G.I.T. FIT Girls in Training

Physicaltrainingisgood,buttrainingforgodlinessismuchbetter,promisingbenefitsinthislifeandinthelifetocome.1Timothy4:8

Why G.I.T. Fit?

The purpose of G.I.T. Fit ~ Girls in Training is to promote physical, emotional, and spiritual fitness in girls 10 years old and up.

The goal of G.I.T Fit is to help girls reach their full potential in life by embracing God’s plan and purpose for them.

Three Foundations to G.I.T. Fit

1. You were made in God’s image. God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created them, male and female. Genesis 1:27

2. Focus on the Truth of God’s Word. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. John 17:17

3. Follow the principle of balance and benefit. Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise. Ephesians 5:15 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:33

Copyright © 2015 by Cindy Watson. All rights reserved.

Table of Contents

Made in His Image 1

Squeaky Clean 3

Matters of the Heart 5

Facing Your Fears 7

Balance and Benefit 9

Choices 11

Perseverance and Endurance 13

Emotions 15

The People we spend time with 17

You are a Princess 19

Love One Another 21

Final Preparations 23

Week One-Made in His Image

“Mirror, Mirror on the wall…”

Does this sound familiar? Each day the vain queen consulted her magic mirror, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” As long as the mirror answered “you are” the queen was happy and Snow White was safe. But once the mirror answered that Snow White had become the fairest of all, the queen was overcome with jealousy and vowed to get rid of her fair rival.

The problem with the queen’s plan is there will always be someone else to come along that may be considered by someone to be fairer than she. So, unless she killed everyone, she would always be miserable in her jealousy.

We girls understand the queen’s desire to be beautiful and her need to feel valuable. Since the fall of humanity in the Garden of Eden, all people have struggled with their self-image, especially girls!

*Self-image is the idea one has of one’s own abilities, appearance, and personality.

You see, we were made in God’s image, in his likeness. But disobedience to His command marred that image. Since then we have all been trying to conform to the image the world presents to feel beautiful and valuable. But that image of beauty and perfection is constantly changing, ever illusive. Our pursuit causes us to hate ourselves and others and live in a constant state of jealousy. We become miserable, just like the queen in Snow White. We will never become the fairest of all by looking into the mirror the world holds up! Don’t despair. There is great

news! God sent His Son, Jesus, to earth in the likeness or image of sinful people, so that He could help us. We are now new people in Christ, remade into His image! Our sin has been forgiven. In God’s eyes, you are the fairest of all! Each day this week look up one of the Bible verses below and write what it means to you personally. At the end of the week, circle the verse that meant the most to you.

John 3:16

Deuteronomy 14:2

Psalm 139:13-14

Song of Solomon 6:3

John 8:10-11

Romans 12:2

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Week Two-Squeaky Clean

Would you drink out of a cup that is filthy on the inside even if the outside were clean? Would you consider that cup clean or dirty? Our society seems to value the outside of a person more than the inside. In the US, people spend millions of dollars and countless hours every year making their outside appearance look better, cleaner, younger, healthier…more perfect. We tend to judge one another and ourselves based on our outward appearance. In Luke 11, Jesus calls those who just clean themselves on the outside “fools”. We all know how to clean the outside. But how do we clean our insides?

Will eating soap clean us on the inside? Will eating dirt make us dirty inside? Will eating vegetables make us clean on the inside? Will eating fast food make us dirty? Jesus said that it is not what goes into your mouth that makes you dirty, because that passes through the body and out. It’s what passes out of the mouth that reveals your cleanness. The mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart. In the Bible, the heart is considered the core of our being-who we are. If our heart is wicked or dirty, then we are wicked and do wicked things. We cannot help it; that is who we are. What we “feed” our heart either cleans it or makes it dirty. 3

How do you feed your heart if not through the mouth? The things that can corrupt your heart enter in through your eyes, your ears, and your thoughts. We see and hear so many evil messages everyday through what we allow ourselves to watch, read, think, or listen to. These are things that can make us unclean on the inside.

