to save a kiss.

i turned on my music and set my running app. my ear buds were in my ear and i was ready.

i turned the bend and began running, settling into my routine at the running track in the community.

in the middle of the track are soccer fields.

in the distance, i noticed a high school "couple" sitting on the soccer field bleachers to my right.

as i drew closer to where they were sitting, i was shocked at what i saw.

the guy and girl kissing.

passionately kissing.

i continued my run and every time i made another lap and rounded that bend, the girl was either sitting in the guys lap, smothering him with her arms wrapped around his neck, or just majorly flirting with him by her actions.

i was shocked.

i mean, sadly, in our world today you may say: "big deal, they're kissing."

but, ladies and gentlemen.

it's a big deal.

click here to read a story of a girl who saved her first kiss.

your kiss.

the thing that you would never give away to a gross boy in school.

(after all, boys had cooties.)

the thing that only went to your mom and daddy when saying "goodnight."

the thing that was saved for prince charming and him only on your wedding day.

what happened?

how in the world did we go from thinking that "your kiss" was saved for your husband and only your husband to giving it to whichever boy would come and meet you at the soccer field bleachers after school?

i am passionate about this subject.

(read my story here.)

why can't we encourage the warrior poets in our life by setting the bar HIGH?

tell your boyfriend or fiance that you would like to save that piece of your heart until marriage.

girls, whether we realize it or not, we have a major influence in the lives of our guy friends.

when you make this major decision to be a set apart girl and save your first kiss, if the guy respects you enough (and if he doesn't, run far far away!), he will be happy to stay away from your first kiss.

he will be honored to honor your request. 

and if he's the right man God has for you, you both can share in that beautiful moment on your wedding day. 

if he's not the one, you can know that you are still a beautiful wrapped package without any tears,

saved and whole for your future prince charming.

i love you ladies and i know this is hard.

believe me, i do.

but guess what?

it will be worth it.

i cannot wait until my wedding day when i can give my first kiss to the one and only man God made just for me.

i pray so hard that God will give ladies the strength and courage to live a life of purity... 

with no regrets.

XOXOXO

q&a with them.

"Two YouTube video posts in a row??" you say?

Yeah, I'm on the YouTube kick.

=)

-----------------------------------------------

Jeff and Alyssa.

One of the cutest newly-married couples out there.

Here is a Q&A session that they did on Relationships and Dating.

Just them, sitting on a couch in their living room.

They totally had some bomb-diggity things to share.

It's one of the best 29 minutes-worth of watching that you will see today.

Enjoy.

Oh yeah.

Check out some of Jeff's incredible poems:

Topics include...

Sexual Healing

Sex, Marriage & Fairytales

The Greatest Artist of All Time

super bowl...glory?

So, yeah.

I have to say that I was one of those people who didn't watch the entire Super Bowl.

*Ahem* 

I did watch the second half of the third quarter and the whole fourth quarter...and LOVED it.

Impressed? Yeah, I thought so.



via

Great job Ravens. I really thought the 49ers were going to come back and get ya. 

You pulled it out well: 

Final Score Ravens-34  49ers-31 

------------------------------------------------------------------

Whew, we have all of that behind us....

now for the tough subject at hand.

The half-time show.

This has been weighing heavily on my heart ever since I saw the big hype about it on Instagram.

I. was. speechless.

Knowing that guys and girls all across the world watched that kind of trash broke my heart--

and people were saying how great it was???

I'm going to share my thoughts and then leave it with you to think about...

Before the super bowl I had never heard of Beyonce. Never.

And the way I'm feeling, I kind of wish I had never seen those pictures on Instagram.

I want to ask: 

"How in the world could a guy watch that and NOT have lustful thoughts?"

"How in the world could a Christian watch that without having feelings of guilt after watching it?"

"Would you have watched that with Jesus sitting beside you?"

You may say: "Awwwh, Marli. Of course I wouldn't have....Jesus isn't even here."

I don't know about you, but Jesus is with me everywhere I go.

To the guys:

I am so sorry that you had to view that kind of trash Sunday night.

I know in today's society it is so hard to keep your heart and mind filled with pure thoughts.

It makes me so sad to know what you guys have to go through in everyday life.

Especially during a harmless football game.

I don't see why they had to hire 3 girls who moved their bodies around, with barely enough clothes on to be considered underwear, to the beat of trashy music-- 

especially for a sport that mainly you guys watch. 

