Virtuous Girlhood

Alot of people feel sorry for me and tell me that I am missing out in life. And to be honest, I find these comments a bit funny. Why would you think that I am missing out? I love my life! I have a wonderful Savior, totally AWESOME, and a handful of friends that I wouldn’t trade the world for!

Granted my life isn’t perfect, I have my storms and trials like everyone else. But I try to face them with a smile and tackle them head on. I believe that trials in life are lessons that make you stronger. (cue Kelly Clarkson belting out “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” here!)

I go through life dancing through the storms and keeping my head held high.  It’s not always easy, but it’s so worth it.

I’m content with my life. And even though some days it IS hard, God always sends a rainbow my way that makes it all worth it. Sometimes that rainbow is a good book, a ten page letter from a friend, spending time with my Savior, a hug from a little brother, a encouraging word from my Mom, a whinny from my horse, or just something as simple as finding a great sale on my favorite jeans.

My life is full, it’s busy, it’s hectic, it’s chaotic, it’s crazy, it’s far from normal, and it’s TOTALLY AMAZING! So please don’t feel sorry for me because I love my life!

It happens to the best of us. Including me……

I was walking back from our car in my blue jeans, sneakers, and t-shirt and there is he was. Well, let’s call him “Greg” anyhow……. I was walking back to the building and “Greg” was by the door. As I walked up he looked at me with those piercing brown eyes and I felt my heart begin to flutter. He smiled at me and opened up the door. I thanked him and walked in. (“Greg” and I know each other quite well, we grew up together!)

It wasn’t anything. In fact, we didn’t even flirt. All he did was open up the door. But to me? Yes, to my girlish romantic heart he might as well have given me a diamond necklace. All that “Greg” did was open up the door, but in my silly mind I wondered to myself “Does he like me? Or was I reading into his look and smile?”

You see, “Greg” isn’t just anyone. He’s a really godly, nice and sweet young man who has alot of admirable qualities. Add to the fact that he’s tall and an all around cutie, he is enough to make any girl swoon.

I’m sure you’ve had a “Greg” in your life. The thing is, as my dear friend Toria told me “We can’t have them all!” And it’s true. There is nothing wrong with thinking that a guy is handsome, so long as it doesn’t go any farther then that. Just like there is nothing wrong with a boy thinking that a girl looks beautiful, so long as he doesn’t go any farther then that.

God has been teaching me lately, that I need to stop reading into things. Just because “Greg” opened up the door doesn’t mean that he’s interested in me. And just because he smiled, doesn’t mean anything. He was just being polite!

Yes, there is nothing wrong with romance, but I’m not ready for dating yet. I have so much more that I can do with my life besides wasting it dreaming about meeting prince charming. Girls, it’s a part of us to want to be loved and to want to meet someone who loves us for who we are, but the thing is most of us still have alot of growing up to do before we get married.

You don’t have to despair though. The “flutters” are a part of growing up. And everyone get’s them. The thing is, you just need to pick yourself and keep moving on. Don’t spend your time mooning or obsessing over “your” Greg. Focus on what is in the here and know.

Stop worrying and dreaming about guys. Sure these feelings are natural, but would YOU like it if your future husband spent all his teenage years drooling over all the cute girls? I don’t think so.

Not every cute guy is going to fall in love with you and ask you to marry him. So get over it.   Someday, God will send the perfect man into your life and you will fall hopelessly in love. Someday…..

Never give up girls! Your purity is SO worth it! Just pray that God will help you to overcome this season of your life.

Images credit Google Images

YOLO. It’s my motto. You only live once, but if you get it right once is enough.

As a young teen I allowed what other people said about me and my family to rule me. I listened to what everyone said. Whether it was good or bad. And I was miserable. Instead of living my life that God has planned for me, I was living the way that other people thought I should be living my life.

And then one day something clicked. This is my life and I only get to live it once. So why not just enjoy it? After all, you only live once! You can’t let the way other people think you should be define you. YOU need to define yourself.

It’s not about what other people say to you, it’s not about what they think you should do, it’s about how you live your life and how you end it. So long as you have given it your all and loved everyone around you, God doesn’t ask any more.

