Before You Meet Prince Charming- Chapter 1

"Come on Victory," the sixteen year- old girl said softly as she mounted her faithful horse and began the journey to the castle.  Her blonde hair, highlighted by the sun, flowed behind her, and the crystals on her thin golden headband sparkled brightly. Cantering gracefully with his dark mane waving in the wind, the chestnut horse was nearly as beautiful as the girl. As they raced across green meadows colored by wildflowers, over small streams, and through the countryside , many people would stop their activities or conversations in order to watch them pass. 
"A lovely girl" one elderly lady commented  as she was hanging out linens to dry. "A precious gem, if ever there was one, I say."

A jolly old man sat on a bench in the mountain village with his young grandson by his knee. As the girl rode by, he turned to his grandson and declared , "You know who she is, do ye not? She is none other but the daughter of the king." 
"Then she is a princess, Grandfather?" asked the little boy with wonder and delight, his eyes gazing at her until she had disappeared into the distance.
"Ahh but she is more than a princess" the wise grandmother who stood nearby interjected. "For not only is she a princess in lineage, but she is also a princess in conduct. We may admire her outward beauty, but I tell you that it is her inner beauty that is worth one hundred times more- and inner beauty is a quality rare even among princesses." 

And so you see, this young lady was known ans respected throughout the kingdom not only because of her royal birth, but even more importantly for her kindness, gracious words, and evident maturity beyond her years. No one doubted that she was a princess in deed.

Before You Meet Prince CHARMING- Chapter 1 page 15-16 By Sarah Mally

Now wouldn't it be wonderful to be thought of like that? For people to go around saying - maybe you were not a princess by earthly lineage- but you were certainly a princess by your conduct. By your actions! That you were a true lady. I personally think that would be wonderful! I want to be a princess in others eyes.

You know, in today's world; in the worlds eyes a princess is not always a good thing. We think to much about stereotypes- and over the years the lines have been blurred when it comes to stereotypes. 
~A princess according to Merriam Webster "Princess" means~ 1. A woman having sovereign power, 
2. A female member of the royal family, 3. the consort of a prince, 4.one likened to a princess; especially: a woman of high rank or of high standing in her class or profession.
Once again what do we see a princess as?-  "Princess is symbolic conception for a feminine figure who is fragile, delicate, and need protection from stronger ones. Little girls love to be called as that, as much as many women."  
Now this is what we tend to think of our Medieval princesses as, delicate.. like a flower.

This is what (or more so - who) we see as a princess. Someone who is stuck up and rude, one who thinks they are better than we are. Someone who is so fragile who can do nothing for their selves Now is this who a princess really is? Well, maybe, in today's world that tends to be what a princess is or made out to be.

But what/who is a princess in GOD's eyes!?
A princess in God's eyes is someone of uppermost respect. Someone of grace someone of elegance! God thinks of you as HIS princess and as HIS daughter. This does not mean you have to be some helpless girl who can't do anything for herself and has everyone do her work for her. But it does mean that you should be someone that a young girl can look up to and say- I want to be like her one day!- That you should be someone a person can count on. Someone when people confide in you they know without a shadow of a doubt that you are not going to go all about telling everyone!

Don't get me wrong- You are not suppose to be perfect! Nobody can be perfect. But you can strive to be the best you can be!

I highly recommend reading this book and moms read it with your daughters. Girls are never to young to learn about purity. 

Waiting for MY Prince,
Purity Girl

Thank you, Lord, that you are preparing MY Prince for me and for preparing me for HIM. 

~Waiting..

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Pondering's from my recent readings

I have read some interesting books lately that I would like to suggest. 
"Before You Meet Prince Charming" by Sara Mally, "Preparing to be a Helpmeet" by Debbi Pearl, "Wait For Me" by Rebekah St. James, & "Boy Meets Girl" by Joshua Harris.


