A Lily Among Thorns

Song of Solomon 2:2-"Like a lily among thistles is my darling among young women."

A couple of years ago at camp, we had a purity night. After Joe White gave a great speech, the girls went to the cafeteria and, among other things, we received a piece of paper with thoughts from all of the guy counselors (college age guys) about what they look for in a girl. These guys are all Christ followers, and it is very interesting to see what they look for in a girl. Honestly, it is probably much different than you would think. God has been leading me to put this on Measuring Up, so I am going to share it!

"Three things I look for in a girl (that are observed)

1. Serving- how and whom does she serve?

2. Prayer- does she seek God so much that I have to get close to God to get close to her?

3. Modesty- does she dress and act tastefully or classy in order to not cause her brothers in Christ to stumble?"

"The things that are most attractive about girls are usually contrary to what they hear guys find attractive. When a girl is modest (and by that I mean when she dresses in a way that's not revealing-including shorts that are long and shirts that cover well) that is so attractive because I know she is content in who she is and is not trying to find the approval through guys. Also, when she is humble and simply loves others in all she does shows that she has a true relationship with the Lord and has her priorities straight. Yeah, you might get some guys' attention by dressing less modestly, but that is not a healthy attention. Find who you are in Christ, not the acceptance of others. Every girl is beautiful, even if you don't feel that way. It's time. And it's likely that you'll meet someone who feels that way about your character and your appearance... and they'll be worth waiting for. I promise. That's how God designed it. P.S. Loving all people is a great thing to see in a girl too!"

"One of the most important qualities a Christian guy looks for in Christian girls are girls who are genuine. By that I mean if they are a Christian, they should live like one and encourage others in their faith. For me one of the most frustrating things is finding a girl who says they are one thing when they are actually someone completely different. Simply put, to be a Proverbs 31 woman, girls must put God before all things loving and glorifying Him in everything they do."

"A passion to disciple/love people"

"Reverence for the Word of God"

"A quiet reverent spirit"

"Verbally affirming and encouraging"

"Cares for others"

"Encourages and challenges"

"Doesn't gossip. Isn't cocky"

"Servant heart"

"Sees the best in every situation. Positive"

"Content, but not satisfied"

"Seek after the Lord more than boys"

"Confident in herself (doesn't allow the world to dictate who she is)"

"Honest with self"

"Smiles a lot"

"Gentleness in her words. Respectful"

"Listens to all advice (respects others)"

"Quick to forgive others when wronged"

"Christian actively seeking God"

"Family oriented"

"Honest in all situations, distinguishes friendship from flirting"

"Joyful. Finds her identity in Christ, not guys"

"Selfless"

"Gets along with other girls (not drama queen)"

"Pleasant to be around, smiling, positive (Negative Nancy's aren't fun)"

"Elegant and ladylike"

"Goofy and not afraid to be stupid"

"Consistency"

"No drama"

"Genuinely cares for those around her"

"Don't be forward (in relation to flirting)"

"Assertive (not aggressive)-this is easily mistaken- it means she is not passive but speaks about what she believes. (bold)"

"A teachable heart"

"Willingness to listen and know when to speak"

"Modesty"

"Gentle, persevering, self-motivated"

"Christ-centered"

"Genuine, integrity, mystery"

"Serving"

"Dress modestly (direct your beauty to your face)"

"Doesn't seek attention with clothes"

"Modest"

"Good moral values"

"Loyal/Modesty/Humility/Loving others"

God has a perfect plan for your life-including marriage. He probably has a guy out there right now who will want to marry you someday, and you may know him right now, or you may not. Throughout your life, keep this in mind: A true Christian guy looks for a modest, encouraging, serving, loving, respectful, and God-centered girl to be friends with and date. If you start to like a guy who is interested in you for other reasons than these- kick him to the curb! He is not the guy that God has planned for you, and he will never be nearly as good.

Song of Solomon 8:4-"Promise me, O women of Jerusalem, not to awaken love until the time is right."

Proverbs 31:30-"Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised."

Keep Measuring up! You are loved.

-Jenna Hampton

with quotes from Christian guys and lots of thought and guidance from God :)

The Body Armor of God's Righteousness

Ephesians 6:13-17-"Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the BODY ARMOR OF GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

Here are two questions I am aiming to answer in this post:

1. What is the benefit of wearing God's armor of righteousness, as opposed to not wearing it?

2. How can we obtain righteousness before God?

Probably the biggest benefit of wearing the righteousness of God is that we KNOW that by our faith, He has forgiven us, and we have become righteous in his sight. Therefore, we will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, and share in His eternal glory! No one can touch you when you are wearing the righteousness of God. You know where you are going, and you know who is always with you!

Romans 8:31-"What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?"

