<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:googleplay="http://www.google.com/schemas/play-podcasts/1.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Girls Anthem: Beauty, Body & Faith]]></title><description><![CDATA[Health and beauty wisdom that treats the body as a temple, not a trend.

Real talk, faith-grounded guidance on beauty, physical health, and mental wellness, because looking good starts with being well, spirit, mind, and body.]]></description><link>https://www.girlsanthemmag.com/s/beauty-body-and-faith</link><image><url>https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Hcl7!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe9e8b780-cb85-4811-94c6-c40dcc0275b6_500x500.png</url><title>Girls Anthem: Beauty, Body &amp; Faith</title><link>https://www.girlsanthemmag.com/s/beauty-body-and-faith</link></image><generator>Substack</generator><lastBuildDate>Mon, 24 Aug 2026 01:54:06 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.girlsanthemmag.com/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><copyright><![CDATA[Mya K. Douglas]]></copyright><language><![CDATA[en]]></language><webMaster><![CDATA[writermya@substack.com]]></webMaster><itunes:owner><itunes:email><![CDATA[writermya@substack.com]]></itunes:email><itunes:name><![CDATA[Mya Kay]]></itunes:name></itunes:owner><itunes:author><![CDATA[Mya Kay]]></itunes:author><googleplay:owner><![CDATA[writermya@substack.com]]></googleplay:owner><googleplay:email><![CDATA[writermya@substack.com]]></googleplay:email><googleplay:author><![CDATA[Mya Kay]]></googleplay:author><itunes:block><![CDATA[Yes]]></itunes:block><item><title><![CDATA[Before You Hit the Labor Room, You Need to Read This]]></title><description><![CDATA[Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is one of the greatest athletes ever to lace up a pair of spikes.]]></description><link>https://www.girlsanthemmag.com/p/before-you-hit-the-labor-room-you</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.girlsanthemmag.com/p/before-you-hit-the-labor-room-you</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mya Kay]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 20 Jul 2026 13:03:30 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CJuP!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F981c098c-7429-451b-ac54-4ea79b5ea2d7_3456x5184.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone is one of the greatest athletes ever to lace up a pair of spikes. World record holder. Olympic gold medalist. A woman who has run every race with her faith front and center. And now, she&#8217;s preparing for the most important transition of her life &#8212; motherhood.</p><p>Sydney isn&#8217;t just an athlete. She&#8217;s a woman. And like every woman stepping into this sacred, terrifying, beautiful season, she deserves to be seen, heard, and protected in the labor room.</p><p>The truth is, not every woman is. And for Black women in America, the statistics are not just alarming &#8212; they are unacceptable.</p><p>According to the CDC, Black women are <strong>3 to 4 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than White women.</strong> Not slightly more likely. Three to four times. And research confirms that quality of healthcare &#8212; or the lack of it &#8212; is one of the factors driving that number. Studies show that reports of mistreatment, racism, and discrimination are highest among Black women when dealing with healthcare providers. Women have reported feeling unheard, overlooked, and dismissed at the very moment they needed someone to show up for them the most.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CJuP!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F981c098c-7429-451b-ac54-4ea79b5ea2d7_3456x5184.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CJuP!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F981c098c-7429-451b-ac54-4ea79b5ea2d7_3456x5184.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CJuP!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F981c098c-7429-451b-ac54-4ea79b5ea2d7_3456x5184.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CJuP!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F981c098c-7429-451b-ac54-4ea79b5ea2d7_3456x5184.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CJuP!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F981c098c-7429-451b-ac54-4ea79b5ea2d7_3456x5184.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CJuP!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F981c098c-7429-451b-ac54-4ea79b5ea2d7_3456x5184.jpeg" width="1456" height="2184" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/981c098c-7429-451b-ac54-4ea79b5ea2d7_3456x5184.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:2184,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:1344692,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.girlsanthemmag.com/i/201986887?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F981c098c-7429-451b-ac54-4ea79b5ea2d7_3456x5184.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CJuP!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F981c098c-7429-451b-ac54-4ea79b5ea2d7_3456x5184.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CJuP!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F981c098c-7429-451b-ac54-4ea79b5ea2d7_3456x5184.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CJuP!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F981c098c-7429-451b-ac54-4ea79b5ea2d7_3456x5184.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!CJuP!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F981c098c-7429-451b-ac54-4ea79b5ea2d7_3456x5184.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Photo by Leticia  Curvelo</figcaption></figure></div><p>This is not just a healthcare crisis. For the woman of faith, this is a call to war &#8212; before you ever walk through those hospital doors.</p><p>Here are three things you can do right now.</p><div><hr></div><h2>1. God Cares About Your Child More Than You Do &#8212; Talk to Him About It</h2><p>Before you mapped out your birth plan, before you picked a name, before you even took the test &#8212; God knew.</p><p><em>&#8220;Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you.&#8221;</em> &#8212; Jeremiah 1:5 (NKJV)</p><p>That verse wasn&#8217;t just written for Jeremiah. It was written for the child growing inside of you &#8212; and for the one you haven&#8217;t conceived yet. God has already been acquainted with your baby. He already has a plan. And that means He is not caught off guard by any complication, any diagnosis, or any moment where the machines start beeping, and the room fills with tension.</p><p>But here&#8217;s what He wants from you: your prayers. Not just in the hospital. Now.</p><p>Pray that God moves through your labor room before you get there. Pray over your medical team &#8212; that He fills them with wisdom, strategy, and focus. Pray that the right nurses are assigned to you. Pray that the right doctor walks through the door. Pray that every hand that touches you is guided by something greater than their training.</p><p>And if you&#8217;re not pregnant yet &#8212; this still applies to you. Prayers get stored in heaven. Every time you lift up your future pregnancy, your future labor, your future child, you are building spiritual equity that will be drawn on when it&#8217;s your time. You don&#8217;t have to wait until you&#8217;re in the delivery room to invite God into the process. Start now.</p><div><hr></div><h2>2. Treat Your Body Like the Temple It Is &#8212; From Day One</h2><p><em>&#8220;Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God&#8217;s.&#8221;</em> &#8212; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NKJV)</p><p>Let&#8217;s be honest &#8212; pregnancy cravings are real, and nobody is here to guilt you about the pickles and ice cream. But here&#8217;s what the research tells us: the healthier you are going into labor, the better your body can respond to what labor demands of it.</p><p>And labor demands a lot. Let&#8217;s not sugarcoat it &#8212; you are pushing another human being out of your body. That is one of the most physically intense events your body will ever experience. Your cardiovascular system, your muscular strength, your nutritional reserves &#8212; all of it gets called on in that room.</p><p>As an athlete, you already understand what it means to prepare your body for peak performance. You don&#8217;t show up to a championship undertrained. Labor is no different. The nutrients you put in, the movement you maintain, the rest you prioritize &#8212; these are not just wellness choices. They are acts of stewardship over the temple God entrusted to you.</p><p>This is especially critical for Black women, whose risk for birthing complications is compounded by systemic health inequities that already exist in the healthcare system. You cannot always control what happens in the room. But you can control how you prepare your body before you get there. Nutrition, prenatal care, hydration, movement, and mental health are not luxuries &#8212; they are your armor.</p><p>Honor the temple. Not just for you. For the life growing inside of it.</p><div><hr></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3F6r!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F240d2760-04b1-4276-b4af-9fd9440797af_3333x5000.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3F6r!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F240d2760-04b1-4276-b4af-9fd9440797af_3333x5000.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3F6r!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F240d2760-04b1-4276-b4af-9fd9440797af_3333x5000.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3F6r!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F240d2760-04b1-4276-b4af-9fd9440797af_3333x5000.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3F6r!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F240d2760-04b1-4276-b4af-9fd9440797af_3333x5000.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3F6r!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F240d2760-04b1-4276-b4af-9fd9440797af_3333x5000.jpeg" width="1456" height="2184" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/240d2760-04b1-4276-b4af-9fd9440797af_3333x5000.