Tuesday, 24 January 2012
Monday, 23 January 2012
Musical Monday: Captivated
Animal is a church music geek. Me, I just know what I like - and what I love. And one church songwriter I love is Vicky Beeching. I expect regular visitors (do I have any yet?) will hear more from her on Mondays, but for now sit back, relax, and enjoy this...
Friday, 20 January 2012
Filth on Friday - some facts about internet porn
Well that might drag some visitors in from Google anyway :)
As it seems to have been Sex Week (or No-Sex Week) on this blog, Inow seems a good time to start my new weekly column about pornography. Now, you may have the impression from this blog that I'm an average, clean living Christian girl. You may have the impression that I'm some kind of ultra-feminist. Either way, you may be surprised to know that I've seen porn. It's a sad fact that most people these days have - with over 4 million pornographic websites out there, it's almost hard not to.
However, I am not talking about a hijacked site or an ill-advised click from some spam or dodgy link. I have been among the 68 million daily search engine requests for porn. I thought it was harmless fun. I thought it would spice up our sex life. And, for a while, it did. But I'm not here to talk about my past sex life; I'm merely making the point that my opinions on porn are not based on religion or feminism, but from having watched and enjoyed it myself.
But all that - and why I stopped enjoying it - is for another week; first, let's take a look at those facts about internet porn.
[Source: OnlineMBA.com]
As it seems to have been Sex Week (or No-Sex Week) on this blog, Inow seems a good time to start my new weekly column about pornography. Now, you may have the impression from this blog that I'm an average, clean living Christian girl. You may have the impression that I'm some kind of ultra-feminist. Either way, you may be surprised to know that I've seen porn. It's a sad fact that most people these days have - with over 4 million pornographic websites out there, it's almost hard not to.
However, I am not talking about a hijacked site or an ill-advised click from some spam or dodgy link. I have been among the 68 million daily search engine requests for porn. I thought it was harmless fun. I thought it would spice up our sex life. And, for a while, it did. But I'm not here to talk about my past sex life; I'm merely making the point that my opinions on porn are not based on religion or feminism, but from having watched and enjoyed it myself.
But all that - and why I stopped enjoying it - is for another week; first, let's take a look at those facts about internet porn.
[Source: OnlineMBA.com]
Thursday, 19 January 2012
Wednesday, 18 January 2012
Sex, marriage, purity and being a BarlowGirl
This is a question I ask myself more than other people ask me: why would a reasonably attractive, healthy woman in her 20s suddenly give up sex? It certainly wasn't because I didn't like it!
Neither is it because I believe sex is in some way evil, or sinful in itself. On the contrary, I believe God made sex to be fun, something for us to enjoy.
So, I ask myself, why not enjoy it? Why torture yourself with this born-again virgin stuff?
'One flesh' is a symbol of the inseparable union God intended for husband and wife, and in the act of sex, it finds its physical expression. I believe God intended sex to be fun for one man, and one woman, within the confines of an inseparable union - marriage.
The same is clearly reiterated throughout the New Testament:
Precisely because sex is so much fun, us weak humans are often tempted to abuse it. Marriage is held repeatedly to God's ideal for sex, and the way to avoid that temptation.
But why marriage? You're as committed to Animal now as you will be in 66 days time, why wait for a bit of paper?
Well yes, I am as committed to him now as I ever will be, but I am not his wife. For us, marriage isn't about a bit of paper and a ring, it's abouthaving a big party committing our relationship to God, and receiving his blessing. It's God that will seal the marriage, not a registrar.
But let's not forget that although sex is fun, it makes babies. It seems obvious to me that well-balanced children need the influence of a mother and a father. (I'm not judging single parents here; they're doing a tough job under imperfect circumstances, and the ones I know deserve nothing but respect for how well they do so.) God intended from the outset for us to go forth and multiply, and for children to be brought up within that family setting.
And let's not forget the other potential side-effects of extra-marital sex - after all, a baby is the nicest thing you can catch from having sex.
But what if he's rubbish at it? I'm trusting that we'll be compatible. He's my soulmate, a gift from God in every other way, so why would a loving God (who invented sex to be fun, remember!) leave me wanting in the bedroom? What I am certainly not going to do is take a test drive. We'll learn as we go along.
