Leah Pratt | Journey to Godly: marriage

In my last post, I discussed God's will for our lives. His will is a very important concept to grasp as we plod onward in this 31 Days challenge to hear the "Word of God Speak." So let's delve a bit deeper, shall we?

From my teen years (when I became a believer), I was taught about God's perfect will. This seemed to be the ideal route, where best-laid plans actually led to greener pastures. I was taught that God "knew the plans He had for me...plans for welfare and not for evil, to give me a future and a hope" a la Jeremiah 29:11. The name tag slapped on those future plans was God's perfect will: a wonderfully plotted-out journey that I could be a part of if only I stayed close to Him and far from sin.

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Context matters. In fact, some would say "context is king"…and I wholeheartedly agree.

The above statement applies when seeking to understand everyday conversations, and it is crucial to interpreting Scripture.

You've all been there: sitting in a coffee shop, overhearing a verbal interaction that sounds nothing short of awkward, looking over to see the people engaged in said convo, and seeing that neither one is as perplexed as you are by what was just relayed. And then you realize what has occurred. You have overheard a "bit" or a "piece" of a bigger conversation, and you have incorrectly interpreted those drips and drabs to mean one thing when the original speakers clearly meant another.

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Teaching purity to teens can be a daunting task. Oft-times, you may feel "put on the spot" or unable to handle questions that come your way. Let's be honest: this can be a touchy topic for many - both leaders and listeners alike. Below are ten basic tips to help youth leaders teach biblical purity in a way that will (hopefully) keep your palms dry and your heart from beating out of your chest.

1) Have an "open door" policy with parents. I realize that some of your youth's parents may never darken the door of the church. But when dealing with matters as heavy as God's view on sex, it helps to let parents know that you are open to talking with them about the topic as well. Many parents want to be the ones to teach their children about sex, so it is good to collaborate with them (if possible) to share what you will and will not be covering. Also, we cannot neglect the fact that the members of our youth groups spend countless more hours per week with their parents than they do with us. So we are unlikely to see changes in them if their parents aren't on-board with (or at least aware of) the subject at-hand.

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Conscious uncoupling.

It's become the catchphrase of the month, thanks to actress Gwyneth Paltrow's use of the term to define the dissolving of her 9-year marriage to Coldplay frontman Chris Martin. But what is it, exactly? Why use the term "conscious uncoupling" rather than separation or divorce?

According to a recent Huffington Post article on the matter, the phrase is "ridiculous," "New Age-y, pretentious, [and] righteous." Of course, what the writers probably meant by that last descriptor was self-righteous, because the dissolution of a marriage - Christian or not - is never a "righteous" act. In fact, God clearly states that He hates divorce in Malachi 2:16.

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Year after year, the debate rages on about which love songs rank among the best.

If you are a teen, you may gravitate toward the recent, puppy-love pop tunes by Bruno Mars and the like. If you're a single adult, your choices could range from the wistful and lovelorn to the angry and bitter. And if you're middle-aged or more, married or single, you probably gravitate toward the old school...depending on your era of preference, anything from Jim Croce's "Time In a Bottle" to Perry Como's "When I Fall In Love" might tickle your fancy.

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I pulled up the ever-trusty Google search on my smartphone today and saw that the featured artwork was (of course!) Valentine's Day-themed. On the mobile site at least, "first kiss" was the heart candy message. But I was curious to see what the desktop site had to offer, so I clicked over on my compy later in the day and realized there were a bunch of different heart-shaped, virtual candies that you could click on and hear "true stories of love" from "real people."

Why not?

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For those who have been following the recent "Mega Millions" wins...the question should not be, "What would you do if you won the lottery?" but rather, "What are you currently doing with the money God has entrusted to you?"

I mean...it would be grand to have a bazillion Gs just land in your lap all of a sudden! But the likelihood is so small - even if you play regularly - that it's generally not worth feeding your funds into the black hole known as "the luck of the draw."

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Words have the power to tear us down or to build us up. Words also have a certain "linger-abilty" to them. Have you ever experienced a conversation that just sticks with you? No matter how much time elapses or how many words follow, that ONE powerful statement made seems to clings to your mind like a magnet to metal.

In my day job, I often am blessed with the awesome responsibility of teaching parenting skills. One of those skills I teach most frequently is how to encourage or praise your kids when they do something well. This is called specific praise, to be exact.

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Ecclesiastes 4:6-12 (ESV) reads:

"Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind. Again, I saw vanity under the sun: one person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, 'For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?' This also is vanity and an unhappy business. Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him - a threefold cord is not quickly broken."

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When Chris Tomlin came out with his worship song "Enough," the words totally resonated with me. At that time, I had just left my hometown in pursuit of re-enrolling in college to complete a new degree path. I was single and very much in need of Christ to awaken a desire in me to be content in Him alone. I learned this song while I was working at a Christian youth camp that summer (Snowbird Wilderness Outfitters - seriously the best camp on earth!).

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For those of you who have followed ABC’s hit series Grey’s Anatomy, you may have begun to identify two types of “desirable” men in the world: the McDreamys and the McSteamys.

The McDreamys are the tall, dark, and handsomes who are strong of jaw and quick of wit. With a headful of gorgeous locks, they are the men whose eyes smile long before their lips and who love as intensely as they work. They are the men whose crisp, blue eyes can pierce the darkness of any girl’s “dark and twisty” soul. McDreamys are the rescuers. They are the strong and devoted men who value love and commitment above all else.

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