As many of you know, I am preparing a training on holiness, purity, and the process of consecration. I am currently lodged in the research stage, and my free time over the next four weeks will be heavily invested in this work.
While I am compiling, sorting, and writing this teaching, I'm open to any resources you may have at your disposal. If you have any well-written books, blogs, songs, short stories -- anything that pertains to the topic of holiness and purity -- I'd love to hear about them. I look forward to reading from a multitude of resources on various areas of purity: both classical and modern. And don't worry about stating the obvious; though I'm putting together a massive study on purity, I haven't read any Elisabeth Eliot. Shameful, I know...but that's where your suggestions are of help :)
When I finish my rough draft, I'm going to present the training to my folks in St. Louis for a trial run. I'll give y'all updates as it comes together. God has laid this heavy on my heart, and I'm super excited to jump into the topic with my full attention.
Thank you, my virtual friends!
ANTHONY
7 comments:
I thought I would send you some influential things that I have come across over time about purity and living a life honoring to God as far as relationships go... hope you enjoy. Obviously, most of these things will have a girl's point of view, but you need to be well rounded so I figured it would be good.
First, this is my friends blog. She has created a "Purity Retreat" for girls called Pink Lid. So here is her website.
http://thepinklid.blogspot.com/
She is also a co-host in a show called skunkz, which addreses real issues in a real way- especially in the lives of teens...
http://www.skunkstv.com/
Here is another blog that I have come across that is one of the most true and revealing I have ever read:
http://www.sammyadebiyi.com/blogs/sammy-adebiyi/bikinis-soft-porn-masturbation-face-book
The book Captivating by Stasi Eldridge.
There is a preacher from the Great Awakening named Jonathan Edwards and he writes a poem about his wife to be... this is all I know of him, but I feel like this is what every man and woman should be like even in the "waiting."
Here it is:
“They say there is a young lady in New Haven who is beloved of that almighty Being, who made and rules the world, and that there are certain seasons in which this great Being, in some way or other invisible, comes to her and fills her mind with exceeding sweet delight, and that she hardly cares for anything, except to meditate on him – that she expects after a while to be received up where he is, to be raised out of the world and caught up into heaven; being assured that he loves her too well to let her remain at a distance from him always. There she is to dwell with him, and to be ravished with his love, favor and delight, forever. Therefore, if you present all the world before her, with the richest of its treasures, she disregards it and cares not for it, and is unmindful of any pain or affliction. She has a strange sweetness in her mind, and sweetness of temper, uncommon purity in her affections; and most just and praiseworthy in all her actions; and you could not persuade her to do anything thought wrong or sinful, if you would give her all the world, lest she should offend this great Being. She is of a wonderful sweetness, calmness and universal benevolence of mind; especially after those times in which this great God has manifested himself to her mind. She will sometimes go about, singing sweetly, from place to place; and seems to be always full of joy and pleasure; and no one knows for what. She loves to be alone, and to wander in the fields and on the mountains, and seems to have someone invisible always conversing with her.”
There's some for now. If I think of more I'll send you some later.
Enjoy!
Well, here's a list of resources that may help. I'm not going to write much of a review about them since you can just look them up online, which would be faster. I'll have to post two comments because one would be too long.
I highly recommend And the Bride Wore White: Seven Secrets to Sexual Purity by Danna Gresh. Each of my sisters and I read this when we were around twelve years old and it really shaped our thinking about purity and guarding our hearts. http://www.amazon.com/Bride-Wore-White-Secrets-Sexual/dp/0802483445/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1318532470&sr=1-1
I have heard the book Captivating: Unveiling the Mysteries of a Woman's Soul is very good, I've never read it though. http://www.amazon.com/Captivating-Unveiling-Mystery-Womans-Soul/dp/1400200385/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1318532419&sr=1-3
I have learned much from Leslie Ludy's books: Answering the Guy Questions and The Lost Art of True Beauty. When God Write's Your Love Story was written by Leslie and her husband, Eric, they switch off chapters so it's a fun one to read. It's their love story.
