Where God's Word Meets Our Mess
On the one hand, I’m afraid that I’ll have sex once and never want to have it again: What if having sex hurts? What if it’s uncomfortable? What if I hate it? On the other hand, I’m afraid that I’ll have sex once and won’t want to stop: What if having sex becomes my favorite new hobby? What if it’s super intense? What if I like it more than my husband does?
I wish there were lots of great resources available for the Christian single girl, but this Christian single girl has definitely struggled to find them. My favorite kind of resource is genuine and interesting, but sadly, these kinds of resources are few and far between—especially for the single Christian girl. But I have stumbled upon a few fantastic resources (a blog post, a book, and a podcast episode) that will hopefully be exactly what you need today:
One of my goals at TTT is to share encouraging content with you, and that is certainly my goal for today's post. This wasn't an easy post for me to prepare because it involves the death of a young woman due to a severe eating disorder. However, her mom, Dr. Lisa L. Billings, demonstrates great courage in transparently discussing her daughter's eating disorder and the sadness that she has experienced as a result of it. Not only do I want this post to be an encouraging reminder to unconditionally love those in your life who are battling an eating disorder, but I also want this post to be an encouraging reminder that because of Jesus' suffering and death, we can find purpose in our deepest sadness. He wants to draw us near, friends.
I think one of the hardest things for a Christian girl to accept is her desire for sex. Or maybe it’s just me. I wish I could say that I’m looking forward to marriage because I want to have a lifelong best friend or because I’m ready to love and be loved by my soulmate. But really, I’m just looking forward to having sex. And if you’re trying to follow God’s design for sex by saving it for marriage, I’m guessing that you’re looking forward to it too.
Perhaps I’m not very fond of surface-level conversations because, as an introvert, I appreciate connecting with friends on a deep level—like one-on-one meetings at cute coffee shops and after-church conversations that last until the pastor turns out the lights in the sanctuary. Although big gatherings can be intimidating to me, small gatherings are my happy place. I enjoy getting to know people better by asking good questions and by giving good answers to their questions. There are a few characteristics—encouraging, transparent, and Christ-centered—that I believe are essential for having meaningful conversations. Here’s why.
Ever since I signed a contract for Real Recovery: What Eating Disorder Recovery Actually Looks Like, I’ve been afraid. Actually, I was afraid before I ever signed the contract. I’ve harbored fears about writing a book, becoming a published author, and finding success. To be more specific, I’ve harbored fears about being unable to write a book, become a published author, and find success. There’s now a checkmark next to “write a book” and “become a published author,” but there’s not yet a checkmark next to “find success.” I realize that success is a subjective concept, so here’s my version of it: being a well-known, well-loved published author. And I haven't found that success yet.
I wanted to open up about *why* I wrote it. I feel like the *why* behind a book is sometimes just as important as the *what* inside a book. Why did I specifically choose to write about eating disorders and recovery? Why did I write Real Recovery? Here are two of the main reasons.
I wasn’t going to be one of them—a fangirl who has to see every single movie with Actor A because he’s so hot and charming. Until I did become one of them—a fangirl who has to see every single movie with Actor A because he’s so hot and charming.
Dear Hallmark, when I wrote to you last Valentine's Day, I wasn’t completely honest about my feelings toward you. It’s true that I didn’t watch many Christmas Hallmark movies for Christmas of 2020. And that’s great. I exposed some of the false expectations that you produce in women, which I feel good about. But I failed to mention that—despite your flaws—your movies have a certain draw to them that I can’t seem to resist.
Tizzie's Tidbits of Truth 