Open Door

Yesterday I heard of a teen pregnancy that is within our extended circle of friends. It doesn't surprise me, not because of the person or their character, or because of the acceptance in our society, but because I know what it is like to possess a sinful nature. My first reaction because of the age of the couple was that this is something, a very permanent thing that they may have to deal with the rest of their lives. I see the possibility of things like finishing high school, going to college, and growing up and maturing before making the decision to commit yourself to a relationship permanently slipping away from them.
I know that regardless of the obstacles faced, God can still redeem the situation. I shared a bit of my personal testimony here, and I still say that my oldest daughter, born before her dad and I were married is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. In so saying, I am not condoning the sin - but recognizing her life as precious to Father God, and never a mistake in His heart. He redeemed her life - and she lives and breathes for Him which is just how Father works. He is amazing.
I woke up this morning with this young expectant couple on my heart. I was thinking about the challenges they face, and some other teen couples were on my heart, to pray for them that they can hold to the commitments they have made to remaining pure until their wedding night. If they can't or don't, I personally won't love them any less, but I will be sad in the way I would be if they traded in diamonds and gold for a cheap bubble gum ring out of a vending machine. I want them to reap the blessings of waiting for God's best.
A few years ago as I was exploring this subject with the youth group, we were discussing purity. A lot of emphasis is placed now on even waiting to share your first kiss at the altar, or not even holding hands - and while I think this is precious, I am not sure that it is Biblical. (I don't think it is un-Biblical either, I am just not sure it can be backed up scripturally - feel free to show me otherwise) However, when we were discussing these things, I know that the Lord showed me this example to share with them. We had a door in the corner of the room, and I had one of the kids shut the door completely. I then instructed them to take their hand and push on the center of the door to see if it could be opened that way - and it could not. Then we opened the door just a crack, using the door knob which represented a choice to open the door. It wasn't opened enough for a person to walk through, and in fact not really even cracked enough to let light pass through. I then instructed them to push on the center of the door that was cracked open. One firm push, and the door flew all the way open. The point is that each of these steps is cracking open a door that once you pass through, you cannot enter again.
I have also had discussions with teenagers that thought anything aside from actual intercourse (can I say that in the bloggy world?) was acceptable. I won't go into detail making a list here - but while I don't think the simple affections of hand holding or innocent kisses are necessarily wrong, I will say for the record that anything you can't do in front of others, that has to be done in secret or darkness should be clearly recognized as sin. "The list" as I said isn't mine to make. The truth of the matter is that purity starts in the heart and mind.
For some young people, the door has been wide open for a long time. God can still redeem and use their lives. As believers, can we stand in the gap for these young people - and hold up a standard of purity, help those that are caught in the consequences of their own sin so that fewer babies will be aborted, and help redeem those Christ loves and bought with a price as precious, and of whom He says, though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow.

Scrap Happy - Week 10

Ah, here we are again - another Monday Scrap Happy! Here's my page for the week:
I made this page with a super kit that I can't remember the name of right now - but it just fit this picture so well. My girls went to a "purity conference" with some friends and had a great time, learned a lot, and were inspired to give their hearts completely to the Lord!

A Special Promise

Let me preface what I am about to say by telling you that my husband is NOT a gift giver. He doesn't do it. Few times in the almost 20 years we have been together has he really done this well. I've learned to accept it and it has made our marriage much better. A month or so ago, he came home from work and began feverishly searching the internet for lock and key necklaces. It took a while but he eventually found what he wanted. Yesterday morning, before church, when the girls were sitting at the kitchen counter having breakfast, their daddy presented each of them with these pretty little boxes. I tried to stay out of the room and let them have "their moment".

Here is Kendra's telling of what happened:

You Mean the World to Me. . .

