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quick takes: spring is here Edition!

Quick Takes{One}

There are days when I’m still just totally blown away at God’s goodness. Should it be every day? Yes, and in some way I suppose He blows me away every day. However, there are days that it is more apparent than others, such as days when I see Him using little ole me to bring Him glory. Days when people read the book and e-mail me to tell me how much something I wrote is speaking to their hearts. Days when I blog about something that has been irritating me for a while, only to find that I’m not alone and that there is growth and good conversation to be had. God is just…good.

{Two}

20130522-170912.jpgSpring is really here! The weather this week has just been beautiful and I am, once again, so grateful to live in Colorado and be able to take in sunsets and marvel at God’s creation. I also had the chance to go for a hike last Sunday and spend some time in the mountains. There is nothing quite like a hike in giant mountains to give you some wonderful perspective on life. Try it sometime!

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just don’t say it: Chastity.

Alright, I’ll admit it: I’m not a nun.

…oh, wait, you already knew that? Well then, hmm. What I really mean to say is that I’m not perfect. I’m a sinner (but you already knew that too). When it comes to dating and relationships I’ve fallen short and struggled with chastity and purity like most folks I know. As a youth minister I’ve also heard a lot of talks and homilies on chastity. As a blogger I’ve also read a fair amount of blogs on purity, dating, relationships, and the passions that can be ignited with someone you care deeply about. When it comes to the youth minister/blogger chastity talks and such, there are a few things that have always rubbed me the wrong way when folks say or write them. As with nearly all statements in this series so far, I’m sure these folks mean well, but they don’t always realize what they are saying or how hurtful it can be.

Also, I’m inspired by blogs like this one, and this one, and this one that remind me that I’m not alone in being totally irked by abstinence and chastity talks.just dont say it chastity Continue Reading »

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guard your relationship Heart.

guard your relationship heartCindy, over at The Veil of Chastity, has been posting some great stuff about Fantasy Relationships and Emotional Chastity. Her posts got me thinking, What about guarding our hearts when we are IN relationships? I don’t know about you, dear reader, but I’ve gotten much better and guarding my heart when I’m single. It has taken time and crushes laughing in my face, but by and large I’m not one to get lost in the “Hey, I just met you…so let’s get married” phenomenon. But what happens when a good, beautiful, and true relationship comes along? How do we guard our hearts then, and is it necessary?

In one of my favorite posts I’ve ever written, I talk about the necessity of guarding our hearts. Even scarier, perhaps, is to pray for that certain someone in our lives, “Lord, guard ______’s heart with Your jealous love. Forbid me entry unless You will it. You know my intentions, if they are anything less than pure and holy, bar the gates of their heart, permit me not to enter. Wrap Your loving arms around their heart, creating an impenetrable fortress. Keep their heart safe and free from harm all their days. AMEN.” Certainly, praying that prayer, even when you are in a relationship, can be helpful and keep us focused on God’s will for our relationship, but isn’t there more to guarding our hearts? Continue Reading »

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quick takes: the published author Edition!

Quick Takes{One}

Where to begin?! This week has been a total whirlwind of beauty and excitement that cannot be contained in mere words! The book came out! It is now available on Amazon, Kindle, and CreateSpace. Oh, and of course you can still buy signed copies here!

From the bottom of my heart, thank you all SO much for your prayers, support, and words of encouragement. Thank you for helping me spread the word and for sharing in the joy of this all with me, I feel so incredibly blessed!

{Two}

I may never get used to telling people that I’m a published author. I’m totally okay with that. God is so good!

Cover released

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the glory of the Lord…

…is man fully alive. – St. Iranaeus 

Cover releasedToday is the day that changes everything!

…I’ll be honest, I’m pre-writing this post the day before the release. God only knows what is happening at this point in the day!

You can buy the book in the following places:

Amazon ($12.95)

Kindle ($9.99)*

CreateSpace (direct from the publisher!) ($12.95)

Me! (signed copies!) ($12.95)

*It may take a few hours for the Kindle version to appear on Amazon…

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sharing the Joy.

TOMORROW.

Tomorrow my life changes forever.

That statement looks so ominous and so dramatic, but it is so true. In a way that makes it really obvious that I’m a youth minister and work with teenagers, this image keeps coming to mind:

Taylor Swift posted this picture the day before Red came out on her Facebook page with the caption, “This is my last day of life before RED. Midnight. Tonight.” I’m no Taylor Swift, but in these final days before the official release of my book, I can totally relate. Today is the last day of my life before Worthy. Today is the last day that I can tell people I’m not really a published author. Tomorrow that all changes. Tomorrow I’ll be published. Tomorrow this thing, this brain child, this epic prayer of mine will be out there for the whole world to read. Sometimes it sounds silly to make it so dramatic. I’m not getting married. I’m not having a child. But then I think, So what?! So what if I’m not getting married? I WROTE A BOOK. To be here, to be in this place, waiting for the stroke of midnight, is more amazing and more humbling than I’ll ever be able to put into words.  Continue Reading »

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quick takes: so close Edition.

Quick Takes{One}

Y’all. The book comes out Tuesday.
That’s like…four days away.
Which is like…96ish hours.
Less than 100 hours.
I can’t believe it!!!!!!
Normally I’m not one who uses a zillion exclamation marks but I think this calls for it.
I wrote a book.
It gets released on Tuesday.
God is SOOOOOO GOOD.
4 days(p.s. don’t you just want to GO there? I love Colorado!)

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