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Teenagers speaking out with a passion for purity
By GAIL HOLLENBECK © St. Petersburg Times, published March 3, 2001 INVERNESS -- Kristen Howard wore her crown and sash Thursday night in one of her last official duties as Miss Teen Citrus County 2000, to speak out for sexual purity at a Parent's Forum sponsored by the Life Choice Care Center of Inverness. "I'm very strong for abstinence," Kristen said, "because I do feel like it is very important for teenagers in this age to cherish their bodies and to honor God with their bodies. "A lot of time teenagers, especially girls, are searching for love in the wrong place and are giving away a piece of their body that belongs to their future husband. So abstinence is a choice that I've decided to make for myself, to preserve this for my future husband, and to honor God and my family with my choice." With statistics provided by the LCCC from sources such as the national Centers for Disease Control and Physician magazine showing that sexually transmitted diseases infect 3-million teenagers each year, Kristen expressed additional concerns. "I want to help other people, not only to preserve themselves for their future husbands, but also to stay away from the harmful things that sex outside of marriage can create as far as STDs and the pain that goes along with that," the 16-year-old said. "And there are other consequences such as pregnancy. It can be a blessing, but during the teenage years, it's not necessarily a blessing in all aspects. So it's something I want to pass onto other people and help them to make right decisions." Kristen is part of a group called United Students for Abstinence that was formed from a core group of teens who took the Passion for Purity class taught through the LCCC. The class teaches students how to be morally pure in all areas of life. Mary Lou Hendry, executive director of LCCC, teaches the class at the center as well as in churches that request it. "I'm excited about it, and I'm excited to see how God works through young people," she said. Sixteen-year-old Michael Wilburn, who says he plans to go to Bible college and seminary, is part of the group. "I already knew that I was going to remain abstinent," he said, "but through the class I basically reaffirmed it. It all starts in your mind. All the impure thoughts come from your mind, and over time when you get those over and over, you are eventually going to act on them. Your body is God's temple, and we need to remember that our actions, we're doing them with God with us, and we don't want to hurt God's temple like doing drugs or drinking." Ginny Harris, who is 18, agreed. "Being pure is not only like physically being pure, but pure is like in your mind as well. What I liked about the class was that we all talk together with other students who feel the same way and have the same thoughts about things. We're all trying to stay pure together." Along with Michael and Meaggen Anderson, Ginny spoke at a pastor's lunch at the First Baptist Church of Inverness last month. Ginny talked about the gift she plans to give her future husband. "On your wedding night," Ginny said, "you are the best gift you can give your husband. It's a special gift to be able to say that you're the first person I'm going to give myself to. It makes you feel good when you're doing what's right, when you know the Bible says that God says that's what you're supposed to do. It makes you feel good to know you're doing his will." Meaggen, 17, is a high school junior. "I want to speak about being abstinent," she said, "so what I like about the class is that you learn more in depth what it says in God's Word and how to answer people's questions. I've pretty much always known that (being abstinent) was what I was going to do, but it's like I've become more devoted to it now, stronger. You learn that you're not the only virgin out there. There's one man for one woman for one lifetime." Kristen says that teenagers who are no longer virgins can also become morally pure. "I met a girl last year who was going through a rough time in her life," she said. "She had become sexually involved with an older guy, and through our friendship I was able to direct her toward Christ and to lead her to salvation. Through that, she became what we call a "second-time virgin' and rededicated her body to Christ and to her future husband. Now she's become an abstinence speaker along with me. I've seen an awesome change in her life. Yes, she's made mistakes, but she's been able to see through it now, and she has an awesome testimony to many girls her age. "It's definitely never too late to become morally pure," said Kristen, "because no matter how deep your circumstances, God's forgiveness is always greater." To learn moreIf you or your church would like to take part in the eight-week Passion for Purity class taught through the Life Choice Care Center, or if you would like to receive one-on-one confidential counseling, call 341-5176.
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