Simply Radiant Magazine: Fall

FALL 2015
IT’S DATE TIME
PAGE 32
Finding
Support in
Friends
PAGE 26
SIMPLY
SNACKING
FIT &
BEAUTIFUL
PAGE 16
BORN
LIKE
THIS
+ WHO ARE YOU WEARING?
PAGE 06
BEAUTY
PAGE 14

Letter from the Editor
THE THRILL IS REAL.
Angel Cantrell
Watching God produce and develop this magazine is
amazing and humbling. Being part of a team of gifted,
humble, and God-chasing women is a privilege. And
hearing the awesome response from readers like you is a
blessing.
Our first Summer 2015 issue was received with testimonies
from younger and older ladies with how the magazine
impacted their lives. Young girls fell asleep with the
magazine on their pillow; while older women shared how
they couldn’t put it down, wishing they had material like
this when they were younger. God moved and touched
lives. He showed ladies their radiance.
Our 2015 Fall issue is no different. We have amazing
stories filled with God’s beauty, power, and love. You will
find content that provides more tools on navigating life
successfully. And beautiful pictures to inspire your hearts.
We pray you take your time, read the articles, and do the
activities. We pray you are challenged and stirred to look
deeper, press further, and receive fully. We hope you are
blessed as you continue your journey with Simply Radiant.
With great expectations for a radiant life.
ANGEL CANTRELL, EDITOR IN CHIEF

03
STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS
ANGEL CANTRELL
EDITOR IN CHIEF
BRITTANY WALLACE
MANAGING EDITOR
RUBI Z
PHOTO EDITOR
FALL 2015 | WWW.SIMPLYRADIANTMAGAZINE.COM
SONIA RODRIGUEZ
DEPARTMENT EDITOR
MARTHA LEON
EDITOR, MARKETING
JADA CANTRELL
DEPARTMENT EDITOR
AURORA GREGORY
MARKETING/CIRCULATION DIRECTOR
RANÉ FRANKLIN
MARKETING/CIRCULATION DIRECTOR
JENNIFER LUXTON
ART DIRECTOR
GUEST WRITERS ASHLEY MENCIA,
KATHY WOLGAST
GRAPHICS ON PAGES 7, DESIGNED
BY FREEPIK.COM
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
TO GET INVOLVED OR CONTACT THE
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WRITTEN BY YOUNG
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04
16 19
THOSE WHO LOOK TO HIM ARE
18
06
Radiant
Stories
EDITOR’S LETTER 02
A RADIANT HEART
WHO ARE YOU WEARING 06
WHAT AM I WORTH?
TEST DRIVE 08
HEALTH & BEAUTY
BORN LIKE THIS
SIMPLY FIT: AB MATTERS
SIMPLY SNACKING: FRESH FALL FUN
POEM: SO MUCH MORE
14
16
1 8
19

05
08
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FALL 2015 | WWW.SIMPLYRADIANTMAGAZINE.COM
14
26
INTIMACY (INTO-ME-SEE)
MY VOICE WILL BE
LOUDER THAN MY PAST 22
WHEN LIFE HURTS
WHY DO I KEEP BREAKING
MY OWN HEART 26
HEAR MORE VOICES
AND READ THE MAGAZINE
ONLINE AT
SIMPLYRADIANTMAGAZINE.COM
PUBLICATION SPONSORED BY
LIVING VICTORY CHURCH
LIVINGVICTORYCHURCH.ORG
LOVE & DATING
QUIZ: THE PERFECT GUY
DATE NIGHT – IT’S TIME
28
32
PLAYLIST 36
INVITATION TO RADIANCE 38

06
A RADIANT HEART - DEVELOPING A HEART OF DEVOTION
THOSE WHO LOOK TO HIM ARE
Who Are You
Wearing?
What’s In
Your Closet?
YOUR BEAUTY SHOULD NOT
COME FROM OUTWARD
ADORNMENT... IT SHOULD BE
THAT OF YOUR INNER SELF, THE
UNFADING BEAUTY OF A QUIET
AND GENTLE SPIRIT WHICH IS OF
GREAT WORTH IN GOD’S SIGHT.
(1 PETER 3:3-4)
BY AURORA GREGORY
M
essages about how we should look, what we
should wear, how much we should weigh,
and what make-up we should use are everywhere.
Celebrities, TV shows, magazines, and our friends
give us every kind of message about beauty they
can imagine.
Do you find yourself caught up in the chatter
about appearance? Does getting ready to go to
school, church or to meet friends take you a long
time? Have you noticed that what is supposed to be
beautiful seems to change all the time?
What if the rules about what is beautiful never
changed? Would you want to know them?
They exist! No, really, they do!
In the Bible, God gives us a simple but powerful
definition of beauty:
Your beauty should not come from outward
adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing
of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should
be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of
a quiet and gentle spirit which is of great worth in
God’s sight. 1 Peter 3:3-4

