10 Lies Hollywood Tells Us~ Nataleigh Robinson

If you live on this earth (which you probably do) then you have probably experienced your fair share of expectations.  Your parents expect you to clean your room, your friends expect you to be there when they need you, your pastor expects you to pay attention in youth group and God expects you to share the good news of His son. 

All these things are rather reasonable expectations but often we can feel like we’re getting mixed messages.  We get one message from our friends at church and a completely different message from our friends at school.  Our parents tell us one thing while our teachers tell us something different.  Our pastors present one way of gaining success while society presents an entirely different way to gain success. 

The Devil uses a variety of lies to confuse us into living our lives in a way that is less than holy.  But we can’t expect to realize these things as lies if no ones ever pointed them out to us.  Not to worry that’s what this article is here for.  Here are ten lies that Hollywood tells us

1. You have to be a size one to be considered attractive.  A hundred years ago people held a very different opinion of beauty.  It was considered much more attractive to have a little fluff.  But in 1959 something happened that forever changed the way beauty was viewed.  This life changing event took place in the form of a still very popular toy named Barbie.  Barbie was stick thin with the perfect hourglass shape and drop dead gorgeous.  Every girl wanted to look just like her.  And so the search for beauty began. We’ve all experienced insecurity at one time or another, it’s part of being a girl, its part of living in a sinful world.  Since sin entered the world women have struggled with wanting to be attractive.  There isn’t anything wrong with wanting to look good, after all God tells us to take care of our bodies since they are the temples of God (1 Cor 6:19-20).  I think this includes watching out weight but it doesn’t mean obsessing over it.  God made each of us with different builds and not all of us will be able to healthily fit into a size one.  What’s important is that we except the body God has given us.

2. Being a virgin is something to be ashamed of.  Turn on the TV for any extended amount of time and you will quickly realize that our society is obsessed with sex.  Adult shows and movies are full of sex scenes and explicit sexual jokes.  Kids movies are less obviously filled with sexual undertones and innuendos.  Even some commercials have an underlying sexual message.  Living in a world filled with never-ending sexual messages and friends who are constantly hooking-up, it can be difficult not to feel like you’re the only virgin left on the planet.  

I can assure you that you are most definitely not.  There are hundreds of students who are still virgins.  In 2009 34% of high school students admitted to being sexually active and even if there were another 10% who had had sex but hadn’t admitted it that still roughly 56% of high school students who are still virgins. That’s over half of your school.  Just remember that the next time you’re thinking of giving in just because your ashamed of your virginity.  You’re not alone and God values your purity more than anything else.

3. Marriage doesn't last forever.  God created marriage.  God realized how lonely Adam was and decided that he needed not just a friend but a partner, someone who was so close to Adam that it was like they were one person.  As if to illustrate just how close he wanted Adam to be to his wife, He decided to create her out of one of Adam’s ribs showing that she was an important part of him that could never be replaced by anyone else.  No friend could ever be closer to him than her.

Today divorce is as normal as changing your socks.  People get married, start fighting, decide it’s not working and give up rather than sacrifice a bit of themselves to rekindle their love for each other they would rather tear away from that part of themselves and move on to someone else.  100 years ago people would have never thought of divorcing someone so easily they worked at it until death parted them no matter how difficult it was.  Marriage doesn’t have to end in divorce, it is possible to have a life long commitment if you’re both willing to work at it.

4. It is weird when parents show affection for each other. Television loves to make fun of parents who have a happy and healthy relationship.  Whenever parents start to get a little cozy, the kids always have to walk in and tell them how gross they are, forgetting that they were just sitting in the backseat of a car doing the exact same thing and worse but without the wedding certificate.  For some reason seeing a married couple who’s over the age of 40 show any affection for each other is inappropriate and disgusting, but it shouldn’t be.

We should be willing to encourage our parents to show their love for each other because that’s how we know they still do.  Far too many marriages end in divorce because someone thought they were getting too old for affection and the other moved on.

