Emotional Purity I

Today we start a new topic under the “guys” series. A very important topic. If you’ve never considered the importance of emotional purity then listen up. As girls we are more naturally dependant than guys. However, we tend to throw that dependence in the wrong direction, namely, at guys. How have we become dependant? I can come up with many ways, but I’d just like to highlight this one: We become dependant on guys when we let our worth be founded in them.

Our emotions and feelings aught to be grounded upon the knowledge that we are created and loved by GOD… NOT that you have a string of guys who are head-over-heels-for-you. Is that your identity? Is that where your worth comes from? Sadly, many girls cling to that as their confidence. “I must be okay because so-and-so likes me…” But what if no one seems to appreciate you? Let me tell you what happens….if your confidence and security is founded on the recognition of guys and not on God then you’re in for trouble. Why? Simple fact: Girls go frantic if they are not loved. We were MADE with that inner NEED to be loved. However, if we search for it in the wrong places, desperation hits. Girls destroy themselves with eating disorders and other frenzied attempts to somehow be WORTH something if they feel they are unloved!

Well….good news…those feelings of despair are completely unnecessary. It is simply essential that you look in the right place. Don’t look to guys to satisfy your need for love. Look to God! He MADE you and LOVES you! But we all know that…right? Or is that assurance simply something you hold in your head and never let it reach your heart? Can you really say with confidence that it does not MATTER what guys think about you because the love of the LORD JESUS CHRIST is sufficient?
Ladies...STOP trying to fulfill your need for love in the acceptance of guys! God is all you need. He is your portion. He has enough love and more to fill your every longing. During these years as teenagers we are setting the pattern for the rest of our lives. Make it your habit to go to God FIRST. Don’t search after the praise of men….I can promise you, you will come up empty and be more desperate than before.

I know most of you reading this blog are strong Christian women. However, this is an area where we all struggle. If you do struggle with seeing your worth as only what guys make of you, remember: Christ loved you enough to die for you. He bought your soul. He ransomed you from eternal death. He granted you everlasting life. That’s a bit more than any guy I know can claim! Wouldn’t you rather have the everlasting, unending love of the King of the Universe? HE is worthy of your heart. Anchor your confidence on that rock!

God bless!
Bug

P.S. I apologize for slipping away from posting as often as I should…I hope you will find it in your worthy hearts to forgive me!

Elisabeth Elliot

I have begun reading "Passion and Purity" by Elisabeth Elliot. The least I can say is that it has impacted me greatly. Every chapter has revelations to me and lines of profound wisdom.

"The greater potential for good, the greater the potential for evil."

The more I studied this statement, the more real it became to me. In severely wrong situations there is a greater potential for standing out in your firm beliefs. When there is a chance for you to shine in your moral beliefs and stand firm in your spiritual convictions. There will be hard choices to make. There will be a great potential for evil. But where there is evil, there is also a chance to do good. There is a chance to be faithful. When such a situation arises...what will you do? Will you realize your options and take the rough but rewarding path? Or will you ignore the ability to rise above the struggles? The choice is solely yours!


Bethi

Psalm 18:28-36

One of my favorite Psalms in the Bible

"You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning;
My God turns my darkness into light.
With Your help I can advance against a troop;
With my God I can scale a wall.
As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the LORD is flawless.
He is a sheild for all who take refuge in Him.
For who is God besides the LORD?
And who is the Rock except our God?
It is God who arms me with strength
And makes my way perfect.
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
He enables me to stand on the heights.
He trains my hands for battle;
My arms can bend a bow of bronze.
You give me your shield of victory,
And Your right hand sustains me;
You stoop down to make me great.
You broaden the path beneath me,
So that my ankles do not turn."


Psalm 20:7-8
"Some trust in chariots
and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
They are brought to their knees and fall,
but we rise up and stand firm."


