We got to packages the other day. It was like Christmas I told A. We opened one from the girls… It was incredible… thanks girls. A had just said a few days before how she wanted goldfish crackers and in the package was exactly that. I enjoy catching up on “news” from the magazines the girls sent. I am going to save my triscuits until my tummy is fully healed (I just started new antibiotics). A has been watching her “strawberry shortcake” movie nonstop. I had some recees peanut butter with a diet coke while I watched my movie… my birthday present fell out while I was getting everything out, so I started reading my book from KS... I love it. Then we opened our other package from Japan. Thanks AO and CO. A’s been having fun shaped rice with seasoning on it. She loves it. A ran to our helper to show her the fan she got… it was a great day to get so many things from people that love and care for us. Thanks everyone…
Yesterday my tutor couldn’t come, so I started a project. I was first going to hire someone, but then I thought that I could do it, so I asked my helper if she thought she could help me. So we are painting out entertainment room. We went down to the paint store, a two minute walk, and bought paint and paintbrushes and came home, cleared out the room and started painting. It is now 80% done. I really like it. My sheets and blankets are grey and white, so we’re doing a soft grey color. I looked at it today after painting and felt so proud and really liked it. I’m so excited about it.
So KS, sent me this book and I absolutely love it. I started yesterday and I have three chapters left. The book is “every woman’s battle”. Now I have to tell you, I have heard of this book before and I’ve even read the back a few times at bookstores, but I really don’t like reading hyped up books… you know the ones that everyone is reading. I’m really sorry I didn’t read it a long time ago. I know that “every man’s battle” was like bestseller for a long time for men. I would encourage every woman to pick up this book and read it. I think it really speaks to the hearts of women and what we struggle with, no holding back. I really like how honest the author is and how she brings scripture and real understandable scenarios into the chapters to make her point. I have read 80% of the book and I have to say that the scenarios were not foreign to me and felt God recommitting me to convictions I had and showing me new ones.
Shannon Ethridge is the author and she really sticks it to women that we sin as much as men do, but in different ways when it comes to sexual integrity. I was not surprised at the things she mentioned since P and I had lots of conversations about these kinds of things, but wow… it’s amazing still how true it is… how women may not “act”, but thoughts are always there.
Just want to share some quotes that I underlined…
• “Rarely do we understand the emotional progression of relationships before it’s too late and we’ve been sucked into an affair of the heart.” (p. 25)
• “In our culture we see nothing wrong with having close friends of the opposite sex. However, in biblical times a woman couldn’t remove the veil from her face for anyone other than her husband.” (p. 27)
• “… a woman of integrity: Her thoughts, words, emotions, and actions all reflect an inner beauty and sincere love for God, others and herself.” (p. 31)
• “God wants a close, intimate relationship with you. “ (p.43)
• “My experience has been that they way out is usually provided through an accountability friendship with another woman who can sympathize with my weakness and encourage me to stand firm in the face of battle.” (p. 46)
• “Once we reclaim this authority and stop submitting ourselves to a culture that is leading us astray, we can discover new levels of sexual integrity, enjoy genuine intimacy in marriage, and experience the satisfaction of our innermost desires through righteous relationships.” (p. 61)
• “No temptation becomes sin without our permission.” (p. 75)
• “The same God whose words possessed the power to form the entire universe longs to whisper into your hungry hearts words that have the power to thrill you, heal you, and draw you into a deeper love relationship than you ever imagined possible.” (p. 115)
Those are some quotes… this is a scenario that I really enjoyed reading… as it convicted me more on the convictions I already had.
• “Picture this scenario: You know that your neighbor is dieting to lose ten pounds before her wedding. You also know that, if she does not lose the weight, her dress will be too tight and she will feel uncomfortable on her big day. But you are a gourmet dessert chef and you crave the affirmation that you are a good cook, so you insist that your neighbor eat the pound cake and fudge and coconut cream pie samples that you bring over to her house every day. Are you acting lovingly or selfishly toward your neighbor?
Now consider this: You know that men are visually stimulated at the sight of a woman’s body, especially a scantily clad body. You are also aware that godly men are trying desperately to honor their wives by not allowing their eyes to stray. In light of this, if you insist on wearing clothes that reveal your sleek curves and tanned skin, are you acting lovingly or selfishly? This is a good thing to ask yourself each morning as you are getting dressed for the day. Rather than asking, “What man will I come across today and will this catch his eye?” try asking, “Would wearing this outfit be a loving expression, not causing my brothers to stumble and fall?”” (p. 119-120)
Like I said, the Lord has been so good at speaking right to my heart of things I need to surrender and things I need to turn away from. I feel like the Lord also affirms decisions I had made through His Word, but also through books like this.
I really think it is a good idea for women to read this and maybe even couples to get the version for their specific gender and read it together. I feel like in a world where society says so many things are okay, we really need to KNOW what God has to say about it. P always hugged people of the opposite sex with the “ministry hug”, the side by side hug. He told me about this when we dated and we didn’t even hug for a couple months… maybe even a few months, but when he hugged me, I knew I was something special, because it wasn’t the “ministry hug”. But although I got the special hug, P had boundaries drawn up for both of us as he made it known to me, to keep our sexual integrity right before each other, but mostly before God. I am so thankful for the godly example he was in our relationship before we were married and making sure that we both were right before the Lord as we related to one another. I have to say that he couldn’t have done this if he didn’t KNOW what the Lord expected from us before we were married. The truth of the matter is, you don’t KNOW unless you have a relationship with Him and dig into His word. God tells us what He allows and does not allow… It’s our job to check into it see what they are that we may grow in those areas.
Please keep us in our prayers. We had some humps with our visa process, but now we are good, I have all the papers and will take it in tomorrow. Please pray that it will go through smoothly and we will get the visas quickly.
Please pray for us as A has a runny nose and cough and as I am still getting over this stomach thing.
Please continue to pray for the people as a whole as they spend three more weeks in fasting.
