Love Unawakened

Can Guys and Girls Be Friends?

2012-02-07T18:02:00.000-06:00

If I could only count how many times I've heard this question or asked it myself. What do you think? Over the last semester or so I've really began to dig into this question and figure it out. Yes, for everyone it is different and every situation is different yet from what I've observed and lived out in my own life I do believe it is possible. I whole heartily believe that it can be awkward at times and get sticky, but it is not impossible. What does the Bible say about it? Honestly it says nothing that I can find although it does talk about how to be a friend. Shouldn't this apply to being friends with guys? I think so.

Here is the real deal... In friendships we have basic rules/guidelines that if you follow these it will make for a good or at least decent friendship. These guidelines are those such as be honest, be caring, do not talk about the person behind their back, be real with them, enjoy and appreciate their friendship, and value them as a person. This is common sense right? Why do we so freak out when it comes to guys? Below is a typical scenario.....

Guy (Bob) and girl (Sally) are friends. They are cool with each other and just like to have fun. No big pressure or anything. They just have alot in common and enjoy each others company. Well one day Bob gets the bright idea in his mind that he might like Sally. She just happens to be looking extra pretty one day and he notices her in a different light. Well sally finds out and it completely freaks her out. How could he like her?! She thought they were just friends. Didn't they discuss this before? So she calls her friend Hannah to get advice on the situation and to see if she can believe that he likes her. Hannah is applaud by the news and advises Sally to just kinda back off. Don't say anything to him bc you might hurt hum, but just don't really hang out with him much and he will get the idea. So sally takes Hannah's advice. She isn't completely rude to him, but it is obvious that their friendship has changed. Along the way Sally doesn't really tell many people or at least unless they ask or mention his name. besides she is still in shock and all weirded out that he even likes her.

So, that may be a tad over dramatic, but if you are honest you know it is to an extent realistic. What is wrong with this picture? First off, Sally needs to keep her everlovin mouth shut. I know it is easier said than done, but girls we are called to be above board and if we were to be completely honest we often times bad mouth guys. How is that honoring Christ? You do not need to go ask someone for advice. You know what you need to do! If you are maybe confused about your feelings than ask someone older and wiser, not your peers. That is gossip. We need to Keep.Our.Mouth.Shut! Secondly, was she ever honest with him about her feelings? No. She took Hannah's advice and just kinda ignored him. What kind of friend is that? Yes, it may hurt for just a second for him to hear that you do not feel the same way back, but goodness do you not think that it would hurt just as bad if not worse for you to ignore him and act all weird around him? He will figure it out eventually and by then he will just have been hurt more. Be a woman of integrity and have the guts to have a honest open conversation. Of course be nice when breaking the news to him. Do not avoid the situation though. For lack of better words that is being a coward. Do not do it through txt or email (Unless he told you that way). Once again, have integrity and face him. Next, why are we so surprised when a guy likes us? Last semester I honestly dealt with this alot. My roommate and I were constantly saying "Why does he like me?!" when here is the reality... You are a Godly, sweet, beautiful woman. He obviously from the beginning has seen something in you that he liked or he would not have wanted to be your friend. So why are you so surprised? I do not know you personally, but I am sure there is no reason for a guy not to like you. Quit being so shocked and surprised! Of course do not get a big head or none of the guys will like you, but a little reality never hurt anyone! A guy would be lucky to have you!

With all that said it is normal for there to be times in friendships where one or the other likes the other one. It is really not as big as we make it. We over exaggerate and then it causes everything to be awkward which then makes the friendship rocky. Just be real. He is not a freak for liking you.... so why do we treat them as such?

Being Real!

JEN

Death... Where is your sting?

2012-02-03T10:14:00.000-06:00

Hey girls! SO sorry for the lapse in posting! It has been quite a while since I really posted. As I mentioned in my previous post about my life I mentioned that my grandfather died and since then I've been wanting to post about death, but I just haven’t found the right words. Hopefully I will today! :)

If you have ever lost someone you loved you know the feelings. It’s kind of gut wrenching. Some people respond by crying and others hold it in and never let it show. Does it hurt everyone though? Yes, no matter how they show it. My grandfather was an amazing man. If you had been at his funeral you would have known it. For about two hours the line was out the back of the funeral home. The kind words of his former pastors were oh so true. As people came through the line they would tell me of how some time or another my grandfather had helped them. After all of this a truth began to roll through my thoughts... At the end of my life what will people say at my funeral? Not in a vain way of I hope they think I'm a great person, but in the way of I hope I've touched as many lives as he did. On a tomb stone you have the age the person was born and then a dash (-) and then the day they died. That small little dash represents a whole life. When I am no longer living what will that dash represent? At my funeral the people there will represent the life that I lived. Strangers do not come to a funeral. People who you in some small way impacted their life comes. More than even that I truly believe that in Heaven you will see all the kids you ever taught that accepted Christ, the people you met in that far away country on a mission trip, the sick that you prayed for even though you did not know them, and many more who you did not even know you impacted. It is not about what you did although your life does matter. Yes, my grandfather lived many wonderful years. He packed his years full of life, work, and fun. What happens if you do not get the chance to live as long as he did? Is your life still worth something? Do NOT wait until you are older to begin living. NOW is the time. We are not promised tomorrow..... With that said, if you were to die today where would you spend eternity? I've talked in this post as if I assume you will go to Heaven, but I have no way of knowing that. Only you and God know that. In John 14:6 Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life... No man comes to the father, but by me." Knowing Jesus personally is the ONLY way a person will get to Heaven. Do you know Him? Oh I’m sure you have heard talk about Him and probably talked about Him some yourself, but when it comes down to that final day will you know without a doubt that you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? Acts 16:31 states that if you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ you WILL be saved. Do you have this confidence? I can tell you this.... As we stood around my dying grandfather’s bed yes some of us were crying and it was hard to watch him lay there, but we had a peace. We knew as soon as he took his last breath here he would enter into eternal Heaven! Oh what a wonderful thought that is. As much as I love my life I kind of wanted to go with him! Yes, we miss him and will until we get to Heaven, but there is a comfort and peace knowing that we will see him again someday. Do you have that peace?

You can have it today.... There is no special prayer or thing you have to do. You just have to be real with God and tell Him that you have messed up and that you have done wrong things. That on your own power you cannot get to Heaven. Share that you believe in Him and that you believe He is who He says He is and that you believe he died on the cross for you, but did not stay dead. These are powerful truths that you must believe whole heartedly. With all that said just simply tell Him that you love Him and that you want to spend the rest of eternity with Him. You want your dash in life to be worth something!

I have no idea who reads this blog and I especially have no idea how you stand with God. I do know that I'm praying for you though... I pray that if you have not believed in Jesus that you will today because as I stated earlier we are not promised next breath, let alone tomorrow!

Love,

JEN

Visitor Post- Giann :)

2012-01-24T11:00:00.001-06:00

Hey Y'all! My name is Giann and I blog over at JoyisnotHappiness.blogspot.com. I asked Jen if I could write a guest post for yall and she said yes! :) So, here it goes....

I created a Facebook almost two years ago. It's a great way to ~~stalk~~ stay in touch with people who live far away or in your backyard. :)

One of the many rules I have regarding Facebook friends, surprises people. I do have the rule "Don't invite/accept people you don't know in real life." (Honestly, that rule should be plastered on peoples head's. That's the number one mistake they make.)

Anyway, one of the personal rules I have amazes some people. Actually, most everybody I tell it too.

The Rule? Guys have to invite me first.

Why? Guys are the Initiators.

Let me explain further.....

For those that know me in real life, not just on the world wide web, know I tend to take charge, be a leader, etcetera. Nothing is wrong with those traits at all. In fact, I think they're good traits to have. ;)

While those character qualities can be beneficial in some areas, relationships with guys is not one of them. It can actually lead to role reversal if you aren't too careful.

In the Spring of 2010, the LORD began working in this area of my life. Reading one of Leslie Ludy's books, the LORD revealed to me how I had taken the initiative in my relationships with guys. I was the one leading the relationship, not the guy. So, I started asking the LORD how I could let the guys in my life lead.

Simple Answer: Facebook Invites. (actually, it was texting at first then I decided on FB too.)

Silly, I know.

Worth it, totally! :)

By applying that rule, it has allowed me the privilege of seeing guys rise up and be the initiators God created them to be! Its actually quite cool when I get a FB invite from a guy. Kinda makes me smile. :)

So girls, my challenge to you is simple - Ask the LORD how YOU can let the guys in your life be initiators! It might be something completely different than mine and thats okay! :) But I promise, if you ask the LORD, you will not be disappointed!

Thanks for reading! :)

Giann

Catching up on Life! :)

2012-01-18T00:06:00.001-06:00

Hey girls! I haven't blogged in foreverrrrrr... How was your Christmas?! Mine was good! Normally I do not do a personal blog post, but I want to catch you up on my life! My life is to interesting not to tell someone! jk

Anyway... Where to begin... My Christmas break from school was really good. It started off all calm and I got to catch up with lots of old friends! Then it began picking up some. In good and bad ways. Let's start with the bad and save the best to last! ;) Deal?

My grandfather (papa) became very sick before Christmas, but did not go to the hospital until the day after Christmas. He fought a tough battle, but on the 12th of January he went to be with the Lord. It was a tough couple of weeks.... My eyes were open to multiple things though, which I will blog about at a later time. Please do pray for my family during this time of loss though.

Something good that happened though is I got a hair cut! It was by mistake, but i ended up really liking it!!

I went as a youth leader to winterfest in Gatlinburg, Tennesee with about 25 kids! It was a blast!

New Years Eve Concert!

The best room of girls EVER!

Friends for life!

This is what happens after a long weekend with all of those youth....lol

I also began dating an amazing Christian guy! His name is Matt! :)

After playing in the rain! :)

Yes... We had a blast playing at the park!

You have to make faces just to make life more enjoyable!

I almost forgot.... I have been working extremly hard in picking up attendace in my childrens sunday school class and it is working! When i began we had about 3 in my classroom and we are now averaging 12! It makes my heart happy! :) Here is a pic of all of the kids at the Christmas party!

I love you girls! Hope you have a great rest of the week! :)

JEN

The beauty within Women!

2011-12-17T01:18:00.000-06:00

What does being feminine mean to you? Is it something negative or great? Do you imagine some silent girl who never causes a disturbance or do you see someone who is comfortable in herself, yet still graceful in her approach to life. I began pondering this myself after a guy commented on how attractive feminism is to guys. It all started with the comment of how guys like girls who wear skirts. My first response was to inform them of how hard it would be to wear a skirt all of the time. Being men, I figured they needed to understand the hardship we ladies have.... :) Anyway though as it continued they discussion it was obvious that they did not expect us to wear skirts all the time or have a baby on our hip constantly. They simply saw feminism as beautiful. I wondered why. I mean that is so opposite our culture. Our culture says women are to fight for their rights, stand strong, never back down, do everything better than a man, and all in all show who is boss. Is this feminism? In my mind, no. I have discussed submission on here before. They kind of go together. Here is the thing... God made us a certain way and no matter how hard we try to change it His way is going to work better no matter what. His way is beautiful and perfect. I choose to rest in that. With that said, what does God's idea of a feminine woman look like? What do you think? I really began to pray about this and look into God's word and see what it says. There are some obviously strong verses about how women are suppose to dress and act. I considered those and I also considered being culturally relevant. Since then I have realized that there is a balance. Such as the skirt comment. No, guys do not expect girls to wear skirts all the time, but they do find it attractive. Are we to be silent and never share our opinion? No. We shouldn’t be loud and always have to have the final say though either. There are lines that can be pushed, but the bottom line is that God made women to be a man’s helpmeet and a man was not made to cook, clean, birth babies, or care for people with tenderness. Yes, they can do those things (except for the birthing of course!) and women can do the same exact things that men can. Is this natural though? Is it beautiful? Is it empowering? No. I firmly believe it is not. Yes, I can check my oil, take my trash out, pump my own gas and many other things just like a guy. I'm here to tell you though that if a guy offers to do it I will let him. I do not have to prove I'm better than him.

So why am I saying this? I want to encourage you to embrace your feminism. Enjoy being a woman! If you enjoy fishing, hunting, sports and other things like that go for it! Enjoy life. Do not neglect or degrade the gift you have of being a lady though. Get dressed up sometime. Take pride in cooking and taking care of the men in your life. Women seek to find what their "Purpose in life" is while all the time it is right before them. We are to support the men in our lives whether it be dad, husband, etc. Now again, do not get me wrong... We women are strong and we can succeed in whatever we set our mind to! I'm convinced that God gave us women secret powers that only women have! We can do 9,000 at one time and do each one of them well. That has to be a super power. :) In our battle to succeed though we cannot lose sight that God created us as females to be feminine. It was His perfect and holy design. Let's do our best to not mess that up!

JEN

PLEASE watch this!!

2011-12-09T02:04:00.000-06:00

Child Like Faith

2011-12-03T16:19:00.000-06:00

Hi Gals! :) I wanted to share a story today that has really touched my heart and I’ve been thinking about it a lot... If you do not know I teach kids and babysit often. I teach Sunday school, children’s church, and Sunday night discipleship at my home church and so I have a good chance to get to know the kids. Well there are these two boys who are brothers that come pretty regularly. It never fails that when we ask for prayer request they say their dad who is in jail. In all honesty it gets old sometimes bc I feel like we go over the same thing every week. Last week I decided to dig a little deeper and to ask some questions about their dad. Come to find out he has been in jail for over three years and most likely has about that many left. I asked if they ever got to see him thinking maybe they go every so often and that’s why he is on their mind. No, they have not seen him since he has been in jail. No cards, letters, anything. The further we talked about it the more I became amazed at how strong their faith was in God. Here are two kids (7 and 8) who have not seen or heard from their dad in years (they would have been 4 and 5 when he was arrested) and know full well that they won’t for many more years yet they still continue to ask God to help their dad. If they were any older they would most likely have hard feelings towards him and just hopelessness about the situation. Although they do not... They still trust that God is going to work and although they do not understand the situation they trust that God is going to work. So, I want to ask you.... what is going on in your life that you are having a hard time trusting God with? You may have been praying for something for a long time and it seems like it will never happen. Do you have faith like a child? Next time you question whether you should keep praying or not remember these boys and how not a prayer goes by that they do not pray for their dad. Don’t. Give. Up. With God ALL things are possible! I encourage you to keep on praying and believing!

JEN

P.S. Here are some pics of my kids just bc I think they are adorable!! :)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

2011-11-23T23:55:00.001-06:00

What are you thankful for?

Why?

2011-11-15T23:20:00.000-06:00

This thought has been ringing through my mind often lately... Why do I do the things I do and not do the things I choose to not do? Yes, reread that sentence if you didn’t get it the first time. You so often hear of good Christian people "Falling away" from their faith and having no conviction about it. It is heart breaking and I ask myself why they would do such a thing. As I have observed I have realized just how many "Churched" teens grow up living under what I call their parents faith. They know what their parents believe and they do what they are expected to, but when that come to that time in life when they have to decide for themselves what they believe the real thing comes out. It is no longer good enough to know what mom or dad believes. You must know what you believe. I personally came to this time around the age of 15/16. I was going through a really rough time. I had made some mistakes and began to realize that I personally must know what I want for myself and what I believe is right or wrong. I had the ground morals down, but not the little things. This was when I began to stand strongly for purity. I remember looking up verses on it, reading books, seeking God, asking older ladies who I trusted, etc. I began to search for what I myself believed. My parents completely back up my decisions and standards although they did not set them for me. They would be perfectly fine with me kissing a guy before my wedding day although I choose not to. It does not just have to pertain to sex. Beliefs as far as drugs, alcohol, your friends, grades, the shows you watch, the websites you go to, the way you spend your time, the time you spend with God, where you go and when you go. These are things that if you have not already you will one day have to decide for yourself. When that time comes will you stand strong or will you crumble? If I’ve said this once I’ve said it a thousand times.... NOW IS THE TIME THAT YOU DETERMINE YOUR FUTURE! Yes, you can quote me... :) jk I'm serious about this. So many teenagers live a life of carelessness and because of it they suffer and regret it for the rest of their life. Do you want to be one of those people? I’m not saying you have to be a holy roller type of person. My plea is to simply know what you stand for and stand strongly on it.

JEN

2011-11-08T19:10:00.000-06:00

"A beautiful woman uses her lips for truth, her voice for kindness, her ears for compassion, her hands for charity her heart for love. For those that don't like her...she uses prayer." ~ Jolly Rutten ~

Am I crazy?!

2011-11-04T13:35:00.000-05:00

This title is a thought that has been running through my mind often over the last few days... Am I crazy to think that God has a "Special" man for me? Am I crazy to not want to kiss a guy until my wedding? Am I crazy to want to live my life for only one thing.... Jesus?

It's amazing how sometimes I feel as if there are tons of people with me and how everyone admires my standards. Then other times I feel as if I'm the only one that exist who cares to remain pure. Do you ever feel that way? Just to be real with you.... I have heard more than one guy say lately, "I would love to date her, but i just don't think i could do the whole not kissing thing." Does that bother me? Not really. I'm glad they know that I'm not gonna give in and we both don't waste our time. It does make me feel alone though. I know I'm not, but it makes me wonder if I'm the only one who feels called to a "Higher calling". Will i find a man who is willing to wait or even more wants to? Only God knows.

I say all this not to complain or say woe is me, but to encourage you also. I'm sure if it is hard for me that means it is also hard for you girls who are striving for a pure life. Whether you are willing to kiss a guy or not it can still be hard. It is expected that you would sleep around, make out with any guy, and just do whatever. The thought that we wont is absolutely revolutionary. We are few and far between. We are not alone though. Satan wants us to think so, but it is not true.

I challenge you to do a few things.... First, continue standing strong! Do not waver. Know what you stand for and stand strong. Secondly, pray for your future husband that he will stand strong! I believe that it is even harder for guys. Peer pressure is just harder. Pray and pray hard for him. Finally, encourage any of your friends who are standing for their purity! They may seem like they have it all together, but you never know what is going on in their mind. Satan may be giving them down the country and your kind word of encouragement may be just what he or she needs!

I love you girls! I hope you feel God this week and know that you are NOT alone!

JEN

Is God Writing Your Love Story?

2011-10-29T20:17:00.000-05:00

Have any of you ever read the book. "When God Writes Your Love Story" by Leslie Ludy? If not, I encourage you to! With that said, I want to talk about the theme of the book. The books purpose as a whole is to help you realize that God has a plan and that He wants to write your love story. Are you willing to let Him? Do you think He will do an ok job or would you be better at it?

Sweet girls, I'm here to encourage you.... I was reading through my journal the other day and I was an underlying prayer within the whole thing. That prayer was that if the guy of my affections at that moment was not the one God had chosen for me that He would simply just take him away. Not out of my life, but out of my focus. The other part of the prayer was that when the one God has chosen does come along that He will not let me question whether he is the one or not. He will stick around and I will know that He is the one! I honestly hadn't really realized how often I had prayed that prayer, but looking back it had been quite often. Girls, there are tons of guys and some are decent guys, but i challenge you to not just settle for a "Good" guy, but to wait for the "One". I have full confidence that it will be worth it!

If you had to describe your love story and view of guys in a prayer what would it look like? Would it be an "I trust you God, but.....", "I will follow you where ever, doing whatever, and to whomever God" , or "I can just straight up do this on my own."? Think about it... It is easy to say that you are letting God write your love story, but if you are dating guys who He wouldn't choose for you to date or giving bits of your heart to guys who are not the "One" then it is as if you are letting Him write your story, but every once in a while you steal the pen back and write a few chapters of your own.

I'm not sure about you, but if someone asked me to write a story for them and then they kept taking the pen and changing what i was writing or adding on to it I would get pretty upset and very tired of it. The beautiful thing about God though is that He is willing to take the pen back no matter how many times you have taken it away. I remember in my own life I would take the pen away and then when I realized it, which normally meant I had been hurt He was ever so faithful to gently take the pen back and make my mistakes into a wonderful love story. He is still working on it and I have no idea what the end result will be, although I have confidence that He has a perfect plan!

It reminds me of a few verses...

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding and in all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Praying for you as you let God write your love story!

JEN

10 Inspiring Pics! :)

2011-10-22T21:26:00.001-05:00

Created By Katelyn Carter

Because I care....

2011-10-18T20:02:00.000-05:00

How can I be praying for you?

My Prince has come and his name is Daddy!