Please, you only live once. So stop letting other’s control you and tell you how to live your life. Ignore the hater’s and the bullies because they aren’t worth it.

If you have made mistakes just pick yourself up and keep moving on. Life is an adventure. So treat is as such and stop worrying!

Images credit- Fight for Life’s Facebook Page

As a little girl I always never thought much about marriage. Well, I would play that I was a mother with my dolls and I would have a husband, but I skipped the wedding. (Then again, I would also play that I was a General in the army and my dolls were my soldiers) I was not a normal child.

For awhile when I was 12/13 all that I could think about was getting married, but as I grew older I saw more and more of my friends going on and on about when they would get married. And quite frankly I didn’t want to be one of those girls. So I slowly started to change my ways. Over time I stopped thinking obsessing about marriage. It took some time, but I finally realized and learned this lesson.

Here is a conversation between a friend and I awhile back:

Friend: I can’t WAIT to get married. Everything will be SO much better.

Me: Uh-huh.

Friend: Come one just think about it, everything will be PERFECT. I can’t wait till he comes along and sweeps me off my feet. **insert dreamy look on her part**

Me: **secretly rolling eyes** Um, yeah. That’s great, but marriage isn’t perfect! I mean my parents have an awesome marriage and they act like newly weds, but it takes alot of work to make a marriage work. And life just isn’t about getting married.

Friend: Whatever. Seriously, I don’t know why you can’t just be excited about it! I mean it’s marriage! It’s when my life will officially begin! It will be perfect.

I think that you get how the conversation went from here. She continued talking about how perfect her marriage would be and I just sat there listening.

This photo is mine so don’t steal. (Even though it’s a really bad photo)

See my friend has made marriage her idol. There is nothing wrong with wanting to get married and having kids, that is great! And it’s a part of God’s plan, but there is SO much more that you can have in life then marriage!

Let me ask you something, how old do you want to be when you are married? For some of us that age might have already gone by, but for the rest of us it’s coming up. You might be secretly feeling bitter about it or you can go on with your life.

When marriage becomes an idol it’s all that you can think about, it is your ONLY goal in life, and when you wonder if EVERY guy is the one. That is when marriage becomes an idol.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to be married, we just need to be careful not to make it our idol. I’m going to make some of you gasp, but what if you are called to be single?

I am going to get off my soapbox, but I want to leave you with this- Learn to be happy when you are single and trust God. And who knows, maybe along your journey He might just send a man your way! Either way, being single is a gift. Enjoy it!

Don’t let marriage be your only goal in life. And don’t let it become an idol.

This post was inspired by this post here.

Hot or pretty? I don’t like it when guys treat me as if I**ahem** am a sex object to be stared at.  (No, I don’t dress immodestly most of the time I’m in jeans or a knee length skirt) I would much rather be called a pretty girl then a “hot babe”. Seriously, if you guys think this is a turn on think again! I don’t give a guy half a chance if he whistles and  shouts “Hey babe, what’s up!!” SERIOUSLY????? I might look innocent and sweet, but I HATE these comments!

I want to ask you something- How would you describe Taylor Swift? Most people would describe her as pretty and innocent and I agree. However, how would you describe Miley? I would say you would probably say that she is “hot”. If you compare the way she dresses to the way Miley Cyrus dresses, which would you rather be like? I’ll be like Taylor thank you very much.

Let me explain something to you, most of the time when you dress like a “hot chick” then you will get treated like a plaything and a toy that guys can use. However, if you dress like a pretty innocent young lady then guys will instantly want to respect and protect you. (In my experience though sometimes it doesn’t matter what you wear and guys will still be jerks!)

See my point? When guys see a girl dressed modestly and looking like a girl should, something clicks in their brain. They instantly want to protect and respect you. Dressing pretty will ensure that guys will WANT to win your heart, protect it, and love you.

However, when you dress up in a micro-mini skirt and corset type top, guys will think that you are cheap and they can easily get you. They won’t want to protect or love you. They just want your body.