5. It is ok to lie as long as no one finds out. If you think this isn’t a lie then you’re lying to yourself because according to the Bible it’s not ok to lie.  In fact lying is one of the “thou shalt not’s” in the 10 Commandments.  So many times in the shows we watch we see our favorite characters lying to teachers, parents and even friends in order to save their own necks.  The plot line often follows like this: an especially naughty character that’s known to be a troublemaker convinces the main character to lie because “I never get caught” and “it’s so easy”.  The main character gives in and the lie works and they realize wow that wasn’t so bad after all and so they continue to lie and lie and lie until finally they’re caught and then suddenly they’re sorry and now that they’re in trouble they realize it was a mistake.  But we’re often left wondering whether they really learned their lesson or if they’re just sorry that they didn’t get away with it

6. A high school pregnancy will not turn your life upside down.  In the last 10 years there has been a strange influx of movies and shows about teen pregnancy each with its own way of showing that pregnancy is kind of cool, even in high school.  With Juno in 2007, Secret Life of the American Teenager premiering in 2008 and Pregnancy Pact in 2010, teenagers are more aware than ever that teenage pregnancies can and do happen.  While each of these movies and shows are pro-life encouraging students to keep the child despite their age and their mistakes none of these shows reveal the realistic side of what happens when you have a child while still a child yourself.  Whether a girl decides to raise the child herself or give it up for adoption there is no denying that her life will be forever changed and she will never be able to go back to her old life or her old friends despite what Hollywood tries to tell you.

7. It is unacceptable to not 100% accept someone else's beliefs.  Society is constantly trying to confuse us into thinking that when we disagree with someone about something we are in essence telling them that we don’t love them.  So many people will even go so far as using scripture against us, they’ll remind us that we’re supposed to love everyone because God is love.  While this is true and as Christians we have more reason than anyone else to show unrelenting love to those who are different from us, but the problem comes in when we allow people to scare us into submission.  God tells us to preach the gospel boldly, he told us we would experience hardships and persecution because of our faith.  He didn’t tell us that our Christian walk would be simple but he promised he would be waiting for us at the end of the road and he promised that his son would be interceding for us and that his Holy Spirit would be walking beside us all the time.  Everything we do and say should be said out of love and selflessness but if we truly believe that we have the answer than we should not be afraid to share our opinions and we have just as much political right to share as they do, despite how they try to convince you otherwise.

8. Love is an emotion that can't be controlled.  As girls it can be hard not to get caught up in the romance of a good story.  Many of us are romantic saps all the way to the bone and even those who pretend not to be really do want someone to love them deep down inside.  No one knows better than Hollywood how desperate each girl is to find her Prince Charming who will be different from anyone she’s ever met and will be absolutely perfect.  From a young age girls are indoctrinated with stories of princes who ride in and save the princess from some terrible danger and ride away with her to live “happily ever after”.  By the time we’re in high school we have such twisted ideas of love that it’s no wonder that many of us end up with our hearts broken and our confidence shattered.  Hollywood tells us that we can’t choose who we fall in love with it just happens but if that were true then God’s command to love everyone would be very difficult to follow.  If we can choose to love our grouchy neighbor who complains whenever we step on his grass then we can certainly choose not to give our hearts away to someone that isn’t following God

9. If you’re single there must be something wrong with you.  In a society that relies so heavily on relationships it is no wonder that not having someone to call your boyfriend can make us feel like there might be something wrong with us.  When we see our friends with their special someone it can be difficult not to feel alone.  But there is so much more to life then dating relationships and there is so much more to relationships then the butterflies.  God made us for relationships but that isn’t limited to dating relationships.  God wants us to build our relationship with Him, our family and our friends before we even begin to think of having a dating relationship

10. Sex will not affect you emotionally.  Hebrews 13:4 tells us “to keep the marriage bed pure” this means to not give away that which was meant to be saved only for our husbands.  Society tries to convince us that sex will not really affect us, that we can just do it and not really think of it after that.  The truth is that sex outside of marriage can be very emotionally painful.  Don’t fall for the lie that if you give in he’ll stay with you.  The truth of the matter is that guys like to have something to pursue once you give them what they want they’ll have nothing left to fight for and since you’re married they’ll have nothing keeping them with you and so they’ll leave.  Don’t fall for the same lies that so many girls before you have fallen for.  Keep the mystery, good Christian men would much rather prefer the mystery anyway.

