What do you think a woman’s virginity is worth?

Is a woman’s virginity worth $3.8 million? That’s how much a 22-year-old from San Diego, California, said she has been offered through an auction she announced in September.

The woman, who goes by “Natalie Dylan,” set up a private auction through the Moonlite Bunny Ranch, a legal brothel in Nevada. The auction has given her lots of “business opportunities,” she said.

What saddens me the most is a statement that the girl made to The London Telegraph.

She added: “It’s shocking that men will pay so much for someone’s virginity, which isn’t even prized so highly anymore.”

Why is it that virginity isn’t important to anyone? Even in Christian circles, it is so misunderstood and for that reason not highly regarded. Virginity is a gift to be given to your spouse. But there is so much more than that. Sex is a bonding agent.

When someone experiences sexual release (orgasm), their brain is washed with chemicals that burn the experience deep into their subconscious mind. This phenomenon is intended by God to deeply bond a husband and wife to one another through sexual intimacy. That is why virginity is so important.

Imagine for just one moment if the attraction that you feel toward others you have shared orgasm with, be it porn or real sexual partners, were all focused on your husband or wife. Rather than your sexuality being tied up with various people, pictures and pixels, it was shared only in the deep, intimate bonds of your marriage. That is incredibly powerful. That is why it should be highly prized!

This is the way God intended it to be…

I heard from a guy on Higher-Calling.com today. He confessed how he was feeling very lonely and had a deep need to be nurtured. These feelings were causing him to feel compulsive in the areas where he is week; specifically to act out sexually. I was humbled by his vulnerable confession and felt honored to receive it. As an aside, I was proud of the man for being in touch with his emotions and owning them. That takes guts guys!

My thoughts gravitated toward my own need to be nurtured. It is a need that I honestly don’t understand very well, but I know it is there. We all have it somewhere.

Occasionally, I will hear a worship song performed by a female artist that touches a deep place in my heart. I wondered for a very long time why these certain songs could always bring me to tears when I listened intently to them. “Amazing Love (You Are My King)”, “Child of God”, Breathe, the list goes on.

One day, I prayed about it and I believe that God impressed upon me somehow that these beautiful songs, sung by His daughters, were His way of nurturing my soul.

I shared this personal insight with my struggling friend and directed him to one of those songs that hits me just that way. It seemed to touch his heart in a similar way. He emailed me sharing how amazing it felt to him as well…he felt nurtured.

Maybe God is trying to tell us something?

This montage is set to the song that I shared with him, “Child of God.” My favorite version of it is from the 7:22 Live Worship CD which is now out of print. But this version, from the Hungry CD is still very good.

Am I nuts? Okay…don’t answer that! But if you have any insight into this, I’d love to hear from you!

If you are using a feed reader, you may not see the YouTube video. Click here to see the original post.

One of my favorite Bible teachers is Chip Ingram. I’ve been listening to him for about a decade now on and off. I follow his blog and came across a post today well worth sharing.

Chip explained that live is all about relationships. I wholeheartedly agree. He recommends asking ourselves these questions to do a check-up of where we stand with the most important relationships in our lives.

The original blog post can be found on Chip’s Blog.

Where do you stand?

Relationship with God

• Am I surrendered? Am I experiencing His presence?
• Am I loving Him more deeply? Am I enjoying Him more fully?
• Are there any barriers? Do I sense His pleasure?
• Am I motivated to meet with Him? Am I practicing His presence throughout the day?

Relationship with Family

• As a husband, am I loving my wife the way Christ loves the Church?
• As a wife, am I respecting my husband in a way that honors and encourages him?
• Are we making time for one another and our family?
• As a dad, am I leading my family spiritually?
• As a mother, am I nurturing and encouraging my children’s relationship with one another?
• As child/student, am I honoring my parents?
• As an adult child, am I honoring my elderly parents?
• Am I communicating with my family regularly? Do I pray for my family members and encourage them?

Relationship with Friends

• As a friend, do I love at all times and am I the kind of person who is born to help another person through adversity? (Proverbs 17:17)
• Am I sharpening and helping my friend’s growth in Christ?
• Am I speaking the truth in love? Am I critical or encouraging?
• Am I taking time out to nurture relationships and dig deep wells of relationships in the midst of busy work and life schedules?
• Am I being honest with what’s really going on inside of me?
• Am I a good roommate? Do I communicate honestly and from the heart on a regular basis with those I call friends?
• Am I looking for what I give in relationships or only what I can get?

Relationship with Myself

• Am I taking time for me?
• Am I stewarding well my physical body?  Am I getting enough sleep, eating the right food, and exercising?
• Am I cultivating the intellectual side of my life?
• Am I living an unhurried life?
• Am I coming to accept God’s unconditional love and understanding of me when I fail?
• Am I learning to set clear boundaries for those people who have unrealistic expectations for my life?
• Have I discovered my primary spiritual gift and know clearly my strengths and weaknesses?

I have just added the PCM (Pure Community Minsitries) blog to ScribeFire. That’s the blogging client that I like to use. It’s a plug-in for FireFox and works nicely.

Now to find some contributors and get this thing rolling!

John