Sara, inspired me to dedicate my youth to serving Christ while waiting for him to prepare my heart for my future mate. Mrs. Pearl, inspired me to discover the kind of gal I am, while learning the differences in guys; Kingly, Priestly or Prophet. Rebekah, has always been an inspiration to me, and her book has challenged me to not compromise my purity. Joshua, inspired me to not awaken love before it's time as in Song of Songs.  


I am preparing to read Passion & Purity by Elisabeth Elliot. 


It is neat how God uses such books and their authors to inspire & make us aware of so many things. For the most part these books confirmed things I have known & desired for my life since a small child, but some helped me to see things I was doing wrong that could possibly compromise myself or friendships with guys. I have several guy friends & I would never want to be a stumbling block for them in their christian walk. I do not wish to cross or even come close to a line I have created for myself either. I have learned being friends with guys is different from being friends with girls even if it is a "Just Friends" status, we still have to treat the friendship with caution & care. We have to treat them as our brothers in Christ & in turn they will treat us as there sisters in Christ(or the other way around). It is very easy to get emotionally involved with a guy friend without even realizing you are forming emotional ties. With girls we tend to form emotional bonds that can last a lifetime & that is good. When those ties are formed with the opposite sex though we can end up giving away a piece of our heart that we intended to save for our future mate. It all seems so innocent & it is but we have to ask our-self, "am I giving something that does not belong to me?" Or "am I taking something from my friend that belongs to his future mate?" We just have to be very careful to find a casual balance to our friendships with guys. 
Be careful of long in depth talks that may cause you to have emotional ties. If that happens then you have to ask if you are ready to move that friendship to something more, if not then you need to step back before you or your brother in Christ begins to fall. Of course it may be you are ready to move forward into a more serious friendship perhaps a time of getting to know each other with the possibility of courtship. As stated in "Boy Meets Girl" it should be the guy that makes that move not the girl. Allow them to be the initiator in the relationship. We girls tend to get controlling & liking that lead roll if it is given to us. 


Sure, I have dreamed of the day that special someone would approach my dad about getting to know me on a personal level & exploring the possibility of a courtship. I am trying harder these days not to dream of that day so much, but to simply serve the Lord in my youth & trust God with 'the one' he is already preparing for me. 
For me it is my hearts desire to one day have a beau that will lead me in a Godly courtship with Christ as the head & the two of us as faithful followers. 


I have learned so much from all of these books and really encourage you to read them if you have not already done so. For you guys there are many greats books for you as well. Some of the ones mentioned are for both guys & girls but there are others such as: The Mark of a Man by Elisabeth Elliot & Michael Pearl is coming out with the guy version of "Preparing to Be a Helpmeet" it is called, "Created to Need a Helpmeet" I know my dad is looking forward to reading that one. 


Brothers & Sisters in Christ, I encourage you as, Sara, did in "Before You Meet Prince Charming" & Joshua did in "Boy Meets Girl & I Kissed Dating Goodbye" to use this time of singleness to do the things for Christ that you may not be able to do once you are committed to marriage.Discover what it is he wants to do in your life - this could determine your future & possibly even the kind of man or woman you one day marry. I want to serve my future mate with my whole heart, & I think by first serving Christ in my youth I will be better equipped to do that for my future husband.
Let's honor our brothers & sisters in Christ so that we can one day stand before their future mates & be proud we did not rob them of something that did not belong to us. 


Your Sister in Christ,
Hannah

My Recent Bible Study

Ma, and I have started a new Bible Study. It's 'a Pocket Bible Study & Journal' on Sex by Hayley DiMarco. I am just going to share a few things that I have found interesting.


1. What is abstinence? According to Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary, abstinence is "the voluntary, self - imposed, and deliberate denial of certain pleasures, such as food, drink, and sex." 


2. "When you abstain, you abstain from good things, not bad things. So abstinence is giving up doing what you would like to do." 


3. "Abstinence serves a holy purpose. It teaches, purifies, and proves who you are to yourself, to others, and to God."


