they<br />

understand you like most people can't. They<br />

know who you used to be and if you take the<br />

time they could get to know who you are<br />

now which will create a bond that could last<br />

forever.<br />

u n d e r s t a n d y o u .<br />

3 . Y o u c a n h e l p<br />

5 . T h e r e ' s<br />

n o t h i n g t o l o s e !<br />

Even if you and your friend ended on<br />

bad terms reaching out to them couldn't<br />

make anything worse. Reaching out to<br />

your friend would do no harm and if you<br />

put enough effort into a rekindled<br />

friendship it could be very rewarding. If<br />

you really miss this friend take a risk!<br />

S K G F U N | 5


etter<br />

SKGFUN.COM<br />

be a<br />

b y k a t e j o n e s<br />

listener<br />

S K G F U N | 6


LISTEN UP JANUARY/FEBRUARY <strong>2018</strong><br />

SKGFUN.COM<br />

q u e s t i o n<br />

1.<br />

C a r e<br />

3.<br />

As Christians (and good human beings in general) we<br />

are supposed to love and care for others above<br />

ourselves. The most important facet of being a good<br />

listener is that you must take an active interest in<br />

both the person and what they have to say.<br />

others have to say – many times your<br />

curiosity will be piqued and questions will<br />

come naturally. When you care about<br />

people you will have a genuine desire to<br />

know more and keep them talking.<br />

2. p a y If you truly care and are listening to what<br />

a t t e n t i o n<br />

Don’t let yourself get distracted. Put<br />

your phone down. Sit still and look<br />

directly into the other person's eyes:<br />

show them that they are the most<br />

important person to you in that<br />

moment.<br />

Some people talk more easily and word things better<br />

than others do. And some enjoy talking so much that you<br />

have to pay close attention to get to the heart of the<br />

matter.<br />

p a t i e n c e 4. h a v e<br />

Focus: do not let a single thing they say<br />

go in one ear and out the other. And<br />

hardest of all: don’t get distracted by<br />

your own problems. You can relate, but<br />

don’t interject and try to give advice or<br />

tell about your own experiences (this<br />

shows that you think more about<br />

yourself than about others).<br />

Listening can be hard.<br />

It takes time and willingness to put in an effort.<br />

You may find yourself worn out after especially<br />

deep conversations; but it is worth it. You will<br />

never regret showing love to your fellow people<br />

by listening to them: sometimes it is the only<br />

thing we can do that will truly make an impact.<br />

S K G F U N | 7


p h o n e<br />

w a y<br />

b y a n n a m c c a u l e y<br />

SKGFUN.COM<br />

put your<br />

S K G F U N | 8


PUT YOUR PHONE AWAY JANUARY/FEBRUARY <strong>2018</strong><br />

SKGFUN.COM<br />

We are living in a day and age where nearly every teenager is<br />

in possession of a cell phone, smart phone, iPod, etc.<br />

This fact is not altogether<br />

bad. On the contrary, I’m<br />

glad that I have my phone<br />

as a way to communicate<br />

and keep up with friends,<br />

even when we’re not able to<br />

see each other in person.<br />

Even still,<br />

is online communication<br />

a decent substitute for<br />

socializing and<br />

communicating with<br />

someone in person?<br />

The short answer:<br />

Absolutely not.<br />

The long answer: I will<br />

