Authentic Beauty: Chapter Five

Chapter five goes something like this....

Chapter Five

Feminine Mystique

We humans get eerily protective of things sometimes. For instance, we will break an arm to preserve a dried-up wad of gum that once inhabited the smacking jowls of Brad Pitt. We'll spend hundreds of dollars on eBay to buy a signed baseball that was used in the World Series. We will go to extreme lengths to protect and preserve things that we perceive as having great value.

Believe it or not, this human tendency was given to us by God for an important purpose. But sin has warped and twisted it, teaching us to claw for worthless mementos while we trample underfoot everything that is truly sacred. When our Prince takes ownership of our lives, one of the first things He does is recalibrate our sense of value. I guess you could say He puts Brad's wad of gum into it proper place (the trash can!) and trains us to go to extreme lengths to protect and preserve these supremely valuable things.

As set-apart young women, we must learn to guard on thing above all others: our sacred inner sanctuary. This holy chamber is the residence of our Prince; it is His imprint upon our souls. It is there that we meet Him; it is there that we share our love with Him. we must consider the value of maintaining this set-apart atmosphere for the Prince worthy of our very lives. For when our sanctuary is preserved, so is our love relationship with Christ. And there is absolutely nothing more valuable than that!

The Making of Warriors

Eric Ludy says it like this in the book Authentic Beauty:

"A warrior is more than just a defender of truth and justice and a champion for the weak. A warrior is also one trained to protect what is sacred and innocent within a woman."

So let's get practical. Though you as a young woman, are not the only tool that God uses to shape us as men, you are certainly one of the most important. You are a divinely positioned map in our lives to help us discover how to get to the city of Great Manhood. But since men don't like to admit that they are ever lost, and would often rather be stuck in the middle of Kansas for days than have to consult a map, how can you, as a young woman, help get us to look at your map? Let's look at four ways that a young woman can be more effective as a mapbearer for the up-and-coming warriors in her life:

1. Be an inspiration.

Live out the kind of womanhood that inspires a man to protect. Knights in shining armor are made, in large part, by beholding fair maidens. When a man encounters the rare beauty of a set-apart young woman, he is inspired to defend what makes her beautiful and what is sacred at the core of her being.

2. Be a talker.

A man can only understand a woman when a woman helps him understand her. While this is absolutely critical in marriage, it is also important for all other types of male-female relationships. And dads and brothers are a great practice ground. Take your dad and brothers through an introductory course in understanding who you are and how you work. To do this, you will need to start communicating. When you feel one of them is being insensitive, gently let them know. When you feel you just need to be comforted by your dad, sweetly ask him to comfort you. When one of them is trying to solve you problems rather than just listen to you, tell him that you are not looking to get your problem fixed, but that you just need him to try to understand and simply validate your feelings. Then when Mr. Right strolls into your life, you will already be practiced up. Only when a man knows can a man respond.  

3. Be rescuable.

Men today have lost their sense of valor mainly because they lack the opportunities to cultivate it. So often today, women feel threatened by men who desire to help them. "I'm a woman! I can do it myself!" is the marching cry of the modern feminist regime. Just as men come across as pretty stupid for trying to make it to the city of Great Manhood without a map, women will never arrive at their destination, either, if they are unwilling to read the map that God has given them-manhood. Men stopped opening doors for women when they started getting slapped for doing it; they stopped laying their coats over mud puddles when they were accused of being chauvinistic as a result. But those simple means of expressing honor and value to women are baby steps toward something far greater-becoming a self-sacrificing warrior. By allowing a man to be heroic, you fan into flame the essence of what makes William Wallace.

4. Be an encourager.

Guys live on encouragement like a puppy lives off Puppy Chow. And the words of women hold a special power in a man's life. You could almost say that a man's sense of masculinity is directly proportional to the encouraging, man-making words spoken to him by the woman in his life. When a young man's simple acts of valor are noticed by the female eye, and when the female voice utters such words as "Wow!" and "That was incredible!"-it's then that young males become men of honor. The encouragement of a young woman has the power to raise a man from the valleys of Dudsville tot he mountains of Studsville.

As guys, we haven't been trained to protect femininity. We've been trained only to conquer it. But a Christ-like warrior doesn't selfishly seek to overcome obstacle (such as women with morals). Rather, he becomes an obstacle that stands in the way of all forms of impurity and injustice. A warrior doesn't complain about sacred boundary lines-he gives his life to protect them. Don't settle for anything less! Help shape the men in your life into true Christ-built warriors, and you will help redefine manhood as we know it.