I pray for the guys in my life daily. 

I pray that you'll have the courage to have power over the remote and turn off the TV or computer.

 I pray that you won't click that mouse when the temptation is there.

I pray that you won't fall into that dangerous pit of sin.

I pray that you'll keep your life pure.

I want to thank you ahead of time for the effort you make to maintain the pure thoughts.

The effort you put forth to filling your mind with His Word. 

For walking away.

Keep it up, guys.

To the girls:

We would never dress like Beyonce in public (...right??).

If we only knew how our guy friends view a body like Beyonce and could see her through his eyes.

Young ladies, we have an honor and a privilege of dressing modestly for our guy friends. 

They don't have to lust after our bodies.

Matthew 5:27 and 28 says:

"You have heard that it is was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.'

But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

Ladies, do you realize what this is saying?

If a young man looks at a young lady and lusts,

(definition of lust-coveting through the influence of impure desire.)

he has sinned and commits adultery in his heart.

Ladies, to put it plainly, if we dress immodestly and they look at us with lustful longing, 

we have made our brothers in Christ sin.

I don't know about you, but that makes me quake in my boots.

I pray and hope that you'll have the courage and the strength to dress modestly.

Cover up.

Spend more time and money if needs be for that modest shirt.

Believe me, whether they say it or not,

they appreciate it more than you could ever imagine.

Believe me.

I have an older brother and a daddy.

I'm having to shop longer and harder for my clothes too.

You can do it, girl.

"For a man's ways are before the Lord, and He ponders all his paths."

Prov. 5:21

How, after watching a half-time show like that, can we go into church and feel comfortable singing:

 "Create in me a pure heart, O God..."

or

"Closer to Thee, near to Thy side, Closer dear Lord,

I would abide; Hold me in Thy embrace, 'Neath every

smile of grace, Grant me, Thy child, a place closer to Thee..."

Do we really desire pure hearts in worship every Sunday and Wednesday night?

Are we "closer to God" during the week? Or just on church days?

Are we able to partake of the Lord's supper every Sunday or pray to our Heavenly Father with pure thoughts after watching something similar to the Super Bowl?

------------------------------------------------------------

As for the commercials...

Don't even get me started--that's another topic for another day.

Although, I am thankful for people who care and would create this one. 

My favorite.

 -----------------------------------------------------

Also, please go and read L's thoughts on the Super Bowl.

Pretty amazing.

-------------------------------------------------------

Note:

I really do say these words in love.

It's just something that I have been thinking about and had to scribble (or should I say type? ;) down on paper (oh no, wait. ...down on the screen...).

Thanks for listening to my heart. <3

it was a girls weekend.

This past weekend, my sister and I were honored to be able to go to Georgia to speak at a Girls Purity Day. We had so much fun and learned a ton. We loved being able to spend time with other like-minded young ladies--all having the same goal...Heaven.

The topics were modesty and keeping yourself pure. One lady from Faulkner also taught on Happiness. This one really hit home for me. She pointed out that no matter how our day is going, we need to keep a smile on our face.
Which would you choose? A smile or a frown?

A few words to describe the weekend....
picking Mrs. Melanie up and getting a box of doughnuts from Mr. Billy, getting lost using our Mapquest directions, lunch at the Chick-fil-A Dwarf House, studying God's Word on the way up, finally making it to the camp with a dirty back window, meeting new friends and getting acquainted with old ones, making our beds in the cabin and settling in for the night, a light bulb that would not work, conquering my fears of grandaddy-long-legs, butterflies in the tummy and a prayer circle, the amazing fire pit, young ladies lifting their voices up in song and getting goose bumps because it was so beautiful, a new blue T-shirt, finding out that there is over 2400 calories in one Krispy Kreme doughnut and that all the "stuff" that is in them stays in your body for seven months, losing my phone and panicking and mom finding it, eating dinner at Zaxby's, getting stuck in traffic in Atlanta, having to yell out the window to a worker for directions, cuddling up to watch Pride and Prejudice on the laptop with the sister, arriving at the Bush's house but playing a trick on the guys by passing the house, arriving home, setting our clocks back with that wonderful feeling of another hour to sleep....

"Where's the podium?" ;)

Mrs. Melanie (friend who came with us), Memory, and Mom

After the general assembly, we all divided up into four groups and went to four classes.
This was sweet Joanna's class.