2011-10-12T01:02:00.002-05:00

Hey gals! Have any of you seen the new movie Courageous? If not, I highly recommend that you do! It’s an amazing movie. Before I begin sharing what God has laid on my heart I want to say that I understand many of you do not have good fathers. They are not eh “Prince” type or anything close to that. Some of you may not even know who your father is. I understand that. My heart breaks for you…. Some of us have amazing fathers. Are you one of those girls? You could only dream of marrying a man like your father. No matter where you come from hopefully you can relate in some way.

We talked about submission a couple of post back and I made it clear how I find it comforting to submit to my father. I trust him and rely on him often. This is not the way many girls view submission. Some see it as a bad thing, a struggle, and they just honestly rather not do it. God calls you to obey your parents. Can we be real here? You may to their face honor them (Some do not even do that, but lets hope you do.), but what is your attitude towards them when you are not looking, when you are hanging out with your friends, or just in your thoughts. Do you value your father’s opinion? We have all at sometime thought that we knew better than our parents. It’s true isn’t it. How did it end up? Girls, I’m here to be real with you…. You are not smarter than your parents. You do not know what’s better for you. There is no reason to “Hide” things from them. If you cannot talk, touch, or look at that guy the way you do in front of your dad then you shouldn’t be doing it. It’s that simple. If your dad doesn’t like the guy no matter how head over heals you are for him you according to the Bible you are called to respect your dad and obey his wishes. I’m not saying it is easy, but I am saying that it is what you are called to do. You may be closer to your mom than your dad and that is fine, but babe the bottom line is if you cannot respect your father now you will have a hard time respecting your husband one day. You may be thinking….yada yada yada but this is real. One day you will realize that you could have missed lots of heart ache and pain if you would have just listened to your dad.

With all that said though…. Let your father be your prince! You may want a husband so bad that it physically hurts. I hear ya… I want one too! The thing is though until God brings your Prince dance with your daddy! Let him protect, comfort, and guide you. It is what you are called to do!

If you do not have a father once again, my heart breaks for you… Babe, I’m…. Im just sorry. The things is though if you have accepted Christ as your Savior you do have a father. A perfect one at that! One who loves you and cares about you more than you will ever know! Cultivate your relationship with your Heavenly Father… You will never regret it!

JEN

Quote of the day!

2011-10-10T22:50:00.003-05:00

"My prince has already come and his name is Daddy!" ~Movie Courageous

I HIGHLY encourage you to go see the movie!

2011-10-05T00:22:00.002-05:00

What do guys REALLY want?

2011-09-24T10:00:00.001-05:00

Lets be honest girls... we all want a guy. It's that simple. We love God and we want God to guide our relationships, but that also means we want a guy. Is that a bad thing? I think not! God created us to be this way! It's truly a beautiful thing! So, my question is... what do guys really want in a girl? Does he want her to be totally hot, "experienced", and always ready for a party? Some guys may, but from what I've observed the type of guy I'm hoping you would want and the type of guy I would like to have doesn't quite find that so attractive. Follow me here.... Last week in youth our youth minister was talking about purity and he asked the guys (Keep in mind these are just typical teen guys... not some oh Holy ones. just normal guys.) how many of them wanted a girl who had never been "around". I was astonished by the response! Only two out of about thirty guys did not raise their hands. Does this seem right? Honestly... it doesn't. The way it often looks is that the guys are all over the girls who do not value themselves and will give anything. In reality though yes guys may give those girls attention, but when you talk marriage and settling down they want the girl who has waited. Now, I will go ahead and say.... God and i have talked about this alot lately. I have a hard time feeling that it's fair. As my daddy always told me growing up though, "Life isn't always fair.". Why am I saying all this? To open your eyes to the fact that what you see isn't always what is truly happening.

Another thing that guys want... this is just purely from observation and reading many books (including the Bible!). Guys want a woman who wants (Notice.... not just will, but wants to!) to follow God's plan for women. When i say this I do not mean to start a debate on women's rights. I simply mean God has placed inside a man a want to be the leader of the home and at the same time the desire to treat his wife as if she is a princess. It is not that he thinks he is any better than her, but simply he wants to protect her and guide her. I personally believe that we as girls have this pride about us that we think we do not need a mans help or his guidance. This may be true.... women can do anything that men can do, although i challenge you to think... is that the way God created it to be? Yes, it is possible for women to be the same as men, but does that mean it is the best way to do it? I strongly believe it isn't. The other night some of us were sitting outside the dorms and one of the guys made a comment about how he would love to see his wife over the stove with a baby on her hip, My first response was to be offended. Shouldn't i have been? Not at all. He didn't mean it as if he wanted his wife to be his slave or anything of the sort. he was simply saying how to him and other guys for that matter it is simply beautiful to see a woman taking care of her family and holding a child. Was he saying he would never cook or hold the child? No! He didn't say that and he didn't mean that either. He was just stating a fact that he found that attractive. So, I say to you.... Enjoy your femininity! Guys do! Why shouldn't we? Learn to enjoy cooking, cleaning, caring for children, and serving your dad! It isn't a bad thing. Honestly, i find it comforting.... there is comfort in knowing that my dad has my best interest at heart and that he is watching out for me. It will be the same way when i have a husband!

JEN

David's Heart!

2011-09-20T10:08:00.011-05:00

Purity Modesty and The Male Mind

I was 7 the first time I was exposed to a dirty magazine. My friend’s dad had a stash in his basement he thought no one knew about. He was wrong.

On average first time exposure happens at age 11; we’re talking 5^th and 6^th graders here. Now why am I bringing this up in the middle of a series on modesty and purity? Because I want to give you all a true male’s perspective. Yes, a male who has been saved by Christ alone, but a visceral desire-oriented male nonetheless.

We fight an uphill battle, I fight an uphill battle; constantly pulled between what I know is right and what I fool myself into accepting as good. Even at a young age, both boys and girls are shown what is contrary to Christian morality and, as I think, true Christian beauty. Men are at a disadvantage in some respects because of the apathetic approach to correcting their distorted views. It’s hard to correct something everyone struggles with. Our sin of lust is far more than simply looking at what we shouldn’t, it creeps into the very pours of our desires and warps our ability to experience the ‘new life’ God promises.

But here, ladies, is where you enter.

Why bother being modest? Because, and please believe me when I say this, it stands in such stark contrast to everything else we see. Purity is not some ethereal concept we pursue, it’s real – as real as what we choose to wear, as real as what we choose to let our thoughts drift towards and as real as what our source appears to be.

For women it’s worth and for men it’s joy.

This is the answer to being pure.

Remember Matthew 5:8. What does this “they will see God” mean? In short (if I don’t cut myself off sometime we could be here a really long time), usually women struggling with this issue need to reevaluate where they believe their worth comes from. That will show you where your investments are going: investments of time, of thought, of money, of emotion. If you see your worth in Christ, if you understand your beauty as being directly tied to who you are in him – then aren’t you going to see God more clearly? And isn’t purity going to be a natural side-effect of you seeing things as they truly are, namely yourself?

For the guys reading, and I am taking idea this straight from Piper and Driscoll, you have to be on guard to see where your joy comes from. Too often we settle and stop short of the immense pleasure we could experience in God. You have to become dissatisfied with anything less than the extraordinary – only then can you desire the joy found in Christ alone – and then you will see God because your desire is pure.

I guess when it comes down to it, you can measure a person’s purity by asking how valuable Christ is to them. Is He the source of your worth, of your joy? If not, than what reason is there to chase after purity? It seems like a lot of work for very little reward, if that reward is anything outside of Christ.

But it is worth it. And ladies, guys do notice – more than you could ever know.

Immodesty may grab our attention, but purity will win our affection.

David

Flashback Friday- Feeling Alone...

2011-09-16T00:33:00.002-05:00

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

Thought for the day...

2011-09-13T17:11:00.003-05:00

How can you be friends with guys without being more? Any ideas?

Words from Cindy!

2011-09-10T10:00:00.002-05:00

Hello My Sweets ;)

There are many different topics I discuss with teenagers when I go into a school to talk about abstinence. One thing I see girls, of any age, deal with is self esteem. Many girls/young women/adult women get caught up in what the media and Hollywood say is acceptable. The media and Hollywood lie to women, whether they are a teenager, college age, or middle age. The media and Hollywood have convinced you in order to be happy, successful, and accepted, you must be a size "0" and weigh "95" lbs. The women we see in magazines have lived a life starving themselves and more than likely many consume alcohol and drugs. A lot of women in the modeling industry take a pill to go to sleep and a pill to say awake. They give up a life of normalcy in order to be famous. With that said, over the past several years, some models have succumbed to death, from literal starvation! Just to walk the runway!!!! What a life huh????? The truth is, the average weight of women in America is 140 lbs. Many of the high schools I go into, the pressure is on to be accepted. Not just high schools, but college as well! Women in general are seeking to be accepted by someone. To be understood. This may sound corny, but a quote from a movie I love is, "why try so hard to fit in, when you were born to stand out?" God created you to be different! He created you, unique, which means "one and only." Isn't that awesome! When God created you He knew exactly what He was doing, because He doesn't make mistakes!! You are like a precious jewel! A jewel value is based on it's cut, clarity, and size; it's uniqueness. The owner of each jewel determines it's value. Your worth has already been established and YOU ARE PRICELESS! It's difficult to see our worth, when Hollywood says we are to be like this, and the popular girl at school wears that, and the popular boy wants to date Miss Popularity! I've asked students, "who determines who is cool or popular? Who decides?" When you begin to see your value, worth, and uniqueness, you will be popular in God's eyes. You see He knows who you are. You are fearfully and wonderfully made! The very hairs on your head are numbered. God has a job for you to do with your life. A job only you can do because of your combination of talents, experiences, and training. You can choose to complain and grumble and tell God He messed up, or accept the beautiful person He created. Know your value! YOU ARE ONE IN A MILLION!!!!

Be Blessed and You Are Worth Waiting For!!!!

Cindy Smith

Ladies, would you mind standing up and realizing that you are worth something?

2011-09-07T15:16:00.000-05:00

Sweet ladies, You are of great value! I am very disturbed by some things and I want to open your eyes to them. If you have FB have you seen the "Date or pass" game? It is where someone puts on their status simply, "Date or pass" and people send their numbers in a message to the person and then the one receiving the numbers begans posting the numbers and writing "Date" or "Pass". I get that it is a game, but it at the same time it greatly disturbs me. Say a guy puts "Date or pass" on his status. All of these girls began sending their numbers. Am I the only one who thinks this is a little shallow? I know you want to know what the guys has to say, but do you realize how "Easy" you are making yourself look? Do you see that you are just a number... One of many numbers. Do you seriously want a guy to sit there and think, "Hmmmmm should i date or pass?" or if he says "date" how many other girls did he also say "date" to. Think about it...

Then you have the girls who post it on their FB and all of these guys begin sending their numbers in. First off let him be a MAN and ask you out! Not just send a lame number in and hope he is the lucky one. Also, do you think this shows that you value yourself at all? You might think so, but girls honestly it doesn't....

Precious ladies you are worth more! You are worth asking out in at least words if not in person. Yes, I'm sure it is fun to see who likes you or who would date you, but dating is not just a "game". I challenge you to rise up against the norm. Your friends may play the game, but you can be different! YOU can stand out. Yes.... YOU are worth it!

With care,
JEN

A HAVE to read book...

2011-09-02T23:36:00.001-05:00

I STRONGLY encourage you girls to read the book, “Preparing to be His Help Meet” by Debi Pearl It is amazing! They also have one for married women. I would definitely advise you to ask your mom before you read it, but it is good also. Why wait until you are married to prepare? Like I always say…. NOW is the time to prepare! Waiting will only hurt you.

Random Question…. What are you doing now to prepare for your future husband?

JEN

The Importance of "First"

2011-08-31T12:13:00.000-05:00

What are some important "First" experiences? First hair cut, first day of school, first time to ride a bike, first time to drive, first date, first kiss, etc. Why is it that mothers save their baby's hair from their first hair cut, take multitudes of pictures on the first day of school, dream of the day they can drive, but dating and kisses aren't as big of a deal. In some families it is and in others its not. Many girls when i ask about their first date they can barely even remember it. Why is this? First kisses are often remembered, but not nearly treasured enough. So, if you have already given away your "First" God is definitely a God of second chances! If you've never had a "First" then praise God! YOU can still savor your first time experiences. How can you do this? First things first... Don't just give them away at the drop of a hat! I often hear girls saying, "It's just a date..." it may "Just be a date", but one day you will regret those meaningless and pointless dates with guys that you knew was not the "one", but you went anyway just because you wanted to go on a date. Now yes, going on a date with the wrong guy is not the end of the world, but i often ask, why do it? I mean yes it is fun to date and many girls feel as if they "need" a guy, but the truth is that is not a God honoring attitude. So why do it? Then as far as kissing... It is just a kiss. Can i just say loud and clear... GAG ME! This is something that is worth so much and girls just toss it around like it is nothing. Girls, your kisses are yours and yours only. No guy has the right to take them and therefore you have the right to choose when, where, and to whom you give them away. Many girls express that they feel when they go on a date and the guy buys the food that they feel as if they "owe" him a kiss. I would hate to know what they feel they owe him if he bought them flowers! Do you get my point? This is not Biblical. The Bible straight up says, "DO not awaken love until it's appointed time". Kissing may not make you want to have sex, but it is without a doubt "Awakening" love. Girls, your first date and your first kiss is valuable... There is no specific time that the Bible says its ok to kiss or go further. It just simply says to honor God. The question is often asked then when is it appropriate to kiss a guy or let a guy kiss you. There is no easy answer for that... For each person it is different. It is between you and God. I personally plan to save my first kiss for my wedding day. Some girls say that's crazy and they do not feel God calling them to that at all. That is perfectly fine! At the same time many girls feel called to this, but feel so alone and think no one else in the world is trying to wait. For you girls who feel that way... You are not alone!I want to encourage you to stick to your standards that you feel are what God wants and do not back down! If a guy ever tells you that God is not leading him the same way then that means he is not the one. Precious sisters in Christ... Do. Not. Back. Down. I believe it will be completely worth it one day!

Praying for you as you fight this battle...
JEN

Mrs. Cindy's story!

2011-08-27T02:44:00.000-05:00

My name is Cindy Smith! I am a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, aunt, and pastor's wife. The most honorable of all the titles I have is "Mom." I have always taken the responsibility serious and do to this day. One of the opportunities I have been afforded, is teaching abstinence in middle schools and high schools. Trust me this is not something I saw myself doing at the age of "50." I feel I have been given an awesome platform because of the openness I have had with my own daughter and her friends. When I was a teenager talking about sex was taboo. You did not talk about it or ask questions. In fact, if you were in the presence of adults and they talked about sex they would spell the word, in order to keep you from knowing what they were saying! It wasn't like we couldn't spell!!!!!! In my opinion, it was a hidden topic, which made us more curious. Growing up in the '70's were a lot different than today! One thing for sure, we had the best music and clothes. As I grew older, I made a decision. When I grew up and got married and had children, I knew I would be as open and honest with my child, concerning these issues as much as possible.

When my husband became a pastor in 2002, we made a commitment to be involved in the local Sav-A-Life Centers in our area. Eventually, I became a volunteer counselor. After being at the center a few years, an opportunity came to me, to be trained to be an Abstinence Counselor. I went through training and became certified to go into the middle schools and high schools in our area. One of the days when I was working as a counselor at the center, I had a client who came in that was 16 years-of-age. She thought she was pregnant and she had already had numerous sexual partners and had contracted an STD (Sexually Transmitted Disease). The particular STD she had contracted, I was not familiar with. I decided on that day, to educate myself about STDs. This is how I initially became involved in the abstinence program. My job as a presenter was to teach in the schools on STDs. When I was a teenager, there were two known STDs; today there are over 25 known STDs. Every year there are 19 million new cases of STDs, with nearly half occurring in young people between the ages of 15-24! It's an astonishing fact, because parents are uneducated, therefore the youth of America are uneducated. Chlamydia is one of the most common, fastest growing STDs. I have made a commitment to educate the youth in our city and to be open and honest with the facts. Our message is to value who you are and know that you are worth waiting for. When we as teens, young women and adult women, can see ourselves as valuable, we can make the commitment, not only to ourselves, to remain pure, but to God. God has the man just for you and it's up to you to decide "YOU ARE WORTH WAITING FOR."

Be blessed!

Cindy Smith

"Dating" Jesus

2011-08-22T22:40:00.000-05:00

Does this idea seem a little far out? I read in a book a few weeks ago of a girl who her mom challenged her to back off from being boy crazy and for 6 months "Date" Jesus. A couple of times a month she would actually set aside a specific night and just be in the presence of God. Also, she would read the love letter (The Bible) from her lover consistently! She sang to Him, spent time with His friends (Church). Since I read this I've been thinking about it alot... We focus so much on guys and who is dating who, but are any of us as truly focused on God?

Here are some questions to consider and to see whether you are more focused on dating guys or dating God...

~ Do you talk more about guys or God?
~Do you talk to guys or God more?
~Do you focus on what God thinks or what your boyfriend thinks?
~When getting dressed, is your focus to attract guys or to honor God?
~On FB, are your statuses more about your BF or about God?
~ Who do you choose to spend more time with, God (church) or your boyfriend?

Girls, I'm not saying that you should never talk to or about a guy. I'm simply saying that it needs to be balanced. Think honestly.... Do you value your relationship with God as much as you do your "man"? What if the guy who is your dream man doesnt bring honor to God. Would you choose God over him? This is where the rubber meets the road. Now is the time to fall in love with God and in HIS timing He will bring the right guy! It reminds me of the quote, "If you dance with God then at the perfect time He will let the perfect guys cut in!".

I challenge you to go on a date with God...

If you have a boyfriend thats great! Take a night off and enjoy the presence of God. If you do not have a boyfriend let God be your boyfriend! It can be romantic and totally thrilling!

Now is the time to fall in love with God... not later, now! Set aside a time and go on a date with Jesus! Pick the perfect place (Quiet and peaceful), dress up (This isnt always necessary, but it is sometimes fun!), and if you enjoy dancing literally dance with God! Take your Bible... it is God's love letter to you! Nothing more romantic than a love letter written directly to you! Grab some food also. Just enjoy the presence of God. I promise you if you are real with God this will not be a date you regret!

Song of Solomon 8:4 Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you, do not arouse or awaken

love until it so desires.

Philipians 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

JEN

Cool video by Leslie Ludy!

2011-08-18T13:10:00.000-05:00

What is love?

2011-08-17T10:55:00.000-05:00

Lately God and I have really been talking about what love truly is... Not romantic love, but Godly Christian love. We toss around, "I love you" often and hardely ever truly do anything. Yes, I read the love chapter (1 Corinthians 13) and that helped, but i wanted to share with you guys what love means to me! Now to every person it may be different and i would love for you to comment and tell me what it means to you.

Love is.....

Hugging a child at church who honestly you doubt has bathed in the past few days...

Smiling at someone even when you are having a terrible day...

Writing a note of encouragement to somoene who doesnt get noticed often...

Saying, "Thank you" for the small things people do that go unoticed

Listening and truly caring about a friend when in the back of your mind you are thinking they need to get over whatever is going on...

Txting someone and just saying, "Im praying for you and thank God for you!"...

Being willing to smile and love on kids even when you've had kids hanging on you all day...

Giving some of your food to hungry college students... (When you live in the dorm this is an all the time thing!)

Not sharing confidential information that someone has shared with you...

Taking the time to send an encouraging email to someone just to tell them how proud you are of them..

Buy somone who is having a hard day some flowers...

Just hug someone...

Yes, these are all examples from my life. Your life is different and so you have different opportunities to show love! If you cant tell I work with youth/children alot. I also live in a dorm! Below is a picture that was taken the other week and I absolutely love it! It is a picture of a girl I go to church with. Her home life isnt the best and she longs for love. She invited me to her birthday party and honestly it was on the worst day possible for me, but i made sure i stopped by just to show her that i cared. It was all worth it to see the look in her eyes when she saw me. Whenever I see this pic I hear God say, "This is what love is about!"

Just a thought...

2011-08-10T23:09:00.002-05:00

"They laugh at me because I'm different; I laugh at them because they're all the same."

Thought for the weekend!

2011-08-07T00:32:00.000-05:00

You can tell what matters most to a person by 3 things...

~ Looking at their checkbook registry
~ Checking the history on their computer
~ Talking to them for a total of about 3 minutes

What matters most to you?

Writing your future husband!