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:2184,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:1197495,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.girlsanthemmag.com/i/201986887?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F240d2760-04b1-4276-b4af-9fd9440797af_3333x5000.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3F6r!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F240d2760-04b1-4276-b4af-9fd9440797af_3333x5000.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3F6r!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F240d2760-04b1-4276-b4af-9fd9440797af_3333x5000.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3F6r!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F240d2760-04b1-4276-b4af-9fd9440797af_3333x5000.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!3F6r!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F240d2760-04b1-4276-b4af-9fd9440797af_3333x5000.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Photo by Tiago Chaves</figcaption></figure></div><h2>3. Write Out Prayers Specifically for Labor Day</h2><p>The enemy does not take days off &#8212; and he certainly does not take a break during some of the most vulnerable moments of a woman&#8217;s life. Pregnancy and labor are spiritually significant, and for the Christian woman, warfare is a very real part of the journey.</p><p>But so is God&#8217;s presence. And the more you invite Him in before labor day arrives, the more anchored you will be when it does.</p><p>Don&#8217;t wait until something goes wrong to cry out to God. Don&#8217;t wait until the room gets quiet in the wrong way, or until a nurse&#8217;s face shifts, or until fear grabs you by the throat. Partner with God now. Write out specific prayers &#8212; for your medical team, for your body, for your baby, for peace in the room, for the wisdom to speak up when something doesn&#8217;t feel right.</p><p>Isaiah 58:6 reminds us that God&#8217;s heart is to <em>&#8220;loose the bonds of wickedness and to undo the heavy burdens&#8221;</em> (NKJV). The burden of fear going into labor should not be yours to carry alone. The anxiety of walking into a system that has historically not shown up for women who look like you &#8212; you do not have to carry that alone either.</p><p>Write the prayers. Speak them out loud. Put them on paper and tuck them in your hospital bag. Let your partner, your doula, your mother, your sister know how to pray with you and for you. Build a wall of prayer around that labor room long before you check in.</p><p>You are not just a patient. You are a woman covered by God, carrying a life He already knows by name. Walk into that room like you know it.</p><div><hr></div><div class="callout-block" data-callout="true"><p><em>You were made for this. Not because it will be easy &#8212; but because the God who formed your child also formed you, and He does not send you into any room unprepared.</em></p><p><em>Pray now. Prepare now. And trust that He goes before you.</em></p></div><div><hr></div><p><em>Based on original research by Mya K. Douglas, Liberty University 2025. Adapted for editorial use by Girls Anthem Magazine.</em></p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.girlsanthemmag.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Girls Anthem! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><div class="captioned-button-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.girlsanthemmag.com/p/before-you-hit-the-labor-room-you?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="CaptionedButtonToDOM"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Girls Anthem! This post is public so feel free to share it.</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.girlsanthemmag.com/p/before-you-hit-the-labor-room-you?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.girlsanthemmag.com/p/before-you-hit-the-labor-room-you?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></div><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[What it Means to Work out For God and Not Instagram]]></title><description><![CDATA[There&#8217;s a unique kind of frustration that comes from doing everything &#8220;right&#8221; and still not seeing the external results you hoped for.]]></description><link>https://www.girlsanthemmag.com/p/what-it-means-to-work-out-for-god</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.girlsanthemmag.com/p/what-it-means-to-work-out-for-god</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mya Kay]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 22 Jun 2026 13:02:03 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2g1G!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fab8dd55e-857e-4c72-87d7-f2fb49b4764b_6016x4016.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There&#8217;s a unique kind of frustration that comes from doing everything &#8220;right&#8221; and still not seeing the external results you hoped for.</p><p>You&#8217;ve been working out consistently.<br>You&#8217;ve been eating healthier.<br>You&#8217;ve been trying to steward your body well.</p><p>And yet, when you look in the mirror, you still may not see the transformation you expected.</p><p>Maybe you wanted to lose 20 pounds. Maybe you hoped to fit into a certain dress by the holidays. Maybe you thought by now your body would look completely different.</p><p>If that&#8217;s you, I want to encourage you: your fitness journey is not failing just because it doesn&#8217;t look the way you imagined externally.</p><p>Sometimes a fitness journey can <em>look</em> complicated on the outside while something beautiful is happening on the inside.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6T5E!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0555fa2c-682d-4cba-b1d8-7a56875d66ec_3831x4635.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6T5E!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0555fa2c-682d-4cba-b1d8-7a56875d66ec_3831x4635.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6T5E!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0555fa2c-682d-4cba-b1d8-7a56875d66ec_3831x4635.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6T5E!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0555fa2c-682d-4cba-b1d8-7a56875d66ec_3831x4635.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6T5E!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0555fa2c-682d-4cba-b1d8-7a56875d66ec_3831x4635.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6T5E!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0555fa2c-682d-4cba-b1d8-7a56875d66ec_3831x4635.jpeg" width="3831" height="4635" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/0555fa2c-682d-4cba-b1d8-7a56875d66ec_3831x4635.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:4635,&quot;width&quot;:3831,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:2348937,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.girlsanthemmag.com/i/199533943?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4567cd41-4af8-4788-9f20-b95baad5ad12_3831x5746.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6T5E!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0555fa2c-682d-4cba-b1d8-7a56875d66ec_3831x4635.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6T5E!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0555fa2c-682d-4cba-b1d8-7a56875d66ec_3831x4635.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6T5E!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0555fa2c-682d-4cba-b1d8-7a56875d66ec_3831x4635.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6T5E!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0555fa2c-682d-4cba-b1d8-7a56875d66ec_3831x4635.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption"><strong>Photo by MART  PRODUCTION</strong></figcaption></figure></div><p><strong>1. Remember the Real Goal</strong></p><p>The goal of your fitness journey is not ultimately about being a size two or having a flat stomach.</p><p>Yes, those things may be nice aesthetically, but they are not the deepest purpose.</p><p>The real goal is health and stewardship.</p><p>As women of God, we are called to take care of the bodies God has entrusted to us so we can effectively run the race He has set before us. That means we need to start measuring success differently.</p><p>Instead of asking:</p><ul><li><p>&#8220;Do I look thinner?&#8221;</p></li><li><p>&#8220;Why don&#8217;t I look like her?&#8221;</p></li><li><p>&#8220;Why hasn&#8217;t my body changed enough?&#8221;</p></li></ul><p>Maybe we should ask:</p><ul><li><p>&#8220;Is my blood work healthy?&#8221;</p></li><li><p>&#8220;Am I stronger than I used to be?&#8221;</p></li><li><p>&#8220;Do I have more endurance?&#8221;</p></li><li><p>&#8220;Am I taking care of myself faithfully?&#8221;</p></li></ul><p>A flat stomach may look good in pictures, but being healthy enough to fulfill your purpose matters far more.</p><p>If you can walk up stairs without getting winded, that&#8217;s a win.<br>If your lab results are improving, that&#8217;s a win.<br>If your body is functioning better than before, that&#8217;s a win.</p><p>Health is deeper than appearance.</p><p><strong>2. Protect Your Heart From Comparison</strong></p><p>One of the quickest ways to become discouraged on your journey is by constantly comparing yourself to other people online.</p><p>There&#8217;s nothing wrong with following fitness creators who inspire you. Seeing someone&#8217;s discipline and consistency can motivate you.</p><p>But there&#8217;s a difference between inspiration and comparison.</p><p>The moment fitness content starts making you despise your own progress, it&#8217;s time to guard your heart.</p><p>Social media often shows curated results without revealing the full story:</p><ul><li><p>What did they look like years ago?</p></li><li><p>What resources do they have?</p></li><li><p>What genetics do they have?</p></li><li><p>What editing or posing is happening behind the scenes?</p></li></ul><p>You do not need to follow every fitness trend or every fitness guru.</p><p>Sometimes wisdom looks like simplifying your routine, staying consistent, and asking God for direction instead of chasing every viral method.</p><p>Consistency will always take you further than comparison.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2g1G!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fab8dd55e-857e-4c72-87d7-f2fb49b4764b_6016x4016.