Some words

It seems like it’s been awhile since this website has received any of the attention from us that it well-deserves. And why does it seem like one of us is always apologizing for not being here and doing this and that?  It’s been hard to hold things together for a long period of time, due to so much going on.  Right now, Jill is working out scholarship stuff with college, and other such tedious stuff.  (Rachel isn’t too far behind, sadly. ;-/ hehe)  It’s hard to stay focused and inspired on the message we’re trying to convey with Priceless Purity, so forgive us for not pouring out our all into this project in recent months.

In fact, we’re learning a lot of things that are really quite honestly exciting us, that we know we can one day use on here – God is putting us in certain situations that are just showing us so much.  At this moment, we’re trying to absorb.  We’re trying different things, and growing/struggling spiritually like everybody else.  We don’t know all the answers to questions we ourselves find asking, so we’re in search of finding them.  We’re looking in all the nooks and crannies in our life that we can fill.

So, to the point – our site isn’t going anywhere.  We’re not shutting it down or anything, but we’re taking it slow (forgiveness, please?) and reloading, and then one day you’re really gonna be surprised.

^ That’s supposed to be a promise, now!

Hoping and praying things work out the way they’re supposed to.  Right now we have the blind fold on and God is just leading us around the room, so to speak.  Hopefully we’ll figure out what the surprise he has waiting in store for us is, but for now, yeah, we’re letting things pan out in His will.

God bless,

Rachel & Jillian

Matthew 5:8

Planned Parenthood exposed

Please watch the video below…

This is the gist of what all victims of abortion are told by Planned Parenthood facilities across America…

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Purity Pledge

A woman going on a mission trip to Haiti sent us an e-mail back in winter 2008 asking if we had ever written out a purity pledge, because she would be needing one to give out to young women during her trip.  We quickly responded saying we would do what we could for her.  After some prayer, this was what we finally ended up with -

Certificate of Purity

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Broken Promises – Continued

Seriously, you might come across a few very mature teenagers, but there is still a majority out there that miss the love and acceptance from their parents that they had when they were little, and are just too embarrassed to admit it.  I know some.  And so, when they have a question and feel dumb about it, they decide to find everything out for themselves.  Who would want to talk to these parents that act like you have some contagious disease they don’t want to catch?  That just don’t understand?  That would be awkward.  And awkward is something everyone wants to avoid.  Adults somehow distance themselves from the “creatures that are teens”, unknowingly.  Or, maybe it’s vice versa.  Situations vary.  But that’s not the point.

Parents seem to think that the way to nurture a teen spiritually, is to throw them in a youth group.  Their intentions might be well, but realistically, and well, statistically, that doesn’t work.  What you end up with is a room full of kindred spirits (good thing) of messed up teenagers (bad thing).  And then you have the few good kids.  And the good kids thrive, and the bad ones wither.  And you might even be an inbetween kid that just doesn’t know how to handle influences.  You see what I mean?  A verse in Proverbs hits my mind.  “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will never depart from it.” – Proverbs 22:6.  Parents are the ones with the full authority, not just the teacher in school, or the Sunday school teacher, or the awesome youth pastor.  Sticking a child in school does not guarantee they will learn.  A child is just merely expected, and generally, learns because they have the heart for it and are in an atmosphere of people that want to learn too.  Putting a book in front of someone’s face will not guarantee they will learn to read it.  You have to be trained, and taught, and genuinely care about something, to excell in it.  So those Bible studies in church, and the youth groups, most of the time, the kids just want to get the hullabaloo out of there.  They go usually not out of personal interest, but out of the obligation (aka CHORE!!) which their parents have put upon their shoulders, and they make the most of it by their cell phones, cliques and other such teen necessities.

Which leaves a very malnourished spiritual life, because the whole concept of God at times…is not real to them like drugs, for example, is.  They probably aren’t in a room full of people that are expected and wanting to thrive spiritually.  Instead, they are probably being viewed as this kid with issues that needs to be in rehab or something.  So you really have to have a HEART for it.  This is in no way meaning that everybody is that way, but those that want to thrive spiritually will, and those that don’t, won’t.  And sometimes it’s not that they don’t want to, it’s that they don’t care to.  And if you think about that in depthly, there really is a difference, however slight it may be.  The attitude of how you approach anything, makes it either possible or impossible.  God is a genius (that term doesn’t even do Him justice), and He’s designed us with a complex mind that we rarely think about…(No pun intended.)  But that’s probably because we don’t understand ourselves as well as God does.

If from the beginning as a young child, to a teen, they are spiritually nourished, they will know how to keep a promise to not only themselves, but to their parents, God and their future spouse.  That’s doing 1 thing (keeping a promise) but benefitting more than one being (themselves, their parents, God, future spouse.).  And maybe not just those mentioned.  Perhaps other friends and family members could be inspired by just the example set by one person.

And yes, I know – teen years are not peaches ‘n cream.  Yes, there is such a thing as temptation.  But when you take the time to dwell on God’s Word and stay strong spiritually minded, what are the chances of you giving into something you have fought against?  Once you have built muscle in those areas, the temptations become weaker, and your good overcomes your bad.

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” – Ephesians 6:10-13

This is hard stuff, folks.  We’re not fighting against things just physically, but spiritually.  The temptations, the immoral hunger, is all something that needs to be defeated spiritually.  And how many people go there and survive?

