Q&A with Ruth Tynes

Ruth chats about InTheTimes.com!

FAQ: Why did you choose to call the project "in the times" ?

RUTH : The phrase "in the times" means "hip, contemporary, cool" and that is exactly what Christian girls are!

Being "in the times" is about living a lifestyle that includes a personal relationship with God, through His Son and our Savior from sin, Jesus Christ.

Sometimes misconceptions get spread about the Christian lifestyle--that it is rigid or boring, not fun at all. It is one of my goals to break that misconception. Girls need to know that living the Christian lifestyle is very "it" and that they don't need to feel inhibited in living.

The Lord is very clear throughout the Bible, starting in the book of Genesis, that He only wishes the best for us.

Jesus says in John 10:10, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

Communicating that message is what In the Times is all about.

FAQ: Why is your target audience Tween / Pre-Teen, Teen, and Young Adult girls?

RUTH : I chose this demographic first off for the obvious reason, I'm a girl. But, from a business perspective, saying that you are going to make your target audience Pre-Teens, which are now being referred to as Tweens, then Teens, and finally Young Adult girls, is too general. You need to streamline what sector of this market you are going to target.

Once again, I had to rely on personal perspective. God has given each of us unique gifts. I like the way this is stated in 1 Corinthians 12:4-5, "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same LORD."

When we look back in history, all the way back to the Garden of Eden, we see that God has also given us the freedom to CHOOSE how WE want to use the gifts He has given us. Romans 11:29 says, "for God's gifts and His call are irrevocable."

I am a "girlie-girl", always have been, always will be. Pink is one of my favorite colors, and I am very introspective, so I enjoy writing in my diary with a big fluffy marabou pen. Fashion is a serious hobby of mine and during Middle School, High School, and in Bible College, one of my favorite places to 'get away from it all' was my walk-in-closet surrounded by all of my clothes, shoes, purses, accessories, and make-up to talk with the LORD / pray, read the Bible, write in my diary, and plan my life steps with Him. Bubblegum Pop music is my genre of choice, mostly all of the stereotypes that go along with being a "girlie-girl" applies to my lifestyle and personality. So, that is what I know.

God does not call us to talk about / do what we do not know. People usually can spot a fake, a wannabe, and they will resent it. That person and what they do will become a joke to their public. That person will become to their public something merely to laugh at and then move on in life. They will be known as someone to not be taken seriously, a mere court jester.

I know what it is like to have the LORD heal you of the 'personality issues' that us "girlie-girls" often deal with...being self-absorbed, superficial, and materialistic. I know what it is like to have the LORD show you a healthy balance between the temporal and the spiritual. AND I know what it is like to live happily within that balance, learning more and more with each passing day.

So, this is the type of girls ministry that I KNOW that God has called me to do with my unique gifts. AND it is the type of girls ministry that I CHOOSE to use the unique gifts that God has so graciously given me to do.

At In the Times we are helping "girlie-girls" learn valuable life lessons early on. In the Times helps girls have confidence about turning to the LORD through all of their life adventures, good and bad. AND we communicate this message in a way that self-professing "girlie-girls" can easily understand and implement in their life!

FAQ: How did you start In the Times ?

RUTH : This is a very long and detailed story! (laughs) The short version is that In the Times magazine is something that I created when I was a very little girl, like 5 years old!

I've always enjoyed reading books / magazines and writing. But like any creative-artsy-entrepreneurial-type person, I'm always going beyond the surface and looking at the pros and cons of whatever I am doing / watching / reading / etc. and applying it to what my goals and dreams are in life.

Like Proverbs 15:22 says, "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed." so it is very important to learn from others, especially those who are where you want to be in life.

So, even at 5 years old the magazines that I read were great, but I wanted to put my own spin in the market, for girls like me. You know, what type of magazine would I enjoy reading cover to cover, not just a few pages here and there.

That day I vowed that In the Times magazine would go beyond my childhood playtime and one day it would be a real magazine for girls! So, I started writing articles and doing layout stuff right then and there! I still have that first In the Times magazine issue! (smile) Cut and pasted, handwritten, yes, I even used a typewriter! (lol!)

Soooo, fast forward to my late high school years and early Bible College years, like every teen / young adult it's decision time when it comes to what you want to do as a career.

So, after graduating high school and before going to college, I took a year off from school to work on my various business ventures. One of these ventures was a magazine for Tween, Teen, and Young Adult girls that I decided to launch locally. I wanted to wait before officially launching In the Times, you know to test the market and further hone my skills with a decoy project. This was such an adventure! During this time, I learned so much about dedication and commitment!

Locally, by the help and grace of God, what I was doing became a phenomenon, people really loved it, bookstores couldn't keep copies from flying off of their shelves, it really changed a lot of people's lives here and I am so grateful that I could be a part of that!

So yeah, through a series of events, God really showed me that it was time to move on to the next step in His Master Plan, it was time for me to go back to the days when I was 5 years old, the days of In the Times, the days of bigger thinking.

One day I received an e-mail from a girl who had picked up a copy of the mag at her Grandparents church while she was visiting for the summer. Although she didn't live here, she really liked the mag and wanted to know if she could get copies to give to her friends back in her home state. This was just one of the many confirmations from the LORD that now was the time for me to transition to In the Times.

So, I decided to transition into InTheTimes.com and do everything I had done in the mag locally, now on the internet, so that girls all over the world could have access to the inspiring interviews, modest fashion layouts, etc. that had brought a Christian girl revolution here locally!


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