Authentic Beauty: Chapter Four

I know you are probably getting tired of hearing all this stuff from the book Authentic Beauty, but this book has SO MUCH MEAT!! And believe me, all the posts I am writing having to do with this book, it is not even half of it! I really recommend this book! Here is chapter four...

Chapter Four
Lily Whiteness and Romance
Our girlish passion for Mr. Right can become either our poison or our prize. This craving for human relationship we all feel as young ladies can prove to be either our undoing or the key that unlocks all the beauty and dazzle of life. We long for a chivalrous prince. We make one of the defining decisions of our lives when we chose where to look for him. If we choose to look among the noble men of this earth, our girlish passion quickly becomes our poison. But if we look to fulfill that craving by giving our lives to our gallant heavenly Lover, we find both the key to unlock an eternal love life with Christ and the key to unlock amazing earthy love with a noble husband-to-be.


The extraordinary thing about earthy love is that it was invented by God. But He alone holds the key to unlock its purpose and potential in our lives. God trains us as set-apart young women to be set apart not only for His enjoyment but also for the future enjoyment of an earthy husband. Just as He requires us to remove all the lovers from our lives to experience a love relationship with Him, He instructs us to do the same for our earthy lover. If we learn to be one-man women with our physical bodies, with our minds, and with our affections, we set the stage for an earthy love story that is out of this world. And if we never experience an earthy fairy tale, we have the privilege of being set apart for the greatest Husband who ever lived and experiencing the most fulfilling love story of all time. Intimacy with Him is worth every sacrifice we could ever make.

A Vision of Warrior Poets

Young ladies, did you know that we play a major role in how "Warrior Poets" are made? What are Warrior Poets? Warrior Poets are: Men who are striving to be the man that God would want them to be in their actions, thoughts, and words. Basically being manly...in a Godly sort of way. 

According to Leslie Ludy: "A key ingredient to a girl becoming a woman is learning to truly understand the manhood of Christ and then learning to help the males in her life transform into Christ-like princes."

Sometimes we may wonder just where those Warrior Poets are or if they still exist. Did you know that the majority of guys want to be "normal"? Whatever our culture defines as normal behavior, that can quickly become their manly pursuit. Young ladies, do I even need to remind you what would be considered "normal" in our culture? I don't know about you, but I don't really think that fits with the Warrior Poet definition!

Guys need someone to believe in them. They need someone to tell them that they can rise above this mediocrity. They need someone to tell them that they can have a lot more than "one thing" on their minds. They need someone to raise the expectations of their manhood. Believe it or not, guys need you, a young woman, to help them find their way out of the spiritual gutter of cultural normalcy.

Here are four ways to help shape young men into Warrior Poets (from the book Authentic Beauty):

1. Practice making princes out of the men in your life.

You can start with your daddy's and brothers. Go out of your way to mention that you notice the things that they have done well or the times you see them modeling a picture of manhood that you respect. Over time, as you gain even more of a vision for what a young man can become, you'll develop your own ways to draw majestic manli
ness out of the guys in your life. It's the words of the princesses that make them princes. They need to hear from you!

2. Challenge men to a higher standard.

Just by guarding your heart and waiting for a Christ-like Warrior Poet, you can challenge men to a higher standard without needing to say a word. When a guy realizes that you are holding out for a Christlike gentleman, it may be the motivation he needs to evaluate his own version of masculinity. There is no need to be aloof or distant toward less-than-Christlike guys. If you simply have a sweet, cheerful confidence in the standard you are holding out for, it can cause a guy to stop and think twice about his behavior. Maybe certain guys in your life showcase more of our culture's perversion than the inspirational manhood of Jesus Christ. If that's the case, when opportunity arises, verbally proclaim a higher level of expectation. Being critical or preachy won't be effective. Rather, in a lighthearted and friendly way, gently prod them toward something better.

Here are a few examples of what it could look like:

~If they burp or do anything else in the gross family, say very sweetly something like, "I've heard that burping is considered very attractive to the bearded, one eyed yak-worshipping women of Hanalei, but unfortunately most other girls don't find it very charming!" ;)

~If they hesitate to help someone in need, comment (very sweetly :), something akin to, "This job demands a man with great strength and massive biceps," then look his way and, with a tilt of your head and adding a sighing lilt to you voice, say, "Ahhh, here is the man of bulging biceps who will surely save the day!" 