Part III: Attitude, attitude, attitude…

There have been studies that have shown that more “religious” college students have a more positive outlook and attitude towards their personal lives than peers that don’t.  Your attitude and spiritual side affect you and your choices more than you think they do.

Attitude is a mental position relative to a way of thinking or being; a leaning toward that which you believe. A positive attitude is, therefore, the inclination to generally be in an optimistic, hopeful state of mind.

A positive attitude and optimistic thinking early in life predict health and well being in later years. Analysis of 99 Harvard graduates found a strong correlation between their optimistic thinking as college students and good health at age 40 and above.

In his ground-breaking book, A Primer in Positive Psychology, Christopher Petersen, PhD, says, “…optimism has demonstrable benefits, and pessimism has drawbacks.” He goes on to say, “…optimism…has been linked to positive mood and good morale; to perseverance and effective problem solving; to academic, athletic, military, occupational, and political success; to popularity; to good health; and even to long life and freedom from trauma.”

Read more: http://changing-personal-habits.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_power_of_positive_attitude#ixzz0Qm1ygsUh

[Having a positive attitude also links together with faith, by the way - a very important ingredient.

Another famous Hebrews verse is known to say, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." - Hebrews 11:1]

The whole temptation aspect is very interesting.  God knows how hard temptation is for us, and as it says, Jesus was tempted, but did not sin.

1 Corinthians 12:9 says at one point, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness,”.   Now this is usually depicted as a physical weakness (which in Paul’s case, most believe it was) but there is nothing that prevents you from applying it to spiritual weakness as well.  What if your current weakness now is with temptation? We are invited to come boldly before the Lord’s throne of grace, with confidence, so that we can be given mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. He understands your situation, how ever small to Him it is, He still remembers that we are His creation, that we are human, and that we need Him to overcome weaknesses.

Psalm 103:8-13 is comforting -

“The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor His anger forever;
He does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is His love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has He removed our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him;
for he knows how we are formed,
He remembers that we are dust.”

We often forget that our God is one of compassion.  If we have problems that need to be corrected and we ask Him for help, He’s not going to withhold it from us.

John 14:13 Jesus says, “‘Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.‘”

A strong and positive attitude towards trusting in the Lord with your future (i.e., not fretting about being single) is vital.  A spirit of fear is one of our worst enemies.  If we have the Spirit of God in us though, we should try to make fear irrelevant in our lives, because, it actually is.  But the enemy’s fear tactic is probably the best, most effective one out there.  There are lots of problems that stem from a spirit of fear and an unstable mind – and in some serious cases, it leads to death.

Within our mind, we can either choose to dwell on positive or negative.  Not attitudes exclusively, but on actual subjects, thoughts, things we think about, read about, etc.,…which, over time, you bet, can lead to your own personal scope and opinion – and loop around back to your Spiritual attitude.

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.  For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.  So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.  But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.  And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.  Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.  For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.  For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” - Romans 8:5-15

Part IV – Mending the brokenness, keeping the promise

Coming soon!

Hope for those that have already “messed up”.

“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.  And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 [emphasis added]

“What? Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” 1 Corinthians 6:15-20 [emphasis added]

“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” – 1 John 1:7

“…just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.” – Ephesians 5:25-27

“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,Whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit.” – Psalm 32:1-2

Our God is an awesome God.  He believes in redemption.  He has washed away our sins – no matter how blemished, how disfigured you feel now spiritually – God is willing to purify you.  But He has given us the free-will to decide whether we want to be or not.  There is still hope for those of you out there that have made regrettable mistakes!

Prayers,

~Rachel, Priceless Purity~

WORKS CITED

1. “Religious 12th graders hold more positive attitudes about life, new UNC study shows” David Williamson, UNC news services,  Dec. 4, 2002 — No. 653 http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/dec02/smith120302.html

2. “The power of a positive attitude”,  http://changing-personal-habits.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_power_of_positive_attitude

A first post…sort of…

Okay, so this is the new site…!  Annnd, this is pretty much the “first” blog post.  Before we get to far into though, we have some “confessions”.

As you know, it’s taken us a real long time to get this site up.   A lot of things have changed for us in the past year…And next, even more will change, as Jillian is going to college next fall.  We’re realizing how precious time really is, and how much you can do with it.  But even moreso, how God uses these things.

So, what’s the plan?  As far as we can see, God has a plan for this site, and we’ll be writing on it from time to time next year, but expect to see…drumroll please…more contributions to help keep the site running fresh with conversation.  And yes, there will still be us.  College isn’t going to kill Jill so that she’s completely gone from the face of the earth or anything, but you should know how it is.  And yeah, you will probably see more of Rachel.  We’re just embracing these new changes, because, well, they are inevitable anyway.

And we know that you all are probably in situations like this as well.  The best comfort is knowing that we have a God that never changes.  He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. (Hebrews 13:8.)  So, He’s pretty compatible with us, right?  You bet.

And…We’re going to be coming forward as completely ourselves,  flaws and all, in the next few posts by the way.  It’s the only way we can really relate to you all.

Oh yes, and little reminder!  Priceless Purity is on twitter,  facebook and myspace, and we encourage you to check us out on each of those networks.  We would absolutely love to hear from each of you as well.  Any ideas, feedback, suggestions, anything, please just send us a message about it, we’ll try to get back to you soon.

God bless, and please enjoy the new site!

~Rachel & Jillian~