Hi all,
I'm sure you've all heard it said from someone or another that as a Christian girl, you should only date a Christian boy. Why? Because non-Christians aren't good boyfriend material, less somehow? Forces of corruption? There are many reasons that people give for this and there are also many opinions that Christians have about dating and relationships. Is this whole subject just a matter of opinion? Or are there some facts? I believe there are facts.
2 Corinthians 6:14 states: "Don't team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?" and 7:1 says "...let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God." (NLT). This is pretty clear that when you accept Christ into your life and accept salvation, you separate yourself from others, you take in the Holy Spirit and become 'light'. Dating means you join up, a partnership (a relationship) with an unbeliever. This doesn't work because your light and his darkness do not get along.
1 Corinthians 6:18-19 says: "Run from sexual sin!...For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself..." (NLT). And the Bible is pretty clear about what sexual sin entails, so much so that you can look it up on your own; I don't need to go into all the verses and it doesn't take much imagination to figure it out. So, rather, let's know what we should do rather than shouldn't. Gensis 2:24 makes it pretty clear what God intends- "...a man leaves his faither and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one." (NLT). So when you have sex with someone, you are joined in one body to them.
Okay, so thats lot's of verses but what does this all mean in a practical sense? Well, first off, if you truly believe in God as your savior, avoid dating relations with non-believers. I have never, ever heard of one dating relationship where someone grew spiritually during the relationship while dating someone who didn't believe as they did- no, I've only ever heard of the opposite happening. A guy can tell you that he accepts your beliefs, maybe he'll even go to church with you once or twice, but in the end you'll go alone or you'll stop going to be with him. It's easy for you to stop and return to what's already familiar, it's hard for him to step out into the unknown. God changes peoples' hearts towards him- you can't do it! If you somehow managed to, it wouldn't be a real change. Only God creates lasting change. So if there is a guy you truly care about, don't date him, pray for him.
Many people who are in relationships with each other are having sex (Christians and non-believers). Anyone in a dating relationship knows how extremely tempting it is! But having sex before marriage is sexual sin. Why? Because commitment must come first. A man is joined to his wife- not his girlfriend. The fact it states in Gensis that he leaves his family, means that he is making a new family, committing himself forever to the woman. Then they may become one, because the commitment is already there, under God. You must live in complete purity because the Spirit of God lives instead you- you belong to him! He detests immorality. We belong to God, so we better do what God tells us! It only makes sense...
This is a huge topic and there is way more to it than this but I believe these are the basics.
For those who have made mistakes in the past, had sex with their boyfriends- or plainly crossed the line (discussion for another time)- God forgives and he restores (uh ya- God restores vigninity- I'll let you think about that one for awhile). For those who are dating non-believers now- why? And fun is not a good enough reason; sin is fun- if it wasn't no one would do it. I encourage you, if you care about your relationship with God or that boy at all, for the sake of his soul, and yours, you'll end it and just be friends. Lastly, for those of you who've already made decisions on this and choose to date only Christians (because you're searching for the 'one')- keep praying, God will direct your path. And lastly, for those (and I know they exist because I was one of them) who are choosing to wait to begin a relationship until God nudges your heart and says 'ya girl, that's the one'- lonliness is horrible and there is no easy way around it but don't give up, keep praying, cry those tears to God and you just wait, you'll be super blessed in the end.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
Letter from God
Dear Child,
I put the sun in the sky to shine on you.
Did you stop to feel its warmth?
I set the moon above you to help you mark time, to adorn the night sky with light.
Did you look up?
I placed the stars in all their brilliant array to bring you light in the dark of night.
Did they bring you delight?
I had the Earth grow all sorts of good produce.
Did it nourish you?
I let run the streams, lakes and rivers full of fresh water.
Did you drink it?
I made animals to run, play, find homes in the land and be of use to you.
Did you appericate that?
I created the life to be a delightful adventure.
Did you live it?
I designed the world to provide for your every need.
Did you sustain it?
I placed people on the Earth to be companions to you, to encourage and comfort you.
Did you take the time to meet them?
I made you strong and beautiful.
Did you respect you?
I gave you a healthy mind, insight and wisdom.