CLOTHE YOURSELVES WITH
COMPASSION, KINDNESS,
HUMILITY, GENTLENESS AND
PATIENCE. AND OVER ALL
THESE VIRTUES PUT ON LOVE,
WHICH BINDS THEM TOGETHER
IN PERFECT UNITY.
(COLOSSIANS 3:12, 14)
Every one of us is made up of
body, mind and spirit – all created
by God Himself. It’s not that He
doesn’t want us to be concerned
with how we look, it’s just that the
part of us that is most beautiful to
Him is our inner self, our spirit.
What does a beautiful inner
spirit look like?
It’s quiet. It’s not constantly
anxious or worried or fearful.
A spirit at rest trusts that Jesus
Christ is the answer for anything
that the world would want us
to worry about. That He is the
answer to all of our questions,
concerns and troubles.
It’s believing that Jesus makes
us beautiful.
And a beautiful inner spirit is
gentle. A gentle person is kind
and loving toward themselves and
other people.
Gentleness comes with a
wardrobe that, when we follow
Jesus and His commandments,
will fit us like clothes that were
custom made for us:
Clothe yourselves with
compassion, kindness, humility,
gentleness and patience. And
over all these virtues put on love,
which binds them together in
perfect unity.
Colossians 3:12, 14
Spending too much time
dressing up our outward
appearance and not enough time
developing our inner beauty will
leave us feeling stressed, uptight
and unable to treat our family and
friends in a way that makes them
feel good about being around us.
We become beautiful on the
inside by spending time with the
Lord in prayer, reading His Word
and spending time with others
who love Him, too.
When we do these things, we
open the door for Jesus to teach
us about who He is so He can
settle any restlessness in us. When
that happens, our spirits can be
quiet.
It’s when our spirits are quiet
that we learn how to be gentle,
just like Jesus. And that is
beautiful.
These beauty rules will never
change. They will never go out
of style. They won’t because God
never changes.
We can always
trust that what
He says will stand
forever.
So, how about
it? Are you
ready to become
beautiful?
PONDER,
PRAY, DISCUSS
• What definition
of beauty
matters more to
you – the world’s
definition or
God’s? Why?
• Look up these
words in a
dictionary:
compassion,
kindness,
humility,
gentleness and
patience. Which
of these qualities
do you need to develop more in
your life?
• When is your spirit most
unsettled? How do you respond
when this situation arises? How
can you turn to Jesus so you can
respond differently?
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08
WHAT AM I WORTH?
THOSE WHO LOOK TO HIM ARE
Test Drive
Take It For a Ride
BY ANGEL CANTRELL
Y
ou want to buy a car. So you go to
the car dealership to choose the car
you want. You find the perfect car:
your favorite color, size, and style. So
you get into the car to see how it feels.
Perfect. It’s totally comfortable, so you
take it out for a test drive. The car drives
smooth and handles well. You look
good in it and it looks good with you in
it. When you get back to the dealership
the salesperson notices a few scratches
on the car. And you recall, accidentally,
barely bumping a pole when you took
it to your friend’s house to show her
the car. The salesperson then notices
a dent on the back bumper. But it’s a
really small dent and it wasn’t your fault.
Another car barely hit you from behind
when you were at a stop light. Well
now it’s time to make the deal. And
the salesperson asks you if you would
like to purchase the car. You tell the
salesperson yes, but you don’t have
enough money; WHICH, by the way,
YOU KNEW GOING IN! You thank the
salesperson for their time and leave the
dealership.
What the heck? Who would do that?
Well it’s done all the time in dating
relationships. You get into a relationship
with a guy who is exactly what you
want and begin spending a lot of time
together on the phone, texting, social
media, hanging out etc. Not only do
you invest your time but you invest you
heart. You allow him into places of your
heart reserved for your future husband.
You may also invest your body in this
same way. You think he may be ‘the one’,
so you allow him to touch you in places
only reserved for your future husband.
But as time passes you realize marriage
is not going to happen anytime soon.
And you ask yourself, “If this guy is NOT
‘the one’ I am going to marry, what
have I done?” What has been damaged?
Has your purity been compromised?
Has your ability to be fully vulnerable
and transparent been diminished for
your future husband? Who walks away
damaged? You or him or both?
You have taken a car that you didn’t
have money to pay for and took it
out for a test drive only to return it
damaged for the (future) real owner.
This may sound extreme, but this
is the most common heart break and
compromise story that comes out of
deciding to date with the mentality of
‘let’s just see where this goes.’
Marriage by itself is so difficult and

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FALL 2015 | WWW.SIMPLYRADIANTMAGAZINE.COM
delicate, you must be intentional about
how you will get there. Courtship has
proven to be the most godly and safest
way toward pursuing marriage. The
question then is, what is courtship?
Courtship is when a guy and girl have
individually and separately come to a
healthy place in their life—mind, body, and
spirit. Then…
1
2
The couple dates and they agree
that the purpose of their dating is
to investigate and see if this is the
person God has brought to be their
spouse.
After a number of dates you might be
able to tell whether or not to move
forward in the relationship. A good
book to guide this process is Boy
Meets Girl by Joshua Harris.
MARRIAGE BY ITSELF IS SO
DIFFICULT AND DELICATE, YOU
MUST BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT HOW
YOU WILL GET THERE.