~If they attempt to pressure you to sacrifice you sacred innocence, quickly leave them in the dust, and in your parting say something like, "You have the potential to be a great man. And when you are, you will be a protector rather than a conqueror of a woman's innocence."

3. Ponder the manhood of Christ.

Read both the book of Song of Solomon and the book of Revelation in the Bible. Reading those two books togehter, with the sole intention of seeing a picture of what Christ-like manhood looks like, has an amazing impact. Song of Solomon gives a picture of Christ as a poet, a gentle encourager, and a servant-lover. Revelation provides a picture of Christ as a conqueror, a hero, a Warrior of warriors, and a King of kings. As a young woman, acquaint yourself with the ultimate Warrior Poet, Jesus Christ, and then you will know better what manhood is supposed to look like.

4. Become a student of manhood.

If you make the study of manhood a lifetime research project, you will, in the process, become an amazing young woman. Start up a journal for yourself, titled something original like "My Study of Manhood." In it, write all your thoughts, observations, and discoveries about Christlike manhood. Ask God to begin to teach you how to appreciate manhood and see it the way He does. A woman who appreciates manhood is an instrument God will use to shape manhood.

I don't know about you, but I want to be a young lady who will be able to encourage guys in my world to strive to be the Warrior Poet that God would have them to be. Will you join me in this great challenge?

Will you hand over the pen to Him?

In the book, Authentic Beauty, by Leslie Ludy, there is a quote by Amy Carmichael: "It is a safe thing to trust Him to fulfill the desire which He creates."

This can be especially comforting in the area of our relationships. Sometimes it can be so difficult to hand over the pen of our love story to Christ. Though He has never been anything but faithful in all other areas in our life, we can sometimes be plagued by the fear that this area would be ruined if it were out of our control!

In the book, Leslie gives this example: "What about the popular saying 'God can't steer a parked car?' Don't I need to rev up the engine for Him-get out there and make myself available to the opposite sex- and then keep a helping hand on the steering wheel as He drives in order to make sure He doesn't crash the car?"

As a young lady, in a sexually corrupt world among teens and where divorce is rampant throughout, I need to be living the set-apart life for Jesus Christ that He would want me to live. When I start living the set-apart life for God, I also must become set-apart for my future husband.

Sometimes, I may think that it is simply saving my physical purity for him, but when this thought enters my mind, I can always turn to Proverbs 31:12: She does her husband good and not evil, all the days of her life.

What are we doing today that we may regret on our wedding day? Will I be pure and spotless like the wedding gown is supposed to represent? Or will I have regrets and "life baggage" underneath the "beautifulness" of the snowflake colored dress? Will I be able to enjoy the intimacy on my wedding night without disturbing thoughts? Or, will I be haunted by all the memories of past boyfriends and parts of my heart they took from me.  Should I not strive for a whole, pure heart meant for one man?

I pray that many of the young women out there have the courage to be the "set-apart" woman that God would want them to be. And, let's ask ourselves, will we be able to hand over the pen and let God script the most beautiful love story we ever thought possible?

Update on the boy

Well, the horse is still limping, although, it looks like not as much. We called the farrier and got his input...he said the best thing that we could do is soak it and wrap it up. We were very thankful to hear this, since we had been doing exactly that.

Sunday night, we tried something new...since the foam and tape that we had been using to wrap Epsom salt on his wound (cotton balls didn't last very long) kept falling off, we tried one of the greatest bandages ever...we hope. ;) You guessed it! A Huggies Pull-Up and pink duct tape! Don't laugh! You got to do what you got to do in the country. :D To tell you the truth, it was kind of cute looking. We'll see how our new rig holds out...

Authentic Beauty: Chapter Three

Here is the third chapter, "in a nutshell," to the book, Authentic Beauty:

Chapter Three

Beautiful Reflection

Stop trying to fit Me into your life; instead, build you life around Me."

                                                                            -God

We each have a dream-something we build our lives around, something that gives us a spark of energy in our day-to-day existence. If our dream is ballet, we envision ourselves on stage elegantly dancing like a radiant cherub before an awe-inspired crowd. If our dream is singing, we see in our mind's eye a throng on their feet cheering as we belt out a powerful melody. Some of us dream simply while others of us dream with Technicolor ambition. But we all dream,. It is our dreams that define our lives. It is our dreams that define the way we spend our time.