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2g1G!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fab8dd55e-857e-4c72-87d7-f2fb49b4764b_6016x4016.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2g1G!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fab8dd55e-857e-4c72-87d7-f2fb49b4764b_6016x4016.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2g1G!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fab8dd55e-857e-4c72-87d7-f2fb49b4764b_6016x4016.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2g1G!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fab8dd55e-857e-4c72-87d7-f2fb49b4764b_6016x4016.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2g1G!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fab8dd55e-857e-4c72-87d7-f2fb49b4764b_6016x4016.jpeg" width="6016" height="4016" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ab8dd55e-857e-4c72-87d7-f2fb49b4764b_6016x4016.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:4016,&quot;width&quot;:6016,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:2522353,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.girlsanthemmag.com/i/199533943?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F178f9a4e-08aa-4188-89b8-db4c3ce7e6b1_6016x4016.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2g1G!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fab8dd55e-857e-4c72-87d7-f2fb49b4764b_6016x4016.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2g1G!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fab8dd55e-857e-4c72-87d7-f2fb49b4764b_6016x4016.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2g1G!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fab8dd55e-857e-4c72-87d7-f2fb49b4764b_6016x4016.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2g1G!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fab8dd55e-857e-4c72-87d7-f2fb49b4764b_6016x4016.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Photo by Kampus Production</figcaption></figure></div><p><strong>3. Keep Showing Up &#8212; But Give Yourself Grace</strong></p><p>A healthy lifestyle should not feel like punishment.</p><p>Too many people approach fitness with guilt, shame, and extreme restriction. But sustainable health requires grace.</p><p>That may look like:</p><ul><li><p>Making small changes instead of drastic ones</p></li><li><p>Swapping out certain meals a few days a week</p></li><li><p>Eating cleaner most of the time without obsessing</p></li><li><p>Enjoying your favorite snacks in moderation without condemning yourself</p></li></ul><p>Perfection is not the goal.</p><p>Grace matters.</p><p>You can pursue health while still enjoying life. You can work out consistently while also being kind to yourself in the process.</p><p>And honestly, confidence does not come from reaching a certain size.</p><p>Real confidence comes from identity.</p><p>When you know who you are in Christ, you stop believing your worth is tied to a number on a scale. You stop needing external perfection to feel valuable.</p><p>You begin to show up fully as yourself &#8212; whether that means wearing makeup or not, dressing up or showing up naturally.</p><p>Confidence rooted in identity will always outlast confidence rooted in appearance.</p><p><strong>4. Ask God for Divine Strategy</strong></p><p>One of the most overlooked parts of health and fitness is inviting God into the process.</p><p>But why would we leave Him out of an area He understands better than anyone?</p><p>He created your body.<br>He knows your frame.<br>He knows what is healthy for you specifically.</p><p>Romans 12:1 reminds us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.</p><p>That means our health journey should be spiritual stewardship, not just aesthetic pursuit.</p><p>Instead of copying everyone else&#8217;s goals, ask God:</p><ul><li><p>What does health look like for <em>me</em>?</p></li><li><p>What habits should <em>I</em> focus on?</p></li><li><p>What is a healthy weight for <em>my</em> body?</p></li><li><p>What strategy works for the life You&#8217;ve called me to live?</p></li></ul><p>Not everyone is built the same.</p><p>Some people are naturally slim. Some people are naturally curvier. Some are naturally athletic. Some are naturally thicker-framed.</p><p>And there&#8217;s freedom in accepting how God designed you.</p><p>You may never have the frame of the women you see online &#8212; and that&#8217;s okay.</p><p>The goal is not to become someone else.<br>The goal is to steward yourself well.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img processing" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!GdPY!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6eb6518-083b-40df-b2fd-ebaddf2c669f_4000x5332.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!GdPY!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6eb6518-083b-40df-b2fd-ebaddf2c669f_4000x5332.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!GdPY!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6eb6518-083b-40df-b2fd-ebaddf2c669f_4000x5332.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!GdPY!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6eb6518-083b-40df-b2fd-ebaddf2c669f_4000x5332.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!GdPY!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6eb6518-083b-40df-b2fd-ebaddf2c669f_4000x5332.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!GdPY!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6eb6518-083b-40df-b2fd-ebaddf2c669f_4000x5332.jpeg" width="4000" height="5332" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/d6eb6518-083b-40df-b2fd-ebaddf2c669f_4000x5332.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:5332,&quot;width&quot;:4000,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:2922249,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.girlsanthemmag.com/i/199533943?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F12f6822e-ec91-4667-840a-bee0e1342801_4000x6000.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:true,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!GdPY!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6eb6518-083b-40df-b2fd-ebaddf2c669f_4000x5332.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!GdPY!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6eb6518-083b-40df-b2fd-ebaddf2c669f_4000x5332.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!GdPY!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6eb6518-083b-40df-b2fd-ebaddf2c669f_4000x5332.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!GdPY!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd6eb6518-083b-40df-b2fd-ebaddf2c669f_4000x5332.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Photo by Andres Ayrton</figcaption></figure></div><p><strong>Final Encouragement</strong></p><p>Your fitness journey does not have to mirror the world&#8217;s version of fitness.</p><p>As believers, our focus should not be obsession, vanity, or comparison.</p><p>Our focus should be:</p><ul><li><p>health</p></li><li><p>stewardship</p></li><li><p>discipline</p></li><li><p>grace</p></li><li><p>wisdom</p></li><li><p>and godliness</p></li></ul><p>Scripture says in 1 Timothy 4:8:</p><p>&#8220;For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things&#8230;&#8221;</p><p>Exercise matters. Health matters. Taking care of yourself matters.</p><p>But your identity, your purpose, and your eternal value matter more.</p><p>So keep showing up.<br>Keep honoring your body.<br>Keep giving yourself grace.<br>Keep asking God for wisdom.</p><p>And remember: just because your journey looks complicated doesn&#8217;t mean God isn&#8217;t working.</p><p>Did you check out our other article on why I learned to love my stomach bulge? You can check it out here: </p><p>https://www.girlsanthemmag.com/p/why-my-stomach-bulge-is-something</p><p><strong>Want to dive deeper? Join the Girls Anthem Library!</strong></p><p>If you are looking for a community that helps you honor God with your entertainment and daily life, we would love to welcome you into the <strong>Girls Anthem Library on Ream</strong>. As a member, you unlock my full catalog of Christian romance, unlimited 2025 magazine access, weekly devotionals, exclusive monthly short stories, and monthly Zoom meetups with me!*</p><p><em>*Please note: The library includes my independent catalog and does not include books published through Black Legacy Publishing or Kindle Unlimited titles.</em></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://reamstories.com/girlsanthemlibrary&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Join Ream Library&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://reamstories.com/girlsanthemlibrary"><span>Join Ream Library</span></a></p><div class="captioned-button-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.girlsanthemmag.com/p/what-it-means-to-work-out-for-god?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="CaptionedButtonToDOM"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Girls Anthem! This post is public so feel free to share it.</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.girlsanthemmag.com/p/what-it-means-to-work-out-for-god?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.girlsanthemmag.com/p/what-it-means-to-work-out-for-god?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.girlsanthemmag.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Girls Anthem! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why My Stomach Bulge is Something I’ve Grown to Love]]></title><description><![CDATA[You know what&#8217;s funny?]]></description><link>https://www.girlsanthemmag.com/p/why-my-stomach-bulge-is-something</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.girlsanthemmag.com/p/why-my-stomach-bulge-is-something</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mya Kay]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 08 Jun 2026 13:02:08 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_MCc!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F87af2dff-fde8-4171-b8df-2a7a4b2b9bad_4000x3532.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>You know what&#8217;s funny? I wasn&#8217;t even bothered by my stomach bulge until the last six years. It&#8217;s like once I stopped focusing on the number on the scale, the bulge became the only thing I could see. When I think of beauty and a woman taking care of herself, I believe our diet and weight should be factored in. What&#8217;s the point in finding out which beauty brands work best for your skin if you&#8217;re not taking care of your body?