blessings,
-becca

plans, nerves, and prayers

So perhaps you all want to know how my plans are going for Germany thus far! We will get back to EVERYBODY posting (hint hint, byrde and bug) and continuing w/ the topic of emotional purity probably sometime after the weekend! :-)
The other day I went to AAA with my dad to purchase my plane tickets and get some info on safety issues, best routes to take, possibly buying a Rail pass, etc. It all turned out to be way more confusing then I thought it would be. For those of you who don't know, I am going to a Bible school in Germany for 6 months. I have never flown before, much less gone on a trip completely alone. Purchasing tickets has proven to be very complicated because I have to be at the school at a certain time, not a day before or after. We are discussing the various cities I could fly into, whether Zurich or Berlin or Munich or some other place. Whether to take a continous flight just to save me the trouble and nervousness of changing planes. Whether to purchase a Rail pass with however many days I need it for, which is very hard to determine, since I have no idea what I'm going to be doing over Christmas break. Whether to buy a one way ticket because I may go on to England for the duration of the school year, or a round trip ticket. There are so many things to consider, and so many things I could worry myself over. To be honest, there is not a day that goes by where I don't think about how in the world I'm going to make it to school safely. And whenever I see a plane fly by overhead, I think to myself, "that will be me in 4 months. Flying off into the great unknown." :-)
You could pray for me, that I will remain sane and be able to make all the necessary decisions in a timely fashion.
And I have to make tons of packing desicions as well. Which laptop to take, which camera to take, how to keep everything safe as I jump from plane to train to ferry to bus, and all the traveling on the weekends. How to pack all my shoes (lol), winter clothes, church clothes - (including really nice ones for the banquets), and all my CDs. ;-) I may just have to purchase an iPod. hehehe. And all the different money issues, credit cards or travelers checks or such...and then safe places to keep all of that while I run around. Ah.
ok, enough of that. I AM really excited, don't get me wrong!! it's just all very overwhelming! ;-)

Well, back to our AMAZING topic next week!
blessings,
-becca-

Quote

"All that is necessary for evil to triumph,

is for good men to do nothing."

-Sir Edmund Burke

indoctrination

This has nothing to do with our little series that we are going through right now, but I just have to post about this. Today in Psychology class we watched a video about the Project Laramie (look it up). It is basically about gays and how they are so discriminated against, etc. I am so boiling mad right now I could hit something. After the video was over, the proff opened it up to class discussion. More then one student quoted the Bible about how God is love and all these hate crimes are really coming from "religious" people. Hence why i'm so mad. :)
I can practically garauntee you that none of the students in my class had ever even read the Bible once. Or if they had, they just picked out the verses they wanted to pay attention to.
Yes, God is love.
But I guess they didn't read any verses about God's wrath.
And hell.
And God's jutice.
And holiness.
And how the wages of sin is death.

Christians could be coming up on some major perrsecution. We have to stand up for what we believe, no matter what the cost.
We are to be loving, kind, and compassionate, but do not tolerate sin.

-becca-

Chivalry is dead...

...and women killed it.

Let's be honest. The sore truth that chivalry is dead isn't just the guys fault. We ladies have contributed to it as well. From not acknowledging kind acts that are done for us, or refusing to let them be done to us altogether, we are sending a message that we don't need gentlemen to be chivalrous.

I can't read a man's mind, but I know what goes through some girls heads when they witness a guy being nice to another girl. Come on now ladies, let's be honest. Sometimes we go "Awwww, that's so sweet!" But other times we say, "He must really like her." *whisper* "They must be sweet on each other." Or, "He only does that for her, what a jerk." Now tell me what guy wants to bring about those kinds of reactions when he does something nice. They have to be careful that their actions aren't all towards one girl, but they have to spread it around evenly, or we flip and pout and gossip.

So, all it takes is eye contact and a nice 'thank you', or when he offers to help carry something, let him. Even if you think you can handle it, let him be a man and help you! It's easy...and fun!! :-)

And PLEASE do not think that if he helps you, he is madly in love. ;-)

-Becca-

Quote

“For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.”

~Audrey Hepburn

I really liked this quote. I'm not sure why - but it really caught my attention. Although I believe Audrey Hepburn meant this in a very secular way, I immediately viewed it in a very special way. It is true that it is always valuable to see the good in others first and foremost. Ephesians 4:29 (Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.) whole heartdely agrees with her statement about speaking only "words of kindness." However I know not how she meant her last phrase: "...and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone." However, for me as a Christian, this statement holds a great and completely true statement. We never walk alone. Christ is always present. Never does he leave us, nor forsake us. Our God, who is SO mighty to save, is always there. He never leaves us. Never forgets about us. Never overlooks us. Never. Our prays never fall apon deaf ears. We can approach this horrid and sin-infected world with that comforting knowledge. "Sin no longer has a hold on me, for I have been bought with the blood of Christ!"


