As normal.... This is the time your can share your thoughts, concerns, prayer request, and any questions you have! We are all ears! :)
His,
JEN
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Could you see yourself marrying him?
I ask myself this question all the time... So, I thought I would ask you girls the same thing! This applies to any guy you have interest in. It doesn't have to be necessarily a bf. It could just be a guy you like! Girls have often asked my why I do not have a bf and the truth is that besides the fact that I do not feel that it is God's will for me right now, I also to be 100% real with you know a guy who I could see myself marrying. I'm not saying that I wouldn't marry any of the guys I know, but not at this point.
So…. With that said. Can you see yourself marrying the guy that you are so “In love” with? You have nothing to prove to me… only yourself. Often when I ask girls this they respond with, “We are just going out… no one said anything about getting married!”. Think about it though… that is setting you up for divorce! When you do not take relationships seriously and you only see it as a passing thing and something to have fun you begin setting bad habits. There is nothing wrong with liking a guy at all! I just wanted to get you thinking… Could you marry him? Please what ever you do…. Do not try to make him into the guy you want him to be. Only God can change him!
Seek God… If I could give you girls one piece of advice it would be to… SEEK GOD WITH EVERYTHING YOU ARE! It will turn your life upside down… I’m telling you from experience.
Much love,
JEN
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Thought filled Thursday!
"When the devil reminds you of your past, remind him of his future." -Alistair Begg
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Word filled Wednesday!
~ James 1:12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. ~
Monday, January 25, 2010
Doing What's Right
Hey girls! Okay, so we don't really have any personal experience stories this week, and to be honest, I will be extremely busy tomorrow and the rest of the week. After talking with Jen, we decided it would be a good idea for me to do my post tonight instead of tomorrow. So here goes. This past weekend I faced what was seemingly insignificant, but still a challenge none-the-less. After dealing with it, I mentioned it to an accountability group. Our group leader pointed out that it was a good example of doing what's right, even when you don't feel like it. Ever since then, that has been stuck in my head, "doing what's right, even when you don't feel like it." So that's what I want to talk to you about today.
The situation: I like to hunt. Saturday I got up at 4am to go hunting, and was out all day, and didn't get into bed until about 11. Sunday, I had a lot of stuff going on, and knew I needed to get up on time to get it all done. So when 8am rolled around and I was still exhausted from the day before, I really didn't wanna get up. I was so tempted to go back to sleep, skip the church service and just go to Sunday school. It would have been so easy to do, and nobody could blame me cuz I was tired, right? Well, no actually. You see, this Wednesday I won't be able to go to church, and it's iffy whether I'll make it to Sunday morning church next week. So I really needed to go, and worship with my fellow believers while I had the chance. So my solution? Chugging a can of Pepsi Max on my way to the church service. I did what's right, even though I didn't feel like it.
Another story. I have a friend at JCIB, and if you know anything about it, the classes are TOUGH there. And she shared with us that she often times struggled with coming to church to. It's so easy to say "well I have so much homework" and just skip it. But she admitted, that when she is diligent and goes to church anyway, God blesses her.
Now get this, I'm not slamming anybody who doesn't go to church regularly. I am not looking down on you, I encourage you to get involved with your youth group, but I don't think you're a bad person if you're not. I'm also not telling you this to bring glory to myself and my friend, not by a long shot. God knows I've failed so many times. Sometimes by just being too lazy to turn on my alarm. But my point here is this, sometimes you just have to do what's right, even though you don't feel like it. Sometimes, especially in the area of purity, you will have to make a choice, and you will know which is right and wrong-- but you may not feel like making the right choice at the time. But you do it anyway. Why? Because it brings glory to God! And girls, have no doubt, he will bless you when you make the right decision! I can tell you first hand, I was blessed by the service yesterday, and I am so glad I didn't sleep in and skip it. So I encourage you, do what's right today!
Love, Kat
The situation: I like to hunt. Saturday I got up at 4am to go hunting, and was out all day, and didn't get into bed until about 11. Sunday, I had a lot of stuff going on, and knew I needed to get up on time to get it all done. So when 8am rolled around and I was still exhausted from the day before, I really didn't wanna get up. I was so tempted to go back to sleep, skip the church service and just go to Sunday school. It would have been so easy to do, and nobody could blame me cuz I was tired, right? Well, no actually. You see, this Wednesday I won't be able to go to church, and it's iffy whether I'll make it to Sunday morning church next week. So I really needed to go, and worship with my fellow believers while I had the chance. So my solution? Chugging a can of Pepsi Max on my way to the church service. I did what's right, even though I didn't feel like it.
Another story. I have a friend at JCIB, and if you know anything about it, the classes are TOUGH there. And she shared with us that she often times struggled with coming to church to. It's so easy to say "well I have so much homework" and just skip it. But she admitted, that when she is diligent and goes to church anyway, God blesses her.
Now get this, I'm not slamming anybody who doesn't go to church regularly. I am not looking down on you, I encourage you to get involved with your youth group, but I don't think you're a bad person if you're not. I'm also not telling you this to bring glory to myself and my friend, not by a long shot. God knows I've failed so many times. Sometimes by just being too lazy to turn on my alarm. But my point here is this, sometimes you just have to do what's right, even though you don't feel like it. Sometimes, especially in the area of purity, you will have to make a choice, and you will know which is right and wrong-- but you may not feel like making the right choice at the time. But you do it anyway. Why? Because it brings glory to God! And girls, have no doubt, he will bless you when you make the right decision! I can tell you first hand, I was blessed by the service yesterday, and I am so glad I didn't sleep in and skip it. So I encourage you, do what's right today!
Love, Kat
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Whose the Leader and who is the follower?
Did you ever play the game, "Follow the Leader" as a child? I loved that game because when I was the leader everyone followed me and when someone else was the leader I knew exactly what to do. Wouldn't it be amazing if life was that simple? You knew exactly what to do and who to follow! No one to try to get you away from what the leader was doing because they were all trying to do it also!
So, if you are wondering where I'm going with this... we are going to talk about mentoring and who we should follow. Now, any good (meaning someone who listens!:)) Sunday school attendant knows that we should follow Jesus! He is our ultimate role model. Yet, how awesome would it be to have someone whom you can touch, see, and who also like you and I are not perfect to look to as an example! I firmly believe that God did not make us to live this life alone! We weren't created to hurt, struggle, fight temptation, or just to be able to make it through life on our own! Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says, "Two are better than one...for if they fall one will lift up the other.". Do you have someone who you look up to? I'm going to go ahead and be straight up honest here... Just because someone is your mentor does not mean they will not let you down or hurt you because they are human also, yet God created us for friendship! One of those friendships being a leader/follower friendship!
Here are some things you can look for in the person as you are trying to find a mentor if you do not already have one!
*Someone who is further along in their walk with Christ than you
*Someone who is a good listener
*Someone who cares about you and takes interest in your life
*Someone who has time and finds you pretty high on their priority list
*Someone who will pray for you and with you
*Someone who loves God above all else
*Someone who will tell you the truth even when it hurts
*Someone who is trustworthy
Do you know someone who fits into these categories? If not... pray about it!! God will send you the perfect person! Trust me... been there and done that! He has a better plan than you could ever put together! :) If you have someone in mind, but you aren't sure how to approach it, just start by talking to them! Get comfortable with them and then when the time is right explain how you are looking for a mentor and you think that they would be perfect.
