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Grace Magazine | Fall 2017 42 me. She made everyone turn against me in my class. This lasted for two years, with me being on the outside looking in. They started making fun of my laugh, my hair, just anything they thought could get to me. They would take my work and copy it, and purposely exclude me out of things. I started bottling up my feelings again and I could not tell my parents what was going on. I could not understand why they did not like me but at the end of the day I had to trust God and remember the Scripture that my mom taught me, Philippians 4:13. During my three years of being bullied, I started to give up. Even after I prayed and read the Scriptures, I just did not want to go through it anymore. I wanted to take my life three times during this time in my life. At that point in my life, I was in a really dark place. I don't ever want to go back to that place again. It is a terrible state, so many things go through your head and you start to think like "why me?", why do I have to go through this? I began questioning, why would my parents still want me? I have put them through so much; why would I still need to be here? I wrote so many suicide notes that I threw away because I was too scared to go through with it. I ended up telling my family about. It was the most heartbreaking thing I had to tell them. I realized I hurt the people that meant the most to me over what someone else said about me. I won't ever go back to that place. The moral of my story is to know your self-worth, don't let anyone determine your self-worth. YOU determine your self-worth and settle for nothing less. If you think that you don't have anyone to talk to, go to your FAMILY because they have your back 24/7. They will breakdown walls for you, especially when you're going through things of this nature. Parents need to be aware of these signs of bullying; a change in mood, attitude with parents and grades starting to drop. I'm 15 now and just finished my freshman year of high school. I have become a better person and the people I hang around now have made a difference in my life. Finally, SPEAK UP and BE BRAVE! G Kourtney Harding Teen Contributing Writer Kourtney Harding is 15 years old and a member of the Girl Scouts of America. She is a sophomore at Charles H. Flowers High School where she is enrolled in the Science and Tech program and plays volleyball for the school. Miniya Jefferson Teen Contributing Writer Miniya Jefferson is a Certified Altar Counselor who serves in Children's Institute and assists the homeless during Warm Nights and Feed the Hungry Ministry. She also maintains academic excellence while ministering through the performing arts and competing in Track & Field. Bullying: Fighting Back continued from page 36 Being Brave on Social Mediacontinued from page 37 thing offends you, don't be quick to get angry. You may see something you do not like. Use self-control (Galatians 5:23). Titus 2:12 reminds us to act in a way that is pleasing to God. We should be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to become angry (James 1:19). Be brave and simply ignore or unfollow ungodly content. Be Brave and Follow the Leader Following the leader is following Jesus in thought, word, and action. Be mindful of what you share or like on your social media as well as those you follow. Ask yourself, "What would Jesus share?" Think of things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and a good report (Philippians 4:8). Be brave and maintain a positive image with Scriptures or inspirational messages to keep you and others uplifted throughout the day. Be Brave and Graceful As Christian ladies, it is our job to set an example for others who may not believe in Jesus Christ. An unbeliever is nor- mally drawn to those who are kind to them. This means it is our job to be brave and take the initiative to be an example to unbelievers. I was on a social media site where people vent their thoughts and emotions to other users. One user claimed they were thinking about committing suicide. Jesus used me to witness and speak life to the person. I conveyed that Jesus loves us and even when we feel alone, God will never leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6). I also told the person even when life and situations get hard, Jesus has something big planned (Ps. 30:5; Jer. 29:11). God used me to witness and win the person to Christ. People all across the globe use social media, so why not use it to reach people and teach others the Word of God? Remember to be smart and be Brave, when using social me- dia, and in interactions with others. As the Bible says, "We are fearfully and wonderfully made" Grace Girls! G