a letter to my daughters

to my beautiful daughters....

This past week a movie came out that brought me to my knees in tearful prayer for each of you.  It is not a new concept held by some in our society, but the release of this movie stirred some thoughts in my soul that I want to share with you.  My prayer is that these truths will become your own and you will grow to be passionate fighters for what is pure and lovely and good.  My sweet babies do not settle for a cheap substitute of love.  Your entire being - heart, mind, body, and soul - were created for so much more.

Love is first of all patient.  Love waits and waits patiently.  There will come a day when you will look into a man's eyes and long to give him yourself and he will feel the same.  A man of character will then pledge to be your husband and patiently wait for the day for you to be his own.  He will not demand to be with you as a husband is with his wife, he will not try to convince you, he will not try to tempt you.  Instead he will honor you by waiting.  It takes a man of great character to follow through with this commitment in our current culture.  If you lose your own way, he will remain strong and remind you that love is patient.

Love is kind.  Kindness does not demand.  Kindness does not injure.  Kindness does not create fear.  There is, in fact, no room at all for fear in love.  It will always protect you and keep you safe.  When you are with a man who loves you, there should be nothing but safety and peace in your soul. If you are with a man and feel fear than run sweet babies, please run.

Love does not lure you to compromise your beliefs and your passions.  No, instead love upholds those beliefs and passion.  Even more than that, love joins in your beliefs and passions.  It is a partnership that works to accomplish more than you could have ever done on your own.  It adds more height and depth to the dreams already burning in your heart.  It adds new dimensions to your ideas and spurs you to take new steps of faith.

Do not settle for what the culture has deemed as adequate.  Do not give in to what the world tells you is okay.  Protect your bodies my princesses and wait for the man who will do the same.  It takes self discipline  and an unselfish heart to wait for sexual intimacy.  It also takes self discipline and an unselfish heart to stay true to a marriage and to stay away from things that would seek to tear the marriage apart.

Some will say that I am old fashioned and unreasonable.  Some will say that you need to explore all there is in the world, even those things that will eventually break your heart and your soul.  Some will say that you will never find what I have described.  In those moments I want you to remember this - my words I share with you are not a fairy tale fantasy.   I have experienced both sides of this story.  The days when I walked away from holding to these truths brought nothing but pain.  The days when I held onto them led me to being the wife of your father.  You daddy is not perfect but he is a man of character.  These men do exist precious girls, do not let the world convince you they do not.