Friday, February 26, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Word Filled Wednessday!
Isaiah 40:31 But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their stregnth; they shall mount up on wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Handling Sibling Rivalry....
So lately God has been teaching me about patience with those I'm closest too, and just living at peace with people, even when I don't feel like it. And I got to thinking about how it all relates to your future husband. I'll be the first to admit, I was a mean little kid growing up. I had (have) a horrible temper and I was just plain awful to my brother. My mom always told my I needed to be nicer to my brother, cuz how I treated him was how I would treat my future husband. It never really made much sense to me as a kid, I mean how could I be mean to someone I was in love with? But as I grew up, especially lately, I realized how true it is. I mean, I always try to be nice to my friends, and even though I fail sometimes, it's usually pretty easy. But I always struggle to be nice to my brother. I think I finally figured out why; it's because we are around each other ALL the time. Especially being homeschooled, we never got a break from each other. So I figured out that while sometimes my friends and I get on each others' nerves, we go home and have time to burn off steem and get a grip. I don't always have that with my brother. I know I'm not making much sense hear. Essentially what I'm trying to say is, one day when I get married I will be around my husband all the time, and eventually we're gonna get on each others' nerves. If I don't practice restraint and learn to deal with my problems in a calm way now, I can't expect to do that with my future husband.
I know I'm not the only one who deals with this. Everybody has sibling rivalry, it's just a part of life. But what I really want you to get today is you need to practice restraint. You need to deal with your sibling differences in a healthy manner- not only because it prepares you for a healthy relationship with your future husband, but because the Bible commands it. I'll leave you with these verses...
"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." -Romans 12:18
"Do everything without complaining or arguing." -Philippians 2:14
Love, Kat
I know I'm not the only one who deals with this. Everybody has sibling rivalry, it's just a part of life. But what I really want you to get today is you need to practice restraint. You need to deal with your sibling differences in a healthy manner- not only because it prepares you for a healthy relationship with your future husband, but because the Bible commands it. I'll leave you with these verses...
"If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." -Romans 12:18
"Do everything without complaining or arguing." -Philippians 2:14
Love, Kat
Monday, February 22, 2010
Rebecca's Story!
When Jennifer first asked me to write a testimony for Love Unawakened, I was like, Great! I get to share something God’s been teaching me! … which one do I choose? After much prayer and consideration, I’m going to share something God really just kept pounding into my head my junior and senior years: seek and follow Him.
Over the past couple of years, people had started asking me more and more often: “So what college are you going to? What are you going to study?” – all of those questions. I don’t know how old you are, but if you’re a junior or senior in high school, I’m sure you know exactly what I’m talking about! The thing is, I never really wanted to go to college, and I certainly had NO IDEA what I would major in. All I ever really had a desire to do is to get married and be a homemaker, and I didn’t really think college could prepare me for that. But our society now pretty much teaches that if you make good grades, you go to college. That’s just how it works.
Since I was afraid of being thought of as weird, I would just tell people, “I don’t know,” or “I haven’t decided yet.” I didn’t know. And I was getting really confused. Everyone thinks I’m supposed to go to college. It’s so expensive, but I could probably get a scholarship. But I just don’t know if I could handle all the stress of college homework. And what about the professors? A lot of them aren’t Christians. But going to college is just what everyone does. It might be fun. I could probably handle it. It would just be really awesome if I could homeschool college just like I did high school. But yeah, like that’s possible. Back and forth my thoughts went for months and months. Finally, I decided I should start praying about it more. Then through a series of events, God began to make His will clear, and direct my paths.
As I go back through my journals, it’s plain to see that God was working on my heart, but I wasn’t seeing clearly. I would be considering a college, then “No, it’s too far away, or too expensive, or too liberal.” One by one, God closed doors, and instead of simply looking around for the open door, I would stare down in confusion.
I am so very thankful that my parents never pushed me to go to college. They never discouraged my desire to prepare to be a wife and mother, and they always encouraged me to seek God’s will about what to do. We talked about that it might be a good idea for me to have a degree of some sort in case that ever becomes a law in Alabama that you have to have a degree to homeschool your kids. But I still had no idea how I was going to get that degree, or what my major would be.
For a while I had an attitude of “Well, I would make my plans, but God won’t tell me what to do!” Then I started to realize, He had been showing me little pieces of His plan all along. I think oftentimes, we complain because God won’t let us see down the road. I do, anyway. Our pastor used an excellent illustration of that that was really eye-opening to me. When I’m driving home in the dark, I’ve got my headlights on, right? But when I’m looking down the road, I can only see as far as the beam of light from my headlights – I can’t see all the way to my house! The amazing thing is that when I drive a little bit into the light that I do have, then the beam of light moves farther ahead. And so on it goes all the way home. That’s kind of like how God’s will is for us. He only shows it to us a little bit at a time, as we can handle it. Then as we move forward in faith, He gradually reveals more and more, as He guides us safely all the way through life.
But back to the story. As I was saying, God gradually revealed His will to me little by little. One big piece came when I was reading through Isaiah the summer before my senior year. I knew that if I was going to go to college, I really needed to start looking into scholarships and stuff. I had been thinking and praying about it a lot, then one day I was reading in Isaiah and all of a sudden, one verse just popped straight off the page. Have you ever had that happen, where it seems like the verse is written in all caps, size 72 font, bold and underlined? That’s how it seemed when I read that verse, and I knew that it was God’s direct answer to me. Isaiah 8:11 – “For the LORD spoke thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people.” I believe God was telling me then and there that moving off to college (the generally assumed thing to do after high school) isn’t for me. So we began looking into distance learning options.
I’m not sure exactly when, but at some point later in my senior year, we got an e-mail about a new online college program called “CollegePlus!” It sounded like something I might be interested in, so my mom looked into it. Well, to sum up the story, I enrolled in July, and I still believe this was God’s plan for me. I’m earning a four year degree by taking CLEP and DANTES tests (you take the test, and if you pass, it counts like you took a whole college class). So far, in 5 months, I have earned 24 hours of college credit. I’m still involved in my church and home doing what I love!
Don’t get me wrong – I’m not totally against women going to college. Sometimes a traditional college may open doors, and provide many ministry opportunities that would not otherwise be available. But God showed me that unless I am in the center of His will while working toward a degree, it would be utterly worthless.
My point is this: seek God’s will for YOU personally – don’t just do something because everyone else is doing it, and everyone expects you to, also. God may have something for you that will fit much better into HIS plan for YOUR life, if you’ll just keep your heart open to His leading.
