Kari Kampakis headline
Let me start by being honest — sometimes when I hear about teen culture today, I want to throw my hands in the air. I feel a little defeated in advance because of the societal and peer pressures I’m working against as my husband and I raise four daughters.
Simply put, it’s a backward culture. That crazy, self-destructive behavior we don’t want our kids to engage in? Well, that’s exactly what can earn them popularity and acceptance into the cool crowd. Being kind and compassionate may make someone a shining star in the adult world, but among teens, being virtuous is rarely a cause for celebration.
It’s all scary, and as parents we want to bulletproof our kids. We want them to make good choices, find good friends, and be confident enough to withstand peer pressure. If there were a magic armor to protect them, we’d fork over big bucks for it. But since no magic armor exists, we rely instead on something bigger and better: THE TRUTH.
Because in the end, only the truth can set them free (John 8:32). Only the truth can point our kids in the right direction and help them understand why they don’t have to compromise their future or integrity to find the love, acceptance, and security they desperately crave.
With this said, I have some exciting news to share. If you follow me on social media you may have heard already, but if not, here are the details. I’ve written a book for teen and tween girls that applies God’s truths to today’s realities. Called 10 Ultimate Truths Girls Should Know, it will be released through Thomas Nelson on Nov. 4.
Writing 10 Ultimate Truths Girls Should Know was a labor of love, and I can’t wait to share it. This book is everything I want my daughters to know, designed to open their eyes wider to God’s love, grace, and purpose for them.
Like anyone who invests in the next generation, my goal is to plant seeds — seeds that might take root now or 20 years from now. Some of my favorite feedback so far came from a friend who shared the manuscript with her fifth grader. They read it together one night, and the next night, her daughter asked to read more because all day long at school, she thought about what the book said.
That is what I’m aiming for here, that girls will stay mindful of God’s truths even when they’re away from home and navigating everyday life.
I also hope this book encourages dialogue between parents and daughters. I hope it builds bridges that prompt you to share your teenage experiences. All of us have ridden that adolescent roller coaster, after all. All of us can remember, if we think hard enough, how emotional and invigorating that ride can be.
God has a plan for my daughters and yours. He loves them more than us and has complete control of their lives. Our job as parents isn’t to save our children, but to point them to the One who can. And if we do that, guiding them toward the love of Christ, they’ll know the truth. They’ll have a moral compass to help them find their way.
Please know that I consider it a privilege to speak to tomorrow’s wives, mothers, leaders, and world changers. Our girls can’t hear the truth enough, and while we’re certainly working against a strong current, we’re also working for an almighty and invincible God.
The Lord goes before us and with us (Deuteronomy 31:8). And when replace fear with faith, we gain the courage and wisdom to raise godly daughters in an ungodly world, daughters who can recognize the pressures they face and find solutions and solace in a deep, meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ.
Kari Kubiszyn Kampakis is a Mountain Brook mom of four girls, columnist and blogger for The Huffington Post. Join her Facebook community at “Kari Kampakis, Writer,” visit her blog at karikampakis.com or contact her at kari@karikampakis.com. Her book, 10 Ultimate Truths Girls Should Know, is available for pre-order through Amazon, Books-A-Million, Barnes & Noble and Christianbook.com.
