Fitness

Purity Is WORTH Fighting For!

I found myself once again struggling with temptations...

• Tempted to be loved
• Temptation to give love
• Temptation to just surrender  

The temptation that so often lures so many of us in.....

This past year, I was labeled as Canada's most popular virgin post appearing on “The Bachelor Canada.” I have had several people email, or Facebook, or interview and stop me in the streets all to ask me two specific questions, "why and how?"

#1) Why?

Why have I chosen to remain a virgin until I get married?

No, it is not because I am a nun as people have commonly assumed. Furthermore, none of any of the following accusations are true: being a lesbian, fearful of commitment, or naive of the pleasures that come with physical intimacy.

Instead, it began with a choice.

A choice that I made in grade eight post summer camp. I was sitting at the campfire, as a young woman in her early twenties shared on "True Love Waits." She talked about the significance and importance to wait until you were married to have sex. I knew in that moment that God was asking me to be obedient and to trust that He has the best in store for my love life.  So I said, "YES" to waiting.

Purity does not come easy, but it begins with saying yes. Yes to making a choice and not wavering in your decision. For the bible assures us that we will be tempted many times in the area of sexuality. Therefore, making a firm decision creates a strong foundation to stand up when temptations come.

And the temptations did come. Never did I anticipate at the age of thirteen that I would have to fight to protect my purity.  I learnt this very quickly as I entered into my first dating relationship.

#2) How?

How am I twenty-seven years old and still a virgin?

Response, by fighting!

Let me explain.....

It is a battle to remain pure, whether in the stage of singleness, dating, courting, or marriage.  We live in a very sexually promiscuous, indulgent, self-satisfying, and lustful culture. Everyone has different views on what is permitted and not permitted to do before marriage. The value and significance of purity is viewed as old fashion and unrealistic, which are both lies. Purity grants protection, restoration and a hope for the future.

For me, I had to make a choice. I decided that purity is worth fighting for and it was not something I wanted to give up or give into. I have had to say no, fight back and defend my stance for purity in relationships and in society.

Has it always been easy?

Absolutely not!

Have I been tempted?

Yes, yes and yes again.

The bible explains that we all will be tempted, but it is how you respond to the temptations that matter.

 “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (James 1:12-15).

Take a moment to think.....

What is your response when you are tempted? Such as, tempted to look at pornography, to be sexual promiscuous, to find cheap love, or to look lustfully at someone else's spouse.

The bible continues to says, “do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:13-17).

God created sex as good gift! It’s a gift with grand purpose, more than just a feeling, selfish satisfaction or to procreate. Sex was created to bring two people together in unity and in oneness. The bible talks about a love that is worth waiting for. It is this type of love that should only be awakened until God’s perfect timing. I have learnt that following Jesus requires faith and to believe that God knows best about sex and relationships. I have chosen to believe and stand firm on Gods promises of blessing for those who live a pure life.

Purity is worth fighting for! It is worth the wait. God’s promises are true and will come to fulfillment.

Do you believe it?

What are you fighting for?

Chantelle

Silent Restoration.

Recently, we were asked to speak on restoration in the Edmonton Federal prison.

I took my final steps through security, nearing "outside freedom" as phrased by the inmates, and pondered the simple fact that we are NOT different.

From a factual standpoint:

• We both are human
• We both want restoration
• We both desire to be found worthy
• We both have a past
• We both have hopes and dreams
• We both long to be loved
• We both yearn for healing

She picked a machete.

I picked restoration.

She got prison.

I got freedom.

And here she is asking with tears in her eyes, "how?" She pauses and continues, "how can I restore what is broken?"

Isn't it everyone's deepest desire for restoration? Regardless of the type, we yearn for restoration in our lives.

Truthfully, I didn't grasp the value of restoration until I considered that I never truly fought for it before. Suddenly, I was faced with a choice. A machete wasn't what I decided. Initially, I chose to run. I flew home and I escaped the greatest heartache that I've ever experienced.

Naturally, you probably would too…

Restoration isn't our first choice. Because who wants to fail restoration?  Who wants to attempt restoration when the other person has deeply hurt and lied to you? Furthermore, who wants to seek restoration when it seems impossible?

Ironically, I did. I didn't have a machete. No, I had a small piece of hope. And might I add, a miniature piece of hope. It was that glimmer of hope that initiated my steps onto the airplane. It was that fraction of hope that enabled me to surrender my engagement ring. It was that ounce of hope that granted me the ability to respond with love and not hate. It was that sliver of hope that reminded me to not give up. Oh how I wanted too, as multiple times I considered accepting defeat. Yet, hope stirred me to keep seeking the possibility of restoration. It was silent, not the restoration I anticipated or expected, but a beautiful form of restoration not often spoken of.

Silent... 

Silent...

Silent...

In the silence, I discovered freedom and the value of restoration as the purest form of love. For "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" (2 Corinthians 3:17).  Furthermore, I was "called to be free [to be restored]. But do not use your freedom [restoration] to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love" (Galatians 5:13).

Hope for restoration brought me back to Alberta. I'd love to say, I've witnessed complete relational restoration with my ex-fiancé and it's mended perfectly. But, that isn't accurate.  Restoration is complex. It exhibits a variety of layers and woven with pieces of unknown in the abyss of time. Instead, my relationship to him remains silently restored.

I flew over the Rocky Mountains and I promised myself that I wasn’t returning for romantic love, rather for restoration. In that choice, I received the greatest gift: God's restoration.

• He restored my worth
• He restored my ability to love
• He restored my dreams
• He restored my capacity to trust
• He restored pieces of life that I didn't even knew required his restoration!