And as far as college goes, definitely pray a lot about it, and ask your parents for advice, too. If you’re interested in the program I’m doing, you can learn more about it at www.collegeplus.org.
I’d like to close with the lyrics of a song that really meant a lot to me around graduation. I was feeling weird for not going to college like all my friends, then they started playing this song on WDJC. It really encouraged me to not go with the flow if God was leading me a different direction. This song is really the theme song of my whole senior year.
What if there's something bigger for me out there
Than the comfort of a life on this middle ground?
I've played it safe but now I can't help but wonder
If maybe I've been missing out
'Cause I look around and see a sea of people
Everybody's moving in the same direction
And I think it's time to break away, break away
CHORUS
I wanna finally take the road less traveled
I wanna run away from anything typical
I want the world to see the life I'm livin'
And call it
Uncommon
What if the right thing was harder than the wrong thing
But I did it anyway?
Standing strong even when no one else was watching
What if I really lived that way?
Every heart has it's defining moment
This is mine and I'm not gonna miss it
CHORUS 2
I wanna finally take the road less traveled
I wanna run away from anything typical
I want the world to see the life I'm livin'
And call it
Uncommon
I don't care if it makes me look different
I'm never letting go of my convictions
Let the world see the life I'm livin'
And call it
Uncommon
What if I made it to the end of my days here
Only to find that my legacy is nowhere to be found
I don't wanna waste another second
Give me the strength to start right now
CHORUS
- “Uncommon,” written by Matthew West, recorded by Greg Long and Kristy Starling
God bless you, dear sister, as you seek to follow God’s will for your life.
Love,
Rebecca
Proverbs 3:5-6
Over the past couple of years, people had started asking me more and more often: “So what college are you going to? What are you going to study?” – all of those questions. I don’t know how old you are, but if you’re a junior or senior in high school, I’m sure you know exactly what I’m talking about! The thing is, I never really wanted to go to college, and I certainly had NO IDEA what I would major in. All I ever really had a desire to do is to get married and be a homemaker, and I didn’t really think college could prepare me for that. But our society now pretty much teaches that if you make good grades, you go to college. That’s just how it works.
Since I was afraid of being thought of as weird, I would just tell people, “I don’t know,” or “I haven’t decided yet.” I didn’t know. And I was getting really confused. Everyone thinks I’m supposed to go to college. It’s so expensive, but I could probably get a scholarship. But I just don’t know if I could handle all the stress of college homework. And what about the professors? A lot of them aren’t Christians. But going to college is just what everyone does. It might be fun. I could probably handle it. It would just be really awesome if I could homeschool college just like I did high school. But yeah, like that’s possible. Back and forth my thoughts went for months and months. Finally, I decided I should start praying about it more. Then through a series of events, God began to make His will clear, and direct my paths.
As I go back through my journals, it’s plain to see that God was working on my heart, but I wasn’t seeing clearly. I would be considering a college, then “No, it’s too far away, or too expensive, or too liberal.” One by one, God closed doors, and instead of simply looking around for the open door, I would stare down in confusion.
I am so very thankful that my parents never pushed me to go to college. They never discouraged my desire to prepare to be a wife and mother, and they always encouraged me to seek God’s will about what to do. We talked about that it might be a good idea for me to have a degree of some sort in case that ever becomes a law in Alabama that you have to have a degree to homeschool your kids. But I still had no idea how I was going to get that degree, or what my major would be.
For a while I had an attitude of “Well, I would make my plans, but God won’t tell me what to do!” Then I started to realize, He had been showing me little pieces of His plan all along. I think oftentimes, we complain because God won’t let us see down the road. I do, anyway. Our pastor used an excellent illustration of that that was really eye-opening to me. When I’m driving home in the dark, I’ve got my headlights on, right? But when I’m looking down the road, I can only see as far as the beam of light from my headlights – I can’t see all the way to my house! The amazing thing is that when I drive a little bit into the light that I do have, then the beam of light moves farther ahead. And so on it goes all the way home. That’s kind of like how God’s will is for us. He only shows it to us a little bit at a time, as we can handle it. Then as we move forward in faith, He gradually reveals more and more, as He guides us safely all the way through life.
But back to the story. As I was saying, God gradually revealed His will to me little by little. One big piece came when I was reading through Isaiah the summer before my senior year. I knew that if I was going to go to college, I really needed to start looking into scholarships and stuff. I had been thinking and praying about it a lot, then one day I was reading in Isaiah and all of a sudden, one verse just popped straight off the page. Have you ever had that happen, where it seems like the verse is written in all caps, size 72 font, bold and underlined? That’s how it seemed when I read that verse, and I knew that it was God’s direct answer to me. Isaiah 8:11 – “For the LORD spoke thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people.” I believe God was telling me then and there that moving off to college (the generally assumed thing to do after high school) isn’t for me. So we began looking into distance learning options.
I’m not sure exactly when, but at some point later in my senior year, we got an e-mail about a new online college program called “CollegePlus!” It sounded like something I might be interested in, so my mom looked into it. Well, to sum up the story, I enrolled in July, and I still believe this was God’s plan for me. I’m earning a four year degree by taking CLEP and DANTES tests (you take the test, and if you pass, it counts like you took a whole college class). So far, in 5 months, I have earned 24 hours of college credit. I’m still involved in my church and home doing what I love!
Don’t get me wrong – I’m not totally against women going to college. Sometimes a traditional college may open doors, and provide many ministry opportunities that would not otherwise be available. But God showed me that unless I am in the center of His will while working toward a degree, it would be utterly worthless.
My point is this: seek God’s will for YOU personally – don’t just do something because everyone else is doing it, and everyone expects you to, also. God may have something for you that will fit much better into HIS plan for YOUR life, if you’ll just keep your heart open to His leading.
And as far as college goes, definitely pray a lot about it, and ask your parents for advice, too. If you’re interested in the program I’m doing, you can learn more about it at www.collegeplus.org.
I’d like to close with the lyrics of a song that really meant a lot to me around graduation. I was feeling weird for not going to college like all my friends, then they started playing this song on WDJC. It really encouraged me to not go with the flow if God was leading me a different direction. This song is really the theme song of my whole senior year.
What if there's something bigger for me out there
Than the comfort of a life on this middle ground?
I've played it safe but now I can't help but wonder
If maybe I've been missing out
'Cause I look around and see a sea of people
Everybody's moving in the same direction
And I think it's time to break away, break away
CHORUS
I wanna finally take the road less traveled
I wanna run away from anything typical
I want the world to see the life I'm livin'
And call it
Uncommon
What if the right thing was harder than the wrong thing
But I did it anyway?