The only reason I got up as early as I did yesterday morning was because my mom woke me up saying, "We have warm blueberry muffins in the kitchen!" My sister and I stumbled out into the kitchen and sat at the island eating our muffins sleepily.
That's when my dad came up beheind us and started hugging us, and said, "I love you girls." Then he stood up and stood across from us on the other side of the island. "I love you girls a lot," he said. "Well, a little anyway," he teased. Then smiling, "No really, I love you girls a lot. And I want you to guard your...what's the word...What's that word, Julie?" When he said this, he reminded me of my Papa, who always wanted the right word. Even when he had a brain tumor and he couldn't remember any word he wanted, he always wanted his speech to be perfect, and apologized incessantly when he couldn't find the right word.
"Innocence?" Mom suggested. "Yeah that..." he said. "And also your...virtue." I could tell he was 'settling' by using the word virtue, because he couldn't find the right one. "So I got you girls something to remind you." Just then he pulled out two beautiful little jewelry boxes. The one he laid in front of me was pastel blue with a pretty little blue ribbon tied around it. My sister's was the same except it was light pink instead. We opened the boxes, and in mine was a silver necklace with a silver heart shaped charm on the end of it, which had a keyhole in the middle and pink little stones aroud the edge. Next to it was a key, which also had pink stones on it. My sister's was the same, except that it had light purple stones. "Now I want you girls to keep these necklaces," he said. "And I'm going to keep the key, and on your wedding day, I'm going to give the key to your husband." Then he put the necklaces on us himself. Now this was truly an effort for him, because as my mom describes it, it's like he 'has big toes for fingers'. =D My sister and I were awestruck...Not that we don't think our dad loves us...It's just that he has a unique love language. He shows us he loves us by giving to us, and by talking to us. He tells us he loves us as well, but just the fact that he would put so much thought and romance into something like this was amazing. I truly appreciate this gift...It is a wonderful one, because he didn't just shove some necklaces at us and have it be a gift...He showed us that he truly loved us with a gift that had more substance than material worth. I will always keep this necklace and wear it as often as possible...I will always keep this memory treasured in my heart...and if my Dad leaves this earth before Jesus comes back (and for that matter, if he leaves it before I do) I will always have that memory and the knowledge that he loves me. I hope I can give him a gift someday with as much worth as that. I love you so much, Daddy! Thank you!
PS - He eventually found the word he wanted. It was 'purity'=D

Here is what Kaitlyn had to say about the special gift:

Yesterday, Kendra and I woke up to the warm smell of blueberry muffins. We sat at the island and waited for them to come out. Daddy walked in to the kitchen, and started talking to us, and eventually he started talking to us about this. He told us that he loved us a whole lot, and that he wanted us to stay his girls, until we got married, and that he wanted our marriages to be centered around Jesus. He told us that he wanted us to keep our hearts pure, and ourselves pure. He gave us two beautiful necklaces with a heart lock charm, mine is purple. Each necklace came with a key, and Dad said that he was going to give the key to our husbands on our Wedding day. I love my Daddy so much, and it means the world to know that he cares about what we do with ourselves, and our lives. I respect, and love him sooooo much. It was all his own idea.

This post deserves a purity testimony as well. When I was younger, my Mom started talking to me about Sex, and purity, and I thought to myself, ' I can do this, I can stay pure, how hard can it be?' And I would just brush it off my shoulder. Now that I'm older the pressure of the world is closing in on me, and I finally understand how hard it really can be. A while ago, I made my decision. Until that day, until God tells me the person is right, until everything is in it's place, I will remain pure, I will keep myself pure for my God, and my future husband. And Until then, I will guard not just my body, but my heart and mind from anything that will cause me to stumble. I am not ashamed of my decision.
I Thank Jesus, My Parents, Mrs. Tina F, and Kendra for helping me with my decision.

I had to snag these from their MySpaces and copy them here so that you could read them for yourselves. The look on their faces was the most precious and priceless thing I have ever seen. It means so much as a teenage girl to know that you have a daddy that loves you. It helps you make right choices. To know you have a father who will stand up for you holding out for God's best for you, is beyond words. Their necklaces have a lock, and daddy holds the keys. He told them he was keeping the keys until the day he hands them over to the man that they marry one day. I don't think he'll be handing these over to just anyone!