Sexual Tension: Re-directed

Hi, hope ya'll have been blessed by the stories and thoughts Tommy and I share so openly with you; it's been almost 7 months since our first blog and I'm so flabbergasted by all that God has done in our lives and the lives of you all, the blog readers. I pray that God will continue to inspire us and use us to bless your lives.

So with that said, I want to share with ya'll the consistent reminder that I have been receiving from sources that will go unnamed… of the importance of really spending time in God's presence daily. Now before I go on, let me preface this by saying that this is not a "quick-fix" or a "get out of temptation free" tool, but rather just the will of God for our and your lives.

Alrighty, so the other day I realized that Tommy and I had been really "good" if you would, as it pertains to our sexual purity; my thought –life was pure, we overall or at least I didn't experience any recent sexual urges or temptations..To God be the Glory. But when I began praising God for that, especially thinking about how close we are to being married and how difficult it can be to really "run from sexual sin" (1 Corinthians 6:18) and to live " holy" (1 Thessalonians 4:3), I said "wow, God this is really great!"

I thought about if there was anything we did that was different than in the months past: had we not been spending that much time together? But that wasn't the case; the truth of the matter is that we had both been consistently and faithfully seeking God's face. God exchanged and redirected our sexual tension with His Attention. And as not to boast in ourselves, because it's the Holy Spirit that draws you to the Lord (1 Corinthians 12:3), but our thoughts and actions were so on Christ, that we did not make time for distractions.

Now yes, of course distractions came and I'm sure will continue to come right up until we say "I Do", but honestly staying fed by God and exercising it with others: believers in Christ and non-believers helped to keep us in right-standing with God.

So, I hope that was helpful to many of you who may be struggling in this area, but for those of you who have had success with this, we'd love to get your feedback of this question:

Q: How do you allow God to participate in the sexual tension re-routing and re-directing process in your daily lives?

~ Candace

Network!!!

Ohhh My!! Ohhh My!! 2009 is getting real. What a Great year it has been thus far, we've gained a New President, The Pittsburgh Steelers just won the Superbowl, and I'm getting married in a little over 5 Months I mean it's getting real if it isn't already. For Candace and myself, wedding planning is going great everything seems to be in order, payments are being made, invitations are going out; this wedding stuff is going as smooth as possible. We can give a tremendous amount of credit to Candace's SISTERS, our families; and a host of friends for helping us with this. It is so comforting to be covered and surrounded with so much Love and prayer. No matter what phase we are at in life it is a must that our network consist of a host of people that will encourage, uplift, and strengthen us with truthful words that we need to hear. Not words that we want to hear but words that we need to hear. I'm more than grateful that we have that. To keep this blog short and sweet. I Corinthians 15:33 says "Bad Company corrupts Good Character" If we want to make this year as great as it possible can be, we all need to stay away from "Bad Company" and instead surround ourselves with people that will give us Prophetic words not Pathetic words. We are still about saving lives now! We must remember to be supported with Good Character before we try to save Bad Company. My Network is way better than Verizon. Who's in your Network?

~ Tommy

Time

Don't be discouraged by the interruptions in your time and planning. As frustrating and annoying as it can be, see them as opportunities for your growth and submission to God. I share this with you out of my personal challenges and tests of surrendering "my time" to God. When my plans are interrupted or just totally thrown out the window, I'm reminded that I am directed by God and His timing is best. For me, I am beginning to enjoy and accept Tommy as God's provision for my need for companionship.

I think everyone needs that one person who is like your cheerleader and a source of encouragement, especially during the times of frustration when you feel like your plans have been totally discarded. My fiance really fulfills that need for companionship and support. God knows "exactly what you need even before you ask" (Matthew 6:32) so not only should you trust God when your life is"interrupted," but also learn to enjoy and receive your spouse as God's perfect provision for your need for you, especially during those times.

~Candace