Standing strong even when no one else was watching
What if I really lived that way?
Every heart has it's defining moment
This is mine and I'm not gonna miss it
CHORUS 2
I wanna finally take the road less traveled
I wanna run away from anything typical
I want the world to see the life I'm livin'
And call it
Uncommon
I don't care if it makes me look different
I'm never letting go of my convictions
Let the world see the life I'm livin'
And call it
Uncommon
What if I made it to the end of my days here
Only to find that my legacy is nowhere to be found
I don't wanna waste another second
Give me the strength to start right now
CHORUS
- “Uncommon,” written by Matthew West, recorded by Greg Long and Kristy Starling
God bless you, dear sister, as you seek to follow God’s will for your life.
Love,
Rebecca
Proverbs 3:5-6
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Weekend Chat!
Hello Beautiful Daughters of the King! :) It's time for weekend chat! Do you have any questions, comments, or etc? We would love to hear from you! It is your time to share!
JEN
JEN
Friday, February 19, 2010
Your Kisses...worthless or priceless?
Hey darlin! What did you first think of when you read the title? Hopefully you did not think, "Oh yeah, my kisses are worthless"! We have all heard enough purity speeches to know that they are not...yet how many of us actually act as if they are priceless? Sadly, even though many of us know this we do not do a very good job of living it out... what do I mean? What does it take for a guy to get a kiss from you? Does just being your boy friend make him deserve a kiss from you? What if he says, "I really do love you baby... if you loved me you would show me!"? I wholeheartedly believe that girls think they owe it to guys.... God put your lips on your body for a reason....for YOU to decide who you give them to! Can your parents decide for you? No, as much as they wish they could they can not fully decide that. Only you can.
Have you ever viewed your kisses as a gift? Something that only you can give to someone else? Side note right here.... NO ONE has the right to take anything from you! That does not mean that they wont....but it is not right. No matter who they are! We may talk about this more in one of the upcoming post. Back to how your kisses are a gift to be given.... I totally understand that kissing someone is not having sex with them....yet I also realize that it is very personal and whether you want to feel attached to the person or not after it takes place it is almost impossible for a girl to not feel attached to the person. We are just made that way! I remember a friend of mine who I highly trust once told me, "Jen, kissing is extremely close to being as personal as having sex.". When she first said that i was shocked, but it makes sense.... think about it! You may have had a bad first kiss experience and so you may be thinking, "ummmmm what the crap?! thats all i have to look forward to?!". No, I'm talking about passionate personal kissing. Ok?
I've had many girls ask me, "If we both really like each other and may start dating soon is it ok for us to kiss?". What do you think? Just to be totally honest.... you are setting your self up for heart ache. If this guy truly likes you he will wait! What about as a birthday gift? He will think that you gave him the best birthday present ever!! Can I tell you how sick to my stomach this makes me? For the simple fact that for a girl to be willing to do this (We are talking that these people are just friends and nothing more) she does not value herself or the gift of her kisses one bit. One day when she shares with her husband who all she has kissed first off, she will most likely not be able to remember all the guys she has kissed, secondly if she does she will have to admit (Im using sarcasm here, but just realize how hurtful it will be to her future husband!) to him that in her early teen years she was invited to this guys birthday party and she didn't really know what to give him, so she just decided that she would kiss him or that she wanted him to tell his friends and so that she would become "popular" with the guys and so she gave him what he wanted. Is that being respectful to your future husband or yourself at all?! No..... Now is the time that you are creating the story that you will have to tell your husband one day! It's worth a thought....
I just wanted to leave you with a verse... 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 "Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.". Is who you kiss, how you kiss, and where you kiss bringing honor to God? If it is innocent and you guys have both set your standards as far as what you feel is right and wrong and you are out in the open then I think that it is perfectly fine. You know how many times that is not the case though... Just remember this verse and how it says that your body is GOD'S temple!!!! Honor it!
Love,
JEN
Have you ever viewed your kisses as a gift? Something that only you can give to someone else? Side note right here.... NO ONE has the right to take anything from you! That does not mean that they wont....but it is not right. No matter who they are! We may talk about this more in one of the upcoming post. Back to how your kisses are a gift to be given.... I totally understand that kissing someone is not having sex with them....yet I also realize that it is very personal and whether you want to feel attached to the person or not after it takes place it is almost impossible for a girl to not feel attached to the person. We are just made that way! I remember a friend of mine who I highly trust once told me, "Jen, kissing is extremely close to being as personal as having sex.". When she first said that i was shocked, but it makes sense.... think about it! You may have had a bad first kiss experience and so you may be thinking, "ummmmm what the crap?! thats all i have to look forward to?!". No, I'm talking about passionate personal kissing. Ok?
I've had many girls ask me, "If we both really like each other and may start dating soon is it ok for us to kiss?". What do you think? Just to be totally honest.... you are setting your self up for heart ache. If this guy truly likes you he will wait! What about as a birthday gift? He will think that you gave him the best birthday present ever!! Can I tell you how sick to my stomach this makes me? For the simple fact that for a girl to be willing to do this (We are talking that these people are just friends and nothing more) she does not value herself or the gift of her kisses one bit. One day when she shares with her husband who all she has kissed first off, she will most likely not be able to remember all the guys she has kissed, secondly if she does she will have to admit (Im using sarcasm here, but just realize how hurtful it will be to her future husband!) to him that in her early teen years she was invited to this guys birthday party and she didn't really know what to give him, so she just decided that she would kiss him or that she wanted him to tell his friends and so that she would become "popular" with the guys and so she gave him what he wanted. Is that being respectful to your future husband or yourself at all?! No..... Now is the time that you are creating the story that you will have to tell your husband one day! It's worth a thought....
I just wanted to leave you with a verse... 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 "Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.". Is who you kiss, how you kiss, and where you kiss bringing honor to God? If it is innocent and you guys have both set your standards as far as what you feel is right and wrong and you are out in the open then I think that it is perfectly fine. You know how many times that is not the case though... Just remember this verse and how it says that your body is GOD'S temple!!!! Honor it!
Love,
JEN
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Thought-Filled Thursday!
Once something is said, you can never take it back. You can't put the words back in your mouth and erase them from everyone's memory. So I ask you today, do your words hurt or heal? When your friend tells you she likes a guy, do you keep it to yourself, or do you tell everyone? Think about this: "Never miss a good opportunity to keep your mouth shut." -Proverb--- What effect would it have on your life if you just didn't talk about something once in a while?
