choose2livefree.com

Last week you met Steph. Today, meet Katie. 

Katie, you have had quite a journey to discovering your worth. Tell us a little about that and what most tripped you up.
I focused on the peer pressure and the media pressure to be someone that God had not created me to be. I faced the same issues that other girls face. I was so excited that a guy finally thought I was pretty that I was too eager to be in a relationship that was not healthy and was not honoring to God. Instead of trying to be like Jesus, I wanted to be whoever it was that would keep this guy around.

As a teen, what did you believe relationships with guys, even sex, would give you?
I thought that my relationship with a guy would make me a better person, would make me more confident. I thought I would feel loved and feel whole. I didn’t want to kiss until I was married. But at 16, in my first relationship, I was so infatuated that I didn’t make wise decisions. He never kissed my lips, but we didn’t keep our hands to ourselves either! As I got older and I was in relationships in college, it was way too easy to keep progressing down that path to sexual activity.

So did what you believed about relationship and sex prove to be true? What have you discovered since?
None of it was true. I still felt like something was missing. The more I spent time with this guy who “loved” me, the more I felt that what I was doing was wrong. I know now that God is the only One who can make me feel whole. He is the One who gives me confidence to do what He’s called me to do. He is the One who calls me His daughter – He calls me beautiful and He loves me. I think during those relationships, He was calling me back to Himself, but I ignored Him.

What hope or advice do you have for teens (guys and girls)?
No matter what has happened in the past – whether it was a decision you made or whether it was something that happened to you – God is bigger than our past! He offers forgiveness, grace, and mercy and gives us a new start. He promises to be everything we need and provide everything we need. We have to forgive ourselves and look forward to our future.

What do you most want girls to discover through your site?
Speak Don’t Bleed is a place for girls to find God. We want them to find hope and healing, to share their struggles and their pain, to find encouragement and someone who will listen. But ultimately, none of us can do this on our own! We need God to be the Lord of our lives and fill the void. We can tell Him all about our pain, our past, our hurt and leave it at His feet. He wants to wipe away their tears, to heal their wounds and to show them love – His true and perfect love.

Steph and Katie are two young women you got to get to know. Be sure to visit their site, Speak Don’t Bleed.

And if you’re struggling through some of the same beliefs and painful past that Katie has, or if you’re fighting temptation to step into sexual activity, consider reading Seduced by Sex, Saved by Love—A Journey Out of False Intimacy. Suzy’s story, as she searched for true love, acceptance, and belonging, is powerful and real—as are the other stories shared by guys and girls in the book.