Something that Emma Watson once said really stuck with me: “Modesty is hottest, and the more you keep covered the more people can wonder.”

I know that Emma and Taylor have both worn some questionable things, but compared to Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus they both seem to be all around sweethearts!

My point is, is that we don’t have pretty anymore. We have hot. I say that we bring pretty back! And maybe along the way we will uncover some guys who are being suffocated by all the “hot” girls out there. Remember, for every pretty girl this is a hundred “hot” girls.

It’s your choice, will you be a pretty girl or a hot girl? You CAN be a beautiful, modest, and pretty girl. Me? I choose the pretty girl. And even if the guys go for the hot girls- remember they respect the pretty girls. And I’d rather be respected any day then be treated like a object that is just there for play and fun.

Garbage in garbage out. It’s one of my dad’s favorite sayings. And this can apply to alot of things. One of my favorite songs is by Tal and Acacia. It’s called Garbage In.

I fill my mind with bad things.
So horrible, I feel ashamed they show.
I’ve taken sin so lightly.
That lately, oh, the darkness is all I know.
The time is now,
Oh, to leave the junk behind.
The moment has arrived,
Where I no longer am blind.
It’s garbage in.

Garbage in, Garbage out.
What goes in is found out.
All can see what goes in me.
I pay the price.

And most secular music is just that, Garbage. Don’t get me wrong, I have a TON of favorite secular songs they just happen to not have bad lyrics. (Kelly Clarkson among some!)  But most of them are garbage. I mean seriously, what’s the point of a teenage dream if you lose your sole? Royal Tailor summed up what I am trying to say PERFECTLY inside their song Control. Check out one verse-

Life is short, baby tik tok
Ain’t got no time for your blah blah (nah nah nah)
‘Cause girl we don’t need your drug
No, no, we don’t what you’re calling love
‘Cause I believe that you’re either yes or no
You’re hot or cold
No teenage dream could ever be worth your soul
Never worth your soul

Music with bad lyrics takes control of you. It fills your mind. I’m not just saying this. I used to listen to pop music ALL the time 24/7. Seriously. And I regret it. Why? Because. This music is garbage. Most of the music promotes everything that teenagers should NOT do.

Many people don’t think this is true, and that this music won’t affect you, but it will. This music is not ok. Nor is it cool. This music will take control of your mind and it will eventually influence you in ways that you don’t want it to. Even though I was raised in a godly Christian home, overtime most of my values where undermined all because of this music. I started to think that these things where ok.  I started to question everything that I had been taught, including if God was real. I had tasted the world and I wanted more.

As Christians we need to REALLY consider what we are listening to and if it honors God. Personally, I think that every once in awhile it’s ok to jam to your favorite artists. I’ve been known to turn my radio and dance to Rhianna every once in a blue moon. But listening to this music 24/7 WILL affect you. So, please, really consider what you are listening to. Does it glorify God and does it honor him?

Think about it for a minute. Do you really want something like this song playing through your head all day??

Aint got a care in world, but got plenty of beer
Aint got no money in my pocket, but I’m already here
Now, the dudes are lining up cause they hear we got swagger
But we kick em to the curb unless they look like Mick Jagger

Yeah, this is Tik-Tok by Ke$ha. Lovely song eh??? And it get’s worse. But because I have young readers, I didn’t share the nasty parts. However, if you REALLY want to be enlightened then go read the lyrics to- Last Friday Night, Teenage Dream, and Blah, Blah, Blah.

I’m not saying that we need to listen to hymns 24/7. NO! I love pop/hip-hop/rock/rap/electric music. I’m a girl who loves beat to her music. And there is great Christian music out there which I will address in another post so stay tuned for that!

What about you? Am I the only one who thinks this way? Or do you agree with me?

I’ve finally found my prince charming. No, it’s not what you think. I’m not dating, I’m not engaged, and I’m not seeing anybody. But yet I am. You are probably confused, and you have a right to be! Let me explain….

If you had asked me at 13 if I would mind being single, I would have flipped out. I planned on getting married at 18. Fast forward several years later, I’m laughing at myself. Seriously RJ??? The date that I wanted to be married at is fast approaching and **gasp** I’m still not in a relationship yet!