</p><p>I&#8217;ve spent the last six years trying to determine what&#8217;s going on with my stomach. As someone who has had an ectopic pregnancy at nineteen, I&#8217;m realizing that it&#8217;s more important for me to focus on health than numbers, but I can&#8217;t lie. Seeing that bulge can be discouraging. Especially when you know you&#8217;ve put in the work. <em><strong>Dove&#8217;s 2024 Beauty Report found that 68% of women still feel pressure to look slim or thin, and 64% feel pressure to have a small waist. The struggle is real, and it&#8217;s bigger than just us.</strong></em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_MCc!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F87af2dff-fde8-4171-b8df-2a7a4b2b9bad_4000x3532.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_MCc!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F87af2dff-fde8-4171-b8df-2a7a4b2b9bad_4000x3532.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_MCc!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F87af2dff-fde8-4171-b8df-2a7a4b2b9bad_4000x3532.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_MCc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F87af2dff-fde8-4171-b8df-2a7a4b2b9bad_4000x3532.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_MCc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F87af2dff-fde8-4171-b8df-2a7a4b2b9bad_4000x3532.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_MCc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F87af2dff-fde8-4171-b8df-2a7a4b2b9bad_4000x3532.jpeg" width="4000" height="3532" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/87af2dff-fde8-4171-b8df-2a7a4b2b9bad_4000x3532.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:3532,&quot;width&quot;:4000,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:1502831,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.girlsanthemmag.com/i/199533014?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff348a795-7bf7-4259-a1eb-7eb0b681a560_4000x6000.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_MCc!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F87af2dff-fde8-4171-b8df-2a7a4b2b9bad_4000x3532.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_MCc!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F87af2dff-fde8-4171-b8df-2a7a4b2b9bad_4000x3532.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_MCc!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F87af2dff-fde8-4171-b8df-2a7a4b2b9bad_4000x3532.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_MCc!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F87af2dff-fde8-4171-b8df-2a7a4b2b9bad_4000x3532.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Photo by Mizuno K</figcaption></figure></div><p>So, I wanted to encourage my sisters in Christ out there who feel like their workouts don&#8217;t matter much since the number on the scale stays the same, and they still can&#8217;t wear a dress without Spanx. I wanted to share some of my personal journey as it pertains to why I focus on health and fitness as a part of my beauty routine, and how learning to love my bulge has made me feel more beautiful.</p><p>1. I eat healthy, 3 meals a day, with healthy snacking in between. My baseline is good. While I do snack on chips, Chick A Boom popcorn, and a slice of cake from time to time, for the most part, I&#8217;m about 85-90% clean eating. From my breakfast to my snacks, I don&#8217;t eat processed foods, I make sure I&#8217;m getting my vitamins from food (not just supplements), and I drink nothing but water. I can only control my diet. I&#8217;ve come to embrace something very valuable: As long as my internal reflects my efforts, I can&#8217;t worry about the other stuff. Sure, I&#8217;d love to wear a dress without worrying about which Spanx brand is best, but I don&#8217;t trip over it because I know I do the work.</p><p>2. I work out 3-4 times a week. I do GrowwithJo and combine that with walking when able. Even Jo&#8217;s 10-minute workouts can kick your butt, so trust me when I tell you, between resistance training, walking, and other HIIT workouts she offers, I am consistent, and I sweat. I can&#8217;t let the fact that my core doesn&#8217;t look like hers, or anyone else&#8217;s, for that matter, stress me out. I try to work out at least 30 minutes per day, with at least two days of walking if possible.</p><p>3. I am confident in what people don&#8217;t see. I&#8217;ve heard it all my life, &#8220;Girl, if I could just have your confidence.&#8221; The truth is, I don&#8217;t always feel confident; however, I am confident in what people don&#8217;t see. I know I&#8217;m kind, loving, and loyal. I know that I&#8217;m healthy, mind, body, and spirit. This helps me to be confident all around. The things people can&#8217;t see &#8211; my heart, my mind, my spirit, and my soul &#8211; are what I&#8217;m confident in. I remember when I did a virtual mother/daughter tea in 2020. The young lady who was the guest speaker for Gen Z texted me to go over particulars. When everything was situated, she called me. I asked her if everything was okay, and she said, &#8220;Yes. I just wanted to hear your voice.&#8221; I was confused but didn&#8217;t mind. After the call, what God dropped in my spirit blessed me. He said, &#8220;Mya, your presence is soothing to people. Own that.&#8221; It wasn&#8217;t about cockiness; it was Him reminding me that what I needed to invest in the most was my spirit. Looks may draw someone in, but the spirit keeps them around. This applies to love and friendship.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!59ev!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F178befc6-471d-444b-aae9-cabf185b6ca6_4000x4664.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!59ev!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F178befc6-471d-444b-aae9-cabf185b6ca6_4000x4664.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!59ev!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F178befc6-471d-444b-aae9-cabf185b6ca6_4000x4664.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!59ev!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F178befc6-471d-444b-aae9-cabf185b6ca6_4000x4664.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!59ev!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F178befc6-471d-444b-aae9-cabf185b6ca6_4000x4664.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!59ev!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F178befc6-471d-444b-aae9-cabf185b6ca6_4000x4664.jpeg" width="4000" height="4664" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/178befc6-471d-444b-aae9-cabf185b6ca6_4000x4664.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:4664,&quot;width&quot;:4000,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:4187395,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.girlsanthemmag.com/i/199533014?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F922cc314-4cd3-404e-92b8-498743a28fcd_4000x6000.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!59ev!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F178befc6-471d-444b-aae9-cabf185b6ca6_4000x4664.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!59ev!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F178befc6-471d-444b-aae9-cabf185b6ca6_4000x4664.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!59ev!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F178befc6-471d-444b-aae9-cabf185b6ca6_4000x4664.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!59ev!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F178befc6-471d-444b-aae9-cabf185b6ca6_4000x4664.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Photo by Mizuno K</figcaption></figure></div><p>For me, if I know I&#8217;m stewarding my body well, I can&#8217;t get caught up in what my stomach looks like. I know I have clean gut health because I take care of my body. I take supplements as guided by the Holy Spirit, and I make sure I&#8217;m getting my yearly physical. When that bloodwork comes back clean, I know I&#8217;m doing something right. I also take into consideration that perimenopause affects Black women very heavily. The cortisol and stress levels of dealing with that as a forty-one-year-old woman alone can be a lot. I keep the stress down and take care of what I can control.</p><p>Even with all the videos and articles about how to fix a hormonal belly, I&#8217;ve tried it all (with wisdom). I eat what they suggest, which is already a part of my diet in most cases, and I do the workouts. This is why I&#8217;ve rested in the fact that as long as my weight is the number God gave me (ask Him for yours), I&#8217;m at peace.</p><p>And for my single ladies? God has already assured me that my future hubby will love me just the way I am. I encourage you to embrace that truth for yourself as well.</p><p>What are some of the things you&#8217;ve struggled with when it comes to this area of your life? How are you going to embrace your bulge from here on out?</p><p><em><strong>June Update: As of the publishing of this post, I am doing intermittent fasting. I eat two meals a day, both with a protein and two vegetables (or I do a huge salad with tuna/shrimp as one meal) between 12 and 8 pm. I&#8217;m enjoying it a lot. I still do my workouts 3-4 days a week. </strong></em></p><p><strong>Want to dive deeper? Join the Girls Anthem Library!</strong></p><p>If you are looking for a community that helps you honor God with your entertainment and daily life, we would love to welcome you into the <strong>Girls Anthem Library on Ream</strong>. As a member, you unlock my full catalog of Christian romance, unlimited 2025 magazine access, weekly devotionals, exclusive monthly short stories, and monthly Zoom meetups with me!*</p><p><em>*Please note: The library includes my independent catalog and does not include books published through Black Legacy Publishing or Kindle Unlimited titles.</em></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://reamstories.com/girlsanthemlibrary&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Join Ream Library&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://reamstories.com/girlsanthemlibrary"><span>Join Ream Library</span></a></p><div><hr></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.girlsanthemmag.