-Kat
-Kat
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Fighting Temptation, Jesus Style
Hey girls, so lately on Sunday nights at my church we've been talking about knowing what the Bible says about certain things, and not just knowing what it says, but WHERE it says it. I mean it's clear why we should know scripture, so that we can use it to fight temptation and we won't be fooled into thinking it says something that it doesn't. Jesus showed us how easily this can happen in Matthew 4:1-11 when he was tempted by the devil. Psalm 119:11 says "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." So point blank, we gotta know the Bible. And that is why today I'd like to provide you with a few of the many verses in the Bible addressing sexual purity. So if someone ever says, well "where does the bible actually say that?" You can pull out these verses and overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21).
Acts 21:25 "As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality."
Hebrews 13:4 "Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral."
1 Corinthians 6:18-20 "Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."
Like I said, these are just a few verses regarding sexual purity. I encourage you to dig deeper, find more verses yourself. Take the time to memorize those verses-- hide them in your heart. Then when temptation comes your way, you will be able to stand on something solid.
Love, Kat
Acts 21:25 "As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality."
Hebrews 13:4 "Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral."
1 Corinthians 6:18-20 "Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."
Like I said, these are just a few verses regarding sexual purity. I encourage you to dig deeper, find more verses yourself. Take the time to memorize those verses-- hide them in your heart. Then when temptation comes your way, you will be able to stand on something solid.
Love, Kat
Monday, February 15, 2010
Character Study: Ruth
If you've never read the book of Ruth, I strongly urge you to do so. As we'll see today, the Ruth's story is an excellent example of how God has a plan to take care of us (Jeremiah 29:11). You probably know that Boaz was Ruth's Kinsman Redeemer, and today we're gonna explore this.
I recently studied the book of Ruth, and to be honest it's the first time I'd ever read the book all the way through for myself. I mean, I knew the story, and I'd studied it in my Sunday School class, but somehow I missed a couple of key things until I read it for myself.
First off, thanks to the study notes in my Bible I finally understood exactly what a kinsman redeemer was. According to the study notes a kinsman reedemer is someone who "was a close, influential relative to whom members of the extended family could turn to for help, usually when the family line or possessions were in danger of being lost." As I said earlier, Boaz was one of Ruth's kinsman redeemers. But did you know there was a closer relative who could have redeemed Ruth (Ruth 3:12)? I had never caught that until I read the book for myself. You see, Ruth and Naomi were in need of help, and Naomi sent Ruth to Boaz for that help. Ruth had shown kindness and respect to Boaz by not chasing after younger men, and she was well known for being a respectable woman. But there was something in between them, a closer kinsman redeemer. So, as it turns out, when Boaz met with the other unnamed relative, he couldn't redeem Ruth. He couldn't follow through on his job (Ruth 4:6) for risk of endangering his own estate. So, in the end, Boaz was the kinsman redeemer who married Ruth, and preserved the lineage of David, and ultimately, the lineage of Christ! God had a plan, and he followed through with it!
I always wondered why God chose a Moabitess to be in the lineage of Christ. Well my study notes addressed this. You see, Ruth's faith in God allowed her to be an ancestor of Christ. When God chose Ruth, he symbolized that his new covenant would be for all people who believed, not just the Hebrews.
So what can we learn from Ruth? I took two big things from this story. First, faith in God will not go unrewarded. You may not be rewarded for everything on earth, but you certainly will be in heaven. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6 to store up our treasures in heaven, for where our treasure lies, there our hearts will be also.
The second thing I saw was that God really does have a plan to take care of you. In Jeremiah 29:11 it says "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD. Plans to prosper you and not to harm, plans to give you hope and a future." Ruth is the perfect example of this verse!
So girls, I encourage you today, be a Ruth! Put your faith in God, because he has a plan. And we can know that when we do this, we'll always be taken care of.
-Kat
I recently studied the book of Ruth, and to be honest it's the first time I'd ever read the book all the way through for myself. I mean, I knew the story, and I'd studied it in my Sunday School class, but somehow I missed a couple of key things until I read it for myself.
First off, thanks to the study notes in my Bible I finally understood exactly what a kinsman redeemer was. According to the study notes a kinsman reedemer is someone who "was a close, influential relative to whom members of the extended family could turn to for help, usually when the family line or possessions were in danger of being lost." As I said earlier, Boaz was one of Ruth's kinsman redeemers. But did you know there was a closer relative who could have redeemed Ruth (Ruth 3:12)? I had never caught that until I read the book for myself. You see, Ruth and Naomi were in need of help, and Naomi sent Ruth to Boaz for that help. Ruth had shown kindness and respect to Boaz by not chasing after younger men, and she was well known for being a respectable woman. But there was something in between them, a closer kinsman redeemer. So, as it turns out, when Boaz met with the other unnamed relative, he couldn't redeem Ruth. He couldn't follow through on his job (Ruth 4:6) for risk of endangering his own estate. So, in the end, Boaz was the kinsman redeemer who married Ruth, and preserved the lineage of David, and ultimately, the lineage of Christ! God had a plan, and he followed through with it!
I always wondered why God chose a Moabitess to be in the lineage of Christ. Well my study notes addressed this. You see, Ruth's faith in God allowed her to be an ancestor of Christ. When God chose Ruth, he symbolized that his new covenant would be for all people who believed, not just the Hebrews.
So what can we learn from Ruth? I took two big things from this story. First, faith in God will not go unrewarded. You may not be rewarded for everything on earth, but you certainly will be in heaven. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6 to store up our treasures in heaven, for where our treasure lies, there our hearts will be also.
The second thing I saw was that God really does have a plan to take care of you. In Jeremiah 29:11 it says "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD. Plans to prosper you and not to harm, plans to give you hope and a future." Ruth is the perfect example of this verse!
So girls, I encourage you today, be a Ruth! Put your faith in God, because he has a plan. And we can know that when we do this, we'll always be taken care of.
-Kat
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Feeling Alone....
Hi Precious Daughters of the King! :) Whats up? So, first off... I'm sorry this is a day late! Life is insane... Secondly, when trying to decide what to post about I decided to go with some real life experience... Sound good? Hope so!
Have you ever felt alone? Like no one really cares about you and you just wish some guy found you attractive... Even if you just turned down a guy a few days earlier. You can be in a crowd of people or the most popular person around yet you still feel as if no one TRULY cares about you. Have you ever felt that way? I know I have... recently in fact. I ask you this today for the simple fact that I want you to know that you are not alone! As souled out to purity as I am I often forget this. When I see friends who have made wrong choices with guys and have pretty much given themselves away, yet they have good guys still it hurts. It makes me wonder if it is worth the wait... Am I the only single person in this world? Is there something wrong with me that makes guys not like me? The answer is absolutely not! One of the biggest lies that satan will use on you if you are single or if you are pursuing purity is that you are the only one who is trying! No one can make it on their own...
