There’s an acronym to help people process emotions and make decisions called H.A.L.T. It stands for hungry (or hurting), angry, lonely, tired. The idea behind it is we don’t make good decisions when we are any of these things. Here is a real-life example: I never wake up in the morning and think, I’m going to eat an entire package of Oreos to start my day off right! However, when it’s late at night after a long, stressful day, I want nothing more than to finish things out with some double stuffed comfort food.

Part of walking out a lifestyle of healthy sexuality is knowing when you’re weak and how you got there. When you find yourself depressed and tempted to engage in unhealthy behavior, figure out what happened. For example, you might be thinking, “Oh man, I was feeling great about my life until I watched that TV show with all the steamy romance scenes.” Slip-ups in purity are usually not random. There are patterns we can recognize that get us to a place we don’t want to be. Figure out what sets you off. It might be a certain TV show or movie, type of book, or maybe even just looking at social media late at night. If it’s not good for you, it’s not worth it. Pick another TV show. Turn off your phone after a certain time. Being healthy and happy is worth it.

So what about when you do mess up? What about when you find yourself in a weak spot, and you make a mistake? After a mistake, we often feel shame, discouragement, or the temptation to distance ourselves from God. Don’t. Invite Him in instead. Say, “God, I messed up. I’m sorry, and I need your help.” Just because you slip up doesn’t mean it’s over. Figure out what led up to it, like we talked about before, and make a change. You’re still in this, you just have to get back up.

Today, if you notice yourself down or tempted to reach for something you know is not good for you, retrace your thoughts and figure out how you got there. What was the turning point? What set things off? Start to look for patterns so you know how to cut things off early on instead of letting things escalate.

Scripture Reading

With promises like this to pull us on, dear friends, let’s make a clean break with everything that defiles or distracts us, both within and without. Let’s make our entire lives fit and holy temples for the worship of God’. 2 Corinthians 7:1

Today’s devotional is culled from the Resisting Sexual Temptation plan in the YouVersion BIble App and has been slightly modified

Welcome to Day 3!

Today, we focus on Getting the needs of your spirit met

We’ve talked about the body and the soul, but today we’re going to talk about the spirit. Our spirit is that place deep within us that was made to meet with God. It’s that place that needs to know we are a part of something bigger than ourselves. It’s the place that needs to be fed with the things of God like truth, faith, and intimacy with Him.

You can have the healthiest body and most positive thought life in the world, but if you don’t know that God loves you and is for you, then you will never be fully satisfied. There is a place inside each of us that only God can fill. The way we feed this place, our spirit, is by spending time with God.

We need time in God’s Word, so we know the truth about Him and what He thinks of us. We also need time to be completely real and authentic before the Lord. We need to let out all of our doubts and all of our tears and let Him comfort us. The other thing we need is faith. We need to believe that God is who He says He is and that He will do what He says He will do. If we don’t feel loved, hopeful, joyful, or at peace, then our spirit has a need that is meant to be met by God.

Our challenge for you today is to fill your spirit. Spend intentional time in the Word. Choose a verse to meditate on or memorize throughout the day. You can even find ways to connect with God that are a little outside your normal, like going on a hike, painting, or listening to music.

Scripture Reading

4 I am losing all hope;

I am paralyzed with fear.

5 I remember the days of old.

I ponder all your great works and think about what you have done.

6 I lift my hands to you in prayer.

I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain.

7 Come quickly, Lord, and answer me, for my depression deepens.

Don’t turn away from me, or I will die.

8 Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you.

Show me where to walk for I give myself to you.

9 Rescue me from my enemies, Lord; I run to you to hide me.

10 Teach me to do your will,for you are my God.

May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing.

Psalms 143:4-10 NLT

Today’s devotional is culled from the Resisting Sexual Temptation plan in the YouVersion BIble App and has been slightly modified

Today, we’re going to talk about the soul. Now, you’re probably accustomed to people using the word

“soul” in a very dramatic way - I felt that deep in my soul, my soul came alive when I met that person, that music is full of soul, I want to love the Lord with all my heart, mind, and soul, etc. Hearing the word “soul” used like this often can feel a little daunting and more like a mystery to be solved than something to be explored.

We’re going to try to make this easier for you. In simple terms, your soul comprises three parts: your mind, will, and emotions. When put together, these areas of your being have three basic needs: intimacy, connection, and comfort. We call these “soul needs”.