Did you know that Nataleigh wants to open her own home for teenagers?!?!

The Lonely Track~ Short Story by Nataleigh Robinson

The clock struck one and Addison glanced around the room again nervously.  He had said midnight, midnight exactly but as she looked around the room again she was beginning to doubt if he would ever come.  She glanced at her watch again and decided that she was done waiting around. 

She turned toward the door stopping only for a minute to look back over her shoulder hoping that someone would notice her departure, someone would stop her and tell her they wanted her to stay but just as she had expected no one paid her any attention. 

“Can I pull up you car miss?”

She snapped back to attention turning toward the valet who was standing behind her.  “Yes, Weems please.”  He spoke into the small speaker pinned to his jacket asking one of the drivers to “please pull up Miss Weems vehicle.” She watched the dancing guests spinning around the dance floor in the Waltz.  She sighed and took her coat from the man who had just brought it to her and turned to get into her car. 

As she drove the familiar road home her thoughts turned to Blaine once again.  She should have expected it, it was typical.  Every guy who had ever promised her anything always let her down in some way or another.  She should have known Blaine would be no exception. 

She was 20 years old and she was ready to settle down, get married and have children, but try as she might nobody was willing to stick around for long.  She had started online dating not long after her 20^th birthday deciding that if she didn’t start taking some control of her love life sooner than later than she would probably end up an old maid.

The thought of being single for the rest of her life usually made her feel sick to her stomach she couldn’t imagine what it would be like to die alone without having experienced true love and children and grandchildren.  What a lonely existence that would be.

When she had met Blaine through one of the online dating sights she had promised herself that she wouldn’t get worked up about him, she didn’t want to be disappointed.  But the more they had talked and the more they got to know each the harder she found it not to imagine herself marrying this guy and living happily ever after.  Finally after a couple months they had agreed to meet. 

She had spent hundreds of dollars on the perfect dress, spent hours searching for the perfect shoes and had booked her hair and nails appointment months in advance.  The evening was supposed to be glorious.  As she neared the punch bowl at five till midnight with heart pounding she had envisioned Prince Charming coming up and sweeping her off her feet.  But as the minutes ticked by she slowly started to realize that she had been stood up…again.

As she parked her car and headed inside to her small one bedroom apartment, she couldn’t erase the feeling of rejection and couldn’t help but feel like maybe there was something that she was doing wrong that was causing all the guys to run the other direction when they started getting to know her. 

           

She kicked off her heels and headed to the bathroom where she stood staring at herself in the mirror for a moment, “What am I missing?” She asked her reflection, “I think I look ok maybe not drop-dead gorgeous like some girls but it’s not like I’m hideous or anything.”

She took her time to change out of her dress all the while thinking through her potential flaws and trying to figure out what it was that caused Blaine to reject her.  By the time she crawled into bed she had practically convinced herself that she would never be able to attract a man.  “Maybe it would have been better if I hadn’t been so picky about the type of guy I wanted.  I’m sure it was my conviction to stay pure that scared Blaine off.  If I could do it over again I wouldn’t have been so hard to date.  Maybe I would be married by now” By the time she drifted off to sleep her pillow was soaked through with her tears. 

When she woke up the next morning she felt terrible.  Her sheets were tangled and in an attempt to untangle herself she ended up tumbling onto the floor.  She stood up in confusion wondering how she had misjudged where the edge of the bed was and scrambled to her feet.  The sun was shining through her single window and she decided that today would be a good day for a jog. 

“I’ll take a nice long jog and then I’ll come back and update my profile,”  She thought as she pulled on her tennis shoes,  “maybe there was something I’ve missed that’s been turning people off or maybe there’s something I need to add to it.”

She ran for probably a good hour before stopping and by then she was standing outside a small park with a little girl sitting on a swing.  There was a bench close by and she crossed the distance and flopped down on the bench.  The little girl hopped off the swing and rushed over stopping just a couple of feet from the bench, “What are you running from?”  She asked curiously.