Not only did the men cook and prepare the yummy tacos for lunch,
they decorated these adorable little daisy cupcakes. :)

The Stumbling Block illustration

With two of the greatest women on earth....Miranda (left) and DeAnne (right).
These were the women who organized the Purity Day and made it all happen. :)
Note: That is the immodest mannequin in the background.
We also had a modest dressed one on the other side of the stage to show the difference of dressing modestly and immodestly.

Me, Memory (my sister), Krista, Joanna, and Kristen
These were the young ladies from Faulkner University that taught the classes.
They all did a fabulous job and meeting them was such a joy.

What a wonderful weekend.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here are two truly amazing videos that were shown at the Purity Day.

I was definitely touched and moved by them.

Young ladies, what are our clothes saying?

Are we dressing the way that would lead a guy to Heaven?

Or are we dressing in a way that would make him lust and sin?

What will you choose?



this one's for the girls

this is for all you girls about 13
high school can be so rough,
can be so mean
hold on to on to your innocence
stand your ground
when everybody's givin' in
this one's for the girls

First of all, I just want to say that I love you.
All to often, I hear my younger girlfriends talk about how they're too fat or not attractive enough. Young ladies, I know life is hard (believe me, I totally do). There will be days that you just feel "bwuh" about life. There will be days that those harsh words of "you fatty" will come like a crushing blow to your heart. There will be other days that you might be the one over on one side of the room while your friends are all of a sudden hanging with the "cooler crowd" on the other side of the room. There might be even days where one of the cutest guys at school comes and asks you out on a date....or worse.....
Girls, I plead with you to be one who is "set apart" from the others. When "everybody's givin' in" it's hard to not follow along with the others. It's easier to do what the world tells you to do. But, is that what God would have you to do?....
This is such an incredible time in your life. There are so many things that you can do to serve the Lord...visit the elderly in the nursing home, help at the local food bank. You young ladies are at a prime time in your lives. I challenge you to go beyond the call of duty....cook a yummy dish for an elderly couple in your church, teach a Sunday school class, or gather a bunch of your friends together and share each others' prayer requests while drawing closer together as friends.
Don't let anyone tell you that you're not pretty, overweight, or not important.
You are loved.
You are so amazing.
Stand your ground and continue to be that pure, special and wonderful young lady that you are.

credit

this is for all you girls about 25
in little apartments, just tryin' to get by
livin' on your dreams and spaghettios
wonderin' where your life is gonna go

Although I can't say that I have been 25...yet (hehe! ;D), I think that your age group is simply amazing. You have incredible influence in today's world and society. I mean, who are the majority that's graduating college? The young people in between the ages of 22-25, of course! :) Y'all have the potential to change the world. After graduation, you have the whole world to conquer. You have the ability to influence the younger girls and boys to choose the right path or the wrong path. You are blessed. And if you are still single and have the want and desire to be a wife and mommy, don't lose heart, lovely. There is one out there for you...just be patient and wait for God's perfect timing and His best.
You are important and you are treasured.

credit

this one's for the girls
who've ever had a broken heart
who've wished upon a shooting star
you're beautiful the way you are
this one's for the girls

this one's for all you girls about 42
tossin' pennies into the fountain of youth
every laugh, laugh line on your face
made you who you are today 

Middle-aged women, thank you . I have had so many women that are older than me have such a huge and tremendous impact on my life. Young ladies, these are your role models. Older women in the church and Christian women in your lives are the one's who will have the greatest influence over you. I wouldn't be where I am today if it hadn't been for the older Christian ladies (including my mom's) guidance and teaching. I am able to teach the 2's and 3's on Sunday morning because I was able to assist at a young age and watch a Christian lady model, interact and lovingly teach that class. I was privileged to be her helper and learn from her. I wouldn't have the training of being able to cook, keep a house, and train to be a homemaker (confidently preparing to be a wife and mommy) if it hadn't been for my mom's guidance and instruction. Thank you, older Christian women for being the role models and encouragers that we as younger women need today.
You are needed and you are special.

credit

who love without holdin' back
who dream with everything they have
all around the world
this one's for the girls

oh, we're all the same inside
from 1 to 99




This One's For the Girls by Cadia

What's the Big Deal With the Way I Dress?

Imagine that a young woman walks into a funeral wearing a flashy hot pink dress. Or a man arrives for his wedding sporting an old sweat-stained T-shirt and torn jeans.