always value in-person<br />

interaction with my friends<br />

a hundred times as much as<br />

I value texting with them.<br />

As I said above, I enjoy<br />

texting my friends- when<br />

I’m not hanging out with<br />

people. However, you can’t<br />

compare text messages to a<br />

real conversation with a<br />

friend. And when we’re<br />

spending time with<br />

someone, that should be all that<br />

we are focusing our attention<br />

on.<br />

We’ve all been in a<br />

situation where we’re<br />

hanging out with a group of<br />

people and everyone is<br />

constantly scrolling on their<br />

phone. And it sucks. It’s<br />

hard to carry out a decent<br />

conversation with someone<br />

who’s busy staring down at a<br />

screen and trying to be<br />

involved in many different<br />

conversations.<br />

Staring at your phone while<br />

supposedly “hanging” out with<br />

someone else says “I’m bored”.<br />

It says “You are not<br />

entertaining enough for<br />

me”, and it says “I would<br />

rather talk with the people<br />

in my phone than socialize<br />

with you”.<br />

Maybe that’s not always the<br />

intended meaning, but I<br />

believe that it is the true<br />

meaning. We all have<br />

situations where we’re out<br />

with friends and have<br />

to take a call or text a<br />

parents, but unless it’s 1.<br />

An emergency or 2.<br />

Involving a parent, it can<br />

wait (rather like texting and<br />

driving).<br />

Being able to spend time<br />

with a friend (or with a<br />

group of friends) is one<br />

of the greatest things in<br />

life.<br />

Enjoying the company of<br />

someone I care about and<br />

having real conversations<br />

with them is something I<br />

value very much, and I wish<br />

our generation as a whole<br />

would stop taking it for<br />

granted.<br />

Every time you’re in the<br />

company of friends and you<br />

pull out your phone “just to<br />

check up on things”,<br />

whether you’re writing a<br />

long text to another friend<br />

or sending a completely<br />

meaningless photo of the<br />

floor to your snapchat<br />

streaks, you are wasting<br />

time that you could be<br />

spending with a friend.<br />

By Emma Bigelow<br />

S K G F U N | 9


PUT YOUR PHONE AWAY JANUARY/FEBRUARY <strong>2018</strong><br />

SKGFUN.COM<br />

So let's stop.<br />

Let’s save our “snapchatting” and<br />

“social texting” for when we<br />

aren’t surrounded by peers,<br />

friends, and family. Let’s try to<br />

make the most of the<br />

opportunities when we get to<br />

enjoy the company of the people<br />

we care about.<br />

<strong>Friends</strong>, if you are in the company<br />

of others, unless there is an<br />

emergency, please put your phone<br />

away.<br />

By Emma Bigelow<br />

S K G F U N | 1 0


4<br />

SKGFUN.COM<br />

s u p e r f u n , s u p e r c u t e ,<br />

s u p e r u n i q u e<br />

g i f t s<br />

f o r y o u r b e s t i e<br />

b y a m a n d a b r o w n<br />

S K G F U N | 1 1


PRESENTS FOR YOUR BESTIE JANUARY/FEBRUARY <strong>2018</strong><br />

SKGFUN.COM<br />

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t a k e a p e e k a t h e r F a c e b o o k o r<br />

I n s t a g r a m . C r e a t e a p h o t o b o o k l a y o u t ,<br />

u s i n g c e r t a i n c o l o r s t o m a k e e a c h b o a r d<br />

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y o u f a n c y ! S o f t c o v e r , $ 1 5<br />

