He Thinks I'm to Die For

"And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her."

Genesis 29:20

   How sweet is that? I was reading through the book of Genesis a while back, and I stumbled upon this verse, nestled quietly amidst the story of Jacob. Though I have read Jacob's story in the book of Genesis many times, and can say he was greatly used of The Lord, I wouldn't exactly call him a prime example of a man of God. He was a liar, a deceiver, a cheater, and he seemed to be a rather selfish, manipulative man. But, despite these bad qualities, he did know how to go after a girl and conquer her heart. The Bible tells us that Jacob loved Rachel so much, that he ultimately dedicated 14 years of his life to proving that love to her and her father. That's pretty intense, isn't it? I mean, what girl wouldn't want to be loved and wanted that much? 

      I witness so many girls who would give anything to be pursued like that. To be wanted, to be loved, and to feel like they are worth enough to be sought after without reserve. They seem desperate, even. Society constantly bombards them with unrealistic expectations of what it thinks they should be, and how it thinks they should be, and if they do not conform themselves to this low excuse for standard, they are labeled as fat, ugly, abnormal, strange, stupid. They are beaten down, made to feel worthless and inadequate. This makes them feel as if they must snatch up any chance to feel wanted and accepted, even if it is from the wrong source, for the wrong reasons. Most times, it costs them more than they ever dreamed it would. Girls will enter a relationship, looking for this acceptance, craving that special kind of love that makes them feel "good enough", the kind that makes them feel cherished, the kind that makes them feel like they are worth the whole world... The kind of love only one person can give them. 

      Jacob was only a man. He wasn't perfect. Did he love Rachel? Oh, very much so. But he failed her. Perhaps more times than we know. His love wasn't perfect as no one's love is perfect. No one will ever love you the way you need to be loved, the way you want desperately to be loved. No one, that is, but Jesus. He loves you enough, that he felt you were to die for. After everything you might have done to hurt him, yet He still thought you were worth enough to die for. So He did. He died for you. And all you must do is accept that fact. Accept it, and admit that, on your own, you aren't anything. On your own, everything you will ever do is for naught. Why? Because He already did everything for you. In Him, you are complete. In Him, you have all that you could ever want. Won't you simply trust Him today?

 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

{Romans 8:38-39}

||lovely links||

>Read about A WOMANS WORTH over at A Full Time Girl.

*Check out how its NEVER TOO MUCH over at Set Apart Girl.

-This post on HE WILL MAKE A WAY was beautiful!

[On LEAVING ROOM FOR THE UNEXPECTED and intentionally saying NO.

||Some thoughts on how God loves us so much and ITS TOO BIG!

Be a Light.

     So many people are hurting in this world today. So many Christians are too busy with work, school, church, and entertainment, to take a moment and offer a little bit of encouragement to someone. Stop and listen for a while. Smile at the cashier. Offer help to the lady at the grocery store. There are so many opportunities to be a blessing to others. You never know what a little sunshine might do for someone's rainy day. 

Be a Light.

things that make us happy...

from Hannah S...

1. Reading God's Word
2. Prayer and the comfort that comes with it
3. Being with my family

4. Singing

5. Playing my instruments

6. Seeing God's mighty hand in my life

7. Coffee, Mochas, Lattes, Cappucino, & such like

8. The Bates Family

9. British accents

10. Yorkies!!!!

from Mrs. Stahl...

My Savior

My Family

Walks on the beach

My friends

Daisies

Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

from Kaylee...

from Hannah Elizabeth...

*new music

*planning

*being inspired

*spending time in prayer

*highlighters

*writing creatively

farther than you want to go...

"Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay."

The first time I heard that little statement, I marveled at the accuracy of those words. I also shivered a little, as the realization of the truth in it struck me. Sin. Such a small word for such a wide depiction. Yet, it affects us all in one way or another. I've watched it build from something as small and minuscule as a lie, a phone call, a word, to something big and ugly that has destroyed great men and women of God, ripped apart families, and ruined teens. I have experienced firsthand, the consequences of sin. And I can be the first to admit how much fun it was. At first. But, as the Bible clearly warns us, sin will find you out. It found me out. From the most unexpected place. It hurt me. It hurt others. And worst of all, it hurt God. It was ugly, heartbreaking, disappointing. It drug me down to something lower than I was. It hurt my testimony. I stopped caring for the things of God. I stopped doing what was right. My attitude changed. I stopped reading my Bible, because frankly, I just didn't want to. It is something I must live with for the rest of my life.

