Dear Readers, WeareproudtopresentourveryfirstissueofYouAreREAL,amagazineforwomen.Wethoughtlongandhardaboutthebestwaytoexplainwhyweseetheneedforyetanother women’smagazine.Recently,wereceivedapicturemessagefromJanna,agoodfriendofours,whichexplainsourmissionbetterthanweevercould.

“Thislittlegirlwasreadingapopculturemagazinethatwasavailableinthecheckoutaislewhich,asyouknow,promotesdramaandexternalbeauty.Iautomaticallyseethisasanopportunitytodreamaboutchangingthenormofwhatchildrenabsorbintotheirmindsofhowtheyshouldbe.Becauseofyourawesomepassionanddesiretodevelopthischange,IcannowdreamwithhopewhenIcomeacrossthispatterninmydaytodaylife.Whatyou’redoingisincredible,andIbelievethatonedayyourmagazinewillbeincheckoutlinesforgirlslikehertoreadandfigureoutjusthowbeautifultheyreallyare.”

Wehaveallgrownupbelievingthingsaboutourselvesthataren’ttrue.Themediafeedsussomanyliesaboutwhatitmeanstobeawoman.Aroundtheworld,wearefacingmorethanjustanattackonourself-esteem.Womenarebeingtrafficked,raped,belittled,anddevalued.Wehavebeenmadetofeelashamed,objectified,andstupid.Howcanweshowlittlegirlslikethisonehowbeautifultheyareifwedon’tbelieveitaboutourselves?

It’stimetotakeastandforwomanhood.It’stimetocelebratethebeautyandthepur-posethatwasalwaysmeanttobeours.YouAreREALaimstoinjecttruthintotheliesthatyoumayhavebeenbelievingaboutyourself.Wewantyoutoseehowvaluableyouaresothatyouwillhavetheconfidenceyouneedtochangetheworld.

Youcanlearnmoreaboutusattheyouareproject.com

Yourstruly,

Lauren and Catherine

LetterfromtheEditors

From the EditorsHearfromLaurenandCatherine,thefoundersofTheYouAreProject

Around the WorldLearnaboutMarilynSkinner’sworkwithLivingHopeinUganda.

“Who You Are to Me”Whatdoyouseewhenyoulookinthemirror?

Co-Co-Cran OatmealAddthisingredienttoyouroatmealforamouthwatering--yetsurprisinglyhealthy--twist.

Feed Your StrengthRefreshyourmindandyourspirit.

Spotlight On...Realwomenwhoarechangingtheworld.

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Who YOU ARE To Me

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PhotosbyMonicaManklang

For our “Who YOU ARE To Me” photo shoot, we focused on revealing the beauty in others. For more great photos and to learn about the girls

involved in the shoot, check out theyouareproject.com/blog.

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AROUND THE WORLDbyCatherineSmith Sincethebeginningoftime,abattlehasbeenbeingwagedagainstthefeminineheart.Evewascreatedtobringforthlife.InthesecondchapterofGenesis,Godstates,“Itisnotgoodformantobealone.Ishallmakehim[anezerkenegdo].”AccordingtoHebrewscholarRobertAltermosttranslationshavemissedthepointwhenitcomestoGod’suseofthisphrase.Mosttranslationsreplace“ezerkenegdo”with“companion” or “helpmeet”. Kenegdo doesmean “alongside” or“counterpart”butwhenwelookmorecloselyatscripture we discoverthat the twenty othertimestheword“ezer”isuseditisusedtodescribeGod coming throughfor youwhen youneedhim desperately.* Nowdoes that sound to you like we were onlymade to play the roleofacompanion?We,aswomen, were createdforsomuchmore.Eachone of uswas uniquelybrought into thisworldat this time, as part ofour own generation,foraunique,significantandspecificpurpose. Youarelivingrightnowforareason. Youhaveanirreplaceableroletoplay. I thinkwe can all agree that althoughwewant to believewehave the ability to be an “ezerkenegdo” for our friends, familymembers and significant others often we just feel tied down andexhausted. Many times we can’t imagine having the potential to make a significant differencein another person’s life, but the truth is that you and I have each been given a set of keys. Mykeys are not all the same as your keys, but by working together we have the ability to unlockour own potential and the potential of the women around us. Each key on our key chains is anopportunity to resource someone and help restore something in them. Every time that we stepout in faithandusewhatwe havealreadybeengiven,Godworks tomakeevenmorekeys forus.

PhotoCredit:MonicaManklang

“Byworkingtogether,wehavetheabilitytounlockthepotentialofthewomenaroundus.”

“Thekeytoeconomicprogressandfightingpovertyisunleashingwomen’spotential.”