This is a quote that I took out of the book, "Lady In Waiting" it says, " Rather than staying home worrying about another dateless Saturday night, realize how much valuable time has been entrusted to you at this point in your life. Rather than resent your many single hours, embrace them as a gift from God, a package that contains opportunities to serve Him that are limited only by your own self pity and lack of obedience.". Did you get that last part? So often we let our self pity and our lack of obedience (To find joy in every situation) hinder us from what all God has planned for us! Do you want it to be that way? I doubt it... SO, with all the love in my heart (I'm saying this to myself also!) GET OVER YOUR SELF PITY! Serve God in ways that you can only do at this stage in your life!
Also, with God there is no such thing as being alone. A friend of mine and I were discussing this and here is what we came up with. With God we are never truly alone, yet we can feel lonely. We are made to want to be with someone! Feeling lonely and feeling all alone is totally different things. Following me?
With all that said...when you are feeling lonely what are some things you can do to get over that? First off pray... talk to God! He wants to hear that you are lonely... It also helps take away that twinge of pain. Secondly, Read a book or listen to music! I do not advise love novels or something that will just make you feel worse, but something that will lift your spirits! Also, have you ever thought of writing your future husband? I LOVE it!! Even though it sounds ridiculous it helps you focus on the one guy that you should be focusing on, your future husband! Tell him your thoughts, hurts, fears, joys, loves, everything! You can tell him how hard it is on your to wait, yet you are still pursuing it! It will mean the world to him one day! :)
I hope this helps! Just remember... you are not alone!
JEN
Have you ever felt alone? Like no one really cares about you and you just wish some guy found you attractive... Even if you just turned down a guy a few days earlier. You can be in a crowd of people or the most popular person around yet you still feel as if no one TRULY cares about you. Have you ever felt that way? I know I have... recently in fact. I ask you this today for the simple fact that I want you to know that you are not alone! As souled out to purity as I am I often forget this. When I see friends who have made wrong choices with guys and have pretty much given themselves away, yet they have good guys still it hurts. It makes me wonder if it is worth the wait... Am I the only single person in this world? Is there something wrong with me that makes guys not like me? The answer is absolutely not! One of the biggest lies that satan will use on you if you are single or if you are pursuing purity is that you are the only one who is trying! No one can make it on their own...
This is a quote that I took out of the book, "Lady In Waiting" it says, " Rather than staying home worrying about another dateless Saturday night, realize how much valuable time has been entrusted to you at this point in your life. Rather than resent your many single hours, embrace them as a gift from God, a package that contains opportunities to serve Him that are limited only by your own self pity and lack of obedience.". Did you get that last part? So often we let our self pity and our lack of obedience (To find joy in every situation) hinder us from what all God has planned for us! Do you want it to be that way? I doubt it... SO, with all the love in my heart (I'm saying this to myself also!) GET OVER YOUR SELF PITY! Serve God in ways that you can only do at this stage in your life!
Also, with God there is no such thing as being alone. A friend of mine and I were discussing this and here is what we came up with. With God we are never truly alone, yet we can feel lonely. We are made to want to be with someone! Feeling lonely and feeling all alone is totally different things. Following me?
With all that said...when you are feeling lonely what are some things you can do to get over that? First off pray... talk to God! He wants to hear that you are lonely... It also helps take away that twinge of pain. Secondly, Read a book or listen to music! I do not advise love novels or something that will just make you feel worse, but something that will lift your spirits! Also, have you ever thought of writing your future husband? I LOVE it!! Even though it sounds ridiculous it helps you focus on the one guy that you should be focusing on, your future husband! Tell him your thoughts, hurts, fears, joys, loves, everything! You can tell him how hard it is on your to wait, yet you are still pursuing it! It will mean the world to him one day! :)
I hope this helps! Just remember... you are not alone!
JEN
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Thought Filled Thursday!
Hey girls! So, I read this on another wonderful blog about purity and I decided to share it with you girls! It is from a real guy who has no idea who is future wife is, but knows that she is out there somewhere. It almost brought me to tears! I hope you enjoy! :)
“Hey!
OK, I admit, this feels a little geeky. I mean, how many guys write a letter to the girl they’ll probably marry someday – even before they meet the girl? Probably not too many! But the world is a weird place, so even though we haven’t met yet, I thought you might need some encouragement.
To answer the first question you may be wondering about me, the answer is yes. I’m definitely keeping myself sexually pure. I do this party for God and party for you.
I figure if I’m going to ask you to marry me someday, you must be pretty special – so special that you’re worth waiting for. Yeah, I know, plenty of guys have given in to temptation and found a girl whose willing to have sex with them. And I have to admit…I’ve felt that temptation too. But I’m not giving in! Like I said, you’re worth waiting for. Besides, I wouldn’t want a memory from some shallow encounter with another girl making me feel guilty on our wedding night.
How about you? Are you still saving yourself for me? I notice some of the girls in my youth group wear purity rings, and that’s cool. I’m proud of them even though none of them is quite right for me. But whether you wear the ring or not, I hope you’re staying pure for God and me. I mean, who would want an apple after several other people have taken bites out of it. In the same way, my ideal dream girl isn’t one who some other guy (or worse – guys) has already taken to bed. So I hope you are waiting like I am.
Hey, don’t think that you shouldn’t have fun and get to know other guys before me. Truth is, I want you to spend time talking with a varity of guys. (That’s how you’ll know I’m better than all those others dudes when we finally meet!) But I wanted to give you this heads-up: Lots of guys out there pretend to be guys like me. Don’t let them fool you. If they try to get intimate before marriage, they’ve just flipped their hand. Dump ‘em!
As long as I’m writing from the heart, can I mention something that’s bugging me? It’s about clothes. Non-Christian guys love it when girls show off their bodies. You know what I mean: short shorts and skirts, bare stomachs, skimpy tops. Some fashions might not show skin, but they’re so tight they might as well we painted on. They reveal every curve and encourage superficial jerks to think lustful thoughts about the girls wearing them.
I don’t write this to complain. I just want to encourage you to set a higher standard. It would kill me to finally find you – and then to see you wearing stuff designed to glue other guy’s eyes to your body.