4.  Proverbs 25:27 
"A person without self control is as defenseless as a city with broken-down walls."


5.  Colossians 3:5
 " So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual sin, impurity, lust, and shameful desires. Don't be greedy for the good things of this life, for that is idolatry." 


6.  Proverbs 5:15 
"Drink water from your own well- share your love only with your wife. Why spill the water of your springs in public, having sex with just anyone? You should reserve it for yourselves. Don't share it with strangers." 


Staying pure isn't just about not having sex. It's about keeping a pure mind and a pure heart! You should also avoid temptations that could lead to sex. Such as kissing and cuddling. 
I know this may seem extreme for some people. BUT to keep it pure you need to avoid all temptations! 
Ephesians 5:3 "But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity." 

Lauren Barlow BarlowGirl on Purity

Purity-Girl's Plan for Courtship

As a very young girl - 3 years old, I heard a youth group speak about purity and courtship. This changed my life. I know it seems impossible for a 3 year old to really grasp this idea but I did. God really spoke to my heart on this issue so much that I talked to my parents and told them I never wanted to 'date' (at least not in the traditional way) that I wanted to one day have a courtship with the right guy that God is preparing for me.

That day I began praying for my future husband, asking that God would prepare my heart for him as well as prepare his heart for me. I have never stopped praying that prayer. 

My parents dated and they are very happy together and have been for almost 21 years now. I'm not here to say dating does not work or to judge anyone. We all have our own path to follow and this is mine.

God is my authority above all and first place in my life. I also believe my parents have a place in my life and helping me to make wise choices especially when it comes to choosing a future beau or mate. Parents know us best of all therefor they see and know things sometimes before we do ourselves (even if we choose not to admit it) so they can be a big help in keeping us safe and in God's hands. I desire my parents approval of the guy I enter into a courtship with. 

My parents do not keep me in a bubble or anything like that. I do homeschool but don't worry, I get plenty of social interaction with kids my own age as well as people of all ages. 

Courtship is not something my parents decided for me my Father God did and I gladly follow Him. My parents do support courtship and feel it is a great alternative to 'traditional dating'. It does not have to be called courtship of course if that sounds to old fashioned you may call it 'dating with God in mind' or whatever just be sure it is Christ centered if you are a christian which I pray you are. As Christians we should seek God's direction in ALL things especially one that will last a lifetime! Even if it doesn't end in marriage, it will still affect your life in someway. 

My daddy teases me a lot.. he is an old biker so he may be a little intimidating to some guys but the right one will not be scared so easily! He tells me when a beau comes a courtin' he will be sitting on the front porch with his gun and knife! I know my daddy loves me and will protect me as much as possible and I love him for that, but I also know that he is a Godly man that is led of the Lord and will prayerfully consider a guy for courtship or a more serious friendship when he comes to state his intentions. 

When I was 10 my daddy took me on a special date. We went to a nice Italian Restaurant and he presented me with a Purity Locket. We talked about keeping myself pure for the man I would one day marry, both physically and emotionally. He has taught me how a man should treat a lady. He shows me this in the way he treats my mama as well as me and my sister. My mama also teaches us how to properly honor the future man in our lives. She is an example of what a christian wife should be. 

I tell my mama, I will know when I meet my husband, because he will look at me the way my daddy looks at her! I love that look..

I have always wanted to find a guy that is a good friend and is like minded and shares a lot of the same interest as me. If that friendship leads to stronger feelings then I would like to explore a closer friendship with that guy where we would talk more in depth - learning more about each others interest and thoughts to see if this may be the guy the Lord would have me to one day enter into a courtship with. I prefer to spend more time in group settings or with our parents on outings. If our friendship continues to grow I would take this to the Lord in prayer seeking His wisdom for our future. I would ask myself several questions such as, am I mature enough for our friendship to be more involved? Do my parents approve of the guy? Would his parents approve of me? Can I be spiritually uplifting to him and him to me? Could I see myself one day marrying this person? If these are positive answers and I felt led of the Lord then I would be willing to move into a deeper friendship not yet courtship though. I think we can be attracted to someone by their charm & looks and I would not want to prematurely enter into a courtship based on that. If the 'special friendship' grows and our feelings are mutual, growing in a positive way not just physically, then I would feel comfortable entering a courtship. I would also like our courtship to go slow and be filled with prayer - seeking counsel from our parents, pastors and other mature Christians that know both of us. I want my life and courtship to be centered around Christ. 

