Purity

What purity means to me.

There's a difference in my opinion between being a virgin & being pure.

Purity pertains to the person as a whole. Pure in mind, pure in soul and pure physically. I believe that being a virgin is part of being pure, but I don't believe that being a virgin necessarily means you're pure. So, purity encompasses virginity, though virginity doesn't necessarily encompass purity.

See, being a virgin is refraining from one act. While being pure is pursuing the Lord and resisting the daily temptations that this world is filled with. Being pure is a daily effort.

Purity is not so much something that you lose, but something that you gain as you grow in the Christian life.

I believe the Lord calls us to be pure. In 6th grade I was young and sort of oblivious to the fullness of purity, but I asked for a purity ring. When I got my ring I promised God I would save myself for marriage, but as I got older I started to realize that there was more to that promise than I initially realized. I promised to be a virgin, but I wanted to be more than just a virgin. I wanted to strive to be pure, & being pure for me meant refraining from other acts that were intended for marriage.

Being pure meant cutting pop music out of my daily life, because the bad words and underlying meaning would linger in my mind. Being pure meant not surrounding myself with people who used language I didn't prefer or people who made different choices. Now, I'm not saying I couldn't be their friend or hang out with them; I just had to be careful how much time I allowed them because I'm weak. Let me say that again because it's important; I am weak, so weak, therefore I had to remove my self from certain things because I didn't want to allow satan to get a foothold.

Purity is something Tyler & I discussed before we ever started dating & we both agreed to strive for purity...not just to be virgins. We agreed that we cared about each other too much to take things that were meant for our future spouses. (little did we know, we would actually be each other's ‘future’ spouse, funny how God works!)

As our relationship has grown from year to year the Lord has reminded us to be faithful. He has reminded us that it will all be worth the loss of temporary desires.

I believe it's never too late to strive to live a life of purity. I serve a loving, forgiving & gracious God that wipes all our sins away with the simple words of "Lord I'm sorry, please forgive me."

It's never too late to live a pure life.

Tyler has something to say to the guys:

Men, we must set our sights on having a pure mind, body, and spirit. We must refuse to accept anything less. Purity in general is something that is hard to attain, and is almost looked down upon in our day and age. This seems to be especially true for men, who are expected to be driven by sex.

I always wanted to stay pure, but that does not mean it was always easy. It was not and is not and never will be easy. What motivated me was the thought of my future wife. I wanted the best for her and I wanted to be my best for her. Being the best for her meant focusing on purity and included keeping my mind and spirit pure while also keeping my body pure for her. Being around guys that talked about women disrespectfully or talked about inappropriate things was difficult for me. Soon after purity became more important to me, I realized I had to remove myself from guys who were not striving for purity.

Katelynn, The Lord knew dating you was perfect for me. I loved how much you loved the Lord, respected yourself, and respected your future husband. We were so open about our morals and agreed to embark on the journey of purity together. It always was and always will be attractive to me how much you desire to be pure.

I love you, I can’t wait for you to be my wife.

Fellas, this journey of purity is never going to be easy, but I encourage you to strive daily to be the Man of God you are called to be. Make choices that make it easier for you to stay pure. Surround yourself with Godly influence & arm yourself with scripture for when temptation comes. Be accountable to a friend group & remember you are not alone on this journey.

Pray for your future. Pray for your wife. Pray that together & separately you will devote yourselves to a life of purity & pursuit of Jesus.

Ty & I will be getting married May 29th 2016!!!

On that day we will still promise to strive for purity in our marriage. Not necessarily refraining from physical things anymore (because in a marriage those things are considered pure & holy) but we will strive for purity in our hearts, we will strive for pure thoughts and we will strive for our words and actions to come from a place of love and purity.

So we may no longer be considered virgins after May 29th 2016, BUT we will forever strive for purity.

 

I love you Tyler. Thanks for loving me & respecting me & more importantly respecting your future marriage by striving not only to be a virgin, but to be a man of purity. That is the manliest quality I believe any man could ever possess. Self-control, that comes from strength given by the Lord!