Do you find either of these scenes disturbing? If you answered, "Yes," then you agree  that what we wear matters. Ladies, would you care if it was your wedding and the man was you fiance? What impression would you get of the young woman at the funeral? Like it or not, people make assumptions about you based on what you wear. Your clothing tells a story about you before you ever open your mouth.

Galatians 3:27 reminds us, "for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." Would others get the impression that you are a follower of Christ, leading a life of holiness, by your appearance? You may say, "But God sees what's in my heart." Of course He does! but what we do and say is a mirror into our hearts, revealing our attitudes and deepest desires. The Bible also warns that "people look at the outward appearance" (1 Samuel 16:7). Try sharing Jesus with someone while wearing a shirt with a beer logo on it. Or imagine dressing in a mini-skirt, stiletto heels and low-cut top on a mission trip. What message would you be sending?

Not only does clothing shape our reputations, it also has the power to build up or destroy. Guys, you can inspire others through T-shirts with spiritual messages, or you can pollute people's minds by displaying ungodly images and profanity. Ladies, you can reveal your pure beauty through modest attire, or you can become stumbling blocks, filling men's hearts with lust by donning the latest mini's and halter tops. Jesus taught that the second greatest commandment is to "Love you neighbor as yourself" (Mark 12:31). We will all stand before God one day to answer for our choices, even our choices in clothing. It's time we put others over fashion!

Who doesn't want to look nice? Unfortunately, fashion often goes beyond looking clean and well-kempt. 1 Corinthians 10:31 is clear: "Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." When you get dressed in the morning, whom  are you trying to please? If pleasing yourself, your friends and "looking cute" in the world's eyes is placed above honoring Jesus, then it's time for an attitude (and maybe wardrobe) change!

1 Timothy 2:9 teaches, "I also want the women to dress modestly." The Creator knows how He designed men. He also has the advantage of seeing the unseen--watching the enemy as he seeks to devour each of us (1 Peter 5:8). As commander-in-chief in the spiritual war against evil, He has blessed us with all we need to combat Satan. Modesty is one of our weapons.

Ladies, when we deny the visual way men were created (or even abuse it) and selfishly insist on cladding ourselves in the latest itsy-bitsy styles, we are not only rebelling against God but also putting ourselves in danger. Rapists often admit that pornography drove them to act on their desires. Modesty is a safeguard for those who wisely heed it.

1 Timothy 4:12 wisely advises, "Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity." Present yourself in a way that will win you the respect and admiration of older Christians, and who knows?

You may win souls as well.


Taken from an article in Kaio Magazine.

Answering the Guy Questions: Chapter Seven

 Here is the last chapter in the book.... I hope you have enjoyed these little excerpts and have gleaned something from them as I have. I have really enjoyed reading all of Leslie's books. I hope you will consider getting comfortable in a easy chair, with a cup of tea in hand, and read the entire book, Answering the Guy Questions....

click here

Chapter Seven
Fairy-Tale Love Stories

 In a modern world ravaged by mindless sex and mediocre marriages, achieving a fairy-tale love story is no small accomplishment. The enemy of our souls seems to be extra aggressive these days in his attempts to ruin beautiful romances before they even begin. It makes sense, if you think about it. When relationships are built upon God's perfect pattern, they lead to strong, healthy, Christ-centered marriages. Strong, Christ-centered marriages lead to strong Christ-centered families. And strong, Christ-centered families breed strong, Christ-centered churches and communities. Strong, Christ-centered churches and communities progress the kingdom of God and wage war on the kingdom of darkness. So it's no wonder Satan wants to destroy the beauty of God-scripted romance.

Building a romance God's way is not a formula. God works differently in different people. However there are certain principles that always govern a Christ-centered relationship. If you truly build your life and love story around these principles, you can be certain you'll experience a beautiful romance and avoid the heartache so common in our modern times.

Principle One: Keep Christ at the Center
Your romance with Christ is not supposed to be a stand-in until you finally meet the man you'll marry. Your romance with Christ is meant to be the lifelong passion of your heart and soul. Your earthy love story should pale in comparison to your love story with Christ--not just during your single years, but everyday for the rest of your life. And if it ever comes down to a choice between Christ and your future husband, Jesus Christ must always come first.