S K G F U N | 1 5<br />

S K G F U N | 1 2


PRESENTS FOR YOUR BESTIE JANUARY/FEBRUARY <strong>2018</strong><br />

SKGFUN.COM<br />

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S K G F U N | 1 5<br />

S K G F U N | 1 3


SKGFUN.COM<br />

my friend<br />

and<br />

i b<br />

y j u l i a f i n d l e y<br />

f a l s e<br />

a l a r m<br />

S K G F U N | 1 4


MY FRIEND AND I JANUARY/FEBRUARY <strong>2018</strong><br />

SKGFUN.COM<br />

Summer camp: amazing times growing close to God and<br />

the people you're stuck with for a month or more.<br />

The past two summers it's what<br />

I’ve done, which means I have a<br />

ton of stories about things that<br />

have happened.<br />

This past summer takes the cake<br />

though. The camp I worked at is in<br />

the middle of the Mojave Desert so<br />

it's hot and sandy; it also has<br />

terrible cell phone reception. I had<br />

two places on camp property that<br />

my phone could easily send and<br />

receive messages.<br />

But only two days a week were we<br />

allowed to go to my favorite spot:<br />

The prayer Chapel. It was about a<br />

10 minute walk from my cabin and<br />

my friend and I would go up there<br />

to watch the sun set and talk about<br />

anything and everything.<br />

This one day was one of the last<br />

days we would get to do it together<br />

because she was going home since<br />

her contract was only for 6 of the<br />

10 weeks. So after eating dinner<br />

with a few staff who had invited us<br />

over, we set off to go watch the sun<br />

set. As we reached the top we saw<br />

that some people had the same<br />

idea: a few of the girl junior<br />

counselors were up there taking<br />

pictures of the beautiful landscape.<br />

As they finished they started to<br />

leave. Now the camp often told us<br />

that there were snakes on property<br />

and a few weeks before, our lovely<br />

“GrUncle” (Grumpy Uncle . . . it's<br />

another long story) had killed a<br />

baby rattlesnake with a frying pan.<br />

So we already knew that we needed<br />

to be careful. But I had yet to see<br />

one, and since it was so toasty, that<br />

night I was wearing basketball<br />

shorts and flip flops. The prayer<br />

chapel was also set into some rocks<br />

fairly high up.<br />

As the counselors left, one of<br />

them screamed, “OH MY, IT'S A<br />

SNAKE”<br />

I did nothing; I quite literally froze.<br />

After they threw a few rocks at it,<br />

they left. My friend and I stayed to<br />

watch the rest of the sunset. Then<br />

we decided to go and sit<br />

somewhere with lights since it was<br />

getting dark. Then we remembered<br />

the snake. And since both of us had<br />

on flip-flops we decided to text our<br />

GrUncle and baby brother. We told<br />

them the situation, simply by<br />

saying “Snake, Prayer Chapel,<br />

HURRY.”<br />

Next thing we know, we see<br />

headlights. And then we realize that<br />

they got their counselor to drive<br />

them down and they are<br />

brandishing shovels. When they<br />

reach the top ,they ask where the<br />

snake went and we tell them we<br />

have no idea. We just needed them<br />

to know that we were in danger and<br />

needed help, not that we were<br />

idiots that would chase a<br />

rattlesnake while we had on flip<br />

flops.<br />

To say they were disappointed is an<br />

understatement. They left without<br />

a word and my friend and I set off<br />

into what we later found out was a<br />

Coyote den. But that's another<br />

story for another day.<br />

S K G F U N | 1 5


SKGFUN.COM<br />

PREPARE<br />

with prayer<br />

dealing with people you can't stand<br />

b y h a i l e y h u d s o n<br />

S K G F U N | 1 6


PREPARE WITH PRAYER JANUARY/FEBRUARY <strong>2018</strong><br />

SKGFUN.COM<br />

Last year I started having a big<br />

problem with someone in my life.<br />

Although this person and I<br />

used to spent lots of time<br />

together, I suddenly<br />

couldn’t stand her—and I<br />

wanted to be far away. The<br />

drama this person caused<br />

started to really get on my<br />

nerves; it was no fun to do<br />

anything with them<br />

because they were always<br />

complaining, poking their<br />

nose into someone else’s<br />

business, or talking<br />

negatively about someone<br />

behind their back. Not<br />

only is this annoying and<br />

not something I want to<br />

join in on, but it’s<br />

something that I as a<br />

Christian am actually<br />

commanded not to join in<br />

on. Recently I selected<br />

several new Bible verses to<br />

memorize. One of them<br />

was 2 Timothy 2:22-23,<br />