2011-08-01T23:56:00.000-05:00

The other day we talked about praying for your future husband and we got great response concerning it. A few girls mentioned writing their future husbands and I loveeee this idea! I've talked about it before and encourage it often, but for those of you who have never thought about it writing your future husband is a wonderful way to focus on HIM and not other guys. Guys come and go, but there will only be one Mr. Right.

If you have ever written your love before I would love for you to share any ideas you have! Below are a few of mine! :)

~When you are struggling with a guy situation... write your future spouse and ask his advice! It will help you focus on him and honor him in your decisions!

~Valentines day.... write him a love note!

~Make him a valentine craft!

~Fathers day.... write a card to the future father of your children!

~If writing poetry or songs is your thing why wait until you meet him to write something?

~Tell him of your wishes, dreams, hurts, fears, joys, etc!

~Tell him of your love and that you are praying for him!

These are just a few ideas and each girl is different, but the whole purpose is to stay focused on your one and only true love... It is SOOOO easy to get distracted in this world, but God calls us to not to awaken love until it is HIS time!

JEN

P.S. Make sure to read the post before this one if you haven't already!!

Praying for your future husband!!

2011-07-27T23:08:00.002-05:00

Hey gals! We talked about praying the other day, but now I want to give it a little twist. When was the last time you actually stopped and earnestly prayed for your future spouse? For some girls just moments ago and for others It’s been a while. I just want to challenge you to pray for your future husband. You may ask, “Why?? I haven’t even met him yet and besides that I have no idea what to pray for him about!” The thing is though right now he is somewhere in the world. Have you ever thought about that? He is making decisions right now that will affect him for the rest of his life. So why wait to pray for him? Should you wait to love him? NO! The same goes for praying for him! Here are a few ideas as to how to pray for him….

*That he seeks God in all he does

*That he does well in School/college (You want a smart man!)

*That he makes wise decisions concerning drugs, alcohol, and sex

*That he reads his Bible today (I pray this daily!)

*That he is stepping up and becoming a leader

*That he gets plenty of rest (I figure he needs to be well rested for meeting me someday! ;))

*Finally, that he honors God in everything he does

Will you pray for your future husband today? One day you will be able to tell him that you have been praying for him all this time as you waited on God to bring him to you!! What an awesome thought! J

JEN

Prayer...Do it NOW!

2011-07-25T11:30:00.000-05:00

Hey girls! I'm back and it was an amazing mission trip!! :) There is one thing that God really layed on my heart was prayer. Something we hear about all the time, but rarely get serious about.

Girls, how often do we hear or say, "I'll be praying for you!" We here it often don't we? The thing is though how often do we earnestly pray for someone? I have a challenge! Pray immideately. What do i mean? Lately when someone ask me to pray for them or shares something with me that is bothering them instead of saying, "Ill pray for you!" and then possibly forgetting I ask if i can stop and pray right then. Ofcourse i still continue to pray for them afterwards, but girls prayer is powerful.... We HAVE to quit treating it like it is just a good idea! Fair warning though, some people may look at you like you are crazy bc this is not normal.... although give it a shot and the blessings will be unmeasurable! God wants to talk to you.... why wait to talk to Him?

JEN

Quick quick update!

2011-07-21T10:00:00.000-05:00

I have ten minutes to tell a whole days worth of God moments!! Lets see if i can do it... :)

Yesterday was awesome!! We had around 65 kids in our first club and almost all knew (I'm talking word perfect) their verse! God promises His word will not return void....Amen?? There were no salivations, but the group is young and so many that are main focus is to just share the Gospel and get it out there as much as possible! As we were packing up I saw many moms laying on a picnic blanket reading the Gospel comin books we gave out to their kids.... A precious sight!!! Our second club has been kinda a hard club... its in a rough area and every day so far there have been "Gangs" (They are middle school/high school age, but the sad reality is they are a gang and can do major destruction. Well Tuesday they didn't want to come to club but they wanted the snacks so the pastor told them that they could have snacks, but they would have to come to club tomorrow. Well tomorrow came and you could hear them discussing whether or not they should come... One said I cant believe we have to do this, but the other said, "Dude... you have your word to the Priest!" (I laughed at there lack of knowledge... :) So they ended up coming and cutting the story short they accepted Christ.... They were amazed that God could take away their sins and they wanted that forgiveness SOOOO bad! PRAISE GOD! They finished out the club as totally new boys and asked if they could have a Bible and have someone pick them up for church! I pray they are back today and that they do not face much rebuttal from their peers.. Please pray with me... My final story is of a precious girl who God really layed on my heart. She is 9, but you can tell she takes care of the family. She brings all 4 of her younger siblings and takes perfect care of them. During invitation you could tell she wanted it, but was nervous. I decided i would talk to her later and God opened up the perfect opportunity! As we began to talk she kept saying she wanted to accept Christ, but that she was scared. I couldn't understand why someone would be scared... I would be scared not to! Come to find out her mother is strong in some other religion (I couldn't understand what one... she was talking very low at this point). Basically she was scared of what her mom would say/do if she accepted Christ. This broke my heart... Ive seen kids deny Christ, but it is not often one wants Him, but out of fear denies Him. I beg you to pray for this precious girl. I personally believe if she was to die she would go to Heaven for the simple fact she believes in Jesus, but is just scared. As we prayed after the club I began to cry b/c my heart was broken for this precious little girl....

Thanks for all the prayers and support!!!

JEN

Middle of the week update!

2011-07-20T01:02:00.000-05:00

GOD IS DOING AWESOME THINGS!!! :) It's so humbling and amazing to watch God use us... just dirty rotten sinners for His glory! First off praise report and then prayer request...

Praise:

The total numbers for kids enrolled in 5 day clubs from this far.... right around 2,000 kids! How awesome is that?!?!? That's what I call shaking the doors of hell! Also, we were told that all the teams combined there have been around 260 professions of faith!!!!! This is just two days! Only God can do this! We are in the middle of a Mormon ran city... you see them everywhere and everyone just expects you to be a Mormon. Things are about to change though... I just feel it. God is not only stronger than the devil, but He is stronger than any other religion that does not truthfully proclaim the name of Christ!!! Our clubs went great today.... they took tonsssss of flexibility, but it all went great!

On to prayer request though..... Please guys and gals.... pray. We are in a tough battle and even though we are in the United States we are still running into many road blocks with cities and city officials. Please pray for stamina as we are teaching literally thousands of kids and are all exhausted. Besides that though... Pray for these kids and that they will be open to the Gospel. I cant tell you the heart ache of seeing these kids. Yes, I work with youth all the time that comes from bad homes, but this is worse than normal. One precious girl came to club yesterday and i noticed her face was all bruised and cut. I didn't ask b/c honestly i wasn't sure i could handle hearing what she would probably tell me happened. She asked later in the club though if she had to sing b/c her face hurt to bad to sing.... All I know to pray is that God gives her comfort. This is just one case.... there are plenty to tell. My God is the Father to the Fatherless and the shelter for those who are hurting. Pray that God opens doors and that we will also be able to talk to the parents! One lady brought her son today and as i was talking to her I asked if she went to church somewhere and she said no that they had just moved there and that they were looking for a church. To any missionary that is an automatic "CHA-CHING!" she continued on though to tell me that she guessed she should join the LDS church bc everyone else had. i begged her to consider the church we were working with and beg God to lead her there! Please pray with me! This is a major decision this lady has.

Well its late and it wont be long until we are up and at it again! Thanks for the prayers! :)

Love,
JEN

Update from Utah! :)

2011-07-16T00:17:00.000-05:00

Hey gals! So, I think i mentioned it earlier, but I'm in Utah on a mission trip for all of last week and this next week to come! I'm here with CEF (Child Evangelism Fellowship) and God is doing amazing things! It's kinda late here and im tired, but i just wanted to catch you all up on whats going on and how you can PLEASE pray! We will begin teaching three clubs (All in parks) next Monday. I'm super excited! We went to meet the church that's supporting us and they seem precious! So far we have just been training and getting to know each other. There are people from ALL over the US! Its totally amazing. They all seem like like my southern draw! :) Anywho... some ways to pray!

~Open hearts from the people and kids.... many have been for lack of better words harrassed by Mormons many times and so when they see anyone out like that they seem to run.

~Group unity... we all come from different places and different styles of teaching! Pray that God will bond us together!

~Just a passion to love these kids.... We are prepared for it to get hard, but pray that God's love still just overflows from us!

~ REST! We have been sleeping, but when sleeping on the semi floor no matter how long you lay there It's not the same as a real bed. So please just pray for true rest!

My team on top of the mountain!

Once again,. My team!

Beautiful Snow covered Mountains!

View from the parking lot!

My home away from home!

Thanks for the prayers!! JEN

Tough Subject- Homosexuality

2011-07-09T20:40:00.000-05:00

This is a very tough subject, but it is something that is very prevalent right now and we can not just overlook it like it doesn't exist. So, open up your mind and dig into God's word to see what HE has to say! We aren't going to say what your momma might say or what your grandparents might think. Now if their views line up with God we will, but we are here to see what God thinks! Lets get down to the basics....

~ Is homosexuality a sin? Yes- Leviticus 8 22 (NLT) Do not practice homosexuality; it is a detestable sin.

~ Are you born a homosexual? Yes, (Not what you thought i would say? Read below to understand my answer!) Genesis 1:25-26 (NLT) God made all sorts of wild animals, livestock, and small animals, each able to produce offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”

~ Can you help being homosexual? Yes

~ Are those who are active homosexuals allowed into Heaven? No- 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NLT) Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.

~ Does God love those who are Homosexual? Yes- Romans 5:8 For yet while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

Are you thoroughly confused? I hope not, but just in case you are I'm going to explain! Yes we saw above how the Bible clearly says homosexuality is a sin. That is not the way God created it to be! Moving on though... Are you born Homosexual? There is much controversy over this, but here's the bottom line. We are all born sinners. We are born with a want-to sin. Did your mom ever have to sit you down and teach you how to lie or be mean? No! You were born knowing how to sin. It's the same with homosexuality, but being born knowing how is not an excuse.... We are still held accountable for our sins (Rom 5:8)! Can you help being homosexual? I firmly believe yes! Here is the thing girls.... being tempted is not sinning.... Jesus was tempted! It is the act of giving in that is sin. You may not be able to help having those "feelings" but like i said earlier you are still held accountable for sinning if you give in. Also, Jesus promises in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that He will ALWAYS give you a way out! The world feeds us all these excuses like there is just no way to fight it or its a hopeless case, but is it? NO! With God all things are possible! Next, are homosexuals allowed into Heaven? This is a tough one to grasp, but no. This is a well debated topic and many of you might disagree, but here is the thing.... Anyone who accepts Christ as their Savior is allowed into Heaven, but here is the catch... If you are TRULY a Christian you will want to obey God and by doing that you will not actively be living a homosexual type of lifestyle. There are the verses that talk about homosexuals will not be allowed into Heaven at all, but please do not take those so literally that you believe there is no forgiveness for them. That is not true! 1 John1:9 says it as clear as day that if you confess your sins He is FAITHFUL and just to cleanse you! Remember also, it is not a sin to be tempted.... Once you become a Christian if you have lived a life of homosexuality in the past and are now trying to overcome it that is perfectly fine! It is just like an alcoholic with a terrible alcohol addiction coming to Christ. Will he all of the sudden have no want for alcohol? Sometimes yes, but the majority of the time no.... He will still struggle. The same is for those who struggle with homosexuality. It is ok to be tempted! It is just not ok to give in. Finally, Does God love those who proclaim to be homosexual? YES! He loved them enough to send His Son to die for them and He already knew what they would do and how they would live! Did that stop Him or even slow Him down? No! That just encouraged Him to go through with it. If you are struggling with homosexuality.... GOD LOVES YOU! If you have a friend or know of someone who struggles with homosexuality...... GOD LOVES THEM! You need to love them also! If they are actively practicing this type of lifestyle i encourage you to not make them a close friend, but still love them and encourage them to make wise decisions! If they have in the past and are now trying to change be there for them and get them the help they need! This will be a daily battle and they will need you!

JEN

A cool mental pic! :)

2011-07-02T16:48:00.002-05:00

--------------GIRLS------
------------
-----------ARE LIKE APPLES------
-------ON TREES. THE BEST ONES-----
-----ARE AT THE TOP OF THE TREE.-----
---THE BOYS DON’T WANT TO REACH---
--FOR THE GOOD ONES BECAUSE THEY--
-R AFRAID OF FALLING & GETTING HURT
-INSTEAD, THEY GET THE ROTTEN APPLES-
FROM THE GROUND THAT AREN’T AS GOOD,
BUT EASY. SO THE APPLES UP TOP THINK
SOMETHING WRONG WITH THEM WHEN IN
-REALITY THEY’RE AMAZING. THEY JUST--
---HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE RIGHT BOY TO
----COME ALONG, THE ONE WHO’S-
-----------BRAVE ENOUGH TO-----
---------------CLIMB ALL---------
---------------THE WAY--------
--------------TO THE TOP--------

Emotions...Emotions.... Emotions....

2011-06-30T13:54:00.000-05:00

How many of you hate emotions? Sometimes they are good and sometimes they are bad. They can change on a whim and often feel like a roller coaster. That is how this summer has felt so far.... I apologize that my post have been kinda far apart, but life has just seemed that way. First off this summer so far has been AMAZING! Like I've said previously I'm working with CEF and we teach kids about Jesus basically. Last week was the best everrrrrr.... I saw more kids come to Christ and had some of the best experiences with it! Some day when i have more time I will tell some of the stories! They are pretty stinkin awesome! :) God also provided almost all of my support in just miraculous ways- PRAISE THE LORD! I got a new car yesterday! Woo hoo! :) I needed another one bad..... long story, but very thankful to have a new (to me new) car! I've also had the chance to lead a teen girls Bible study in my home every Tuesday night and I LOVEEEEE it! I love those precious girls so much! We are going through the book Lies young Women Believe and the Truth that sets them free. Along with other amazing things God has just really worked this summer! At the same time though this has been a very tough summer. I'll spare you the details on the hard part, but like I have said over and over this summer..... When God works satan fights and it can become a pretty dirty battle!

Through all this though I've been thinking.... Do we let our emotions control us? If we are having a "good" day are we happy and on a "bad" day are we without hope depressed? I've never really been a depressed person... I'm not really sure I could be, I just do not have it in me although I can easily get stressed out or down. We all can! The thing is though God is the same through it all.... through the good and the bad. I'm not sure what is going on in your life right now, but I'm sure 99% of you have something not so pleasant going on. It's just life. Girls, God is the same God He was yesterday and He will be the same God tomorrow. I normally do not write much personal stuff on here or at least not sad stuff, but girls i wanted to be real with you all.... Life gets tough. We would be living in fairy tale world if it didn't, but we have a God who in the end is Lord over all and we can rest in that!

Here are some verses/quotes/sayings that I've been holding on to lately and i pray that you will also!

~You are my strength when I am weak... You are the treasure that I seek.... You are my all in all!!!

~Quit telling God how big your storm is and begin telling your storm how big your God is!

~Nehemiah 8:10b The joy of the Lord is your strength!

~ James 1:2-8 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

Praying for you girls!

JEN

A thought for the weekend!!

2011-06-26T01:00:00.002-05:00

God is someone who... understands your past,

believes in your future, and

loves you just the way you are!

Testimony Tuesday- Kara!