I think everyone has heard the little saying, "If you play with fire, you're going to get burned." Sin and fire are much alike. The consequences of it are very grave. Remember the story of David with Bathsheeba? It started with one wrong turn. David simply decided to stay home from battle. Just one wrong decision. He took a walk. He discovered Bathsheeba one evening, and decided she was pretty. Pretty enough, that he thought he would send for her for a night of pleasure. They had sex. She got pregnant. He swiftly and quietly put an end to her husband, Uriah, and married Bathsheeba. They had a baby. The baby died. And from then on, God promised David that the sword shall never depart from his house. There would never be peace, there would always be death. And for what? One night of pleasure. One wrong decision. That's all it takes.

The Bible tells us, in James 1:15, that, "When lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." Death. God takes sin seriously with a Christian. He also tells us, in Galatians 6:7, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." This verse, in all it's boldness and truth, scares me. To death. I wonder what I will reap in exchange for my sins. I wonder what trial or hardship I will have to face because of it. Will it affect me alone? Will it affect my future children? My family? The thought terrifies me. I don't want my children to get caught up in the same mess I was in. I don't want anyone to...

As Christians, we must be very careful with ourselves in letting sin creep into our lives. The devil knows our every weakness, and uses them against us. If there's an area in your life that you know is not pleasing to The Lord, deal with it. Deal with your sin before God does. He promises to forgive us, as David writes in Psalm 32:5, and again in Psalm 103:12. "As far as the easy is from the west, so far hath he removed or transgressions from us."

//lovely links

Read about the-not-so-perfect-proverbs-31-woman over at thefulltimegirl!

{How to be a friend>talk less + listen more}

Heres some really good thoughts on *FORGIVENESS*!

>on WHY you DONT have to hurry your day...

//The MIX and MATCH wardrobe

>>>Life outside of the fishbowl<<<

writers favorites// color

I have been having fun getting to know our lovely writers a little bit more through our favorites posts! Its rather ironic that every one of us loves PINK!!!! ;-P Enjoy these gorgeous photos, and be sure to click through to the pins! <3Hannah Elizabeth

Hannah S.~ PINK

Hannah Elizabeth~ BLUE and PINK 

      

Mrs. Stahl~ PINK 

Kaylee~ PINK

      

***all of these photos are from our pinterest board...

whatsoever is lovely// CONCLUSION + giveaway + giveaway winners

If you havent been following our series, then START HERE with the INTRO!

Are your thoughts TRUE? Are they based on what is real and factual? And be sure to go and enter our giveaway if you havent already! :) Brianna brought out some really interesting thoughts on how our thoughts should be HONEST and JUST! Staying PURE is so important, but sometimes I think we let ourselves get a little deceived, we think that we can get away with impure thoughts, but thats not true! Have you ever thought about your thoughts being ugly or LOVELY? Hannah S. had some really good thoughts on how a GOOD REPORT is our testimony! Mrs. Stahl had a lovely post reminding us to work on our VIRTUOUS character! And Mrs. Crane wrapped up our week with some awesome thoughts on what is PRAISEWORTHY!

I am so excited at how the LORD is using this blog! Its funny, because even though I started it to reach out to other people, the Lord has been using it to bless me too! It has been such a blessing to get to know each of the ladies that are writing, and read their thoughts and see what they come up with! 

I hope the Lord is using this blog to be a blessing to you too! I would like to encourage you all to share this with your friends and family> spread the Word so that God can use it and you! We need to try to make an impact on those around us!!!!

We have finished our first series on our theme verse up there^^^^^^^, so now we will be moving on to some other fun stuff this week! 

__________________________________________________________________________

Our givewaway winners are.....

whatsoever is true>> Sarah Covey

meet our authors>> Hope King

Please email us at allthingslovelyphil4.8@gmail.com with your mailing address!!!!

***If you do not respond within 24 hours we will redraw a winner!

__________________________________________________________________________

We have another giveaway today! >>>Did you know that every 10 followers we get, or every 10 likes on facebook we will do a giveaway???? Thats pretty cool, so spread the word! :)

We have 9 different ways that you can enter!!!!