When you’re tempted to cross the line sexually or date the next available person that walks along, your soul is probably looking for one of these needs to be met. We can often overlook these or even ignore them because they’re not as tangible as our physical needs, but they are still there. We all have a need to be known, to belong, and to feel like we’re not out here on our own in the world. When we ignore

these needs, they don’t go away. They keep adding up until we find a way to meet them.

The good news is, you don’t have to have sex to get these needs met. In fact, outside of marriage, sex will not give you these things. It may for a moment, but ultimately, you’ll still be left unsatisfied. God designed us to get our needs met for intimacy, connection, and comfort by Him and by the people around us. You may need to talk to someone who really listens, get a hug, or go on a long walk and talk to God. These are all healthy ways to get these needs met.

Our challenge for you today is to find healthy ways to get your needs for intimacy, connection, and comfort met by the people close to you. This could be a hug, taking a friend out for coffee, or giving someone encouragement. When you reach out to connect with people and sow encouragement and kind words, you will reap it in your own life.

Scripture Reading

‘All praises belong to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he is the Father of tender mercy and the God of endless comfort. 4He always comes alongside us to comfort us in every suffering so that we can come alongside those who are in any painful trial. We can bring them this same comfort that God has poured out upon us’.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 TPT

Today’s devotional is culled from the Resisting Sexual Temptation plan in the YouVersion BIble App and has been slightly modified

Have you ever been thinking about your life late at night and started to get really dramatic thoughts?

All of a sudden you’re wondering how you got here, if you’ll ever get the job or the life you really want, or if the hero of that Netflix show will ever get off the island he’s stranded on. You start thinking life cannot go on until you get all these things resolved. Then you fall asleep and wake up the next day thinking, “Eh. It’ll all work out.” All of a sudden, things don’t feel so bad.

This is what happens when we take care of our physical bodies. When we’re well-rested, full of healthy food, and our bodies are getting everything they need, life just feels better. If your emotions are all over the place, you’re stressed all the time, or you’re constantly tempted to make unhealthy decisions, ask yourself a few questions:

Am I getting enough sleep?

Am I exercising?

Am I spending time outside in the sun?

Am I eating healthy?

Am I drinking enough water?

Am I getting enough human contact?

A lot of times we mistake sex as a physical need, and it is not. It can feel that way because our other needs aren’t getting met. Sex releases endorphins in our body like dopamine, oxytocin, and vasopressin. This may sound crazy, but in those moments, you feel like you’re ready to make out with the next person you see, or you want to act out sexually, you need to find another way to get endorphins released. Go for a run, put some music on, eat some really great chocolate, or watch some funny videos on YouTube. All of these things release endorphins.

It’s easy to overlook the physical needs when it feels like something spiritual or emotional is going on, but we are made up of a spirit, soul, and body. You can’t neglect one part without hurting the other parts. Our challenge for you today is to do things to invest in your physical body. Be aware of the food you’re giving yourself. Take time to exercise or be outside. Make sure you’re getting plenty of sleep and plenty of water. Taking care of your body makes a huge difference!

Scripture Reading

‘There’s more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact. As written in Scripture, “The two become one.” Since we want to become spiritually one with the Master, we must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us more lonely than ever—the kind of sex that can never “become one.” There is a sense in which sexual sins are different from all others. In sexual sin we violate the sacredness of our own bodies, these bodies that were made for God-given and God-modeled love, for “becoming one” with another. Or didn’t you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don’t you see that you can’t live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body’.

1 Corinthians 6:16-20 MSG

Today’s devotional is culled from the Resisting Sexual Temptation plan in the YouVersion Bible App and has been slightly modified

I really wanted to get married at 25 or at the latest 28!

Hahahaha I am glad that desire wasn't answered because if it did, I am sure I will either be separated or divorced by now. 

Why?

My mindset on what or how marriage worked would have killed the joy in marriage. 

Yes, trust me I am one of the sweetest, kindest and thoughtful ladies you would ever meet 😉 but that can't keep a marriage.

Today, I share my journey of working on my mindset. In the experience shared, there are lessons to learn and questions to answer.

Listen and get your power back. Your mind is a  powerful tool.

http://anchor.fm/thepurityjourneyco

See you all at 8pm WAT in the community.

Welcome to 2021!

It's a new beginning and a fresh start. A fresh start for you to re-align,  follow your dreams, and become the best version of yourself. Today's podcast encourages you to embrace the golden opportunity a new year brings; a fresh start and make the best use of it.

It's our final feature Tuesday podcast for the year 2020. Today, we discuss taking out time to rest and retreat as we prepare for the year.

Thank you for being a part of the TPJ Community, 

See you in 2021!

Its our first feature Tuesday! And today we discuss on rollercoasters