I am so incredibly honored to be your wife in 281 days...but then again who's counting!! 

Xoxoxo,

Katelynn

(& Tyler)

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." Matthew 5:8

"Submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and  purify your hearts,  you double-minded." James 4:7-8

How choices matter....

How do your daily choices effect your relationship with God? 

There are only two choices, it either helps or it hurts.

Our daily, hourly and minutely choices all matter. 

Our choices such as; what we listen to, who we hang out with and the behavior we choose to participate in, these things all matter! 

The question is, are your choices helping your relationship with God grow or are they hurting your relationship with God? 

I. Am. Enough.

Hey beautiful, yes you.

         You are beautiful. Not because the mirror says so. Not because a lot of boys like you. Not because you have the perfect body. Not because you are photogenic. You are beautiful because God says so. God created you so unique, every wrinkle on your face every “blemish” was put there by the master himself. He created you and he calls you His masterpiece. Don’t walk around believing the lies of this world, don’t let the media define beauty, but most importantly don’t allow Satan to fool you into believing that you aren’t enough. Because you are. If you decide to believe the lies you are offending the Master Artist. He calls you one of a kind and made you just they way he wanted you. With God on your side you are more than enough. God takes you as you are and He calls you worthy. You are worthy to be loved, forgiven and made new. No matter where you have been or what you have done, Jesus paid it all so that you could have a relationship with him. Don’t let that opportunity slip through your fingers. The Lord wants to know you and talk to you and he desperately wants a relationship with you. He knows where you have been, the people that have hurt you and the sin you have committed. Call out to Him, cast all you worries and confess your sins to him. He cares for you. He is always there for you. Unlike people who fade in and out of your life, God is constant. People try to come into your life and make you feel good about yourself but don’t put your worth in them, because they will fail to meet your expectations, but God he will never let you down. In fact God will exceed your expectations and present you with more than you could have ever imagined. Trust him, even when it looks uncertain. Stick by His side and allow him to guide you. Words are powerful. The words said can seem to linger in your mind for days. There might be times when you feel left out. Sometimes gossiping is the cool thing to do. Other days you might get made fun of. But don’t forget you are enough, because God says so. Open your heart and allow the Lord to speak to you. You are so special. You are so beautiful. You are so talented. You are so loved. You are a masterpiece.

& You. Are. Enough.

2 Peas in a Pod. Me & God.

Here's something a little different, I wrote a poem and made a video. I hope y'all enjoy:)
This poem was written during a time in my life where I felt like I didn't deserve the grace of God. I questioned if he could really love me, a sinner caught up in the things of this world! But God answered my questions thousands of years ago by sending his son to die on the cross for me and in times of trouble he reminded me that I'm worthy.

xoxoxox blessings,

Katelynn

Are you fruitful?

Galatians 5:22-23

 ^"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."

 

This may sound like an odd question to ask but, think about it.  Are you fruitful? Are the fruits of the spirit visible in your everyday life to the lost, broken and needy? The bible talks about them in Galatians 5:22-23. They are....

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 LOVE

JOY
PEACE
PATIENCE
KINDNESS
GOODNESS
FAITHFULNESS
GENTLENESS
SELFCONTROL

 

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I want other to see Gods love through my actions.

I want others to feel like my joy is contagious, joy that could only come from the Lord.

I want others to embrace Gods peace through me.

I want others to receive Gods PATIENCE  I through my actions towards others.

I want others to see Gods KINDNESS and be in awe, through my acts kindness to others.

I want others to understand my morals & GOODNESS come from the Lord.

I want others to experience Gods FAITHFULNESS, through my loyalty.  

I want others to hear and fell the Lords GENTLE spirit that leaves as I speak to others.  

I want others to observe the  SELFCONTROL  God give to me.   