Addison laughed softly, “I’m not running away from anything.”

The little girl climbed up onto the other end of the bench and stared intently at Addison, “You have to be running away from something, you were running like someone was chasing you, were you playing a game?”

“No I wasn’t playing a game,”  She was about ready to tell her once again that she wasn’t running away from anything but then realized that it wasn’t true.  “I guess I was running from something.”

The girl scooted a little closer and repeated her original question, “What are you running from?”

Addison sighed and leaned forward resting her chin in her hands, “Something I can’t get away from.”

The little girl looked around nervously her blond pigtails swinging back and forth as she looked for any sign of danger, “I should be getting home,”  She said slowly edging off the bench.

Addison laughed gently and shook her head. “I’m not running from a person, I’m running from a problem.”

The little girl looked relieved and climbed back onto the bench, “How do you run away from a problem?”  She asked pulling her legs underneath her and placing her small hands on her knees. 

Addison looked out at the park as a squirrel dashed up a tree startling a bird that flew away; she sighed and looked at the little girl that was staring at her eagerly.  “I’m not actually running away from anything.”  She stared down at her hands wondering why she was so nervous to talk to a little girl, it wasn’t like she would even understand what she was saying, “I’m just running to distract myself from thinking about my problem.”

The little girl nodded as if she understood and then to her surprise said, “I do that too.”  She looked down at her hands studying them as if they had suddenly become interesting, “except I don’t run I come here and swing on that swing,” She turned and pointed at the swing she had been previously sitting on.

Addison turned to look at the little girl staring at her curiously, “What do you have to distract yourself from?”

The little girl shrugged and didn’t look at Addison, “A lot of stuff,”

“Like what?”  Addison pressed sensing that this little girl had a lot of things on her mind.

She didn’t say anything

“Well I’m here because I’m tired of being alone.”

The little girl brightened, “Well you’re not alone anymore, I’m right here.”

Addison smiled at the little girl, “thanks but that’s not what I meant, I meant that I want to be married.”

The little girl scrunched up her nose, “I don’t think I’ll ever get married.”

Addison laughed, “You won’t say that when you’re older.”

“Mommy says boys are stupid and don’t ever keep their promises.”

“That’s not true of all boys.  There are good guys out there.”

The little girl thought for a moment then said, “Well than I would rather wait until I find one of the good ones.  And if I never find one then I’ll just live by myself forever and ever.”  She paused for a minute considering something then said, “My daddy ran away and never came back when I was just a baby.  My mommy got married when I was three and now they’re getting a divorce now mommy cries all the time when I asked why they didn’t just apologize and make up she said because she didn’t trust or love him anymore, but I think she’s lying because I still here her crying when she doesn’t think I’m listening.”

Addison sat there in speechless shock and then finally regained her composure, “That’s a lot for a little girl to carry by herself.”  She just nodded, so Addison continued, “you make my problem sound really small.”

The little girl laughed and to Addison it seemed like the sweetest sound she had ever heard, “mommy says that adult problems are always bigger than kid’s problems.” 

Addison grinned, “Well that’s not true in this case.”

The little girl looked over at a house across the street and hopped off the bench, “I should be going or mommy will get worried.”

Addison nodded and watched as she raced across the park, stopping for only a moment to look both ways before dashing across the street and disappearing inside a house.  Addison just sat there for a moment.  “God forgive me,” She whispered, “I’ve been so focused on being in a relationship that I haven’t been thinking clearly.  I almost set aside my purity but you’ve reminded me that it would cost me more to give myself away then it would cost to keep myself pure.” 

She stood up then and started the jog back toward her apartment once she got back inside she pulled up the online dating sight and hit the delete button, “God I’m going to trust you now.  I’m going to trust that you will bring the right guy my way when the time is right.  And give me other things to focus my attention on until that time.” 

 Did you know that Nataleigh's favorite movie is "To Save A Life"?!

Did you know that Gina's mom is also her best friend?!

Photograph property of Lilies Among Thorns Magazine. Photograph taken my Gina Vasquez.