This week keep a journal of what you watch on TV, music you listen to, books you read and even people you talk to. Write down whether the message you received was positive or negative.

Did it make you feel good or bad about yourself?

Good or bad about others?

Did it make you think good thoughts?

Did it cause you to be frightened or worried?

An alternative to “feeding” your heart and mind junk food is reading God’s word. Read the following verses and write what benefit is described in each:

Psalm 119:9

Psalm 119:11

Psalm 119:98

Psalm 119:105 4

Week Three-Matters of the Heart

What is the heart, exactly? It’s a muscular organ in both humans and animals, which pumps blood through the body. In an average lifetime, the heart beats more than two and half billion times without ever pausing to rest. The heart provides the power needed for life. So, keeping our heart healthy is very important. Proverbs 4:23 of the Bible agrees, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Your life depends on it. How do you guard your heart?

You can guard your physical heart by eating the right kinds of foods, exercising, and keeping your body clean from drugs, alcohol, tobacco, etc. These practices and habits will guard your heart against disease and help prevent a heart attack. However, the verse in Proverbs isn’t only talking about your physical heart muscle. It uses this example to help us understand the importance of the heart that is considered to be the essence of your spiritual being. Your “spiritual” heart is even more important than your physical heart, because one day your body will wear out but your spirit will live forever.

How do you guard your spiritual heart against attacks? Let’s first identify the things that attack the heart. Then 5

we will look to the Bible for how to guard against it.

According to the Bible, how do we guard against the following?

Worry or Fears ~ Philippians 4:6, Psalm 56:3

Anger and Bitterness ~ Ephesians 4:32, Colossians 3:13

Corrupt Thoughts ~ 2 Corinthians 10:5, 1 Corinthians 2:16

Pride ~ 1 Peter 5:6, James 4:10

Temptations ~ Matthew 4:10, 1 Corinthians 10:13 and 16:13, Isaiah 7:9

Jealousy and envy ~ Proverbs 14:30, Romans 12:21, James 4:2-3, Hebrews 13:5

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Week Four-Fear Factor-facing your fears

Years ago, there was a reality TV show called Fear Factor. The contestants competed against each other to

complete fearful or dangerous tasks. Many of the challenges involved eating gross stuff like bugs, or facing fears like heights or snakes. I guess the thought was a person can overcome their fears by facing them head on. I’m not convinced that eating bugs helps a person be less fearful nor does being locked in a room full of snakes help someone not be afraid of snakes. It may just cause more nightmares.

Some fears are good and even healthy. Fear of failing a test can motivate a person to study harder. The fear of getting your phone taken away will help you resist texting during class. The fear of being grounded may keep you from talking back to your parents.

Some fears are totally unreasonable and can be harmful. Some people are fearful of so many things that their lives are affected. What are you afraid of?

Psalm 56:3 says, When I am afraid, I will trust in you, Lord.

Read and think about one verse each day this week. Circle the one that helps you the most.

Isaiah3:1-Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

Psalm 23:4-Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.

Philippians 4:6-7-Do not be worried about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which passes all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Isaiah 43:13-For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, ‘Do not fear; I will help you.’

Romans 8:15-For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the spirit of adoption and by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”

1Peter 5:7-Cast all your anxiety on God because he cares for you.

Zephaniah 3:17-The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.

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Week Five-Balance and Benefit

Can you have too much of a good thing?

Can you get too much sun?

Can you get too much food?

Can you get too much exercise?

Can you get too much sleep?

We can all agree too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Sun is good to help you feel happy but too much can cause you to burn or even cause skin cancer. Food is good and necessary for life. But too much food can cause obesity and other health problems. Too little food can also be harmful. Too much exercise can actually have negative effects on your body, such as, pulled muscles, bone fractures and muscle breakdown. Sleep is essential for growing bodies and minds. However, too much sleep can make you feel sluggish, keep you from getting things done, or make you late for school. The point is too much of anything will cause you to begin to lose the benefit of that thing and may even harm you.

Maintaining a balance in life requires wisdom and

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understanding. Proverbs 4:5-6 says, “Get wisdom and get understanding…Do not abandon wisdom, and it will watch over you.” Where do you get wisdom and understanding? And how can it help you lead a balanced life?

