Several of you may remember that I participated in a blog tour for a magazine for girls and young ladies (you can find that post HERE) — well, I have enjoyed both issues that have been published and asked if I could interview the sweet young lady behind the magazine. And she graciously agreed =)
I first “met” Leona through her blog where she reviews books (Great Books for God’s Girls), and was excited when I heard of the magazine she was publishing. There have only been two issues of the magazine out so far, but both topics have been so very, very convicting. The first was on the topic of humility, the current issue is on biblical daughterhood. I truly believe this is an amazing resource for girls of all ages — we have girls in our home ranging from 6 years to 21 years, and those who have read it have enjoyed it :D
*My questions will be in bold, Leona’s answers will be in regular type*
~ Can you tell us a little about Radiant Hearts Magazine? How did you come with the name?
Radiant Hearts Magazine is aimed at ages 12-25, although I believe that articles are convicting and encouraging to all. The magazine is published in February, May, August, and November. Everyone can view this magazine in .pdf form. Included in the magazine are the following things (and more!):
- articles written by Christian young ladies and women
- book/movie reviews and recommendations
- recipes for delicious food
- “Story Behind the Hymn”
- pictures of girls serving the Lord, and
- encouraging notes from girls just like yourself!
I actually came up with the name quite randomly. I had a list, and I went around my family and had everyone vote. The one that we decided on, though, I didn’t like very much. I decided to brainstorm again, and this is what I came up with! I got the “Radiant” part of the name from the More Radiance blog, which I really like.
~ Was there something in particular that inspired you to start this magazine?
I had started to receive the King’s Blooming Rose magazine, and I really liked it, for it always convicted me and I came away encouraged (I’m sad to hear that it is now going out of print at the end of the year). I thought that it would be a good idea to do a similar thing, since only one of my friends had heard of KBR.
~ Is there anything that makes working on the magazine easier for you? Tea, candles, chocolate. music….? What is your schedule like when you are working on getting an issue out?
I love listening to music while I work, although I sometimes get distracted by it. :) I have found the Rains Family’s music to be a great resource. My schedule… I work on it whenever I have a spare moment; with the first issue, I waited until the last minute to get everything finished, and that was not a good idea as it left me stressed. Now, I start to work on the cover, at least, a couple months before the magazine is scheduled to come out, so that I have plenty of time.
~ What are some things you enjoy doing when you aren’t working on getting the magazine out?
Playing piano, violin, and organ is one of my favorite ways to spend time. I also enjoy playing around with photography and spending time with my family and church family.
~ How do you decide on the theme for each issue? How did you decide on the theme of daughterhood for this issue?
I honestly don’t have a formula for deciding on a theme; I simply think about it, and ask my mom for input. A lot of RHM’s readers are daughters, and I personally have been working on being a good daughter, so I thought that Biblical Daughterhood would be a good theme for May’s issue. :)
~ I know you also enjoy reading and have a blog dedicated to book reviews –can you share a couple books that have been particularly encouraging to you as a daughter?
The Family Daughter, by Sarah L. Bryant is an amazing book about being a daughter. It is very challenging, and I highly recommend it. (You can find a full review of it in the current issue.) I have read it several times, and I’m currently trying to buy more copies to give to my friends. :)
~ What are some things the Lord is teaching you through this magazine?
He is teaching me that I need to have the right priorities. Even though RHM is a great ministry, and I believe the Lord is blessing it, I need to make sure that there are not things that I need to do with my family before working on it. I am also convicted by the issues: I know I need to work on being more humble (from the first issue), and on being a better daughter (from the second issue).
~ In what direction do you feel the Lord to be leading RHM in the future?
Sometimes it is hard for me to discern what plans are my own and which are the Lord’s. With that said, some things that I would like to be able to do include making it into a print magazine (I would prefer to read a print magazine over an online one, personally) and buying a custom domain for the website so that I don’t have to worry about bad ads popping up (we currently have a free WordPress.com website and they put ads on that I can’t control). I’m planning on waiting at least a year before making any of those moves, though, because I’m not certain that God wants us to do that.
~ Are there any parting thoughts you would like to share with us?
Dear friend, our plans are so much smaller than the Lord’s. I shared some goals above, but I believe that God has something bigger planned. He can make something out of nothing. Let Him take control of your life! He has a better plan than you can imagine, if you are willing to follow Him. <3
Thanks for interviewing me, Kaitlyn! I hope that you learned something new about RHM. :)
Thank YOU Leona, for answering all my questions! To read the magazine, you can visit Radiant Hearts Magazine and click on the “current issue” tab up top. There is also an option to read past issues. And for any of you who enjoy writing RHM welcomes submissions — here are the guidlines! They are also looking for photography they can use in the issues =)
Leona Ruth is a teenage young lady. Leona asked Jesus to be her Savior at a young age, and is striving to serve Him with all that she does. She loves reading, and has a blog where she posts book reviews: Great Books for God’s Girls. Some of her other hobbies are graphic designing, photography, baking, playing violin, piano, and organ, and writing.
Thanks for posting this, Kaitlyn! I’m glad that RHM has been an encouragement to you and your sisters. :)