2011-06-21T10:00:00.001-05:00

Waiting, Why?
You have heard the saying, “Good things come to those who wait.” This is so true in so many different ways. Whether you’re waiting for the day you will graduate from high school or college, being patient for your meal you just ordered at your favorite restaurant, a relative who is in the military to come home soon, Christmas morning and opening of gifts, waiting for the “right one” to come along, hoping the person you’re dating will ask you to marry them soon, having children when you’re married, finding that perfect “job,” etc…, most can relate to these and other events in life. For many women today, our struggle happens to be in the area of waiting for our “Mr. Right” to come along and after we meet him, waiting for our lives to begin together. But what does it mean to really wait and by that I mean, wait on God for what He will do in our lives? It also comes down to: Why Wait at all?
In my own life, I can truly say “waiting” on God for my Mr. Right was what I did. Looking back, I am so thankful I waited. In order to tell you about God’s teaching me to wait in my own life, I have to give a lot of the credit to my own mother. She is a perfect example of someone who waited for her Mr. Right and God honored her in every way as a result. My mother and father both prayed to receive Christ as their Savior when they were in their early 20s—my mother was 18 years of age and my dad was 20. They met soon after they were both saved. My mom’s parents always wanted her to marry someone with money and prestige. Of course, my grandparents had good intentions. My grandfather was a pharmacist and always plenty of money to provide for his family. He naturally wanted the best for his daughter’s future. One of the ideas he had was my mom should possibly marry a doctor or someone like that with plenty of money. My mother was nurse—what a perfect combination. But life is not always what one thinks it will turn out to be.
At that time, my dad was up and coming in the ministry. He was called to doing the work of the Lord right after he was saved. He loved being about God’s business. But he was someone who didn’t have a lot of money. In fact, he lived on faith support—praying, seeking God for His provision for everything. Faith support is not easy but my dad was willing to do that in order to be in the ministry. On another note, he also had an eye for my mom. With both of them in the same city, they were able to hang out as friends, go to bible studies together, etc… Pretty soon after they got to know each other, my dad felt very serious about my mom and vice versa. So he went to ask my grandfather if he could marry her. My grandfather, realizing that my dad didn’t have any money of his own, was concerned for his daughter’s future. He told my dad that he would get back to him about that decision. Well, my dad waited for my grandfather’s answer but it never came. My dad realized that it was not the right time to marry my mom.   So he told her it probably was best that they not date anymore. He also said they should both be free to date other people. By this time my mom and dad were in their 20’s. They could have eloped if they really wanted to. But they knew if they did, they would be out from under the will of God for their lives. My mom didn’t want to be against her parents even if she was of age to make her own decisions. She decided on her own to wait—wait for God’s will for her life. My dad also waited. When I say they waited, they didn’t just sit around and do nothing. They went about their lives and dated other people.
A year or two went by and my dad felt it was time to pop the question again to my grandfather. What do you think my grandfather said? My dad got the same answer, “Let me get back to you about that.” Even though my grandparents weren’t saying “yes” or “no” to their relationship and possible marriage, my dad knew that if my grandfather was not “for it”, then God was not “for it” either. From this one can see that both my mom and dad were so yielded to God’s authority. Was God finished with them yet? No way!! My mom and dad tried to date again but felt they just couldn’t. They knew they loved each other too much and couldn’t just go on dating. It was either marriage or no marriage for them. So they continued to date other people and go about their daily lives. Another couple of years went by. I am here to tell you it was a total of 7 years they waited for each other. It reminds me of the story in the Bible of Jacob who loved Rachel and worked 7 years for her “because of his love for her.”
After a long time of waiting, my dad asked my grandfather a third time for his daughter’s hand in marriage. But my dad had prayed to the Lord, “Lord if her dad says the same thing again and doesn’t give me a “yes” or “no” answer, I am not going to go back to him anymore. I will give her up to You God.” When he asked my grandfather, he told my dad he would give him a call. My grandfather also said he needed to think it over. My dad didn’t know what the outcome was going to be. It sounded kind of like the same answers he had previously been given. But lo and behold, my grandfather called him back and gave him an affirmative “Yes.” Wow, God had truly answered their prayers and it was time!? They were married in 1981, my mom at the age of 26 and my dad at the age of 30. They truly waited! At any point they could have been married and made their own decisions for their lives. After all, they were in their mid to late 20’s. But no, they knew how God honors men and women who delight in Him, who seek to please Him in all they do, who will not disobey and go their own way but do exactly what the Lord wants of them. They also knew if parents weren’t accepting of a marriage, how could they possibly be “happily” married? They realized they would be unhappy with that one thing haunting them and plaguing them in the back of their minds. As a result of their waiting, God honored their life in so many ways! They have been married for 30 years and love each other more and more each day. God has given my dad much fruitful ministry along with my mother who ministers in their church. I tell this story to say that I have learned what “true waiting” looks like and can be certain that God blesses above and beyond when two people are yielded to Him.
In my own life, I remember wanting to have a boyfriend from the time I was a freshman in high school, maybe even before that! I was just one of your average girls who wanted a boyfriend just like every other girl. My parents were of the mindset that I needed to wait until I reached college for that sort of thing. They were right. Looking back now, I realize how right they were to encourage me to wait for the right guy to come along and not try to date a lot just for the sake of dating. A lot can be said about perimeters on dating. I never had rules put before me to follow but with loving and godly parents, they taught that a girl needed to wait on God for the right guy to come along and at the right time. She didn’t need to just go out and date hundreds of boys before finding the right one, nor did she need to be impatient about God’s timing. She did not need to give her body away physically to a guy just because she desired closeness and love. She just needed to be about the Lord’s business and walk with Him. If there was a man in the plan, God would bring him and if not, then that would be ok too. Sometimes the concept of: “If there is a man in the plan, if it truly is God’s will, then great and if not, then fine too” was hard for me to swallow but I realized I had to rest my “Mr. Right” in the Lord’s arms in order to be free in my heart to walk with my Savior.
Back to high school days: I wasn’t ready for a relationship in high school. I had guy friends in high school but never dated anyone—not until college. During college days, I had several young men interested in me. I remember one guy told me that we were meant for each other only after 2 weeks of dating. He was a lot older than I and didn’t have the same Christian standards as I did. I realized very soon that would never work. All during college I struggled really hard with the idea of “waiting.” Why wait, why not just go out and say “yes” to the first guy that was interested in me? I felt that way many times. There were guys that were interested during the four years I spent at college. But I had made a commitment to my music professors there. I was on 80% scholarship and had to finish my degree in 4 years time. If I didn’t finish on time, I would not have the scholarship. Knowing God wanted me to finish well what I had started to do, I realized I had an obligation. I needed to not get so “sidetracked” with dating relationships while at college. Even my dear, older piano professor would tell me, “Kara honey, you have plenty of time for that. Why, I married my husband after I finished college. You just do well with your piano studies. Everything will be fine.” She knew what she was talking about.
At the time, some young men were asking me to date them. I wanted to get into a serious relationship but in the back of my mind I also knew if I did, I would get “off focus” and wouldn’t be able to do well in school. I know for some girls and guys, they are able to date one another without getting side-tracked in their studies. But because I take life very seriously, especially relationships—giving it my all—I couldn’t give 100% to school and 100% to a relationship. So once again, God was saying, “This is not the right time for you Kara. You must wait.” I didn’t like to wait; I am one of those people who is not very patient; I just want it to happen right now.” Do you reader ever feel that way? It certainly is a normal feeling but one that has to be dealt with if you are going to be all God wants you to be!
My grandfather—the man who gave permission for my parents to be married—was one person I really looked up to. He loved the Lord and always wanted me to do well with whatever I was occupied with at the time. During my college days, my grandfather kept a diary of his life which included his grandkids’ lives and family events. After he went to be with the Lord my mother saved his journal to give to me one day in the future. This past year, 2010, I received it as a gift. In the journal my grandfather wrote about me being at college. In one of his journal entries, he wrote how I was doing with my junior year at college. He said, “I don’t think Kara wants to continue in school right now. She seems unhappy. She would like to have a husband…” Well, little did I know that my unhappiness was showing on the outside to others. Even though I knew I needed to finish college, I also had a burning desire to be married, to meet this Mr. Right. I was often tempted to just date a guy who would ask me to go out with him. I will tell you it was God who held me in His Righteous Right Hand. It was God who kept me from giving in to my emotions, my wants, my desires. It was God who truly knew the desire of my heart and yet was trying to teach me a lesson in “Waiting.”
Four years came and went by like a whirlwind. Before I knew what was happening, I was walking down the aisle to receive my undergraduate degree. God had been faithful to me. But once again, in the back of my mind, I wondered, “Where is Mr. Right? Where is he now? Did I miss him during college? Did I mess up somewhere that God would withhold him from me? What is going on and when will I ever get married? “
Pretty soon after college, I met a young man and we started dating for about a year. I thought that this might be Mr. Right. In fact, I had prayed years before this particular prayer, “Lord please allow the first guy I seriously date to be the right one for marriage.” The problem with that prayer was I told God what I wanted Him to do. I did not say, “If it is of Your will Lord, please allow the guy to be my Mr. Right. But if it is not Your will, then I will yield to that to You.” That is what I should have prayed but I did not. Often times we pray prayers that we think are very spiritual and ones we think He will naturally answer in the way we want. But God doesn’t always do things the way we want Him to. He knows better what we need than what we think we need. At any rate, I had waited for so long and thought it was time for me. I thought God was answering that prayer. I was out of college; I had kept my commitment to God and finished school successfully. Surely now, I was ready to be married. But was God ready for me to marry? Was it time for me? That was something I had to ask myself during that dating relationship.
The next year, it became very apparent this was not the right one God had for me. In the midst of the relationship, I had become very much consumed with this guy, very controlling of my relationship, wanting to have it all my way and wanting to have the marriage happen right away. I was in such a hurry to get on with my life thinking that marriage would fulfill my every expectation. My life had changed for the worse. I no longer was listening to God’s heart for me; I was only listening to my own emotions. I was tied to my heart yearnings and nobody could reach me. One day I just broke down emotionally and cried out to God. I was miserable. My hand was not open to the Lord putting in it what He wanted; I was clutching at what I thought I wanted and needed. I was holding onto this relationship as if this was the only thing I would ever have and God would not bless me with anything else ever.
Through my emotional hurts, I began to receive some godly counsel. My heart was broken and I couldn’t believe the Lord didn’t answer my prayer I had prayed long ago.   I was very confused and muddled, hurt and angry at God, disappointed in Him and at life. How could this have happened to me? I had read several love story books written by people who had met the love of their life right out of college or some who had been childhood sweethearts. Everything seemed to work out perfectly for them but why not me? In a way, I was living in a fantasy world. I was not the people in the books; I was Kara and I had a life of my own to live. My God was painting a tapestry of His colors and textures through my life for His glory. He was creating a tapestry that didn’t look like anyone else’s, a beautiful portrait that God wanted to portray His own life and goodness through. The many tears of this broken relationship led me to my knees. I knew that only God could cure me of my broken heart. I also knew I had to start over in my thinking about Mr. Right. I had to wipe away what I thought I needed and wanted and let the Lord have His way in me. I had to say, “Lord whatever You want for my life, whenever You want the right guy to come along, however You want to work this out, You take over and do with me what You please. And if you do not wish for me to have my “Mr. Right” that is fine. I am Your daughter, a daughter of the King.” I prayed a prayer much like the virgin Mary in the Bible who said, “I am your handmaid servant, be it done unto me as Thou wilt.”
As a result of yielding my life once again to God, He truly healed my wounds from the past relationship. He is a Good God and knows what is best for me! After that, I was not thinking of meeting anyone. I was healing from the past and basking in my own Father’s love for me.
But can you guess what happened next? It was not long after I prayed that prayer and gave it all to the Lord that He brought the most wonderful and godly man along to meet me. By this time, I was not in an all anxious hurry to become serious because of all I had suffered from the previous relationship.   I was cautious and didn’t want any relationship that God didn’t want me to have. You see, if I had not gone through the first relationship and had heartbreak and devastation, I would not have known how to handle this relationship. God was painting His tapestry in me.
This wonderful man’s name is Ryan Lancaster. He called my father one evening to see if I was going out with anyone and if I wasn’t, could he have permission to date me? My dad was fine with the idea. Soon Ryan called me and asked me to go to dinner with him. I was nervous because I had known of Ryan for years and knew that he was a godly person and had very high standards for a future wife. I kept thinking to myself, “Oh he won’t like me, I am not good enough…” Our first dinner was wonderful and we realized we had a lot in common. We stayed at the restaurant and talked for 3 ½ hours! Pretty soon, we started going out regularly but Ryan never told me what our relationship “status” was. I kept thinking we were dating but it was not stated out right to me. About 2 ½ months later, I asked Ryan where we were in terms of our relationship. He told me he liked me a lot and that he was serious about me. Wow, I had no idea! HA! Yes, I did, girls pretty much know when a guy is interested in them even if they don’t state it in black and white letters. But it was nice to hear him say it and finally know where we were headed. I knew after that talk we weren’t just dating for dating only but there was an ultimate purpose in it. I am so thankful Ryan dated me for a purpose. I had been on the other end with the prior relationship where dating was the only thing in sight, nothing else. That was not fun and that is what breaks people’s hearts. With Ryan it was totally different—he was a man with a plan! Halleluiah! In Jan of 2007, he asked me to marry him. On a side note, I had committed to God to wait and kiss the man I would marry at our engagement. I am so glad I waited to kiss Ryan until that time. In fact, we both believed the same way about the physical side of a relationship. It was so wonderful to have a godly man who stood for what was right to do and honored both our standards. Wow, God’s time had come! I was just “riding” through God’s plan, I wasn’t striving, feeling anxious about having to marry Ryan “right now”, I was just enjoying the “ride” God had me in at the time. It was so nice to have my hands off the relationship and let God be God in me. Well, we had only been dating for 3 months. Of course we knew that we loved each other and wanted to be together forever. I had waited all my life for this man! And he had waited for me all his life too! We knew God was calling us together. Plans for the wedding began, everything from buying the perfect wedding dress, ordering wedding invitations and monogrammed Kara and Ryan “thank you notes”, registering for wedding gifts and making the guest list. I had my engagement ring on, I was totally happy and in love with the man of my dreams! Everything was so good and yet there were some things that weren’t fitting together. We had not known each other very long and had some issues had arisen—issues that needed to be worked out in order to be married. Our wedding was scheduled for June of that same year.
A month and a half before the big day, things came to a halt. It wasn’t that we didn’t love each other enough or that we weren’t happy with one another but God intervened. We both realized we needed to work a few issues out that would hinder us from having a blessed marriage. We called off our wedding and broke off our relationship. Two people who do not have everything settled before marriage should not go through with a marriage. We gave our relationship up with the attitude that if God wanted us back together, He knew how to bring it all back together. I gave up the love of my life for the sake of God’s holy and perfect will. As a result, my wedding dress went into the closet, I gave my engagement ring back to Ryan along with our monogrammed “Kara and Ryan” “thank you” notes. The wedding invitations had to be thrown out and the guest list went into a drawer. I knew I could not marry him unless we had God’s complete will in it. This was one of the hardest times in my life. I had yielded the love of my life to God but once again, God was calling me to “wait on Him.” That summer was tremendously hard. A whole summer went by and I thought perhaps I would never have the man I truly loved. It really tested my faith in so many ways. But I knew my God was in control and God gave grace to meet the everyday challenges of desiring to marry, not having Ryan around, etc…
It wasn’t until late August-early September that Ryan contacted me to talk things over again. God had been working in both of our lives. Miraculously, God intervened and resolved the issues that had once divided us. We started dating again and used the next nine months to get to know each other more, learn how to communicate as a couple, etc…We received a lot of wise counsel and pre-marital counseling. Again, God was teaching both of us how to wait. You recall we waited to have our kiss at our engagement? Since we had already kissed the year before, I still felt the same way—I wanted to wait until our engagement to kiss him again. So we did just that. Nine months was difficult but we waited to give each other that kiss. It was August of 2008 when Ryan proposed for the 2nd time! Everything was worked out and God’s perfect time for us to be married had finally arrived!
We were married on Nov. 8, 2008 and let me tell you it was well worth the wait!! All the issues that had been between us had been resolved. We stood for one another and together as one couple. There was complete unity and the most glorious day for us! I cannot imagine what would have happened had one of us not waited on the other for the right time. Our marriage would not have the honor and blessing in it that we do and always will. If we had not waited, our families would not have been able to give their blessing. God would not have been pleased. But as a result of waiting on God, He blessed us in more ways than I can ever put on paper. It is to Him we give all the glory and honor!! What a Great God we have!! Praise His Name forever!! Now it’s your turn. Ask yourself the question, “Why should I wait for…” You feel in the rest of the sentence. If you are waiting for that Mr. Right to come along, remember that God knows the exact moment you should meet him. If you want so desperately to get married but you don’t know the guy yet, be patient. God knows, doesn’t He?! After all, He created you for His purpose and He is always good. Waiting on God doesn’t always mean waiting on the right person. It may mean you are waiting for a new job, a chance to go on the mission field, etc…Whatever you are waiting on God for, don’t give up!! Press on, be not faithless but trust in your loving Creator who knows what’s best for you.

Biblical Womanhood!

2011-06-18T10:00:00.001-05:00

Is there such a thing? Our world is desperately consumed by the thought of “equal rights”. Women deserve to be just like men and they can not only do anything a man can do, but they can do it better. I’m all for women having the same rights, but I want to get at something else with this. One of the big parts of the equal rights movement was that women did not want to be seen as just a body, something sexual, or for lack of better words a piece of meat. Because of the ladies who were determined to change America made a change to respect women. Women are now allowed to go to college, have high paying jobs, and for the most part do whatever they want. There is an odd thing about it though… Since women have been given this right there have been attitude changes within women. They have began wearing revealing clothes, pursuing men, acting in sensual ways, and giving private information out whether it be through txting, facebook, blogging, and many other ways. Why is it this way? They almost seem as if they want a guy to picture them in sexual ways. Of course they say it disgusts them, but if it does why do they dress that way? Girls we are not required to be just a sexual being… women have fought for us so that we could now have freedom to be whomever we want to be and do whatever we want to be. Why use that to only hurt ourselves?

Precious sisters in Christ…. You do NOT have to be looked at as a piece of meat, although I can promise you that if you dress like you want to be looked at as a piece of meat you will be. You do not have to be cheated on and disrespected, although if you choose to date the guys who will treat you like that then I can promise you it will happen.

With all that said… there is a middle line. You do not have to be so under authority that you cannot make any choices on your own, but you do not have to go the complete opposite where you just do whatever you want. There is a healthy balance and the balance is to be under the authority of God and He will not treat you as worthless, a piece of meat, or anything else. Then He will at the right time lead you to the right guy who will treat you the same way! It’s like the saying, “Dance with God and at the perfect time He will let the perfect guy walk in!”

Accountability... what is it?

2011-06-14T13:02:00.000-05:00

Hey gals! This has been a crazy last couple of weeks. Between training (1 week) and family vacation (1 week) I haven't had much of a chance to blog! Besides that though, what does accountability mean? In our church circles we often hear of accountability, but sadly it is not often done. Some girls do a wonderful job of keeping each other accountable, but I personally have found it hard to do. Before we get to how you can do it effectively lets talk about why it should even be done. Why should you have an accountability partner? Here are a few reasons....

~Accountability partners (AP) are people who can ask you honest questions.
~ AP call you out when they see you doing something you should not do.
.~AP are people who you can share your hardest temptations with.
~AP hold you accountable in the hard things.

So, now that you know how an AP can help how can you get one? It sounds easy, but the truth is it can be hard to find a true friend that you can feel safe enough to share everything with. First off, PRAY! Do not trust just anyone... that will only cause you to get hurt and resist ever wanting to be vulnerable again. So pray and ask God who He would have you to be AP with. The cool part about is they will most likely also be looking for an AP and so God's plan is always perfect! We just have to follow it. Then comes the hard part.. You have to be vulnerable. You have to tell them what you struggle with and what you need help with. I'm not saying air all your dirty laundry in the first 5 minutes, but you do have to be willing to let down your shield and be real. I can almost promise you that your AP will not think you are terrible, beyond loving, or disgusting. They also have hidden secrets that they fear you will disown them for. So bite the bullet and be real.

Now that you have an AP is that enough? Not merely.... I've seen many girls become AP during camp week and then as soon as they get home nothing changes. So how can you get it to stick? COMMUNICATE! You will have to work hard to keep the lines of communication open. Whether it be a txt every couple of days to say, "How's your quiet time going?" or if you talk on the phone call and ask them how life's going. The thing is though that you have to ask the hard questions... the ones that may be awkward, hard, or just uncomfortable. Any friend can ask the easy questions, but an AP is called to ask the hard questions. If you go over a week without talking you guys need to work on communication. Of course there will be times when you are out of town or something, but on average you need to talk at least a couple times a week whether it be txting, FB, e-mail, a phone call, letter, or hanging out. Another job of an AP is to encourage. Anyone can encourage, but an AP knows their partners weaknesses, hurts, fears, and failures. They know exactly when their partner needs encouragement.

With all this said, I encourage you to find an AP! I promise you it will help you grow closer to God!

With love,
JEN

Encouragement and prayer request!! :)

2011-06-05T08:33:00.000-05:00

"Not only does sin hinder prayer;
prayer hinders sin.
The two are always opposed.
The more careless we are about sin,
the less we will pray.
...The more we pray,
the less careless we will be about sin.
Both sin and prayer are powerful forces.
Which one is moving you?"

- Dr. Alvin GriendSee More

A thought for this weekend!!

2011-05-30T14:45:00.000-05:00

To fall in love with God is the greatest of all romances; To seek him, the greatest adventure; To find him, the greatest human achievement." -St. Augustine

True Purity- Leslie Ludy

2011-05-27T17:43:00.000-05:00

Please watch this.... It will be worth your time!

JEN

What will you have to give to your husband?

2011-05-23T21:17:00.002-05:00

Imagine this (Yes, it is ok to close your eyes and go into la la land!)…. It is your wedding day! You are marrying the perfect guy; just the one God had planned for you! The wedding is over and the wedding night is about to begin. You have always thought of yourself as a “good” girl. You never had sex, did drugs, or drank alcohol. Although there seems like there is something missing. It is nothing big….. Just something deep down doesn’t feel right. You are missing something. Something just isn’t what it is supposed to be…. *Come back to real life!* What do you think is possibly missing? It wasn’t anything like a loss of virginity. What is it? This is how I imagine emotional purity effects people. Is it terrible? No. Although it is just a little nagging thing that you wish wasn’t there. How can you change it? I say it often…. Now is the time to determine your future! The good and bad choices that you are making now determine what your future will look like. Back to the wedding night though… will you just have what you happened to save, the left overs or will you be able to deliberately be able to say, “I saved everything for YOU! I loved and respected you even before I knew who you were!” I’m not sure about you, but I’m here to tell you that I want to be able to say that I purposefully waited and that although I made mistakes I did my best to respect you even before I knew who you were! The questions still is though…. How can we do that? How can we purposefully wait? For each girl it is different. Although one of the main ways I think of it is when a girl doesn’t just date for the fun of it. She only dates guys that she could see herself possibly marrying one day. If we were honest this cuts out most guys. Another way is not just doing your best to remain pure by not having sex. Remaining pure with a purpose… knowing your boundaries and not pushing them. One last way, why wait until you know who he is to tell him that you love him? Take time now when you are feeling all alone to tell your future love how you are waiting on him and love him! Write him letters, poems, whatever you want! On valentines when you do not have a date or even when you do, write the future love of your life a valentine’s card! When you want to tell a guy you love him think about it… and wait! Write your future partner and tell them of how you reserved those precious words for them. Wouldn’t you melt if on your wedding night your husband presented to you letters that he had been writing for you long before he ever met you? I know I would! Your husband may not be as emotional about it as you would, but I can almost promise you it would mean the world to him!

JEN

Karissa's Heart!

2011-05-21T10:03:00.000-05:00

I'm sure many of you have read this before, but I wanted to share it anyways, cause I was encouraged by it. Now, Joshua Harris writes a "Guy's responsibility" and a "Girl's responsibility" and I am going to share both, cause I think they are both good. :) (Note, I am writing it straight from the book, so it is from Josh's "viewpoint." :))

Make the purity of others a priority:

One of the best ways to maintain a pure life is to watch out for the purity of others. What can you do to protect your brothers and sisters in the Lord from impurity? What can you say to encourage them to keep their hearts set in the direction of righteousness?

The support and protection you can provide to same-sex friends is important, but the protection you can give to opposite-sex friends is invaluable. When it comes to purity in relationships-both physical and emotional-girls and guys usually trip each other up. Can you imagine the righteousness that could be born if both sexes took it upon themselves to watch out for each other?

Let's look at specific ways this can be accomplished.

*The Guy's Responsibility*

Guys, it's time we stood up to defend the honor and righteousness of our sisters. We need to stop acting like "hunters" trying to catch girls and begin seeing ourselves as warriors standing guard over them.

How do we do this? First we must realize that girls don't struggle with the same temptations we struggle with. We wrestle more with our sex drives while girls struggle more with their emotions. We can help guard their hearts by being sincere and honest in our communication. We need to swear off flirtatiousness and refuse to play games and lead them on. We have to go out of our way to make sure nothing we say or do stirs up inappropriate feelings or expectations.

A good friends, Matt Canlis, modeled this idea of guarding a girl's purity in his relationship with Julie Clifton, the woman to whom he's now married. Long before they began pursuing marriage, both felt deeply attracted to the other. But during a certain season, God made it clear to Julie that she had to focus on Him and not be distracted by Matt.