Look up and write the definition of wisdom.

Who do we ask for wisdom? James 1:5, Psalm 111:10

Where does wisdom come from? Job 12:12, Proverbs 1:7, James 3:17

How does wisdom help us live a balanced life? Proverbs 3:7, Proverbs 14:1

What benefit does wisdom give? Proverbs 4:6

Why is it important to get understanding? Proverbs 3:13

What do we need to understand? Colossians 2:2-3, Job 28:28

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Week Six-Choices

Eeny, meeny, miney, mo!

Decisions, decisions. Life is full of decisions: What to wear, what to eat, who to be friends with, what clubs to join, what to watch on TV, should I start on that project now or wait? In fact, everything you do in a day is determined by the decisions you make, even if you never get out of bed. A decision is a choice that you make about something after thinking about it. Sometimes we don’t put much thought into our decisions. Sometimes we make quick decisions. Sometimes we let others decide for us. Sometimes our decisions are based on how we feel at the moment. Most of the decisions we make each day aren’t life or death decisions, or even life changing. Or are they?

A life time of choosing fast food can cause health problems later in life. Choosing the wrong friends to hang out with can determine what college you get into or what kind of job you can get. Choosing to watch TV shows that put bad thoughts into your head can corrupt your thinking and cause you to have a bad attitude. Choosing to procrastinate and wait until the last night to start a project can affect your grades, which will determine if you can participate in school sports.

The point is the decisions you make today have consequences for your future, good and bad.

So how do you make the right decision? Is there a process that can help? Is there a person that can help you make decisions?

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Below are 5 bible verses about making decisions. Read and think about one each day this week. Memorize the one that you think will help you the most.

Trust in the lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. James 1:5

Without wise leadership, a nation falls; there is safety in having many advisers. Proverbs 11:14

Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him while he is near. Isaiah 55:6

All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 2 Timothy 3:16

Seek the kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:33

The truth is most often we know what the best decision is. The hard part is choosing the best over what we want. We all know how to manipulate eeny, meeny, miney, mo to make it end on what we want. But choosing to seek God and obey His word is always best for us. And best is really what we want most!

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Week Seven-Perseverance and Endurance

Hang in there! You can do it!

Do you remember the little engine that could? He started up the long steep hill pulling the heavy train behind. “I think I can. I think I can. I think I can,” with these words he encouraged himself to keep going and not give up. Once the engine reached the top and started down the other side, he changed his tune to “I thought I could, I thought I could.” This story is a great example of perseverance, continuing on even when things get tough or go long. The definition of endurance is similar but different.

Endurance is the ability a person has to exert herself and remain active for a long period of time. In some way, perseverance helps increase endurance. If you continue to run when it gets difficult, eventually you will be able to run longer and farther before it becomes difficult. This is such a great lesson for us to carry into every area of our lives, especially as we learn to trust in and rely on God.

Jesus said in John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

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One of the greatest lies about being a Christian is life will be great after Jesus. Jesus never said that. He said the opposite. We will have trouble and the world will hate us. We will suffer for knowing Him. But because we know Him, we can consider it pure joy when we do face trials of many kinds. What?! Joy? James 1:2-4 tells us that these trials and troubles are opportunities to trust Jesus which requires greater faith and builds endurance in us. When we trust Jesus in times of trouble, we see and experience His goodness and faithfulness. The more troubles we have, the more we trust in Jesus. He is our hope that never disappoints.

What troubles or hard times are you going through now?

Are you sick? Jesus is our healer. (Matthew 4:23)

Are things tough at home? Jesus is our peace. (2 Thess. 3:16)

Are you being bullied at school? Jesus is our defender. (Psalm 59:9-10)

Are you failing a class or classes? Jesus is our knowledge and understanding. (Daniel 1:17)

Did you not make the team? We are accepted in Jesus. (John 6:37)

Are you lonely? Jesus is our friend. (Proverbs 18:24, John 15:15) 14

Week Eight-Out of Control Emotions

Emoji LIVE!