A set-apart young woman dreams differently than the rest of her female contemporaries. Instead of dreaming dreams that bring her to center stage in society's spotlight, she begins to dream God's dreams for her life. And God's dreams cause her to seek her Prince above all else, prior to all else, and at the risk of all else. She becomes fantastically preoccupied with her gallant Jesus.

To be a great ballet dancer demands time, and a lot of it. To develop an angelic singing voice takes countless hours of intensive training. To be great at anything demands great amounts of time. To be great at knowing our Prince is no different. It takes time-and lots of it. It demands that every last drop of our physical energy be focused on Him. He can't be conveniently fit into our lives; He must become what our lifestyles are built around. From the moment we wake up until the moment we go to sleep, He must become the center. And when He does, we quickly realize that God's dreams unlock the beauty of life itself.

Revive Us Again...

Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?

Psalm 85:6

In his own words, here is the testimony of Scottish doctor, W.P. Mackay, author of "Revive Us Again."

My dear mother...had been a godly, pious woman, quite often telling me of the Savior, and many times I had been a witness to her wrestling in prayer for my soul's salvation. But nothing had made a deep impression on me. The older I grew the more wicked I became...

One day a seriously injured (laborer)...was brought into the hospital. The case was hopeless.... He seemed to realize his condition, for he was fully conscious, and asked me how long he would last... I gave him my opinion in as cautious a manner as I could...

"Have you any relatives whom we could notify?" I continued.

The patient shook his head... His only wish was to see his landlady, because he owed her a small sum, and also wished to bid her farewell. He also requested his landlady send him, "The Book..."

I went to see him on my regular visits at least once a day. What struck me most was the quiet, almost happy expression constantly on his face... After the man died, some things about the deceased's affairs were to be attended to in my presence.

"What shall we do with this?" asked the nurse, holding up a book in her hand.

"What kind of book is it?" I asked.

"The Bible of the poor man... As long as he was able to read it, he did so, and when he was unable to do so anymore, he kept it under his bed cover."

I took the Bible and-could I trust my eyes? It was my own Bible! The Bible which my mother had given me when I left my parents' home, and which later, when short of money, I sold for a small amount. My name was still in it, written in my mother's hand...

With a deep sense of shame I looked upon...the precious Book. It had given comfort and refreshing to the unfortunate man in his last hours. It had been a guide to him into eternal life, so that he had been enabled to die in peace and happiness. and this Book, the last gift of my mother, I had actually sold for a ridiculous price....

Be it sufficient to say that the regained possession of my Bible was the cause of my conversion.

Taken from the book: Then Sings My Soul

Authentic Beauty: Chapter Two

Here is the second chapter, "in a nutshell," to the book, Authentic Beauty:

Chapter Two

The Sacred Sanctuary

The deepest, most precious expressions of intimacy are not meant for crowded subways and busy supermarkets. Love notes are not read out loud in crowded bars, and love songs are not sung at garbage dumps. Intimacy with a lover is saved for sacred, set-apart places-places of aloneness and places that reflect the sweetness of the expressions of one's heart.

Intimacy with the Inventor of romantic love is no different. Our Prince longs to meet with us in the sacred environs of our hearts, alone, surrounded by the sweet fragrance of our mutual affection for each other. But for this to happen, we must each prepare for Him an intimate and sacred sanctuary, a quiet and beautiful place adorned with His light and set apart for His enjoyment alone.

It is in this holy chamber where we experience the life-altering closeness of our Prince and are transformed into more than princesses in title alone, but into princesses in behavior as well. It is in this heavenly haven that we learn to live like princesses in the way we think, fell, speak, walk, and talk. the set-apart life of a Christlike princess begins with the preparation of this sacred place. But the preparation of this sacred sanctuary is merely the beginning of the set-apart adventure. For in due time, a set-apart young woman discovers that this intimate place holds the divine secrets to an outrageously abundant and joy-filled life-a life of the most fulfilling intimacy with her Prince.

Oh the joys...

"You might be a horse person, if the container you mix the Epsom salt and water in, is your regular family's tea pitcher."

                                                                         -The sister

On Wednesday, one of our horses had a meter part stuck in his hoof. It was a part with a longer piece which went up in his frog (a part of the hoof). After pulling it out, it bled a little bit and then stopped. Well, since then, he hasn't wanted to really put his weight on it (but walking he has to) and limps really bad. Thursday, we started soaking it in Epsom salt and warm water, pouring White Line into the wound, sticking a good 'ole cotton ball in it, and then wrapping it in none other...duct tape! ;)We do this twice a day.