Although Matt didn't know this at the time, he made it his priority to guard Julie's heart during this time of waiting, even though he felt personally drawn to her. Matt controlled his desire to flirt with Julie. He passed up opportunities to spend time alone with her, and when they were in group settings he refrained from singling her out and focusing too much attention on her. He avoided doing anything that would make it harder for Julie to focus on serving God.

This season didn't last forever, and eventually Matt and Julie became engaged. I had lunch with both of them a few weeks before their wedding. Julie explained how grateful she felt that Matt had enough maturity to put her needs above his own. By making her emotional and spiritual purity a priority, Matt helped Julie focus her mind and heart on God. If Matt had acted selfishly, he could have distracted Julie, and ruined what God wanted to accomplish in and through her life.

What an example of brotherly love! I want to weep when I think of the many times I have neglected my responsibility to guard girls' hearts. Instead of playing the role of warrior, I played the thief, stealing their focus from God for myself. I'm determined to do better. I want to be the kind of friend to whom girls' future husbands could one day say, "Thank you for standing watch over my wife's heart. Thank you for guarding her purity."

*The Girl's Responsibility*

Girls, you have an equally important role. Remember the wayward women (from Proverbs)? Your job is to keep your brothers from being led away by her charms. Please be aware of how easily your actions and glances can stir up lust in a guy's mind.

You may not realize this, but we guys most commonly struggle with our eyes. I think many girls are innocently unaware of the difficulty a guy has in remaining pure when looking at a girl who is dressed immodestly. Now I don't want to dictate your wardrobe, but honestly speaking, I would be blessed if girl's considered more than fashion when shopping for clothes. Yes, guy's are responsible for maintaining self-control, but you can help by refusing to wear clothing designed to attract attention to your body.

I know that the world tells you that if you have a nice body, you should show it off. And we men have only helped feed this mentality. But I think you can play a part in reversing this trend. I know many girls who would look great in shorter skirts or tighter blouses, and they know it. But they choose to dress modestly. They take the responsibility of guarding their brothers' eyes. To these women and others like them, I'm grateful.

"And let us consider how me may spur one another on toward good deeds" (Hebrews 10:24). It's time to start seeing other people's purity as our responsibility.

The Beauty Of Purity:

In closing, let me ask you this: Can you picture it? Can you see the beauty of purity? And if you can, will you fight for it in your own life, as well as in the lives of others?

Yes, it requires work. Purity doesn't happen by accident; it requires obedience to God. But this obedience is not burdensome or overbearing. We have only to consider the alternatives to impurity to see the beauty of walking in God's will. Impurity is a grimy film that coats the soul, a shadow that blocks light and darkens our countenance. God's love for the impure does not cease, but their ability to enjoy this love does. For in our impurity we are turned from Him. Sin and its defilement are never found hear His throne-they can only gain advantage when we turn away from His radiance.

Turned from God's presence we are completely unprotected from the marauding destruction of sin. Without purity God's gift of sexuality becomes a dangerous game. A relationship devoid of purity is soon reduced to nothing more than two bodies grasping at and demanding pleasure. Without purity, the mind becomes a slave to depravity, tossed about by every single craving and imagination.

What will it take for us to see the beauty of purity? Purity is the entrance to the splendor of God's creation. "Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart..." (Psalm 24:3-4). Purity ushers us into God's presence. "Blessed are the pure in heart," Christ said, "for they will see God" (Matthew 5:8). Only the pure may see His face. Only the pure may be vessels of His Holy Spirit:

Do you see the beauty and power and protection of purity? Do you want all this? Do you ache for it? Are you ready to deny yourself the pleasures of the moment to live a pure, God-focused life? May your love for Him fuel a lifelong, passionate pursuit of righteousness. (I kissed dating goodbye, by Joshua Harris, pages 97-101)

I am also going to write out a poem that was found in the book as well. I really liked it. :)

Man Enough To Answer

"A Woman's Question"

Do you know you have asked for the costliest thing

Ever made by the Hand above?

A woman's heart, and a woman's life-

And a woman's wonderful love.

Do you know you have asked for this priceless thing

As a child might ask for a toy?

Demanding what others have died to win,

With the reckless dash of a boy.

You have written my lesson of duty out,

Manlike, you have questioned me.

Now stand at the bars of my woman's soul

Until I shall question thee.

You require your mutton shall always be hot,

Your socks and your shirt be whole;

I require your heart be true as God's stars

And as pure as is heaven your soul.

You require a cook for your mutton and beef,

I require a far greater thing;

A seamstress you're wanting for socks and shirts-

I look for a man and a king.

A king for the beautiful realm called Home,

And a man that his Maker, God,

Shall look upon as He did on the first

And say: "It is very good."

I am fair and young, but the rose may fade

From this soft young cheek one day;

Will you live me then 'mid the falling leaves,

As you did 'mong the blossoms of May?

Is your heart an ocean so strong and true,

I may launch my all on its tide?

A loving woman finds heaven or hell

On the day she is made a bride.

I require all things that are grand and true,

All things that a man should be;

If you give this all, I would stake my life

To be all you demand of me.

If you cannot be this, a laundress and cook

You can hire and little to pay;

But a woman's heart and a woman's life

Are not to be won that way.

Wow! That's the kind of man I'm going to be looking for, and what I am going to "require of him" as it says! :)

I hope you all have a wonderful Christ-centered week.

In Christ,

Karissa <3

www.SetApartGirl4Christ2.blogspot.com

P.S. If you havent checked out the winners read a post down and see who won the contest! Thanks to all who entered!! :) -JEN

The winner is.... :)

2011-05-20T10:00:00.000-05:00

I printed out each name, shuffled them, and....

I begged my brother to draw 3 out....

And he did....

The winners are....

Rose, Karissa, and Hopeful Romantic!!

Congratulations!!!

Btw, on the table he where i was taking these pics were these beautiful flowers i got the other day! They are like a week old and still gorgeous!

Congratulations to our winners!! :) Thank you to all who entered!!

Btw, we arre all praying for your prayer request!

JEN

Thought Filled Thursday!

2011-05-19T13:51:00.000-05:00

Prayer is not a "spare wheel" that you pull out when in trouble, but it is a "steering wheel" that directs the right path throughout!

One last day to sign up for the give away! Check out the post before this one if you would like to enter!! :)

JEN

A NEW GIVEAWAY!!

2011-05-13T17:04:00.000-05:00

Hey gals! So here is another opportunity to win some fun things! :) I have had the opportunity to write for a Teen Girl's Magazine and we are giving away 3 free subscriptions! This is an awesome magazine! There are a few different ways you can enter! Please comment and let us know which ones apply to you! This contest will run for a week and then I will comment on your blog saying if you have won or email you, whichever you prefer!

-Leave a comment saying that you'd like to enter. = 1 entry

-"Like" Girlz 4 Christ on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Girlz-4-Christ/116828111717843) =2 entries

-Go to Girlz4ChristMagazine.com (http://www.girlz4christmagazine.com/apps/prayers/) and leave a prayer request. (Copy and paste what you wrote on the wall in your comment so that we can pray for you too!) = 3 Entries

-Post about this giveaway on your own blog (give us the link)." =3 Entries

- Post about this giveaway on your Facebook page (Give us the link) =3 Entries

I'm super excited about this!! Hope you join the fun! :)
JEN

Awesome poem!

2011-05-10T23:02:00.002-05:00

When I say..."I am a Christian" I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin'."

I'm whispering "I was lost, Now I'm found and forgiven."

When I say..."I am a Christian" I don't speak of this with pride.

I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say..."I am a Christian" I'm not trying to be strong.

I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.

When I say..."I am a Christian" I'm not bragging of success.

I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.

When I say..."I am a Christian" I'm not claiming to be perfect,

My flaws are far too visible but, God believes I am worth itl.

When I say..."I am a Christian" I still feel the sting of pain...

I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.

When I say..."I am a Christian" I'm not holier than thou,

I'm just a simple sinner Who recieved God's good grace somehow!

Courting vs. Dating??

2011-05-06T12:33:00.000-05:00

So, the question is often asked, "Should I court or date?" This can be a very opinated topic and many people feel strongly one way or the other, but hopefully this post will help you see that it is not one or the other, but that it is about the heart. Each person has a different idea of courting. Some are more conservative and some are not. Some have a conservative idea of dating and some do not. Each persons’ idea is different. By Webster’s definition....

Dating: To have a date with

Courting: To engage in social activities within seek of engagement.

I will be honest with you girls from the beginning... I have no problem with a girl dating a guy (I've done it myself), but I'm also very pro courting. What is the difference between the two? The main difference I see is that courting has the main purpose of leading to marriage where dating is often get together and break up the next day. My personal stand on this whole issue though is it is not what you call it, but how you handle it! I've known people who courted who got into just as much sin as people who dated did. I've also known plenty of people who dated who had a completely God honoring relationship. So, it is not about what you call it that makes one better than the other. It is how YOU act that makes the difference. It is often said that when dating you have more time alone and this can be true. Does it have to be though? Couples who are courting also have many opportunities to be alone. It is up to the couple to choose whether they take those opportunities or not. Do courting couples often stay further away from sexual sin? Some do and some don’t. It is the same exact thing with people who have dated.

Now I’m sure I have some of you pretty upset seeing that many of you have parents who only allow courting and that’s all you've ever really been allowed to do. That is great! Go thank your parents for that! My whole point in this is to make you realize that it is not what you call it that makes it ok or not it is what you do and how you act that makes it ok or not! Just like going to church doesn’t make you a Christian, courting does not make you pure. Also, to any parents who read my blog.... Just b/c your child courts and does not date, this is not an "I'm safe from anything happening" Seek God.... See what HE wants you to do! It may be date, court, or somewhere in the middle! As I’ve said time and time before, you know where you struggle and if dating causes to many temptations then do not do it!

I do believe that courting has one VERY strong pull and that is that it generally is wayyyyyy more focused on marriage. I see girls who date guy after guy and it becomes nothing for them to break up and a broken heart almost becomes nothing. is this the way it is suppose to be? NO! Dating was never mentioned in the Bible. The purpose of dating is to find the one and only man you will marry. I am not for any other kind. It is not ok to date just for fun... dating is not a game. This is where courting generally helps cut down on the breakups and in the long run saves many broken hearts.

Girls, talk to your parents! See what they think about it. Maybe you feel that dating is ok, but they do not. This is when you have to choose to obey them even if it isn’t what you want to do. They have your best interest at heart and they know you better than you think they do. Trust and obey them b/c I promise you that if you go behind their back and date a guy God will not bless your relationship.

Praying for you!

JEN

Thought Filled Thursday!

2011-05-05T11:45:00.000-05:00

First off, sorry for the delay in post... my grandfather was admitted to the hospital a couple of days ago due to pretty bad pneumonia and I've been staying with him and my grandmother most of the time. Needless to say, blogging was not my top priority! :)

Thought.... If you were to die tonight where would you spend eternity?

With love,
JEN

From a broken hearted Alabamian...

2011-05-01T01:34:00.000-05:00

Many of you commented on the post before this one and I thank you for that! If you have not read it please go back and do so that way this post will make sense.

It has been a little over 72 hours since the horrid tornado's swept through Alabama and many other surrounding states. I've thought alot about what I was going to write and how i would try to describe the feelings that we all have. I honestly believe that it is impossible to describe. I personally have not been to any of the hit areas (They are still not allowing volunteers to really come in yet. Many places they are still digging through the rubble to look for bodies.), but i have seen multitudes of pictures, videos, stories, and testimonies. We have all been glued to the news as they updated the death toll. Last i heard was for Alabama alone it was right around 300. 300 lives... gone. For me personally it doesn't seem fair. Not that this happened to my friends (Of course that part doesn't seem fair!), but that my house was untouched. Not a single tree down, the lights never flickered, and i still have perfectly clean water ( many parts of the state are having to biol their water if they even have water). It doesn't seem right. Within an hour each way of my home lives of thousands and thousands have been changed forever, yet my life could go on as normal. It isn't right. Moving on though, there is such a sadness in Alabama. Every where you go people are talking about it. Each one of us have friends, school mates, family, and neighbors who's lives will never be the same. At the same time though it is been absolutely amazing how our amazing state/country has pulled together to help out. Unless you are in Alabama you can not fathom the support, donations, love, sympathy, prayers, and just all around God's love that has been shown!! It is so deeply humbling. Companies on top of companies are just giving relentlessly. Power companies for all over the country are coming in. Volunteers from all over the country are just packing up and heading this way. Can i just say... THIS IS A GOD THING! Everyone seems to be giving something. It is utterly amazing. If you know much about football and Alabama you know how big the rivalry between Alabama and Auburn is. Terrible crimes have been committed out of hate for the other team in the past. Although now they are coming together and as one as the body of Christ supporting the hurting. It is such a beautiful thing to watch. If you have fb check out http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Toomers-for-Tuscaloosa/127019264041188 It is a sight started by an Auburn fan to help the Alabama fans! It made me cry just reading everyone wanting to help out!

With all this said.... Please pray. Lives all over the state have literally been ripped apart. I know that I have many followers who are from out of state. Please first off pray for use, but also if you would like to send money I can without a doubt get it to the right place to help the victims. Also, there are many people making shirts and bracelets to help raise money for the victims. If you are interested in any of those please e-mail me at jennifer.rochester@charter.net. God is working and I truly believe HE will be glorified through this!! Below are some more pics (Not sure who took them), a few verses that we are all clinging to and a song that has been on my heart constantly!

JEN

This use to be Full Moon BBQ...

Utter devastation...

Psalm 34:18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Nehemiah 8:10b Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

God of this City- By: Chris Tomlin

[Verse 1]

You're the God of this City

You're the King of these people

You're the Lord of this nation

You are

[Verse 2]

You're the Light in this darkness

You're the Hope to the hopeless

You're the Peace to the restless

You are

There is no one like our God

[Chorus]

For greater things have yet to come

And greater things are still to be done in this City

Greater thing have yet to come

And greater things are still to be done in this City

To watch a video of it go to... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d61LamkXfwk

Finally the saying, "Quit telling God how big the storm is and began telling the storm how big your God is!"

Seeking the face of God...

JEN

URGENT PRAYER NEEDED!!

2011-04-28T12:20:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to ask you fellow bloggers to please be praying for Alabama and the massive devastation that happened yesterday due to tornados and winds. The total so far today for deaths is right around 160. I've heard also that many states in the south east have had flooding and tornados like Alabama did. I ask you to pray as many people have lost everything they had and also lost family members! Note-the pics below are none that I have taken, but are within 50 miles of my home. You see things like this happen in other parts of the country or world, but you never expect it to happen near you! Just to give you a guide... for any of you who love football and know of the Alabama Crimson Tide many of the pics were from their city, Tuscaloosa. Prayers are appreciated! May God get the glory through this!

Prayers appreciated...

Tough Subject- Rape/Sexual Abuse

2011-04-26T00:36:00.000-05:00

Sooooooo this is honestly one of those tough subjects that I did not want to write about. I was afraid I wouldn’t say the right thing or something like that. I've started many post in which all ended up being deleted. I’m determined to publish this one though!

I've done a large amount of research on this topic.... I've read many books, talked to numerous girls, searched the Bible, talked to multiple counselors about it, and simply sought the face of God over this whole issue. The truth is our churches are very hush hush about this issue. It is not something we generally have a Bible study about although it is something that many women deal with. The statistic of women who have encountered some form of sexual abuse during some time of their life is 1 out of 4 women. That means that if you are in a small group setting or 12 ladies 3 have had some encounter with sexual abuse. How sad is that? Most women go most of their lives without ever telling anyone.

Girls, abuse/rape is a serious thing. It is not something you can just "get over". I honestly cannot tell you how to get over it or a 5 step process to healing, but i can give you some hope. You can be healed! It will take time and energy, but it is possible! One of the major lies that women believe though is that once they have had their innocence taken that they are no longer a virgin. This is NOT true!! Sweetie, if you have had anything taken away from you it is not as if you gave it away! I whole heartedly believe that God still views you as Holy, whole, and not at all dirty. When people abuse others they often try to shift the guilt onto the victim. Please do not believe it... You are still whole, clean, and lovely! It was not your fault!
Final words... get some help. This may be one of the hardest things you ever do although I promise you it will be the best thing you ever. You may have been hurt by a father, brother, uncle, boyfriend, or someone you never even knew. The possibilities are endless. No matter who hurt you though you still need to tell. Find someone who will not only keep your secret safe, but also be able to help you. Tell a teacher, pastor, friend, or your parents! Just.tell.someone. If it is going on right now and you do not know what to do, get help immediately. Even if you aren’t sure whether it is sexual abuse or not, ASK! I have no doubt that it is if you are questioning it. Do not fear that the person you tell with think less of you or anything of the sort. More people care about you than you know!

You are not guilty, dirty, scared, or beyond healing. You are according to God Precious, beautiful, lovely, whole, special, and a treasure! Live your life today as though you believe that!

Praying for each one of you girls who have experienced this type of thing!

JEN

Legit ways to guard your heart!

2011-04-22T16:01:00.000-05:00

How many times have you heard, "Guard your heart!"? Probably more than you can count. I know I have. I also know that I say it often. Here is the thing though... How do you really and truly guard your heart? Is it even possible? I believe it is! What makes you get all jittery? What makes you want to give everything to a man? Is it when he says, "I love you", when he tells you that you are beautiful, when he first kisses you, when he holds you? When is it? For each girl it is different. The thing is though it is not popular to guard your heart... it is unheard of. It is one of those things that girls talk about like it would be nice to do, but it is hardly ever done. Back to the point though, how can you do it? First of all you have to stop before that point that makes you want to give your all. I know.... it doesn’t sound like fun, but in the long run it will make life so much more fun! What is that point for you? Some girls it's saying I love you, some it is kissing, some it is making out, and for some it is even as simple as hand holding. Only you know. For instance yours is kissing. If kissing makes you want to do more then don't kiss him! I've honestly had girls tell me that kissing does nothing to them then that's fine. You have to be honest with yourself. I've mentioned saying, "I love you" a couple of times, but this really is a big deal. The world treats it as if it is nothing, but God treats it as if it is everything. I see teens put of their face-book status how they "love" someone soooooo much! They will love them forever and then the next week they are telling someone one else how much they love them. Is this true love? NO! We as girls believe it though and each time we believe it we are taking down our guard around our hearts. Once again, I know it is not popular, but I HIGHLY recommend waiting until you have been dating a while and if at all possible until you are close to engagement to tell the person you love them. I know it’s not normal....did God call us to be normal though? Another way to guard your heart is by being open with your parents... Sometimes that isn’t fun, but without a doubt it helps. Your parents will be able to see the big picture better than you will. You may think this guy truly loves you, has your best interest at heart, and all kind of other things when your parents can see that it is not that way at all. Be open... be real. Let them know who you are dating or even talking to.

Sweet girls, I've done it both ways.... I've not guarded my heart and I have guarded my heart. I can tell you it is possible and it is worth it! I've told a guy I loved him within the first week and I've also dated a guy for almost a year and never once told him I loved him. Would you like to guess which one left me with a broken heart? As my mother would say....."Take three guesses and the first two don't count!" (If you do not get that I bet you money you are not from the south! :))! Girls, it is possible and it is worth it!

One more way to think about it... Is your heart really yours to give away or does it belong to your future spouse? I was listening to a video by Eric Ludy talking about purity and he discussed this topic. He made the statement that in all reality it is not our heart to give away. It belongs to our future spouse. So when we give it away we are giving it to someone who does not deserve it and at the same time we are taking their heart from their future spouse. Does that seem right? Turning it into something positive though.... think ahead to your future husband. How would you feel if you were the only one he had ever told he loved, kissed, or anything like that? Wouldn’t that be amazing? I’m sure he would feel the same about you.... Now is the time to make that possible!

JEN

What Easter is TRULY about!

2011-04-16T22:30:00.000-05:00

Tis the Easter Season! Bunnies, chocolate, and spring is everywhere! What is the TRUE meaning of Easter? I recieved this poem/letter/ or whatever you call it thing today in an e-mail and thought it was veery eye openeing! Please read it and see what Easter is truly about!

"Still He Walked"

He could hear the crowds screaming "crucify" "crucify"...

He could hear the hatred in their voices,

These were his chosen people.

He loved them,

And they were going to crucify him.

He was beaten, bleeding and weakened...

His heart was broken,

But still He walked.

He could see the crowd as he came from the palace.

He knew each of the faces so well.

He had created them.

He knew every smile, every laugh, and every shed tear,

But now they were contorted with rage and anger

His heart broke,

But still He walked.

He felt alone.

His disciples had left, denied, and even betrayed him.

He searched the crowd for a loving face

And he saw very few.

