The spectacular sparkle of set-apart femininity is found through absolute abandonment to the Author of all true beauty.
Christianity has confused catching mice with the real work of the Kingdom, which is more like hunting lions.
I can’t help but wonder why we, as Christ professing young women so easily submit our minds and emotions to an industry that openly mocks the purity and righteousness of our Heavenly Prince.
The gospel is not outward rituals and sacrifices, it is a living sacrifice. It is to have the laws of God written in our heart. It is to have a soft, listening, responding heart to God.
There is no safer place for your hopes and dreams than in the loving hands of your faithful Father.
Only when self moves out of the way can His spectacular glory come cascading through your life. When Jesus is in His rightful place, all insecurity will fade away and His lasting loveliness will become the mark of your life.
A true leader must have enough backbone to stand alone – even when the crowd wants to take the easy road home. A true leader cannot be dependent on companionship for his or her security, but must learn to trust in God alone.
She was far too busy living out a passionate romance with Jesus Christ to be pining after an earthly prince.
Not my will, but Yours be done.
A real man, the kind of man a woman wants to give her life to, is one who will respect her dignity, who will honor her like the valuable treasures she is. A real man will not attempt to rip her precious pearl from its protective shell, or persuade her with charm to give away her treasure prematurely, but he will wait patiently until she willingly gives him the prize of her heart. A real man will cherish and care for that precious prize forever.
In no way did God want me to settle for one of the typical “jerks” who were a dime a dozen. He wanted me to save myself for a man who had His very nature and character within him. And He wanted me to trust Him enough to bring that special man to me in His perfect time.
Leslie, don’t you believe that I know who you will marry, and that I’m capable of leading you to that right man someday?
No matter how outlandishly audacious your prayers might sound in your own ears, they are nothing in light of God’s willingness and ability to answer.
As women, wea re given a great give: our purity. And everything that makes us who we are emotionally – our feminine nature, our sensitivity, our vulnerability, and our desire to give ourselves fully to one man – is part of that gift. Our purity is a treasure. it is so much more than just our physical virginity, it starts with who we are on the inside.
Prayer is not supposed to be all we do – it’s just supposed to undergird all we do. Prayer is not supposed to be just the first thing we do, but the first, second, fourth, seventh, and final thing we do in each circumstance.
I don’t believe there is such a thing as unanswered prayer. There is misguided prayers, selfish prayers, and doubting prayers, but true prayer doesn’t go unanswered – it is merely abandoned prematurely due to lack of persistence and faithful endurance.
A true leader must have enough backbone to stand alone, even when the crowd wants to take the easy road home. A true leader cannot be dependent on companionship for his or her security, but must learn to trust in God alone. Singleness can give us the kind of backbone – courage, confidence, and leadership skills that an effective Christian must learn.
It is not that we don’t have confidence in our God to save us from hell; we just don’t have confidence in Him to do everything else he has promised to do while we are still on Earth.
In our culture it is seen as a sign of weakness to actually seek help from someone else. And yet, as Christians, God designed us to need each other – He designed us to lean upon the body of Christ for support, prayer, wisdom, and even practical help.
Specific praying is the key to building faith.
Whenever your focus is on doing what you want and making yourself feel good, you can be confident that the Spirit of God is not the one leading the way.