I don't feel like my posts have been obviously relevant to any sort of dating or relationships at the moment, so I just want to clarify (in case someone is actually reading all of these!) The first few chapters really focus on where a person's heart should be before a relationship comes along. The love we show others comes only from the overflow of our love for our Savior. When you devote your heart to him and follow Him, you desire to love others in the same way we are loved by Christ. If your relationship with Christ is not solid, nothing else will be. I am a great example of that. When I got to college I sort of dated this guy. Honestly, I was only using him for dates on the weekends. I didn't treat him like a christian should treat another person, and it's not something I'm proud of at all. When I finally came to my senses I told him the truth, and I got called more names than I've ever been called in my life. It was awful, but a great reality check. I didn't want to be those things, I know better than to be those things. It was a great learning experience, though it came at a terrible expense for that guy. After that, I told myself I was done with the dating game. I figured out that what I needed at that point wasn't another date on Saturday night, but I needed to get myself back on track and right with my Father.
After I did that and I really started growing in my faith, I was happy being just me. I was satisfied way beyond the feeling I felt when I knew I had secured yet another saturday and I wouldn't be the "lame" girl home on a saturday night, even though that's really where I like to be. I'm probably rambling now, so I'll finish up. This is more than likely going to sound like a brag, so I want to say first of all that I by no means believe that I have done everything perfect. But I can testify that my relationship now is only what it is because we continue to keep Christ first. It's hard, and we've made mistakes here and there, but it would not be a fraction of what it is now, had we both not had our foundations in our Lord and Savior first. OK, I'm done talking about my relationship now...and I think I'm just going to end this post for now.
"so we will not go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name. turn us again, o Lord God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved." -psalm 80:18,19
7.06.2007
7.05.2007
Chapter 2
The Life I Owe.
We have been bought with a price greater than we can ever begin to repay. We were freed from an eternal damnation, and given the free gift of eternal life.
Beautiful. Humbling.
I wasn't worth it. No one is or was or ever will be. The gift I have been given is one that I overlook far too often. And then someone will put it in just a way that it completely floors me. EE reminds me that we were not bought with things that can perish. Not gold, silver, or any material item. We was bought with blood. His life for our own. His Perfection for humanities unworthyness.
How can I be as precious as His Son? Completely incomprehensible to me. I am nothing. From dust I was formed, to dust I will return. I am no one special. How can I be so selfish, when He was so selfless? He gave up his Son, His child, His flesh and blood. I complain when I have to give up that new pair of earrings I want, or some other superficial thing. I don't know sacrifice. God could not call me to sacrifice enough to make equal what He gave up, not to mention, I would probably fight and complain the whole time. He heard His son's suffering, He watched him die. And He did it willingly. Giving up His son for a people who only turn their backs on Him.
The best part about this? He asks for nothing in return. All He asks is that you accept Him and allow Him to direct your footing. Even better, along this path, He will never leave your side. He will carry you when you lose your strength. Give Him all your troubles and fears and worries. Give Him everything.
But we don't want to lose our "freedom". Jimmy Needham puts it well, "you call it loosening up, I call it spiraling down." By denying Christ and embracing worldly freedom, we are only tighening our chains.
"Make straight the way of the cross before me. Give me love, that there may be no room for a wayward thought or step."
I liked this chapter, it was short, only a page, but it reminded me of an amazing truth. My life is not my own, it belongs to my Precious Lord and my Wonderful Savior. May I do it justice. haha, I just kind of felt like saying that. But really...
We have been bought with a price greater than we can ever begin to repay. We were freed from an eternal damnation, and given the free gift of eternal life.
Beautiful. Humbling.
I wasn't worth it. No one is or was or ever will be. The gift I have been given is one that I overlook far too often. And then someone will put it in just a way that it completely floors me. EE reminds me that we were not bought with things that can perish. Not gold, silver, or any material item. We was bought with blood. His life for our own. His Perfection for humanities unworthyness.
How can I be as precious as His Son? Completely incomprehensible to me. I am nothing. From dust I was formed, to dust I will return. I am no one special. How can I be so selfish, when He was so selfless? He gave up his Son, His child, His flesh and blood. I complain when I have to give up that new pair of earrings I want, or some other superficial thing. I don't know sacrifice. God could not call me to sacrifice enough to make equal what He gave up, not to mention, I would probably fight and complain the whole time. He heard His son's suffering, He watched him die. And He did it willingly. Giving up His son for a people who only turn their backs on Him.
The best part about this? He asks for nothing in return. All He asks is that you accept Him and allow Him to direct your footing. Even better, along this path, He will never leave your side. He will carry you when you lose your strength. Give Him all your troubles and fears and worries. Give Him everything.
But we don't want to lose our "freedom". Jimmy Needham puts it well, "you call it loosening up, I call it spiraling down." By denying Christ and embracing worldly freedom, we are only tighening our chains.
"Make straight the way of the cross before me. Give me love, that there may be no room for a wayward thought or step."
I liked this chapter, it was short, only a page, but it reminded me of an amazing truth. My life is not my own, it belongs to my Precious Lord and my Wonderful Savior. May I do it justice. haha, I just kind of felt like saying that. But really...
Chapter One.