<>Byrde<>

Silence

Okay, this is a really random post, but I can't think of anything else to write about. And, since I'm here in the lab, I might as well post something! ;-)

Silence...the lost art of the century. I don't know about you, but I like listening to music and so does the rest of my family. We have music playing in the bathroom as we get ready in the mornings. We have music playing in the kitchen to entertain us while we do the dishes. We have music playing in the living room, for just random occasions. We have music playing in the car, the radio or CDs blaring country music, rock, or pop. Conversations take a back seat to the throbbing bass, as nobody wants to shout over the loud music. Conversations halt abruptly when a favorite song starts playing on the radio. When talking ceases, up goes the music.

Turn off your radio. Your iPod. Your CD player. Just be silent for just a few minutes during the hustle and bustle of your daily life. Take time to listen to God and to talk to Him. Talk to other people. Converse. Or just be silent. Enjoy the scenery when you drive. Think about Scripture as you do the dishes instead of that Chris Daughtry song that just started playing on the radio. Engage in normal human conversations with no background music. What a novelty!

God speaks to us in the silence of our hearts.

-Becca-

Distortion of Beauty

Society these days has set a standard for beauty that very few women can acheive without killing themselves in the process.
You must be size 0.
Or, even better, -10.
It doesn't matter if you puke after every time you eat,
Or if you just don't eat at all.
Skinny is beautiful,
No matter what the cost.
And it's not just the ladies who have been given a harmflul standard. Pump yourself full of steroids, men. The more muscles the better. Your shirt has to stretch over your muscles, and you must be taller then me. And we aren't the only ones who have to be skinny. You must be just as slender as me, but don't let your ribs show, cuz that ain't sexy.

How in the world did this happen? How come young girls especially are being forced into this mentality that skinny=beautiful? What happened to God's perfect design and that He made you just the way you are?
"Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder, and the One beholding you has tailor made you to His liking."
And that is all that matters.

Don't let the world's standards for beauty influence you. All those emaciated models out there aren't real. They are a figment of America's mind. And you must fit that imaginary ideal, or you are worthless.

Everyone has something they don't like about thier body.
"My legs are too fat."
"My nose is too long."
"My hair is too frizzy."
"My lips are too thin."
So we cake on the makeup. Layer after layer. I've heard that guys don't like women wearing lots of makeup. But you know what? Who are we trying to be like? Those sexy models who all guys think are hot. And we want to be hot too...in the eyes of men.

We forget the eyes of God. Please, please, please, do not forget HE made you the way you are. HE made your legs that way (you can excercise), HE made your nose that way, HE made your hair that way (you can wear hair gel), and HE made your lips that way too! Amazing, isn't it?

Keep pressing onward, and forget the world's standards! You are beautiful in God's eyes.
~becca~

Respect 2

Okay, so I finally am able to post!! YIPPEE!! I'm actually in my college's computer lab right now...I got an account set up and everything. yay. SO, I'll try to post at least 2 times a week. ;-) It's better then not at all, right?

I'm going to take off from Bryde's post about respecting guys. It is so important not to look down on them, as she said. I think an important part of that is not ratting about them or talking badly about guys to your girlfriends. I know this is supposed to be a post about singleness, but it is so important for when you are married, or in a relationship. DO NOT talk badly about them behind their backs. Or, for that matter, don't gossip at all. It's that easy, but so crucial.

And another thing, guys really do have feelings. Just like you, words hurt, but just because they don't get as emotional as you, does NOT mean that you aren't hurting them. Don't ever say, "Take it like a man", or "He can handle it, he's a guy." It may be true in some cases, but seriously. Just don't do it. :)

I would post some Scripture verses about gossip, but I don't have my Bible with me. Look up some passages about gossip. And ladies, Let's control our tongues!! :-) Our biggest weakness, no?

~becca~

Singleness: Respect

Respecting guys. Hmmmm...I guess I'm getting tired of hearing: "MEN!" or "Guys - they're such idiots!" Seriously, when did woman ever get elevated above men? Often in Junior High guys really DO seem like jerks. But aren't we also? Maturity is the same for girls as it is for guys. However, most scholars say girls mature faster, that doesn't mean that girls mature FURTHER, just FASTER. If they annoy you, give 'em time. They'll grow out of it. If not, then you know they aren't worth spending time with. Girls have their problems too, if a guy annoys you, take a second to look at yourself and realize that you do stuff that he doesn't like too! Maybe he thinks you talk too much, or have this super annoying giggle, or always agree with people. Girls are made to compliment guys, let's not get all wrapped up in somehow thinking we are better. We need to respect guys!


Just some things to think about...
Byrde