Sure, I know what some girls say: “To catch a guy these days, this is the kind of bait we need”. Garbage. Tell your friends that any guys who can be caught by flashing skin isn’t worth having. That’s not the kind of guys who’s going to stick by you and be faithful after you’ve gotten married, had a baby and gained a few pounds. That kind of guy will always be lured to other shapely bodies.
You probably wonder what I look like, so you’ll know me when we finally meet. Sometimes I wonder what you look like, too. Almost every time I meet a new Christian girl, I wonder if she’s you. I might not recognize you at first sight, but be patient with me. I’ll want to get to know you, to make sure you’re sincere and not just putting on an act. But when I see that you truly love God, when I see what a beautiful soul you have, I’ll begin to suspect that you’re the one for me, even if you don’t consider yourself attractive.
Well, this has been kinda strange writing to you like this. But with so many people our age messing up and doing dumb things they can never undo, I figured this letter was worth the extra effort. So stay cool; stay pure; stay close to God, and I’ll promise that I’ll do the same. Deal?
Hey, pray for me, OK? I’ll pray for you too. We don’t have to know each other’s names to do that. After all, God knows!”
See ya (someday)!
Love in Christ,
Me
Brio Magazine 2007
“Hey!
OK, I admit, this feels a little geeky. I mean, how many guys write a letter to the girl they’ll probably marry someday – even before they meet the girl? Probably not too many! But the world is a weird place, so even though we haven’t met yet, I thought you might need some encouragement.
To answer the first question you may be wondering about me, the answer is yes. I’m definitely keeping myself sexually pure. I do this party for God and party for you.
I figure if I’m going to ask you to marry me someday, you must be pretty special – so special that you’re worth waiting for. Yeah, I know, plenty of guys have given in to temptation and found a girl whose willing to have sex with them. And I have to admit…I’ve felt that temptation too. But I’m not giving in! Like I said, you’re worth waiting for. Besides, I wouldn’t want a memory from some shallow encounter with another girl making me feel guilty on our wedding night.
How about you? Are you still saving yourself for me? I notice some of the girls in my youth group wear purity rings, and that’s cool. I’m proud of them even though none of them is quite right for me. But whether you wear the ring or not, I hope you’re staying pure for God and me. I mean, who would want an apple after several other people have taken bites out of it. In the same way, my ideal dream girl isn’t one who some other guy (or worse – guys) has already taken to bed. So I hope you are waiting like I am.
Hey, don’t think that you shouldn’t have fun and get to know other guys before me. Truth is, I want you to spend time talking with a varity of guys. (That’s how you’ll know I’m better than all those others dudes when we finally meet!) But I wanted to give you this heads-up: Lots of guys out there pretend to be guys like me. Don’t let them fool you. If they try to get intimate before marriage, they’ve just flipped their hand. Dump ‘em!
As long as I’m writing from the heart, can I mention something that’s bugging me? It’s about clothes. Non-Christian guys love it when girls show off their bodies. You know what I mean: short shorts and skirts, bare stomachs, skimpy tops. Some fashions might not show skin, but they’re so tight they might as well we painted on. They reveal every curve and encourage superficial jerks to think lustful thoughts about the girls wearing them.
I don’t write this to complain. I just want to encourage you to set a higher standard. It would kill me to finally find you – and then to see you wearing stuff designed to glue other guy’s eyes to your body.
Sure, I know what some girls say: “To catch a guy these days, this is the kind of bait we need”. Garbage. Tell your friends that any guys who can be caught by flashing skin isn’t worth having. That’s not the kind of guys who’s going to stick by you and be faithful after you’ve gotten married, had a baby and gained a few pounds. That kind of guy will always be lured to other shapely bodies.
You probably wonder what I look like, so you’ll know me when we finally meet. Sometimes I wonder what you look like, too. Almost every time I meet a new Christian girl, I wonder if she’s you. I might not recognize you at first sight, but be patient with me. I’ll want to get to know you, to make sure you’re sincere and not just putting on an act. But when I see that you truly love God, when I see what a beautiful soul you have, I’ll begin to suspect that you’re the one for me, even if you don’t consider yourself attractive.
Well, this has been kinda strange writing to you like this. But with so many people our age messing up and doing dumb things they can never undo, I figured this letter was worth the extra effort. So stay cool; stay pure; stay close to God, and I’ll promise that I’ll do the same. Deal?
Hey, pray for me, OK? I’ll pray for you too. We don’t have to know each other’s names to do that. After all, God knows!”
See ya (someday)!
Love in Christ,
Me
Brio Magazine 2007
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Word Filled Wednesday!
~ Matthew 11:28-30 Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. ~
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
From a Godimist's Viewpoint
So I feel like today I should take a break from the usual "stay pure" and "be a good kid" kinda post, and just encourage you guys. If you know me really well, you've probably heard me use the term "Godimist" from time to time. Most of you have probably never heard of that term, so allow me to explain. Everyone knows an optimist sees the glass as half full, and a pessimist sees the glass as half empty. Well a Godimist sees the glass as full and overflowing with God's love and grace. To a Godimist, it doesn't matter if the glass if half full or half empty, because God is in control. So I strive to be a Godimist. Today I'm going to take a Godimistic viewpoint on the controversial holiday that occurs this coming weekend: Valentine's Day.
So my stance on Valentine's Day is this, it doesn't matter if you have a boyfriend or not. If you do, I hope you enjoy the day and praise God throughout the day. If you don't, I hope you still enjoy the day and praise God throughout the day. Either way, I hope you all recognize that there is one ultimate valentine: God. His love surpasses anything we can imagine. So whether you have a boyfriend or not, I hope you take comfort in God's love this weekend-- and throughout your life. Now that we've discussed my Godimistic viewpoint of this holiday, I'd like to share a few verses that illustrate God's love for us.
John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."
Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Psalm 100:5 "For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations."
And of course this one:
For God so loVed the world,
That He GAve
His on Ly
BegottEn
SoN
That whosoever
Believeth In Him
Should Not perish,
But have Everlasting life."
-John 3:16
Happy Valentine's Day!
Love, Kat
So my stance on Valentine's Day is this, it doesn't matter if you have a boyfriend or not. If you do, I hope you enjoy the day and praise God throughout the day. If you don't, I hope you still enjoy the day and praise God throughout the day. Either way, I hope you all recognize that there is one ultimate valentine: God. His love surpasses anything we can imagine. So whether you have a boyfriend or not, I hope you take comfort in God's love this weekend-- and throughout your life. Now that we've discussed my Godimistic viewpoint of this holiday, I'd like to share a few verses that illustrate God's love for us.