Single Ladies: What Do You Do? ~ Haylie Gregory

Single, the last word every girl wants to hear on Valentine’s Day. Instead of sulking about it, why don’t you check out this list I made on some pluses on being single.

©         You don’t have to try to impress anyone! You can have greasy hair and sweat pants on if you feel like it!

©         You can eat those nasty smelling chips and not have to worry about offending anyone.

©         You can play any videogame you want and not have to let him win.

©         You can watch whatever movie you want instead of having to decide on something you both want to watch.

©         You can take your girlfriends out for lunch and talk about movie actors! It would be weird to do that with a guy now wouldn’t it?

©         You can wear your jacket instead of having to feel like you are supposed to be wearing his.

©         You can paint each of your toe nails a different color and not worry about what he will say.

©         You can spend the day with your daddy! He’s loved you your whole life! Don’t have a daddy? Spend the day with your Heavenly Daddy. He’s loved you even longer!

©         You can eat a whole gallon of ice cream and not have to answer to anyone, well maybe your parents!

©         You can write a love poem or letter to God instead of feeling like you should write one for your bf.

©         You don’t have to share the couch! Hog it girl!

©         Liked that movie you picked out earlier in this list? Watch it again!

©         You don’t have to wonder if your bf will like the shirt you just tried on. If you like it, buy it!

©         You can dance around your living room like you are Ginger Rogers! Don’t know who Ginger Rogers is? Go on YouTube and look her up! I bet it will help you figure out what movie you want to watch.

So, if you are single (like me) and don’t want to sulk on being single, remember this list and live up your Valentine’s Day! Grab some of your single friends (girls and guys!) and have some fun! Just because your single doesn’t mean you can’t have fun on Valentine’s Day! Just remember who loves your more than many one else possibly could!

Did you know that Haylie's favorite ice cream is Ben and Jerry's Chunky Munky?

Thoughts From an Old Romantic~ Zachary Tingle

An excellent wife, who can find?

For her worth is far above jewels.

The heart of her husband trusts in her,

And he will have no lack of gain.

She does him good and not evil

All the days of her life. – Prov 31:10-12

            “Papa, when will my Prince come and marry me?” Grace’s innocent eyes queried her daddy’s. Without waiting for the response she continued, “I think he will be big and handsome and he will take me to his castle, don’t you?” Her eyes still sparkled with the anticipation of being swept off her feet and carried off to live happily ever after.

            Laugh lines creased her daddy’s eyes as smiled at his six-year-old daughter’s questions. They had just finished watching Sleeping Beauty and Grace’s imagination soared with the possibilities of who her prince would be.

            “Sweetheart,” he began as he pulled Grace into his lap, “do you remember who your Mama and I told you was the King?”

            Grace nodded her face shifting to the deep gravity only attainable by a child, “Yes sir, God is the King.” Her face morphed to an expression of joy and pride. “But I am His princess.” She finished with a curt nod to reassure any doubt that might have been entertained.

            A light chuckle accompanied the smile that softened her daddy’s face. “That’s right Sweetie, you are God’s little princess. Do you know what being God’s princess means?”

            A small frown creased the skin between Grace’s eyes as she mentally wrestled with the enigma. Finally, after a few seconds of thought her face cleared, “It means I have to marry a prince.” She stated matter-of-factly. “And,” she continued, “you are my knight who has to protect me from bad guys until the prince gets here.”

            This time her daddy’s laugh was full and ringing. Grace didn’t know what was funny but decided she like hearing her daddy laughing and joined him with her small giggle and hugged his broad chest with her small arms. Still chuckling her daddy nodded, “You are exactly right Sweetheart, just don’t forget that.”

            Grace hugged her daddy even tighter, “You’re always gonna be my knight, even after my prince comes for me.”

            Years passed and Grace gradually became more cynical. She no longer believed that a prince would walk into her ever-so-average life and sweep her off her feet, though she still wished for it so badly it hurt sometimes. As she grew she blossomed into beautiful young woman of 16 when the first of many attempts to steal her heart began.