Then he turned his eyes to the only one that mattered

Knowing that he would never be alone.

He looked back at the crowd...

At the people who were spitting at him

Throwing rocks at him and mocking him

And He knew that because of Him,

They would never be alone.

So for them, He walked.

The sounds of the hammer striking the spikes echoed through the crowd.

The cheers of the crowd, as his hands and feet were nailed to the cross,

Intensified with each blow.

And God's heart broke.

He had let His son walk.

Jesus could have asked God to end his suffering,

But instead He asked God to forgive.

Not to forgive him, but to forgive the ones who were persecuting him.

As he hung on that cross, dying an unimaginable death,

He looked out and saw, not only the faces in the crowd,

But also, the face of every person yet to be,

And his heart filled with love.

As his body was dying, his heart was alive.

Alive with the limitless, unconditional love he feels for each of us.

That is why He walked.

When I forget how much My God loves me,

...I remember his walk.

When I wonder if I can be forgiven,

...I remember his walk.

When I need to be reminded of how to live like Christ,

...I think of his walk.

And to show him how much I love him,

...I wake up each morning, turn my eyes to him,

......And I walk.

PLEASE PRAY!!

2011-04-14T11:02:00.000-05:00

Hey girls! I wanted to ask you to pray for me this summer... I'm serving with CEF (Child Evangelism Fellowship) this summer and I need to raise around $2,000.00 by the end of may. Please be praying for my fundraising and also this summer as I serve with CEF! Below is my support letter that I sent out which explains what I will be doing better and how you can pray specifically! Thanks in advance for the prayers! :)

I hope this letter finds you doing well! I have been offered the opportunity to work with CEF (Child Evangelism Fellowship) again this summer! I have worked with them for two summers in the past and felt God leading me to work with them again. In case you do not know what CEF is… CEF is a mission organization with a focus on children. During the summer we as volunteers go to a week training. Then throughout the rest of the summer we are divided into teams and each day we teach 5-Day clubs. We go each day for a week to a home, YMCA, church, daycare, anywhere that there are children and have a club. A club last an hour. In that time there is a Bible lesson, memory verse, songs, mission story, and review game. Over the summers I have seen many kids come to Christ! I cannot wait to see what God is going to do this summer! Seeing that I’m in college I now have the opportunity to be one of the leaders, which also means towards the end of summer I will have the opportunity to go with fellow CEF people to Salt Lake city, Utah. We will be out there for two weeks and have a great time sharing the Gospel with others from all over the country while also having an extensive training session. The reason I tell you all this is I need your help. First and foremost I need you to pray. We do not know what kids we will be reaching this summer, but God does. Please be praying for them as well as us as we teach. Your prayers mean more than you could EVER know! Also, I will need to raise around $2,000.00. I ask you to pray and see if God would have you give anything. Your money would go towards teaching supplies, training, air fare to Utah, and living expenses while in Utah. Again, please consider giving. Not only your money, but also your prayers! Thank you for letting God use you!

In Christ,

Jennifer Rochester

Modesty... Does it even matter??

2011-04-11T16:33:00.000-05:00

First off... Let's define modesty... What is modesty? Each person has a different opinion, but since it's my post I'm going to use my opinion! :)

Modesty- Honoring God in what you wear and the way you present yourself!

Here is the deal girls... It is your choice how you present yourself. You can look like a slut if you want to or you can look like someone who cares about herself and believes she is priceless. I often hear girls say, "Aren't we suppose to not care what others think??" that is true. Although here's the catch.... It does not matter what people think of you, but it DOES matter what people think of Christ because of you! Does the way you dress honor God? When you get dressed in the morning what are your thoughts? Are they about bringing attention to yourself or God? THIS is what modesty is about!! It is a matter of the heart.

Girls, we need to quit making excuses. I hear people say, "Those poor girls... they have no clue how they are causing guys to stumble." That is a LIE! We do know what we are doing, yet I continue to see girls do it. We crave attention and we know we can get it through the way we dress and present ourselves. I heard a great quote the other day and it said, "When you stop being the girl that needs a man you become the girl a man needs!" Girls, quit claiming to be innocent.

I also often hear girls say, "my boobs are just to big.... i cant help it!" *roll eyes* Again, this is an excuse. I personally could use that excuse, but I choose not to. God has given me my body. I get to choose who sees it and I choose no one until my husband.

QUIT DEGRADING YOURSELF! We as girls act like we are worth nothing then when guys treat us like we are worth nothing we want to complain and gripe about it. What do you expect them to do??

I'm not going to say what is modest or not.... You know. If you question something, don't wear it. I've heard more guys say that if you have to question it then it is an automatic no.

Sweet sisters in Christ.... I do not mean this post to be mean or anything of the sort, but it is time someone stood up and called us as girls out. This is not acceptable. It all boils down to whether you want to please God or yourself.... which will you choose?

JEN

Perfect?

2011-04-08T18:39:00.000-05:00

The world has many things that they expect us to do or be. Is it possible to be everything that the world wants you to be? Lately I've realized just how impossible that can be. Let's look at a few things the world says we are to do and be...

~ BE SKINNY- No matter what it takes you are to be tiny. -0 by some girls is seen as fat.

~POPULAR- You have to have friends! Spending time hanging out with friends is a must.

~SMART- You have to do well in school! It is expected by colleges, parents, teachers, and coaches. It takes time to study.

~HEALTHY- Healthy can come from exercise, eating smart, and many other things.

~ THRIFTY- It is a big thing now to save money. This includes finding good deals, using coupons, shopping clearance, and preparing ahead.

~TIME MANAGEMENT- Our lives are jam packed with "stuff: that we have to know how to manage our time. This includes fast meals, driving faster, multitasking, etc.

~ LOVE GOD- It is expected not so much by the world, but by our churches and God. This includes spending time with God, praying, Bible reading, and worship. It is also expected to go on mission trips, volunteer, or help out in other ways.

~WORK- Work is almost a have to. Some teens may not have to work, but almost all at some point will have to work.

How can we do it all? Is it possible? Each girl has her own level of perfection, but lets talk about this for a little while... There are a few expectations that are contradictory. Number one and number four can easily be contradictory. Girls are often not skinny because they are healthy. If you are healthy and skinny that's great, but you add on that you are taught to be thrifty and have good time management. There are very few healthy dollar menus.

Another contradiction is friends and school. Which matters most? How can you fit both in?

This may seem a little dramatic, but I'm getting at a point. We cannot all be everything and do everything. We have to choose what matters most to us. I'm not saying that you have to decide to either do good in school or have friends. I'm saying it is a balance. What matters most to you? Where are your priorities? Each one of these things I've listed are good things, but none of them can be done to the extreme that the world tells us it should be done. I challenge you to choose what your priorities are and live your life in line with that. No one is perfect or able to do everything! I so often see a girl that is amazing at something yet she focuses on what she isn't so great at. Do not be so hard on yourself! The world in itself is hard enough on you already.

I urge you to seek God when deciding what matters most to you! Seek Him and see what HE wants!

JEN

How to help your friends!

2011-04-03T22:12:00.000-05:00

If you have friends you have friends with problems. It is just a fact of life! Your friends might not talk to you about their problems, but they also may often share things with you that you are not sure how to handle. Below are a few steps and ideas as to how you can help your friends through life!

~LISTEN... Plain and simple, just listen. Many times people just need to voice their hurts, concerns, daily life struggles, and problems. Being a friend who listens is one of the best friends you could ever be!

~GET HELP.... Sometimes things come up that we alone can not handle. It is not bad to need help! Parents, pastors, teachers, school counselors, etc are all trained to help girls like you so do not be afraid to ask! Just in case you are wondering what some things are that you may not be able to handle. Some of these being.... abuse, rape, alcohol or drug addiction, suicide (Even a threat needs to be taken seriously!), or any harmful activity.

~ENCOURAGE... You may not be able to take away your friends problem, but you can go through it with them! Encourage them daily and even when it seem like all hope is gone continue loving them.

~ SHARE THE GOSPEL... This may seem like an awkward time to share the Gospel, but when someone is going through a hard time without God life truly is hopeless and pointless. Sharing Christ with them is one of the greatest ways you can help them! It may not take the problem away, but it can give them hope, peace and joy!

~KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT... This may seem right opposite of number two, but here I am talking about gossip. There is NO good that can come from sharing your friends pain with another friend. Not even in prayer request form.... it is wrong.

~PRAY... This is sometimes used as a cop out by saying, "Sure I'll be praying for you!" but that is all you ever do. True friends support, but prayer is without a doubt one of the best ways you can support! Earnest prayers can change lives. Don't forget to let your friend know that you are praying for them!

JEN

Sex.... A gift from God!

2011-03-29T20:03:00.000-05:00

What did or have your parents told you about sex? Maybe they just sat you down and told you everything, maybe they gave you a book, maybe they didn't make it awkward but they still discussed it, or it might have never been mentioned at all. No matter which one it is how has their way of presenting the idea affected you? How do you think of sex? Is it dirty, a sin, something good for movies but not for you, a duty, something only guys like, or a gift from God, something pleasurable, a wonderful bonding that only God could have created? Think about it for a minute.... Our life is consumed by advertisement, movies, commercials, pop up adds, and so much more that diminishes the meaning of sex. Even our churches see it as a hush hush subject. Today I want to share with you God's plan for sex and how He views it! Do you care to follow me and see what the Bible has to say about sex? I challenge you to dig deep into this.... Find out the truth!

1 Corinthians 7:3-7
The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. I say this as a concession, not as a command. I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.

I'm not going to copy on here Song of Solomon, but it is the same there. It shows how God created sex to be viewed. Sex was created by God.... It is not dirty, wrong, or shameful as long as it is done in the area of marriage. The statistic is that 1 out of every 4 girls have been sexually abused. That is beyond sad.... You may be one of those girls, but here is the thing that is NOT what God made sex for... He made it to be enjoyable, pleasing, freeing, and exciting! If you are noticing that you may not be viewing sex in the way God intended pray about it.... Many women enter marriage believing that sex is just some type of "duty" that comes along with being married. It is nothing like that! Below is a list of things sex is.... If you have a problem believing any of these I challenge you to get into God's word and begin asking Him to form His view of sex into your view of Sex!

Sex is....
~ Beautiful
~Exciting
~Created by God
~A gift from God
~Made to be pleasurable
~Made to be enjoyable
~Made to not be a joke
~Made to bond two people together
~A creative way God had to create children
~Something you should not withhold from your husband
~Something you should not be scared of
~A GIFT FROM GOD!

JEN

DRUM ROLL PLEASE....=)

2011-03-29T00:35:00.000-05:00

Our winner is..... LIBBI!!!! Congratulations! :) She is such a wonderful blogger and friend! She won a $10.00 gift certificate to Starbucks! Stay close bc we may be doing another one soon!

Much love to all the girls who commented! For those of you who asked prayer... Please know that we specifically lifted you up to the Lord! For those of you who mentioned topics and other things please know that we will be discussing those ASAP! Thanks for the comments and ideas!

JEN

Free Gift!!

2011-03-22T00:32:00.000-05:00

Hey gals! :) Soooooo Kat and I decided to do a giveaway! We have never done one before and so honestly I'm SUPER excited!! Here is how it is going to work.... Please COMMENT and leave your e-mail address. Here is all I ask though.... I want to hear something from you. It could be as simple as a prayer request, maybe something you would like us to talk about, what your standards are, anything! We will go for a week and then I will announce on here which name I drew! That's all you have to do! :) You can post it on your blog if you would like.... the more people who enter the more fun! If we have a good response we may do it more often! I love you girls and I'm oober (yes.... It is a word in my dictionary! :)) excited about this!!!

Now.....COMMENT!!!

JEN

BACK OFF!!!

2011-03-18T14:24:00.000-05:00

Girls, I'm about to share with you a piece of information and you might not like, but it is the truth. Guys do not like girls being all over them. Do you disagree? I work with youth and I've began noticing how pushy and smothering girls can be in the name of "flirting". I was talking to one guy the other day who is rather cute and as we were talking a girl came up and just hugged him (A mighty close hug I might add.) and didn't seem to even notice or care that he was in the middle of a conversation. He kinda sighed, but I didn't say anything. In a minute his phone kept going off. When he checked it it was another girl who knew he was at church, but still wanted to talk. That's when he asked, "Do they not know if i like them I will let them know?" I laughed, but had to agree with him. I soon noticed a girl waving at him rather dramatically. By this time I'm really beginning to feel sorry for the guy! I'm sure it is not always this dramatic, but the more I started to watch the more I realized how all over guys some girls can be. Sweet friends, this is not the way God made it to be.... Yes, some girls who are flirts get all the guys, but the thing is the guys she attracts are not the ones you want. Believe it or not some guys actually want a decent girl who hasn't, "been around" The world tells you that you have to throw yourself on a guy and then he will just not be able to resist! God's view of love is different though.... He made the man to be the aggressor. Have you ever heard of playing hard to get?? This may be hard to wrap your mind around, but guys actually like this... simply bc it is mysterious and intriguing. It is not like some girl laying everything out on the table. They want to work for it.... Of course, every guy is different, but by large most guys who are looking to God would rather go after the girl than the girl go after them!

So, I beg you... please think next time before you throw yourself on a guy! How much better is it to have the guy txt you first than you always txting him first? Yes, txt him first sometimes and if he shows interest in your let him know that you are interested in him. Please do not lower yourself though thinking that you are making yourself look better.

Being real,

JEN

Questions to ponder....

2011-03-12T09:18:00.000-06:00

I want you to think about these questions…. You may want to turn some worship music on, get a journal or Bible, do whatever! Be real with yourself though…. I do not expect any comments on this post. You can comment if you would like to. There might be one question that sticks out to you. Just think over these questions…. See what God wants to work on in and through you. Love you and praying for you!

1. Do I confidentially pass on to others what has been said to me in confidence?

2. Can I be trusted?

3. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work, or habits?

4. Am I self-conscious, selfpitying, or self justifying?

5. Did the Bible live in me today?

6. Do I give the Bible time to speak to me everyday?

7. Am I enjoying prayer?

8. When did I last speak to someone about my faith?

9. Do I pray about the money I spend?

10. Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?

11. Do I disobey God in anything?

12. Do I insist on doing something in which my conscience is uneasy about?

13. Am I defeated in any part of my life?

14. Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy, or distrustful?

15. How do I spend my spare time?

16. Am I proud?

17. Is there anyone I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold resentment towards, or disregard? If so, what am I doing about it?

18. Do I grumble or complain constantly?

19. Is Christ real to me?

20. Do I honor God in the words that I say and the thoughts that i think?

JEN

I. AM. DETERMINED.

2011-03-08T11:46:00.000-06:00

Are you determined? I am! I'm determined to wait until God brings not just the "right" guy, but the "perfect" guy! We talk alot about purity and waiting, but are you saving your heart? When you fall for every guy that seems close to the right one or if he is just cute you are wearing your heart out. This is my goal.... When i say this I'm not saying it should be your goal or anything like that. I'm simply sharing my heart with you. I refuse to go day to day wondering if each guy i look at is the "one". I refuse to be involved in pointless relationships just to feel loved, when in all reality I am not being truly loved. I refuse to give away meaningless "I love you" just to feel wanted. I refuse to dress in the morning with the thought in mind, "Would guys look at me if I wear this?". All in all I refuse to fall away from God in the slightest just to enjoy a male companionship. I.REFUSE.TO.SETTLE....

Do you refuse to settle?

Revelation 3:16 So because you are lukewarm and neither hot or cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

I choose to be hot... what about you?

JEN

=)

2011-03-05T19:51:00.000-06:00

What makes you have a good day? I decided to do a post on what makes me happy! I would love to hear what makes you happy! :)

I LOVE Adam 12!! It's old, but I love how sweet and smart they are!

Chocolate milk is AMAZING!

Coupons.... I live for a good deal!!

Kids make me happy.... Make that REAL happy!

NERTZ! I'm addicted to this game! If you've never played this game you are missing out.. BIG TIME!

Big Earings and old friends bring a smile to my heart!

LOVEEEEE 7th Heaven!

ROLL TIDE!!

Who knew it?? I throughly enjoy cooking!!

My Fat Daddy Tony passed away a year ago this next week.

He ALWAYS knew how to make me laugh....

My thoughts of him are not always bc I miss him terribly,

although I do have plenty of memories of him

which do make me smile!!

Friends make life worth living!!

There is nothing better than worshiping my Lord and Savior.... My God!

Yummy Cookies!!

Most of all.... God's Word makes me happy!!

I would enjoy getting to know you better! I challenge you to share on your blog things that you like so that the other bloggers and I can get to know you better! :)

JEN

Girl Law!

2011-03-02T15:00:00.000-06:00

Have you ever heard of the, "Girl Law"? There may be more girls laws, but this is my girl law!

Girl Law: If another girl is dating, talking to, or even just likes a guy he is off limits! KEEP AWAY!

There have been many examples lately of how this rule has not been followed and people were greatly hurt. The girl law kinda goes along with the golden rule (Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!). Would you want some girl coming after your man?! Of course not! What if they aren't officially dating? If he has something, "going on" with another woman or even if you know another girl likes him, keep your hands off! Here's the thing... If he is meant to be the one for you he will wait! Nothing is worse than to go to a church and all the women who use to be best friends are now worst enemies and they are fighting over some guy. Their friendship is ruined all because of some guy. How sad is that? Is this the way we are suppose to be? NO! Girls, we often choose a fleeting moment of pleasure over a life long friend or a chance to be a Godly example. Is it truly worth it?

While we are on this subject.... married men are the same way. It seems like a total different ball game when we talk about marriage, yet is it? I do not think so. If we did not practice cheating when we were just dating it wouldn't seem ok or even possible once we were married.

Do you get this?! I challenge you to follow the girl law.... I can promise you it will make your life way less dramatic and way more Christlike!

Praying for you as you seek God!
JEN

Tough Subject- Pornography

2011-02-21T19:52:00.000-06:00

So many people brush pornography to the side either ignoring the fact that people struggle with it or ignoring the fact that they personally struggle with it. I struggled with being addicted to porn for 8 years, when my life took a spin for the worst it became an escape route for me to take and I traveled the journey alone. I never told anyone, because it is a shameful side of me. I wanted to break free from it for so long, but it had its little fingers wrapped around me and I couldn’t get loose. I prayed and prayed asking God to free me, and it always seemed like He ignored me…until one day I realized I was the one ignoring Him. Every time that satan tempted me, God would always offer a way out…but I wouldn’t see it, or I would just flat out ignore it. I finally hit a brick wall and told God that I couldn’t do it anymore, I didn’t want to do it anymore. I completely gave it to Him, and He did free me. It took discipline and a lot of saying “No!” to satan, but I am free.

I sit here and I wonder how many other girls are addicted too. I know it happens. It is easy to fall into, and a lot of times no one knows how to get out, some even think it is impossible. But I know for a fact it is not! It is not going to be easy to break free at all, but I’ll tell you a few things you can do to make it easier. Tell someone who you trust, like a parent or church leader, someone who can help you fight it. When you are feeling tempted, walk away! This one is so simple, yet so hard to do. But just get up and walk away. James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” This verse simple means to follow after God, draw near to Him, say “no” to satan, and he will have to go away under God’s command! How awesome is that? When we submit ourselves to God and are under His will than when we tell satan to go, he has to go! That is so awesome!

God wants to help you through this struggle, and He is really the only thing that can help anyone overcome it. I know for me that if I had to do it by myself I would still be struggling. But I let God feel the empty voids of my life instead of things that might have caused happiness for five minutes. And I strongly encourage you to give it up to God and let Him have complete control. He takes so much delight in you as a person, and loves you so very much.

"But everyone else is doing it!"

2011-02-15T14:54:00.002-06:00

How many times have you thought that phrase to yourself, or perhaps even said it to your parents? Something that has been weighing heavily on my heart lately is being an original in a world full of unoriginals. Sometimes it's easy to just "go with the flow." What "everyone else is doing" isn't always something bad, right? Sometimes it may be that, everyone else is going to church camp and you stay home to help take care of a family member in need. Going to church camp is by no means a terrible thing. But just because your church goes to camp doesn't mean it's where God wants you to be. Sometimes he has more important things for you to do. I have seen so many girls lately that are doing things, not necessarilly because it's what they want or what God wants, but because it's what the "cool people" are doing. Girls, this is not God's plan for our lives at all. Over and over Paul talks about how each part of the body of Christ is different, but it is unique and important and no less a part of the body than any other part. Our body would be useless if all we are is a pile of hands or feet. We need to be our individual selves to reach our full potential in Christ.