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Girls Anthem! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Quick Favor — 5 Minutes of Your Time 💅🏽]]></title><description><![CDATA[Hey Ladies!]]></description><link>https://www.girlsanthemmag.com/p/quick-favor-5-minutes-of-your-time</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.girlsanthemmag.com/p/quick-favor-5-minutes-of-your-time</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mya Kay]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 15 May 2026 17:09:53 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Hcl7!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe9e8b780-cb85-4811-94c6-c40dcc0275b6_500x500.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hey Ladies! </p><p>I&#8217;m working on something new, and I&#8217;d love your input. I&#8217;m in the early stages of launching a nail brand rooted in one thing &#8212; healthy nails first, beautiful color second.</p><p>Before I go any further, I want to make sure I&#8217;m building something that actually serves women like you. That&#8217;s where this quick survey comes in. It covers nail habits, salon experiences, and thoughts on nail health and treatments. </p><p>It takes less than 5 minutes and means the world to me.</p><p><a href="https://forms.gle/fNvaPgreu4q6gMNk7">https://forms.gle/fNvaPgreu4q6gMNk7</a></p><p>Thank you for always showing up for me. It doesn&#8217;t go unnoticed. &#129655;</p><p>Mya Kay</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.girlsanthemmag.com/p/quick-favor-5-minutes-of-your-time?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.girlsanthemmag.com/p/quick-favor-5-minutes-of-your-time?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Trust Issues: Letting Go and Letting God as a Wife and Mother]]></title><description><![CDATA[Trusting God sounds cute and holy&#8230; until your whole house is falling apart.]]></description><link>https://www.girlsanthemmag.com/p/trust-issues-letting-go-and-letting</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.girlsanthemmag.com/p/trust-issues-letting-go-and-letting</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mya Kay]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 28 Jul 2025 14:43:58 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZvgQ!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5c156028-5ede-4e41-8433-3d9d4a2d4514_5557x3878.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Trusting God sounds cute and holy&#8230; until your whole house is falling apart. Let&#8217;s be honest: when everything feels like it&#8217;s unraveling, phrases like &#8220;Just trust God&#8221; can feel dismissive and even patronizing. The truth? There&#8217;s a real tension in being a wife and mother, and it often stems from our deep desire to control. We want to fix it, manage it, protect it, and force outcomes that feel &#8220;safe.&#8221;</p><p>It&#8217;s not just a personality trait, it&#8217;s a pattern. Studies show that women still take the lead in day-to-day parenting and household management, and that mental load can feel overwhelming <strong>(Source: <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2023/01/24/gender-and-parenting/">https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2023/01/24/gender-and-parenting/</a>).</strong></p><p>But what if the pressure you&#8217;re under isn&#8217;t just about responsibility? What if it&#8217;s about trust?</p><p>This article is for the woman doing all the things but still feels like she&#8217;s drowning because she forgot who&#8217;s really in control.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZvgQ!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5c156028-5ede-4e41-8433-3d9d4a2d4514_5557x3878.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZvgQ!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5c156028-5ede-4e41-8433-3d9d4a2d4514_5557x3878.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZvgQ!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5c156028-5ede-4e41-8433-3d9d4a2d4514_5557x3878.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZvgQ!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5c156028-5ede-4e41-8433-3d9d4a2d4514_5557x3878.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZvgQ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5c156028-5ede-4e41-8433-3d9d4a2d4514_5557x3878.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZvgQ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5c156028-5ede-4e41-8433-3d9d4a2d4514_5557x3878.jpeg" width="1456" height="1016" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/5c156028-5ede-4e41-8433-3d9d4a2d4514_5557x3878.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1016,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:2442360,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://writermya.substack.com/i/166904139?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5c156028-5ede-4e41-8433-3d9d4a2d4514_5557x3878.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZvgQ!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5c156028-5ede-4e41-8433-3d9d4a2d4514_5557x3878.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZvgQ!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5c156028-5ede-4e41-8433-3d9d4a2d4514_5557x3878.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZvgQ!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5c156028-5ede-4e41-8433-3d9d4a2d4514_5557x3878.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZvgQ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5c156028-5ede-4e41-8433-3d9d4a2d4514_5557x3878.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Photo By Ketut Subiyanto</figcaption></figure></div><p><em><strong>1. The Sarah Syndrome: When You Create a Counterfeit</strong></em></p><p>In Genesis 16, we meet Sarai&#8212;tired, discouraged, and desperate. She had a promise from God, but because it wasn&#8217;t happening fast enough, she took matters into her own hands. She handed her maid Hagar over to her husband in an attempt to &#8220;help God out.&#8221; But instead of progress, she created pain. Sarai later regretted it deeply, saying, &#8220;My wrong be upon you!&#8221; (Genesis 16:5).</p><p><strong>Sisters, don&#8217;t birth an Ishmael when God already promised you an Isaac. </strong>Creating your own solution might feel strategic in the moment, but it often brings more chaos than clarity. Don&#8217;t reroute your family&#8217;s destiny because you&#8217;re tired of waiting. God doesn&#8217;t need a shortcut, He desires your surrender. And surrender always leads to His best.</p><p><strong>Side note:</strong> If you're considering a decision like surrogacy, IVF, or anything life-altering, make sure it&#8217;s God-led, not fear-driven. Just because modern options exist doesn&#8217;t mean they&#8217;re part of your faith journey. Seek Him first.</p><p><em><strong>2. Surrendering in Storms: Intentional Trust</strong></em></p><p>Surrender isn&#8217;t passive, it&#8217;s intentional.</p><p>It means letting go of outcomes, timelines, and control, and saying: &#8220;God, have Your way in Your time, without my interference.&#8221; That doesn&#8217;t mean you do nothing; it means you don&#8217;t do more than He asked.</p><p>Maybe He told you to prepare for motherhood, but not pursue IVF. Maybe He&#8217;s calling you to stop repeating that same issue with your husband, even though you&#8217;re right.</p><p><em><strong>Surrender says: Even when this doesn&#8217;t make sense, I will still obey.</strong></em></p><p>This kind of trust goes beyond quoting scripture. It means praying without plotting. It&#8217;s refusing to bring your own solution to God and asking Him to rubber-stamp it. He&#8217;s not trying to just fix your situation. He&#8217;s trying to form your character.</p><p>Letting go isn&#8217;t weakness. It&#8217;s worship.</p><p><em><strong>3. Your Husband Is Not Your Assignment</strong></em></p><p>Yes, your marriage is an assignment but your husband is not. There&#8217;s a big difference between praying for him and trying to spiritually parent him. He is God&#8217;s son before he is your spouse. Your role is to intercede, not control. You&#8217;re not his Holy Spirit.</p><p>1 Peter 3:1-2 reminds us: &#8220;&#8230;that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives.&#8221;</p><p><strong>&#8220;Without a word.&#8221;</strong></p><p><strong>&#8220;By your conduct.&#8221;</strong></p><p>That means silence and example speak louder than sermons. Stop trying to project-manage your man&#8217;s spiritual walk. Release him. God is fully capable of leading him and your job is to trust God to do just that.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ixKJ!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6592dced-6488-42fe-a654-0b84bb101f22_4000x4490.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ixKJ!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6592dced-6488-42fe-a654-0b84bb101f22_4000x4490.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ixKJ!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6592dced-6488-42fe-a654-0b84bb101f22_4000x4490.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ixKJ!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6592dced-6488-42fe-a654-0b84bb101f22_4000x4490.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ixKJ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6592dced-6488-42fe-a654-0b84bb101f22_4000x4490.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ixKJ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6592dced-6488-42fe-a654-0b84bb101f22_4000x4490.jpeg" width="4000" height="4490" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/6592dced-6488-42fe-a654-0b84bb101f22_4000x4490.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:4490,&quot;width&quot;:4000,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:1963061,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://writermya.substack.com/i/166904139?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F70619723-a10c-4bab-a1cd-24757c7949e1_4000x6000.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ixKJ!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6592dced-6488-42fe-a654-0b84bb101f22_4000x4490.