abstinence – The Scriblerians

Life is complicated. If you’re like any of the people whose posts I’ve seen on FB lately, or if you’ve lived into your teen years, you’ll already know this. But finding a good book to read doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, Laura L. Smith has tools for us to make reading her books simple!

First, you can get her book along with 6 other great YA books for the bargain price of $0.99 in the Turning Point YA boxed set.

I’m hosting a Summer Book Club where we’re reading and discussing each of the seven books on my blog. This week is It’s Complicated. I’ve already read it, and I can’t wait to discuss it. I’d love for you to join us! (And Beth Steury – if you haven’t read this one, you absolutely should. It deals with abstinence and renewed abstinence!)

Second, she has a Bible-based discussion guide for the first four chapters of the book and she’s offering it to you for FREE! Wouldn’t it be great to read the book and discuss with your teen or youth group? Love this idea, and I plan to check it out!

“To claim your free copy, fill out the contact form below.” Whoops! The form isn’t working. To claim your free copy, please leave a comment in the post below saying you would like one. Sorry!

Third, another one of her books is currently available for FREE! Skinny: She was starving to fit in… I love that this author tackles issue-driven teen fiction. Her writing is great and I have great hopes for this series. I already have the book. Snag it while it’s free by clicking on the cover.

CLICK HERE FOR A FREE COPY

Finally, if you’re the kind of person that loves Pinterest and enjoys checking out pictures of characters as the author envisions them, here are links to the Pinterest boards for It’s Complicated.

Hannah

Claire

Palmer

Kat

Connect with Laura at:

www.laurasmithauthor.com
@lauralynnsmith

Facebook

Twitter

NOW YOU: Thoughts on book clubs, issue-driven fiction, and life complications in general. Go!

Merriam-Webster (m-w.com) defines “waiting” like this: OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

to remain stationary in readiness or expectation
to look forward expectantly
to hold back expectantly

Basically, no one likes waiting. Whether it be in a slow moving line at the convenience store or a mile-long line at a favorite restaurant, we have better things to do than while away the minutes—or hours—simply waiting. Waiting for Christmas morning to open those interestingly shaped presents feels like torture. The wait for school to be out and summer to begin drags on forever. Even waiting for dinner to be ready can be trying.

Waiting gets a bad rap most of the time. But some things are worth waiting for. Some things are so good, so unbelievably awesome that the wait is worth it no matter how long it takes. Sex is one of those worth-waiting-for things.

Some of you haven’t given much thought to the idea of waiting or not waiting when it comes to sex. It may or may not happen. You’ll make the decision if and when the opportunity presents itself. When the time’s right, you’ll know it—you hope.

Some of you are anxious to get the first time over–to remove the label ‘virgin’ from your resume and replace it with ‘experienced’ or ‘mature’ or ‘grown-up’. Because everyone says it’s better to be experienced, right?

file000852810870 Some of you are committed to saving yourself for marriage. You are waiting expectantly for your wedding night. You’re holding back the emotions and urges and hormones that nudge—maybe even push or shove–you toward sex.

Some of you didn’t wait for a ceremony or a license to engage in the intimacy of sex. Maybe you made a hasty decision. Or maybe you thought about it for a long time. Some of you regret your decision. Some of you don’t.

One thing is for sure: waiting to have sex is tough. Pressure to not wait is everywhere. TV and movies paint sleeping around as the cool thing. Friends are having sex, so why not you, too? And, if you’re in a committed relationship, the temptation to just do it can be overwhelming.

Before you make a decision that you can’t undo, step back and take a deep breath. Think about all the things you won’t have to worry about if you WAIT for sex. Like pregnancy and STD’s. I know what you’re going to say—birth control and condoms will protect me. Maybe. But the only 100% foolproof birth control is ABSTINENCE, and condoms only make sex somewhat ‘safer’ not completely safe.

And then there’s the whole emotional aspect. Sex is so much more than the joining of two bodies. The feelings, the emotions involved in giving yourself so completely to another person will bond you to that person—whether you want it to or not. Because that’s what sex is supposed to do. No condom or form of birth control will protect your heart if and when that connection is ripped apart.

If you already didn’t wait, it’s not too late to stop being sexually active and WAIT. Don’t let your past make your future decisions. Don’t let friends or that special guy or gal make the call. You be the one to decide what’s best for you. Take some time to think about where you’re at and where you’re headed.

Choosing abstinence or ‘renewed abstinence’ says you believe sex is worth waiting for.

Check out the blog “Waiting Matters… Because YOU Matter” for the continuing series on the WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, HOW and WHY of saving sex for marriage.