Posting Somewhere Else

Hi all readers!
I just thought I'd let you know that I will be updating my newer blog ( http://growingtogetherinjesuschrist.blogspot.com/ ) more often than this one. So if you are still interested and willing to listen to my thoughts and what I'm learning, you can read more regular posting on http://growingtogetherinjesuschrist.blogspot.com/
Thank you and God bless you all!

Encouraging Words from Sarah Mally

Sarah Mally is the founder of Bright Lights, a discipleship ministry designed to equip young ladies to use the years of their youth fully for Christ. I have been reading her book "Before You Meet Prince Charming - A Guide to Radiant Purity, and some of her helpful hints have been, well... very helpful! :) The whole book emphasizes the need to stay pure for your future husband. Proverbs 31:12 says, "She does him good and not evil all the days of her life."
Here are some statements from throughout the book that I love:
Surely This Must Be the One
What are you looking for in a husband? Do you remember the story of when God told Samuel to anoint one of the sons of Jesus to be King of Israel? When Samuel saw Eliab, the firstborn, he was impressed. Seeing that he was tall, mature, and handsome, he thought, "Surely, this must be the one.`` But the Lord told Samuel, `Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature: because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart`` (1 Sam. 16:6-7).
It is easy for us to be like Samuel. We look at outward things. We notice someone who is handsome and popular, who sounds impressive, and who seems to be respected by everyone else. We look for Eliabs. But pray, rather, for a man after God`s own heart - pray for a David. Pray for a man whose life is devoted to the Lord so that as you give yourself to him, you will be using your life to bring forth fruit that is eternal. Pray for a man who loves Christ more than he loves you. Pray for a man upon whom God`s blessing is evident.
Here are just a few qualifications to consider for your list:

Does he have assurance of eternal life?
Does he faithfully share the gospel with others?
Is he always truthful?
Is he committed to never being divorced?
Does he honour his parents?
Has he applied diligence in spiritual disciplines such as Bible reading, prayer, fasting, memorizations, and giving?
Does he make all decisions based upon the Word of God?
Would you be excited to have him as the father of your children?
Is he diligent in his work and wise in his use of money?
Is God calling you in the same direction of ministry?
Does he ask forgiveness when he is wrong?
Is he humble and willing to be a servant?
Is he kind, thoughtful, and gracious?
Is he generous with others?
Does he respond to criticism in a Christlike way?
Is he willing to stand alone?
Do you see spiritual fruit in his life?
( I noticed this last one as being really key because anyone can claim they are these things, but until they prove themselves in their talk, walk, actions, and thoughts - by the fruit of saving faith in their life - can you truly know they are honest. )

Are you Ready for Marriage?
If you are not ready for marriage, then there is no good reason to begin to develop a relationship leading in that direction. Of course, I doubt that any of us are actually ever fully ready to get married, but here are some questions to ask yourself:

Do I have assurance of eternal life?
Do I know the Lord as my personal Saviour?
Do I have a clear conscience?
Is there anything in my life that needs to be cleared up, confessed, or corrected?
Am I "about my Father`s business"?
Have I been diligent to complete the tasks the Lord has given me?
Do I have a good relationship with my parents and siblings?
Have I learned to be a servant by seeing and meeting the needs of others before my own?
Have I learned to overcome anger?
Are there people who have offended me whom I am not able to forgive?
Do I read my Bible daily?
Do I find myself often in prayer, consulting with God and enjoying close, intimate conversations with Him?
Have I been diligent to identify and develop the skills, ministry, and interests God has given me?
Have I learned basic life skills, both educational ones and practical responsibilities?
Am I able to take care of a household?
Am I ready to be a mother?
Have I learned to be a giver, not a taker, in relationships?
Here are a couple more helpful hints in the area of ``What not to do when you have a crush on someone``:

Don`t talk about him with your friends.
Don`t intentionally do anything that will stir up more thoughts about him (i.e. don`t put pictures of him up on your wall :) ).
Don`t tell him how you feel about him or give any indications that you might be interested.
Don`t dwell on thoughts of him or let yourself get carried away with your dreamy imaginations.
Rather, when thoughts about young men arise (and they will), use these as a springboard to direct you to pray and delight in the Lord.