I’m nowhere near ready to be married. I have so much to learn. And my life has only begun. I have so many plans for my life before I settle down and I get married. Don’t get me wrong, I want to get married. But at the same time, I’m ok if I stay single my entire life. If you had asked me at 13 if I was ok with being single for the rest of my life I would have stared at you and said NO WAY! But now?

Now I’m ok with being single for the rest of my life. Why? Because I have Jesus. God has been showing me that I don’t NEED a man’s love. I need Jesus. I don’t need strong arms around me, I already have the strongest arms around me. I don’t need to be swept off my feet by prince charming. I’m being carried. I don’t need to fall in love, I’m already in love.

I’ve found my prince charming. And you know what? I couldn’t be happier. The best choice that I ever made was to give myself to God. Even though my life is total chaos, I feel a peace in my heart because I know that God loves me. And that He is here for me. And that His arms are around me.

My current theme song is “Waiting for Tomorrow” by Mandisa. This song is EPIC!

Can’t spend my whole life wastin’
Everything I know I’ve been given
‘Cause you’ve made for so much more than
Sittin’ on the side lines
I don’t wanna look back and wonder
If good enough could’ve been better

Everyday’s a day to start over
So, why am I waiting for tomorrow

Maybe today I’ll start believing
That you’re mercy is really
As real as you say it is
It doesn’t matter who I used to be
It only matters that I’ve been set free
You rescued me you’re changing me
Jesus take everything

This isn’t to say I’m perfect. I’m not. In fact I’m the chief of sinners. I’m just a sinner. I’m a broken rebel. And I still mess up, in fact, I mess up every day, but at the same time, I know that God still loves me. And I know that He will NEVER leave me.

Mirror, mirror, on the wall who is the fairest of them all?

Not I said the girl who sighed and stared as she looked at her reflection as it hung there.

Yeah, I know. That’s not the best poetry, but it get’s my point across right?? I spent most of my early teenage years staring into the mirror. Not from vanity, but because I longed to be beautiful. And my reflection to me, was not beautiful.

I spent alot of my time staring into my mirror wishing that for just once I would look pretty. Every window that I passed and every puddle that stared up at me I would peer into, hoping that for just once my reflection would show that I was beautiful.

I grew up feeling that I was a rather plain child compared to all the girls around me, but looking back into pictures of myself as I child I notice that my eyes where always sparkling, and I was always smiling. I may not have won any beauty pageants, but friends/family members remember that as a little girl I was a care-free child full of life, joy, and smiles. My grandmother once told me that I light up the room. And looking back I think it’s funny that they thought that as I was a very hyper-active little girl.

I think as girls we have high expectations of ourselves. I know I do! I could list a long list of things that I dislike about my physical features, and I’m sure that you could too. But you know what? We need to accept the way that we are made. Because God made us, and we are all beautiful. Whether we believe it or not.

The world wants us to think that we NEED plastic surgery, that we need makeup, that we need to be a size zero, that we need to have perfect skin, perfect hair, and that we need to be beautiful. But you know what? We ARE beautiful. We just can’t see it! Everyone is made in the image of God, and if we are made in the image of God then we must be pretty special!

But what does beauty really mean? Is true beauty in the size of your waist, in the color of your eyes, or the length of your hair? I say no. I know many beautiful woman and girls. And you know why the are beautiful? Because they are inwardly beautiful, and their inward beauty just lights up their outward beauty.

A truly beautiful woman is one who has the light of Christ in her. She lights up the room when she walks in, she is always smiling, and she is constantly serving and helping others. She doesn’t care about her outward appearance because she knows that she is beautiful just the way she is. (cue Bruno Mars!)

One of my friends is drop-dead gorgeous. And she doesn’t even know it. It was so funny because at a dance  all the guys wanted to dance with her, and she came up to us later and said “why does everyone want to dance with ME???” We just laughed. Because she doesn’t know just how beautiful she is from the inside out. Not only is she extremely good looking, but she is a amazing person who is always smiling and is so joyful.