In the realm of purity that obviously means following God's will and not having sex before marriage. But it goes beyond that. Just because one person is totally okay with dating in high school doesn't mean you have to date as well. Seek God's will for your life, don't just go with the flow. If you are afraid to stand out as an individual you will never reach your full potential. God has called us each to a specific purpose, and you have to seek him to find it.

Ephesians 2:10 says "For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." You are God's MASTERPIECE. Don't ever forget that. When you try to be something you're not, it like you are trying to fix a masterpiece. If you took the Mona Lisa, cut it up, through half of the pieces away and then put it back together again it wouldn't be the same would it? It wouldn't look like a da Vinci masterpiece, it would look like a Picasso. It might turn out to be an okay Picasso, but it's purpose in life was to be a da Vinci. It can never fulfill it's purpose because we tried to change a masterpiece. It's the same with our life. I was not created to be a Jennifer Rochester, I was created to be Kathryn Reed. If I'm trying to be Jennifer Rochester I will never fulfill the purpose God has for ME. Don't be afraid to be original.

Love, Kat

Tough Subject- Why wait?

2011-02-15T09:39:00.001-06:00

If you have ever gone to church much you have head how you should wait until marriage to have sex. It is taught, taught, and then taught some more. Do we ever here why we should not have sex before marriage though? The fact is God says in the Bible to flee (run) from all sexual immorality.

1 Corinthians 6:18a Flee from sexual immorality.

2 Timothy 2:22 Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

What good comes from waiting? It often seems like the ones, “Doing it” are having more fun. Is that true? I would like to show you how it is not. It may seem that way now, yet in the long run it is terribly wrong. The decisions you make today determine your future. Bad decisions now can lead to a life full of heartache. Here are some good things that come from obeying God and restraining from having sex until marriage. Some may be obvious, none the less true.

~No unplanned pregnancies

~No possibility of getting a STD or Aids

~You reputation can’t be messed up

~You will be closer to God

~You will never have to admit to your husband that you, “messed up” one night

~You will never have to tell you children that you had sex before marriage, but you rather them not

~ You will never have to deal with guilt

~You will never compare your husband with you past “lovers”

Girls I want to challenge you to not only not have sex, but to completely RUN from sexual immorality. Each girl has a different view of what “immorality” is. My personal standard is that I do not want to kiss a guy until my wedding day. Now, do I think kissing is wrong? Not really. I just know for myself that it is like taking a first step down on a slippery wet slide. Kissing turns into making out, making out leads to hands going places they should not go, that leads to other things. So on and so on. Before you know it you have gone places and done things that you never thought you would go. I choose to stop it before it ever even gets started. Where is you stopping place? Some girls struggle when just holding hands. Others can make out and not think a thing. Only you and God know where you are. Pray and seek the face of God…. Today’s decisions are the ones that determine your future!

All His,
JEN

Tough Subject- Submission

2011-02-07T19:52:00.000-06:00

Everyone has a different view, definition, and opinion of this word. Some are rather positive and others are rather negative. I'm about to just give you my opinion. I realize that this may offend some, but seeing that this is my blog the point is for me to share my opinion and how I interpret God's word on the subject! :)

God and I have been talking about submission a lot lately. Growing up I never had a problem with submitting to my parents or authorities. I still do not. For some reason my boyfriend is different. Now the Bible does not say that you have to submit to your boyfriend, but I whole heartedly believe that it is in your best interest to. For the simple reason it is training you to honor your husband, which the Bible does clearly tell you to do! I've been realizing lately how I'm really not as submissive as I thought i was. "What is true submission?" I kept asking God. Here are just a few things he showed me....

~ Not having to have the last word (OUCH!)!

~Not making immediate decisions, but asking him how he feels about it or what he wants.

~Trusting him (Example... when driving. Not always thinking I know the best way to go and just let him drive!)

~Letting him open the door for me (I get impatient at times….:/)

~Not nagging him to do what I want him to do

~Honoring his wishes even when it puts me out

~Helping him where he is weak, even when it isn’t my first choice

I'm not about to get into women's rights and things like that. You can go to another blog for that chick! :) My heart’s desire is to just understand what TRUE submission is. The thought that kept coming to mind.... "If I can’t even figure out how to be submissive to my boyfriend do i have any idea how to be submissive to God?!" Submission may not be a problem for you, but evidentially it is for me! This isn’t easy to admit, but it is the truth. Here is another thought though.... if it is not wise for you to do what your boyfriend wants you to do *You know if it isn’t!* then you need to get another boyfriend. Plain and simple!

As I finish up.... you know my spill, but bc I care about you I'm going to say it again. NO guy (Boyfriend, dad, friend, brother, anyone!) EVER has the right to do anything to you that makes you feel uncomfortable. If you do not want him to touch, say, txt, or anything something to you then get help. Girls, you have the right to say NO and I beg you to! Submission does NOT mean doing absolutely anything a guy wants. Use your Godly common sense.

What does submission mean to you? It may mean different things to different girls. What does it mean to you? Love you girls!!

JEN

Tough Subject- Divorce

2011-02-01T09:53:00.000-06:00

Are you dealing with your parents divorcing or do you have a friend that is going through it and you are not sure what to say? Here is one girl's story about her parents divorce!

I was only 4 years old when my parents decided to get a divorce. Even though my dad originally received custody of me, he decided that the best thing for a little girl was to be with her mother. So, my mom and I left our home, away from my dad, and moved hours away to live with my mom's sister. I don't remember much about when it first happened,, but as the years passed the separation began to affect me more and more. It became really hard to leave my mom to go visit my dad, and then it was really hard to leave them and come back home. I was an emotional basket case a lot of those times! When I was very little I remember being very close to my dad, but the more time I spent away from him, the more we grew apart. I'm still working on that today, because I really hope that eventually my dad and I will be close again. I developed a very close relationship with my mom, however, and to this day we have a great relationship.

As my dad and I grew more apart, I started to feel the effects of not consistently having a dad around. I believe that a little girl should hear everyday from her father that she is beautiful, that she is a princess, that she means the world to him. A lack of hearing these things from my dad combined with the emotional stress I grew up with contributed to many insecurities that I'm just beginning to let go of now. Now, I'm not blaming my dad or my situation for those insecurities. My dad adores me, and I have no doubts about that. He just doesn't express it much, and couldn't when I was growing up due to our separation. There was definitely a void in my life.

There was a time that I wanted to be angry about my life, and about the fact that I never had what a lot of kids do. My dad was never there on my first day of school. Most birthdays were spent away from him. And since my dad is kind of quiet, he never called much either. But the amazing thing is that even when Satan wants to use some bad situation that we face to destroy us, God can use that same situation to build us up and draw us to Himself. You see, I could have chosen to become bitter towards God for allowing this to happen to me and to my family, but instead, He drew me to Himself and showed me a Father's love. And His love was, and is, so intense and so fulfilling, that it doesn't even matter that I can't be around my dad every day. Now don't get me wrong, I still need my dad in my life and I'm so thankful for him and all he has done for me. But knowing God's love makes it okay that I only get hugs and kisses from my dad occasionally. Now, God as my Father tells me I am beautiful and how much I mean to Him. I can cry in His arms when I've had a bad day or when I'm just feeling down, and He comforts me. God used my situation and all of the pain that I had faced to show Himself to me and to reveal that He is my Father who will never, under NO circumstance, ever leave. And that really is the best kind of love!

Word Filled Wednesday!

2011-01-26T10:55:00.000-06:00

~ Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt talk come out of your mouth, but only such as good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those that hear. ~

Proverbs 31 Woman... :)

2011-01-24T23:50:00.000-06:00

Hey chickas! Can I start out by asking you to please pray for me? I know it is a selfish thing to ask, but I'm just going to be honest with you.... life is hard. So, please just pray for me. Ok? I am dilligently working on getting different post ready for the "Tough subjects" series. Anonymous who commented on the last post... I began writing multiple post about waiting and trying to encourage you, but it just never really worked. Then God began laying on my heart how we should study the Proverbs 31 woman. Hopefully this will encourage all of you girls!

Proverbs 31:10 Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies.

How many of you have ever been told that you are precious? Maybe by your parents, a boy friend, just a friend, or even grandparents. If you've never been told by an earthly person that doesn't matter bc God said so! How does it make you feel? Honestly it makes my heart happy! :) Anyway, I see many girls today who do not fit into the "Virtuous" category. Webster describes virtuous as, " morally excellent : righteous". Are these common words that you find girls being described as? Hopefully you hang around friends who that is how they are described, although the reality is that this is not the norm. In normal high schools most girls or at least the popular ones (The ones who seem to have it all.) are more known for sleeping around, being mean, doing drugs and so on and so on. For some odd reason these girls seem to always get the guys..... why is that? Proverbs 31:10 has a difference of opinion though. The Bible claims that a man who finds a virtuous woman is the blessed one! I guess this is an encouragement to wait it out and not just settle, but even more than that.... are you a virtuous woman? The Bible also says that a man who has found a wife has found a good thing.... When a man "finds" you will he have found a good thing? Due to this blog I often talk to guys about what they want in a girl and guys often thank me for encouraging girls to wait bc in all reality the Godly men do not want to marry a woman who has "experience". The world tells us that you have to know what you are doing before you get married or you will just be the clumsiest more ridiculous thing ever. This is far from the truth though....

My purpose in this post though is first off to encourage you to wait! Even when it seems pointless and you feel like you are the only one waiting! My second point is to encourage you girls who are waiting to not just begrudgingly wait and just be miserable! Use your time as a single young lady for God's glory!!! Become the virtuous woman what any man would be blessed to have!! Some examples of ways I used my single years to draw closer to God...

~Use those dateless Friday/ Saturday nights to give a single mom a break
~Instead of txting your "Significant other" txt and encourage your friends
~The time you would spend talking on the phone to "your man" spend time with God
~Write your future husband and tell him how much you love him instead of telling a random guy
~Tell others of the sweet thing your lover (God) has told (Bible) you instead of what your boyfriend said
~Make as may statuses on your facebook about God as others do about their boyfriend
~Use the money you would spend on a gift for your "Babe" for someone else

These are just a few ideas! Praying for you girls! :)

Tough subjects b/c we live in a tough world...

2011-01-18T20:30:00.000-06:00

So girls, God has hit me in the face lately with how I live in my own little bubble and do not realize what all is going on in the real world....After having a few (well quite a few....) girls be honest with me I realized that there are a few "Tough subjects" that I have been kinda avoiding. Not for any specific reason, but just honestly b/c they aren't the most comfortable thing to talk about. That's about to change though! What are some tough things that you deal with? Here are some of my ideas or just things that I feel need to be discussed.

~Abuse
~Parents Divorcing
~Rape
~Abortion
~Bullying in schools
~Close family/friends dying
~Face book
~Cheating- Is it OK?
~Drinking/Drugs
~Unwed Pregnancy
~Cutting
~Porn
~Sibling Rivalry
~Suicide
~Depression

Any more ideas? You can comment anonymously or however! I want to know what you want though.... Another way you can help though is if you would like to write about one of these topics please let me know! Obviously, I have not gone through many of these and so therefore I cant give you personal experience. I can tell you what the Bible says and give you my opinion, but that's about it. So, if you have dealt with something and you would like to share please let me know!! My email is jennifer.rochester@charter.net.

Love you girls!
JEN

Blah....blah....blah...

2011-01-16T01:52:00.001-06:00

So, I haven't blogged in it feels like forever. Honestly, I just haven't had much to say (Shocker... i know!), Alot has been going on, yet at the same time I haven't been that busy. It has been more of a spiritual warfare, which is often more draining than anything physical. Ever just feel like satan is fighting and he is fighting hard? Maybe not necessarily against you, but with everyone around you. Even the people who you thought had it decently together are falling. For lack of better words you do feel like you are on a battle field. You have your army and they are dropping like flies. You know that you cant save them, but you want to get them help. Although every time you try to save one another falls and it is just continuous. That is how Ive felt the last few weeks... Please don't think I'm complaining or whining bec i understand that this is just apart of the Christian walk, but i do want to be honest with you. Kat has made the statement before about how we are human also. We are not perfect. I try my best on here to not just say what you should and should not do, but also be real. So this is just one of those "real" post. There have been a couple of good things come out of the past few weeks though... First off I've read my Bible everyday (remember my new years resolution??). It has become my LIFE SAVER! God always seems to speak to me through it.... :) Secondly, my prayer life has flourished! It is sad to say, but lately all I know to do is talk to God about what all has been going on. Please do not get me wrong,,, i still pray during the good times also, but there has just been something lately in me that it has been almost constant! I told someone yesterday, "I talk to God now more than I talk to myself!! And I talk to myself alot...."! :) Girls, we are in a war.... You may be feeling like you are winning or you may be feeling like i am and that you are losing. Draw close to God.... Then no matter how you "feel" You know in the end you WILL win!!

Sweet sisters in Christ..... people are falling and struggling all around us.... they need someone to pray for them, cry with them, love on them, encourage them, listen to them, and more than anything lead them to Christ.... Are you willing to do that? If not, quite honestly, you need to check your heart and get right with God. If you are, then you are like a nurse in a hospital with many sick sick patients. You may at times feel like the only nurse on duty, but the thing is though you have the ultimate doctor who is ALWAYS on duty!!!

I can sincerely tell you that I pray for each and every one of you... I know that many of you are dealing with hurts, fears, sins, secrets, and just struggles. I encourage you today to just keep on fighting! Keep on! Here are a couple of verses you may want to memorize or Ive written them down and placed them in different places so that I will see them often!

Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Psalm 34:18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Psalm 9:9 The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
With love and encouragement,
JEN

P.S. I would like to add the words to a song that I've been singing to myself lately called, "Shout unto God!"

The enemy has been defeated

And death couldn't hold You down

We're gonna lift our voice in victory

We're gonna make Your praises loud

Shout unto God with a voice of triumph

Shout unto God with a voice of praise

Shout unto God with a voice of triumph

We lift Your name up

We lift Your name up

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X--jzuVTZqM&feature=related

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAT!!!

2011-01-11T00:40:00.000-06:00

Sooooo today is our wonderful Kat's Birthday!!!

I wrote a post about her a while back... to read it go to
http://jenniferandkathryn.blogspot.com/2010/05/in-honor-of-kathryn-reed.html

Happy Birthday girl!! I love you! :)
May God bless you as you finish up high school and figure out
where He is leading you!

JEN

P.S. Please leave a comment and let her know what she means to you!

Sin... Who does it hurt?

2011-01-09T23:59:00.000-06:00

I often think of sin as just effecting the person who does it. You know, they are the one who has to face the consequences. Are they the only ones who are hurt though? Not at all. For example, say you do something with a boyfriend that is obviously a sin. You guys are not only hurt there are also both of your parents, your close friends, and anyone who ever looked up to you. Girls, the only reason I wanted to bring this up is you have no idea who is looking up to you. Some of you girls are older and you have younger teen girls looking at you. Some of you have people who read your blogs that never comment, yet they look up to you. Some of you simply have younger sisters. I want to ask you... what do you do that you want no one else to see? Honestly, no one may ever find out, yet God still knows. We so often care what others think, yet do we care what God thinks??

Jeremiah 12:3 Yet you know me, LORD; you see me and test my thoughts about you. Drag them off like sheep to be butchered! Set them apart for the day of slaughter!

Matthew 9:4 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts?

Psalm 139:2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.

Psalm 139:23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

Girls.... we live in a world where even the people who seem to be Godly are hiding deep dark sins. Yes, we are all sinners. The problem is we feel as if we have to be perfect and so we hide, lie, deceive, and cover up all we can until it just comes out. Then what happens? People get hurt. It's just a thought and something I've been dealing with lately.... Don't be afraid to get help. Find someone who you can trust and who can truly help you.

Praying for you girls!
JEN

Word Filled Wednesday!

2011-01-05T15:00:00.001-06:00

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the lord your God will be with you wherever you go!! Joshua 1:9

Where did your fairy tale dream go??

2011-01-04T00:15:00.002-06:00

Where did our fairy tale dreams go??

Right down the drain just to be honest… I keep three year olds a couple times a week and it amazes me to see how big of an imagination they have and how easily they play Prince and Princess. Then within a couple of years (soon after puberty) they will barely even be able to remember their dreams. They will seem impossible and unrealistic. Why is that? It is because in our world women are taught that guys are jerks. They do not know how to respect or love us and that if we want anything in life we have to get it all on our own and in our own power. Is that the way God created it though? I do not believe it is at all… We’ve discussed this some, but what are the roles of the man and woman in the relationship? The man is to love his wife as God loved the church and the woman is to her husband. If we each did these things do you think life would be more like a fairy tell? I believe it would! Life can never be perfect, yet if we lived our lives the way God planned on us doing it would be a whole lot closer to a true fairy tale.

Ephesians 5:22-33 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church for we are members of his body. "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

So, what can we do about it? Can we push guys to show true love? What can we do? The truth is we can not change others… we can only change ourselves and the way we treat others. Bummer huh? I think we often miss the fact that if we were to treat guys with respect they might actually do the same thing to us! I remember watching a movie a while back and in the movie a dad didn’t respect his son at all. The son treated his dad the same way though. When someone confronted the son about it he wanted to blame his dad, but the person told him, “How can you judge your dad by his actions yet judge yourself by your intentions?” . The same goes for the way we treat guys… I do totally believe that there are guys that are “jerks”, “players”, or whatever you want to call them, yet I also believe that they are many good guys that we degrade when we classify all guys as bad. Does that make sense? With all that said, what can WE (You and I as girls!) do to change it? We’ve all heard the golden rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”. If we begin treating guys with respect I promise you they would begin doing the same to us… Do you know how our world would turn upside down if that actually began happening?? Of course not every guy will, but the ones who are worth having around will! It kills me how often women want to throw up the fact that their husbands are to love them as God loves the church, yet then they do not submit to their husbands, which is just as much God’s will as for the husband to love his wife! Before I go on though I want to give you some examples of what I mean… We’ve already discussed belittling guys by calling them names, but also just talking about them behind there back. It hurts them just as much as it hurts us to have someone talking about us behind our back. Making low remarks or degrading their attempts to be sweet. Even if it seems to be a sorry attempt, at least they are trying. Also in the clothes you wear… If you do not want a guy to look at you in a lustful way then please do not advertise yourself in such a way to make him want to! I realize that guys are guys and they are going to be drawn to women, but if you could realize how much easier it would be for a guy to respect you and treat you with honor if you dressed different I believe you would be getting rid of any clothes you own that might cause them to stumble. I feel like I’m rambling… but this is something that really means a lot to me. If we cant respect our guy friends or bf at this point then what on earth makes us think that all of the sudden we will be great at it once we get married?

With all that said I want to add one more thing… If the guys in your life are not worth respecting… please for your sake move on and find other guys. If the guys you hang around whether it be just friends or actual boyfriends curse around you often, hit you, or often push you to be physical it is about time to start looking for new friends! It wont be easy, but if you care to ever get back the fairy tale dream you use to have it is a must to get rid of those guys.

I love you girls and I want you to have the Fairy tale that you always dreamed of! :)
JEN

New Beginnings!

2010-12-31T17:57:00.000-06:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR (Almost...lol)!!

I couldn't think of a better time to talk about new beginnings! We all have "New Years Revolutions", yet how many of those have to do with God? Many people have a goal of losing 20 lbs this next year, making more money, having a boy friend, making more friends, etc. What are some of your resolutions though? Is one maybe as simple as getting a new beginning? For many people that would be a perfect goal! Here is the deal though.... What do you want to change about yourself or improve about your self? You don't have to wait on a new year to think about this or change things, but since it is a new year you mise well think about it! Here are some of my goals for the next year....

~ Read the Bible through in one year (I've read the whole Bible, but I want to do it in one year! Please keep me accountable!)

~Go on another mission trip

~ Save more money

~ Spend more time with my grandparents (Yes, I'm busy, but they are never promised tomorrow!)

~Then a few more I rather not tell the whole world! ;)

So, what are your resolutions or goals for 2011?

Back to the new beginnings part... do you need/want a new beginning?? We have all made mistakes over the past year... I know I have. Some need a new beginning more than others, but here is a chance! Yes, you can get a new start anytime, but for some reason a new year just seems like the right time to get a fresh start! Anywho, only you know what you need to leave behind in 2010. Leave it there... do not take it to 2011 with you. The old is gone and the new has come!! Please know that I'm praying for you that God will give you the strength to move on from what you need to leave behind.

Praying for you as you begin 2011!!

JEN

Testimony Tuesday!