Did you maintain it?
I gave it all to you.
Did you stop to recognize me? Were you a good steward of what I provided? Did you help and protect others? Were you there to lend a hand to even the littliest of creatures?
I am a big God and I love you child. It breaks my heart to see the state of the world you live in. The brokeness cries out to me. I see damaged humanity and I want to restore it. I can fix your mistakes. The time will come when I will make everything new again.
Have faith daughter; I love you.
I am near you
and I wait for you- always.
Love Everlasting,
Your Heavenly Father
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Women of God
Hi there,
Does the concept women of God, sound a bit, well, cheesy? Or maybe unattainable? What does it mean really, to be a women of God? Aren't we women of God because of the fact we are born women and believe in God?
Rather, think of it like this, what does it mean to be a woman and live our lives as God intended us too? We are created different from men and thus, we have different abilities to offer, different instincts and desires. I've heard it said that fathers give their children identity while the mothers give their children life (and not just in the physical sense). Women, then, are a type of life giver (even if we haven't concieved a child); we have this instinct within us. And it's a beautiful gift; straight from the Father, giver of all life. We want to see things grow, nurture, care, reach out, help prosper, create, design... We want to see our efforts become fruitful.
All women I know have some measure of mothering instinct- some obviously stronger than others. This demonstrates itself in many ways, not just by women having children (adoption included) and raising them. Look at women who have a love for gardening- their caring for those plants, or those of us ladies who love animals, or those who take special time and care to reach out to a friend, drop off a dinner at a shelter- there are many ways we operate in our mothering capacity, reaching out to give love. When we embrace this and realize the great potential that this has inside of us, we truly embrace the character God has given us.
Pretty much every single girl I know is relational. We function through our relationships with people and look to build relationships with people. We make connections with co-workers, friends, relatives, husbands, children and boyfriends. How often do you hear yourself talking about someone else during the day? Tell you what, God is relational too. Often women get accused of being too focused on relationships, especially other peoples' relationships (and yes, this can be a problem sometimes) but in this instants, it serves to prove how fundamental that is to us. We should never downplay our need to be relational, never think it is better to leave others alone, out of our lives. God didn't create us to do that. He wants us to build (heathy-key word) relational bonds because thats what he tries over and over to do with us.
So here are just three things that we can embrace in ourselves. God already planted these abilities within us and it's up to us to make the most of them: give life to others (encouragement, help, meeting needs), mothering (nurturing, fostering growth) and relationships (build them, pray for them, continue them). Yet, doing these things is not necessarily easy, it's a tough job, a tall order but trust in God to help you, and be yourself because he created you to act out these abilities in your own unique way of functioning!
Go ahead, be a girl, thats why God created you as one!
Does the concept women of God, sound a bit, well, cheesy? Or maybe unattainable? What does it mean really, to be a women of God? Aren't we women of God because of the fact we are born women and believe in God?
Rather, think of it like this, what does it mean to be a woman and live our lives as God intended us too? We are created different from men and thus, we have different abilities to offer, different instincts and desires. I've heard it said that fathers give their children identity while the mothers give their children life (and not just in the physical sense). Women, then, are a type of life giver (even if we haven't concieved a child); we have this instinct within us. And it's a beautiful gift; straight from the Father, giver of all life. We want to see things grow, nurture, care, reach out, help prosper, create, design... We want to see our efforts become fruitful.
All women I know have some measure of mothering instinct- some obviously stronger than others. This demonstrates itself in many ways, not just by women having children (adoption included) and raising them. Look at women who have a love for gardening- their caring for those plants, or those of us ladies who love animals, or those who take special time and care to reach out to a friend, drop off a dinner at a shelter- there are many ways we operate in our mothering capacity, reaching out to give love. When we embrace this and realize the great potential that this has inside of us, we truly embrace the character God has given us.
Pretty much every single girl I know is relational. We function through our relationships with people and look to build relationships with people. We make connections with co-workers, friends, relatives, husbands, children and boyfriends. How often do you hear yourself talking about someone else during the day? Tell you what, God is relational too. Often women get accused of being too focused on relationships, especially other peoples' relationships (and yes, this can be a problem sometimes) but in this instants, it serves to prove how fundamental that is to us. We should never downplay our need to be relational, never think it is better to leave others alone, out of our lives. God didn't create us to do that. He wants us to build (heathy-key word) relational bonds because thats what he tries over and over to do with us.
