Battling Temptation

I got this brilliant idea from (you guessed it!) Leslie Ludy (Answering the Guy Questions)!

I tried this out, and it really works!

How often are you faced with the temptation, "Wow. Check him out! I wonder what it would be like to date him..." rapidly it escalates into a dreamworld about this person when you're not even sure if he's a Christan. I get hammered with that one ALL THE TIME! Sometimes I just want to say, "Satan, can't you come up with any new tricks?" I can picture him saying back, "But you fall for this one every time!"

There's the rob. As a girl not only trying to save her physical purity for marriage, I'm also trying to save my emotions and heart for my husband. When traps like this pop up, it's SO SO SOOOOO tempting to sit and dream away when what we're really doing is staining our hearts.

I know the above is a problem with which girls struggle; guys on the other hand, I know struggle with physical fantasies more than the emotional. Wanting to look and lust is an extreme battle (as is girl's emotions.)

But... BUT! There is a remedy! It's brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! Doing this will take effort and concentrations, but the rewards are

#1 A closer relationship with God
#2 Stronger, more PURE purity for your spouse
#3 A beautifully threatening weapon against evil

Ready? (It's so simple, I don't know why I never thought about it before!) When you are faced with a temptation with someone of the opposite gender, PRAY. I know it sounds trivial, but trust me when I say IT WORKS!!! Don't pray for the person causing the temptation (that only causes your thoughts to linger and makes the temptation stronger -- I know this from experience!) but instead INTENSIVELY pray for someone you know is having a tough time.

What do I mean when I say pray insensitively? Pray specifically. If you know a family that is having some financial trouble, don't just pray, "Lord, help them, Amen." Pray like, "Lord, this family is having trouble. Help them to earn more money if they need it. Help them to learn to rely more on You if that is your reason for allowing this to happen to them. Please, make sure they have enough food to go around. Let them be able to pay all their bills," etc. Praying out loud helps too.

If you pray like this every time you are faced with a temptation of the mind, you will find yourself so wrapped up in your prayer that the temptation is no longer a temptation AND to be sure, Satan will not be happy to know that his attempts to make you fall turn you into a prayer warrior for Jesus Christ!

Shiver

Title: Shiver

Rating/Review:
Language (1 being clean, 10 being cuss-a-thon) - 7, several d--n's and a lot of hell's

Morality (1 being righteous, 10 being hethanistic) - 7, these characters have nothing wrong with sleeping together behind their parents' backs. The relationships between parents and children shows the parents to be uncaring, stupid clods, while their children are really the ones who care.

Violence (1 being clean, 10 being a blood bath) - 3, there were several bloody scenes of wolves attacking people (not severely bloody) and one scene of a boy having his wrists cut.

Theme (1 being righteous, 10 being satanic) - 4, Werewolves were the main theme of this book. There was zero magic involved, but there was a very subtle line that hinted that the church was not the place to go in a crisis.

Over-all interest and read-ability (1 being terrible, 10 being amazing) - 7, it was a good read, but I like a bit more action in a story, this book seemed to be a little slow for my tastes.

Plot Summary: Grace gets saved from an attack of wolves by a wolf with yellow eyes. Over the next 6 years, grace forms a special, yet distant, bond with this wolf whom she constantly sees in the woods behind her house. One day, after being shot by a hunter, Grace sees the wolf change into a man, Sam. Since Grace's parents are never home and don't care about parenting her, it's easy for Grace to hide Sam in her room for the next several weeks. During this time the become co-dependent on each other as they try to keep Sam human while helping the rest of the "pack". While Sam is living with Grace, she begs him to sleep with her which he ends up doing right before he rejoins his pack as a wolf.

Philippians 4:8
"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things."

Fruits of the Spirit

Here are some more fruits of the spirit articles that I've written. Some of you may have already read them if you subscribe to Passion Magazine (and shame on you girls if you haven't :D)








Kindness, Goodness and Gentleness

Self-Control

Faithfulness

Set-Apart Femininity

I just got finished reading "Set-Apart Femininity." That was possibly one of the best books I've ever dared to open! It is an almost radical look at how we as girls really are to be set apart from the world to god! It goes over everything from the way we act to what we allow to affect us to our relationship with god. The thing I love about Leslie Ludy is she really does address everything. Whenever there is a chance that you might find a loophole in trying to be wholly God's (because let's face it, we are sinful people, and without conscious, persevering effort to become more like God, we will do whatever we think we can get away with) she slams it will a good dose of Bible verse and Godly examples from great Christians from the past.

