September Resources for Young Ladies

Today we are going to take a brief break from our ongoing series, “10 Tips for Beating a Crush,” for our September Resource for Girls!

The Chase

From the back of the book:

Kyle and Kelsey Kupecky couldn't have dreamed a better love story for themselves had it been scripted by a bestselling novelist like Kelsey's mom, Karen Kingsbury. In fact, if you asked them, Kyle and Kelsey would name God as the author of their story. And they're glad they trusted him to write it for them.

Unfortunately, too many girls hoping for their own happily-ever-after have taken matters into their own hands, chasing after boys when they should be chasing after God. And that inevitably leads to heartache, low self-esteem, and poor choices as girls give in to pressure from media and peers to look and act a certain way to attract guys.

Kyle and Kelsey want girls to know that it's never too late to trust God with their love lives, that wherever they are, there's always hope for the future. Through their own story and the stories of others who long for love, they show girls how to put God first, how to value and protect their purity, how to deal with loneliness and bullying, and how to see themselves as God does--a one-in-a-million girl who deserves no less than God's best.

My thoughts:

I enjoyed reading The Chase a lot. It is a small, quick read but it’s completely packed with potent stories, great advice, and very insightful information about guys!

Though I’m not one to cry in books/movies, one of the stories did move me to tears about how a girl responded with incredible faith and trust to the death of her father.

I love how The Chase emphasized waiting for the right one and not settling for anything less than the best.

I am very appreciative of the honesty and bluntness that characterizes both Kyle and Kelsey’s writing. There isn’t any beating around the bush. They are both to the point and don’t waste time or words. Especially since I do not have time during the semester to devote to tons of reading, I loved how they say what they needed to say and then end the book.

The things I learned about Christian guys were very encouraging. I love hearing about how Christian guys both appreciate and admire modesty. It gives me more resolve in my commitment to both dressing and acting modestly and above reproach.

I also love the chapter on letting the guy lead the relationship. A lot of times, we ladies like to grab the steering wheel and lead the relationship. However, Kyle talks about how much he loved being able to do the pursuing. He loved how Kelsey let him lead and he says that leading their relationship was what changed him from a boy into a man.

Finally, another chapter I loved was “R-E-S-P-E-C-T.” I already knew that guys needed respect, but it definitely made me wonder how much I built up the guys around me. Do I tear them down or do I make them feel important? This especially applies to my brothers and dad. It made me ask myself if I belittled them or encouraged them. Loving the guys around me as brothers means building them up and respecting them.

Sexual content:

There is a chapter about staying pure until marriage. However, everything is discreet and there is no defiling content.

What I didn’t like:

My biggest problem was the translations/paraphrases of the Bible that are used. The translations I use are the ones that stick closest to the actual Greek and Hebrew text. The translations/paraphrases they use were the New Living Translation, The Message, and The Voice—none of which I rely on as good translations.

While I agree whole-heartedly that we should wait for the guy God has for us and not settle for anything less, I did not fully agree with their reason. They keep saying that we deserve better. As a pastor’s daughter, I’m a bit of a stickler about theology. Technically speaking, we don’t deserve anything but death. I believe we should wait for the right one and not settle for less because God wants to give us more than mediocrity. He has molded each of us for a certain young man because He loves to shower us with blessings. God is willing and He desires to give us more, so why should we settle for less?

The last thing is not very big. I had the impression the book was going to be more about chasing God. However, I felt like it was more about not chasing guys. I came away with the question, “So what do I do now?” when I finished The Chase.

Final thoughts:

If you think that you’re chasing guys, then The Chase is for you. The Kupeckys’ love story is inspiring. They contrast each of their past mistakes in relationships with the perfect romance God had written for them.

I do want to let you know that The Chase does not talk much about how to use your single years to your best advantage. It talks about not chasing guys and trusting God to bring the right guy into your life at the right time. For books about not wasting your single years, I would encourage you to check out the posts, July Resources for Young Ladies and August Resources for Young Ladies.

I highly encourage you to read this book and then share in the comments what you learned!