Welcome...and no, I didn't really kiss a girl! I just wanted to get your attention. That is actually the title of a very popular song by Katy Perry. Yes, the main lyrics state, "I kissed a girl and I liked it." Katy is a girl and her song is all about her "girl kiss".
If you are stopping in for a visit after reading my devotion today from Proverbs 31 Ministries,
I'm glad you did. Please feel free to comment, read past posts, and come back to visit any time. This blog is written for the glory of God and by sharing my life struggles with honesty, I pray that someone else is impacted, even if it's in the smallest way.
So, back to the title here "I Kissed A Girl". That was the title I originally gave the devotion just because I wanted to grab the reader's attention. Wisely, our editors thought it would be a bit much to run a devotion with that title, so we changed it. There were other things that we edited out for the sake of space and respect, but on this blog I'm going to just tell it like it is. I almost didn't write this devotion because I was afraid it might cross the line a bit and offend some people. Oh did God ever speak to me about that!!!! Basically, I knew in my heart and mind that God would want me to cross the line and if it offended anyone, so be it. I feel with all my heart that we need to discuss and be aware of what is in our pop culture today. Then we can decide how to deal with it, confront it, or make peace with it. This is all my opinion and I have prayed about my words before I wrote them.
I love music and now that I'm older I do listen to the lyrics much more than I used to. In fact that is usually what draws me into a song or pushes me away from one. I remember when I was a teenager... I might have known all the lyrics to a song, but I didn't really think about what they meant. I thought they were harmless. I can't believe I used to sing aloud "Like A Virgin" by Madonna and never really paused to think of what the song was about. Like most my age, I loved music and Mtv. My boys tell me today that they could care less about the words of a song, they like a song if the guitar and drum parts are cool. With all that said, I know music is a big influence whether we are aware of it or not. This song by Katy Perry is just one of many that I could make an issue of today.
Actually, it makes me more sad than mad. Sad that girls today are being enticed...yes enticed, encouraged, and even persuaded to bump and grind on the dance floor with each other. They are kissing each other, flirting with each other. Calling each other pet names. And it has nothing to do with being gay. That's a completely different topic. Guys are encouraging girls to "get it on" because it turns them on and they like it. And girls are doing it. It's "an art". It's "nothing serious, just for fun", they say. It's happening at parties, and out at various establishments. I have seen it first hand once or twice myself and I couldn't believe my eyes. One time it was at a birthday party. I was having dinner with a friend and a party of young women came in and were all over each other. The other time was at a restaurant with a dance floor. All I could think was, "if their mommas and daddies could see them right now...." It broke my heart.
Now first and foremost, I'm not writing about this to open a can of worms about how low society has gone and how if parents raised their kids better this wouldn't be happening. I'm just telling you it's out there. Be on guard, be aware, and talk to your kids if you have them. We need to know what's going on in our world. We may do our best to keep away from things like this and to protect our children, but we have to be real. It's out there. This and a whole lot more. You can talk to them or someone else can. Or they can learn for themselves. I don't know about you, but I want to be the one to talk to my kids first. And talk openly. Ask me questions and anything goes, we can talk about it. I want to hopefully teach them to also filter their thoughts and questions through God. Look at their friends and people they are around as creations of the Lord to be respected. To gain approval from Him, not the in crowd.
Truly this all comes down to lack of confidence in one's self. Fitting in. Being noticed. Paid attention to. "Sweet beautiful girl" I want to say, "Don't you know you are beautiful just the way you are?" (which happens to be the title of Kellie Pickler's new song...I love it!). "Don't you know that doing all these things won't make you feel better, you'll still go home empty? Don't give into ways of the world no matter how popular it is. Feed your body and mind with something of lasting value. Only Jesus can do that."
Beautiful Blessings to Each of You,
Melissa
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16 comments:
"I hate this song"...I say that everytime it comes on the radio in the car. My oldest agrees, my youngest started to laugh me off but my consistancy in my verbal dislike has made an impact on her. My view to her in the car was that song could hurt someone, if they allowed it to tempt them to experiment. I always tell them there are very few secrets held in jr. high and high school, and always beware what she shares. Even an innocent admittance to a crush can make a bad day. Had it happen, so I pass it along. Thought once of blogging this song, THANK YOU for taking the challenge and giving your all into it! Great job...snappy tune...but there is the deception. Took awhile but my youngest finally agreed with me.
PS...the two girls are attending "so you think you can dance" tour in a couple weeks, b-day present from big sis to little sis. I'll probably mention it...yeah I will...they wont admit it but I think they do like my blabby self.
Kudos to you, Melissa, for bravely addressing this topic. As a baby-boomer, this new trend is hard for me to understand, until I view it through the eyes of women so desperate for love and acceptance. But it is rampant all over college campuses as well-- even Bible colleges. Thanks for your words of warning on the seductive, destructive call of sin.
I remember singing "like a virgin" and not even thinking about the words too!!! So...I struggle with then pointing the words out to my kids...if they don't even "hear" them then do I want to make an issue of it? Just a thought.
Thank you for bringing the subject into the light--that satan just sneaks in where ever he can.
blessings,
Kim
Melissa,
Great devotion today!
I have a thirteen-year-old daughter who loves music and knows every word to every song. When "I Kissed a Girl" was really popular she brought it to my attention before I ever heard it on the radio. She was REALLY offended by the lyrics and thought they were wrong!
This opened up the door for us to talk about fitting in, getting attention, purity, finding our way, and what God has planned for us and our bodies. So, while I agree the song is distasteful, it provided an opportunity for a really important and meaningful conversation between my daughter and I.
