Thursday, February 19, 2009

5 Practical Tips for Guarding a Maidenly Heart


Mrs. Stacy McDonald has given me permission to share something with you from her wonderful book, Raising Maidens of Virtue.

These 5 tips have been very helpful to me, and since most of my readers - well, the ones who comment, anyway - are young women, I thought this would be appropriate and possibly even help or encourage you, as it has me. :)

5 Practical Tips for Guarding Your Maidenly Heart

  1. Read God's Word and pray every day. Specifically ask God to help you guard your heart. Pray for your father to make wise decisions regarding your future.
  2. Avoid romance novels or discussions with other maidens regarding boys. When discussing your future role as a wife and mother, focus on preparing yourself biblically for your vocation. Keep away from discussions about romance, wedding fantasies, or eligible young men (whether they are godly or not).
  3. Avoid being alone with a young man. It is best to fellowship while under the protection of your parents, within the environment of the home and family.
  4. Avoid fantasizing about who might be "Mr. Right". Stay on guard, especially when you sense that you may be attracted to a young man (or that he may be attracted to you). Remember your goal is to stay pure for the one you marry, both physically and emotionally.
  5. Talk to your parents about your feelings. Let them know when you need prayer in a specific area. God has placed them over you for your protection - trust them and Him.
What are your thoughts on this subject? Have you ever had a difficult time guarding your heart?

I hope this was helpful! :)

11 comments:

  1. I just finished reading this book. It is a good book, isn't it? After every chapter, I needed to think about what I just read. I saw myself reflected in some area's also.
    That is my fourth comment for today!

    Kristin

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  2. great tips! most likly we have never met the man that we are going to marry.

    Lauren Ann

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  3. Wow, that is good. Perhaps I should read the book. I think I'm going to share this with some of my buddies. It really gets on my nerves when people tell me they have a "crush" on someone. Not only is it gross (to me) but its wrong.

    Thanks for posting this!

    ~Joanna

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  4. Great Post! I read that book and it was really good!

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  5. Thanks so much for posting these~I must admit that number 4 is a problem spot for me. As Lauren said, is is very likely that we have never met the man we are going to marry.

    Blessings,
    Shannon

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  6. Kristin,
    It is! :) The book was eye-opening for me. :)

    Lauren Ann,
    They are great tips... I'm so thankful that Mrs. Stacy allowed me to share them with everyone. :) Very true... it is probable that we haven't met our future husbands yet! :D

    Jo-snazz,
    I would definitely reccommend reading the book! :) You're welcome to share the information... girls need to hear this. I know what you mean... it makes me sad when I hear other people talking about 'crushes' or worse, that they think so-and-so is "hot". (Ick). And you've nailed it... it's just plain wrong. Thanks for commenting! :)

    Stephanie L. S,
    Thanks! Yes, that book is wonderful! :)

    Shannon,
    You're welcome! :D I think #4 is the hardest one... it's such an easy trap to fall into, isn't it?

    Blessings!
    Julia

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  7. Hi Julia! I'm trying to figure out how to make the scrapblog headers fit correctly, but it's not going so well! How did you get yours to fit? Thanks!
    Mia

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  8. Those were all really great tips! I'll have to look at the book! Thank you SO much for sharing that!

    To answer your question....Two of my favorite digital scrapbooking websites that have freebie sections are:

    The Shabby Shoppe: http://www.theshabbyshoppe.com/homepage.asp
    And
    Two Peas in a Bucket: http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/default.asp

    They are BOTH definitely worth looking at! The Cutest Blog on the Block website has a tutorial that tells you how to make a background, and it helped me SO much! Just follow the directions....and voila! :) Enjoy the websites!
    Have a blessed weekend, Julia!

    Laney

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  9. Hi There -

    Mia,
    The header I have currently I found on The Cutest Blog On The Block and added my own words - it came that size. The scrapblog headers usually look pretty good for me... When you upload a header picture, there's usually a box you can check if you want the picture to 'shrink to size' - have you tried that? :) Thanks for commenting! :)

    Laney,
    You're welcome! It is an awesome book!
    OOOoooh! I will have to check those out! Thank you SO much! :D

    Blessings!
    Julia

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  10. Those are all great tips Julia! Thank you for sharing them! I tagged you, please go to my blog for the details!

    Blessings!
    ~Rachel~

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  11. Oooooh! Ok. Yeah, I did try selecting "shrink to fit", it didn't work for me. I'll just try something else. Thanks so much!

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Hi! Thank you for leaving a comment on my blog. I hope you are having an absolutely wonderful day. :)

Please remember to keep your thoughts and remarks kind and pleasing in the sight of our Lord.

I would encourage you to sign your name to your comments... otherwise it might not be published.

If you have a question you would like to ask me, feel free to leave me your email address - it will not be published - and I will try to answer or help as best as I can. :)

Sometimes it takes me a little while to get back to you... but I do try and reply when I get a comment. :D

Love & Blessings!
~ Julia ~