Does that mean it’s wrong to want to be beautiful? No, but we as girls need to stop worrying about how we look on the outside and to remember to care about how our hearts look as well!

Girls, I challenge you, next time you look into your mirror and sigh about what you would change about yourself, make a list about what you DO like about yourself and remember that you are a beautiful child of God. I’m working on realizing this too! And I’m trying to stop focusing on the negative, and to focus on what I like about myself, instead of what I would like to change. I don’t feel like I’m a beauty queen, but I know that if I have inward beauty then I will be outwardly beautiful.

In this day in age, many teenagers **think** that they are in love with someone. But in reality, most of the time it’s not really love. It is just infatuation on the girls part, and on the guy’s part it’s usually lust.

But what does it REALLY mean to love someone? Well, we are given our guidelines in 1 Corinthians 13.

I want to ask you something, what do you think it means to really love a boy? Does it mean to tell them sweet things and to look at them with doting eyes? If you say yes then you got it wrong! True love is a number of things, but if you really love a boy then you won’t say or do anything that would cause him to stumble. Now, it’s one thing to dote on a guy if you are in a serious relationship, but even then you should be careful to guard his heart as well as your own.

True love does not compromise any one’s purity whether emotional or physical. Let’s talk about physical purity/modesty for a minute…..If you don’t dress modestly and you enjoy getting attention from guys, let me ask you two things-

1. How would you feel if your future husband was paying attention to girls who where immodest?

2. Did you ever even stop to realize that by dressing immodestly you are compromising other women’s husbands purity as well as your own? That puts things into perspective doesn’t it!

However, you can still compromise your purity even if you dress modestly! Let me explain, as women, it’s not our goal in life to “catch” men. We don’t want to make men fall head over heels in love with us, we don’t want them to obsess about us, we don’t want them to flirt with us. Why? Because as Christian’s we are to view men as our brother’s in Christ. Not as objects who we use.

Men aren’t the only ones who use people, we as women can use men as well. Acting, dressing, or flirting with a guy just for attention is using them. And we are not treating them as brother’s in the Christ if we act this way around them.

Know I understand that some guys do have lust problems, but at the same time we can help to protect our own purity as well as these young men’s purity by dressing and acting modestly.

How can we love our brother’s in Christ? Good question! And here’s the answer-

Dress and act like your future husband was at your side.
Love them like a brother.
Don’t flirt. And don’t dress immodestly.
Pray for them.
Set a godly example. Men need godly girls to set an example for them, when so much temptation surrounds them.
Point them to Christ. Men need to see gentleness, compassion, humility…at work, so they can develop it in their own lives.
Be a shining light.

Our goal in life should be to point men to Christ. To motivate them toward building character, and to demonstrate a closer walk with God. And how can you do that when men are obsessed with you? And how can YOU do that if you are obsessed with them?

I know that things are different for every girl, but we need to remember to just pray for the young man that we know. Don’t try to get their attention, just pray for them! Just be a shining light.

You don’t want boys to see you, you don’t want them to fall in love with you, you don’t want them to become obsessed with you. Young men don’t need you. They need Jesus. They need a passionate relationship with our Savior.  We as women need to truly understand what it really means to love a boy.

If you really love a boy then you won’t do anything around him that would compromise his purity or your own. Remember, true love waits.

Happy Thanksgiving ladies! We have SO much to be thankful for don’t we? I hope you have a blessed and wonderful day celebrating what God has done for us!

Here are just a few things that I am thankful for-

For God, without you I would be nothing. Thank you for taking me out of the ashes. And for making me who I am today.

For my wonderful family. Yes, you drive me nuts, but I would not trade any of you for anyone else. You are what keeps me going even if you tire me out some days! I love you all SO much.

For God’s blessings in my life. Thank you Jesus.