The relationship I thought required such restoration wasn’t actually what needed restoration. Instead, it was my relationship with God.

Do you need relational restoration?

Or do you need God’s restoration?

We are the same...

She may be an inmate doing time, yet just like me she is a young woman with hope for restoration.

Because we all desperately need to be freed by God’s restoration!

With a heart for restoration,
Charlene

Letting Go

God will do the very best for you. So let go.

We were on a retreat this past weekend and below you will find a testimony from each of us girls sharing something we let go.

I let go of my idea of how to worship and I'm moving into God's. My beautiful girls spoke this and more into me on Saturday night when we took some time to minister to one another. It was amazing, overwhelming and inspiring. What power our God has.... 

Xo TinaMarie

 I let go of the past.  The past me, imperfect notions, and relationships that God wants to change.  I know I need to place not only myself and my future into God's hands, but those I love too.  Life, truth, and love were spoken into me, by women I cherish so very dearly.  I believe God is raising me up to be a mighty warrior princess...an Esther, a Joan of arc, a Pocahontas.  The holy spirit shook things up...The old has gone, new has come.

Love, Christy Creative Dreamer Wild Crazy Spirit Dawn

I let go of silent restoration. Huh?

[It's a blog that's currently being written and shall be posted later].

I've released an area of my life that I've wrestled with and even cried over, as I've asked God why?  I am free of the expectations that I had to have such restoration and I leave it as silent.

Because God knows the deepest desire of my heart. Tina reminded me,"Charlene, only the BEST! Your Heavenly Father is sorry that you've endured such pain, yet he has the BEST."

As the saying states, "the best is yet to come!" And I couldn't agree more!
Believing for the best, Charlene

     I am letting go of the need to protect my heart from the one who created my heart. Some of my most hidden and secret desires have been just that…hidden and secret. I quit asking God for the desires of my heart, I quit even acknowledging these desires to myself. The answer “wait” caused too much pain, and not asking seemed to make the possibility of unfulfilled desires easier to deal with. But this weekend my dear girls spoke restored hope over my life. Therefore I will hope in the Lord and leave my desires at his feet, and as I wait I will seek the very best, my saviour himself.

                                                  Love,
                                                     Your friend who has hope dwelling in her heart,
                                                   Ashley

Palms Down. 

 With the girls all hugging me and tears streaming down my face, God said, "Let Go."   

Surrender is a act of "palms down". 

When you surrender with your palms down, you cannot re-pick up that which you surrender. It is impossible.  I thought I had surrender to God the deepest areas of my heart, but this weekend I realized I was trying to control certain areas of my life. Why? because I was trying to protect myself from getting hurt again or experiencing disappointment in regards to relationships.  I was listening to the voices of others and lies of the enemy instead of holding on to God's promises and trusting that He truly has the greatest in store for me.  So, with palms down, I "let go" and decided to "let God" have full control over the deepest areas of my heart. 

Freedom comes when we let go and let God take over. 

 What are you holding on to? 

Living the Other Way, 

xoxox Chantelle 

    

Perfectionism

The Hidden Box.

I think we all have one of those boxes. It’s a box that maybe holds an assortment of encouragement cards or quotes; a box that contains a variety of trinkets or photos; and a box that is woven with memories and hand written notes.

My box has always been kept in my closet. Someone I once knew called it, "the bad day" box and only opened it on those days when she needed affirmation or direction. I've moved over seven times in the last three years, so I've had to condense my box and its contents.

Hidden. 

The contents are hidden. I don't go for coffee at Starbucks or invite you over and say, "Hey, lets check out my box!" In all honestly, I haven't even looked at my box for sometime. Oddly, today it seems appropriate.  I am discovering that life isn't to be hidden.

Today, I am choosing to share a few contents of my box...

Letter #1:

Sweetheart, I don't have long to live, as the cancer has won. Yet promise me, you'll remember Psalm 23:6. Sadly, I'll never meet your husband or children, yet I declare that God's goodness and love will be evident for as long as you live...

I've kept my promise. Psalm 23:6 is a passage that I declare on my life.

Trinket #2:

Set of keys. My boyfriend at the time wrote the words, "you have the key to my heart." Priceless, right?

Card #3:

The written words, "You've always told me to be better not bitter. Why is that so hard?"

Memory #4:

A picture of helium balloons. That day, I wrote on each balloon with a sharpie marker and released each balloon off the White Rock pier. In that solo letting go ceremony, I surrendered a variety of items, things, even people, as my final balloon had the words "dream big."

Why these specific contents? Truthfully, I don't know. It's always surprising what pieces of the box seem significant to me. Regardless, today I am reminded of the truth of Psalm 23:6. Furthermore, one day someone will have the key to my heart, whoever he may be. I believe it's a choice to be better and not bitter. It enables healing, so dreams are possible. Today, I am in awe of dreams...

But that's another blog for another day.

Together, lets simply acknowledge that life isn't to be hidden and lived alone. Instead, you are surrounded by a community of friends and family who want to be woven into the framework of who you are.  They desire to engage in each and every moment of sadness or happiness; each and every disappointment or celebration; and each and every hope or dream! Furthermore, you have a Heavenly Father who's deepest desire is to apart of your day to day, as you are his greatest design and perfect creation.

Can you simply stop hiding? And will you let someone in today? Will you let God in?

Choosing to no longer hide today,

Charlene

P.s. "Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever" (Psalm 23:6 NIV). Jon Foreman crafted a beautiful song based off Psalm 23.