While waiting for our Heavenly Father to bring His best,

we should be 'reserved' for God's chosen husband for us.

Just think of how special it would be if you saved

your whole heart for your future husband!

And in order to give your whole heart later,

it's important to protect it now!

Being 'reserved' for one means not only physical,

but also emotional purity.

This requires carefully guarding our hearts, emotions,

minds, words, thoughts, and eyes.

It includes guarding our eyes from those "fun" romantic glances, keeping our hearts from being poured out until the right time,

and taking captive thoughts that want to run wild with fantasies and dreams.

We only get one "first";

that will be very special if we save them for the right time.

A list in the book I'm reading from Sarah Mally really gets me thinking:

• 1st expression of interest
• 1st words of affection and love
• 1st gift given / received
• 1st romantic look into his eyes
• 1st trip together
• 1st special song, place, event, or memory
• 1st ring
• 1st dinner date
• 1st personal letter expressing emotions
• 1st "I love you"
• 1st piece of your heart given
• 1st serious or ongoing correspondence with a young man
• 1st special affectionate nicknames or actions
• 1st kiss

A great couple things to provoke thoughts!

The point isn't merely trying to avoid the worst,

but to desire to achieve the best.

Purity is destroyed by the premature use of "1st times",

which is very serious.

I remember one night, a couple months ago,

we had a few various flavors of ice cream in the freezer.

Well, Mom, Dad, and I tend to like to stay up and have fun

after the younger ones go to bed.

(Go to my category 'jolly jestings' and you'll see a few incidences!)

Now this particular night, Mom and Dad were

eating a delicious looking bowl of ice cream each.

"Well," I thought to myself. "I guess I can have a small bowl too."

So I got myself a "small" bowl and enjoyed every bit,

ignoring the fact that I'm lactose intolerant.

The ice cream was great, but after a few minutes,

I got that really bad stomach ache!

So I spent the rest of the night shivering with pain,

laying sleepless in bed.

This has happened more than once.

I'll see ice cream and get some,

knowing that I'll get a horrible stomach ache.

Yes, the ice cream is good, but it sure isn't worth the pain later.

That reminds me of how sometimes we see

something that may look 'good' or 'fun',

but we don't look ahead to see how it will affect us in the future.

Like with purity, many people want to do

something to have the fun now,

even knowing that it will effect them later.

Sad that we sometimes give up so much for so little.

And the devil does like to throw the big lie

in our face that "I'm the only one", or

"Purity is impossible, after all, we're in the 21st century."

But it can be done!

God always gives us the the power and strength

 to do what He comands.

And there are others who have been devoted to God.

Others go through the same temptations and hardships you do.

Just remember:

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." ~ Phil. 4:13

"For this is the will of God, even unto your sanctification,

that ye should abstain from fornification-

that every one of you should know how to posses his vessel

in sanctification and honor."

1 Thess. 4:3-4