Sorry all,
I have to confess, I've been reading and not typing. What can I say? I find a good book and I don't want to put it down for anything, even to write about it. :)
Now, like I said, and I am holding myself to, I'm going to go through chapter by chapter, if anything, this just makes me go back and reread some things a bit slower. Chapter one is called, "Me, Lord? Single?". Admittedly, when I started reading this chapter, I was going to just breeze through, it because I didn't think it would have any relevance to myself. And, while it wouldn't seem to have much to do with my current self, there was more truth that I gave it credit for. EE writes, "Somehow we've (society) gotten the idea that we can forget all the regulations and get away with it. Times have changed, we say. We're liberated at last from out inhibitions... Nobody is hung up anymore or needs to deny himself anything. In fact, no one ought to deny himself anything he wants badly- it's dangerous. It's unhealthy. It's sick. If it feels good and you don't do it, you're paranoid. If it doesn't feel good and you do it, you're a masochist."
This is easy to read and point fingers at others, just look around you on campus. You will easily be able to justify yourself, saying that at least you are not half as bad as the person sitting next to you. If you're a non-believer, this is acceptable. If you are a christian, it's not. Something I really like about my pastor is that he lets you have no excuse for your sins. And he's right. There isn't. If you call yourself a christian and want to talk the talk, you better be able to walk in your faith too, otherwise, you're just the same as any unbeliever. Don't kid yourself. This isn't to say you have to be perfect. Perfection isn't attainable. There will always be fault and you will always sin. Life isn't about perfection, it's about growing and learning, figuring out where your faults are, going to God with them, and allowing Him to shine light in the darkest places of your life.
Why do we all forever try to find satisfaction in material things? Worldly relationships? This book focuses mostly on relationships and sex. It asks why society continues to try and find fulfillment in multiple partners? They will never find it. They will look everywhere, sleep with a person to feel complete, only to realize they're more broken than ever. When one gender doesn't do it, they'll go to the next, forever searching. Never finding that with can only be found in Him. To drink from a well that is dry will only cause you to thirst more. I'll admit, I've seen how good the Lord can be, I've put my faith solely in Him and have reaped the benefits. I've been covered in His blessings and drowned in his Holy and Precious love. And then I've turned my back on it, for something else that caught my eye. Why? If I've seen how amazing it can be, why am I so quick to advert my gaze? I begin to worship that which the Lord has given. I worship the creation and ignore the creator. I couldn't think of a good way to sum it up better than what EE concludes. "What do women want today? What do men want? I mean deep down... If 'times' have changed, have human longings changed, too?... I say an emphatic no. I am convinced that the human heart hungers for consistency... There is monotony, sheer boredom in all of life when virginity and purity are no longer protected and prized. By trying to grab fulfillment everywhere, we find it nowhere."
I have to confess, I've been reading and not typing. What can I say? I find a good book and I don't want to put it down for anything, even to write about it. :)
Now, like I said, and I am holding myself to, I'm going to go through chapter by chapter, if anything, this just makes me go back and reread some things a bit slower. Chapter one is called, "Me, Lord? Single?". Admittedly, when I started reading this chapter, I was going to just breeze through, it because I didn't think it would have any relevance to myself. And, while it wouldn't seem to have much to do with my current self, there was more truth that I gave it credit for. EE writes, "Somehow we've (society) gotten the idea that we can forget all the regulations and get away with it. Times have changed, we say. We're liberated at last from out inhibitions... Nobody is hung up anymore or needs to deny himself anything. In fact, no one ought to deny himself anything he wants badly- it's dangerous. It's unhealthy. It's sick. If it feels good and you don't do it, you're paranoid. If it doesn't feel good and you do it, you're a masochist."
This is easy to read and point fingers at others, just look around you on campus. You will easily be able to justify yourself, saying that at least you are not half as bad as the person sitting next to you. If you're a non-believer, this is acceptable. If you are a christian, it's not. Something I really like about my pastor is that he lets you have no excuse for your sins. And he's right. There isn't. If you call yourself a christian and want to talk the talk, you better be able to walk in your faith too, otherwise, you're just the same as any unbeliever. Don't kid yourself. This isn't to say you have to be perfect. Perfection isn't attainable. There will always be fault and you will always sin. Life isn't about perfection, it's about growing and learning, figuring out where your faults are, going to God with them, and allowing Him to shine light in the darkest places of your life.
Why do we all forever try to find satisfaction in material things? Worldly relationships? This book focuses mostly on relationships and sex. It asks why society continues to try and find fulfillment in multiple partners? They will never find it. They will look everywhere, sleep with a person to feel complete, only to realize they're more broken than ever. When one gender doesn't do it, they'll go to the next, forever searching. Never finding that with can only be found in Him. To drink from a well that is dry will only cause you to thirst more. I'll admit, I've seen how good the Lord can be, I've put my faith solely in Him and have reaped the benefits. I've been covered in His blessings and drowned in his Holy and Precious love. And then I've turned my back on it, for something else that caught my eye. Why? If I've seen how amazing it can be, why am I so quick to advert my gaze? I begin to worship that which the Lord has given. I worship the creation and ignore the creator. I couldn't think of a good way to sum it up better than what EE concludes. "What do women want today? What do men want? I mean deep down... If 'times' have changed, have human longings changed, too?... I say an emphatic no. I am convinced that the human heart hungers for consistency... There is monotony, sheer boredom in all of life when virginity and purity are no longer protected and prized. By trying to grab fulfillment everywhere, we find it nowhere."
7.02.2007
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.
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.
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