Protecting your purity in dating

Please check out,  23 Guidelines to Protect Your Purity in Dating, Eternal Perspective Ministries, by Randy Alcorn:

"First of all, remember that if you plant purity today, you will reap a rich harvest, free from shame and guilt. And, by the grace of God, you’ll look back on your life not with regret, but with joyful gratitude. Sexual purity is ALWAYS in your best interest. Be smart, not stupid, and you’ll enjoy the best God has for you!"

He then has 23 guidelines with explanations and scriptures to help you think and discern, for example:

2. If you’re a Christian, only date Christians.

You won’t marry every person you date. But the person you marry will be someone you dated. God says, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers . . . what fellowship can light have with darkness?”

4. Choose dates by character, not just appearance.

When we judge people by their appearances, often we turn out to be dead wrong—and meanwhile we may have made foolish choices.

7. Realize your date is your brother or sister in Christ—not your “lover.”

...A rule of thumb is, don’t do anything physically you wouldn’t do with your brother or sister...

ending with number 23:


23. Count the cost of impurity.

and then:

"Rehearse in advance the devastating consequences of sexual sin and you’ll be less likely to commit it. Even a forgiven person must deal with many consequences to his sin. God removes guilt, but He doesn’t always remove consequences.


God forgives when we sincerely repent, but if we sincerely repent we will show it by taking necessary steps to avoid temptation."

I saw the beauty in his face

What a beautiful thing I saw today.  

It could have been the spring sunshine, 
it could have been the flowers colorfully blooming, 
it could have been the flowering trees which are spectacular this year!

But it was the beautiful face of an elderly man as Jesus’ love shone from him.  He is a beautiful man, because he loves the LORD with all his heart, but today I saw him even more beautiful.  

We were outside together at his home. He had just taken a walk around his yard, and then he stopped, and began to watch across the street.  There was a young father and his little boy on the sidewalk.  The father was “jogging” alongside his little boy who was running as fast as his little legs could take him.  They were headed to the neighborhood park.  When the little boy stopped to rest the father would be talking to his boy, and then, soon enough, they would begin again their “jog” down the sidewalk. 

My precious, beautiful friend, said to me, “look at that,”  as he chuckled and intently continued to watch.  “Isn’t that beautiful?” he said.  I agreed, because it was so wonderful to see a father interacting and paying attention to his son, but I also saw such a beauty is his face which I will never forget.

Thank you LORD!

Watch yourselves! Do Not Forget!

from Joni's Diamonds in the Dust, January 5

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Exodus 15:1-2

Then Moses and the sons of Israel 

sang this song to the Lord, and said,

“I will sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted;

The horse and its rider He has hurled into the sea.

“The Lord is my strength and song,

And He has become my salvation;

This is my God, and I will praise Him;

My father’s God, and I will extol Him.

*

...Our own songs  of praise fade all too quickly when we forget how God protects and provides for us.  We need to take the advice God gave the Israelites in Deuteronomy 4:9:

"Only be careful and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen.

*

The next time you're tempted to grumble or complain, think of your favorite praise song and then sing it.  It will be God's way of helping you not to forget His protection and provision in your life.

Lord, forgive me for having such a short memory 

of all the marvelous ways You've protected and provided for me.  

I thank You for all that You've done 

in the past and all You'll do in the future. 

I am grateful to You!

*

The love of a mother never ends

From the moment you realize there is life within you, until your dying day, a mother's love never ends.

Praising God for His mercies as we cry out to Him through all of these years.

Honor the mothers you know

Don't listen! Read to your children!

Please! check out this ridiculous piece telling us we shouldn't read to our children.

Bedtime-story privilege?

This world becomes more and more upside-down everyday.  Please! do not listen to their madness, and read to your children!

....“I don’t think parents reading their children bedtime stories should constantly have in their minds the way that they are unfairly disadvantaging other people’s children, but I think they should have that thought occasionally,” he said....."