“Flee the evil desires of<br />

youth and pursue<br />

righteousness, faith, love<br />

and peace, along with those<br />

who call on the Lord out of a<br />

pure heart. Don’t have<br />

anything to do with foolish<br />

and stupid arguments,<br />

because you know they<br />

produce quarrels.”<br />

If someone is causing<br />

drama and dragging you<br />

down, it’s completely okay<br />

to remove yourself from<br />

that situation. You are not<br />

obligated to be best friends<br />

with everyone—in fact,<br />

your closest friends need<br />

to be fellow Christians<br />

who are pushing you<br />

closer to God. However,<br />

because of activities and<br />

schedules and life, you<br />

might not be able to get<br />

away from that person you<br />

can’t stand—which is<br />

exactly what happened to<br />

me. I was still seeing this<br />

person at least once a<br />

week. Since I couldn’t<br />

remove myself from the<br />

situation, I needed to find<br />

a solution. As I considered<br />

the situation, I finally<br />

realized that there was a<br />

simple answer: pray.<br />

Before each inevitable<br />

meeting with this person, I<br />

began to saturate both of<br />

us in prayer—prayer for<br />

my friend that she would<br />

grow closer to God and<br />

prayer for myself that I<br />

would act kind and loving<br />

towards her even if she<br />

was difficult to be around.<br />

It’s been a few months<br />

since I have begun<br />

preparing myself in this<br />

way, and I don’t think this<br />

person has grown any less<br />

difficult. She’s still very<br />

annoying to be around.<br />

However—I think, and I<br />

hope, that I have changed.<br />

As I seek to show God’s<br />

love to everyone, even<br />

annoying people, I think I<br />

am softening and growing<br />

and preparing to take on a<br />

world full of annoying<br />

people in the same way<br />

that Jesus would—with<br />

love. Prepare yourself with<br />

prayer, and you can do the<br />

same.<br />

S K G F U N | 1 7


t<br />

b y o l i v i a n i c k e r s o n<br />

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Sarah curled up on the<br />

hotel<br />

R<br />

bed,<br />

E<br />

her<br />

A<br />

laptop<br />

K B<br />

propped against a pillow.<br />

Her heart felt heavy, and<br />

she knew she needed help.<br />

u<br />

s<br />

"Lyla, can you come here?<br />

I need to talk to you about<br />

something." Lyla walked<br />

into the room and took a<br />

seat next to Sarah.<br />

and awkward, like a wedge<br />

has been driven between<br />

us. I just don't know what<br />

to do! Maybe I should have<br />

responded differently... but<br />

doesn't it matter that she<br />

doesn't spend as much<br />

time with me as before?<br />

Doesn't it matter how I<br />

feel?"<br />

Lyla smiled. "This sounds<br />

similar to something that<br />

happened to me and my<br />

best friend as a kid. I won't<br />

go into all of the details<br />

now, but I know exactly<br />

what to say to you."<br />

"What's up?" Sarah took a<br />

deep breath as the story<br />

spilled out.<br />

"A few months ago, I was<br />

upset with Audrey for<br />

befriending that new girl<br />

in school. Because she<br />

wasn't spending as much<br />

time with me as before, I<br />

assumed the worst about<br />

her. I just felt so hurt and<br />

betrayed. I had thought<br />

that we were best friends,<br />

but having her spend<br />

more and more time with<br />

the new girl made it seem<br />

like I was losing her<br />

forever. Audrey keeps<br />

assuring me that nothing<br />

will ever replace the kind<br />

of friendship that we have,<br />

but I can't keep these<br />

bitter, jealous feelings<br />

from bubbling up. Now<br />

whenever I talk to her, our<br />

conversation is strained<br />

Sarah groaned. "What's<br />

that?"<br />

"Yes, it matters how you feel,<br />

but I don't think Audrey's<br />

doing anything wrong. It's<br />

good that she's reaching<br />

out to the new girl at<br />

school. Honestly, Sarah, to<br />

me it seems that the<br />

problem's more with you.<br />

Have you looked at how<br />

you've been acting towards<br />

Audrey? C'mon, let's go to<br />

the Bible."<br />

"Lyla, I know what verse<br />

you're going to bring up. I<br />

just need some help<br />

getting this resolved with<br />

Audrey. That's all." Lyla<br />

patted her on the back.<br />

"Well, my dear sister, this<br />

is best place to get help.<br />

Ah, here it is!<br />

S K G F U N | 1 8


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1 Corinthians 13. Now I'll<br />

