There are many places in Scripture where God gives us guidelines for the kind of guy we should "yoke" our lives to. Rather than treating the will of God like a magic eight ball and hoping to hear a "yes," "no," or "reply hazy, try again," listen to God's voice by reading what He has already spoken.
We have everything we need to live godly lives this year. How do we get it? We open God's Word today, the first day of a new year, and the day after that, and the day after that, and the day after that . . . x 365 days.
I want us to see our beauty for what it really is—just the icing on the cake. Beauty is nothing to hide, but it is also not the source of our value.
As I crest the hill of my mid-thirties I can assure you I won't be picking out a retirement home any time soon. I'm just getting warmed up. In fact, my thirties have been some of the best, most fruitful, most fun years of my life.
Masturbation is against God, against His ways and His purposes for how men and women are to relate to one another in a marital union that reflects the relationship of Christ to the Church. Masturbation simply cannot fulfill God's design for sexuality, and thus has no place in the life of one who calls herself a Christian.
There's nothing inherently sinful about a hug. It's just that behind our arms, we house a sinful heart that can pervert even something good into something not good. Hugging has less to do with your body potentially being pressed up against someone of the opposite sex and more to do with your heart and mind. A hug can be as pure—or as impure—as your heart.
I love the joy of the Christmas season, but when we fall for the the lie that Jesus came to deliver twinkly lights and sparkly bows, we miss the point. The wonder of this season is only possible because of the horror of the cross.
Perhaps you've seen or heard this phrase: You are enough. It's a sentiment that feels so good that we want it to be true, but is it?