When I was younger I used to say that if I had a personal logo it would be the smiley face. I like to smile. It is my favorite! In fact, I’m kind of famous for my smile because I smile a lot. Because of this, people think that I’m always happy. But don’t let the smile fool you. Like all people, I have many emotions. In any given day, I am probably happy, sad, mad, jealous, confused, bored, disgusted, annoyed… God created us to be emotional people so we can experience life to the full. So, why do we get in trouble sometimes when we are just expressing how we feel?

When we allow our emotions to control our actions, we may act in a way that gets us into trouble. For example, it’s ok to be mad when your little brother breaks something of yours. But it is not ok to hit him or call him mean names because you are angry. It’s ok to be sad when your best friend moves away.

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But it is not ok to use your sadness as an excuse to be disrespectful to your parents.

The Bible has a lot to say about emotions and the consequences of not being able to control them. Read the following stories. What emotion is talked about? What was the result?

Genesis 4:4-8

Genesis 37:12-36

1 Samuel 18:5-11

John 12:1:6

John 18:15-17, 25-27

Acts 5:17-18

So, how do we control our emotions, especially if we have a good reason to feel that way?

1 Corinthians 10:13

Galatians 5:22-23

2 Peter 1:5-7

2 Timothy 1:7

Titus 2:11-14 16

Week Nine-The People we spend time with

Do you Have People?

When my husband and I first got married, I used to get so tickled at his mom when she would talk about “her people.” I used to wonder, “Do I have people?” Her people, as it turned out, included many familiar Fayette County names: the Brays, the Williams (her maiden name), the Wingos. And she went to school with the Sams, the Gozas, and the Harps.

Through the years the term has changed from “my people.” Different names have included peeps, gang, tribe or squad. All of these mean pretty much the same thing: a group of people you identify with and spend time with, who know you and love you just as you are and who you can trust. A group can become known for its characteristics or personality, just like individuals.

When my oldest son was in high school, he was accepted and liked by many different groups: the athletes, those in the band, and the Christians. I’m sure you can identify each of these groups in your school, because the names describe the people in the group.

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S. Truett Cathy, founder of Chick-fil-A, had his favorite Bible verse hung on the wall at the corporate headquarters. Proverbs 22:1 says, “A good name is more desirable than great riches.”

Perhaps you recognized several of the old Fayette names I mentioned earlier. Sams and Gozas are known as doctors. Williams, Minters, and Harps are known for farming. Since these families have been well respected for years, there are schools, buildings, and roads named after them.

What are “your people” known for? Proverbs 13:20 says that if you walk with the wise you become wise; but if you associate with fools you will get into trouble. So, it is very important to choose your people carefully.

Read Exodus 6:7 and Deuteronomy 14:2. What does it mean to you to be one of God’s people?

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Week Ten-You Are a Princess

For Such a Time as This

Who is your favorite Disney Princess and why?

Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tiana, Rapunzel, Anna and Elsa?

According to Wikipedia, each official Disney princess must meet the following requirements: 1-has a primary role in a Disney animated feature film, 2-is human or mostly human-like (Ariel), 3-does not appear primarily in a sequel. The princesses have distinct similarities. Most princesses have the ability to communicate with animals. They are also known for their inner and outer beauty, as well as having beautiful singing voices. Each princess also has a romance that finally ends happily ever after.

Do you have what it takes to be a Disney princess? Of course not! You are real, not animated. Even though you may talk to your dog or cat, you cannot communicate with them or understand what they are saying. And you’re too young to marry a prince no matter how cute he is.

However, you do have what it takes to be a real princess if you are a daughter of the King of kings! 19

Tucked away somewhere near the middle of the Bible in between some stories about bad kings and building walls and temples is a story about an unknown young woman who is chosen to be queen and saves her people from annihilation. Read Esther 2:1-4, 17-18. Esther became the queen because God had chosen her to save the Jews from Haman’s evil plan. The king did not know that Esther was in fact a Jew. Esther was afraid to go to the king to ask for help for her people. But her uncle Mordecai persuaded her by saying “who knows, you may have become the queen for such a time as this.” So, Esther went to the king and told him about Haman’s evil plan to kill the Jews, which would include her. The king issued a new law and the Jews were saved!