start listing off things that<br />

define what love is, and<br />

you examine if that's how<br />

you've been acting to<br />

Audrey, okay?"<br />

Sarah sighed. "Fine, I'll do<br />

it. Go ahead."<br />

love<br />

is patient<br />

is kind<br />

does not envy<br />

is not prideful or<br />

puffed up<br />

does not behave<br />

rudely or seek<br />

its own desires<br />

is not provoked<br />

thinks no evil<br />

bears all things<br />

hopes all things<br />

endures all<br />

things<br />

believes all<br />

things.<br />

of the most popular<br />

genres of our day and<br />

Well, I'll leave it there.<br />

What do you think?"<br />

Sarah swallowed hard. "I<br />

think..." She cleared her<br />

throat. "I think I've pretty<br />

much failed on every one<br />

of those things. I guess I<br />

felt so hurt and abandoned<br />

I didn't even realize just<br />

how cold and bitter<br />

and...totally distrustful I<br />

was being towards<br />

someone who's always<br />

been good and loyal to<br />

me. How could I have<br />

been such an awful<br />

friend?"<br />

"I know, I have too. But<br />

Sarah, you can still do<br />

something about it. Don't<br />

give up now. I'm sure<br />

Audrey will forgive you.<br />

Although there's Someone<br />

else you should ask for<br />

forgiveness first though."<br />

Sarah nodded. "I know. I<br />

need to ask for God's<br />

forgiveness. I'll do it right<br />

now, and then I'll call<br />

Audrey."<br />

She gave her sister a hug.<br />

"Thanks, Lyla.<br />

Jealousy,<br />

anger,<br />

doubts,<br />

gossip,<br />

mistrust<br />

these are just a few of the<br />

things that can destroy<br />

friendships, or at the very<br />

least damage them. You<br />

may wonder how you<br />

could ever think that way<br />

towards a good friend, or<br />

maybe you're wondering,<br />

"How do those things even<br />

start to form and cause<br />

issues?"<br />

Well, it's one word. Sin.<br />

Sin is anything you think,<br />

do, or say that is wrong.<br />

That's why there are these<br />

kinds of problems.<br />

Jealousy, anger, doubts,<br />

gossip, mistrust – all of<br />

these and others can<br />

slowly build up over time<br />

because of little things.<br />

I've had my own<br />

experiences with these<br />

problems. A long time ago<br />

I let jealousy, doubts,<br />

mistrust, and anger all get<br />

ahold of my heart. It didn't<br />

come like a big flash and<br />

then bang- no, it started<br />

with little seeds getting<br />

planted in my heart that I<br />

watered, and they ended<br />

up growing into a thistle<br />

bush.<br />

Perhaps some of my fears<br />

were grounded, but I think<br />

most of them were not. I<br />

sinned against my friend<br />

and against God, all<br />

because of my own<br />

irrational fears, selfishness,<br />

and pride.<br />

especially amongst teens<br />

young adults) is the<br />

S K G F U N | 1 9<br />

emporary genre


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Usually most people don't<br />

