Saying "No"

Saying "no" is hard. In fact, it has, in many situations, been the hardest thing I've had to do. There are many things that I have said "no" to. Some instances have been harder than others. One time in particular, though, was very hard for me. You see, there was this guy. He was great: funny, smart, handsome, and adventurous. We worked together for over a year before he had the courage to ask me out. Well, it went a little more like this: I left my old workplace, he sought me out and found me at my new job location and asked me to "hangout."(Alright #1, I am totally oblivious when it comes to relationships. I really didn't see this coming and when he asked me to "hangout" I honestly didn't understand that he was interested in me.) I was busy that weekend, and I told him so. But he wasn't giving up so easily. I ended up just asking what his intentions were; I wanted to know what "hanging out" meant to him. As it turns out, he wanted to "more than hangout." He wanted a date.

And me? I wanted to date. I wanted a relationship.The problem: He wasn't a Christian. I sent him a very long message and explained to him that my answer was a definitive "no." Believing that he deserved an explanation, I went into the reasons behind my answer, backed up by scripture...

"Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?" 2 Corinthians 6:14

I absolutely hated telling this guy "no." I felt like a horrible, horrible, person. Nevertheless, I knew that what I was doing was right. I would rather hurt him initially and it be over with than leading him on by going on one date with him. "What's the harm in just one date?" That was a question that I was asked. Here are the problems: 

1. One date can lead to a string of other dates.
2. I Only date for the purpose of marriage. Dating is a step toward marriage, so one should not even consider going on a date with a non-believer. 
3. I would be defrauding him. 
4. He doesn't have the same standards that I do, namely the same standards of purity. 
5. He could bring me down and ultimately, be a barrier between God and me. 

It's hard to say "no." Situations like this always happen when we are most vulnerable. That is why it is so, so important to constantly be on guard and equipped with truth. Stand firm and don't give in to the temptations that come. It might be fun in the beginning, but it's a tragedy in the end. I have talked to so many women who chose to marry poorly (it felt so right). Even to this day, long after the divorces were finalized, they deal with the consequences of following their heart instead of following their God. And to think...it all started with "just one" date. 

Neglected...and an introduction.

This is horrible. Every time I resolve to blog, I always quit. It never fails. I have no idea how many blogs I have started, but I will try again and do my best to post - and post often. So, here's what I have in mind for this blog: I don't even know if anyone reads or will read anything that I write, however, I feel that the best way for me to express myself in life is through writing everything down. My struggles, trials, and victories. From the mundane everyday to the exciting, however rare, times in life. This is a way for me to share what's on my heart ; writing is therapeutic for me. I could write and write and write all day just for the sake of enjoyment.

So, here's an introduction to me. This is who I am: Morgan. I am a southern girl born and raised, an artist, a musician, a daughter, a sister, a friend, and coffee enthusiast. Most importantly, though, I am a child of the most high God. My relationship with Jesus Christ is the priority of my life. Christ is the one who gave me this new life and raised me up out of my miserable, sinful state. Without the Lord, I was hopeless and dead in my sin. Now I am alive in Christ.

I began walking with the Lord at the tender age of three years. You can say that's when I "asked Jesus into my heart." He found me and met me where I was - even as a three year old. There is no way that I was drawn to Him in and of my own will. It was supernatural.

I remember lying in my bed at night before I knew Christ. Sleep was a struggle; I knew that there was a battle going on for my soul. It was as if I felt a dark presence in my room. That was so horrible, and I remember it so vividly. I knew that I was a sinner who needed Jesus. Not long after, I was sitting on a little stool in the kitchen. My three year old mind was deep in thought, I remember staring at the green and white kitchen tile, knowing what I needed to do. That's the day that I met Jesus. I acknowledged my sin before Him and asked to be forgiven. Jesus stepped in and has been by my side ever since.

The early years of my relationship with Christ were filled with learning basic truths found in His word. I memorized Bible verses and was taught about stories and characters from the Bible. My parents were always including me in conversations about spiritual matters; I am so thankful that the Lord blessed me with them. They were an encouragement and healthy role models of what a follower of Christ looks like.

My faith really "became my own" in middle school. I was out in the world for the first time; before, I had gone to Private Christian school and was also home schooled for a couple of years. I was a very sheltered little girl who was shocked at the behavior (and vocabulary!) of my peers. Public school was a nightmare for me, but I really grew in my faith tremendously during that time. I began reading my Bible on my own initiative, not my parents'. My thirst for righteousness and purity became evident to me and also others around me. I was made fun of in school. I was the "goody two-shoes," the "teacher's pet," the "smart girl," the "religious kid." But none of that mattered to me; in fact, I embraced it.

Jesus made me different. He continues to mold and shape me everyday. I am so thankful that the God of the Universe loves and cares for me; and I look forward to seeing how He continues to work in my life in the future.

Weekly inspiration for 1/31/11

1.Cupcake love! http://www.gigiscupcakesusa.com/p.s. they are not only pretty but EXTREMELY yummy!

