Learning to persevere

Recently, I watched man rake his yard. The yard wasn't huge but it took him a couple of hours because he had to use a walker to help him stand. He didn't stop until he had all of the leaves in bags. Something that would keep some (moi) from completing a job, didn't stop this man. If only I had that tenacity...

Usually, I let something small keep me from completing a project. I can be doing well, everything going fine, and something small will make me stop completely.  I'm sure the man above could have had several things go wrong. But he did not stop until his job was complete. The lessons we can learn from the people around us...might teach us a lot. 

Participation required...

While I was a student at Oklahoma Baptist University, there were a couple of pertinent questions that always got asked. Name? Major? Hometown? These are the three questions that were always asked when meeting a fellow student for the first time. As I became involved in Bible studies and ministry groups on campus, I discovered another pertinent question: What is your life verse? 

My life verse in college was Proverbs 3:5-6. (There's a really nifty story about the summer Olympics that goes along with it but that's for another post.)  Back to this post, I would have to guess that the life verse of at least 50% of the other students was Jeremiah 29:11.  This was an oft-quoted verse at OBU. 

I like the concept of this verse but I think many people have the wrong idea about what it means (besides not knowing the historical context of how it relates to the Babylonian captivity - but again, that's another post.) Yes, God planned each one of us and formed us in the womb (Psalm 139).  He created each of us with a plan and purpose in mind.  

However...these plans and purposes do not come about on their own. There is a another ingredient that is needed. Participation. God also created each of us with a free will.  We have a choice of whether or not to follow God's plan for our life.  I, myself, have spent the last few years of my life only partially participating, and I believe that God has so much more for me.

My Thoughts on Sex and the Single Christian Girl

Purity seems to have become almost a dinosaur in our world today.  It may not be extinct, but it's certainly not as prevalent as it used to be. I'm sure we all heard the "True Love Waits" story and how we should "save ourselves" for our future spouses.  Movies and other media give us a different view of true love, however.  Purity is so much more than just waiting for "the one," and many things in the world tempt people into abandoning their purity. 

Using experiences from her own life and from real people, Mrs. Ellis discusses how to fight these things that tempt people away from purity, namely Satan. As an older, never-married, not-much-dated, single woman, I was almost afraid that I wouldn't be able to relate much to this book. I was very pleased to find that this book is not targeted for a specific demographic, and that any single women (and even those who are married) will draw a lot from this book.

Mrs. Ellis provides very relevant, Scripture-based strategies to help any woman with maintaining purity in our dark world. She stresses that sexual purity is not just for dating relationships, but that it is very vital in our Christian walk.  She provides hope for those who may fear that it is too late for them to have purity.  Mrs. Ellis tells us how to fight the lies the enemy uses to draw us away, and also how to stay strong in Christ. I cried through many chapters because the message of the book really touched me in many ways.  I would recommend this book for all single women of any age, and also married women, because purity is important to everyone.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a honest and unbiased review. My opinions are my own.