Principle Two: Vigilantly Protect Purity
The reason we don't understand the importance of purity in because we don't understand the significance of the marriage covenant. A wedding isn't merely a ceremony in which you verbally commit to love each other for the rest of your lives. A wedding is a sacred exchange--a holy covenant in which two lives become one. Until you have entered into that covenant, you are still individuals--no matter how committed you might be to the relationship. Once you enter the sacred covenant, you are no longer two individuals, but "one flesh." Then and only then are you free to enjoy each other's bodies in an intimate way.
If you engage in sensual touch prior to entering that sacred covenant, you dishonor God's perfect design and leave yourselves wide open for the enemy to ravage the beauty and nobility of your relationship.

Principle Three: Experience God's Restoration
God-scripted love stories are not just for those who have never compromised. In fact, the very reason that Christ sacrificed everything for us was to offer us the chance to be restored, washed clean, and given a hope and a future.
If you feel that you've "gone too far" to experience a truly pure and beautiful God-scripted love story, let me assure you that it's never too late to be restored and made new by His amazing cleansing blood.

~Leslie Ludy

Answering the Guy Questions: Chapter Six



click here

Chapter Six
Code of Conduct

The main points covered in this chapter were:

How do I get to know a guy in a Christ-honoring way?
1. Engage in Christ-honoring Conversation
2. Show Decorum in Your Body Language
a. Anything that you wouldn't do with another guy after marriage is something that you shouldn't do with another guy before marriage.

What should I do when I'm attracted to a guy?
1. Give it to God
2. Guard Your Thought Life
3. Don't Act Differently Around Him

How do I respond to a guy who shows interest in me?
1. Pray and Seek God's Help
2. Get Godly Council, Prayer, and Perspective from Older Adults 
3. Be Guarded and God Directed

Remember, God cares more about this area in your life than even you do! A life built around Jesus Christ is the best solution for any guy question you could ever face.

~Leslie Ludy


To get the whole picture, go here.



Answering the Guy Questions: Chapter Five

I only scraped the top of this chapter...I would encourage you to go buy this book of Leslie's. That way, you can find out all about being a Princess of Purity.... :P

click here

Chapter Five

Becoming a Princess of Purity

The problems of lust, perversion, and sexual addiction can seem overwhelming when you take a look at the state of modern manhood. But there are plenty of practical ways that we as young ladies can help guys overcome the sexual pitfalls that are so prevalent in today's world. We must remember that society's sexual problems are not just a result of modern guys. Girls are huge contributors. We shouldn't just point the finger of blame at the opposite sex and sit around complaining about how many guys are sexually warped. Rather, we should diligently pray that the sexual climate of our culture would realign with God's pattern. And then, by His enabling grace, we should do everything that lies within our power to help that dream become a reality.

Here are some practical ways we can begin...

1. Dress with Dignity

a. Showing Skin- Chest, thighs, stomach--these might seem harmless areas to show off, but if you were married and wanted to stay that way, you wouldn't allow another guy to touch you in any of those places. So why would you allow another guy to have the privilege of looking at what is meant for your husband's pleasure alone? When you keep your future husband's feelings at the forefront of your mind when deciding what to wear, the issue of how much skin to show becomes far less complicated.

b. Showing Figure- ...Remember, even though you may get male attention by wearing form-fitting clothes, a true warrior-poet is longing for a woman who showcases the true beauty of Christ instead of the cheap counterfeit of the culture. If you dress to honor your future husband, then a warrior-poet won't have to avert his eyes when you walk into the room. You'll be like a breathe of fresh air to his soul. He'll notice the light of Christ in your eyes and the radiance of your smile rather than being distracted by the outline of your body.

c. Dressing like a Lady- ...Don't think of modest dressing as giving up being feminine or attractive. Think of it as exchanging the culture's cheap counterfeit of feminine appeal for the stunning, God-designed version of female allure. Warrior-poet men aren't just looking for women who purposely dress down their feminine beauty or hide behind drab, tent-like clothes. They desire to see young women who exude a loveliness and graceful feminine beauty that flows from the inside out; a feminine dignity that is both modest and stunningly, refreshingly beautiful. Modest dressing isn't a mere obligation so that we don't cause guys to stumble. Rather, it's one of our most powerful tools in restoring respect, dignity, and nobility to modern femininity...

d. Swimsuits- ...as far as I am concerned, the same standards apply to swimwear as to the rest of our wardrobe. If we are showing off parts of our skin or figure that are meant only for our husband, then we are not dressing as a set-apart women....