Girls, this world tells us that we can do it on our own, we are better than guys (Heck! We only need them for one reason!), and that we only need God to get to Heaven (If they are even willing to admit that!). Is that true though? NO! We need each other... we need to know that we are loved, cherished, and appreciated. We need someone to laugh with us during the good times, bounce around with us during the excited times, and cry with us during the hard times. It's the way we were made! There is absolutely nothing wrong with it.
One final thought... I've observed that the girls who do not have very many girl friends often have many guys. It's not a bad thing and it is not always the case. I want to ask you though, Are you that girl? You want love so bad... You want to be heard... you want to be cared about... Yet you just have no idea where to get it. Guys offer it for a little while so that's better than nothing! First, I challenge you to seek the face of God... Only He can give you the fulfillment you truly want! Secondly though... find some girl friends! Some who not only like boys, but also love God! It will change your outlook on life.... Trust me! :)
Much love,
JEN
So, if you are wondering where I'm going with this... we are going to talk about mentoring and who we should follow. Now, any good (meaning someone who listens!:)) Sunday school attendant knows that we should follow Jesus! He is our ultimate role model. Yet, how awesome would it be to have someone whom you can touch, see, and who also like you and I are not perfect to look to as an example! I firmly believe that God did not make us to live this life alone! We weren't created to hurt, struggle, fight temptation, or just to be able to make it through life on our own! Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says, "Two are better than one...for if they fall one will lift up the other.". Do you have someone who you look up to? I'm going to go ahead and be straight up honest here... Just because someone is your mentor does not mean they will not let you down or hurt you because they are human also, yet God created us for friendship! One of those friendships being a leader/follower friendship!
Here are some things you can look for in the person as you are trying to find a mentor if you do not already have one!
*Someone who is further along in their walk with Christ than you
*Someone who is a good listener
*Someone who cares about you and takes interest in your life
*Someone who has time and finds you pretty high on their priority list
*Someone who will pray for you and with you
*Someone who loves God above all else
*Someone who will tell you the truth even when it hurts
*Someone who is trustworthy
Do you know someone who fits into these categories? If not... pray about it!! God will send you the perfect person! Trust me... been there and done that! He has a better plan than you could ever put together! :) If you have someone in mind, but you aren't sure how to approach it, just start by talking to them! Get comfortable with them and then when the time is right explain how you are looking for a mentor and you think that they would be perfect.
Girls, this world tells us that we can do it on our own, we are better than guys (Heck! We only need them for one reason!), and that we only need God to get to Heaven (If they are even willing to admit that!). Is that true though? NO! We need each other... we need to know that we are loved, cherished, and appreciated. We need someone to laugh with us during the good times, bounce around with us during the excited times, and cry with us during the hard times. It's the way we were made! There is absolutely nothing wrong with it.
One final thought... I've observed that the girls who do not have very many girl friends often have many guys. It's not a bad thing and it is not always the case. I want to ask you though, Are you that girl? You want love so bad... You want to be heard... you want to be cared about... Yet you just have no idea where to get it. Guys offer it for a little while so that's better than nothing! First, I challenge you to seek the face of God... Only He can give you the fulfillment you truly want! Secondly though... find some girl friends! Some who not only like boys, but also love God! It will change your outlook on life.... Trust me! :)
Much love,
JEN
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Thought filled Thursday!
~ Quit telling God how big the storm is and began telling the storm how big your God is!~
I just love this quote! Im not sure who said it, but I've often claimed it. Our God is a big God!!!
Love,
JEN
I just love this quote! Im not sure who said it, but I've often claimed it. Our God is a big God!!!
Love,
JEN
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Word filled Wednesday!
Romans 12:14-21 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right i the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,"says the Lord. On the contrary, "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Just sharing my heart...
Hey girls!
So, Kat did a wonderful post tonight about peer pressure, but I also wanted to share what is on my heart. Although, it is not my night to post and Ive gone back and forth all night about doing this... I feel that someone needs to hear this. Only God knows....
I had the chance to go to the premier of the new movie, "To save a life" tonight. It really hit me hard... the underlying message through it all was how we should reach out to others and show them God's love. To be honest... for the most part I try my best to do that. How often though do we say hi or just smile (if that!) yet we go no further... We may not be the ones laughing at people to their face, yet what are we doing behind their backs? Heaven forbid we actually tell them what God's word says, That they are beautiful! I read a cool verse earlier during my quiet time. It is 1 Peter 2:4b(ESV, "Rejected by men, but in the sight of God chosen and precious.". Ephesians 1:4 says, "even as He chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him.". There are many more, but these are just a few off the top of my mind. So here is my point... I have no idea who all reads this blog. Whether it is just girls, what age, where you are from, what you look like, what your home life is like, or whether you even believe in God or not. I do know one thing though... You are looked upon as precious in God's eyes!! Some girls share their stories with me and I can't even imagine what there life feels like. All I know to say is, "God loves you...". Your peers, your parents, your so called "friends"...they let you down. Yet, God doesn't. Period. I've held on tight to the verse Hebrews 13:5b, "I will never leave you nor forsake you.". That is as straight forward and simple as it can be. Girls, just to be honest with you... I'm not sure I know what love is. Many people who have told me that they "loved" me have hurt me more than I ever imagined they could. Does that mean that God's love is like that? No, not at all!! The closer I grow to God the more I realize what true love is!
So... for those of you who are reading this and thinking how i just, i just do not understand what you are going through and I just don't understand how people treat you. I'm sure you are exactly right... Can I tell you one thing though? I care about you... God layed YOU on my heart tonight. I'm not making that up one bit. You matter not only to God, but also to me. You are precious!! As I talked about in a prior post... God viewed you as worthy of His son's own precious blood. That was no small price to pay... He didn't have to die. Yet, He chose to for you. When this life seems as if it isn't worth living... everything is going wrong... Please remember these simple words.... GOD LOVES YOU *Whispering with more care than you can imagine*!!! He cares!! When it seems as if no one else cares, He does!! Do not let satan try to tell you that if God knew all the wrong you had done that He would not love you. God knows everything that you have done, are doing, and will do! He knew the day that He allowed them to nail Him to that cross. Did it stop Him? Not at all...
Finally, we have said this over and over, yet i want to remind you again. We are here for you. PLEASE feel free to comment. It amazes me how girls feel as if they are the only one struggling with things and they are the only one dealing with this hurt. Then the next day another girl (who is often the first girls best friend!) tells me how she is struggling with the same thing, but she thinks that she is all alone. You are not alone!!! God did not make us to fight is this world alone... It says in the Bible that two are better than one because they help build each other up and are there for each other! We want to be here for you girls, but we can only do that if you will allow us to. Feel free to be anonymous... Names do not matter. Hearts do though...
Sis in Christ,
JEN
So, Kat did a wonderful post tonight about peer pressure, but I also wanted to share what is on my heart. Although, it is not my night to post and Ive gone back and forth all night about doing this... I feel that someone needs to hear this. Only God knows....