2.So...I just discovered this site last week. TOTAL eye candy! I adore everything in the store! Check it out: http://marleylilly.3dcartstores.com/

3.I just love the College Prepster!

4.This is absolutely awesome! A friend told me about this and I was skeptical...I mean...$1 for a bus ticket to Washington D.C. or NYC? It's real; I'm already planning my trip! http://us.megabus.com/

5.Here's a cool Valentine's day craft: http://www.instructables.com/id/A-Dozen-Red-Origami-Roses/

6.Interesting article... http://www.tesh.com/ittrium/visit/A1x97x1y1xa5x1x76y1x240dx1x9by1x2412x1y5x1fab2x5x1

7.Mickey and Minnie cake pops! I must make some of these! http://www.bakerella.com/you-asked/

Well, that's all for now!

I'm back! Here's the thing: I always create blogs with really good intentions...but I NEVER stick to them. My belated New Year's resolution is to blog every day about, well, pretty much anything and everything.

One movie EVERY young woman should see

Today I decided to watch a movie. I didn't have to go into work until 3:30, so I had pretty much the entire morning. I'm usually always in the mood for the chick flick, but opted for some intense action instead. I settled for Taken, starring Liam Neeson and Maggie Grace. I had heard really good things about the movie and was anticipating a great action flick. Taken does not disappoint. Not only is the movie an edge-of-your-seat nail biter, but it is also a wake up call to viewers. The film addresses the topic of human sex-trafficing. 17-year-old Kim is excited about her trip to Europe with best friend Amanda, however, hours upon their arrival in Paris the girls are kidnapped and thrown into world of sex-slavery. This movie is a warning for young women everywhere. Human slave-trading is not only occurring on the other side of the globe; It's here. Women in the U.S. are at just as great a risk. I did some googling and found a site (polarisproject.org) chocked full of information. Here are some interesting facts that I found pertaining to the sex-trade:

Victims are trafficked for a wide variety of purposes. Some of the most common areas in which trafficking victims have been identified in the U.S. include:Commercial sex industry

• Domestic street prostitution, strip clubs, and escort agencies

• Asian massage parlors, residential brothel, and room salon networks

• Latino residential brothel, cantina bar, and escort agency networks

• Russian and Eastern European strip clubs and escort agencies

• Online websites, like Craigs List and escort agency website

Both foreign national and U.S. citizen victims have been identified in cities, suburbs, and rural areas in all 50 states and in Washington, DC. They are forced to work or provide commercial sex against their will in legal and legitimate business settings as well as underground markets. Some victims are hidden behind locked doors in brothels and factories. In other cases, victims are in plain view, but the widespread lack of awareness of trafficking leads to low levels of victim identification by the people who come into contact with them. For example, women and girls in sex trafficking situations, especially U.S. citizens, are often misidentified as being voluntarily in the sex industry.

• 13 is the average age of first being prostituted and trafficked in the commercial sex industry in the UNITED STATES
• 50 Percent of transnational victims are children (U.S. Department of Justice)
• 244,000 – 325,000: Number of American children and youth who are at risk for sexual exploitation and sex trafficking every year (University of Pennsylvania)

Taken deserves credit for decrying the horrors of sex trafficking, a subject that has received increasing press coverage recently. According to imdb.com, actress Famke Janssen (who plays Bryan's ex-wife) was inspired by her participation in the film to get involved with this heartrending problem, to the point of becoming a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Office Against Drugs and Crime. It's conceivable that some who see this film will be similarly moved. (pluggedin.com)

I was very moved. Here's a story I encountered from ABC News:

Miya was working three jobs -- 14 hours a day -- to pay off her bills and save for college.One day when she was working, she was approached by a young woman and a well-dressed man. "He asked if it would be out of place if he said I was pretty," Miya said. "I was like, 'No.' I mean, it was a compliment."The man was charming and had a flattering offer for Miya."He said that he was a model agent, [that] he was looking for new models in the area," she said. "It's not like something I've been wanting to do or anything, but, I mean, it was ... it seemed interesting."Taken by the idea of modeling and making extra money, Miya agreed to meet the couple that night at a local restaurant."They said they were on their way to California to go back to their office and they were going to do some more photo shoots, and they wanted me to go along with them," Miya said. "He said that I could probably make about a thousand or more. ... He said I could try it for three days. ... And so I went with them."The next morning Miya was thrilled when the couple took her to have her hair, makeup and nails done. At that point, she said she had no idea she was not being made over for a photo shoot but for a much more insidious reason. Later, when the couple began taking pictures, Miya said she became alarmed."They used just a cheap camera you can buy, the throwaway," she said. "And they said once we get to California that we would be at a photo shoot, and that they'd be using, uh, some really good equipment, they'd have makeup artists and stuff like that."Miya said she didn't know what happened to those pictures until later, when she arrived in California with the couple. "He showed me a Web site that he put them up on," she said. "And it was an escort service site."

You can read more stories here. People, especially Americans, need to be more informed. So spread the word.