http://www.amazon.com/Answering-Guy-Questions-Set-Apart-Relating/dp/0736922873/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1318532371&sr=1-7
http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Art-True-Beauty-Set-Apart/dp/0736922903/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1318532371&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/When-Writes-Your-Story-Expanded/dp/1601421656/ref=pd_sim_b4
I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris was one of the first books about purity and waiting to date I read. http://www.amazon.com/Kissed-Dating-Goodbye-Joshua-Harris/dp/1590521358/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318532278&sr=8-1 Shortly after finishing it I read the sequal, Boy Meets Girl: Say Hello to Coartship: http://www.amazon.com/Boy-Meets-Girl-Hello-Courtship/dp/1590521676/ref=pd_sim_b1
Dating with Integrity is also a good one by John Holtzman. http://www.amazon.com/Dating-Integrity-Honoring-relationships-opposite/dp/1887840524/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318532252&sr=8-1
So Much More by Elizabeth and Anna Sofia Botkin. http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/so-much-more/?search=So+Much+More&sortby=0
Here's another resource I've come across but haven't read: Purity: A Godly Woman's Adornment - http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/purity-a-godly-womans-adornment/?cid=605
Both of these books are filled with terrific poetry, bible verses, and prose about biblical femininity and manhood. http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/verses-of-virtue-and-poems-for-patriarchs/?search=patriarch&sortby=0. I used Verses of Virtue as a copywork in elementary school and junior high.
The Princess and Her Kiss. I've never read this one but my sister has and she even got a second copy because she loves it so much... I'm not sure how much sense that makes. Maybe she's planning to give one copy away. It's especially great for young children but my sister is seventeen now and still enjoys it. http://www.visionforum.com/browse/product/princess-and-the-kiss-book/?cid=447&page=3
A Woman's Question | Lena Lathrop
Do you know you have asked for the costliest thing
Ever made by the Hand above?
A woman's heart, and a woman's life---
And a woman's wonderful love.
Do you know you have asked for this priceless thing
As a child might ask for a toy?
Demanding what others have died to win,
With a reckless dash of boy.
You have written my lesson of duty out,
Manlike, you have questioned me.
Now stand at the bars of my woman's soul
Until I shall question thee.
You require your mutton shall always be hot,
Your socks and your shirt be whole;
I require your heart be true as God's stars
And as pure as His heaven your soul.
You require a cook for your mutton and beef,
I require a far greater thing;
A seamstress you're wanting for socks and shirts---
I look for a man and a king.
A king for the beautiful realm called Home,
And a man that his Maker, God,
Shall look upon as He did on the first
And say: "It is very good."
I am fair and young, but the rose may fade
From this soft young cheek one day;
Will you love me then 'mid the falling leaves,
As you did 'mong the blossoms of May?
Is your heart an ocean so strong and true,
I may launch my all on its tide?
A loving woman finds heaven or hell
On the day she is made a bride.
I require all things that are grand and true,
All things that a man should be;
If you give this all, I would stake my life
To be all you demand of me.
If you cannot be this, a laundress and cook
You can hire and little to pay;
But a woman's heart and a woman's life
Are not to be won that way."
Sitting by My Laughing Fire by Ruth Bell Graham has some great poetry about her wait for a husband. http://www.amazon.com/Sitting-Laughing-Fire-Ruth-Graham/dp/1593281196/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1318532190&sr=1-1
A Poem by Ruth Bell Graham
"Dear God, I prayed, all unafraid
(as we're inclined to do),
I do not need a handsome man
but let him be like You;
I do not need one big and strong
nor yet so very tall,
nor need he be some genius,
or wealthy, Lord, at all;
but let his head be high, dear God,
and let his eye be clear,
his shoulders straight, whate'er his state,
whate'er his earthly sphere;
and let his face have character,
a ruggedness if soul,
and let his whole life show, dear God,
a singleness of goal;
then when he comes
(as he will come)
with quiet eyes aglow,
I'll understand that he's the man
I prayed for long ago."
Thanks for the help, ladies! You've given me plenty to sort through on Godly relationships. Let me know if anything else comes to mind :)
Check out this video on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igCj3jsbcqs&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Checking out Doug Weiss and Heart to Heart Ministries out of Colorado Springs, CO is a must!
Breatheinthenewthings@wordpress.com
Here is Doug's website.
http://www.sexaddict.com/
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