Benefits of Waiting on the Lord:
Here are some specific benefits that result from this kind of waiting on the Lord:

You will not be ashamed (need not fear disappointment or disgrace, having confidence that God Himself is your ally).``For they shall not be ashamed that wait for Me`` (Is. 49:23).
The Lord will strengthen your heart. ``Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord`` (Ps. 27:4).
You shall inherit the earth. (In the end, it is not the wicked who will receive lasting rewards, but the meek and humble. ``For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth`` (Ps. 37:9).
Your strength will be be renewed.``But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint`` (Isaiah 40:31)
The Lord will be good to you. ``The Lord is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him`` (Lam. 3:25)
Benefits to Parental Involvement

Wisdom and caution from someone older and wiser - who loves you and has your very best interests in mind
Valuable insight in evaluating a young man`s character
Help in protecting emotions
Caution when your`re headed in a wrong direction or not aware of danger
Accountability
Help in discerning the right steps and the right timing
Freedom that comes from knowing that God will work through earthly authorities.
There are many other ``firsts`` that will be very special if you make them special by saving them for the right time rather than trying to generate romance with every young man you get to know. Sure, more girls your age treat all these things casually. Sure, they might be having fun now, but how is it going to affect their marriages later. Think how meaningful each of these ``firsts`` can be, when shared with that special someone:

first expression of interest
first words of affection or love
first gift given or received
first romantic look into his eyes
first trip together
first special song, place, event, or memory
first ring
first dinner date
first personal letter expressing emotions
first "i love you"
first piece of your heart given
first serious or ongoing correspondence with a young man
first special affectionate nicknames or actions
first kiss

Well, all of these were very encouraging and also convicting in my own life and heart and I know that with God`s help, I can overcome these sinful thoughts, words, and patterns of life. To Him be the glory forever!

Debú Magazine!

Well, this is so very exciting! I was reading on a new friend of mine's blog - http://foreverhisservant.blogspot.com/, and she had just posted a very interesting article about this new online magazine that is coming out in September of this year! Here is a welcoming introduction from the author:


Calling all teenage girls!

Debú Magazine is coming to your computer in September 2011!

Debú Magazine's mission is to inspire teenage girls to surrender their entire lives to Christ and encourage them to live actively and radically for Jesus. We hope by subscribing to Debú that you will be encouraged and uplifted.


Follow this link to check out our website and subscribe to receive Debú each month.
www.debumag.com


So, we need your help! Forward this email to all your friends and let them know about Debú! We want to have as many girls subscribed as possible by the time our first issue comes out in


September, so tell everyone and keep this email going!

You are all in our prayers,
Debú Leadership Team


I am so excited about what the Lord will do through this magazine and to see how many young girls lives it will be able to reach and impact. I encourage all young ladies reading this to subscribe to the online magazine (the link is above) and to start praying for the authors who will be preparing some encouraging words for us over the summer. The power of prayer is incomprehensible and I hope that we will be able to lay down any pride in our hearts and with open hands, receive the words that will spoken from God through these girls and have teachable spirits.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 - "pray without ceasing"!

Celebrating Biblical Womanhood: Philosophies of Beauty in Conflict

"In preparation for this series on modesty I purchased several popular women's and teen magazines, most of which I was not familiar with. I spent a few days just leafing through these magazines, trying to get a flavor for what women are being exposed to today. And I have to tell you that I had a real awakening.

In fact, after spending those hours I was much more sympathetic to why it is such a challenge for young women today to appreciate the value of modesty and to want to dress modestly or even to have any clue of what it means to dress modestly-because there are so few examples in our culture of what modesty looks like. I also realized why so many Christian women today think they are modest-because in comparison with Seventeen magazine or Cosmopolitan, they are. The problem is that we've been using the wrong standard to determine what's modest.