So here are just three things that we can embrace in ourselves. God already planted these abilities within us and it's up to us to make the most of them: give life to others (encouragement, help, meeting needs), mothering (nurturing, fostering growth) and relationships (build them, pray for them, continue them). Yet, doing these things is not necessarily easy, it's a tough job, a tall order but trust in God to help you, and be yourself because he created you to act out these abilities in your own unique way of functioning!
Go ahead, be a girl, thats why God created you as one!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
It's okay to be girlie!!!!
Hey cyber people,
Ever find that sometimes it's looked down on to act girlie? Giggle too much and people think your an airhead, or talk a lot about fasion and people think your vain. But your not, thats just your personality or behaviours. There is nothing wrong with them.
I've often found that people still have a tendency to push certain gender stereotypes on others. For example, ever go to a dinner party and all the women are in the kitchen cleaning up and the men out on the couch watching TV? Or had your mom call you to help her with dinner while your bother goes to play video games? That stuff is completely unfair and I totally disagree with those behaviours. Personally, I think it's absolutely ridiculous for women who have a career to also have to take full responsibility for the household. So just so your certain before I go on, I do not advocate that men and women need to fulfill traditional roles. We need to do what we are called to do, what we feel best at and it is unwise to assume that just because I enjoy baking, my sister does too!
Yet at the same time, pushing gender stereotypes is just as harmful as dissing them; sometimes it seems as if the traditional women's roles are looked down upon as less signifcant. Running a household and looking after children is probably the most difficult and thankless role in the world, but some women (and men, but we're just talking us girls now) do it by choice. Women who choose to run homes, have a hot meal on the stove for when their husbands comes home, are not to be looked down upon as hindering the advancement of women in the world. We should not be defined by whether or not we earn a wage. Women have every right to choose whatever path they want to take in life to fulfill their God given destiny. And they deserve every respect and appreciation for whatever role their choose, be it traditional or not.
So go ahead, have fun wearing makeup, putting a dress on, baking a cake, cooking a meal, dreaming about having a houseful of babies- there is nothing wrong with those things. Sometimes it feels like us girls have been so shaped to view some of those activities as holding less value but that's completely untrue. Ever have the experience of meeting a woman who seems to shun all typical 'female' roles and acts as if she's above it all, totally not for her, and makes you feel bad about liking that stuff? Don't feel bad because God gave you those desires and people who act hostile towards them probably used to be just like you but started to believe the lies about those things lacking worth or they were hurt by someone when they attempted to act in that capacity.
So just be yourself. Try not to make assumptions about others and encourage others to follow whatever desires God has placed into their hearts.
Ever find that sometimes it's looked down on to act girlie? Giggle too much and people think your an airhead, or talk a lot about fasion and people think your vain. But your not, thats just your personality or behaviours. There is nothing wrong with them.
I've often found that people still have a tendency to push certain gender stereotypes on others. For example, ever go to a dinner party and all the women are in the kitchen cleaning up and the men out on the couch watching TV? Or had your mom call you to help her with dinner while your bother goes to play video games? That stuff is completely unfair and I totally disagree with those behaviours. Personally, I think it's absolutely ridiculous for women who have a career to also have to take full responsibility for the household. So just so your certain before I go on, I do not advocate that men and women need to fulfill traditional roles. We need to do what we are called to do, what we feel best at and it is unwise to assume that just because I enjoy baking, my sister does too!
Yet at the same time, pushing gender stereotypes is just as harmful as dissing them; sometimes it seems as if the traditional women's roles are looked down upon as less signifcant. Running a household and looking after children is probably the most difficult and thankless role in the world, but some women (and men, but we're just talking us girls now) do it by choice. Women who choose to run homes, have a hot meal on the stove for when their husbands comes home, are not to be looked down upon as hindering the advancement of women in the world. We should not be defined by whether or not we earn a wage. Women have every right to choose whatever path they want to take in life to fulfill their God given destiny. And they deserve every respect and appreciation for whatever role their choose, be it traditional or not.