2. Praise Princely Behavior

...When a guy realizes that a woman notices and applauds him when he does something Christ-like, he is far more likely to want to cultivate and repeat that behavior. Even if a guy isn't quite up to warrior-poet standards, allow God to show you the things in his life that are of a Christ-like pattern. Then let the guy know that you appreciate what you see in that area of his life. Chances are he'll start doing it more often. Plus, he'll awaken to the fact that he has the potential to be noble. Most guys just need to be told that they have princely attributes, and then they are more eager to cultivate them....

3. Get God's Heart Toward Lust and Pornography

a. Pray- When you see a guy stumble in sexual sin, don't waste time by worrying about it, gossipping about it, or being discouraged by it. Rather, pour all of your emotion out to God in passionate heart-felt prayer. Remember, the "effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man (or woman) avails much" (James 5:16).

b. Hate What God Hates- Yes, it is okay to be repulsed and shocked by pornography and sexual sin. In fact, if we don't hate the things that God hates, we don't possess the mind of Christ. You don't need to soften your response toward sexual sin to keep guys from feeling guilty or condemned. When young women finally begin to take a stand against sexual perversion, guys will be forced to take this area of their lives more seriously. Don't give into the pressure to just chuckle and shrug it off when a guy makes a sexual comment or talks  about his lustful habits. Let your reaction state that you are grieving for his wandering heart. Whether you respond in silence (which can send a very loud message!) or make a quiet comment like, "I believe that you can be a better man than that," allow God's Spirit to direct your response. Make sure that you respond with the love of Christ and not just your own selfish anger or hurt. As it says in 1 Corinthians 13, love believes all things. Love doesn't just call a person on their sin and leave them there. Rather, love speaks truth and then believes in the power of God to set us free from sin.  

c. Guard Your Own Heart- To keep oneself unspotted from the world means to remain completely unstained by corruption and pollution. The more of the world's pollution we allow into our minds and hearts, the more susceptible we are to the entrapment of mental perversion and lust.... Most young women I have talked to found that their first temptation toward lust or pornography came from movies, TV shows, or music they were exposed to. When we allow the warped mentalities of Hollywood to shape our perspective and fill our minds with impure images and attitudes, we open our minds wide for impurity to waltz right in and make itself at home. One of the best ways to guard your heart, keep yourself unspotted from the world, and remove your foot from evil is to eliminate worldly images and messages from entering your mind....

Be aggressive and ruthless in removing all that stands in the way of God's fullness for you as His set-apart princess. Every step you take out of darkness and into His marvelous light will be more than worth it!    

~Leslie Ludy

Answering the Guy Questions: Chapter Four

click here

Chapter Four

Heroic Womanhood

Christ-built femininity is a force to be reckoned with. When we allow the purity and power of Almighty God to radically transform our entire approach to womanhood, the men of our culture will step back in wonder. Every godly guy I've talked with has told me that when he encounters a young woman who is wholly consumed with Jesus Christ, she captivates him far more than even the most beautiful supermodels ever could.

Though most modern guys might appear to want women who are aggressive and easy to get, this kind of femininity is not what will capture the heart of a true warrior-poet. God designed men to diligently and valiantly pursue and woman. Guys are naturally intrigued by a woman with mystique--a woman who isn't willing to auction her heart and body to whomever passes by. if a man actually has to work to win a woman's heart, he will be far more likely to cherish and appreciate the gift he's labored so hard for. On the other hand, if a woman throws herself at him, though he might initially respond, he won't have much respect or appreciation for such easy prey, and he will never learn how to tenderly cherish the treasure of her heart.

Don't divulge all your deepest secrets, longings, fears, and desires right off the bat. Let God direct you in the gentle opening of you heart and gradual unveiling of the deepest treasures of your soul. Allow trust to build slowly and gradually. Share more of your heart with him the more he showcases the nature of Christ in his interaction with you. Allow him to seek out the inner workings of your heart. Maintain a sense of feminine mystery and guard the sacred things for sacred moments. This applies to both emotional guardedness and physical purity. Eric and I didn't hold hands until we knew we were in a relationship headed toward marriage. We didn't exchange the words "I love you" until the night of our engagement. And we didn't kiss until our wedding day. It may sound miserable and restrictive, but it was truly like a fairy tale. Because we kept sacred things sacred, it was mysterious, exciting, and beautiful--completely different than the careless, unromantic love stories so common in our modern times....