I had the chance to go to the premier of the new movie, "To save a life" tonight. It really hit me hard... the underlying message through it all was how we should reach out to others and show them God's love. To be honest... for the most part I try my best to do that. How often though do we say hi or just smile (if that!) yet we go no further... We may not be the ones laughing at people to their face, yet what are we doing behind their backs? Heaven forbid we actually tell them what God's word says, That they are beautiful! I read a cool verse earlier during my quiet time. It is 1 Peter 2:4b(ESV, "Rejected by men, but in the sight of God chosen and precious.". Ephesians 1:4 says, "even as He chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him.". There are many more, but these are just a few off the top of my mind. So here is my point... I have no idea who all reads this blog. Whether it is just girls, what age, where you are from, what you look like, what your home life is like, or whether you even believe in God or not. I do know one thing though... You are looked upon as precious in God's eyes!! Some girls share their stories with me and I can't even imagine what there life feels like. All I know to say is, "God loves you...". Your peers, your parents, your so called "friends"...they let you down. Yet, God doesn't. Period. I've held on tight to the verse Hebrews 13:5b, "I will never leave you nor forsake you.". That is as straight forward and simple as it can be. Girls, just to be honest with you... I'm not sure I know what love is. Many people who have told me that they "loved" me have hurt me more than I ever imagined they could. Does that mean that God's love is like that? No, not at all!! The closer I grow to God the more I realize what true love is!
So... for those of you who are reading this and thinking how i just, i just do not understand what you are going through and I just don't understand how people treat you. I'm sure you are exactly right... Can I tell you one thing though? I care about you... God layed YOU on my heart tonight. I'm not making that up one bit. You matter not only to God, but also to me. You are precious!! As I talked about in a prior post... God viewed you as worthy of His son's own precious blood. That was no small price to pay... He didn't have to die. Yet, He chose to for you. When this life seems as if it isn't worth living... everything is going wrong... Please remember these simple words.... GOD LOVES YOU *Whispering with more care than you can imagine*!!! He cares!! When it seems as if no one else cares, He does!! Do not let satan try to tell you that if God knew all the wrong you had done that He would not love you. God knows everything that you have done, are doing, and will do! He knew the day that He allowed them to nail Him to that cross. Did it stop Him? Not at all...
Finally, we have said this over and over, yet i want to remind you again. We are here for you. PLEASE feel free to comment. It amazes me how girls feel as if they are the only one struggling with things and they are the only one dealing with this hurt. Then the next day another girl (who is often the first girls best friend!) tells me how she is struggling with the same thing, but she thinks that she is all alone. You are not alone!!! God did not make us to fight is this world alone... It says in the Bible that two are better than one because they help build each other up and are there for each other! We want to be here for you girls, but we can only do that if you will allow us to. Feel free to be anonymous... Names do not matter. Hearts do though...
Sis in Christ,
JEN
Fear Of Man...
Proverbs 29:25 "Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe." As you may have guessed, today I'm talking about fear of man. Now you may be thinking, what on earth does "fear of man" mean and what does it have to do with a purity blog? Well, that's exactly what I intend to show you with this post.
What is "fear of man"? Fear of man is essentially, peer pressure or the pressures of society to think, act, dress (etc) a certain way. For instance when your boyfriend says "if you love me you will do this," that's peer pressure. When the media says you need to be a size two to be beautiful and you feel pressured to lose weight? That's peer pressure. When we get caught up in peer pressure, and let pleasing others take hold over us, we often get pulled away from God's will. It's like what Jesus said in Matthew 6:24, no one can serve two masters. You either please God, or you please the world. Peer pressure will push you to do things you want to do, just to be accepted. But God has already accepted you. And the last part of Proverbs 29:25 says if he trust in him we will be kept safe!
What does "fear of man" have to do with purity? Well it's really quite simple. The world pressures us in the area of purity to do things we don't want to do. Any given tv show treats purity as if it's worthless. Media says if you don't have a boyfriend, you're doing something wrong. Friends may even pressure you in this area, sharing personal experiences and telling you "try it, it's fun" or calling you weird because you're a virgin. Jen has already addressed the fact that guys may feed you the lies of "if you love me you would..." All of that, yes all of it, is peer pressure! And if you let it, it well dwell in your mind and make you feel alone and helpless, like you have no other choice. But you do! You can choose to tell peer pressure it has no place in your life. You can tell those lies you don't believe a word of it. Girls, you have to choose your master. Are you going to let people pressure you into doing something you don't wanna do? Or are you going to stand up for yourself? It all comes down to this, the world's way, or God's way?
Love, Kat
What is "fear of man"? Fear of man is essentially, peer pressure or the pressures of society to think, act, dress (etc) a certain way. For instance when your boyfriend says "if you love me you will do this," that's peer pressure. When the media says you need to be a size two to be beautiful and you feel pressured to lose weight? That's peer pressure. When we get caught up in peer pressure, and let pleasing others take hold over us, we often get pulled away from God's will. It's like what Jesus said in Matthew 6:24, no one can serve two masters. You either please God, or you please the world. Peer pressure will push you to do things you want to do, just to be accepted. But God has already accepted you. And the last part of Proverbs 29:25 says if he trust in him we will be kept safe!
What does "fear of man" have to do with purity? Well it's really quite simple. The world pressures us in the area of purity to do things we don't want to do. Any given tv show treats purity as if it's worthless. Media says if you don't have a boyfriend, you're doing something wrong. Friends may even pressure you in this area, sharing personal experiences and telling you "try it, it's fun" or calling you weird because you're a virgin. Jen has already addressed the fact that guys may feed you the lies of "if you love me you would..." All of that, yes all of it, is peer pressure! And if you let it, it well dwell in your mind and make you feel alone and helpless, like you have no other choice. But you do! You can choose to tell peer pressure it has no place in your life. You can tell those lies you don't believe a word of it. Girls, you have to choose your master. Are you going to let people pressure you into doing something you don't wanna do? Or are you going to stand up for yourself? It all comes down to this, the world's way, or God's way?
Love, Kat
Monday, January 18, 2010
Katie's story!
Hi! I’m Katie, and this is [sorta] my story. Please forgive me now, because this isn’t a simple testimony… If you’ve met me, you understand how random I can be, if not- here’s a crash course. :)
I publicly accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior on February 29, 2008. Let’s backtrack; I had prayed many times before that for God to take control of my life, that I fully believed and trusted in Him, and that I accepted Jesus as my Savior to pay the price for my sins. But I just knew I had to get up in front of people and admit this before God and everyone… For a seemingly outgoing person, I was mortified!! I selfishly thought that everyone from my Christian school was going to judge me for not already being saved! However, when I stepped onto the gym floor after an evangelist spoke one night at a NACA basketball tournament, my fears were proven wrong. There’s nothing extremely special about the night I finally made my commitment public. I just felt God make me move… Literally! After praying for my salvation with about a hundred other people, with hundreds more sitting in the stands of a basketball gym and watching, I was greeted with open arms to an extremely loving family of fellow Christians! There were SO many hugs and teary eyes. THAT was God speaking to me- He gave me just what I needed at just the right time. I stepped forward in front of people I was afraid would judge me, but instead lovingly welcomed me into the family.
If you haven’t picked up on it yet, my point here is friendship. I realize this is a blog about purity, and I could share with you a lot about my ideas and feelings there! For some strange reason though, God really laid it on my heart to share about friendships. So with that, I ask each person reading this to reflect on the friendships in your life… There are so many questions about them (Do I judge them and vice versa? Do we lift each other up or tear each other down? Etc.) But are these friendships based on God? And if they are, do you go to your friends first when something’s going on in your life, or do you go to God? Jenn mentioned that a while back, and it’s something I struggle with often.