--UnitedNations

To learn more about Marilyn Skinner’s work with Living Hope, visit watoto.com

Uganda

RightnowinUgandaawomannamedMarilynSkinnerisbusyreleasingthechainsthathavebeenholdingbackdozensofwomenwhoarestrugglingthroughsomeoflife’smostdifficultcircumstances.MarilynrunsLivingHope,aministry“committedtorestoringdignitytovulnerablewomen,mostofwhomareHIV+,victimsofhumantrafficking,returneesfromabductionintotherebelarmyandlefttobearthebruntofAIDS,warandsocialinjustice.”Afterdiscoveringthatwomenwithpropermedicalattention,nutritionandsanitarylivingconditionscouldsurviveformanyyearswithHIV,Marilynsetouttoprovidethesewomenwithanewhope,newopportunitiesandthechancetowatchtheirchildrengrowintoadults. ThroughLivingHopewomenarenotonlygivenassistance“withbasicnecessitiessuch as food, clothing, shelter andmedical care but also comprehensiveHIV/AIDS care includingcounselingandpsychosocialsupport,spiritualandmoraldiscipleship,equippingthemwithvocationalskills and training that empowers them through income generating projects and enables them tobecomeproductivemembersofsociety.”Notonlyarethesewomenhavingtheirdignityrestored,buttheyarebeinggiventheopportunitytoraiseandcareforchildrenwhootherwisewouldbeorphans.

*(We learned about “ezer kenegdo” and Robert Alter from the book, Captivating, by John and Stasi Eldredge).

Debi White is a former NC elementary teacher who left education to research, on a broader scale, how each of us can move from exile to freedom in every area of our lives.

The Power of Cumulative

Mymedicaldoctorbrotheroncepointedoutthatifyougainonepoundayearfortwentyyearsbeginningatage30,youwouldbe…right,20poundsoverweightatage50. Norocket science there,but Iwassoshocked.Icangainapoundinaweekend.Itwasastartlingexampleofhowthepowerofcumulativeissomissedinourculture.Wedealwithlifeday-to-dayandoftenfailtostepbackandrememberthattheaccumulationofdays—oranythingelse—islikeaswift-movingriverthatisgatheringenergyeitherforusoragainstus.Forinstance,itmighthavebeenunimaginablethatyouandyourhighschoolorcollegebestfriendwouldbefartherawaythancoffeetogetheroratleastacalloratext.Butsomehowmonths,evenyears,havegonebyandyouhavescarcelycommunicated.Nocontactbetweengoodfriendsaccumulateswithanoftensadenergy.Therelationshipismissedbutthatriveroftimemakesthegulfbetweenyoueverlarger.Cluttermaybethebestexampleofthepowerofcumulative.Wefightclutterofspace,tobesure,butwhatabouttheclutterofourheart?Whatgrudgeshavewegatheredthataretakingupheartspaceandenergy? Whatbadmemoriesdowetryto letgoof,onlytoseethemresurfacewithavengeance? Iamconvincedthatclutterofanykindtakesonastrange,life-likequalityofitsown--theclutteredroomandtheclutteredheartjustseemtohaveanenergythatfightsus.Ourbodies,caughtintheriverofaging,certainlyreflecttheaccumulationofourchoices,goodorbad.ItellmyadultchildrenthatIam“researching”howtogrowoldwiththeleastpainanddiseaseandthemostmobility.I’mgoing“there”anyway--Imightaswellfigureouthowtoenjoytheride.Annoyingly,Ifindthateverybite,everystep,andeveryhealthchoiceeithersabotageormovemetowardmygoal.Howdowestayuprightintheaccumulatingriverofhealth?Maybemostofushavemorethanone“culprit”inourriverofcumulative,robbingusatsomeleveloffeelinguseful,productive,andlikewebelong.Wecanidentifytheculprit(s)andfindourwayoutofexilefromourbestmind,bodyandsoul.

The Voices in Our Head

Myfriend’smomisaparanoidschizophrenic,preciousandfunny,livinganarduousjourneythroughtherealityofmentalillness,andofcourse,takingmyfriendthroughthelandminesofherlife.OneofthebestcommercialsofourtimeisledbyGlennCloseandthosewithher,wearingt-shirtsthatconnectmental

Feed Your Strengthby Debi White

I read once that we start each day according to how useful and productive we feel, and to what extent we feel like we belong. So if we awaken feeling loved and cared for by others and skilled in our life stage of family and work, we meet the day with energy and hope. Then why do so many of us feel abandoned at some level and certainly less than useful and productive? Is change possible? How hard will it be? I think there is good news: it is doable! The key is to understand two driving forces that must be reckoned with if we want the energy and hope of our days to be different.