10
THOSE WHO LOOK TO HIM ARE
3
4
The couple can then meet regularly
with a mature Christian husband and
wife who are unbiased and willing
to tell you uncomfortable truths, in
love. The husband and wife are also
transparent about their marriage. Their
marriage has been successfully battle
tested (has withstood tests and trials
over time). The couple meets for the
purpose of holding their relationship
accountable to godly counsel.
If the couple continues past the
initial investigation, they might go
through a book like Preparing for
Marriage by Dennis Rainey with that
same accountable couple or one
similar to them. A marriage workbook
can help ask hard questions you
may not have thought of, which is
sometimes uncomfortable. This level
of investigation is more intense and
will usually confirm whether or not to
move forward with marriage.
If a couple can court with purity
and integrity and they have confirmed
through
• the Word of God
• the Holy Spirit
• desires and circumstances
• godly counsel
Then to the altar they go! They are
ready for marriage.
The journey may not be perfect and
some bumps in the road may exist.
But if this route is taken, the chances
for a fuller, more intimate marriage, as
God intended, is made possible.
The question to ask now is …. do
you have enough money to buy that
car.. or date that guy?
Are you ready to be a wife? So
before you look for or pursue the guy
you want to marry, you must sincerely
self-assess and see if you have the
‘money’ or in this case the character
to be a godly wife.
PONDER, JOURNAL, DISCUSS
WOULD I MAKE A
GODLY WIFE BASED
ON MY CURRENT
CHARACTER?
IF I WERE TO GET
MARRIED TODAY, WHAT
KIND OF WIFE WOULD
I BE?
WHAT KIND OF WIFE
AM I TO MY HEAVENLY
HUSBAND NOW?
(TAKE THE QUIZ ‘CHECK YOUR ACCOUNT;
CAN YOU AFFORD IT? ASSESS YOUR
CURRENT CHARACTER BANK ACCOUNT)

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CHECK YOUR ACCOUNT; CAN YOU AFFORD IT? ON PAGE 12

12
BY ANGEL CANTRELL
Check Your Account:
CAN YOU AFFORD IT? ASSESS YOUR SINGLE LIFE—NOW
THOSE WHO LOOK TO HIM ARE
1
2
My motive for marriage is to draw me
closer to Jesus, have a ministry partner
to bring others to Christ, and have
children to pass on His Word to the next
generation; not to have ‘legal’ sex, cure
my loneliness, keep up with my friends,
have a baby, give me identity and worth.
$1 $2 $3 $4 $5
I find myself in regular and constant
pursuit of growing spiritually through
such things as:
• church attendance,
• bible study/groups,
• time alone with God reading, singing,
meditating, journaling, prayer, etc
• seeking opportunities to serve at
home, work, school, church, etc
• giving money to the church (ex.
Tithing)
5
6
$1 = NOT ME AT ALL
$3 = SOMETIMES
$5 = ALL ME
I have chosen to be content, in
my singleness, without physical or
emotional relationships with guys. Even
in my singleness, I regularly find myself
in a state of gratefulness before God.
$1 $2 $3 $4 $5
I guard the male body with appropriate
hugging. I speak to and touch him as
if he is another woman’s husband. I
guard his eyes by how I dress so I don’t
contribute to him struggling sexually.
$1 $2 $3 $4 $5
3
$1 $2 $3 $4 $5
My home, finances, work place,
schooling, physical body, appearance,
etc. is being managed with my best
effort, with the motive to please God.
7
I guard my eyes and ears from impure or
highly romantic movies, songs, pictures,
etc. to prevent immediate desires for a
man that can’t be immediately met. I
treat my body as one that belongs to my
heavenly groom, Jesus and keep it from
all sexual impurity.
$1 $2 $3 $4 $5
$1 $2 $3 $4 $5
4
Everyone has something to work
on. I am working out my freedom in
Christ by identifying and addressing
strongholds, addictions, bad habits and /
or emotional weights that control me.
8
I receive validation and worth through
what God says about me. I do not look
for affirmation and approval by showing
people what I have, what I look like,
what I wear, ‘who’ I have, excessive
selfies, what I do, etc.
$1 $2 $3 $4 $5
$1 $2 $3 $4 $5

13
9
10
11
The people I hang out with don’t gossip
around me and if they start to gossip, I
either shut it down or leave.
$1 $2 $3 $4 $5
I am employed and have been
employed consistently, over a period of
time, and am able to earn an income. I
use my skills and talents to improve my
community. I am not a burden to my
family or community.
$1 $2 $3 $4 $5
I stand before God in prayer on behalf
of those who are weak and under
attack.
14
I am forgiving. I am able to be in the
presence of people from my past and/
or today, that were hurtful (boyfriends,
family, friends, etc) and can sincerely
look them in their eyes with peace and
kindness. I hold no grudge against them
and pray for their well-being.
$1 $2 $3 $4 $5
FALL 2015 | WWW.SIMPLYRADIANTMAGAZINE.COM
12
$1 $2 $3 $4 $5
I care about people and can see their
needs. I am able to tend to people
through prayer and/or specific actions
to meet their needs.
15
I have been in a long – term friendship
with at least one female in which I have
been fully transparent and vulnerable.
We have withstood arguments, falling
outs, have been able to handle conflict
in a healthy loving way and not avoid it.
$1 $2 $3 $4 $5
$1 $2 $3 $4 $5
13
I voluntarily submit to spiritual
authority (ex. Pastor, mentor, etc) as
long as it is not sinful; and even when
I disagree, I am humble and possess a
positive attitude toward their authority.
I am teachable and humble. I listen to
and follow guidance and advice from
many mature Christian counselors.
16
I have done ALL of the above questions
for the past six months or more.
$0 $15
FIND THE ANSWER KEY ON
PAGE 30
$1 $2 $3 $4 $5

