Everyone knows teens place high priority on friends but without balance in life, immaturity can run rampant among them. Does their need for instruction and guidance fall through the cracks? Even when they are home, are they really? Not if they're online or on their cell, texting. Their minds remain elsewhere; but they are kids, and that’s what they're going to do, what's the harm? One sixteen year old girl found out the harsh consequence of simply using her cell to mess around like everyone else.

While hanging out at a friend’s house in suburban Seattle, a young lady and a friend were having some fun with their phones, taking pictures when they decide to take a shower, and “just for fun” take side-profile pictures of each other while naked. They laughed about it and the pics where quickly deleted from their phones, at least off of her phone. Her friend claimed she deleted her photo until her parents get called in because a printed copy randomly turns up on the principal’s desk after making its way around.

What consequences will this innocent teen have to deal with in her young life because of the lack of instruction and miss placed priorities? Or to the teen that wants to maintain her purity but just send provocative pictures to their boyfriend who she "knows" would not share it with anyone else. It's not real, it's just sexting. But is that maintaining their purity? The kind of consequences they'll have to face the rest of their life when all you have to do is Google their name and have articles like this come up are unfathomable when considering child porn laws and all the outcomes teens cannot begin to grasp.

The consequences are unforeseen but unimaginable; a 32 year old teacher is arrested for allegedly sending nude photos of herself to a 14 year old student and then there’s the tragic story of Jesse Logan who committed suicide after a sexting incident.

In this age of communication technology, our guards need to be placed even higher and our teens need more instruction in purity than ever before. Unlike the economy, the value of instruction in purity just spiked high into new levels.

Spring is in the air !!  We enjoy Spring because it is a season of new beginnings.  As everything seems to start afresh, this is a great time of year to have a youth group purity seminar and ceremony.    

At the end of the purity ceremony, the presentation of a purity ring serves as a constant reminder of the Covenant of Purity vow taken.  At PurityRings.com we offer generous group discounts and awesome tools to encourage your walk in purity.  All of our rings are beautifully gift boxed, a free 8.5" by 11" Covenant of Purity Certificate is included (that can be signed and framed), along with a wallet size Purity pledge card that contains a purity prayer.

If your church youth group is interested in a purity seminar and ceremony please contact us today at purityrings@gmail.com or 800-600-1458.  We would be honored to help customize a purity ring program for you.

There is strength in purity seminars, purity ceremonies and purity balls.  It has been often said (but still so true that) knowledge is power.  A good purity seminar equips a young person with the teachings that are critical to understanding purity and staying pure in all areas of their lives.  When they learn in groups, among like minded friends - a bond of accountability partners is automatically formed.  This enables one to have a positive support system.  Just as the bible declares that "As Iron Sharpens Iron, so let one man sharpen another" Proverbs 27:17, it is so important that we have friends who encourage us and set a positive example for us.  No doubt we are called to be a light to the world (and we should be bold in both declaring and doing what we know is right) but we need that renewing strength that comes from supportive friends.

We encourage you to get your family, friends and youth group together this Spring and learn more about purity.  It's one of the best decisions that you will ever make!

Since so much focus in the media lately is about abstinence, why do we call these rings "purity rings" and not "abstinence rings"?

Well the answer is quite clear.  Abstinence without purity is a challenge to achieve, since purity in itself promotes abstinence in a healthy and purposeful way.  Abstinence - abstaining from sex as the media calls it - in itself is challenging, especially in today's society.  The media tells us abstinence is hard to achieve and that we are weak minded people and that well we are going to fail - so let's get on board with something that they can explain to us like safe sex (even though they still haven't given us a good explanation on how sex before marriage is "safe" physically, emotionally and morally).  Thankfully though, there is an answer to how abstinence can be achieved and it is through an understanding of purity and its application in our lives.  Abstinence works for millions of people and it can work for you, but through purity you will find it to be purposeful and meaningful.

So what exactly is purity?  Purity is having a pure mind, a pure heart, and a pure spirit.  Becoming pure starts by having a mental garage sale.  It's clearing out all of the junk (sin) in your life.  In the long run sin weighs us down, it is burdensome and binding.   By clearing sin out of our lives, it's like lifting the weight of the world off of our shoulders.  In the short run, it often feels like doing the wrong thing is easier and more satisfying, but in the longer run - doing the right thing is ALWAYS easier and more satisfying.   After that instant gratification, sin will weigh us down with serious consequences, anxiety, fear, worry, etc.  Sin leads to more sin and more consequences - it's a vicious cycle that we all need to break.  By striving for purity and being pure, we leave all of those negative consequences behind.  We have a bigger picture outlook on life, we avoid temptation, we positively impact those around us, and we get through life's challenges with peace and confidence.

There is a serious misconception in our society today that purity equals weakness.  That is not true at all.  Purity builds strength and character.  Purity gives life purpose and joy.  Purity grabs hold of our reckless emotions and helps us to focus and see life more clearly.  Purity does not give into momentary weakness, but it looks to long term positive impact. Purity attracts like minded friends.  Purity gives respect and initiates respect back.  In today's crazy world not being pure opens us up to all kinds of temptation and sin.  By being pure in our thoughts and actions we avoid so much negative influence, and we have the strength to keenly discern right from wrong. 

In purity, we realize that life is not a blame game.  Everyday we have the strength to make the choices and decisions to be pure in all areas of our own lives.  God ultimately gives us that strength but it is always our decision to use it.  An often used cliché from a few years back is an awesome barometer of purity.  You know the one - "What Would Jesus Do".  Throughout the day as we search every situation in our lives - that is the ultimate question to ask.  It's also an easy question to answer - Jesus would always do the right thing.  The test is whether or not we follow that answer.  The road to purity is a journey of steps.  Once we have that mental spring cleaning and get rid of all the garbage in our lives, our worlds will change dramatically.  We will see life and it's situations with a pure mind, a pure heart and pure spirit.  We will strive for the best and trust God.  We will make great decisions that will positively impact our lives, those around us and even future generations.  Walking in purity, life will still have storms - but we will have the strength and peace to get through them.

So do you now see that a life of purity makes abstinence that much easier to accomplish?   If your thoughts and actions are pure, if you are seeking God's will, if you are confident in yourself and your purpose, and if you understand that you and your future spouse are valuable and worth waiting for - then abstinence is that much easier.   Purity is the fundamental building block for abstinence.

And what if you haven't been pure or abstinent?  Well that's the beauty of grace and forgiveness.  Through heartfelt repentance we do not want to do wrong anymore.  God sees our hearts and wipes the slate clean.  We have a new start and it is our decision to accept that and go forward, living a new life of purity. 

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God". - Matthew 5:8