Another random thought- After I publicly accepted Christ, my friendships improved. I have three of the best friends a girl could ever ask for, and I’m highly touched that one would ask me to write on her blog (I’m sorry I’m so off subject, Jenn!). My roommate is an amazing Christian girl! And she is much better than anyone I could have hoped for. Turns out she was praying for me before we ever met each other! (How COOL is that?!) And my oldest friend is a blessing too! I thank God every day for her and the wisdom she brings into my life since she’s older and knows things I don’t.
I’d like to conclude with this: “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13 Jesus laid down his life for us, making him the greatest friend of all.
I pray that you go out into the world, in your friendships and relationships, with a willingness to be a true friend.
In Christ,
Katie
I publicly accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior on February 29, 2008. Let’s backtrack; I had prayed many times before that for God to take control of my life, that I fully believed and trusted in Him, and that I accepted Jesus as my Savior to pay the price for my sins. But I just knew I had to get up in front of people and admit this before God and everyone… For a seemingly outgoing person, I was mortified!! I selfishly thought that everyone from my Christian school was going to judge me for not already being saved! However, when I stepped onto the gym floor after an evangelist spoke one night at a NACA basketball tournament, my fears were proven wrong. There’s nothing extremely special about the night I finally made my commitment public. I just felt God make me move… Literally! After praying for my salvation with about a hundred other people, with hundreds more sitting in the stands of a basketball gym and watching, I was greeted with open arms to an extremely loving family of fellow Christians! There were SO many hugs and teary eyes. THAT was God speaking to me- He gave me just what I needed at just the right time. I stepped forward in front of people I was afraid would judge me, but instead lovingly welcomed me into the family.
If you haven’t picked up on it yet, my point here is friendship. I realize this is a blog about purity, and I could share with you a lot about my ideas and feelings there! For some strange reason though, God really laid it on my heart to share about friendships. So with that, I ask each person reading this to reflect on the friendships in your life… There are so many questions about them (Do I judge them and vice versa? Do we lift each other up or tear each other down? Etc.) But are these friendships based on God? And if they are, do you go to your friends first when something’s going on in your life, or do you go to God? Jenn mentioned that a while back, and it’s something I struggle with often.
Another random thought- After I publicly accepted Christ, my friendships improved. I have three of the best friends a girl could ever ask for, and I’m highly touched that one would ask me to write on her blog (I’m sorry I’m so off subject, Jenn!). My roommate is an amazing Christian girl! And she is much better than anyone I could have hoped for. Turns out she was praying for me before we ever met each other! (How COOL is that?!) And my oldest friend is a blessing too! I thank God every day for her and the wisdom she brings into my life since she’s older and knows things I don’t.
I’d like to conclude with this: “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13 Jesus laid down his life for us, making him the greatest friend of all.
I pray that you go out into the world, in your friendships and relationships, with a willingness to be a true friend.
In Christ,
Katie
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Open Chat for the weekend!
Hey girls!
We just wanted to open this up again this weekend... If there are any subjects that we have not yet covered that you would like us to or if there are any things that you have questions about feel free to comment and let us know! If you have any comments about some of the post or anything at all! Also, feel free to share prayer request. Lindsey shared a prayer request on the wall of the fb group earlier this week for her mom. I'm not sure of her current condition, but please continue to pray for her. We want to hear from you girls!
Through Him,
JEN
We just wanted to open this up again this weekend... If there are any subjects that we have not yet covered that you would like us to or if there are any things that you have questions about feel free to comment and let us know! If you have any comments about some of the post or anything at all! Also, feel free to share prayer request. Lindsey shared a prayer request on the wall of the fb group earlier this week for her mom. I'm not sure of her current condition, but please continue to pray for her. We want to hear from you girls!
Through Him,
JEN
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Words of wisdom from Jen.... :)
Hi! I just wanted to give you some words of wisdom concerning some things that I've learned. We are going to talk about being careful when you are in the dark and when it is after 12pm. Side note.... is it just me or does that sound like Veggie Tales? I think that I've watched one to many 3 year olds.... Anywho, back to my point!
As far as the dark.... things can happen. Sin seems to creep in faster when it is dark. This doesn't necessarily apply, but I thought of John 8:12 which says, "I am the light of the world.". That is God talking. Girls... God is Holy, perfect, and basically sinless. This is just my observation...but being in a well lit place often takes away some temptations. Now please do not get me wrong.... just because you are in a dark area does not mean that sin will happen and just because you are in a well lit area does not mean that sin isn't a possibility. I'm just saying that it helps to be in light. Here are some examples.... You are sitting by your bf, watching a movie and the lights are out. What might happen? Many things.... If you turned the lights on where someone could possibly see you, would that illuminate some of the temptation? You bet it would! Then there is the senerio of you are sitting on the back of the church van or band bus. It is dark and no one can see where your hands are. Is that a wise choice? No! You may not be able to turn a light on, but you can choose where you sit (towards the back or the front) and you can choose who you sit by! You may really really like this guy and all, but if it will push you to give into temptation it would be worth it to give up one time of sitting by him!
Secondly, what happens after 12pm is often not as wise as what happens before then. My thought on this one is txting... You know what I'm talking about. You are tired, laying in bed, and your mind wonders. It's natural, although not right! Psalm 19:14 says, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.". Do your txt after 12 or anytime that you are laying in bed show as an example to this verse? Do they glorify God? You have to be honest with yourself.... I HIGHLY advise you to guard your txt. Can I just make this disclaimer now? Phone sex is sin... No, it is not "real" sex, but it is still wrong. If you question whether some of the things you are talking about are phone sex or not... take it to God. Search out His word! Most of all... ask yourself if what you are saying glorifies God!
More of Jennifer's Wisdom to come! :) Also, if you have any words of wisdom feel free to share!
Love,
JEN
P.S. The reason I posted a day early is bc I was afraid that I would not have time to post tomorrow... So, I decided to do it early! :)
As far as the dark.... things can happen. Sin seems to creep in faster when it is dark. This doesn't necessarily apply, but I thought of John 8:12 which says, "I am the light of the world.". That is God talking. Girls... God is Holy, perfect, and basically sinless. This is just my observation...but being in a well lit place often takes away some temptations. Now please do not get me wrong.... just because you are in a dark area does not mean that sin will happen and just because you are in a well lit area does not mean that sin isn't a possibility. I'm just saying that it helps to be in light. Here are some examples.... You are sitting by your bf, watching a movie and the lights are out. What might happen? Many things.... If you turned the lights on where someone could possibly see you, would that illuminate some of the temptation? You bet it would! Then there is the senerio of you are sitting on the back of the church van or band bus. It is dark and no one can see where your hands are. Is that a wise choice? No! You may not be able to turn a light on, but you can choose where you sit (towards the back or the front) and you can choose who you sit by! You may really really like this guy and all, but if it will push you to give into temptation it would be worth it to give up one time of sitting by him!
Secondly, what happens after 12pm is often not as wise as what happens before then. My thought on this one is txting... You know what I'm talking about. You are tired, laying in bed, and your mind wonders. It's natural, although not right! Psalm 19:14 says, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.". Do your txt after 12 or anytime that you are laying in bed show as an example to this verse? Do they glorify God? You have to be honest with yourself.... I HIGHLY advise you to guard your txt. Can I just make this disclaimer now? Phone sex is sin... No, it is not "real" sex, but it is still wrong. If you question whether some of the things you are talking about are phone sex or not... take it to God. Search out His word! Most of all... ask yourself if what you are saying glorifies God!