1. Leave a comment telling us what your favorite topic of the week was!!! <true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous or praiseworthy> {Required!}
2. Follow our blog!
3. Like our facebook page!

4. Share this giveaway on Facebook{and/or twitter/g+/your blog} >leave a link in your comment.

5. Follow our pinterest board

6. Repin our giveaway pin!

whatsoeverthings// PURE

>>>>>Please get your parents permission to read this post if you are under age 16!<<<<<

"Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart."
II Timothy 2:22

Purity.
If you have been in church for any length of time, you've no doubt heard the countless lessons and sermons on the importance of it. Especially as a teen. In our culture today however, it seems that there can't be enough of those lessons. As much as they are drilled into us, I would think more Christian teens would take it more seriously. Yet sadly, I witness more and more young people with such potential for God fall into the trap the devil has set for us, myself included. Teen pregnancy, pre-marital sex, and pornography run rampant outside, and even inside the church. There seems to be no shame in anything. Young people's minds are corrupted at such early ages; filled with wicked images and the wrong ideals, which they pick up in the public school systems, on the Internet, or through the television. By high school, most have been exposed to pornographic images at one point or another, and they have been presented with, and sadly many have taken the opportunities to have sex. 

In the world, purity is something regarded as "weird", "abnormal", or "immature". The devil has taken the picture of intimacy that was originally reserved and ordained by God, between a man and wife within the sacred confines if marriage, and turned it into something perverse and corrupt. It is something given and taken loosely and effortlessly. Sex is easy to get, the definition of "love" is turned around and more often than not, is the equivalent of lust. There is no commitment, no giving, and no honor. This generation has stooped to the lowest possible rung of the ladder when it comes to sex. I find it sad how people are shocked when I tell them I have never " messed around" with any guy, even my boyfriend. Their jaw often drops and they ask things such as, "How are y'all still together?", or "How does he know you love him if you don't have sex?", or they question how we keep a good relationship for three years with no sex. Now, I will readily admit; it's hard. Even as a Christian - whether you're in a relationship or not, staying pure can be hard. But not impossible. After all, with God, all things are possible, right?

For a Christian girl, purity should be important. It should be kept and guarded as something sacred and holy, as God intended. Once it is lost, it can never be taken back, no matter how sorry you are, or how much you try and forget about it. We must be very, very careful with ourselves. Not just with our bodies, but also with our minds. It is easier than you might think, to sin with your mind. That's where lust comes in. And many times it doesn't just stop there. Like fire, lustful thoughts can spread, and they can swiftly turn into actions, and oftentimes, that is how we lose our purity. The good news is though, if we keep our hearts and minds pure before God, it is easier to keep our bodies pure. In Psalm 119:10-11, David writes, "With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." David sought the LORD with his whole heart. He didn't want there to be any room for impurity or sin. If we strive to seek God with our whole hearts, it will make it difficult to have any room for the wrong thoughts as well.

As girls, our purity is also something very special. It is a gift from God for us to give to the man we will someday marry. It is a way we can express our love for this person in the closest, most intimate way possible, a way we connect with the one we love so deeply. I like one writer's take on it from a guy's perspective. He says, "Sex should be as pure and holy as worship. It is not a pastime to play with your friends, like shooting hoops or jumping on the GameCube. When you make love, there is a connection made with another's soul. It is a connection God intended for you to make with your bride, a connection that will defend the relationship against the world and against the hard times to come." Although he was addressing teen guys, the same can be applied to girls. It is not something we should give away carelessly to anyone, not even your boyfriend. It is something that should be designated for your husband, and him alone, in the right time. 

Keeping your mind free from the wrong kind of thoughts, such as lust, is the first step in being pure. In Psalm 139:23-24, David intreats the LORD by saying, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Like David, I often find myself asking God the same thing quite often. It can be hard to keep my thoughts right. But I like what a verse in Proverbs 16 says. It says, "Commit thy works unto the Lord , and thy thoughts shall be established." It reminds me that, when I'm busy serving God, my thoughts will be established on Him. It becomes more difficult to dwell on things I shouldn't, because I'm doing what I should for Him. 

I encourage you to stay pure and draw closer to God today, by keeping your mind on Him completely, and off the world. Maybe by keeping the TV off, and spending a little extra time in your Bible. Whatever you do, make sure it is pleasing to Him. Have a great rest of your week!