A message of faith: Woodlands teen turns anxiety into action

THE WOODLANDS, Texas – Everybody has a favorite flower, but for 16-year-old Abby Arend, the beauty of her favorite is beyond skin-deep.

"I love sunflowers," said Abby, a Woodlands High School student. "It's the color yellow. It's the sun. It reminds me of light and it reminds me of God."

It's not always been easy for Abby to see the light.

"I've always had anxiety and depression, and was officially diagnosed in 5th grade," Abby said. "Being 11-years old, I didn't really understand what I was feeling. I can't remember just one moment that I hit rock bottom, because I hit it several times. I finally had to fall, go to my knees, and cry for help. Literally."

Abby and her family are members of The Woodlands United Methodist Church.

"I grew up going to church and Sunday School, but when you're young, you don't really think about it because your family is going and you just get used to it," Abby said. "So I knew Christ in my brain. But I didn't know him in my heart. I had to learn that."

Abby said that moment came while on a recent vacation with her family in Florida.

"I was sitting on the beach," Abby said. "It was a rainy day. I was looking out at the ocean. A cloud caught my eye. I looked up, and the clouds just went away. The sun came out and it hit me. It was at that moment I knew God was calling me to do more."

That's when Abby came up with the idea of Project 40:31, named after the bible verse Isaiah 40:31 "Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not be faint."

Abby said the mission of Project 40:31 is to empower girls by helping them grow in confidence and in Christ.

Leading by example

Abby's parents, Bill and Kira, always knew Abby was anxious, but the depression that accompanied it wasn't as noticeable.

"As parents, you want to do whatever you can to fix the problem," Bill said. "Anxiety put her in a box. We felt helpless. But we leaned on our faith, and so did Abby."

Bill is the owner of 1P4:10 Sports Performance, a holistic, integrated sports performance business based on the bible verse 1 Peter 4:10. Kira is the founder of Serve Volleyball Academy, a faith-based place for young athletes to learn and play the sport in a wholesome environment.

"We see that Abby is learning by example and is grounded in her faith," Bill said. "We're proud, relieved and excited. It's awesome."

Moving forward

Abby hopes to expand Project 40:31 by hosting regular gatherings in the community and bringing in guest speakers.

Jackie Battle, owner of Philanthropy, a faith-based fashion store in Market Street, opened up his store to Abby after he saw her walking down Market Street -- handing out sunflowers and sharing her message.

The next meeting is at 8 p.m. Monday Aug. 7 at Philanthropy. Abby will focus on the book "Dare Greatly: A High School Girl's Bible Study on Thriving in Your Teens" by Hannah Duggan.

"I want Project 40:31 to be a place where girls can come and be themselves," Abby said. "I don't want them to think they're the only one that struggles with anxiety and depression. I want them to know that we are more than what people say we are."