More of Jennifer's Wisdom to come! :) Also, if you have any words of wisdom feel free to share!
Love,
JEN
P.S. The reason I posted a day early is bc I was afraid that I would not have time to post tomorrow... So, I decided to do it early! :)
Thought-Filled Thursday
John 15:13 (New International Version) "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."
God's love is perfect and all sufficient. Jesus laid his life down for us. Until we can learn to be content, and know that God's love is enough for us, we will not be ready for a relationship that is truly blessed by God.
Your Grace Is Enough- Chris Tomlin (second verse)
Great is Your Love and Justice God
You use the weak to the lead the strong
You lead us in the song of your salvation
And all your people sing along
God's love is truly great girls! He is all we need!
Love, Kat
God's love is perfect and all sufficient. Jesus laid his life down for us. Until we can learn to be content, and know that God's love is enough for us, we will not be ready for a relationship that is truly blessed by God.
Your Grace Is Enough- Chris Tomlin (second verse)
Great is Your Love and Justice God
You use the weak to the lead the strong
You lead us in the song of your salvation
And all your people sing along
God's love is truly great girls! He is all we need!
Love, Kat
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Word Filled Wednesday!
2 Corinthians 12:9a "But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Girls, you may often be tempted in the area of purity, and you may feel weak. But know that you are not alone, rely on God, and he will make you strong! His power is perfect in the presence of our weakness!
Love, Kat
Love, Kat
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
When the time is right...
Okay, so I had originally planned to build on the parental influence post from last week and talk a little more specifically about male role models (dads, grandfathers, youth pastors, etc) and how they influence your life. But as I began to write the post, the words were coming out very forced and I feel as if God is leading me in a different direction tonight. I will talk about role models another time, have no doubt about that. But tonight we're going to talk about something a little different. Tonight I'm gonna share something that happened to me recently.
For those of you who don't know, I a competitive speaker and debater. Last week I was gone Thursday-Sunday for a debate competition in Mississippi. My grandparents went with me and my mom, and they travelled around seeing the sights of the town while my mother and I were at the tournament. Well, my grandparents came one evening to watch one of my rounds, in which I was debating a boy. Not a big deal to me, I debate against boys all the time in this league, I'm used to it. Well, the point of my story. After the round had ended and my opponent, the judge, and spectators had left the room, I was still packing my things. My grandmother, as all well-meaning grandmothers do, made the comment that my opponent sure was cute, and seemed nice. "he could be your boyfriend, but he probably lives too far away," she said. I'm used to embarassing comment like that, and I merely laughed and said, "mamama please!" and moved on. But after reflection of this and other instances, other family members always asking "so do you have a boyfriend yet?" and such, I have had to learn to deal with the enemies lies whispered through these passing comments. I stand firmly resolved that there is no reason for me to become involved in a serious relationship with a boy at this time. I have no doubts about that. First of all, I haven't really met a guy that I'm seriously interested in on that level. Second, I feel that a serious relationship at such a young age can push the purity limits (even though I have them set highly) as time goes on, only making it harder to stick to my commitment. But oftentimes with passing comments like this, about "oh he'd make a cute match" open a door for the enemy to get inside my head and say, "maybe he's not the right one, but certainly 17 is old enough to have a relationship isn't it?" or "if not now, when will it be my turn?" And I know I'm not the only one who experiences this. True, these are passing thoughts, but if we let them, they can consume our minds. I just turned 17 yesterday, and I've never had a boyfriend. It could be so easy for me to say, "what is wrong with me? Why can't I just be like any other girl and get a boyfriend?" But instead I choose to remember that love will awaken when it desires. I choose to say, "God, I would rather focus on you and all you are doing in my life rather than focus on getting a boyfriend." I don't say this to bring glory to myself. Not at all. There are some days I would be anything other than this girl who is happy with what God is doing now. It is only by God's grace that I am who I am, and it is he who works through me to do great things. But I say this to show you that there is a different way to look at the situation. When the enemy tries to sneak in and plant seeds of doubt, you can come back at him and say "I know that God will awaken love, when the time is right." When will the time be right for me? I don't know, but I'm okay with leaving it in God's hands.
Love, Kat
For those of you who don't know, I a competitive speaker and debater. Last week I was gone Thursday-Sunday for a debate competition in Mississippi. My grandparents went with me and my mom, and they travelled around seeing the sights of the town while my mother and I were at the tournament. Well, my grandparents came one evening to watch one of my rounds, in which I was debating a boy. Not a big deal to me, I debate against boys all the time in this league, I'm used to it. Well, the point of my story. After the round had ended and my opponent, the judge, and spectators had left the room, I was still packing my things. My grandmother, as all well-meaning grandmothers do, made the comment that my opponent sure was cute, and seemed nice. "he could be your boyfriend, but he probably lives too far away," she said. I'm used to embarassing comment like that, and I merely laughed and said, "mamama please!" and moved on. But after reflection of this and other instances, other family members always asking "so do you have a boyfriend yet?" and such, I have had to learn to deal with the enemies lies whispered through these passing comments. I stand firmly resolved that there is no reason for me to become involved in a serious relationship with a boy at this time. I have no doubts about that. First of all, I haven't really met a guy that I'm seriously interested in on that level. Second, I feel that a serious relationship at such a young age can push the purity limits (even though I have them set highly) as time goes on, only making it harder to stick to my commitment. But oftentimes with passing comments like this, about "oh he'd make a cute match" open a door for the enemy to get inside my head and say, "maybe he's not the right one, but certainly 17 is old enough to have a relationship isn't it?" or "if not now, when will it be my turn?" And I know I'm not the only one who experiences this. True, these are passing thoughts, but if we let them, they can consume our minds. I just turned 17 yesterday, and I've never had a boyfriend. It could be so easy for me to say, "what is wrong with me? Why can't I just be like any other girl and get a boyfriend?" But instead I choose to remember that love will awaken when it desires. I choose to say, "God, I would rather focus on you and all you are doing in my life rather than focus on getting a boyfriend." I don't say this to bring glory to myself. Not at all. There are some days I would be anything other than this girl who is happy with what God is doing now. It is only by God's grace that I am who I am, and it is he who works through me to do great things. But I say this to show you that there is a different way to look at the situation. When the enemy tries to sneak in and plant seeds of doubt, you can come back at him and say "I know that God will awaken love, when the time is right." When will the time be right for me? I don't know, but I'm okay with leaving it in God's hands.
Love, Kat
Monday, January 11, 2010
Kat's Story!