John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."
Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Psalm 100:5 "For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations."
And of course this one:
For God so loVed the world,
That He GAve
His on Ly
BegottEn
SoN
That whosoever
Believeth In Him
Should Not perish,
But have Everlasting life."
-John 3:16
Happy Valentine's Day!
Love, Kat
Monday, February 8, 2010
Michelle's Story!
The summer after I graduated high school, I got pregnant. I was the girl who thought “that won’t happen to me” but it did. I was getting ready to go to college and I was the first one in my family to do that and so I thought it would be better to have a college education than a baby at that time. I was so scared about telling anyone that I told only a couple of people: my sister was one of them. She made all the arrangements for me and I remember being in the waiting room of the clinic and wondering how it was that I got there. I cried the entire time. I remember the “counselor” telling me it was just a blob of tissue and that it wasn’t really a baby and then I remember waking up during the procedure crying and the doctor telling me to go back to sleep. Then I remember waking up in the recovery room on a mattress that was on the floor next to a couple other girls. I didn’t realize the emotional toll that it would take on my life. Nobody told me about that part. For the last 14 years I have been living with this secret, and I hid behind a mask that made it look like everything was ok on the outside but on the inside I was dying.
I was going to a local MOPS meeting and a friend of mine wanted to play a video about all the different ministries that Sav A Life has. I froze in place and didn’t even want to watch the video- and nobody saw the tears that I had in my eyes throughout the video but I finally got up enough courage to tell that friend about my suffering. She said she’d go with me to Sav a Life and let me talk to some people who could help. I wanted to be a counselor to educate girls and try to stop them from making the terrible decision that I made to end my baby’s life and they told me that I’d have to go through the Abortion Recovery Assistance bible study first. I didn’t even know something like that existed and it scared me. I thought “I can’t talk about this. This is my secret. Nobody will ever understand. They’ll judge me.” The first night of the study none of the other girls in the lobby really talked much- but then we ate a wonderful dinner that some special volunteers made for us and then at the end of the study, they gave us a gift. Now I can only speak for myself when I say that I didn’t feel worthy enough to receive a gift but these women that were facilitating the bible study just showered us with love. They did this every week.
For the last 14 years I had built up this brick wall between me and Jesus because I thought he couldn’t love me after I aborted my baby. In all other aspects of my life I was doing pretty good but this was the big one- the one he could never forgive me for but I was tired of the shame and the guilt that the Devil gave to me everyday. There wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t think of what I’d done. Well, every week of the bible study that brick wall got smaller and smaller and by the time the course was done- the brick wall was gone and Jesus was waiting for me on the other side saying “see Michelle, I told you I still love you, I told you I’ve forgiven you, I really don’t even know what you’re talking about.” Being able to talk about my past in this safe and loving environment was the best thing I’ve ever done. It allowed me to see the true character of God and that he doesn’t want me to live a life of shame and guilt- that doesn’t come from Him. I was finally able to forgive myself and to accept God’s forgiveness. Now the regret will always be there but the shame and the guilt are gone thanks to this wonderful ministry. Now I’m a co-facilitator in the bible study seeing the healing that God is bringing to many other women who have been in my same shoes and it is a privilege to give God the glory out of a terrible situation.
Michelle
I was going to a local MOPS meeting and a friend of mine wanted to play a video about all the different ministries that Sav A Life has. I froze in place and didn’t even want to watch the video- and nobody saw the tears that I had in my eyes throughout the video but I finally got up enough courage to tell that friend about my suffering. She said she’d go with me to Sav a Life and let me talk to some people who could help. I wanted to be a counselor to educate girls and try to stop them from making the terrible decision that I made to end my baby’s life and they told me that I’d have to go through the Abortion Recovery Assistance bible study first. I didn’t even know something like that existed and it scared me. I thought “I can’t talk about this. This is my secret. Nobody will ever understand. They’ll judge me.” The first night of the study none of the other girls in the lobby really talked much- but then we ate a wonderful dinner that some special volunteers made for us and then at the end of the study, they gave us a gift. Now I can only speak for myself when I say that I didn’t feel worthy enough to receive a gift but these women that were facilitating the bible study just showered us with love. They did this every week.
For the last 14 years I had built up this brick wall between me and Jesus because I thought he couldn’t love me after I aborted my baby. In all other aspects of my life I was doing pretty good but this was the big one- the one he could never forgive me for but I was tired of the shame and the guilt that the Devil gave to me everyday. There wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t think of what I’d done. Well, every week of the bible study that brick wall got smaller and smaller and by the time the course was done- the brick wall was gone and Jesus was waiting for me on the other side saying “see Michelle, I told you I still love you, I told you I’ve forgiven you, I really don’t even know what you’re talking about.” Being able to talk about my past in this safe and loving environment was the best thing I’ve ever done. It allowed me to see the true character of God and that he doesn’t want me to live a life of shame and guilt- that doesn’t come from Him. I was finally able to forgive myself and to accept God’s forgiveness. Now the regret will always be there but the shame and the guilt are gone thanks to this wonderful ministry. Now I’m a co-facilitator in the bible study seeing the healing that God is bringing to many other women who have been in my same shoes and it is a privilege to give God the glory out of a terrible situation.
Michelle
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Weekend Chat!
Woohoo! It's the weekend again! So as you are sitting back, relaxing and enjoying your weekend, feel free to post any questions or comments on here. We are happy to discuss whatever is on YOUR mind.
love, Kat
love, Kat
Friday, February 5, 2010
What is defined as, "Sexually Impure"?
Hey darlin!
So, we've talked about this a good bit, but I do not think we have ever been straight forward as to what is sex/wrong and what is not. Now please realize.... that this is all Jennifer's opinion, yet I have taken the time to base my views on God's word!
Here it goes... What counts as "Real" sex? President Clinton says that oral sex doesn't count...do you agree? What about phone sex, fingering, making out, feeling each other up, kissing, cuddling, and etc? Here is my second question... Do any of these bring glory to God? I'm not even going to start saying what is right and what is wrong bc there is no definite answer. It is different for every person. My personal standard is that I do not want to kiss a guy to my wedding day. Now, do i think that kissing is wrong? No! Yet, I do know that I have a hard time saying no sometimes especially if it is in a close situation. You may be different! You just have to know what your weaknesses are and how you can best deal with them. Say that you are cool with kissing, but what about making out? If you are making out and the guys hands starting moving in places that they shouldn't. Will you be ok with that or will you try to stop him? If he keeps going... where is your stopping point? Also, as far as phone sex or cyber sex... whatever you want to call it! What is appropriate to talk to a guy about? Can I just be straight up honest with you? If you would have a hard time explaining what you are talking to the guy about to your parents or are hiding it from them it is wrong. Period. I didn't believe that for a long time and then i suddenly realized how true it was. Also... we have discussed doing what ever you do your bf in front of your parents and God, but what about your future husband? Would it be akaward or painful for your husband to see what you do with your bf? Would you want your future husband doing what you are doing with his GF? Most of the time I highly doubt it... I'm all about holding hands, cuddling, anything innocent, but so often things get taken to far.