recognize the root<br />

problem of their sin (yes,<br />

I'm using a lot of plant<br />

metaphors). I know that I<br />

didn't realize it.<br />

Oftentimes we think about<br />

sin as the surface sin that<br />

is most able to be seen, but<br />

the root problems for<br />

most sins are selfishness<br />

and pride. Once we get<br />

down to the root of sin<br />

and dig it out, it's easier<br />

for the sins that you<br />

commit as a result of<br />

selfishness and pride to<br />

wither away.<br />

Christ as our Saviour, and<br />

believe that He took our<br />

sins upon Himself, we can<br />

be saved! Isn't that great<br />

news?<br />

Now that we've established<br />

the root problem, we can<br />

focus on these more easily<br />

seen "busters". Let's take<br />

jealousy, for example, and<br />

see what the Bible has to<br />

say about that.<br />

1 Corinthians 13:4 – "Love is patient,<br />

love is kind. It does not envy, it does not<br />

You see, we're all sinners.<br />

We're born sinful.<br />

boast, it is not proud."<br />

Many, many years ago sin<br />

entered the world, and we<br />

were destined for hell.<br />

That's the cold hard truth.<br />

However, God promised<br />

that He would send His<br />

Son to save His people<br />

from their sins. We could<br />

never have done anything<br />

on our own to save<br />

ourselves from our sin,<br />

and that's the amazing<br />

thing about the gospel.<br />

God sent His only Son,<br />

Jesus, to come to the earth<br />

as a baby, then when He<br />

was grown into a man, die<br />

on the cross to save us<br />

from our sins. If we only<br />

repent of our sins, trust<br />

Philippians 2:3 - "Do nothing out of<br />

selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather,<br />

in humility value others above<br />

yourselves."<br />

Let's see what the Bible has<br />

to say about gossip.<br />

Ephesians 2:9 – "Do not let any<br />

unwholesome talk come out of your<br />

mouths, but only what is helpful for<br />

building others up according to their<br />

needs, that it may benefit those who<br />

listen."<br />

of the most popular<br />

genres of our day and<br />

especially amongst teens<br />

young adults) is the<br />

S K G F U N | 2 0<br />

emporary genre


FRIENSHIP BUSTERS JANUARY/FEBRUARY <strong>2018</strong><br />

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16:28 – "A<br />

Proverbs<br />

person<br />

perverse<br />

up conflict,<br />

stirs<br />

a gossip<br />

and<br />

close<br />

separates<br />

You still with me?<br />

<strong>Friends</strong>hips have a weak<br />

base when they grow on<br />

any of these problems, and<br />

that's why it's so important<br />

to get them while they are<br />

still small, to dig up the<br />

root before it has a chance<br />

to spread and grow<br />

deeper.<br />

You see, things such as<br />

jealousy or mistrust,<br />

doubts or gossip towards<br />

your friend also affects the<br />

way you think about them,<br />

not just your friendship<br />

with them. These little<br />

seeds can grow into<br />

something that causes<br />

significant damage and<br />

hurt, just like we saw in the<br />

little story at the beginning<br />

of this article.<br />

If you feel as if you've<br />

already done something<br />

like this, it's not the end.<br />

My friend and I have a<br />

stronger friendship than<br />

ever, even after going<br />

through something like<br />

this. Ask God for the<br />

wisdom to know what to<br />

do, and look to His word<br />

for guidance! Believe me,<br />

girl, it helps! And if you've<br />

already put your faith in<br />

Jesus Christ for salvation,<br />

you'll know that Jesus will<br />

forgive you for whatever<br />

mistakes you make and<br />

have made.<br />

I encourage you that if you<br />

are struggling with these<br />

troubles, talk to your<br />

parents, pastor, youth<br />

leader, older sister, or a<br />

godly friend.<br />

Most importantly,<br />

however, just lay it all<br />

before God. He's the<br />

number One person to go<br />

to for all of your troubles,<br />

and it really helps! God<br />

cares so much about you,<br />

and He loves you more<br />

than you can ever imagine.<br />

Don't try to hold it all in or<br />

take care of it yourself.<br />

Keep fighting against the<br />

sin that is trying to get hold<br />

of your heart, and keep<br />

building up your spiritual<br />

armor to fight against<br />

Satan and sin. I know you<br />

can do it, with God's help!<br />

One of the most popular<br />

book genres of our day and<br />

friends."<br />

age (especially amongst teens<br />

and young adults) is the<br />

Contemporary genre S K G F U N | 2 1


SKGFUN.COM<br />

MAKE a friend's<br />

D A Y<br />

b y s a r a h c n o s s e n<br />

S K G F U N | 2 2


MAKE A FRIEND'S DAY JANUARY/FEBRUARY <strong>2018</strong><br />

SKGFUN.COM<br />

Send random<br />

texts of<br />

encourageement<br />

S e n d r a n d o m t e x t s o f<br />

E n c o u r a g e m e n t .<br />