Hey everybody. My name’s Kat G. I go to Gardendale First with the other Kat and I decided to ask her if I could share my experience on here. I don’t think it’s a story like any other that has been posted, but it’s definitely something every girl should read about because it’s not that uncommon these days. A little bit of background on the story: I met David when he first started the ninth grade and I was in tenth. He was the most charming guy I had ever met and I was certain that he could get any girl he wanted if he tried hard enough. We were friends at school, but never talked much other then that. Last July I got a text message from him out of the blue asking if we could go out on a date the next day. I was single then and even though I had heard some things about him (he had a reputation for being a cheater) I figured, what the heck it’s just one date, and agreed. But what I hadn’t planned on was him telling me that since he first met me he’d had a crush on me. And that he felt like he was falling in love with me every time he was near me. I bought into everything he was telling me. He kissed me on our first date and I didn’t stop him, which is very unlike me. I felt like I was in a fairy tale and I would have done anything to make that day last. After that we were apart for around two weeks but I was so head over heels for him and everything that he was telling me, that I told him I was in love with him too. We were officially ‘boyfriend/girlfriend’ by that point and I couldn’t have been happier. A week or so after that, I got a message on Myspace from a girl from school that I didn’t really know but that I recognized as one of David’s ex-girlfriends. Or so I thought. I opened it up and it seemed like a friendly message. She was just asking who I was dating because she saw that I changed my relationship status. I happily replied thinking she just wanted to chat. But her next message wasn’t so friendly…she informed me that she had been dating David since January and he had only broken up with her a few days before. I realized that this meant I had started dating him when he was with someone else. I had never asked him if he was with anyone else, but I didn’t think I would have to! I was so embarrassed. I apologized to the girl and explained that I had no idea what was going on. I called David immediately and confronted him about it. This was the beginning of a vicious cycle…A cycle that involved me catching him doing something that hurt me and him either lying his way out of it or turning it around to be my fault. I won’t go through every time that I caught him talking to another girl, or a time when he lied to my face and I knew it but did nothing about it. I know this sounds crazy, but he has this strange hold on people. Go listen to Cowboy Casanova by Carrie Underwood I think she might have dated him too. Ha.Anyway, here’s where the story gets even worse. On October 2nd, the opening night of Tom Sawyer, a play I was in charge of at school, we came to my house for a few minutes to pick up some things I needed for the show. We had been at my house alone together before and until then he had never tried anything. We sat down to talk for a few minutes and next thing I knew he was kissing me. It wasn’t too big of a deal, we had kissed several times before. But this time it was different…there was something more in his kiss. I’m not going to go into details, but he used those classic phrases like “You know I love you and want to be with you forever,” and “You can show me you love me if you do this.” I always said those wouldn’t work on me. But they did. I gave him a piece of me that I can never get back. We were pretty stupid and didn’t use protection. How he convinced me to do that I’m not completely sure…after it happened we pretty much went back to normal. Everything was fine and I was even more sure that we would always be together. One week later I found out he was cheating on me again. The next day he broke up with me for another girl. I had already told him at this point that I was late.. But obviously that didn’t phase him any. That week was homecoming week at our school, and while most seniors say it’s the best time during the whole year, it was my worst. I spent every day wondering if it was really true, if I could really be pregnant. The worst part was…David ignored me. He wouldn’t even look my way. The next Tuesday morning I finally told my mom what had happened and the next Wednesday I went to the doctor and had it confirmed. As soon as I was back at school I went and told David what I had found out. He was waiting for me at my truck right after school. He told me that he was going to do whatever it took to make a life for me and the baby. We agreed that we could raise the baby as friends. We had everything worked out so that we could both still go to college. I felt so much better after we talked. Later that night he texted me..telling me that he changed his mind. He didn’t want to help. I immediately became upset, telling him that it was the law, he couldn’t just abandon me. I suddenly became suicidal. I texted him telling him that I just wanted to die. That no one cared about me and that I couldn’t take care of a baby alone. A few minutes later I got a call from his mother who he didn’t even live with. He had apparently told her. She immediately began cussing me out. All I could do was hand the phone to my mom. As upset as my mom was, she began defending me. I could tell from her side of the conversation that David’s mother was telling her terrible things about me. Apparently (according to David) I slept with five other guys after we broke up and the baby could belong to any of them! I found that one funny. Anyway, I’ll spare you the rest of these details. But the next day I found out that his mother had driven down from Tennessee and taken him to live with her. Without another word from him, he was gone. I was so lost, so confused. One day he’s saying that he wants to be there, the next he’s in another state??? And I was here alone, to raise a baby by myself?? I was terrified. I spent the next few months closed up. My mom took me to counseling but I was always depressed, always afraid. Then I hit this turning point a couple of weeks ago. Those of you who go to church with me know Jonathan. We used to be friends, even dated. I went to his prom. Ha.. It’s kind of personal what happened between us back then. But shortly after we quit talking he left on a year long mission trip. I hadn’t talked to him since then, but the other night I had this strange feeling that I should text him. So I got his number from Brandon and sent him a text. I knew he was home from his mission trip for the holidays. I can’t exactly explain what happened next, but I can tell you that it was all God. Jonathan is exactly what I need right now. He is so on fire for God that it has helped me realize that God is who I really need right now. He is such an inspiration to me and my biggest role model. He is also the only guy that has ever been over to my house when my parents weren’t home that didn’t try anything on me. I finally realized that I had been dating boys. Immature, stupid boys. I also realized that Jonathan wasn’t like that. He is truly a man of God. Someone who is so devoted in his faith that he won’t let anything get in his way of serving God. So I guess you can see why I fell in love with him ;) It was all by accident, of course. I had told myself I would never date again. And I still get this feeling that Jonathan could do a lot better then me and maybe someday he’ll realize that and he will choose to move on. But we both pray about it regularly and we’ve discussed it. And we just feel like it’s in God’s plan for us to be together. I feel like he’s my other half. Which I know sounds kind of corny. But I believe that he’s the one God wants me to spend forever with. He loves me enough to wait for anything physical, because being four months pregnant and with him leaving again, it’s not like that’s really a good idea anyway. And I love him enough to wait until he’s finished serving God to actually be with him. So I’ve realized that this is what true love really is. And every girl deserves to find it. Only they should find it in a different way then I did. I hope all you reading this choose to hold onto your purity because once it’s gone, a whole piece of you is gone with it. Not to mention, you could always get pregnant. And trust me, as much of a blessing as a baby is, 17 is not a good age to try and provide for one. I’m going to ask for your prayers and I will pray for all of you out there who might get a chance to read all of this.God has your Prince Charming out there. You just have to be patient enough for him to reveal himself.
Friday, January 8, 2010
What is in your future?
Hey chicka!
Did you happen to read Preston's story a few weeks back? If you didn't get a chance to then you should go back and read it! He talks about how he will one day have to tell his wife of what he has done in his past. How it would be hard and how he wasn't looking forward to it. Well today we are going to look into the future some... It may change your thoughts about some of the things you are doing now. Think ahead to the time that you have found the man of your dreams... you know that he will be proposing to you soon and the time has come to get everything out in the open. Picture the tears, pain, and the hurt as you begin telling him of how you this with this guy and that with that guy. Or here is the other scene option... Same time, but you have very little to tell. If anything, it is that you were tempted yet didn't give in. He feels SO loved and cherished! Which would you like to have?
Now is the time to make that choice! The choices you make now will determine what your situation looks like when the time comes. I'm not sure about you... but I want my husband to know how much I cherish him. I want him to know that I waited. Yes, I will have things that I have to tell him, but it isn't a once I have one thing to tell him I mise well have 30! God offers forgiveness (1 John 1:9) and so should your husband if you are marrying a Godly husband. He will follow God's example and show you forgiveness!
So, I challenge you to think with the future in mind as you make decisions! They will determine your future!