We have had to do this with our other horse when he had an abcess in his hoof, but never been blessed with a puncture. :(

I think its looking like a phone call to the farrier and vet is in store for us. We are only dreading the vet's response...Auburn for x-rays? $$$

The just and perfect man.

Genesis 6:9
...Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations and Noah walked with God.

This is one of my favorite stories in the Bible.

After Adam, and Seth, and Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, and Enoch (who walked with God and then "was not" for God took him. Totally cool.), and the really old man who lived to be exactly 969 years old...the name...Methuselah, and Lamech,....there was Noah.

Noah. The man who was perfect in his generations. The one who walked with God. The man who lived in the midst of a corrupt and evil world. This man was the one who God chose and told to build a big boat out of gopher wood. God gave him precise measurements to build this gigantic, three-story boat with its single window.

Do you know what 600-year old Noah did? He obeyed. No questions asked. He built that big 'ole boat. Even though it took him hundreds of years, he and his family carried out the God-given orders.

After the boat was complete, Noah and his family loaded up that ark with seven of each clean animal and took two of every unclean animal, male and female. God shut the door. Can you believe that? Old Noah nor his wife had to strain to close the door. God did it for them. The rain came and stayed on earth for 150 days! But you know what? Because of their faithfulness and obedience to God, Noah, his wife, his three sons, and their wives were safe.

Are we obeying the commandments of Christ? Are we obeying all of the commands or just some of them? Are we giving into the worlds standards or are we making a difference for Him?

Are you building your boat or drowning in the flood of the world?

Authentic Beauty: Chapter One

Recently, I have been reading the book, Authentic Beauty. Just for future reference, this is one of the BEST BOOKS EVER for young ladies, the ages of 12 and beyond!! For the next couple of days (maybe weeks;), I want to share with you the chapter's "in a nutshell" that Leslie has included at the end of each chapter in the book.

Chapter One 

Lily White

Found within the antiquated folds of girlish fairy tales is the secret key to unlocking femininity. From Snow White to the Little Mermaid we discover: behind every storybook princess is a noble and gallant prince. But far beyond winsome tales of fictional romance is a breathtaking reality-the noble Hero of our long-lost girlish dreams is real! His name is Jesus. This Prince is not just your average Joe with baggy shorts and a patchy goatee. He is a man unlike all others, with a kiss of life on His lips and a castle far away. With a twinkle in His eyes, He calls us to "come away" with Him and become His princesses. He asks us to give up everything to be His bride. And the secret to unlocking the magnificent dimensions of our femininity, much like our fairy-tale princess counterparts, is found in our response: to give up everything we possess to follow our gallant Knight.

Our Prince is eager to begin a heavenly love story with us. He desires to spring from the pages of Scripture and dance with us in our real, day-to-day lives. He gave His very life on a cross for the opportunity to share life intimately at our sides. The defining question of our femininity is this: will we be willing to give our very lives to Him in return?

He eagerly awaits our replies. 

Blog Sweet Blog

Welcome to my blog! If you are reading this, you are obviously one of the first people to visit.
You may be asking: "What kind of name is 'Flip Flops, Camera Shots, and Happy Thots?'" Well, it was the only thing I could think of that rhymed. Not really. And you are probably saying right now, "And that is NOT the correct spelling of Thoughts!" (Just play along with me, OK?;) Anyways...

Flip Flops...
are one of my absolute favorite things in the world. I love the way they "flip" and "flop." You always know where someone is when they are wearing my favorite shoes. Since they are my favorite, here's a tribute to flip flops...

Camera Shots...
ALOT of people like their camera shots! "My hobby is...photography", "On the side, I love to take pictures", "Photography is my business," and on and on they go. That is so great! (Although, "Camera Shots" isn't so original anymore.) Well, I am one of those people who love photography too. Ask any member of my family and they will tell you I have my camera everywhere I go...literally. I keep my handy dandy Kodak in my purse. On to different things...

Happy Thots...
this blog is a place where (I hope) you will find encouragement and inspiration. I pray that it will be a blessing in your life. I hope that you will join me in the challenge of being one of the few in this generation who will make an eternal impact on this world. Maybe something you read on this blog will open up your eyes to see God's amazing purpose for your life. Welcome to life...the adventure...