"Advantages of the Kingdom of God:

1. God has done everything necessary to make our pardon possible.

2. We will not be required to observe the entire Mosaic Law.

3. We are declared legally righteous, justified and acquitted by God.

4. We will not experience God's wrath.

5. We are part of God's kingdom and family.

6. We will not spiral downward into depravity.

7. We experience peace with God.

8. We experience the glory of God.

9. It is a free gift.

10. Inner transformation; we gradually become truly good.

Disadvantages of choosing something but God:

1. No one succeeds.

2. Experience God's just wrath.

3. Miss out on experiencing God and his kingdom.

4. Miss out on the purposeful, abundant life God offers.

5. Miss out on becoming truly good and truly fulfilled."-A church bulletin from a Carmel Church

Please realize that the righteousness that God can give you is so wonderful! And it's free! It comes by faith. John 3:16-"For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." Jesus is our advocate before God. If you have faith in him, confess your sins, and promise to live your life for Him, your sins will be forgiven and you will be declared righteous before God! Jesus payed the price of YOUR sins on the cross, so that you can stand righteous before God. :)

Satan may sometimes trick you into thinking that you have done things so bad, that you can't be forgiven by God, or that you will never be righteous. When he gives you those thoughts, pray for forgiveness, and put on the body armor of God's righteousness! He's with you always, and He will never fail you. Even when you die, you will be protected, for you will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven! God is good!

Deuteronomy 31:6-"So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you."

-Jenna Hampton

with notes from a Church in Carmel, and so many good verses from God's Word!

The Belt of Truth

Ephesians 6:13-17-"Therefore, put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on THE BELT OF TRUTH and the body armor of God's righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

As I started thinking about what to say in this post, I was wondering: "What is 'truth' exactly. How can I define it?" So, I looked it up in the dictionary-

TRUTH

1. The true or actual state of a matter

2. Conformity with fact or reality

3. A verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle, or the like

Okay, so we can see that the truth is anything that is a fact, reality, or actually true. In a world where so many people are trying to convince us that what they believe is true, it's difficult to find something that we can KNOW is true. "You can loose weight in just three days with no effort, if you buy this pill!" Is that the truth? "I will be the best boyfriend ever, and I will always 'love' you." Is that the truth? "God doesn't really care about us. We've done too many bad things to get his love." Is THAT the truth?

John 14:6-"Jesus told him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me."

Jesus tells us that He is the truth. That should be easy to believe, but sometimes it isn't. Satan gives us all sorts of things like doubts, worldly things that look like the truth, and hardships that make us turn away from the truth of a Christian way of life. We are called, though, to put on the belt of truth, and to tell Satan to take a hike! Just by reading God's Word and remembering all the things God has done for us, we can know that everything we believe in is true.

"The Bible is like no other book in the world. It is filled with internal evidence that it is the Word of God. No other religion has a book filled with prophecies fulfilled one right after the other. The few books that have even attempted this have been proven to be written by false prophets who cannot foretell the future. But you can trust in the Bible, which is the true Word of God, who proves that He is the Author of it by fulfilled prophecies."-Matthew McGee

Ephesians 1:13-"And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago."

Put on the belt of truth today, and realize that God only speaks what is true! Keep measuring up. You are loved. :)

-Jenna Hampton

with Matthew McGee, Dictionary.com, and many prayers

Summary Of Being On Guard

GUARD WHAT YOU SEE-

Psalm 101:3-"I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; I hate the work of all those who fall away; it shall not fasten its grip on me."

What will you do to literally guard your eyes? I decided not to look at "those magazines", I only watch G and PG movies, and I watch Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network on T.V. Yeah, it's hard to stand up for what I believe in, and yeah I get made fun of sometimes, but it's worth it! I'm so glad that when I close my eyes, there are no bad images stuck in my head. Plus, I know it's exactly what God wants me to do!

GUARD WHAT YOU HEAR-

2 Timothy 1:13-"Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus."

Things you hear turn into thoughts, and thoughts turn into actions. So be careful! Examine the

things you listen to today, and think about whether you should be more careful about what you hear. If God wouldn't approve, just click it off! A good radio station in OKC and Edmond is Air One on 90.9 FM. You can also listen to it online in other states at Air1.com.

GUARD WHAT YOU DRINK-

Proverbs 20:1-"Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise."

Please think about your life, and if there is anything you need to change in your relationship with alcohol. Maybe, you are not even thirsty for the "pleasure" it gives. Maybe you are just thirsty for life! There is only One who gives free, satisfying water to anyone who believes! You can do all things through Christ who can satisfy your thirst.

GUARD WHAT YOU SPEAK-

Colossians 4:6-"Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person."

Guarding your speech is very wise! Think about this: do the things you say to and about others reflect what you believe? Kind words are like honey, sweet and good for the soul! Give some to people who need it today. Don't gossip, don't curse, and don't lie or use bad sarcasm! Well, that's the goal anyway. Aim for that, and remember how much speech can say about you as a person. Let your speech reflect your belief in God! You are loved.

GUARD YOUR TOUCH-

1 Corinthians 6:18-20-"Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does! For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don't you realize that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body."

Your purity is so important! It's not something to be messed around with. If you date someone and let them break down your walls (let them kiss you, let them become more important than God, let them cause you to lie to your parents about things) then sooner or later you will end up doing something you didn't plan on. One piece of dirt can ruin a glass of pure water. One dirty memory can ruin your pureness. Know your boundaries, and stick to them!