14
BECOMING THE MOST RADIANT YOU
THOSE WHO LOOK TO HIM ARE
Born Like This—
God Does Not
Make Mistakes
Ashley
Mencias
Many ladies, of all ages, have the wrong and
hurtful interpretation of beauty.
T
his is because of the
poor influences of
social media, celebrities,
and the “popular” girls
in school. It is so easy,
especially for us ladies,
to believe what the world
defines as beautiful. We
are constantly bombarded
by its messages every day.
Because of this, we feel that
we will never be beautiful
or have worth in this world.
Thinking and feeling like this
causes us to instantly forget
to whom we really belong and
who really defines us.
ASHLEY’S STORY:
It started when I was
younger. I was the only
Asian person at my school.
I was like a foreigner to
them. When I walked into
the school they were like,
“What are you?” I instantly
felt like an outcast because
I didn’t look like everyone
else. My eyes were different,
my family was different, and
my culture was different. I
tried to deny that I was even
Asian. I called myself Mexican.
My heart grew hard because
the kids were so cruel and
mean. Thankfully, I moved
out of that school and began
attending a private Christian
school. I realized quickly that
I was in for a whole new set of
problems.
I was born with birth marks
all along my arm and down to
my leg. I was super insecure
about them. Everyone else
has one little birthmark and
it’s usually hidden and here
I am with birthmarks all

down the side of my body. I would make
things up and tell people that I fell in fire
and got burned when I was little. I was
completely denying the fact that I was
born like this.
Growing up in a private school made
it easy to be insecure about myself.
Everyone seemed to have the good looks
and money, and I didn’t really have any
of that. I didn’t have the brand name
clothes, or fancy house like everyone
else. I didn’t feel like I belonged in this
world because I didn’t have the things
that the other students had in school.
I thought beauty was about how I looked
until I learned that Jesus sees the heart
and not the physical appearance. I saw
how seeking physical beauty caused my
heart to become ugly. Now I’m in a place
where I don’t see faces anymore, I just
see hearts. And because of that I’m able
to love people so much more and it’s not
fake, it’s genuine; I want to see their hearts
grow more beautiful. Beauty is someone
who loves Jesus and bears fruit from their
passion for Jesus. It’s not about the brand
of your clothes, but all about the brand of
your heart, which is Jesus.
Yes, all of us are different. Not only
through our looks, but also through our
personalities, beliefs, home life, cultures,
interests, etc. because that is the way
God created us. Everything God does is
perfect. Everything. Not only is it perfect,
but it has purpose. If God created you as
this amazing unique individual, who are
you to say that He, the Creator of all that
is good and perfect, has made a mistake
in creating you. In scripture, it is written,
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has
created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we
can do the good things he planned for
us long ago (Ephesians 2:10 NLT). I’m no
artist, but just by viewing a masterpiece
I can easily identify that each one has its
own style, personality, color, shape, and
size. Just like you. You are God’s artwork.
You are created by God. Therefore,
you are perfect in your style, personality,
color, shape, size, and everything
else. Embrace all that you are because
insulting yourself is insulting to your
Creator. Expose the masterpiece that you
are to the world so that they, too, will not
be discouraged by the world, but may live
a confident and beautiful life in Christ.
FOR WE ARE GOD’S MASTERPIECE. HE
HAS CREATED US ANEW IN CHRIST JESUS,
SO WE CAN DO THE GOOD THINGS HE
PLANNED FOR US LONG AGO.
(EPHESIANS 2:10 NLT)
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16
SIMPLY FIT
CONSULT A PHYSICIAN BEFORE
BEGINNING ANY EXERCISE PLAN
Ab Matters
THOSE WHO LOOK TO HIM ARE
BY JADA CANTRELL
LEG LIFTS
1. Lay flat on your back
making sure there is no
space between the floor
and your lower back.
2. Place hands, palms
facing flat on the ground,
under the outside lower
half of your bottom. (For
an additional challenge,
put hands behind head,
fingers interlaced)
3. Lift legs straight up at
a 90-degree angle from
hips creating an L shape
with entire body. (For
modification, slightly bend
legs) With a deep breath,
lengthen from core, extend
neck and raise head and
neck, looking as much as
possible at belly button.
4. Keep back flat on the
ground. (For modification,
do not lift head) Slowly
lower legs towards the
ground as low as possible.
5. Make sure to keep lower
back flat on the ground the
entire time. Do not stick
out stomach or arch back.
6. Continue lifting and
lowering for a total of 10
times.
KEEP ABS TIGHT
AND REMEMBER
TO BREATHE
THROUGHOUT
ENTIRE CIRCUIT.
ENSURE THE
LOWER BACK
DOES NOT ARCH
TO PREVENT
INJURY.

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FALL 2015 | WWW.SIMPLYRADIANTMAGAZINE.COM
FLUTTER KICKS
1. Lift both legs, bent at the hip and bent
90 degrees at the knee. Straighten out
legs and lower them as much as possible
without touching them to the ground.
2. Hold them in that lowered spot.
3. Separate legs slightly, then without
touching them together, bring them
together crossing the left foot over the
right.
4. Separate them slightly again and
without touching them together, bring
them back together, this time crossing
the right foot over the left.
5. Remember to keep the legs as straight
as possible the entire time.
6. This counts as one, continue for 9
additional times.
Rest and Repeat circuit.
SO WHY ARE STRONG ABS
IMPORTANT?
Strong abs are essential for proper
posture. Engaging your abs as you simply
sit, no matter where you are, lengthens
from the core through the upper body and
the neck. Proper posture, then, reduces
back pain, injuries and spinal related
problems.