So go ahead, have fun wearing makeup, putting a dress on, baking a cake, cooking a meal, dreaming about having a houseful of babies- there is nothing wrong with those things. Sometimes it feels like us girls have been so shaped to view some of those activities as holding less value but that's completely untrue. Ever have the experience of meeting a woman who seems to shun all typical 'female' roles and acts as if she's above it all, totally not for her, and makes you feel bad about liking that stuff? Don't feel bad because God gave you those desires and people who act hostile towards them probably used to be just like you but started to believe the lies about those things lacking worth or they were hurt by someone when they attempted to act in that capacity.
So just be yourself. Try not to make assumptions about others and encourage others to follow whatever desires God has placed into their hearts.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Be Beautiful!
Hi Ladies,
Feeling gorgeous today? You should! It sucks that there is so much garabage surrounding what means for a woman to be beautiful, what we have to do to be considered beautiful or how we have to perform. Well, I have good news today and I bet some of you have heard it before but it's one of those things that it's always great to hear again. You are beautiful! You were created in the image of God (the creator of all things beautiful!) and He thinks your spectacular today! God loves what its beautiful, what is good, just look at the magnificent wonders he created in nature. He is a God with a love for all thats beautiful. Recognize that sentiment? Don't us girls just love things that are beautiful, that make us look or feel pretty? What about the compliments we recieve from others- boyfriends, husbands, friends- who tell us we're looking great today? Or the extra effort we put into things we design, such as our homes, scrapbooks, any creative enterprises? We have an inate love and longing for what is beautiful and thats totally and completely of God, and good! Our Dad in Heaven, looks at us and says 'good morning my beautiful princess'. We are created beautiful from the inside out.
Finding this hard to believe? Looking in the mirror this morning and thinking- augh, I have a zit; I hate this scar; I wish I didn't look so fat; my skin is blotchy...so on and so forth. All that stuff, it doesn't matter because it has NOTHING to do with who you are! God says that you are beautiful; when he looked over his creation, He said "It was so good, so very good!...Heaven and Earth were finished down to the last detail." (Gensis 1:31- 2: 1, The Message Bible). Trust me, when someone knows, truly believes that they are beautiful, it shines straight out through any blemishes on the outside. Our bodies aren't perfect; we live in a world of imperfection, corrupted by our own dumb choices, evil and stupidity. But that does not change what God believes about us; he sees through everything thats wrong and sees a creation that he abosultely loves, a woman that he created who is absolutely drop dead gorgeous.
So today, instead of complaining about yourself, try asking God to tell you what he thinks about you. And if it's too difficult to hear his voice through the crowd of your own thoughts, look at something you consider adorable/beautiful (flowers, puppies, whatever) and know this: "...And the very hair on your heads are numbered. So don't be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows." (Luke 12:7, NLT).
Walk in confidence today ladies, the Creator of the Universe, thinks your gorgeous!
Feeling gorgeous today? You should! It sucks that there is so much garabage surrounding what means for a woman to be beautiful, what we have to do to be considered beautiful or how we have to perform. Well, I have good news today and I bet some of you have heard it before but it's one of those things that it's always great to hear again. You are beautiful! You were created in the image of God (the creator of all things beautiful!) and He thinks your spectacular today! God loves what its beautiful, what is good, just look at the magnificent wonders he created in nature. He is a God with a love for all thats beautiful. Recognize that sentiment? Don't us girls just love things that are beautiful, that make us look or feel pretty? What about the compliments we recieve from others- boyfriends, husbands, friends- who tell us we're looking great today? Or the extra effort we put into things we design, such as our homes, scrapbooks, any creative enterprises? We have an inate love and longing for what is beautiful and thats totally and completely of God, and good! Our Dad in Heaven, looks at us and says 'good morning my beautiful princess'. We are created beautiful from the inside out.