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ixKJ!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6592dced-6488-42fe-a654-0b84bb101f22_4000x4490.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ixKJ!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6592dced-6488-42fe-a654-0b84bb101f22_4000x4490.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ixKJ!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6592dced-6488-42fe-a654-0b84bb101f22_4000x4490.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Photo by Kelvin Octa</figcaption></figure></div><p><em><strong>4. Trusting God With Your Children</strong></em></p><p>We often hold on to our children out of guilt, fear, or regret. But Proverbs 22:6 reminds us:</p><p>&#8220;Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.&#8221;</p><p>You&#8217;ve trained them. Now trust Him.</p><p>They may be in a rebellious season right now, but the seed of truth has been planted. Let that seed grow in God's timing. And if you&#8217;ve made mistakes as a mom (we all have), know that your latter years are still fertile ground for healing and correction.</p><p>You can&#8217;t protect your children from their testimony. That&#8217;s a hard truth, but a freeing one. God will use even the detours to lead them home. Remember&#8212;He knows every twist in their journey, and His hands are large enough to hold what yours can&#8217;t.</p><p><strong>5. When Motherhood or Marriage Becomes an Idol</strong></p><p>Sometimes, our trust issues are rooted in identity confusion. We&#8217;ve made being a wife or being a mom our whole identity. But you&#8217;re not your roles&#8212;you&#8217;re God&#8217;s daughter first.</p><p>When those roles become your source of worth, you&#8217;ll spiral every time something goes wrong, but God&#8217;s not measuring your value by how &#8220;perfectly&#8221; your family runs. He wants your heart back.</p><p>And yes, He may be allowing the current storm to draw you closer. Not to punish, but to restore your perspective. God can&#8217;t be your anchor if you&#8217;re still holding the rope.</p><p><strong>6. When God Doesn&#8217;t Answer the Way You Hoped</strong></p><p>You prayed. You fasted. You trusted&#8212;and it <em>still</em> didn&#8217;t work out.</p><p>That hurts. Sometimes, the job doesn&#8217;t come through. The healing doesn&#8217;t happen. The dream doesn&#8217;t unfold like you envisioned.</p><p>But just because it didn&#8217;t go your way doesn&#8217;t mean it didn&#8217;t go <em>His</em> way.</p><p>God isn&#8217;t always after the option that feels good. He&#8217;s after the one that produces righteousness and generational fruit. Maybe your child won&#8217;t be the football star&#8212;but he&#8217;ll be a leader in another space. Maybe that degree won&#8217;t come but the home business He gives you will bring greater impact and flexibility. Your hopeful ending may not look how you expected, but it&#8217;s still on the horizon.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Efzb!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F082437b1-2451-4b4e-b014-794b84a59e1c_3739x4216.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Efzb!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F082437b1-2451-4b4e-b014-794b84a59e1c_3739x4216.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Efzb!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F082437b1-2451-4b4e-b014-794b84a59e1c_3739x4216.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Efzb!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F082437b1-2451-4b4e-b014-794b84a59e1c_3739x4216.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Efzb!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F082437b1-2451-4b4e-b014-794b84a59e1c_3739x4216.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Efzb!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F082437b1-2451-4b4e-b014-794b84a59e1c_3739x4216.jpeg" width="3739" height="4216" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/082437b1-2451-4b4e-b014-794b84a59e1c_3739x4216.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:4216,&quot;width&quot;:3739,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:2295434,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://writermya.substack.com/i/166904139?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1060b606-74ab-4bac-96b9-bdf4db4788ee_3744x5617.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Efzb!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F082437b1-2451-4b4e-b014-794b84a59e1c_3739x4216.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Efzb!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F082437b1-2451-4b4e-b014-794b84a59e1c_3739x4216.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Efzb!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F082437b1-2451-4b4e-b014-794b84a59e1c_3739x4216.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Efzb!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F082437b1-2451-4b4e-b014-794b84a59e1c_3739x4216.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Photo by Elly Fairytale</figcaption></figure></div><p><strong>Conclusion: Lay Down Control. Pick Up Peace.</strong></p><p>Recently, I was frustrated about a promise I&#8217;ve been waiting on, one I didn&#8217;t even ask for. God let me vent&#8230; then He gave me a tool: create biblical affirmations and speak them when I feel anxious.</p><p>Now, instead of spiraling, I speak His Word back to Him. And then? I move on with peace. You were never meant to carry the full weight of your family. God had a plan for them before you ever gave birth or said &#8220;I do.&#8221; Let Him finish what He started.</p><p>Trust is a daily choice&#8212;and peace is its reward.</p><p><em><strong>Prayer: Letting Go, Picking Up Peace</strong></em></p><p><em><strong>Father, in Jesus&#8217; name&#8230;</strong></em></p><p>I surrender every piece of control I&#8217;ve tried to hold onto, especially the promises I didn&#8217;t even ask for, but I&#8217;ve been faithfully waiting on. Help me release the weight and pick up Your peace. You see what I can&#8217;t. You know what I don&#8217;t. You&#8217;re working&#8212;even in the silence.</p><p>I trust You with my family, my future, and my faith walk. When trust feels risky, remind me who I&#8217;m trusting. Teach me to wait well, not with worry, but with worship. Remind me that I don&#8217;t need to know how or when, I just need to know You. Help me model trust for my children. Give me wisdom to lead them through seasons that don&#8217;t make sense. I may not control the outcome, but I choose peace. Every single time.</p><p><em><strong>In Jesus Name, Amen.</strong></em></p><h4>4 Biblical Affirmations for Letting Go of Control &amp; Picking Up Peace</h4><ul><li><p>God&#8217;s promises are still true&#8212;even when I can&#8217;t see progress.</p></li></ul><p>"For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen..." &#8212; 2 Corinthians 1:20</p><ul><li><p>I will not pick up what I already gave to God.</p></li></ul><p>"Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you..." &#8212; Psalm 55:22</p><ul><li><p> I trust God in the waiting, and I won&#8217;t let frustration lead me.</p></li></ul><p>"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him..." &#8212; Psalm 37:7</p><ul><li><p>My peace is protected when I choose to trust instead of control.</p></li></ul><p>"You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You." &#8212; Isaiah 26:3</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iqzM!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3cbadb4f-fb94-4019-ba1b-b23c9e5e4178_1080x1446.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iqzM!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3cbadb4f-fb94-4019-ba1b-b23c9e5e4178_1080x1446.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iqzM!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3cbadb4f-fb94-4019-ba1b-b23c9e5e4178_1080x1446.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iqzM!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3cbadb4f-fb94-4019-ba1b-b23c9e5e4178_1080x1446.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iqzM!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3cbadb4f-fb94-4019-ba1b-b23c9e5e4178_1080x1446.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iqzM!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3cbadb4f-fb94-4019-ba1b-b23c9e5e4178_1080x1446.jpeg" width="1080" height="1446" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/3cbadb4f-fb94-4019-ba1b-b23c9e5e4178_1080x1446.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1446,&quot;width&quot;:1080,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:191160,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;3 women in black t-shirt and blue denim jeans&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="3 women in black t-shirt and blue denim jeans" title="3 women in black t-shirt and blue denim jeans" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iqzM!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3cbadb4f-fb94-4019-ba1b-b23c9e5e4178_1080x1446.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iqzM!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3cbadb4f-fb94-4019-ba1b-b23c9e5e4178_1080x1446.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iqzM!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3cbadb4f-fb94-4019-ba1b-b23c9e5e4178_1080x1446.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iqzM!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3cbadb4f-fb94-4019-ba1b-b23c9e5e4178_1080x1446.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Photo by <a>My Networking Apparel</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com">Unsplash</a></figcaption></figure></div><p><strong>Want to dive deeper? Join the Girls Anthem Library!</strong></p><p>If you are looking for a community that helps you honor God with your entertainment and daily life, we would love to welcome you into the <strong>Girls Anthem Library on Ream</strong>. As a member, you unlock my full catalog of Christian romance novels, unlimited 2025 magazine access, weekly devotionals, exclusive monthly short stories, and monthly Zoom meetups with me!*</p><p><em>*Please note: The library includes my independent catalog and does not include books published through Black Legacy Publishing or Kindle Unlimited titles.