Passion & Purity

A friend and I were talking about a month ago when she began to ask me questions regarding myself and Josh. Nothing really nosey, just questions about how we met, when did we know dating was right for us, those kinds of things. So, as we drove to the animal shelter to look at prospective canine companions, I told her what I so sappily call "our story." To sum it up for anyone reading this, we took a long time to start dating eachother, about 5 months from the first time one of us said, "I like you." to be exact. Before that, you most likely would have not put us together as a future couple, we certainly didn't. But, as God has worked it all out, we are and it is beyond anything I could have ever pictured for myself. Before I go off and spend my entire blog time gushing over how "my boyfriend is better than yours", I'll just say that he is my best friend and I am crazy about him. There, done. So, back to the present: After we talk about this, she tells me I remind her of this book, Passion & Purity (hints my title.) The book is written by Elizabeth Elliot, who if you don't know, is the wife of former missionary Jim Elliot, who was killed in 1956 while on a missionary trip. I find the lives of these two individuals incredible, and have more awe and admiration for Elizabeth that probably any other person on this earth. So, I was really excited when she handed me this book and told me to read it.

It's about learning to give your love life to God, no matter what stage it is in. Whether you are single or dating or in a serious relationship, she talks of the relationship her and Jim had prior to their engagement and marriage and pairs this with scripture, hymns, and quotes from others about how they learned to focus their eyes completely on Christ and not on a member of the opposite sex.

The rest of this blog series is going to be each chapter as I read it, if for no other reason, in my writing things down I can get a visual picture of the thoughts swimming in my head over this book.

So, I present for your consideration: Ricci's Walk through Passion & Purity (or) How God is going to use Elizabeth Elliot to more than likely knock me on my face and teach me something new. (Working Title)

Enjoy.