2010-12-28T00:27:00.000-06:00

blessed are the single-hearted, for they shall enjoy much peace. If you refuse to be hurried and pressed, if you stay your soul on God, nothing can keep you from the clearness of spirit which is life and peace. In that stillness you will know what His will is." Amy Carmichael

i LOVE reading anything by amy carmichael. she was such a woman of Christ and one of my biggest inspirations besides Jesus of course. i was babysitting tonight...rather "kid"sitting three girls. 10, 9, and 8... and while we were eating they started talking about their boyfriends...it was precious. they were like "where's your boyfriend??" and i said "i dont have one" and they were all like "ive had three" "ive had four" and "ive had five but one didnt count." and while i KNOW that they are just children and they don't really see it as a big deal its kinda warped that even at 8 they're already worried about boys.

trust...when i was 8, winning the Bible drill or finishing the math quiz first was high on my priorities. NOT chasing boyssss. not me, not ever. i never really fell in the category. the "girls who could never be single." if fact, i was quite the opposite. and not that that was bad or anything, it taught me a LOT. a lot about me, even more about my friends, tons about boys and the MOST about Jesus:)) gah, i really want to look every girl in the WORLDDDD in the eye who thinks a man is what it takes to be complete and tell them that there is a love that is so much better.

not that love is bad. im not bashing it at all:) i know i have a prince of Christ somewhere that at the EXACT moment will come into my life. but, in the meantime, wouldn't it be wise to try to get to know that ONE that created ME so i can be the best me i can be for my mannnn??!!! just a thought. no one has to agree. and trust. lately....its like a big deal:) im more than okay with that.

Jesus is all i need. He has to be. it has to ALWAYS be about Jesus. we as girls (or guys) can't rely on each other for confirmation on who to date. if so, we'd all be married by 12. nahhh, it is JESUS who knows. its Christ who has already appointed the very one we're suppose to be with. ive never understood how girls (or guys) feel the need to date. we have to be full on God before we can bless anyone else. so if youre dating to get filled, forget it. cause behind all the butterflies is emptiness. if God is behind the butterflies, you've got your happily ever after.

people will not understand. people didn't understand Christ so you can be sure that people will try to talk you out of any sort of committment, etc you make:) i made a personal committment that i havent really told a lot of people about but its helped me so maybe itll help you. i saw first hand in highschool almost every girl go through relationship one after another. and it hurt me to watch. i took it to Christ. he told me "i didnt create you to long for anyone but me" and i was like AMEN!!!! im just gonna pour it out to You Jesus. grades and being on every committee was my thing in highschool so it was easy not to get distracted. and, the more i fell in love with God, the more even my closest friends drew away until it was literally me and Him for a while. and every girl who messages me and feels lonely...just remember....its a season. just like singleness....if the deisre to have a husband and family is in your heart...its from Jesus and he will honor it:) but in the meantime, i want everyone to experience the EXTRAVAGENT:)) love of Christ. its overwhelming. spending time with Jesus is the same way you spend time with someone you're dating, etc... the more you spend with Him, the more you'll crave him and the more ONLY HE will fulfill your heart. then when youre full and overflowing with love, joy, peace, etc....look around you, it'll be the BEST season of YOUR LIFE!!!!:)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

2010-12-26T00:28:00.000-06:00

Well... Christmas has once again come and gone! What did you do this Christmas? Were you able to spend time with family? I would love to hear about your Christmas! Just to give you a glimpse into my Christmas I'm going to add some pics! Merry Christmas!! :)

My family at my grandmothers house!

Mom was amazed at how big nick's hands are!

Mom and her mom!

Jon (My bro) and I with wawa and papa (dads parents)!

Mom and dad with wawa and papa!

Yes, we did this for a while....lol

Wawa and papa!

This one is just funny!! She was showing how when you get older it is hard to open your eyes bc of all the "extra" skin! You would have to know my grandmother, but this picture is precious! :)

Another random one, but i love the way he looks at her!

I hope my husband looks at me like that after 60 something years of marriage!

I got a tinsy bit bored....lol

One of my favorite gifts.... Houndstooth rainboots!

Side note.... unless you live in the south you will not understand how BIG of a deal houndstooth is...

I am a BIG Alabama fan and therefore most of my Christmas consisted of houndstooth items! :)

I'm not sure there are words to describe this...lol

Maybe...REDNECK!

My brother enjoys being a redneck and I rather not be!

A shirt I gave Jon.... AMEN!!

When I opened my phone, which was a suprise!!

Nick and I! :)

Love,
JEN

Word Filled Wednesday!

2010-12-22T12:20:00.000-06:00

Luke 2

The Birth of Jesus

1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. 8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

the blessing of where you are now

2010-12-20T12:07:00.002-06:00

Hello Precious Girls!!! It's been a while since I've posted, and I've missed writing to you greatly. But sometimes life is just so crazy you can't get to the computer. But I've been learning several things while I've been away from the blog, and I want to share one of these things with you today. Lately I've been learning to view your circumstances as a blessing. One of my favorite Christmas movies is White Christmas, and if you have ever watched it you know the song about counting your blessings. That's kinda what I want to encourage you to do today.

For me, I count the blessings of being who I am now. I count it a blessing to be single. To me it's a blessing because I am free to focus on growing in Christ and just loving and serving him. I don't have to fear I'm spending more time with my boyfriend than with God. I don't have to worry about pushing purity limits because I'm not in the situation to begin with. I count it a blessing because sometimes I have the hardest time picking out gifts and (feel free to laugh) since I don't have a boyfriend that's one less "perfect gift" to find. haha. It's silly, but in my life these really are blessings.

But you may not be in the same situation I'm in, you may have a boyfriend. And I do not mean to make anybody who does feel bad because of what I said in my previous paragraph. On the contrary I think that God can bless you just as much in a God-honoring relationship as he can when you are single. Never having been in one myself, I don't know for sure what those blessings are. But I can imagine one of them would be that your boyfriend actually makes you feel closer to God. Possibly another would be that you can be an example of purity in a relationship to other girls (yes, it is a blessing to be that). I'm sure that Jen could tell you many more, these are just two that come to mind right now.

I've heard that January is proven to be the most depressing month of the year. Perhaps because the Christmas season didn't fulfill you like you thought it would. I want to encourage you today to not let it be that way. I urge you girls, when you feel down and depressed, just look at God and that he has blessed you with, and thank him for it. You will feel better! Merry Christmas!!!

Love, Kat

"I love You"... what does it really mean?

2010-12-17T00:51:00.001-06:00

We have discussed saying, "I love you" before, but I think we need to revisit it! :) How many of you have ever been told this by a guy who soon left, who disrespected you, and who basically just truly didn't care about you. I'm sure I'm not the only one. Anyway, it bothers me how many statuses and wall post I see on face book between people who are dating saying, "I love you baby!", "You are mine forever!", "I want to be with you always!" and then the next week they have broken up, gotten with someone else and began writing all the same things on that persons wall. Is that what love is?? If you think so I'm here to tell you it isn't.... That is NOT what love is! 1 Corinthians 13 is known as the "love" chapter. I could paraphrase it myself, but i doubt I could say it any better. So, here it is...

1 Corinthians 13

1 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

So here is my point... don't fall for the petty things that the world calls love!! Wait for TRUE love!! My boyfriend and I do not say, "I love you" for the simple fact that we do not know if we truly love each other in the form that we want to spend the rest of our life with each other. We do say, "I like you" bc we know that's true, but think.... If Nick told me now that he loved me or even when we started out dating and then when he did realize he wanted to marry me and he told me that he loved me it would seem no different. Don't cheapen this beautiful gift of love that God has given us!! I challenge you to pay attention to fb (If you have one) at all the things couples write... it is sickening!! The sad part about it is they are cheapening their future every time they say things like that...

The same as all the other post... this is just my opinion. It is worth a thought though! :)

Much love,
JEN R

The beauty of firsts...

2010-12-10T10:00:00.001-06:00

Hey chicks! I want to talk to you today about different, “Firsts” today! Not just sex for the first time, but firsts concerning purity in general. Let me explain… Nick and I have been dating 6 months as of yesterday. He is the first relationship I’ve been in that has lasted that long. So, it was very special! Now if I had dated many boys off and on and had a couple that lasted 6 months would it have been as special? Of course not. I believe that there are some first that are ok before marriage then of course there are some that are not ok until after marriage. For example, I believe holding hands, dating, that sort of thing is ok before marriage. I also believe that there are some first that you should save until you are married. These are things such as any form of sex, kissing (Just my personal stand), much touching, etc. Here is the point… I want to save as many first for my husband as I can!! I challenge you to do the same. Just imagine if you could give your husband your first kiss, if you could give him the privilege of being the first male to see you without clothes, allow him to be the first person to ever touch you in a sexual way, and of course allow him to be the first person you have ever had sex with. How amazing would that be for him to know that he is the only one to have had that privilege?? Girls, now is the time whether you will get to tell him that or not. It isn’t the same to just be on your wedding night and be like, “Oh wow! No one ever did that before!” he should not be getting your leftovers. He should be getting the whole meal. Do you get this?! Now is the time you save your first!

Two side notes though… If you have been taken advantage of then that is NOT your first! If you have been raped then you are still a virgin! I do not care what anyone told you. You are and hopefully you will choose a husband who believes the same! When I say your first I mean the first time you gave anything away willingly! Make sense? Secondly, I do not mean this post to be condemning if you have given away some first times that you wish you had not. With god there is forgiveness. Yes, you will still have it in your past, but that is where it belongs… in your past.

I love you girls!

Waiting along beside you….

JEN

Thought Filled Thursday!

2010-12-09T10:00:00.001-06:00

Jesus was not created to be an accessory to our life... He was created to BE our life!!

Word Filled Wednesday!

2010-12-08T10:00:00.000-06:00

~ James 1:12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will recieve the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him. ~

Grow where you are planted!

2010-12-03T01:28:00.000-06:00

Hey girls! I added a video the other day of a girl getting baptized. I decided to delete it so that I could add it to this post. Anywho, here is the point of this post. The point is to encourage you to flourish where ever God plants you! I'm going to share a little bit of my testimony. I wasn't the normal teen. I was to an extent, but in most ways I wasn't normal. What do I mean? I was always wanting to help someone, i absolutely adored witnessing, I didn't have to have a guy, and I often took leadership positions. I'm not saying this to brag... i have a point I'm getting to! I was often told things like, "You just need to be normal! Quit worrying about others.", "You are missing your teen years!", and other things. Of course I did have people who praised me, but you would be amazed at the people who questioned me or even degraded me bc I chose to not be "Normal". You may know what I mean. The thing is i chose to keep on... I knew God had something planned for me! Like I said I took on leadership roles such as teaching Sunday school, leading Bible studies, leader in the youth group, worked in kids programs all the time, and so on. The thing is I never felt like it was what I was made to do. You know? The thing is though I was getting experience... I cant tell you the books I read about youth ministry. I had a dream... wasn't sure what it was, but I was determined to follow God where ever He wanted me! Then about a year ago i was asked to help out at a youth group close by. I was only 18 (hadn't graduated high school) and so my first thought was how can i do that? I'm their age. I decided to give it a try though. I went and it was awkward at first, but I kept going... For the first six months i basically went, did what i was asked to do and that was about it. I was still going to my home church and just went on Wednesday nights when they needed me. Then some things happened with the leadership and the youth minister (The person who had asked me to come help.) left. Everyone thought I would leave, but i decided i was there for a reason. I began to get more active. Over the last couple of months God has done AMAZING things! As the video showed we have had numerous (So many we've lost count! We know at least 10-15) salvations! The coolest part about it is watching how God has worked it all together. We now have a new couple who have stepped in as youth ministers. We all work together, but it is amazing how God all brought us from different parts of the state to this one church to serve Him! Mr. Frank and Mrs. Danna (the youth ministers) were new to the church. They had been youth ministers in the past, but honestly they are spring chickens. They had visited around to other churches, but none felt right. Wonder why?? I was from a completely different church and would have never imagined leaving. God had other plans though... Each week as I help out I see things that if I had not been willing to be "different" as a teen I would not have had any idea what to do. Most of the leaders in this youth group have come from different Church's. Isn't God amazing?? I cant tell you the joy it brings to my heart to know that God has a perfect plan! I truly believe this is only the beginning! I ask you to pray as we continue to follow God though... This ministry is like nothing Ive ever seen. These kids come from TERRIBLE homes. 98% (Literally) come from broken homes. Many do not even know their father or if they do he is abusive. We hear stories constantly of abuse, neglect, and just a lack of love. Most parents have live in "partners" with no want to get married. Most of their parents and many of the youth are on drugs, are alcoholics, and smoke. 75% of their parents refuse to bring them to church even though it may only be a mile or so away. This is just a way of life.... Want to know the good news though? Over the last few months we have gone from 40 youth a night to nearly 90 youth a night! Please do not miss understand me... numbers do not matter, but they do show how the kids have a craving to know more about God! I've already told you about the salvation's and baptisms. Even past that though.... to be able to see youth read a Bible verse out loud for the first time, own a Bible for the first time, to see an 18 year old guy lower his pride enough to admit he had never even opened a Bible before, to see youth jump at the chance to pray, to see teens sing in a youth choir for the first time, to see youth ask how they can help.... it brings you to tears.... yes, sometimes it isn't easy. Getting calls at 3 in the morning, getting letters from a girl in jail, or being asked by DHR about a mom. It isn't always good, but at the end of the day I know it is in God's hands. If for no other reason than how He has prepared each one of us leaders!

With all of this said, here is why I share this... many of you girls are in the same spot that i was just a few years ago. You may get encouragement or you may not. it doesn't matter. Only you know what you are called to do! People may call you crazy for going on mission trips, people may call you crazy for leading a Bible study, people may call you crazy for writing a blog. Does that matter though? My life is 1 Timothy 4:12 Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example in speech, life, love, faith, and in purity! I love you girls and I want to encourage you to stand strong!

Love,
JEN

P.S. I'm going to add some pics for you girls to see who I'm talking about! Again, i value your prayers!!

A girls night I had at my house last weekend!

We talked about how as Christians God calls us His "Daughters" and we are the bride of Christ!

We did a drama to the song Amazing Grace My Chains are Gone!

Some girls at a 5th Quarter!

Some of the girls preparing for a drama about gossiping!

Playing the cup game!

The guys!

Another girls night!

Car wash fundraiser!

Hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil!

Practicing for the youth to lead the worship one Sunday morning!

Thought Filled Thursday!

2010-12-02T10:00:00.000-06:00

I had forgotten how great of message this song had... :)

Call on Jesus

Verse 1:

I'm so very ordinary, nothing special on my own.

Oh, I have never walked on water,

And I have never calmed a storm.

Sometimes I'm hiding away from the madness around me

Like a child who's afraid of the dark

Chorus:

But when I call on Jesus,

All things are possible

I can mount on wings like eagles' and soar

When I call on Jesus,

Mountains are gonna fall

'Cause He'll move heaven and earth to come rescue me when I call

La la la la la, la la la la la

Verse 2:

Weary brother, broken daughter,

Widowed, Widowed lover you're not alone

If you're tired and scared of the madness around you

If you can't find the strength to carry on

Chorus:

When you call on Jesus,

All things are possible

You can mount on wings like eagles' and soar

When you call on Jesus,

Mountains are gonna fall

'Cause He'll move heaven and earth to come rescue you when you--

Bridge:

Call Him in the morning', in the afternoon time

Late in the evening' He'll be there

When your heart is broken,

And you feel discouraged,

You can just remember that He said

He'll be there

Chorus (2x):

When I call on Jesus,

All things are possible

I can mount on wings like eagles' and soar

When I call on Jesus,

Mountains are gonna fall

'Cause He'll move heaven and earth to come rescue me

Word Filled Wednesday!

2010-12-01T10:00:00.000-06:00

This may be a week late (meant to post this for Thanksgiving!), but still a wonderful Psalm! :)

Psalm 100

1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

2 Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.

3 Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Testimony Tuesday!

2010-11-29T10:00:00.000-06:00

What's up everyone? Well it's time for one of my famous rants again, though I know they do happen randomly. Lately this issue has really come to mind and I've given it great thought, so just thought I'd share with everyone my own take on this topic. I've heard so many people say, and everyday I see it, people more and more are turning towards marriage before they even really know the person they're with. Not to be mistaken, love is a wonderful feeling, but also you have to have a clear head and realize what a HUGE step marriage is. Now this is coming from a guy who's never had a relationship longer than 3 months so some of you might not take me seriously, but sometimes wisdom doesn't come from ones own experience; sometimes it comes from the experience of observing others. Recently I was talking to a female friend of mine and we were talking about past relationships, and the topic of not getting to know a person enough before taking a step such as marriage came into play.
I'll start out with the simple fact of what love does to us all. It can make us feel invincible, trusting and loved, but sometimes it can also leave us vulnerable, which is why it's important to think with a clear head. Most young people like myself you dive straight into marriage before getting to know their significant other really don't realize what they're stepping into. We have to understand, marriage is a commitment, a sacrifice, and it's opening your lives to someone, and I'll just go ahead and tell all of you THE PHYSICAL ASPECTS WILL ONLY TAKE YOU SO FAR!!! Two people could be together for years, but if they don't know the first thing about one another, one day they eventually wake up miserable because they realize they don't know the first thing about the person they spend their lives with everyday, which opens up the door for other issues. Not to be mistaken, there always will be physical aspects in relationships, and they are crucial and a great things, BUT if there is no substance (things you get to know specifically about the other person) there will always be something missing.

Over the years I've watched friends, and others come and go, and within a couple of weeks get married and think that they are prepared, when really they don't have the slightest clue. I've never been married myself and won't be until I know I can provide for a family, but some things are just common sense. Love is a great feeling, but as I stay before, you have to stay level-headed, because if not, you can slip easily. All I'm telling my generation and generations after me is GET TO KNOW THE PERSON!!!!! I can't make it any more clear. Think before you act because there are consequences for everything, and I certainly wouldn't want to put someone I love and care for in the kind of situation where things are so uncertain. It wouldn't be fair to either me or the person I was with. THINK BEFORE YOU ACT, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY THE DECISION DOES NOT ONLY AFFECT YOU...

Matt

Crazy Blogging! :)

2010-11-27T01:35:00.001-06:00

So lately I've been blogging more bc I've been home on Thanksgiving break! Hopefully I will keep it up! :)

This is a challenge, but i want you to take it seriously... From what I've heard from other girls and what I've experienced myself is it seems impossible to remain pure until marriage. Maybe with the "big" things like no sex until marriage (for some girls that even seems impossible!) don't seem impossible, but the little things do. The things like giving your heart away to a guy or as so many girls expressed becoming emotionally attached. Maybe it is giving a kiss away... one at a time. Maybe to you it's more or maybe it's less. Each person is different. The point is at times it can seem like marriage will never get here and there is no way on earth you can stay pure until then! I've heard girls say that exact thing over and over...

So, what can you do? Here is my idea, fight it as a daily battle. Do not think of it as 5 years before you get married. Think of it as one more day. I'm not big into journaling, but i do some during hard or tempting times. I kept a journal that i will most likely give to my husband one day and at the end of each day I would write down how I had waited for him... whether it pushing a guy away from kissing me, whether it be I turned down a guy bc i knew he wasn't the right one, maybe it was just choosing to control my thoughts, or some days it is just simply that i was so lonely yet with joy i waited for him. Now are you going to succeed every day? No. At least i know I don't! You will make mistakes, but most likely not near as many bc you will not feel near as hopeless. You may not want to write it down, but find a way to keep up with it. Maybe have a friend that you talk to alot who you can tell, "I waited". The best part about this is when you feel like you cant wait and you want to give up you can either go back and read or have your friend remind you of all the times you did succeed and if you've done it before you can do it again!!

I challenge you to begin your day asking God to help you fight the battle and lay down at night thanking Him for the victory! If you didn't have a victory praise God for what He will do tomorrow!

Girl... As my roommate says, "You got this!" You are stronger than you know and with God there is not one doubt in my mind that you can not remain pure until your wedding day!!

Much love,
JEN

Thought Filled Thursday!

2010-11-25T01:13:00.000-06:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

What are some things you are thankful for??

Here are some that I'm thankful for!
~My dad's job!!! (If you havent heard the story... dad went without a job for almost 4 years. Within the last mont he got a job! PRAISE THE LORD!)
~My family and home (Never realized how much i loved home until I moved out!)
~My friends in the blog world! You guys lift me up everytime you leave a comment!
~ More than anything else though... My God!

What are you thankful for today??

JEN