</em></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://reamstories.com/girlsanthemlibrary&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Join Ream Library&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://reamstories.com/girlsanthemlibrary"><span>Join Ream Library</span></a></p><div><hr></div><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.girlsanthemmag.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading Girls Anthem! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Womb Ready: Preparing for the Promise Before the Ring]]></title><description><![CDATA[Because motherhood starts with faith, not a due date]]></description><link>https://www.girlsanthemmag.com/p/womb-ready-preparing-for-the-promise</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.girlsanthemmag.com/p/womb-ready-preparing-for-the-promise</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mya Kay]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 16 Jul 2025 04:39:19 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RA7W!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F43cda816-a614-4f5d-ba88-35366f01ad1d_6240x4160.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Note: This is a reprint from our August 2025 magazine issue. </em></p><p>A month ago, I started reading <em>9 Months is Not Enough: The Ultimate Pre-pregnancy Checklist to Create a Baby-Ready Body and Build Generational Health </em>by Alexandria DeVito. In it, she shatters myths surrounding fertility and provides practical strategies to prepare your body for pregnancy, before you even start trying to conceive. Biblically, this reminded me how deeply God values preparation (Proverbs 24:27) and the importance of stewarding our bodies well (1 Corinthians 6:19&#8211;20). As I read, I was encouraged to see that while I&#8217;m still waiting on my kingdom husband, I&#8217;ve already been on the right path toward preparing my body for pregnancy. That stirred something in me&#8212;not just for myself, but for you.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RA7W!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F43cda816-a614-4f5d-ba88-35366f01ad1d_6240x4160.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RA7W!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F43cda816-a614-4f5d-ba88-35366f01ad1d_6240x4160.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RA7W!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F43cda816-a614-4f5d-ba88-35366f01ad1d_6240x4160.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RA7W!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F43cda816-a614-4f5d-ba88-35366f01ad1d_6240x4160.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RA7W!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F43cda816-a614-4f5d-ba88-35366f01ad1d_6240x4160.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RA7W!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F43cda816-a614-4f5d-ba88-35366f01ad1d_6240x4160.jpeg" width="1456" height="971" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/43cda816-a614-4f5d-ba88-35366f01ad1d_6240x4160.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:971,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:2184812,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://writermya.substack.com/i/166898594?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F43cda816-a614-4f5d-ba88-35366f01ad1d_6240x4160.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RA7W!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F43cda816-a614-4f5d-ba88-35366f01ad1d_6240x4160.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RA7W!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F43cda816-a614-4f5d-ba88-35366f01ad1d_6240x4160.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RA7W!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F43cda816-a614-4f5d-ba88-35366f01ad1d_6240x4160.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!RA7W!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F43cda816-a614-4f5d-ba88-35366f01ad1d_6240x4160.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Photo by Cottonbro Studio</figcaption></figure></div><p>Some of you may be wrestling with infertility. Some of you are simply wondering: How can I best prepare now so that I&#8217;m partnering with God before, during, and after pregnancy? Either way, I&#8217;m honored to hold space for this conversation. Because just like the subtitle says&#8212;motherhood starts with faith, not a due date.</p><p>If children aren&#8217;t your desire or this isn&#8217;t your personal battle, that&#8217;s okay. I invite you to pass this along to a sister who needs the encouragement. Let&#8217;s get into it.</p><p><em><strong>The Truth About Fertility</strong></em></p><p>What I appreciate most about DeVito&#8217;s book is how she breaks down the science. In Chapter 3 (page 66 in the eBook), she offers a simple but powerful equation for conception:</p><p><em>Good egg + good sperm + proper timing + optimal environment (uterus)</em></p><p>She also emphasizes a key point: <strong>Fertility is a barometer of your overall health.</strong> While age matters, your biological age (cellular health) carries more weight than your chronological age (how many birthdays you've had). That distinction changed everything for me.</p><p><em><strong>What God Gave Me for the Waiting Woman</strong></em></p><p>Your womb is a vessel, not an afterthought. And while prayer is essential, preparation is equally necessary. Too often, women wait until they&#8217;re trying to conceive to start taking vitamins, eating better, or getting more active. But did you know that healthy habits before pregnancy can reduce the risk of complications like gestational diabetes, preterm birth, and hypertension? <em><strong>(Source: <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9182711/">https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9182711/</a>)</strong></em></p><p>This matters. Why? Because how we treat our bodies over time directly impacts our reproductive health. The goal isn&#8217;t just conception; it&#8217;s to conceive in health.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WO_C!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc444b79b-14b2-4bc5-a0ad-7ce2f71881a5_2832x4240.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WO_C!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc444b79b-14b2-4bc5-a0ad-7ce2f71881a5_2832x4240.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WO_C!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc444b79b-14b2-4bc5-a0ad-7ce2f71881a5_2832x4240.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WO_C!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc444b79b-14b2-4bc5-a0ad-7ce2f71881a5_2832x4240.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WO_C!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc444b79b-14b2-4bc5-a0ad-7ce2f71881a5_2832x4240.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WO_C!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc444b79b-14b2-4bc5-a0ad-7ce2f71881a5_2832x4240.jpeg" width="1456" height="2180" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/c444b79b-14b2-4bc5-a0ad-7ce2f71881a5_2832x4240.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:2180,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:1771568,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://writermya.substack.com/i/166898594?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc444b79b-14b2-4bc5-a0ad-7ce2f71881a5_2832x4240.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WO_C!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc444b79b-14b2-4bc5-a0ad-7ce2f71881a5_2832x4240.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WO_C!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc444b79b-14b2-4bc5-a0ad-7ce2f71881a5_2832x4240.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WO_C!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc444b79b-14b2-4bc5-a0ad-7ce2f71881a5_2832x4240.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WO_C!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc444b79b-14b2-4bc5-a0ad-7ce2f71881a5_2832x4240.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Photo by Rovshan Nazirli</figcaption></figure></div><h2>For the waiting woman...</h2><p><em><strong>Break Generational Shame and Silence</strong></em></p><p>As a woman of color, I grew up in a household where topics like miscarriage, infertility, or reproductive health were rarely discussed. If someone got pregnant, we heard about it, but deeper conversations were few and far between. At 19, I had an ectopic pregnancy and lost a fallopian tube. I&#8217;ll never forget my OB/GYN, a Black woman, telling me I had a 50% chance of it happening again. No encouragement. No next steps. Just the facts.</p><p>Here&#8217;s what I&#8217;ve learned: <strong>You only need one healthy fallopian tube to get pregnant.</strong> And more importantly, you need faith, wisdom, and information. We get to break the silence in our families, and we get to advocate for ourselves and others.</p><p><em><strong>Preparing Starts in the Spirit</strong></em></p><p>Don&#8217;t wait to believe. Preparing your womb starts with <em>faith</em>. Prayer is the most important tool in your hands. I encourage you to fast and pray specifically for this area, long before your spouse enters the picture. If you're courting or engaged, grab this book or something similar. God is practical. He gives wisdom for the <em>how</em>, not just the <em>when</em>. Even if marriage feels far away, God honors faith in the &#8220;not yet.&#8221; Faith isn&#8217;t passive. Start speaking God&#8217;s Word over your womb <em>now</em>.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aiuq!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5ee86e76-aa76-4f9c-aa48-ef671616d887_6240x4160.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aiuq!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5ee86e76-aa76-4f9c-aa48-ef671616d887_6240x4160.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aiuq!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5ee86e76-aa76-4f9c-aa48-ef671616d887_6240x4160.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aiuq!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5ee86e76-aa76-4f9c-aa48-ef671616d887_6240x4160.