For my amazing friends. You are all so wonderful. Thank you to Rose and Sarah H for always being there. For Tara for making me smile and for just loving me. For Kathryn for always answering my “techy” questions, to Toria and Chaunalee for listening to me ramble even when I don’t make sense. To Anna, Grace, and Sarah-Rose for being so sweet. To my amazing friends on FB, you ladies rock! To Miss Jessica E, thank you for being such a shining light. Thank you for always giving me wonderful advice and being such a wonderful role model. And to Alyssa, girl you never cease to make me smile. I love you all. <3 <3 <3

For my amazing writers- Rose, Rachel, LeAnne, Katie, Rosi, Cattie, Chely, Sarah, and Hannah. You girls rock and I could not do this without you! Love you all!

And finally for all of my readers. Thank you for listening to me ramble. And thank you for listening to everything that I have to stay and for just reading this blog. ***group hug***

What are YOU thankful for?

Romance. It’s something that every girl dreams of. We dream of first kisses, strong arms around us, sweet words whispered in our ear, and marriage. While, it’s true that marriage is romantic, I think that we need to consider what romance REALLY is. One of my favorite quotes is by Lucy Maud Montgomery…..

“Perhaps, after all, romance did not come into one’s life with pomp and blare, like a gay knight riding down; perhaps it crept to one’s side like an old friend through quiet ways; perhaps it revealed itself in seeming prose, until some sudden shaft of illumination flung athwart its pages betrayed the rhythm and the music; perhaps . . . perhaps . . . love unfolded naturally out of a beautiful friendship, as a golden-hearted rose slipping from its green sheath.”-Lucy Maud Montgomery, from Anne of Avonlea

It’s true, romance usually just doesn’t “happen”, it starts from a friendship and it grows to more. But, let’s think about TRUE romance for a minute. I really love this saying-

“The most romantic love story of all time is not Romeo and Juliet who died together, but grandpa and grandma who grew old together.” ~Unknown

And it’s true! It’s far more romantic to fall in love with someone and grow old with them, then to die together young.  I love Mark Schultz’s song Walking Her Home. True love never gives up one someone even when they are old and gray.

My mom’s parents are testimonies of this song. My grandfather died of cancer when he was in his 50′s, and through it all my grandmother was right by his side taking care of him and loving him. It was so sweet, because they had dated since they where 12/13 and then they got married. But to this day, Nanny (my grandmother) has never dated anyone else. She misses my grandfather terribly, and she loved him to the end. She even got a heart with his name in it and a arrow shooting through it tattooed on her ankle. I think it’s so romantic.

My parents have a amazing marriage too. And that’s what I want. I want a marriage that is based on love. And I want to grow old with my future husband. I want someone who sweeps me off my feet and I want someone who tells me I’m beautiful even without any makeup on.

However, I think we girls need to realize that marriage isn’t a great big romantic piece of cake. I may not be married, but I know that much. Marriage is having a whole different life with someone, and it’s easier when it’s with someone that you love. Marriage is about late nights, crying children, bills to pay, tons of chores, a dirty house, and living with someone.  But you know what? It will be worth it in the end if you have true love.

My point is, we need to realize that TRUE romance is about loving someone no matter what. Because when you marry someone, it’s for better or for worse, and you are stuck with them for life. So you better learn to love them!

Girls, stop dreaming about how wonderful your life will be when you get married, because you’ll have a whole different slew of problems then too. (I’m talking to myself too!) Learn to love the life God has given you, and realize that romance just isn’t about being swept off your feet, marriage is a life long commitment and it’s a amazing thing.

Here is a wonderful article on  Twilight’s demonic roots.

Yay! Twilight is out! I’m SO thrilled! After all, Robert P is like the cutest guy on the planet. NOT. Yeah, to add to my “weirdness” I’m not a Twilight fan. I would never watch the movies. However, I know that many girls are HUGE Twilight fans (including Christians!) But my thoughts are, is Twilight really edifying???

I watched the newest Twilight trailer recently and I wasn’t surprised at what I saw. Twilight is basically a movie series about how a vampire falls in love with a “human” girl. The three teenagers in the movies/books are Edward, Bella, and Jacob.

Twilight has made well over 142 million dollars in the box office in the first opening weekend alone. And that doesn’t even include the annual sales that total over one billion dollars. The films are full or romance, adventure, and vampires. The three leading actor are-Robert Pattinson  (ICK!), Taylor Lautner, and Kristen Stewart.