...even if you have been living far from the path of heroic femininity, Jesus Christ is ready to shape you into His likeness, starting today. So don't wait another moment before yielding to His perfect way. You'll never regret such a decision.

~Leslie Ludy

Your Front Yard

Chad Eastham explains it something like this in the book guys like girls who..........

Have you ever had to mow the grass in your front yard? Isn't it strange to think that people stop moving the grass at an imaginary line that separates their yard from the next? It's called boundary. You can't see it, but it's there. have you ever given thought to what a boundary actually is? What does that term mean to you when you think of it? And besides that, what purpose does it actually serve?

Well, in the case of your front yard or your bedroom door, it serves as a line. It's almost like a property line, isn't it? There is a different kind of line too, and this one is yours. It distinguishes what is your property and what is not. It's pretty noticeable when someone has crossed over into our own personal space. Someone puts their hand somewhere that you don't feel comfortable with, maybe they put their face too close to yours, or maybe they start asking questions that are too private and you don't want to answer them. Usually we don't like it when people invade our personal space, and we need to show people the line that they have to stop at. Like a front door, people need to knock on the door and get permission before they are allowed to see what's inside. These are our boundaries, and they usually serve two functions.

The first function is to define who you are. They are a notice to yourself and others about what you like and don't like, what you will accept and what you won't, what we like and what we hate. Boundaries tell people how far or close we want them to be. These boundaries exist ALL the time and are usually easier to notice after people cross them.

The second purpose that they serve is to protect you. Basically they tend to help keep the negative stuff away, and to attract the good stuff more naturally. Have you ever heard the saying "If you don't know what you stand for, you might fall for anything"? Well, it works like that here too. Boundaries are there to protect your reputation, your body, your and other people's feelings, and your most valuable asset: your heart. How many girls have you known who have exposed their bodies and their hearts in the wrong way or to the wrong person? When you don't have these boundaries, you are much more likely to expose yourself to harsh elements. Just as a coat is a boundary between your skin and cold weather, your personal boundaries protect the innermost (and sometimes outermost) parts of who you are.

Popular or Pure?

I saw this post over at The King's Bride and thought it to be so true....

“The world has enough women who are popular. It needs more who are pure. We need women, and men too, who would rather be morally right than socially correct.” - Peter Marshall

Authentic Beauty: Chapter Ten

Here is the last and final "chapter in a nut shell" from the book....Authentic Beauty.

Chapter Ten

Preparing for Intimacy

If we were offered an amazing love story with a gorgeous man that involved everything from tenderness to trust, most of us would jump at the chance. But if we were told in advance that it would eventually crumble in divorce, most of us would rather spend life all alone with our hearts intact rather than ride off into a sunset only to see our daydreams morph into something devastating. How can we guarantee that an earthly love story goes the distance?

As women, we were made for intimacy. We were shaped to love with abandon fervor. We were designed to stand by our man until we breathe our last breath. We were created to deposit ourselves completely into One. As set-apart young women, we can both recognize and harness this reality. We happily anticipate earthy love, and we desire to be successful in this area of our lives. But as set-apart young women, we make our ambition not the winning of an earthly prince but the total deposit of ourselves completely into One-our Heavenly Prince.

The magnificence of our design as women blossoms like a flower from a seed only when we touch the ruddy cheek of our heavenly Prince. The amazing glory of womanhood awakens within us when we allow our Lord to gently caress our hearts. When we discover this divine intimacy within the depths of our female souls, we are prepared as young women to be set apart for the exquisite delight of earthly romance. We were each carefully and lovingly created to be a one man woman. Extraordinary success awaits us when we are willing to learn the secrets of earthly love from the greatest Lover of all.

Authentic Beauty: Chapter Seven

Here it is...chapter seven...

Chapter Seven

Feminine Mystique and Romance
Prince Charmings really do exist in this world. They are men who reflect our Prince Charming in heaven- Jesus Christ. As set-apart young women, our standards for earthy lovers must be calibrated to fit with the nature and character of our heavenly Lover. W must allow Him to train our eyes to see the beauty and strength of the internal life. We must learn to recognize and applaud integrity, selfless love, courage, compassion, and an intimate relationship with Christ. And when we do, we will be satisfied with nothing less than men who reflect the princely grace of our Jesus. We will recognize these men of God's choosing because they will have been shaped by our Prince. They will be set apart for the Prince's service, just as we are.

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?