And what of purity? This may seem weird, but Animal's virginity means a whole lot to me - I wish I had treated my own with as much respect. I think this celibacy thing would be a whole lot harder if we both knew what we were missing, but more importantly, he's willing to share with me something he's never shared with anyone else. How can that not be special?
Final thoughts:
Neither is it because I believe sex is in some way evil, or sinful in itself. On the contrary, I believe God made sex to be fun, something for us to enjoy.
So, I ask myself, why not enjoy it? Why torture yourself with this born-again virgin stuff?
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. (Gen 2:24)
'One flesh' is a symbol of the inseparable union God intended for husband and wife, and in the act of sex, it finds its physical expression. I believe God intended sex to be fun for one man, and one woman, within the confines of an inseparable union - marriage.
The same is clearly reiterated throughout the New Testament:
But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. (1Cor 7:2)
Precisely because sex is so much fun, us weak humans are often tempted to abuse it. Marriage is held repeatedly to God's ideal for sex, and the way to avoid that temptation.
But why marriage? You're as committed to Animal now as you will be in 66 days time, why wait for a bit of paper?
Well yes, I am as committed to him now as I ever will be, but I am not his wife. For us, marriage isn't about a bit of paper and a ring, it's about
But let's not forget that although sex is fun, it makes babies. It seems obvious to me that well-balanced children need the influence of a mother and a father. (I'm not judging single parents here; they're doing a tough job under imperfect circumstances, and the ones I know deserve nothing but respect for how well they do so.) God intended from the outset for us to go forth and multiply, and for children to be brought up within that family setting.
And let's not forget the other potential side-effects of extra-marital sex - after all, a baby is the nicest thing you can catch from having sex.
But what if he's rubbish at it? I'm trusting that we'll be compatible. He's my soulmate, a gift from God in every other way, so why would a loving God (who invented sex to be fun, remember!) leave me wanting in the bedroom? What I am certainly not going to do is take a test drive. We'll learn as we go along.
And what of purity? This may seem weird, but Animal's virginity means a whole lot to me - I wish I had treated my own with as much respect. I think this celibacy thing would be a whole lot harder if we both knew what we were missing, but more importantly, he's willing to share with me something he's never shared with anyone else. How can that not be special?
Final thoughts:
- It breaks my heart that the one thing I treasure most in my fiancé is the one thing I can never give him back.
- Although being a born-again virgin is not easy, it is possible with God's strength. And I have no doubt that it well be worth it in the end.
Monday, 16 January 2012
Musical Monday: Barlow Girls
OK, so BarlowGirl is a Christian pop-rock girl band, best known (by me, but I'm almost totally ignorant on such matters) for my favourite version of O Holy Night.
But it seems that before they were famous, another Christian pop-rock girl band met these sisters - Barlow's their last name, ordinary girls they don't live in the fast lane, they don't rate with the guys that score 'cause they don't flaunt what the boys want more - and wrote a song in tribute to them and their stand on purity (that 'God has one perfect man already chosen for us; therefore we have no need to worry ourselves in searching for him. When the time is right, we know God will bring us together').
You may want to ignore the slightly icky and ill-advised line about their Moms, but I gotta say I love the sentiment of this song:
And yes, there are guys who are willing to wait - just ask this BarlowGirl on her wedding day ;)
My only question to the world is this:
Why the hell did nobody play me this song in 2001?
But it seems that before they were famous, another Christian pop-rock girl band met these sisters - Barlow's their last name, ordinary girls they don't live in the fast lane, they don't rate with the guys that score 'cause they don't flaunt what the boys want more - and wrote a song in tribute to them and their stand on purity (that 'God has one perfect man already chosen for us; therefore we have no need to worry ourselves in searching for him. When the time is right, we know God will bring us together').
You may want to ignore the slightly icky and ill-advised line about their Moms, but I gotta say I love the sentiment of this song:
No girl should feel she has to trade
Her body for love or be an old maid
And yes, there are guys who are willing to wait - just ask this BarlowGirl on her wedding day ;)
My only question to the world is this:
Why the hell did nobody play me this song in 2001?
Friday, 13 January 2012
Why I hate religion, but love Jesus
I know I said Friday would be music day, but I changed my mind. I'm a woman, deal with it. I decided Musical Monday had a better ring to it, and I've got a similarly alliterative idea lined up for Fridays, maybe starting next week. For now though, here's a poem.
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