I do feel at this time it is okay to go on 'dates' - if you want to call it that (as long as you are in public places) without a chaperon. I don't feel a couple should ever be alone together with the exception of driving to the theater, restaurant or wherever you will be spending your time. A public place just holds you accountable respectable couples will not overstep the rules of their relationship with others around. However if you are alone there is more of a temptation to do so, not that all will but why be tempted. 

Heart Attraction

Heart Attraction
by Martha Krienke

Picture this: The Festival Con Dios 2002 tour is in full swing. Toby Mac is rockin’ out the stage with his song "Get This Party Started." The smell of hot, buttered popcorn wafts through the auditorium. Jeremy Camp, brand new to the music industry, is sitting at his merchandise table with a black Sharpie in hand. Next table over, The Benjamin Gate is selling its CD's, T-shirts and posters. Between signing autographs and greeting fans, Jeremy and Benjamin Gate’s lead singer, Adie Liesching, lock eyes and immediately fall in love.

Well . . . maybe not exactly.

Adie and Jeremy were merch-table neighbors back in 2002. It’s just that their love story didn’t begin at first sight.

First Impressions
"It was my first tour. I met everybody—Adie just happened to be in one of the bands," Jeremy says. "When I first saw her, I thought, She’s more of a punk chick. I saw her [perform] live, and she was jumping around and going crazy. When I talked to her afterward, she was sweet and very gentle."

Adie remembers thinking the same thing: Jeremy is a nice guy but not anyone I’ve ever pictured myself with.

"I love artsy things and being creative, and at the time I imagined myself being with someone like that," she says.. "Jeremy is exceptionally creative, but his personality is more like a sports guy than like an artsy person."

Jeremy and Adie say they weren’t looking for a romantic relationship, but the thing that stood out was each other’s heart for the Lord.

"As we got talking, we became really good friends," Adie says. "About a month into the tour, after hanging out every day, I was thinking, Oh, I like this guy!"

By this time, a year and a half had passed since Jeremy’s first wife, Melissa, had died of cancer.

"I was feeling guilty and freaked out [about pursuing a relationship with Adie]," Jeremy says. "But God said, ‘I’m blessing you with something. Receive the blessing I’m giving you.’ "

Later, Jeremy got nervous again and made plans to take Adie out and tell her they shouldn’t pursue this relationship.

"We were sitting down in a restaurant; I looked at her, but the first thing that popped out was, ‘Do you feel like you could marry me?’ Right away she said, ‘Yeah.’ We looked at each other in shock. It was the most bizarre thing, but I think because of what I had been through, I didn’t have time to play games."

Say Yes
To close Gospel Music Association (GMA) Week in Nashville in 2003, Jeremy and Adie were about to attend the annual Dove Awards ceremony. The Benjamin Gate had been nominated, but Adie didn’t want to go because she figured they wouldn’t win an award anyway. Jeremy invited Adie to dinner instead. She dressed up despite the change of events, and in the meantime, Jeremy had planned a special dinner at a small restaurant.

Adie and Jeremy were seated at a table near a little bay window, and they could see only one other couple in the restaurant.

"We were talking about what God had been doing in our hearts and sharing that with people the whole week at GMA. We were chatting, and [Jeremy] didn’t say much," Adie remembers. "At the end of the evening, he started messing with a CD player. I told him, ‘Don’t worry about it. We can tell the [wait staff] someone left it here by accident.’ Then a minute later, he was still messing with it, so I finally said, ‘What are you doing?’ "

The waitress then brought to the table two tiny take-out boxes. Jeremy was so nervous and giddy, Adie says, that he ripped open her box and held out a ring. He had pushed play on the CD player, and music was playing while he proposed.