I’m not going to go off on a rant about why you shouldn’t watch Twilight. Rather I’m going to just simply list some points-

• Is Bella really in a healthy relationship with Edward?

Just think about it. Edward does not really love Bella. He only wants to drink her blood. And he also manipulates Bella and lusts after her. And while it’s normal for guys to find girls attractive, Edward stalks Bella, blackmails her into getting married and constantly is willing to put her in danger to satisfy his own desires. And another thing, Bella is food to Edward. That’d be like a person (even a vegetarian) dating a cheeseburger.

Admit it. The characters in Twilight really aren’t admirable. Bella thinks she needs a man to make her happy and is willing to do anything for Edward. Even if it means dying for him. And Edward is a wimp. If you ask me, Edward seems like a wimpy male who is controlling Bella and using her for HIS purpose. Neither one of them is very admirable. The only character that seems to have a little good in him is Jacob. At least he wants to protect Bella. But even then, I don’t think he’s the best role model.

• What does the Bible say about evil?

The Bible says to flee from evil. And even though stories like Snow White include evil, they show the characters FLEEING from evil. Bella is running towards evil aka Edward. She isn’t fleeing from it. The Bible tells us to “live as children of the light.” The vampires are portrayed as beings who run from the light and hide in the darkness, God did not create us to be that way. And teenagers all over the world are turning to darkness. It may appear innocent, but just think about how evil vampires really are!

• Is it pure?

The Bible says to think on things that are pure, and Twilight is FAR from pure. Some Christians may say that Twilight is ok because they wait to have sex until marriage, but the books and movies clearly show that the only reason Bella and Edward abstain from sex is because it’s dangerous. It’s made abundantly clear that if Edward were human, they’d be all over each other… that and the fact that they are constantly pushing limits, Twilight is not at all focused on purity.

• What about the demons?

Twilight is clearly one of Satan tools to lure young people into his kingdom. It may seem innocent, but it’s really not. I’ve read articles from teens who have been involved in the Occult and this is NO laughing matter. People may write it off as “just a show/movie”. But it’s not. Satan is real and he will do whatever he can to steal the hearts and souls of teenagers. And what better way to make them think that lust, adultery, drinking human blood, killing people, and everything else. There are subtle demonic messages in Twilight. And well they may appear innocent, Satan is trying to corrupt our minds using something that the main audience will find to be innocent.

• What about the good vs evil?

In anything about vampire’s there seems to be good vampires and bad vampires. But, doesn’t the Bible say that ALL things dark and demonic are from Satan? And if that’s true, then there is no such thing as good or bad vampires. ALL vampires are evil.

• And finally, what about the “good looking” actors?

Vampires were originally evil and associated with dark practices. Just look back at all the old movies. Vampires where ugly guys with fangs. And know they are portrayed as attractive???? Why would people suddenly decide to make them look innocent and attractive? If you ask me, Satan trying to deceive people into thinking they vampires are attractive and ok to admire; like many other things in the world. Twilight has changed to make vampires appear to be attractive. In the old movies people would turn away when they saw the weird pale guy with sharp teeth. As Christians, shouldn’t we do the same? And yes, I am aware that Jacob is not a vampire. So calm down Taylor fans!

Let’s look at this verse shall we?

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. – Philippians 4:8

Now, does Twilight measure up to this? I think you know where I stand, so I’ll let you decide! Will YOU be watching Twilight?

Romance. It’s something I want more then anything. I long for the day when I am that girl in the picture above. I want more then anything to fall hopelessly in love with someone and to be loved in return. I want to feel strong arms around me. I want someone to sweep me off my feet and tell me I’m beautiful even when I don’t have any makeup on.

But the other day I got to thinking, what if that never happens? What if I am single my entire life? That was a sobering thought. I know that I spend more time then I need too thinking about romance and getting married. And I’m sure that most of you girls do too. But really think about it, what if we end up single? We have a choice here, we can either embrace our years of singleness or we can spend our time dreaming about our future.