With care,
JEN
Did you happen to read Preston's story a few weeks back? If you didn't get a chance to then you should go back and read it! He talks about how he will one day have to tell his wife of what he has done in his past. How it would be hard and how he wasn't looking forward to it. Well today we are going to look into the future some... It may change your thoughts about some of the things you are doing now. Think ahead to the time that you have found the man of your dreams... you know that he will be proposing to you soon and the time has come to get everything out in the open. Picture the tears, pain, and the hurt as you begin telling him of how you this with this guy and that with that guy. Or here is the other scene option... Same time, but you have very little to tell. If anything, it is that you were tempted yet didn't give in. He feels SO loved and cherished! Which would you like to have?
Now is the time to make that choice! The choices you make now will determine what your situation looks like when the time comes. I'm not sure about you... but I want my husband to know how much I cherish him. I want him to know that I waited. Yes, I will have things that I have to tell him, but it isn't a once I have one thing to tell him I mise well have 30! God offers forgiveness (1 John 1:9) and so should your husband if you are marrying a Godly husband. He will follow God's example and show you forgiveness!
So, I challenge you to think with the future in mind as you make decisions! They will determine your future!
With care,
JEN
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Thought filled Thursday!
I read this on a friend's status the other day and I loved it! It said, "If you were given a $1.00 for every kind and encouraging word you said and $1.00 taken away for every negative or degrading word you said, would you be rich or poor?". It took me a second to think about it, but I challenge you to think about it as you go through out the day.... Are you making money or spending it today?
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Word filled Wednesday!
Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight. O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
Is this your heart? It is mine! :)
Is this your heart? It is mine! :)
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Breaking News: Parents are Wise
Well I'd be lying if I told you I wasn't surprised to find out that several of my friends dated behind their parents back, and/or wanted their parents to just "mind their own business" when it came to dating. But that was back in middle school, and I'm not so naive to believe that everyone talks to their parents about dating now. Which is why I'm going to address it today. I'd really like to just point out why it's so important to include your parents in dating decisions. What I'm not going to do today is tell you that your parents have to be your best friends, and that you have to gush every little detail of your dates with them.
First off, I'd like to share my personal commitment to my parents with you. Obviously I'm commited to purity (why else would I be co-authoring this blog?), but there is a little more to it than that. I made a purity pledge back in middle school after going through the True Love Waits program at our church. When I did, I commited to God and my parents that I would remain pure until marriage, AND that I would not agree date any guy without God and my parents approval first. So now that I have bored you with the facts of my life, let's get started with my actual post. :D
Okay, so the first reason to include your parents in dating decisions is: They're older and wiser. Yeah, yeah. Seems so predictable right? You've been told a thousand times to listen to your parents, they know what they are talking about. Guess what? IT'S TRUE! Your parents have seen more of the world than you. They can tell if a guy is going to treat you with respect, where as you may be blinded by your crush (amazing how you can see people for who they really are AFTER you've gotten over a crush). Your parents will be able to help you decide whether a guy is really worth your time or if you should keep waiting.
Reason number two: Accountability. Knowing your parents are involved will add a level of accountability to you in the area of purity. If you keep your parents involved, you'll be able to say no, not only for the reason of it won't please God, it won't please your parents. It's hard to explain why, but it just does.
Reason number three: stronger relationship between you and your parents. Yeah, sounds kinda weird, and you're probably thinking "wouldn't it just be awkward to talk about this with my parents?" Well honestly, yeah it is at first. But as you start to talk, you understand where they are coming from better. You start to get why they make the rules they do, and they'll be able to understand you too! If there is one thing I've learned in life, you can't expect people to read your mind and immediately know what's going on when you walk into a room. You have to put forth effort. And believe me, when you can talk to your parents and say, "hey I'd really like to go to the movies with this guy?" and hear their response without saying "you just don't understand!" it's totally worth it.
And now, the big question, "how do I start this?" Well there is no three point plan to talking with your parents about this, but the best way to start is by starting. Just go up to them one day and maybe ask them, "what do you think of my boyfriend?" or "how would you feel about so and so?" Like I said, it will be awkward at first, but with time it gets easier. And once you start, don't stop. You may want to talk to them about being involved in your relationships. You can ask them to hold you accountable. You don't have to give them every detail, but keep them updated. Let them know what's going on. I will tell you one thing, and you can ask my friends. A lot of times when we talk about boyfriend issues I'll ask them "have you talked to your parents?" or I'll say "you should really talk to your mom about this. She can give you better advice than I can." And I'm not kidding, if I were talking to you, I'd tell you the same. Well I hope this has encouraged you today. Seriously pray about it, and talk to your parents.
Love, Kat
First off, I'd like to share my personal commitment to my parents with you. Obviously I'm commited to purity (why else would I be co-authoring this blog?), but there is a little more to it than that. I made a purity pledge back in middle school after going through the True Love Waits program at our church. When I did, I commited to God and my parents that I would remain pure until marriage, AND that I would not agree date any guy without God and my parents approval first. So now that I have bored you with the facts of my life, let's get started with my actual post. :D
Okay, so the first reason to include your parents in dating decisions is: They're older and wiser. Yeah, yeah. Seems so predictable right? You've been told a thousand times to listen to your parents, they know what they are talking about. Guess what? IT'S TRUE! Your parents have seen more of the world than you. They can tell if a guy is going to treat you with respect, where as you may be blinded by your crush (amazing how you can see people for who they really are AFTER you've gotten over a crush). Your parents will be able to help you decide whether a guy is really worth your time or if you should keep waiting.
Reason number two: Accountability. Knowing your parents are involved will add a level of accountability to you in the area of purity. If you keep your parents involved, you'll be able to say no, not only for the reason of it won't please God, it won't please your parents. It's hard to explain why, but it just does.
Reason number three: stronger relationship between you and your parents. Yeah, sounds kinda weird, and you're probably thinking "wouldn't it just be awkward to talk about this with my parents?" Well honestly, yeah it is at first. But as you start to talk, you understand where they are coming from better. You start to get why they make the rules they do, and they'll be able to understand you too! If there is one thing I've learned in life, you can't expect people to read your mind and immediately know what's going on when you walk into a room. You have to put forth effort. And believe me, when you can talk to your parents and say, "hey I'd really like to go to the movies with this guy?" and hear their response without saying "you just don't understand!" it's totally worth it.
And now, the big question, "how do I start this?" Well there is no three point plan to talking with your parents about this, but the best way to start is by starting. Just go up to them one day and maybe ask them, "what do you think of my boyfriend?" or "how would you feel about so and so?" Like I said, it will be awkward at first, but with time it gets easier. And once you start, don't stop. You may want to talk to them about being involved in your relationships. You can ask them to hold you accountable. You don't have to give them every detail, but keep them updated. Let them know what's going on. I will tell you one thing, and you can ask my friends. A lot of times when we talk about boyfriend issues I'll ask them "have you talked to your parents?" or I'll say "you should really talk to your mom about this. She can give you better advice than I can." And I'm not kidding, if I were talking to you, I'd tell you the same. Well I hope this has encouraged you today. Seriously pray about it, and talk to your parents.
Love, Kat
Monday, January 4, 2010
Becca's Story!
