It is my birthday this Friday! What do I want (besides smiling while scrolling through Facebook happy bday wishes)? To celebrate 100 more birthdays! I love me some birthdays!
Yesterday at Cajueiro Claro we got to talk about sex. It was awesome!
Our amazing friend Sara (23 and single) is full of passion and love for Jesus and put together a youth night for Cajueiro Claro to talk about "Sexuality without guilt."
(not sure what my face is doing in. Sara is in the middle)
"Youth" events are very loosely translated in Brazil, and I was amazed how many of the moms came, and people from the community. We finally had to stop after two and a half hours, because there were like 10 kids until age 10 that needed to go to bed--otherwise we could have gone on longer! Sara bravely led the discussion, setting down the basics of what God says about sex, and then everyone put their questions in a box, and Pastor Flavio, Caid, and I answered the questions (I was a bit nervous).
When it was over, I told Sara I wish we would have done this at my church when I was younger. We plowed into sex, dating, masturbation, pornography, homosexuality, purity, and marriage with honesty and clarity. God was honored, and truth was spoken--it ain't easy!
I played the "No sex until marriage" game for 30 years, and I won. Then I got married and realized I was playing the wrong game, and it wasn't over. If you check out what God says about sex, it is a good thing--it just has some rules that go along with it for our general safety. The thing is, our sexuality is a part of us--what makes us who we are as individuals--and that makes it one more part of what we give to God when we give Him our lives. That is what being a Christian means to me. And the game--the long term picture--of what that looks like is sanctification.
Seeking purity, but more than that: seeking to be like Christ, but more than that: seeking Christ Himself. When I am running passionately to Christ, I don't have time to simply play the "no sex until marriage" game. I am so glad the game isn't over.
Sunday Funday Links:
1. "What if the lack of control is the thing making us more like Jesus?"
2. Learning about TCKs and TCAs and what that means for my kids and I
3. Not sure what to say. This is amazing. Amazing writing and amazing truths.
4. Good article, and even better recipe for Brazilian Lemonade!
5. In some ways, I've felt like I have a clearer idea of some issues because of the distance away from it...but then again...I am slightly nervous about returning to the USA during all of this racial turmoil. God knows what it means for my international family.
6. Beautiful insight on the depths of learning someone else's soul: AKA marriage.
7. I like this article, but I like the "RAFT" part best. I need to study that more!
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