18
THOSE WHO LOOK TO HIM ARE
SIMPLY SNACKING
Fresh
Fall Fun
BY JADA CANTRELL
FRESH FRUIT CORNUCOPIAS
Fresh Fruit Cornucopias are perfect
for a quick fun snack leading up to
Thanksgiving. Whenever the feeling of
festivity sweeps over you, throw together
a small, healthy cornucopia for yourself
as well as friends and family.
First, you will need any regular
sugar ice cream cone posing as the
thanksgiving horn and a variety of your
favorite fruits.
Second, take the ice cream cone
and fill it to the brim with grapes,
blueberries, blackberries, and any other
of your favorite berries.
Third, once the horn-shaped cone is
filled to the brim with these treats, lay
it on its side on any plate just like any
cornucopia would be fashioned.
Fourth, take the bigger fruits such as
apple slices, cantaloupe, papaya and
strawberries to decorate the rims and
allow them to stick out onto the plate.
Finally, fashion a stem of grapes to
look like it’s cascading out of the horn.
And there you have your thanksgiving
horn of plenty.
Enjoy!

19
SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL
So
Much
More
BY ANGEL CANTRELL
Is it in my hair
my eyes, my nose my lips..
Is it in my curves, my thighs,
my toes, my hips?
Yes.. Yes.. and Yes
It’s in this
and so much more
in how I was created..
made to adore.
The beauty you see on the outside
of me
is just a layer covering enormous
treasureonly
those who love Him can see.
You would see a beauty that would
capture your heart and destroy all
lies.
A beauty that would steal your heart
with one glance from my eyes.
I am His masterpiece..
Fearfully made.
I am unique in design
molded like clay.
So whether you see all of me or not,
I am totally okay.
Because I know the one who
designed me adores me
And will never leave me the rest of
my days.

20
THOSE WHO LOOK TO HIM ARE

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FALL 2015 | WWW.SIMPLYRADIANTMAGAZINE.COM
“...ENCOURAGE
ONE ANOTHER
AND BUILD ONE
ANOTHER UP..”
1 THESSALONIANS 5:11

22
INTIMACY
(INTO - ME - SEE)
THOSE WHO LOOK TO HIM ARE
My Voice Will
Be Louder
Than My Past
BY JADA CANTRELL
I
never felt comfortable in own my body.
To myself, I was a stranger. I lived in my
truth daily that I was worthless, I was empty,
that I didn’t matter; that I was only in the
way, and that I was a disappointment and
a failure. Beginning in elementary school,
my peers around me were never interested
in talking to me and when they did, a lot
of the time it was to insult me, critique me
and put me down. On top of that, I had a
father that was emotionally absent always
pursuing higher degrees, multiple jobs and
overwhelming success. I blamed all of this
on myself and I also compared myself to
others. Why? The answer was simple to me. I
wasn’t worth it. I hated being seen by people
because I felt I was only in the way and I
was a burden. It seemed obvious that what
I was going through was what I deserved. I
often told myself, “Jada you are nothing, you
don’t matter.” Something had to change and
I was convinced it was me. I was striving for
some value somewhere. And if I was empty,
at least I wanted to look pretty which meant
respect and love from the world.
I began believing that the less I weighed,
the more love I deserved. I hurt my body as
much as I could by starving it, scarring it
and damaging it. I covered the mirrors in my
room and in the bathroom with scriptures
because looking into the mirror was seeing
God is my beauty
my past, my worthlessness and my hurt;
which I believed I deserved. As I stared
into mirrors I so desperately tried to
avoid, I screamed in my head all of the
profanities that were screamed at me and
worse. Last semester, I was told I had an
eating disorder for which I was publicly
and consistently mocked. I had to see a
psychiatrist, a nutritionist, a counselor
and a doctor every week for months.
The pounds I lost never added worth to
me and at the end of every day I still felt
empty. I had defined myself over ten years
ago to be nothing. That wouldn’t change
just because my diet did.
All of my experiences taught me my
‘truth’. I learned that I’m not beautiful
enough, skinny enough, tall enough; I’m
not the right skin color,
my abs aren’t flat
enough, and
my hair isn’t
long enough.
I could go
on. The real
truth is, in
the eyes of
a sick world,
I am not
one of the
beautiful ones.
The real truth
is that we live
in a superficial
world that is vain,
self-centered, judgmental and shallow.
And I realized that for me to conform to
a sick world was to be sick. If pleasing
my friends and family by becoming pretty
enough (in their eyes), meant I would
be helping them maintain their vain and
judgmental mindsets, then I don’t want
to do that. And if my flat abs, white teeth
and long hair means drawing attention to
my surface and not to the light that shines
within me, which is God and God alone,
then I don’t want any of it.
I wasn’t created to live an empty, lost
life full of confusion and pain. I’m not
here to be shallow, superficial and empty