Many mornings I wake up and pray the verse Psalm 19:14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Girls... be real with yourself! Do your actions (just show what your heart is truly like) glorify God??
I think one of the biggest lies that I see girls bite into is that to get him to "love" me or even like me I have to give him what he wants.... That is SOOOOOO (Yes, Im yelling at you. I mean this with all my heart!!) not true!!! Honey, please realize that love does NOT require it's own way (check out post, "If you love me your will")!!!
I just challenge you to think! I know it feels good... but in the long run will it be worth it? Also, who means more to you....God or that "special" guy?
Love,
JEN
So, we've talked about this a good bit, but I do not think we have ever been straight forward as to what is sex/wrong and what is not. Now please realize.... that this is all Jennifer's opinion, yet I have taken the time to base my views on God's word!
Here it goes... What counts as "Real" sex? President Clinton says that oral sex doesn't count...do you agree? What about phone sex, fingering, making out, feeling each other up, kissing, cuddling, and etc? Here is my second question... Do any of these bring glory to God? I'm not even going to start saying what is right and what is wrong bc there is no definite answer. It is different for every person. My personal standard is that I do not want to kiss a guy to my wedding day. Now, do i think that kissing is wrong? No! Yet, I do know that I have a hard time saying no sometimes especially if it is in a close situation. You may be different! You just have to know what your weaknesses are and how you can best deal with them. Say that you are cool with kissing, but what about making out? If you are making out and the guys hands starting moving in places that they shouldn't. Will you be ok with that or will you try to stop him? If he keeps going... where is your stopping point? Also, as far as phone sex or cyber sex... whatever you want to call it! What is appropriate to talk to a guy about? Can I just be straight up honest with you? If you would have a hard time explaining what you are talking to the guy about to your parents or are hiding it from them it is wrong. Period. I didn't believe that for a long time and then i suddenly realized how true it was. Also... we have discussed doing what ever you do your bf in front of your parents and God, but what about your future husband? Would it be akaward or painful for your husband to see what you do with your bf? Would you want your future husband doing what you are doing with his GF? Most of the time I highly doubt it... I'm all about holding hands, cuddling, anything innocent, but so often things get taken to far.
Many mornings I wake up and pray the verse Psalm 19:14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Girls... be real with yourself! Do your actions (just show what your heart is truly like) glorify God??
I think one of the biggest lies that I see girls bite into is that to get him to "love" me or even like me I have to give him what he wants.... That is SOOOOOO (Yes, Im yelling at you. I mean this with all my heart!!) not true!!! Honey, please realize that love does NOT require it's own way (check out post, "If you love me your will")!!!
I just challenge you to think! I know it feels good... but in the long run will it be worth it? Also, who means more to you....God or that "special" guy?
Love,
JEN
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Thought Filled Thursday!
"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." -African Proverb. Girls, we have to stick together as the body of Christ. We are each important to the body, and if we work together we can make a huge impact for God's kingdom!!!
Love, Kat
Love, Kat
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Word Filled Wednesday!
Romans 12: 2 "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-- his good, pleasing and perfect will." It's so easy to get caught up in the things of this world, but remember, they won't last! Focus on God's word and his will, because they last forever!
Love, Kat
Love, Kat
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Commitment Level
Okay, so we have talked many times about how God needs to be your main focus, and a "love life" should follow his timing and such. But tonight I want to pose a couple of tough questions for you. Tonight is gonna be short and to the point.
Let's look at it like this. Maybe God's will for your life is that you don't marry, instead you pour your heart and soul into maybe missions, all for his glory. Would you be willing to do it? Would you be willing to give up the dream of a fairytale romance? Would you be willing to still uphold purity standards? Now you may just wanna say yes and move on. You may want to pretend you never read this post, but think about it. This all comes down to commitment level, and can be applied to any part of your life, not just purity. My challenge to you is to commit to God's will for your life. Some of you may not be there, and I want you to know I'm praying for you. I don't think you're a bad person for not being ready to make that commitment, it's a tough one to make, but it's worth it. But some of you may be ready, and I encourage you to pray, seek God's will, and do it. Commitment levels are sometimes hard to measure, but I'll leave you with this. If God asked you to give up your most valued material possession, or your anything you love to do, would you give it up?
-Kat
Let's look at it like this. Maybe God's will for your life is that you don't marry, instead you pour your heart and soul into maybe missions, all for his glory. Would you be willing to do it? Would you be willing to give up the dream of a fairytale romance? Would you be willing to still uphold purity standards? Now you may just wanna say yes and move on. You may want to pretend you never read this post, but think about it. This all comes down to commitment level, and can be applied to any part of your life, not just purity. My challenge to you is to commit to God's will for your life. Some of you may not be there, and I want you to know I'm praying for you. I don't think you're a bad person for not being ready to make that commitment, it's a tough one to make, but it's worth it. But some of you may be ready, and I encourage you to pray, seek God's will, and do it. Commitment levels are sometimes hard to measure, but I'll leave you with this. If God asked you to give up your most valued material possession, or your anything you love to do, would you give it up?
-Kat
Here's the deal...
I'm SO sorry that we did not have a testimony yesterday. Many people have volunteered and many are planning on writing one, yet sometimes they do not come in at the exact time we need them. So... what we have decided to do is on the weeks that no one has the time to write their story we are going to write a biography of someone in the Bible! How does that sound?
Here are the ways you can help though... Be willing to share your testimony! Honestly we are not extremely picky about what you say. Just as long as it lines up with God's word! Also... If you would like to write one of the biographies one week let me know! If you have already done your testimony, yet there is a character in the Bible who has really stuck out to you, let us know! We are open to help!
Love you girls!
JEN
Here are the ways you can help though... Be willing to share your testimony! Honestly we are not extremely picky about what you say. Just as long as it lines up with God's word! Also... If you would like to write one of the biographies one week let me know! If you have already done your testimony, yet there is a character in the Bible who has really stuck out to you, let us know! We are open to help!
Love you girls!
JEN
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