I don’t know about you, but I wasted alot of my childhood years dreaming about being a adult. And yep, as soon as the adult years came I realized just how much I  missed being a kid. I really wish that I hadn’t been in such a hurry to grow up. And thinking about that really made me think, well if I spend all my single years dreaming about romance, I’ll have wasted my single years!

I call this sort of thing “Rapunzel disease” so many girls, no too many girls are so busy dreaming about their perfect Flynn Riders that they forget about what being single REALLY is! Being single isn’t about waiting around from prince charming, it’s about serving the Lord and blessing others. Not sitting around waiting for your prince.

So, while romance is a wonderful, beautiful, and amazing thing, just remember, if it’s God’s will for you to have romance, then he will send you your prince charming. Don’t just sit around and wait for him! Get up! Get busy! And who knows, once you have stopped feeling like Rapunzel, maybe you’ll meet your Flynn Rider in the process! Oh, and on a side note, before you even think about developing relationships with guys please do make sure that you have a good relationship with God first!

It seems like all the clothing these days are getting skinner, shorter, and tighter. And the clothing stores tell you that “if you’ve got it, flaunt it!” Don’t even get me started on Junior’s clothing. It’s really hard to find modest clothing. All the clothing makes you look like trashy! And it all seems to be made so it WILL cause guys to stumble.

These days, all girls seem to be thinking “will this outfit make me look hot or not?” Sorry girls, but looking “hot” isn’t exactly what you should be thinking when you get dressed! Rather, you should be thinking “will this outfit cause a brother to stumble?” When I get dressed in the morning, I try to be modest, yet fashionable/attractive. I don’t get up thinking “what can I wear that will push the limits?’ or “how hot will this make me look” Looking hot isn’t on my agenda! Looking attractive yet modest? Yes!

I love the label on my cargo pants, it says “To go nowhere follow the crowd” And it’s SO true! Following the latest trends won’t get you anywhere! You CAN be modest while being attractive!

Girls, you don’t want to look trashy. And all the clothing these days seems to be trying to make girls look trashy. Let me ask you something, do these clothing items REALLY honor God? When you are wearing short shorts, mini skirts, tube dresses, and crop tops will people be able to see your shining light? And are you being a city on a hill?

Remember, your clothing should be loose enough to show you are a lady, but tight enough to show you are a woman. Tube dresses/tops, short shorts, “hot” pants, crop tops, and mini skirts/dresses aren’t clothing that a virtuous girl wears. When you get dressed, take a good look in the mirror and check out your outfit, would you be embarrassed if your pastor could see you? If not, then wear the clothing! But if you would be embarrassed, wear a different outfit.

When you choose to ignore the latest immodest trends, not only are you protecting your OWN purity, but you are also protecting the purity of boys and men around you.

Do your own your faith? For me I didn’t. In fact it wasn’t until this year that I truly realized what it means to be a Christian. Before, I simply called myself a Christian because my parents where Christians. And it took God tugging on my heart for me to realize that, it wasn’t about going to church, praying, and obeying God. It took more. You have to trust God, you have to own your faith.

But what does owning your faith mean? Good question. Obviously, owning your faith is more then just walking the Christian walk outwardly. You have to believe that you are a Christian. You have to act like you are a Christian. And most importantly, you have to have a relationship with God.

I think that some, if not most teenagers don’t own their faith. They simply state that they are Christians because their parents are.  In fact, some kids don’t even really know what it’s like to have a relationship with God. But, the thing is, you need to have a relationship with God! Without one you will just feel empty, broken, and like you are missing out on something. And you are. Without a true relationship with God you ARE missing out.

But how can you own your faith? You can own your faith by giving your heart, will, and dreams to God. It’s as simple as that. Just simply trust and obey him. That’s it! It can be hard at times, but it will be worth it.

God doesn’t want just us to say that we follow Him. He wants us to follow through with what we say! He wants all of our hearts. So why not give them to him?

Owning your faith doesn’t happen instantly. In fact it happens over time. But, when you DO own your faith you will fell a peace in your heart. A peace that you probably have never felt before. A peace that everything will be ok no matter what happens.