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THOSE WHO LOOK TO HIM ARE
but to radiate Christ and Christ alone
and live the life He has called me. I’ve
learned that it’s an everyday challenge
to redirect attention away from myself.
And even as I do that, I realize I am
only addressing my vanity, not the deep
rooted pains from my past hurts that
caused it. However, with God and the
help of my Christian counselor, these
dark places are being addressed and
I am walking towards my healing day
by day. My father and I are currently
mending our relationship and I know
my identity and who I am has absolutely
nothing to do with this world and the
rules it has set. My identity doesn’t
have anything to do with my past. It
has nothing to do with how I feel. It
has nothing to do with pain that others
project onto me. My identity is found in
the light that is Christ inside of me. My
beauty and value is Him as He radiates.
He is who I look to, who I want to
tone, who I want to grow, who I want
everyone to see. Not my abs.
I still struggle with feeling like I am
nothing. I continue to fight my lies
and beliefs that I have held for over a
decade, but I also still speak the truth. I
still struggle with feeling worthless. But
I still seek help. And one day, I know, my
voice (His voice) will be louder than that
of my past.

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WHEN LIFE HURTS
THOSE WHO LOOK TO HIM ARE
WHY DO I KEEP
BREAKING
MY OWN
HEART?
BY KATHY WOLGAST
O
ne of the most painful seasons of my
life was one of my own self-inflicted
pain. I made a decision to go against the
advice of wise godly counsel and my own
intuition because I put too much trust in
my flesh. I was interested in pursuing a
relationship with a man who was not ready
to be in relationship with me. He said he
wanted to be friends, and I knew better. But
I desperately wanted to keep this man so I
convinced myself that this was ok. I thought
to myself, “I can handle this”...”It’s no big
deal”, but it was a big deal, and I was being
disobedient because I had taken small steps
away from God towards the direction of selfreliance.
I was seeking relationship advice
and I was blatantly going against the advice
of every person I trusted and the Holy Spirit.
I had no peace.
How do you know if you are moving in
the right direction? Peace comes when we
are moving in the direction towards God.
But don’t confuse peace with comfort.
Sometimes God calls us to move outside
of our comfort zone but He gives us peace
when we are moving in the right direction.
If your hands aren’t open, they’re closed.
We have to continue to re-evaluate our
hand-heart condition. Have you ever noticed
that it takes effort to open your hands?
We instinctively keep them closed or busy
holding things when we’re not thinking
about it. You have to remind yourself to open
your hands so God can give you what you
need. And in the same way, we have to open
our minds and hearts to hear the
truth God is giving us.
Life has a way of making
us tired, forgetful, fearful. We
have to consistently (daily)
check our status; just like we
check facebook, instagram, and
twitter every day, we need to be
evaluating our real life statuses.
When you’re not honest with
yourself, you are delaying your
own healing. When you put
yourself in a position to step
outside the will of God, you may
need to ask yourself some hard
questions.
• Is this person/thing adding
any value to my life? (making
me better; drawing me closer to
Jesus)

27
• Who’s on my team? The people on your
team will tell you the truth in love.
The only way I was able to get out of
my situation was because I had a team
of people that were constantly telling
me the truth about me and who I was in
God. They loved me enough to be honest
with me. Sometimes the truth hurts, but
their love for me made me want to love
myself more and see what God sees in
me. It took time, but eventually I began to
value myself more as God used my sisters
to counsel me. I am now free to hear
words of advice without being defensive;
free to receive correction without fear
of judgement or rejection; free to stay
connected to those who challenge me;
I am now free to stop breaking my own
heart.

28
The Perfect Guy
A BOYFRIEND CHECKLIST FOR
THOSE WHO ARE OR HAVE BEEN A
RELATIONSHIP
BYTHE SIMPLY RADIANT STAFF
THOSE WHO LOOK TO HIM ARE
(CHECK ALL THAT APPLY)
I am able to be honest and transparent
about my true self with him.
He understands and accepts me
without judgement.
His desire is to help me be a better
me.
When I hurt his feelings, he doesn’t
get mad and leave, and his heart
continues to pursue me.
When I admit that I’ve done wrong, he
forgives me without holding anything
against me.
He is always looking for ways to make
me smile.
We don’t get bored of each other and
love spending time together.
We are exclusive and committed and
there has never been any hint of
betrayal.
Our love has maintained this level of
intimacy, consistently, for over one
year.
He’s always looking for ways to serve
me.
He always protects my heart, my mind
and my body.
He’s always there to pick up the pieces
and mend my heart when it’s broken.
He provides me with all of my needs
and only gives me the best.
He knows more about me than I do
about myself.
He’s willing to give up everything for
me.
Based on these factors, how is your
love life? Are you in or have you ever had
this type of love relationship? Would you
like to have a relationship like this? Read
Date Night – It’s Time.