"It was very sweet," Adie says.

Next Chapter
The two got married a little bit after The Benjamin Gate played their last tour together in 2003. Some speculate that Jeremy broke up the band, but Adie says there’s not true.

"I think we [The Benjamin Gate] drove ourselves into the ground. We worked so hard and lacked a lot of spiritual accountability. After a while, so much sacrifice, when it’s for music and not for some sort of ministry, wasn’t worth it for me."

Adie didn’t have plans for her music career after that.

"I was just so happy. I knew I was where God wanted me to be, so I was content to just be a wife, and at that time I was hoping to be a mom, which I am now," she says.

In their first years of marriage, Adie sang background vocals in some of Jeremy’s songs and was content supporting him in his ministry. However, the idea to make her first solo album swirled in her mind. At first she kept it a secret, but then one day Jeremy came to her and said, "Why don’t you make a solo album? That would be awesome. I’ll help you."

Adie was thrilled, but she decided if she was going to do this, her project would be completely different from the alternative, aggressive style of The Benjamin Gate. Adie wanted to make an album that was worshipful, mellow, relaxing, easy to listen to and fun.

"I’m in the place where music doesn’t have to be my career, so I can experiment with different styles and do different types of music," she says. Jeremy and she began songwriting together, and he also produced a couple of the tracks. The finished result,Don’t Wait, was released in September 2006..

In the meantime, in late spring of 2006, Jeremy began to work on his latest project,Beyond Measure. He went to Adie for her ideas, but he did all the songwriting himself.

"I would ask Adie, ‘What do you think about this,’ and she would give me her opinion. But my songs are like my babies. I sit down [to write], and it’s me and the Lord."

Above and Beyond
Jeremy says listening to his new album will tell you exactly what God has been teaching Him.

"When I was writing for this record, I went to the studio at my house and prayed, ‘Lord, give me songs that touch the hearts of people and connect with people.’ But God spoke to my heart right away and said, ‘Jeremy, I want you to write songs that touch My heart. I’ll take care of the rest.’ That was so freeing," Jeremy says, "because I didn’t have this weight on my shoulder to make sure people got it."

Jeremy wrote the title track, "Beyond Measure," after being interviewed about his first wife, Melissa.

"I told them that before she died she said, ‘If I were to die from cancer and one person was to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior [as a result], it would all be worth it.’ A fog cleared in my mind. It was hard to finish the interview because God was speaking to my heart. Look at all the people whose lives have been touched through my sharing her testimony and what I had been through. It blew me away."

Adie has also felt abundantly blessed to be a wife, to raise two young daughters with Jeremy and to sing again.

"I don’t think Jeremy ever thought he’d get married again, but obviously, he has. I know I’ve been a real blessing to him, and it’s been awesome to see how Christ has restored his heart," she says. "If you know anything about Jeremy’s first wife, she was absolutely beautiful and such a beautiful woman of God. She loved the Lord with all of her heart and was such an incredible example to anybody. To be following up after that, it’s like, ‘Lord, are You serious?’ It’s not intimidating; it’s very humbling.."

Adie’s Don’t Wait is also about her relationship with God and what she’s experienced with Him.

"God has given us so much in abundance, of stuff we don’t deserve—the blessing of Jeremy and our girls. He restores you, heals your hurts. It’s amazing what spending time with the Lord does to your heart."

In December 2006, Adie and Jeremy celebrated their third wedding anniversary. 