Finding this hard to believe? Looking in the mirror this morning and thinking- augh, I have a zit; I hate this scar; I wish I didn't look so fat; my skin is blotchy...so on and so forth. All that stuff, it doesn't matter because it has NOTHING to do with who you are! God says that you are beautiful; when he looked over his creation, He said "It was so good, so very good!...Heaven and Earth were finished down to the last detail." (Gensis 1:31- 2: 1, The Message Bible). Trust me, when someone knows, truly believes that they are beautiful, it shines straight out through any blemishes on the outside. Our bodies aren't perfect; we live in a world of imperfection, corrupted by our own dumb choices, evil and stupidity. But that does not change what God believes about us; he sees through everything thats wrong and sees a creation that he abosultely loves, a woman that he created who is absolutely drop dead gorgeous.
So today, instead of complaining about yourself, try asking God to tell you what he thinks about you. And if it's too difficult to hear his voice through the crowd of your own thoughts, look at something you consider adorable/beautiful (flowers, puppies, whatever) and know this: "...And the very hair on your heads are numbered. So don't be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows." (Luke 12:7, NLT).
Walk in confidence today ladies, the Creator of the Universe, thinks your gorgeous!
Monday, February 1, 2010
Be Resilent!
Hi all,
Why did I call this blog resilence, faith and love? Because thats what I want this to be about. Resilence is the ability to bounce back, be flexible, roll with the punches, keep going and well, after a bit of living, it's very obvious everyone needs some of that in their life! Faith is the cornerstone to life, and love, well, it's all about love, everything, our entire existance, speaks of God's love.
And it is an obvious fact that we need all three things, resilence, faith and love in our lives each day! Just think of all the stress we can encounter in one day- parents yelling at us to get our homework done, cranky young kids, problems at work, getting cut off driving to work, bad hair day, no clean clothes or there just is nothing that looks good in sight, list of chores to do at home and like a billion other things that can happen, eh? It doesn't matter how young or old you are, all of us have to deal with so much pressure and stress to do a certain thing, or be a certain way- when does it end? We want to be successful, be great wifes, girlfriends, best friends, mothers, hard workers, and the list goes on of things we want to personally accomplish in our lives. Where is there a chance to just stop everything, sit back and be ourselves (if you can even remember who that is after everything!)? I think there comes a time when we just need to stop, let the world keep turning, but go into a place where we can have a moment of peace and quiet. God does not want us to overwork oursleves, be stressed to the bone. He wants us to be the best we can be, to be the women he created us to be and he will carry our burdens for us. So today, the challenge is to take a moment and just stop everything, sit down and do nothing! Then ask God to give you the strength for every task and take control of every worry. Now you can get up and know that God is in total control, why freak out? Trust Him. He created the world, he can surely walk you through your day!
Be resilent ladies!
Why did I call this blog resilence, faith and love? Because thats what I want this to be about. Resilence is the ability to bounce back, be flexible, roll with the punches, keep going and well, after a bit of living, it's very obvious everyone needs some of that in their life! Faith is the cornerstone to life, and love, well, it's all about love, everything, our entire existance, speaks of God's love.
And it is an obvious fact that we need all three things, resilence, faith and love in our lives each day! Just think of all the stress we can encounter in one day- parents yelling at us to get our homework done, cranky young kids, problems at work, getting cut off driving to work, bad hair day, no clean clothes or there just is nothing that looks good in sight, list of chores to do at home and like a billion other things that can happen, eh? It doesn't matter how young or old you are, all of us have to deal with so much pressure and stress to do a certain thing, or be a certain way- when does it end? We want to be successful, be great wifes, girlfriends, best friends, mothers, hard workers, and the list goes on of things we want to personally accomplish in our lives. Where is there a chance to just stop everything, sit back and be ourselves (if you can even remember who that is after everything!)? I think there comes a time when we just need to stop, let the world keep turning, but go into a place where we can have a moment of peace and quiet. God does not want us to overwork oursleves, be stressed to the bone. He wants us to be the best we can be, to be the women he created us to be and he will carry our burdens for us. So today, the challenge is to take a moment and just stop everything, sit down and do nothing! Then ask God to give you the strength for every task and take control of every worry. Now you can get up and know that God is in total control, why freak out? Trust Him. He created the world, he can surely walk you through your day!
Be resilent ladies!
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