This could include goofy (clean) jokes, adorable motivational<br />

illustrations, or a simple phrase or sentence that says, “thinking<br />

of you.”<br />

Usually, when a friend comes to my mind, however randomly, I<br />

take it as a God-hint to pray for them. Who knows? They could<br />

be struggling with a decision or a parent or a circumstance in<br />

that very moment, and your text could be the well-timed bit of<br />

sunshine parting their stormy clouds. Don't hesitate! Those<br />

moments can be fleeting, and whether you will ever know or<br />

not, you could be the cause of a smile on their face.<br />

l i s t e n !<br />

Be willing to simply listen. No matter the topic, or how many<br />

times you may have heard the same thing over and over, some<br />

people need a soundboard to release the stress they've let build<br />

up and to vent their frustrations.<br />

However, after they have voiced possibly their entire life story<br />

– be it from birth to present day, or merely the past TWO days<br />

– DO NOT simply shrug them off with a, “Wow. That's tough.”<br />

Take the opportunity to be an Encourager. Someone once said<br />

“Kindness costs nothing.” It's the same with encouragement.<br />

You will serve to strengthen a dear friendship AND lift them up<br />

in mind and spirit. You never know, they may one day return<br />

the kindness and be your soundboard.<br />

Send random<br />

texts of<br />

encourageement<br />

b e t h e f r i e n d y o u<br />

This point practically sums up all of the above: Be an<br />

Encourager. Have a willingness to listen. Don't take for granted<br />

the little things. And always do one better. All of these<br />

combined will make you a pretty good friend.<br />

w i s h t o h a v e .<br />

S K G F U N | 2 3


MAKE A FRIEND'S DAY JANUARY/FEBRUARY <strong>2018</strong><br />

SKGFUN.COM<br />

Send random<br />

texts of<br />

encourageement<br />

This could be the simple act of sharing a ponytail (or mascara)<br />

to a girl in need, offering your extra napkin, a friendly hug, or<br />

surprising your bestie with their favorite coffee drink. I don't<br />

know anyone who doesn't like to receive gifts, do you? It's nice<br />

knowing you make an impact on someone's life and that they<br />

would take the time to do something for you.<br />

i t ' s t h e l i t t l e t h i n g s .<br />

Don't take for granted the people God places in your path. It<br />

doesn't have to be a gift. It could be the offer to help study for<br />

an upcoming test, or help in washing a new car, you name it.<br />

Whatever it is, it's usually the little things that mean the most.<br />

g o t h e s e c o n d m i l e . d o<br />

This could go right along with the point about using little things<br />

to brighten a friend's day and will definitely apply to life in<br />

general. You will find joy in many things, people included, if<br />

you apply this virtue diligently.<br />

o n e b e t t e r !<br />

If a friend asks a favor that is in your power to accomplish, do<br />

it. But always do one better. What does that mean? If they ask<br />

you for desperate help in studying, take it up a level and make<br />

it FUN. Add little goals for each chapter/module/section<br />

accomplished. Maybe recite flash cards to each other in wacky<br />

accents – this could be a humorous way to recall the answers<br />

when needed.<br />

Strive for the highest. Be servant-hearted, like Christ, and take<br />

it up a notch in every task. Be that your chores at home,<br />

responsibilities to your family, and in how much you value<br />

your friendships.<br />

S K G F U N | 2 4


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SKGfun is not responsible for any inaccurate information in<br />

its magazine pages. We strive to share accurate information,<br />

but it’s always possible to miss something. We can’t check<br />

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Current reading material in our world today has been<br />

tainted and darkened. In our pages, we strive to share clean<br />

and positive articles that leave readers feeling blessed.<br />

We will not stand down for our faith; however, we will not<br />

push our beliefs on others. You are free to accept or reject<br />

things we say and we will not discriminate against you for<br />

any reason. Additionally, just because our pages are filled<br />

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what we believe in. However, we believe that at this time it is<br />

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S K G F U N | 2 6


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Next issue's theme<br />

Ah, families! Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em. Whether you're<br />

family<br />

an only child, surviving life amongst a crowd of boys or living with a<br />

bunch of sisters, this issue will be chock full of information for bonding<br />

with and appreciating the family God has given YOU! Get excited.<br />

Coming your way March <strong>2018</strong>.

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