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THOSE WHO LOOK TO HIM ARE
ANSWER KEY
I
f you have between
$75 and $90 totaled up,
and you have at least $4
in each category, you
may be ready to move
forward in courtship and
marriage.
If you have $74 or
less, you may want to
continue walking out
victory in your single
life before getting into a
relationship (emotional
or physical) with a guy.
If you were married
today, you might be a
wife who reflects the
characteristics on the
next page.
How’s Your Account?
KEEP IN MIND:
If you are ready to move forward in courtship,
the guy God brings to you will also have enough
money in his ‘character traits’ bank account to get
married as well. Though the needed character
traits he needs are similar to yours, there are some
differences.
Obviously, it would be quite unlikely to find
anyone (single or married) who has $5 in all of
these categories. The whole point of this exercise
is to understand that these traits WILL translate to
your marriage. So if you do not have them now,
and you are in a relationship or engaged, you
WILL NOT have them in your marriage - at least,
not at first. And it is very difficult to attain these
character traits while in a relationship. Ladies
who have gotten married without these traits will
tell you, if they are fully honest, that it has cost
them in the level of intimacy their marriage has
experienced.
If you don’t possess or don’t desire to pursue
these traits, we recommend you wait to get into
a one on one relationship with a guy. But instead,
hang out with guys in groups and /or keep your
one on one time with guys to a bare minimum
which helps avoid any emotional attachment. And
in turn, helps prevent injuring yourself and /or the
guy emotionally and sexually.
These character traits are things we should
have regardless of marriage being a factor. Our
God wants a bride who is pursuing her heavenly
bridegroom with all of her heart, mind, soul, and
strength. A lady who desires and walks in the
direction of God, which helps produce these traits,
is one whose fragrance is a sweet aroma to God
and His kingdom. She is Simply Radiant.

31
# ASSESSMENT OF MY: $3 OR LESS $4 OR MORE
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
MOTIVES
(JAMES 4:3; 1 COR. 10:31;
MATT 5:8)
PURSUIT OF GOD
(DEUT 4:9; 1 CHRON 16:11;
PS 63:1; MATT 12:44)
STEWARDSHIP /
MANAGEMENT
( LUKE 16:10; ROM 12:5-8;
MATTHEW 25:14-30; COL 3:17 )
COURAGE TO
CONFRONT SELF
(PS 26:2; PS 139:23;
LUKE 6:42)
FULFILLMENT
(PHIL 4:11-13; 1 THES 5:18)
DISCRETION
(PROV 11:22; 1 TIM 2:8 – 10;
ROM 14:13-20; 2 COR 6:3)
PURITY
(1COR 6:15-20; 1 COR 3:16;
PS 51: 7, 10; PS 101:3)
Insincere
Unsatisfied / Fearful
/ Uncommitted
Irresponsible
Imprisoned / Proud
Ungrateful /
Discontented
Careless /
Thoughtless /
Indifferent
Struggles with sexual
perversion
Sincere /
Purehearted
Satisfied / Trusts
God / Committed
Responsible
Free / Humble
Grateful / Content
Respectful /
Thoughtful /
Considerate
Capable to enjoy sex
as God created it
FALL 2015 | WWW.SIMPLYRADIANTMAGAZINE.COM
8
IDENTITY
(GAL 1:10; COL 3:3; EPH 2:10;
PHIL 2:3)
Vain, Self-absorbed,
Insecure
Secure / Confident /
Humble
9
MOUTH
(TITUS 3:2; PROV 16:28;
PROV 20:19; PS 34:13)
Divisive /
Untrustworthy
Peaceable /
Trustworthy
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
DISCIPLINE
(2 THES 3:7-13; PROV 19:15;
PROV 20:13)
SELFLESSNESS
(1TIM 2:1-3; COL 1:9-12; 2 COR
1:11; PHIL 1:19; LUKE 22:32)
COMPASSION
(TITUS 3:14; MATT 25:35-40;
JOHN 3:17; JAMES 2:14-17)
SUBMISSION
(TITUS 3:1-3; 1 PETER 5:5;
HEBREWS 13:17)
FORGIVENESS
(MATT 5:23-24; EPH 4:31-
32; 2 COR 2: 5-8; COL 3:13)
LOVE
(PROV 17:17; ECC 4:9-10; PROV
27: 5-6; 2 COR 6:11 – 13; )
FAITHFULNESS
(HEB 12:1-3; JAMES 1:4;
JAMES 5:11)
Idle/ Burden
By-stander
Indifferent / Selfinvolved
Unteachable /
Stubborn/ Self-willed
Judgmental / Bitter /
Stubborn
Closed / Conditional
Love
Fickle /
Unpredictable /
Unreliable
Productive /Helper
(financial help to
husband if needed)
Protector / Involved
Helpful /
Tenderhearted / Kind
/ Concerned
Flexible / Humble /
Teachable
Conciliatory /
Merciful / Peaceable
/ Gracious
Open /
Unconditional Love
Dependable / Stable
/ Steady

32
THOSE WHO LOOK TO HIM ARE
LOVE & DATING
DATE NIGHT—IT’S TIME
BY BRITTANY WALLACE
I
f you are honest with yourself, no guy is capable of meeting ALL
of the boyfriend checklist on the quiz The Perfect Guy. But would
you believe that you can have this love relationship right now if you
wanted it?
Jesus has this exact love for you and its tangible and you’ll never
find a love that is greater than His; even with your future husband.
Now before you roll your eyes and turn to another article, please hear
me out.
Let’s get real. No one wants love from someone that you can’t
physically see, touch or audibly hear. You
may have been around a group of single
BECAUSE YOUR LOVE IS BETTER THAN
LIFE, MY LIPS WILL GLORIFY YOU.
(PSALM 63:3)
Christian girls and have heard the phrase,
“I’m dating Jesus!” or “Jesus is my husband!”
followed by purity rings that are flashed with
pride. But what does that even mean? How
can you “date” Jesus? And how is it possible

