Welcome to 2015!
By now, 11 days into this brand new year, it’s probably business as usual.
The Christmas and New Year’s holidays are behind us. Work schedules are back to normal. School has resumed or will in a day or two.
You’ve mastered writing or typing the CORRECT year… you know, 2015 not 2014.
I have to stop here and confess. Every year it takes me longer to get on the same page as the new year. To me, 2014 still feels “new”.
I’m not big on New Year’s resolutions, but I do like the blank slate that greets me each year on January 1. Kind of like the fresh newness of a blanket of sparkling white snow. My part of the country received snow this week leaving us with beautiful scenes like this…
Snow is so fresh and white and sparkly when it first falls.
Much like the 354 remaining days of 2015.
Some of you are excited–super excited–to be rid of 2014. You’re psyched for the clean slate before you and have already plunged into 2015 with high expectations, grasping tightly to the chance for a better year. Way to go! Good for you.
Other’s of you plan to slide the successes of 2014 right into 2015. You’re betting on even bigger and better things in the new year. A high-five to you!
Whether you’re the resolution-making type or not, when the calendar flips to a new year, almost everyone spends at least a bit of time reflecting on where you’ve been and looking forward to where you’re headed. A wise and practical, beneficial and purposeful–not to mention mature–way to go about life.
As you do, I hope you’ll consider where you stand on a commitment to save sex or any more sexual experiences for marriage.
The freshness of a new year is the perfect time to …
… make a serious commitment to save sex for marriage
… make a determined commitment to “renewed abstinence” if you’ve already had sex
… consider how to strengthen and affirm the commitment you’ve already made to abstinence
… choose to champion saving sex for marriage among your friends
Wherever you are on the journey to wait for sex, make 2015 the year you will do two things. First, find a mentor/accountability partner. Nothing says “I’m serious about saving sex for marriage” as strongly as does entering into such a relationship.
Choose someone who is not only WILLING but will take the job SERIOUSLY. Someone who —
... you trust and respect and will listen to
… is the same gender as you
… is married OR further along in his/her abstinence journey than you
…will be brutally honest with you
If you’re 
in a relationship, encourage your boyfriend/girlfriend to find someone to hold him/her accountable. A married couple whom you both know well and trust makes a great choice.
Second, pledge to lead by example. Even if you’re new to this abstinence journey, you can still be a positive example. Be open and honest with your friends about your choice to WAIT. Tell them WHY you’ve chosen to not have sex.
Are you serious???
You bet I am.
Gulp.
Just share why waiting makes sense to you. Encourage them to at least think about it. Don’t badger. Simply lead by example. How cool would it be if a bunch of you at school or work decided to pursue abstinence together? Pretty cool indeed.
So in 2015, find a mentor/accountability partner AND be a positive example.
I’d love to promise you that waiting for sex will be easy in 2015–easier than in 2014. But you already know it won’t be. Because you’re smart. But just because it’s difficult doesn’t make it impossible. Saving sex for marriage is possible. And so worthwhile.
I believe in you. You’ve got this.
Follow this blog (see the right column) for honest support and encouragement. Check out the tabs across the top of this page for Facebook groups and organizations as well as fiction and non-fiction that will guide your abstinence journey.
Lots of relevant topics and discussions are on tap for 2015 here on “Waiting Matters…Because YOU Matter” so stay tuned.
I’d love to hear how YOU plan to make 2015 your best year in a comment (comment link is under the post title) OR via email at waitingmatters@gmail.com
Beth Steury, Author 