You may never get to be a real queen like Esther. But God sees you right where you are and He has a plan for your life. He has a plan for you right now, right where you are-for such a time as this. So, take a look around you at school, on the bus, and at home. Pray and ask God why you are where you are and what his plans are for you. Maybe he wants you to be a friend to someone or invite them to church or G.I.T. Fit. Maybe he wants you to pray for someone. He has chosen you to represent Him wherever you are.

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Week Eleven-Love One Another Be light

When I was a kid, I used to get so excited to see a rainbow. There just seemed to be something magical about it. I had heard the myth that there is a pot of gold at the end of every rainbow. But, no matter how hard I tried or how long I searched, I never could find the end of one or the gold. To this day, I still feel a little thrill when I see a rainbow.

In science class, you may have learned how a rainbow is formed. In simple terms, when light is bent a spectrum or rainbow is revealed. The colors of light are separated and spread out: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet (Roy G Biv).

Everyone seems to have their favorite color. Mine is yellow. It is such a happy and warm color. When my daughter was little, hers was purple. Every piece of clothing she owned was some shade of purple. Now, it’s sparkly. (I know that’s not a real color.) When my son was little, he went through an orange phase. I’m glad that’s over. He looks most handsome in blue. What’s your favorite color?

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I’m sure you have noticed that people come in different colors, too, but not the colors of the rainbow or red and yellow, black and white. But just as the rainbow is beautiful in the sky, so all people in the world are beautiful! We are all made in the image of God!

Let’s think for a minute about the rainbow in reverse. All the colors come together to make light. In Matthew 5:14, Jesus said, “You are the light of the world…Let your light shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” As believers, children of the One God, we are called to put aside our differences and come together to be the light of the world so others can come to know God. I love that!

Each day read a different bible verse about unity. Write the result or benefit of unity.

Colossians 3:13-14

John 17:23

Psalm 133:1

1 John 4:12

Ephesians 4:3

Galatians 3:26-28

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Week Twelve-Final Preparations

Training but Never Competing

Can you imagine training for years, but never competing? Or practicing every day for long hours but never performing? Do you think you would continue in that sport for very long? Everyone who trains wants to be rewarded for their effort and given the opportunity to show their skills. And if we are being completely truthful here, deep down inside, each of us wants to win. The Bible tells us that it is ok to want to win. 1 Corinthians 9:24 says, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.”

In the original Olympic Games, the winner did not win a gold medal or a million dollars or his picture on the Wheaties box. The winner won a wreath made of leaves. L How sad is that?! In a day, it will be all withered. In another couple of days, it will be dried out and will crumple up and blow away.

We don’t like to think about it, but our bodies are the same way. The Bible tells us that the outward person is breaking down and getting older. No matter how much we exercise, or how much money we spend on products or enhancements, our bodies will grow old, wither up and die. LL

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The Bible compares Christians to athletes, specifically runners. 1 Corinthians 9:25 tells us that runners compete to win a perishable crown or wreath, but Christians train to win a crown that will last forever.

Some people think that if they are good enough in this life, if they try hard enough, train hard enough, then they get to go to heaven when they leave this earth. But there is only one winner to the race of life, Jesus. He is the only person to ever live a perfect and holy life, without ever sinning. This is good news for us, not bad. Because our victory and crown are secure in Him. Because Jesus was perfect, we do not have to be. But thanks be to God! He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1Cor. 15:57) Following Jesus always leads us to victory. In Him we are included in the parade through the streets of heaven with confetti falling all around us. (2 Cor. 2:14) He leads us to the throne of God and presents us to Him as the treasure that has been won. We make up His treasured possession, forever!

What or who are you trusting in for victory? Yourself? Your physical skills and abilities? Your goodness or good deeds? Your Parents’ faith in Jesus? Or are you just hoping for the best?

Read 1 John 5:13. Believe in Jesus for the victory!

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