Teenagers - this blog was written specifically for YOU. I hope my honesty helps to encourage all of you young women and men struggling with the decision of whether or not to WAIT to have sex until marriage, and dealing with the social pressure & hormones through it all!

 

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As Valentine's Day is gets closer, I can't help but remember
how incredibly important it was to all us girls in high school and
college. Everyone was hoping for a date with their boyfriend that day or wondering if they
would discover a secret admirer. We wished for flowers and chocolate,
and romantic nights by candlelight with our True Love. Everything we saw in the latest romantic movie filled our daydreams...

 

         Love was in the air...

        or... was
it hormones?

 

Taking a closer look back at high school & college, I realize
how CRAZY our lives were! Especially in high school. Our hormones were
going 100 miles an hour, our bodies were changing, and we didn't have
the brains or experience to keep up with it all. Now - students don't
get me wrong, I am NOT calling you stupid! I think you're all very
bright and have a ton of potential... I'm just saying that high school
is HARD, and I don't think many (if any) teens are really prepared for it
mentally or emotionally (and most adults don't understand your
struggles).  

 

I remember all the DRAMA I endured those years. EVERYTHING was
dramatic - everything was the end of the world. I cried my eyes out
over every boy I ever liked, and wrote pages upon pages of
heart-wrenching poetry... convinced I was supposed to find "THE ONE" at
the age of 15 or 16.

 

And I remember the PRESSURE. The pressure to be liked. The
pressure to be popular. The pressure to wear the right clothes (which
in high school were often very low-cut, short or tight). The pressure
to get guys' attention... to get a date.... to have a boyfriend... and
to be physical with them (because all the other girls were doing it). 

 

In the midst all of that pressure, I made a promise to God that I
would save my virginity for my wedding day. It was my 14th birthday
when I signed the 'For Wedlock Only Covenant' and put on my purity
ring...

... but I had no idea I'd still be wearing that ring 11 years later!

 

That's right girls.... I didn't get married until I was 25. A LOT
of my friends got married earlier - 18, 20, 22. That wasn't God's plan
for me. I had 11 long years to wait after I made that promise, and let
me tell you, they weren't always easy!

 

I've made my fair share of mistakes in relationships. I wasn't
perfect. Still, somehow God protected me in several bad situations with
some guys I had NO business dating. Somehow God gave me the strength to
keep my promise all those years. And on my wedding night, my gift to my
husband was that same signed Covenant, my purity ring, and all of
myself.

 

I realize that's an intimate thing to share... and that I'm
putting it out there for the world to read (awkward, since that
includes my mom, dad, and mother-in-law) but I'm not ashamed of it. I'm
proud that I was able to give that gift to Rusty. It was the most
precious thing I could give him. And I wanted to put this out there -
for all the young women (and men) trying to decide what to do. 

 

Let me answer your biggest question right now ::

 

IT WAS ABSOLUTELY WORTH THE WAIT.

 

There is a reason God tells us to WAIT... actually
there are about 100 reasons. And without going into all of them I just
want you to know that waiting was not only a way for me to honor God, it was one of the best things I could've
done for myself - my heart, my soul, my mind, my body - and my marriage.

 

That's why I was FURIOUS when I saw the video below. In it, Oprah
berates Bristol Palin for her commitment to not have sex again until
she's married. (Bristol had a child out of wedlock, but is trying to
make a new start). Oprah tells her she's 'setting herself up for
failure', and even gives her the opportunity to 'take back' her
commitment!

 

 

 

When I saw that video, I knew I had to write this blog. Because if
OPRAH, one of the most influential women in the world thinks abstinence
is impossible, then what do our teen girls (in the middle of the
struggle and pressure) think? If the Jonas Brothers & Tim Tebow are
made fun of for revealing they are virgins to the public, then how do
our young men feel?

 

I just want to encourage all of you, from the other side. I have
NEVER regretted my decision to wait. I have NEVER wished for more
'experience' before marriage. I have ALWAYS been grateful and glad that
I was able to give my husband a part of me that no man had ever known.

 

So, for those of you who've made mistakes - FORGIVENESS &
GRACE are waiting for you. It is never too late to start over &
make a new commitment. God does not want you feel condemnation or shame. He wants to make all things new!

 

For those of you who've been sexually abused or raped - Please seek
Christian counseling. What happened to you was horrific. IT WAS NOT
YOUR FAULT and God knows that! It grieved the heart of God. He longs
to REDEEM your situation and help you heal from the past.

 

And finally, for those of you tempted to give in, tired of feeling
alone in a world where 'everybody's doing it', and wondering if it's
impossible - please do NOT give up! It is possible with God's help,
everyone is NOT doing it, and it is absolutely WORTH THE WAIT!

 

 

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COMMENTS PLEASE!

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(all other comments are welcomed too :)