            His name was Chris and he was nothing like the chivalrous prince she had envisioned as a child, but he was cute and popular and he told her how pretty he thought she was on a daily basis. Grace had heard that he wasn’t a good guy, but he was the only one who paid her any attention and she reveled in his compliments (though a few made her blush and tell him not to be inappropriate). When Chris was around she found it difficult to focus on her tasks, always wondering what his astute mind thought of her at the moment. As time went on Grace began to subtly shift the way she dressed and did her hair. She did not necessarily change on purpose, but thoughts of what Chris would think cluttered her mind as she readied herself for school. Grace knew her daddy wouldn’t approve of Chris, but she loved hearing that she was beautiful and that Chris wanted her around. Gone were the days of regarding her daddy as her knight-protector. She lost track of the promise she made to him nearly ten years before in the euphoria of being pursued and wanted. She forgot that she was supposed to be waiting for a prince. She forgot who the King is.

            This story could end in a myriad of different colors. It could end in the soft ivories and warm rose hues of happiness and contentment. But, considering the kind of man Chris is, the story will most likely end in blazing reds of anger, the black of depression, and the grays of indifference to all things romantic. The yellows of cynicism and the greens of jealousy (for the happiness others girls seem to posses) will most likely follow.

            Much of the pain of this encounter could have been averted had Grace remembered a couple of things. The first and most important thing Grace forgot was how deeply the King loves her (John 3:16). In the midst of fleeting admiration from Chris, Grace forgot how much more she is admired the King. The second thing Grace forgot is that she was to be waiting for a prince who would be her husband. Proverbs 31:12 says that an excellent wife will do her husband good all of the days of her life. That is a pretty big statement, it doesn’t say that she will do him good from the day that she meets or marries him. It says all of the days of her life. That means she will be striving to bless her husband by her actions even before they meet.

            I can confidently speak for myself and my fellow princes in Christ. There is nothing more beautiful or attractive than a woman who is secure in how the Lord perceives her and has tried to bless her future husband with her day-to-day actions and decisions. Prov. 31:10 says that her worth is above jewels (which was the most valuable form currency in that day), Lemuel is saying that a woman who fits this bill is more valuable than the most valuable object available at the time. This is the list paraphrased:

-          She delights in working or creating with her hands

-          She knows where to find food when the budget is tight

-          She is up early to make sure everyone is fed and cared for

-          She is business savvy  and knows how to reuse money for gain

-          Her body is strong and fit

-          The supplies of her household never run low

-          She knows how to create (especially were items of the home are concerned)

-          When there are leftovers she is generous to those who are needy

-          She has provided her family with warm clothing for winter

-          She dresses well and provides good clothing for her husband (and he is respected)

-          She carries herself with strength and dignity

-          She is wise and teaches with gentleness

-          She is not idle

This list is pretty crazy, it is not one of those things to try and tackle in one day, or even in one year. This is the list of what a woman will become if she actively seeks to do her husband good all of the days of her life. One of the final lines is the keystone to all of this. “Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.” (v. 30). Grace fell into the trap of trying to appear charming and beautiful and did not fear the Lord. I speak from personal experience that a woman who fears that Lord is radiantly beautiful and almost irresistibly charming.

            As Valentine’s Day approaches and we hear and see the elements of romance around, refocus of the King. He has plans to make you prosper, plans that will not harm you (Jer 29:11). The King’s love is so much more complete and consistent than any love a man can give. We (men) are sinful and fallible, but the King is consistent and perfect in His affection for you. Whether the Lord has blessed you with a significant other or not, remember who Love is and to whom our first love is due.

Happy Valentines & God Bless,

Zach

P.S. Something to consider: God has given each of your dads to you as protectors and guardians, it will bless both you and him to give him a place in the season of dating or courtship. For those of you who don’t have a dad who follows the Lord, still invite him in (it might be a cool opportunity to share Christ) but also seek Godly male council (preferably a pastor or maybe a best friend’s dad – with her permission of course) on the men in whom you are interested. 

Did you know that Zachary has skied off of a roof?!