What’s the most romantic thing Jeremy has done for you?
"He’s so sweet about when we’re doing something, randomly saying, ‘Hey, Honey, let’s pray together.’ I know that’s not necessarily romance, but for me I think that’s really romantic. Our relationship is very much based on each other’s walk with the Lord. From the beginning, we connected on a spiritual level. For me, that tugs on my heart!" —Adie

Camps’ Companionship Counsel
1. Ask yourself: Is this someone I could marry? "If it’s not, you have no business hanging out and pursuing a relationship. Otherwise, someone will get hurt." —Jeremy

2. Embed your relationship in God’s Word. "If you’re not focused on the Lord and you’re trying to start a relationship, it’s not going to work. You have to establish your foundation in the Word of God." —Jeremy

3. Pick your battles. "Sometimes [men and women] can both find each other annoying, but we need to appreciate our differences. Make sure an argument is worthwhile, and in that [argument], make sure you’re protecting each other’s hearts." —Adie

4. Give without expecting anything in return. "The love we should be portraying is similar to how God loves us. Sometimes, God loves us so unconditionally and He gets nothing back from us. Sometimes we have to do that with our husbands as well and be patient with them." —Adie

5. Pray for wisdom. "My word is not as good as the Holy Spirit’s. If Jeremy doesn’t want to listen to me, I have to say it once, and I have to take everything to the Lord in prayer." —Adie

______________________________________________________________________________

He Could Be All Right by Arleen Spenceley He could be all right, I remember thinking to myself when, from a distance, I saw him for the first time. By all right, I meant amazing, and I couldn't wait to meet him. When we did meet, I immediately loved his apparent faith in Christ, adored his unkempt, rock-star-like appearance and fell head over feet for his first-rate charm. Ready for my first real relationship, I disregarded the virtue of patience and began to hope for something more than friendship. I'd hoped, and sometimes believed, that I'd found my perfect match. And within a few fast-moving weeks, I comfortably came to the conclusion that it felt like I’d known him for years. In fact, I felt closer to him than I felt to any of my closest friends with a confidence that shouldn't have come so quickly. I liked him until I really liked him. I really liked him until I really, really liked him. And I really, really liked him—until he stopped talking to me.

A New AngleA few magnificent months came and went, and at the end, I sat alone, nursing an unexpectedly broken heart returned by a boy who had taken off for good. My mind replayed every memory every day like the scenes from a scintillating movie ruined by a horrible ending.

What happened? I wondered. What are You trying to tell me? I prayed. And from a horrible ending, God taught me a great, and much-needed, lesson, a lesson we all need to learn.

Healing after a relationship ends can be a rough road. For a while, your mind will continue to replay the relationship over and over, just as mine did. But if you let Him, God can show you each scene from a brand-new angle. And in my case, through God's lens, the once-alluring boy didn't seem so admirable. Why couldn't I see these things, Lord, before becoming so close to him? I prayed for understanding and reached for my Bible.

I took a look at Song of Solomon. More than once, most notably in chapter 8, I found the following phrase: "Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires." Could I have jumped into this relationship too quickly? And the more I pondered the possibility, the more clarity I found.

Practicing PatienceAttraction naturally tempts us to expose even our deepest feelings to the object of our affection, and being emotionally vulnerable with anyone can create a hopelessly strong attachment—the sort of attachment that blinds us to traits that we'd otherwise find unpleasant.

It's important to be sure that pursuing something more than friendship with a guy is a good idea before jumping at the chance. And sifting through his manners and habits before becoming emotionally intimate is a good way to approach surety about the guys who catch our eyes.

Sharing emotions before we know that we should could set off love’s alarm clock long before love should be awakened. I learned this lesson the tough way: there’s absolutely nothing wrong with fostering a friendship first, even if you find someone exceptionally enthralling. Practicing the patience I'd disregarded will help you spend some important time getting to know guys simply as friends. You'll be more likely to walk away with needed knowledge and genuine friendships rather than a series of sappy daydreams, and his habits—good and bad—won't go unnoticed.

If love didn't desire to arise now, when will it wake up? I recall wondering, disheartened, before realizing the importance of patience. If, as I did, you happen to find that a once special someone isn't as enthralling as you'd hoped, don't be discouraged. Be patient.