I recently asked a couple of high school girls at my church what they'd most want women of all ages to understand about what their generation faces; they paused to think, and then they started talking. The list came...and it kept coming. The key takeaway was that no matter what others were encouraging them to do, it always came with some level of pressure.
God created sexuality. It was His idea. His design. But when we look at the cultural climate, itโs hard to see how we can reclaim its sacredness for ourselves, our daughters, and the next generation of young women.
Another year has come to a close, and the AMH Team likes to take a look back and reflect on the amazing things God is doing!
Praying for a relationship, or not praying for a relationship - I donโt believe thatโs necessarily what moves the heart of God. I think what moves the heart of God is pursuit of Him.
"One day my prince will come,โ the words of Snow White echo in the hearts of many as we daydream of the day when weโll be swept off our feet. This idea has slowly infiltrated our culture and told us that one day weโll find our soulmate, and largely that it ultimately does not matter what we do or donโt do, but theyโll be coming for us when the time is right.
Most rom coms go the same way - two individuals on completely separate paths fall in love, experience relational conflict, and overcome it through their feelings for each other. Weโre fed the message by our movies and media that as long as two individuals love one another, it will work. But our generation isnโt buying it. We see the effect of broken relationships all around us and wonder what we are missing.
Weโve all seen it happen. Someone you know, or maybe it was you, fell too quick too fast and ended up with a broken heart. โMaybe next time,โ you think, โI should play hard to get.โ
Thereโs a certain movie star with an hourglass shape, red lips, and bright blonde hair who gave her two cents about how girls like us should handle relationships: โIf they canโt handle you at your worst, they donโt deserve you at your best.โ In other words, if your guy canโt put up with you when youโre feeling impatient, grumpy, insecure (and the list goes on), you should dump him and find someone who can.
The hard truth is that some things just donโt need to be said at all. While my husband and I wholeheartedly believe in open communication and zero secrets, Iโve learned that every sigh of discontentment and passing annoyance doesnโt need to be shared, even with my husband. Itโs difficult and nuanced. But sometimes our needs, suggestions, or opinions are excuses for selfishness.
Living in the Midwest, Iโve seen how lukewarm faith comes from an attitude of self-reliance, meaning we do not allow our need for Jesus and what He has done for us change the way we live. We donโt take our faith seriously.