to see the Almighty Savior, Jesus, as a guy
that you would want to date? It seems like
a foreign concept, and honestly it is when
compared to society’s views on dating.
The idea behind dating Jesus is coming
into a deeper relationship with Him and
committing your life to Him. If you will
allow yourself to receive and experience
how deep his love is for you, you will find
that this relationship is far richer and
intimate than what a guy could ever give.
It’s my personal opinion that dating
relationships (boyfriend/girlfriend
relationships) should be avoided until
you feel that you’re ready to pursue
marriage for a few reasons. Waiting to
date exclusively in a relationship until
you are ready to be a wife protects both
hearts involved from unnecessary pain
and protects your purity. When you’re in
a committed relationship with Christ, your
focus is on serving Him and developing a
firm foundation that will be carried with
you into your marriage.
As odd as it sounds to “date” the Son of
God, it’s the most important relationship
you’ll ever develop. While you’re single
(before you’re married), make a conscious
decision to dedicate your time, your
heart and your efforts to building a life
with Christ and Him alone. With this
commitment comes devoting your body
to Christ – meaning that everything that
you do with your body will honor Him.
You choose to wait until you’re married to
have sex (sexual touch of any kind), even
if you’ve already had sex before.
I have heard stories of girls who have
date nights with Jesus where they make
time in their schedule to lay out in their
backyards and watch the stars while
talking to Him or singing to Him. Some
girls will have morning coffee with Him,
where they will wake up an hour or two
earlier and will have their coffee while
journaling and writing to Christ.
As strange as this may seem, the idea
of “dating Jesus” is to devote your single
days to serving Him and getting to know
Him personally. Jesus isn’t some far away,
distant religious figure. He is a very real
and tangible Savior who desires to be the
most important person in your life. So
how bout it? Is it a date? He longs to hear
your yes.
SET A DATE
Set a date to spend time with you and God
(alone) once a week. Go away to a quiet
place and just listen, talk, write, relax –
with Him.
Take his calls throughout the day. This
might look like taking a quick break a few
times a day and just looking at His nature
and adoring His artwork. Or read a small
1 minute devotion like “Jesus Calling”. Or
sitting in your car, closet, or even your
bathroom to pray and talk to Him.
DAY:
TIME:
LOCATION:
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34
THOSE WHO LOOK TO HIM ARE
“COME WITH ME
BY YOURSELVES TO A
QUIET PLACE AND
GET SOME REST.”
MARK 6:31B

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THOSE WHO LOOK TO HIM ARE
Our
“TAKE OVER”
ANTHONY EVANS
Angel’s pick
“GOD OF MIRACLES”
CHRIS MCCLARNEY
Brittany’s pick
“BRAVE”
MORIAH PETERS
Sonia’s Pick
“GRACIOUS TEMPEST”
HILLSONG YOUNG AND FREE
Martha’s Pick
“SPEECHLESS”
ISRAEL & NEW BREEED
Aurora’s Pick
“SEND THE RAIN”
WILLIAM MCDOWELL
Jada’s Pick
“CLEAR THE STAGE”
JIMMY NEEDHAM
Rubi Z’s Pick
Playlist

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38
INVITATION TO RADIANCE
THOSE WHO LOOK TO HIM ARE
Still Searching?
I
n our last issue, we challenged those
of you who were unsure of the ‘Jesus
thing’ to do the ‘Try Jesus’ challenge.
So how did it go? We would love to hear
from you. Even if you are still undecided,
not interested in God at all, or simply
don’t believe, we would still love to hear
your thoughts.
One thing we know, is life can be
very hard. And finding peace in hard
circumstances can be difficult. Regardless
of the successes, money, awesome
relationships, beauty etc., life without
Jesus has NO REAL PEACE. And without
Him, our peace and our joy will be always
depend on how things are going in our
lives. With Jesus, it is possible to have true
rest, true peace, true joy and true victory,
regardless of our circumstances.
So again, for those who are ready,
we offer an invitation to radiance. An
invitation to receive His gift which erased
all our sins - past, present and future.
We know this sounds crazy, but yes… all
of our sins have been erased. Jesus did
this by putting His name on every sin we
have or will ever commit and took the
consequences of those sins as His own, for
BY ANGEL CANTRELL
us. It is as if we sat in a courtroom, where
the judge has sentenced us to death; and
Jesus tells us, we are free and innocent,
and took our place of guilt and death. In
return, He gave us His identify: we are a
complete, free, whole, righteous, daughter
of the King who will live eternal life with
our Father, God.
All we have to do is be humble and pray,
“God, I admit my sins and how I have
chosen to do things my way and not
yours, and ask you for forgiveness. I
believe Jesus is your Son who died for my
sins and was resurrected from the grave. I
want Him be in control of my life.”
If you sincerely prayed this prayer, God
says, “You are complete in Him (Jesus).”
Colossians 2:10 NKJV. You are His, forever.
In short, we just accept the gift of
salvation that has already been paid for
us. The gift has been offered, we just
receive it. No hoops, no tricks, no list
of duties…. All it takes is a simple ‘yes, I
believe and will follow’.
The gift of His Spirit brings about a
glow and sparkle that will emanate and
shine from you. You will be free. You will
be radiant.

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THOSE WHO
LOOK TO HIM ARE
RADIANT; THEIR
FACES ARE NEVER
COVERED WITH
SHAME.
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PSALM 34:5