Follow Debi’s search at feedyourstrength.com.

illnesstorealfamilymembers,gettingtheconversationoutintheopenanddemonstratingsobeautifullyhowfamiliesareall inthefighttogether.Whenmyfriendtoldmehermomhadat-shirtthatsays: I’mschizophrenicandsoamI,Ilaughedoutloud—notathermomoranymentalillness,butathowitremindedmeofthefightweallhavewithvoicesinourhead.Inhissong“Voices”,ChrisYoungisright:wehearvoicesinourheadallthetime.Theybeginwithourparentsandfamilymembers,hopefullygivingtenderadviceandunconditionallove,thoughmanyhearatearingdownthroughcriticismandmeanness.Friends,andnot-sofriends,takeupthebattlecryofwhoweareandarenotasweenterschoolandsocialcircles.Criticsareeverywhereinourlife,andtheseareoftenourinnercirclewithwhomweinteractdaily.Asifthatwerenotenough,thereistheadvertisingvoicethatdelugesusthrough24/7media,leavingusshortinsomemeasuresowewillbuyitswares.Magazinesthatpaintlifeinair-brushedstillshotstellusweshouldlookmadeupandgorgeous,ourhousesandcarsshouldbegleamingandup-to-date,andthateveryones’livesbutourownaremanageableandsuccessful.Everyvoicethatcomesintoourheadimpactsourownvoicetowardourselves.Arewelovableanduseful,orshouldwebeatourselvesupinhopesofachieving…what,exactly? Iwanttoscream: enough! Weareenough,whereverweareinthis journeyandenoughwiththepressuretobemore,domore,havemore.Buttellingpeoplesomethingtheydon’tbelieveintheirheartiscounterproductiveandleavesthemfeelingevenlesssureofthemselves.SoIsaysimplythis:ifthevoicesinyourheadandwhatisaccumulatinginyourlifearesomehowdoingyouharm,let’sfigureitout.Whenwetalkabouttoughissueswitheachother,nomatterhowpainful,theysomehowlosetheirgriponourmindsandoursufferingisshared,somethingweareseeminglywiredtodo. Weareaskinghowthesetoughissuesgetbirthedandisthereanorigintoatleastsomeofourtoughcircumstancesthatwecanunderstandandalter?ButIwarnyou:Iamthetortoise,notthehare.Ifyouneedhare-pace,lookelsewhere.If,however,yousensethatyoudon’twanttowakeup30daysfromnowwiththesamelackofenergyandhopebutyoudon’texpecttobemagicallytransformedbythen,wemaybeonajourneyofintentandcarethatwouldbehelpfultoyou.

In the words of one incredible hero, Todd Beamer, “Let’s roll.”

byLindsayFessel

Moveoveroliveoil!There’sanewsuperstartakingovertheworldofnutrition.Recently,therehasbeenalotofbuzzsurroundingcoconutoil.Inordertoreapthemaximumbenefits,thebestformisextravirgincoconutoil.Thisoil

isnature’spurestformofmedium-chainfatsandlauricacid.Thesecomponentsworkwithyourbodytoraiseyourmetabolismandaideinweightloss.Coconutoilhasalsobeenfoundtoimprovesmoothnessofhairandskin,preventviralandbacterialinfec-tions,boostyourimmunesystem,andmostimportantlyprotectyoufromcancer,heartdiseaseandotherdegenerativeconditionsasyougetolder.Asyoucansee,coconutoilcanbeanextremelybeneficialadditiontoyoureverydaydiet.

Some simple ways to ease coconut oil into your diet:

• Inahotcereal

• Addatablespoontoyourmorningcoffeeforaflavorblast

• Replacebutterorvegetableoilinyourfavoriterecipes

Go Co-Co-Nuts!

VisitDebi’sblogat feedyourstrength.com

The best book I’ve read lately…isThe Help,byKathrynStockett.Thebook(andthemovie)inspiremetofindthecouragethatishiddenintruth.

My favorite way to relax…istowatchamovie,orascrazyasitsounds,planaweekendeventwhereIgettodotheshopping,cookingandentertaining(minusthehousecleaningprep!).

Spotlight On...Featuring beautiful women who are changing the world

I am most passionate about…(honestly?)learningwhatmightblessGod’sheart.Ican’tgetaroundbelievingthatHemadeus,soassumingthatistrue,Iloveputtingmyeggsinthatbasket.HowcoolwoulditbethatwecouldblessHisheart?

I feel beautiful when…IhearwhatotherssayinsteadofwhatIsaytomyself.

The gutsiest thing I’ve ever done...wastowalkawayfrommyeducationcareer(onlyhalfwaytoretirement)withoutaclearpictureofthenextendeavor.

I’d most like to meet…GeorgeW.Bush,notforpoliticalreasonsbutbecauseIthinkheconsistentlystepsintohisdecision-makingwithhumilityandcourage,notseekinggainbutratherwhatisright.

Debi White, writer

Likewhatyou’veseen?Thefullissuewillbeavailableon

November 15, 2011!

Untilthen,gettoknowusbyreadingourblogat

blog.theyouareproject.com