Hi everyone! My name is Becca... I'm 16 going on 17, and a God-lover! A couple weeks ago, Kat asked me to write about my experience of having a pure relationship, to share it with all yall that read Love Unawakened. I'm gonna be honest, I'm not the greatest writer, and not the most amazing person. But I believe that God has worked in my life so much, not only for my sake, but so I can share his great deeds with others! Back in March, I re-met a guy I'd known from a couple years back.. We eventually found each other on facebook and started talking. To make a long story short, he asked me out 3 months later. He was very sweet and gentlemanly, complimented me a lot, and I started thinking that he was "the one". Now, I'd made a purity pledge back in middle school and was sticking to it. The thing was, he lived about an hour or so away from me, so we didn't get to see each other face-to-face that often. Needless to say, the temptations to risk purity in our relationship were almost nonexistent because we rarely saw each other, so that ended up being a good thing. He told me that he thought I was the girl that God wanted him to marry, and many other sweet things along those lines. And I ate up every single word he said. After having been his girlfriend for about 4 months, we went to the movies one day. It was our first "date" without other friends with us, but our moms were still there (mostly because our families barely knew each other). We got in there, and were able to sit by ourselves up in the top of the theater. And here is where I want to point something out to you- it IS possible to be dating, and go to the movies together and not be putting your virginity on the line. I know you hear that you shouldn't sit in a dark movie theater alone with your boyfriend, and I agree with that. Too many things can happen. But I also think a lot of times, you can choose what you will and won't do. And there is NOTHING whatsoever that can make you give in to temptation. You can say no. It will be hard... but you can. That day in the movies, he held my hand for the first time. He is the only guy I have ever held hands with, besides my family. And that was the only time we held hands. I loved it... but after we broke up, that was the one part that kept playing itself over and over in my head. I can't imagine how hard it is for those who kiss each other, or go all the way, to get over their "other half" after breaking up. Knowing how hard it was for me to move past simply holding hands with a young man makes me realize just how precious those physical intimacies are, and how imperative it is to save that for your future spouse! Please don't get me wrong... I'm not condemning those who have gone farther than I have, or saying that it's wrong to kiss your boyfriend. I believe God gives each of us certain boundaries that we shouldn't cross, and that sex should be saved by all until marriage. But I want to encourage you to save those special moments for whoever you get married to. Each time you let one of those out, you're awakening a little more love. Just like Song of Solomon 8:4 says, “Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires.” Remember that God did create us to love that closeness we share with other people, but that there are certain lines that shouldn’t be crossed. If you haven’t done so yet, I strongly urge each of you to sit down and make a list of your convictions- basically what you will and won’t do. It may include “I won’t have sex until I get married”, “I won’t listen to suggestive music” or “I will pray daily for my future spouse and his/her purity”. Let God lead you to what He knows is best for you. He has a wonderful plan for you that he longs to see unfold, if you’ll just follow Him!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Weekend Chat
Hey guys! Sorry I haven't posted this sooner. I was out of the house most of the weekend and didn't turn my computer on until tonight. Anyway, anybody got a topic they'd like to discuss? Prayer requests are welcome too, just so you know. We love to support our sisters in Christ! :D
love, Kat
love, Kat
Friday, January 1, 2010
Where is your focus?
Hi darlin!
So, I've been thinking constantly for the last week or so what I was going to blog about today and I decided to do a little bit of a different post. This doesn't have much to do with guys although it definitely can apply to the area of guys. My question is... are you focused on life right now or eternal things? What are the things that upset you, bother you, or worry you? What gets you the most "worked up" for lack of better words? I SOOOOO often see girls who are consumed by guys... they worry about whether he likes them or not or if he thinks they are "cute". Then there are those girls who are consumed by losing weight... if they could only loose 5 lbs! Some are consumed by school and others are only concerned with making people like them... no matter what it takes. Each one of these can be a great thing if they are used reasonably. There is nothing wrong at all with excelling in school, being Homecoming Queen, being attractive, or having guys like you. Yet, if that is your main goal in life then you may need to change something. I remember a teacher of mine use to constantly say when someone would get upset or frustrated with something, "It isn't an eternal issue!". That is kinda a mood killer isn't it?! You know! You are all worked up about something and then someone points out to you that it isn't going to matter in eternity...
A couple of days ago a CLOSE friend of mine was diagnosed with stage four cancer. It was one of those things that it happens to other people... but not my friends! Well, that's not true. I quickly began realizing how short life is. Seriously... What is your focus on? Is it on eternal things or life as of this moment? Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.". Girls! Do you see the big picture?! As sad as it sounds... some day you are going to die. Will it matter that you were a size zero? I highly doubt it... God calls you beautiful!
Enough negative though... lets look at the bright side! Bright sides are SO much better! :) You can put your focus on God and eternal things! What are some eternal things? Basically... salvation. How many of those guys that you are in "love" with saved? If most of them then that is great, but I'm sure not all of them are... The majority of us have friends who if they were to die today would go to hell. You know I'm right. What are you doing about it though? If you truly "loved" them you would share the wonderful Gospel if Jesus Christ with them! Another example... what good is it if you are popular, yet some of the friends you have do not know that God is not only your Savior, but also your Lord? Get my point? You girls have an AMAZING opportunity... this is your time! What are you doing with it? Will it take being told that you have cancer and do not have long to live before you will become focused on eternal things? I sure hope not... I pray earnestly that you girls will see what all life holds and how much of a difference you can make. It's your choice though...
W/ more care than you can imagine,
JEN
So, I've been thinking constantly for the last week or so what I was going to blog about today and I decided to do a little bit of a different post. This doesn't have much to do with guys although it definitely can apply to the area of guys. My question is... are you focused on life right now or eternal things? What are the things that upset you, bother you, or worry you? What gets you the most "worked up" for lack of better words? I SOOOOO often see girls who are consumed by guys... they worry about whether he likes them or not or if he thinks they are "cute". Then there are those girls who are consumed by losing weight... if they could only loose 5 lbs! Some are consumed by school and others are only concerned with making people like them... no matter what it takes. Each one of these can be a great thing if they are used reasonably. There is nothing wrong at all with excelling in school, being Homecoming Queen, being attractive, or having guys like you. Yet, if that is your main goal in life then you may need to change something. I remember a teacher of mine use to constantly say when someone would get upset or frustrated with something, "It isn't an eternal issue!". That is kinda a mood killer isn't it?! You know! You are all worked up about something and then someone points out to you that it isn't going to matter in eternity...
A couple of days ago a CLOSE friend of mine was diagnosed with stage four cancer. It was one of those things that it happens to other people... but not my friends! Well, that's not true. I quickly began realizing how short life is. Seriously... What is your focus on? Is it on eternal things or life as of this moment? Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.". Girls! Do you see the big picture?! As sad as it sounds... some day you are going to die. Will it matter that you were a size zero? I highly doubt it... God calls you beautiful!
Enough negative though... lets look at the bright side! Bright sides are SO much better! :) You can put your focus on God and eternal things! What are some eternal things? Basically... salvation. How many of those guys that you are in "love" with saved? If most of them then that is great, but I'm sure not all of them are... The majority of us have friends who if they were to die today would go to hell. You know I'm right. What are you doing about it though? If you truly "loved" them you would share the wonderful Gospel if Jesus Christ with them! Another example... what good is it if you are popular, yet some of the friends you have do not know that God is not only your Savior, but also your Lord? Get my point? You girls have an AMAZING opportunity... this is your time! What are you doing with it? Will it take being told that you have cancer and do not have long to live before you will become focused on eternal things? I sure hope not... I pray earnestly that you girls will see what all life holds and how much of a difference you can make. It's your choice though...
W/ more care than you can imagine,
JEN
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