Leslie Ludy challenges to truly put God first, above everything else, and fights the ideologies of the world -- even the "seemingly harmless" good ones. She addresses the apathy in church and simply edifies her fellow sisters in Christ.

One thing I would suggest is that guys interesting in learning what kind of girl they should look for should read this book. I really think it is a good idea for us to read books written for each other (as in girls read "guy books" and guys read "girl books"). Guys who read this book will be better able to understand and help their sisters in Christ (and wives) and they will also get a better idea of what they should be looking in a girl they are interested in marring.

This book, however is not reserved to single girls or guys who are interesting in learning about us. I encourage married coupled to go through this book. There are many applications that can be used in married life as well. Radical ideas like using "date night" for prayer or limiting your interaction with singles of the opposite gender after marriage are just some of the topics Leslie touches on.

This is another absolute MUST read for Christians who are interested in taking the next step in their relationship with God. Every step forward brings you closer to God, let us all step together!

The Harris Twins

I just got back from a book tour by Alex and Brett Harris (brothers of Joshua Harris, writer of "I Kissed Dating Goodbye") And it was one of the best things I've ever gone to -- I wish CHURCH was this good!!!

The seminar was from 9am to 4pm and did the Holy Spirit move!

Alex and Brett have started a movement called "The Rebelution" a movement targeted at teens. The Rebelution seeks to break the low expectations the world has set before us and change us into the best that God would have us be...

Alex and Brett have written two books thus far, their first being "Do Hard Things." "Do Hard Things" is really the core of the Rebelution. It gives insight and stories to a time before complacency and ways to become people of God driven excellence. This book shows that giving in to "the easy way" and accepting the attributes that the world had ascribed to us (rebellious, lazy, irresponsible, childish) is giving in to low expectations. Low expectations that channel the way our entire lives will move. And how having high expectations for ourselves will grow us and change us into real fighters for Jesus Christ, and true threats to the enemy.

Their second book, "Start Here: Doing Hard Things Right Where You Are." Answers many of the questions a person starting to seek high expectations and do away with the low.

As for the actual seminar, Alex and Brett are amazing speakers; their passion and energy flows into the room -- both entertaining and educating the audience. They share spiritual truths and don't hold back when it comes to saying what we may not want to hear. They led the room in the most beautiful alter-call I have ever heard -- not sugar coating anything for the new-coming believers. Their brother Joel led the band in several worship songs through out the day, and Joshua closed the evening.

I STRONGLY recommend these books to anyone who is sick of
a) sleepy Christians in the world
b) non-Christians in the church
c) both

Check out their website at TheRebelution.Com.

Are you part of the Rebelution?

School's on it's way...

With fall fast approaching, I was thinking about how many people whine and complain when it comes time to do homework or get up early to catch the bus. I understand that school isn't always fun, but we are called to be witnesses wherever we go. Do complaining, joyless people really convey the love that God has for us?

When we walk down the halls at school, try smiling to the newcomers, the people you've never really talked to, the bullies, the nerds, the preps... everyone no matter where they come from or what their reputation is. Since God is love and we are to love the way Christ loved, smiling is a simple way to show off God's love.

At my job, the simple act of smiling has everyone utterly baffled! No one can understand why I'm always smiling. Why should I? Pay is low, customers are rude, managers are demanding -- in school it might be, teachers are mean, homework takes hours, and my classmates are evil! -- so, why in the world should I smile all the time?

My answer is very simple: I am grateful that I even HAVE a job. I am grateful that I am even BEING paid to work. I am happy to be a witness to people in a dark world. I am joyful that I am a Christian, and that Jesus died for ME. I am grateful that I have a home to go to and food on in my refrigerator. I am grateful that I live in America where I can freely own a Bible. I am grateful that I can borrow my Mom's car. I am grateful that I have a room to myself, that I have my own computer, that I can paint my room whatever color I want. I am grateful that I can buy books and art supplies. I am grateful that I have tons of clothes -- that I have clothes at all! -- that I have shoes and make-up and friends... The list can go on and on and on...

The point I'm trying to make is why shouldn't I smile? I know who God is and He's in charge of where I am and how things go. I have so much and I don't deserve any of it! And even if I had nothing, I'd still have Jesus Christ and that is something I could never earn -- ever! When I put things in perspective like this, I find it hard to understand why so many people constantly complain about their situations -- especially minor ones.

So, no matter what's going on, or how bad things may seem, remember that Jesus is with you and that is a cause to smile for.