Eden's Fall... to her knees.

+JMJ+
Come Holy Spirit!

I just finished reading "The Thrill of the Chaste" by Dawn Eden. Wow. It is an excellent book. As a young single woman, hoping and praying for marriage one day, this was exactly the encouragement I would hope to find, yet is so rarely found on the shelves of our bookstores. Eden is a woman who has tried to live according to the socially acceptable norms of life and relationships, yet found that road to be exactly what it is: deceptive and leading nowhere. She discovered the very serious and scarring consequences of the lifestyle that magazine pictures and stories don't dare to publish. She picked herself up from a promiscuous past and through the mercy and forgiveness of God, found the strength to return to the Foot of the Cross and walk the straight and narrow way to salvation. It's hard. It's uncool. It's countercultural, and she knows it, and often times pays the price for living as a Christian in a world that won't tolerate morality or standards. In my eyes, Eden is an inspiring woman and great writer, who does a fantastic job of relating to her readers. She doesn't condemn. She isn't graphic in her details, but she is very honest and witty. She has a deep conviction for what she writes, and because she believes what she says, you respect her and thank her for her wisdom. She's funny, too. I laughed out loud many times. It's a great great book. She knows the problem and offers the answer, and walks her readers through life, pointing out the good and the bad. I learned a lot from her, and was very inspired.

Chastity and purity are virtues hardly talked about, and rarely practiced. There's too much pressure all around us to allow us to remain chaste and pure. I would go so far as to say we are EXPECTED to be promiscuous, uncontrollable, "free" creatures without any sense of morality. We are prudes or stupid or 'there is something wrong' if we desire to wait for marriage. Purity is uncool to talk about, and anyone who does is sure to be made fun of and criticized. I just met a man a couple days ago who told me it is IMPOSSIBLE to be chaste... and he actually believed that.

Living a chaste and pure life is hard - but it is by no means impossible.

I'm waiting... (am I allowed to say that? Will people laugh at me? Will they believe me? Shoot. Do I really care? I'm proud to say that...) I'm waiting. I pray everyday that I will be strong enough to remain chaste and pure. I want to save myself for my husband. I want to be in a holy and pure relationship that is strong and centered on Christ - not blinded by emotions and feelings and - dare I say it? - self gratification and sin. Not that I'm perfect, because I'm not - for sure. I fall. I sin. I go to Confession. But I, like Dawn Eden, believe in God's mercy and that He has a plan for my life - one that is far more beautiful and fulfilling than I could ever plan or hope for. I am His, first and foremost. And I pray that I can be faithful to Him in every way, and that I don't believe or give into the seductive and easy lies of the world. They promise fulfillment and happiness. That couldn't be any further from the truth.

If you are interested, read Dawn's book. There are other great ones out there, too, but she wrote something beautiful here, and it should be read...

God bless, Mary