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aiuq!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5ee86e76-aa76-4f9c-aa48-ef671616d887_6240x4160.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aiuq!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5ee86e76-aa76-4f9c-aa48-ef671616d887_6240x4160.jpeg" width="1456" height="971" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/5ee86e76-aa76-4f9c-aa48-ef671616d887_6240x4160.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:971,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:3847399,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://writermya.substack.com/i/166898594?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5ee86e76-aa76-4f9c-aa48-ef671616d887_6240x4160.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aiuq!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5ee86e76-aa76-4f9c-aa48-ef671616d887_6240x4160.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aiuq!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5ee86e76-aa76-4f9c-aa48-ef671616d887_6240x4160.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aiuq!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5ee86e76-aa76-4f9c-aa48-ef671616d887_6240x4160.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aiuq!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5ee86e76-aa76-4f9c-aa48-ef671616d887_6240x4160.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich (Pexels)</figcaption></figure></div><p><em><strong>Healing Is Holistic: Physical + Emotional</strong></em></p><p>Five years ago, I stopped accepting the narrative that one fallopian tube equals infertility. Our wombs may carry trauma, but they also carry promise. Healing is possible, physically and emotionally.</p><p>Because I battled depression and schizophrenia for years, I had to heal my full ecosystem before welcoming a child. Emotional healing meant confronting the roots of unforgiveness, anxiety, and past sexual wounds.</p><p>Ask God for a strategy. He&#8217;ll reveal what generational lies you&#8217;ve unknowingly agreed with and help you break them.</p><p><em><strong>Build a Lifestyle That Honors Motherhood Now</strong></em></p><p>Whether you&#8217;re believing God for your first child or healing after miscarriage, I encourage you to build a lifestyle now that reflects the mother you hope to become. That includes rest, healthy eating, managing stress, and examining your upbringing. Ask yourself: Are there childhood wounds I&#8217;ve carried into adulthood? What patterns do I want to break?</p><p>For me, I used to believe kids shouldn&#8217;t have opinions. That came from being told to &#8220;sit down and shut up&#8221; as a child. I now know: <em>Children are allowed to have voices.</em> Of course, there&#8217;s a time and a place, but their opinions matter, especially in situations involving abuse or trauma.</p><p><em><strong>Surround Yourself with Faith-Filled Voices</strong></em></p><p>Find people who are in your boat and people who have overcome. Testimonies from women who&#8217;ve faced fertility battles are powerful, but so are relationships with sisters who are preparing right alongside you.</p><p>One of my friends is also waiting for her husband. We share pre-conception tips, encourage one another, and pray together. When my cycle got irregular, God showed her, in prayer, that I needed to add zinc and folic acid. I obeyed, and my body responded. This is why community matters.</p><p>And one last thing: Stop calling yourself infertile. Even if a doctor said it. Even if a chart says it. Speak the opposite: <em>I am fertile. My womb is blessed. In God&#8217;s timing, I will carry.</em></p><p><em><strong>Important Insight from the Book</strong></em></p><p>Here&#8217;s what <em>9 Months is Not Enough</em> shares about hormonal birth control and fertility:</p><ul><li><p>Nutrient Depletion: Birth control drains your body of vitamins essential for fertility, like B2, B6, B12, magnesium, and zinc.</p></li><li><p>Gut Disruption: It alters the gut microbiome, which affects hormone regulation and immune health.</p></li><li><p>Hidden Imbalances: It can mask hormonal issues instead of healing them, often acting like a band-aid instead of a solution.</p></li></ul><p>This isn&#8217;t to scare you&#8212;but to inform you. Too many doctors give us just enough to manage symptoms instead of helping us heal, but we&#8217;re not just any women; we are daughters of the Most High God. We don&#8217;t settle for symptom management; we pursue wholeness.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!u770!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b291844-46b6-4e50-a1c9-001e468e05c4_4160x6240.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!u770!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b291844-46b6-4e50-a1c9-001e468e05c4_4160x6240.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!u770!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b291844-46b6-4e50-a1c9-001e468e05c4_4160x6240.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!u770!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b291844-46b6-4e50-a1c9-001e468e05c4_4160x6240.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!u770!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b291844-46b6-4e50-a1c9-001e468e05c4_4160x6240.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!u770!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b291844-46b6-4e50-a1c9-001e468e05c4_4160x6240.jpeg" width="1456" height="2184" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/5b291844-46b6-4e50-a1c9-001e468e05c4_4160x6240.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:2184,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:2082653,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://writermya.substack.com/i/166898594?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b291844-46b6-4e50-a1c9-001e468e05c4_4160x6240.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!u770!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b291844-46b6-4e50-a1c9-001e468e05c4_4160x6240.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!u770!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b291844-46b6-4e50-a1c9-001e468e05c4_4160x6240.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!u770!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b291844-46b6-4e50-a1c9-001e468e05c4_4160x6240.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!u770!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5b291844-46b6-4e50-a1c9-001e468e05c4_4160x6240.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Photo by Cottonbro Studio</figcaption></figure></div><h3><strong>Conclusion:</strong> <em><strong>Steward the Season Before the Seed</strong></em></h3><p>Yes, I recommend the book. But more than that, I recommend taking care of your health now. Don&#8217;t wait. Your future children are worth the preparation.</p><p>And let&#8217;s be clear, this isn&#8217;t just a woman&#8217;s responsibility. Men matter, too. Their sperm quality, diet, and stress levels all affect fertility. Clean eating, movement, and supplements aren&#8217;t &#8220;women&#8217;s work&#8221;, they&#8217;re teamwork.</p><p>Preparing for parenthood doesn&#8217;t start at the baby shower. It starts with stewardship, discipline, and obedience. The goal isn&#8217;t just to have a baby. The goal is to conceive in health, in peace, and in alignment with God&#8217;s timing.</p><p><em><strong>Fertility Scriptures to Meditate On</strong></em></p><p><strong>Exodus 23:26</strong> &#8211; &#8220;No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days.&#8221;</p><p><strong>1 Samuel 1:27</strong> &#8211; &#8220;I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him.&#8221;</p><p><strong>Genesis 21:1-2</strong> &#8211; &#8220;Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah&#8230; and Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age.&#8221;</p><p>I<strong>saiah 54:1</strong> &#8211; &#8220;Sing, O barren woman, you who never bore a child&#8230; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.&#8221;</p><p><strong>Luke 1:36-37</strong> &#8211; &#8220;Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age&#8230; For nothing is impossible with God.&#8221;</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pUwh!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd02b5c2a-d184-4a60-8fb3-0c0dafbe8480_4087x6131.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pUwh!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd02b5c2a-d184-4a60-8fb3-0c0dafbe8480_4087x6131.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pUwh!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd02b5c2a-d184-4a60-8fb3-0c0dafbe8480_4087x6131.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pUwh!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd02b5c2a-d184-4a60-8fb3-0c0dafbe8480_4087x6131.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pUwh!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd02b5c2a-d184-4a60-8fb3-0c0dafbe8480_4087x6131.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pUwh!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd02b5c2a-d184-4a60-8fb3-0c0dafbe8480_4087x6131.jpeg" width="1456" height="2184" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pUwh!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd02b5c2a-d184-4a60-8fb3-0c0dafbe8480_4087x6131.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pUwh!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd02b5c2a-d184-4a60-8fb3-0c0dafbe8480_4087x6131.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pUwh!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd02b5c2a-d184-4a60-8fb3-0c0dafbe8480_4087x6131.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!pUwh!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd02b5c2a-d184-4a60-8fb3-0c0dafbe8480_4087x6131.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg aria-hidden="true" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich (Pexels)</figcaption></figure></div><p><strong>Want to dive deeper? Join the Girls Anthem Library!</strong></p><p>If you are looking for a community that helps you honor God with your entertainment and daily life, we would love to welcome you into the <strong>Girls Anthem Library on Ream</strong>. 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