We need to understand the difference between the world's philosophy of clothing and appearance and the Christian philosophy, based on the Word of God. You see, our outward appearance-whether it's the women in those magazines or the women in your church or your own choices-reveals a way of thinking. It reveals a philosophy; it reveals what women truly believe.

For example, the world promotes the philosophy that beauty is physical and external, whereas the Word of God helps us to understand that beauty is fundamentally spiritual, and therefore, internal. Now, that doesn't mean that there's no such thing as external or physical beauty. Some women possess unusual physical beauty. But we recognize that the heart of beauty is something that is internal and spiritual.

The world's philosophy of the body and clothing is that the body is all-important, and that the spirit is either secondary or simply doesn't exist. The Christian has a different philosophy. She understands that our earthly bodies are temporal-they are going to deteriorate. No matter how much we fight it, our bodies are going to die. The wise Christian recognizes that the spirit of a person is what really matters.

The woman who adopts the world's philosophy, believes that her body is her identity. It becomes the basis for her security or insecurity. So you knock yourself out trying to achieve this beautiful model's figure, and that becomes the basis for your security. Or, on the other side, perhaps you have your fifth child and you're forty pounds overweight; you can't get the weight off and you start to feel insecure about your body. In the world's philosophy the way you feel about your body is the way you feel about yourself. But the Christian woman recognizes that her body is not the sum total of her identity. Rather, it's what is inside-the presence of God dwelling within her-that is the essence of her identity.

The world's philosophy is that you are the product of evolution and as a result you are the highest authority there is and, hence your body belongs to you. No one else has any say or control over it. The Christian philosophy, on the other hand, is that your body did not just evolve as a result of chance, but that God made your body. It's not by chance that you look the way you do. Your body doesn't belong to you, but to God. And, if you're a married woman, your body belongs to your husband as well. For that matter, if you are ever going to be a married woman, your body belongs to someone else and you're just preserving it for him. As 1 Corinthians 7:4 teaches us, the married man has authority in a godly and loving sense over his wife's body as the wife does over her husband's body. So from God's standpoint, our bodies are not our own.

In the world's philosophy people dress in order for other people to notice them. But the Christian philosophy is that we do not dress primarily for others, but to please God. If He is the one we're trying to please, our objective should be a desire to reflect his glory, even in the way we dress.

In the world's philosophy the purpose of clothing is to reveal the body. The purpose is for sexual attraction. Some do it overtly and crassly-exposing most of their bodies. Many of the women in our churches would not do that. But some have adopted the philosophy of showing a little bit to tease. That can be just as seductive, if not more so, to Christian men than some of the more extreme forms of immodesty on the covers of magazines at the grocery store check-out. The Christian understands that the purpose of clothing is to cover the body. We've already seen in Genesis 3 that God gave Adam and Eve clothing to conceal their nakedness.2 And so the Christian philosophy should be, "I want to draw attention to the life of Jesus within me. I want others to see a reflection of the beauty of Christ."

The world's philosophy is if you want to be loved, you have to be beautiful, sensual and alluring. Now I grant that women who are sensual and physically stunning will likely receive a certain kind of male attention and love. But physical beauty will never get you the kind of love you were created for, the kind of love and attention that your heart as a child of God really longs to have. The Christian woman recognizes that she's already loved by God in a deeper and richer and more meaningful way than she could ever be loved by any human being. Therefore, our hearts as Christian women should fundamentally seek to be beautiful for God, i.e., to cultivate the kind of beauty that he finds attractive.

The world's perspective on clothing is driven by fashion. But the Christian's philosophy is driven by the heart and the Word of God. Now, let me ask which of those philosophies is revealed by your physical appearance and your clothing choices. What are you communicating? When people look at you, what do they learn about what you believe? Christian modesty is first and foremost a way of thinking. It's a way of thinking that manifests itself in the way that we dress, talk, and act. So ask yourself based on these two philosophies, "Am I living according to the world's way of thinking or am I reflecting God's heart and his way of thinking?"

by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

Modesty part 2