I want all of these things because these are things the Lord wants. Granted, I am far from where I need to be but, it is through God’s grace and mercy that I receive a second chance.  Showing love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control are the things that I believe make God smile!! Choose to be fruitful!:)

 

xoxoxoxox,
Katelynn

Obsession at its finest

Have you ever been obsessed with anything? Don't lie. We all have, we all know that feeling.

That feeling of constantly thinking or even subconsciously thinking about someone, maybe even something. The desire you have inside to want to learn more, talk more, look more is the feeling of obsession.

Now take that feeling and try to grasp the fact that, that is the way God feels about YOU. HE IS SO OBSESSED WITH YOU, and wants so desperately to hold you when you are hurting, to give you a high five when you are happy and to be the one you come to in every situation.

Why? Because he loves you that much. He loves you, a sinner that fails daily and even hourly, yet he is still obsessed because His love is that strong, that powerful and that forgiving!!

That is such a crazy thought, my mind is blown! I don’t know about you, but that concept is a hard one to grasp, not because I have any doubt but because I am so undeserving. It’s hard for me someone who is a sinner to grasp the fact that someone so undeniably perfect would want me, and would want to love me, even when I make mistakes!  But God does want me, God loves me so much and I have to remind myself daily to take that opportunity and run with it!!! Don’t waste your time feeling like you aren’t good enough because with Christ on your side you are worth more than anything in the world could buy! Talk to the Lord and ask for forgiveness when you fail and spend the rest of your time doing things that will further His kingdom J

This reminds me of the story about the lost sheep that Jesus tells in Luke 15.

The Story of the Lost Sheep

15 ^1-3 By this time a lot of men and women of doubtful reputation were hanging around Jesus, listening intently. The Pharisees and religion scholars were not pleased, not at all pleased. They growled, “He takes in sinners and eats meals with them, treating them like old friends.” Their grumbling triggered this story.

^4-7 “Suppose one of you had a hundred sheep and lost one. Wouldn’t you leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the lost one until you found it? When found, you can be sure you would put it across your shoulders, rejoicing, and when you got home call in your friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Celebrate with me! I’ve found my lost sheep!’ Count on it—there’s more joy in heaven over one sinner’s rescued life than over ninety-nine good people in no need of rescue.

  

 xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

       Katelynn

Be that flower growing in the rain!

                     I’m about to go a little old school and play a little imagination comparison game, so hang with me it will make sense in the end.  I like to picture our relationship with Christ like this, pretend that Christians are flowers, God is rain and sin and Satan are the drought. Flowers need water to grow, in order for them to be healthy and beautiful. The flower goes a day without water and it believes it’s okay, but without rain the flower slowly begins to wither, whether it’s visible or not. The effects of the drought start to creep in before the flower even sees it coming. And before too long the drought starts to consume the flower.  The flower is withering away and desperate for rain!

          For a long time I believed that Christian believers could be at a standstill with Christ, by standstill I mean not growing in their faith, but not necessarily getting worse. In my mind I thought people could go through a rough patch, and during that rough patch they weren’t losing sight of Christ they were just holding on. But it doesn’t work that way. They were the flower going without rain, and without Jesus they were slowly opening the door for the drought to creep in. So in other words you can’t be at a standstill with Christ, because if you aren’t getting rain your flower will wither. That reminds of the verse from Revelation 3:16 that says,

 “So, because you are lukewarm-neither hot nor cold- I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” 

God doesn’t want you to be lukewarm, at a standstill or a flower going without rain. You have to be on fire for the Lord, you have to growing in your faith because otherwise we are allowing the drought to creep in, we are allowing Satan to take ahold of our weakness and pull us down.

         I was wrong. You cannot be at a standstill with Christ it just simply doesn't work that way. You can’t be lukewarm, you need to be filled with rain so you flower can grow in the faith! Filling yourself with the knowledge and wisdom of the word, communicating with the Lord and totally submerging yourself in the love of God.

Be that flower growing in the rain!

            

xoxoxoxoxoxox Katelynn 

(Sorry its been so long!  Ive been spending time filling myself with knowledge and wisdom of the word, communicating with the Lord and really EMBRACING His love!)