Single on a Couples Holiday~ Nataleigh Robinson

Hearts and flowers and candies…Oh My!  If you’re anything like me Valentine’s Day is not a day that produces tingly feelings and butterflies in the stomach.  In fact it probably produces feelings of loneliness and a deep longing to have that special someone at our side.  For many girls that deep longing can turn into such desperation that you’ll do practically anything to get a date for just that one day.  But I have news for you…it is very possible to be single on Valentine’s Day and still have fun.  Let me repeat that: You do NOT have to have a boyfriend on Valentine’s Day to have something to celebrate.

Still I know how difficult it can be hard not to feel down about not having someone special when all your friends are celebrating the night with a candle light dinner at a fancy restaurant.  Fear not there is hope and with a little work you can still have a great Valentine’s day.  So here are 10 tips to make the best of your holiday.

1. First off, DO NOT define yourself by your relationship status. You should never identify yourself by whether or not you are in a relationship.  When you find yourself wishing you had someone this holiday just remember that it’s better to be single than to be in a bad relationship.

2. What better time than Valentine’s Day to start thinking about the qualities you want in your future husband.  Take some time to write a list of all the things that you really want in the man you marry, don’t be afraid to put down qualities such as “has a good smile” or “plays sports” but be sure to put down qualities such as “puts God above all” and “respects authority”  Then take some time to pray over your list and ask God to keep your future husband pure until the day that you are brought together.

3.  Since you’re already thinking about your future husband, why not spend some time thinking about the future you.  Think about the type of wife you want to be and start working on becoming the person your dream partner would fall in love with.  Start preparing now to be the wife God wants you to be so that you’ll be ready when Mr. Right comes along.  

4. Plan well in advance to do something that will not place you in the path of all those cooing couples. Even if you usually enjoy eating out by yourself or you think it would be fun to go and see that movie you’ve been dying to see, think about how you’ll feel when you’re sitting there alone watching all those couples making kissy faces at each other.  Trust me it’s not worth the torture.

5. Do something special for yourself.  Go on a shopping spree and get yourself something new to wear to school that day.  Dress up and look your best.  If you feel good you’ll be more confident and you’ll find it harder to let your mind slip into the insecure thoughts that threaten to make you feel like you’re not good enough or like no guy could ever love you.  Cause I can tell you that those are just lies from the Devil who hates when you feel secure with who you are and loves making God’s creation doubt itself.

6. Try to resist the temptation to comfort eat.  If you feel the need to stuff yourself full of ice cream and cookies and chips than you’ll only feel worse about yourself in the end when you gain a pound or two.  You’ll feel much better about yourself if you treat your body right. 

7. Get out and enjoy nature.  Valentine’s Day is my favorite day to go for a long walk and spend time in God’s presence.  Take some time to enjoy God’s creation.  Whether there’s still snow on the ground or the grass is just starting to peak through take a moment to breathe the fresh air and thank God for being Valentine

8. Have a single’s party.  Invite a bunch of your girl friends over to celebrate being single together.  Set up your own candle light dinner and rent a comedy and just have fun laughing together and building relationships that are deeper than just a quick fling.  Maybe you even want to take some time to write out the perfect husband list from #2 together

9. Volunteer somewhere.  According to 1 Corinthians chapter 13 there is much more to love than just pretty flowers and romantic feelings.  Maybe you would rather spend your Valentine’s Day showing true love to those who rarely get shown God’s love.  What better way to experience God's love than to share it with others

10. Be content and be thankful.  Remember that being single is a gift.  You more than likely won’t always be single and when you finally meet the perfect man, get married and start you’ll lives together you’ll start to realize all the things you can’t do now that you have another person to think about.  Make the most out of this time that you have, do the things that you’ve always wanted to do because this time won’t last forever.

Whatever you do this Valentine’s Day don’t let a couple-driven culture define your choice as something wrong. Be a trendsetter.  Enjoy being different.  Learn to be happy with yourself and avoid following the crowd. 

Did you know that Nataleigh has never sung in the shower?!

Did you know that Abby has a large family of 10?!

Photograph property of Lilies Among Thorns Magazine. Photograph taken by Abby Whear.