Being a parent is so difficult, but it's especially challenging when they're older and spend so much time away from home. A wise parent (which I'm not saying I am) carefully balances trust, freedom and control...rooted in lots and lots of prayer.
Blessings,
Kelli
Ok...I don't know where I've been, but I have never heard this song.
I had a friend over for coffee this morning and she and I both have 16 year old sons. We were both rejoicing and sharing how the Lord has given us very open communication with our sons. I think developing a relationship with our children where they know they can come and talk to us about anything is so important. We have to continue to pray that the Lord will keep that line of communication open - "he that thinketh he stand, beware lest he fall." (2 Peter 3:17) Just because things are great today doesn't guarantee smooth sailing tomorrow. Every day we need to be on our knees praying for our children. Peer pressure continues to be a battle and our children's friends can have such a profound influence on their lives. Oh how we need to pray that God will grant them wisdom and discernment.
Thank you for exposing this today Melissa and taking a stand.
Praying for you,
Joy
Just wanted you to think about Kellie Pickler's song - love the content and thought but she is the one who went out and got a "boob job" after singing(and I think winning) on a popular music contest show. What kind of message is that? My daughter and I share conversations about what is going on in her school and with her friends. It is amazing how sexualized the 9 and 10 year olds are!
Thank you for this informative info. Our children are all 8yrs. and under, our oldest, a girl, and I have never heard of this song! Being a stay-at-home mom and that my children are so young I truly don't know about this kind of stuff yet. If not for the peace God gives me, I could shake in my boots over what my children will someday face. May God help us all! Thanks again and God bless.
Thank you for sharing and your insight! I am hearing impaired and it is difficult for me to understand the lyrics of various songs. There were many songs I didn't get the actual words, but just danced to the beat and listened to the instrumental parts. Fortunately, right now, my kids seem to be sensitive to inappropriate songs/themes. My daughter (11) and son (8) sometimes share the lyrics with me. I have to depend on my husband with lyrics but that's challenging sometimes. We sometimes differ in what is appropriate and not. This is an area that is a challenge for me. I sometimes try to find the lyrics online. Thank you for being bold, willing to talk about something that can be difficult. It just reminds me how much I need to keep up with todays' music.
God Bless!
Pam
thanks you bring up a good point! on tv today in England, they were making a mockery about why christains don't celebrate halloween after all it's a just " a bit of fun" but let every christian be on guard that the so called little things ve an impact on us and our families as christians
Dear Melissa,
Thank you for the devotion and post today. I am a mother of a 16, 14 and 7 year old.
That song is so disturbing. It makes me sad that this type of music is so accepted in the mainstream. I find it very interesting to hear this same artist put out a Christian album.
I hope that your devotion reaches many and opens our eyes and enables us to raise our shields of faith to deflect the poison from this world.
God's Blessings on your day
As we were getting ready for school, my ten year old asked me, "Mom, did you have a crush when you were my age?" Whooah! I was like -- okay time to get off the computer and totally focus on this little preteen of mine. Wow. I wasn't ready for that one but when are you ready for these little questions to creep up on you. My daughters are starting to become so much more aware of what the media is telling them to think and to wear. It is scary!
hCongratulations to you for not giving in to the fear of offending others with your wise words. People engaging in immoral behavior NEVER think of how they might be offending others. Sadly, in our society the rights of the wicked to engage in their sinful behavior is protected but the right to protest against their immorality is not. Let's do what we can through prayer and action to stop evil!
Kudos to you for your obedience to the Lord. My husband and I have young children and are no longer as involved with our churches youth group like we wonce had been. This is a wake up call for me since I haven't really been listening to stations/watch shows that play "secular" music. All of us should learn from your example of boldness and even pray about appropriately and respectfully addressing the young women we see in restaurants and elsewhere. It is our duty to intercede for them as well. As a mother of a 4 yr. old, 3 year old, and 1 year old, All I can do is pray for the day when they are old enough to understand our culture and talk to them about issues now (God can help them to grasp what they need to from it). Thank you so much. Your blog and devotion speak truth - something we too often shy away from. God Bless!
Thank you so much for addressing this topic. I work at a high school and also see this first hand and hear of it also. Not to fuss, but the christian community - you and I - must not be afraid to address such topics. And not for judgement. But to realize the enemy is busy luring our children into his deception and we cannot choose to stick our heads in the sand. This is about our daughters beleiving the age-old lie of "do this and you will be loved and all will like you." What they are left with is shame, loneliness, and utter emptiness. Let us not be afraid to address these issues lovingly, getting to the root - Satan's attempt to entrap these young girls in sin and shame. Again, thank you for listening to God and speaking out. And thank you for your caring spirit behind it - your love for others shows. May God use us today to to expose the enemy's lies.
In His love and hope,
Karan
kstandley@windstream.net
Great job Melissa, thank you for posting. I have 15 and 16 year old sons still at home. They are very active in the youth group and church. Then they will have their Ipod on and start singing these "words". I reach up pull the plug and ask them what their listening to. They say "it is just a song". I have told them over and over that garbage in, equals garbage out. It isn't the music that makes songs, it is the words. how do you claim to be a child of God and then say and feed on those things. This is a hot button of mine. Needless to say on of the boys is not in possion of his Ipod at the time. :-) But I can't protect him forever. Only God can.
As far as the same sex thing, UGH! As a public high school teacher, I saw this all the time. We had THE GAY STRAIGHT ALIANCE in the school. So I started the BIBLE CLUB, fight fire with fire.
Diane
Please don't start in with the gay bashing. My beloved gay best friend was wearing his mother's shoes and dressing in her clothes at the AGE OF TWO. No one can tell me he chose to be that way. He was made that way, just as some were born without eyesight or what not.
Tracey
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