GUARD YOUR MIND-

Philippians 4:8-"And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise."

God really wants to teach you wisdom and show you the right way to live your life! He can only do that, though, if you choose to think about Him. Think about what you have been thinking about today, and remember to be careful about the things you let into your mind. It's truly a battlefield, and it may take some time for you to really give your thoughts over to God, but it will be worth it when you do! You are loved.

GUARD YOUR HEART-

Psalm 119:11-"I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."

Proverbs 4:20-23-"My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don't loose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. GUARD YOUR HEART ABOVE ALL ELSE, FOR IT DETERMINES THE COURSE OF YOUR LIFE."

You've got a great bodyguard- CHRIST. Ask him to help you guard your eyes, ears, lips, thirst, touch, mind, and heart. God loves you, and He shows it with His actions. Ask Him to help you, and He will show you the way. Follow it. It's worth it. You are loved!

Keep measuring up!

-Jenna Hampton

with some awesome quotes from God's Word.

Guard Your Heart

Psalm 119:11-"I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."

"We are never out of reach of temptation. Both at home and abroad, we are liable to meet with allurements of evil; the morning opens with peril, and the shades of evening find us still in jeopardy. They are well kept whom God keeps; but woe unto those who go forth into the world, or even dare to walk their own house unarmed. Those who think themselves secure, are more exposed to danger than any others. The armor-bearer of Sin is Self-confidence. Be not secure. We need, a watchman for the night, as well as a guardian for the day. Oh, for the constraining love of Jesus to keep us active and useful!"-Charles H. Spurgeon

"Worldly things are armed and ready to break into your heart. Don't let them come in. It's hard to say no- not because it's 'uncool' or will make you stand out, but because it takes courage."-Chloe Webber

Proverbs 4:20-23-"My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don't lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. GUARD YOUR HEART ABOVE ALL ELSE, FOR IT DETERMINES THE COURSE OF YOUR LIFE."

One of the best things that the Holy Spirit can teach you is to guard your heart. Think of someone you know who you consider to have a good heart. Why do you think that about them? Probably because of the way they live. Think even further about that person. Do they guard their heart, letting only good and godly things in, or do they let their guard down when faced with temptation? Remember today to guard your heart and really think about your life. Maybe your heart needs some repairing. You've come to the right place! Jesus took the fall so that you could have it all. :)

"Can God restore spiritual virginity to someone who has had premarital sex? Yes. Absolutely yes. He does it every day. Can God remove guilt and help you forgive yourself? Yes. He can and does every day. With God, forgiveness is instantaneous as we confess our sin and turn from it. Our own forgiveness of ourselves sometimes takes longer, but it grows as we make the right choices and live in purity."-Joe White in Pure Excitement

1 Corinthians 10:13-"The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. when you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure."

You are loved! Keep measuring up.

-Jenna Hampton

with Chloe Webber, Joe White, and Charles H. Spurgeon, and endurance

Guard Your Mind

Philippians 4:8-"And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise."

"A sincere boy came to me for counsel one summer day at our sports camp. Masturbation had become a problem. But the thing that bothered him the most was that every time he looked at a girl, his mind took her clothes off. It was killing him inside! 'What do I do?' he pleaded. Coincidentally, my straightforward 12-year-old daughter came walking by. I asked her to sit down and, leaving out the details, asked her to advise him. She simply looked him in the eyes and said, 'Mike, tell me, what kind of movies do you watch?' He knew what his problem was immediately. Satan had won his mind, and the only thing the boy knew to do was to masturbate and mentally rape girls. With prayer and some serious changes in his Friday- and Saturday-night entertainment, Mike won his mind back and now enjoys freedom from lust most of the time." -Joe White in Pure Excitement

There is a constant battle going on between good and evil in your mind. It is your choice to allow positive or negative thoughts to become a habit. It is also your choice to decide what you will allow to be forever engraved in your head. Giving your mind over to Satan is one of the worst choices you can make. Guard your mind, and it will be really hard for him to shake you.

"Although I was a Christian, I was having trouble because I had not learned to control my thoughts. I thought about things that kept my mind busy but were not productive in a positive way. I needed to change my thinking! One thing the Lord told me when He began to teach me about the battlefield of the mind became a major turning point for me. He said, 'Think about what you're thinking about.' As I began to do so, it was not long before I began to see why I was having so much trouble in my life. My mind was a mess! I was thinking all the wrong things." -Joyce Meyer in Battlefield of the Mind

God really wants to teach you wisdom, and show you the right way to live your life! He can only do that, though, if you choose to think about Him. Think about what you've been thinking about today, and remember to be careful about the things you let into your mind. It's truly a battlefield, and it may take some time for you to really give your thoughts over to God, but it will be worth it when you do! Keep measuring up! You are loved :)

Mark 4:24-25-"Then he added, 'Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given-and you will receive even more. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them."

-Jenna Hampton
with Joe White, Joyce Meyer, and God's loving thoughts