Brienne Murk - Eyes Wide Open. Avoiding the Heartbreak of Emotional Promiscuity

Emotional purity is an issue that I, and many of my friends, face today. This book opened my eyes to the consequences of an unguarded heart and motivated me to act and think in a way that would be pleasing to God.

Kiersten, age 15

Bradenton, Florida

Who can know the heart and all of its deceitful desires? God, and only God. Brienne Murk recognizes this truth with passionate conviction in Eyes Wide Open. Her candidness allows young people like myself to relate to her experiences and identify areas of conviction in our own relationships and lives.

Jennifer Barringer, age 20

2006 NCAA First-Team All-American Distance Runner
University of Colorado, Boulder

There are a lot of good dating and purity books out there, but most of them are clearly aimed at one facet of relationships finding the right person, choosing purity, why to be pure, or how to stay pure. Brienne Murk writes about the total package and provides a practical guide to living out purity in relationships.

Alyse Pritchard, age 23

Tacoma, Washington

In Eyes Wide Open, Brienne offers a fresh perspective regarding personal purity and its effects on those relationships.

Tim Arens, Ed.D.

Dean of Students, Moody Bible Institute
Chicago, Illinois

Eyes Wide Open is definitely an eye-opener. Brienne takes guarding your heart to a higher level and gives positive building blocks to lay the foundation for saving many future broken hearts. Where was this book when I was in high school?!

Shelly Ballestero

OnCourse magazine

CBN.com Beauty and Health Contributor and Lifestyle Beauty Editor

Brilliant. Purposeful. Brienne delivers a compelling message on how it is possible in an age of sensational mass media bombardment to live in complete purity in body, soul and spirit, following biblical principles through faith and obedience. Eyes Wide Open is a godly manual for Christian relationships.

Rev. Renee Branson

President/Director, Mountain Top Ministries, Inc.

Pastoral Care Minister, Lakewood Church, Houston, Texas

I am amazed by the honesty and impressed by the truth that Brienne brings to the table. Eyes Wide Open reminds us of the importance of emotional purity and of keeping our thoughts pointed toward an even greater tie.

Eva Marie Everson

Coauthor of Sex, Lies and the Media and Sex, Lies and High School

In Eyes Wide Open, Brienne offers guidance and wise advice to avoid common traps and live in emotional as well as physical purity before God and man. It is encouraging to see a young woman so devoted to purity who is reaching out to teenagers.

Ron Luce

President and Founder, Teen Mania Ministries

It is so refreshing to see a beautiful, talented young woman who marches to a different drummer. This book can change the hearts and moral standards of this needy generation of youth and serve as an important instrument for revival.

Shirley Rose

Author, Speaker, Executive Producer and Host of Aspiring Women

2007 Brienne Murk

Published by Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Bloomington, Minnesota 55438
www.bethanyhouse.com

Bethany House Publishers is a division of
Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com

Bethany House Publishers edition published 2014

ISBN 978-1-4412-6669-9

Previously published by Regal Books

Ebook edition originally created 2011

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansfor example, electronic, photocopy, recordingwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Other versions used are:

HCSVHolmen Christian Standard Version. Copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holmen Bible Publishers, Nashville, TN. All rights reserved.

THE MESSAGEScripture taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright by Eugene H. Peterson, 1993, 1994, 1995. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

NIVScripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

NKJVScripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

To my future husband
I loved you before I even knew you.

Coming of age in the twenty-first century is not easy. Sexuality has become a battlefield where the forces of good and evil seek to capture the attention of youth. On the one hand is the contemporary secular view that sex is a biological need, like drinking water: You are thirsty, so you drink water. You have sexual urges, so you fulfill them whenever, wherever and with whomever. In short, sex is a form of recreation. On the other side is the Christian view that sex is Gods idea and He has given us guidelines that require abstinence before marriage. Sex within marriage becomes the unique expression of our deep companionship and unites us in a lifelong loving relationship.

As a counselor for over 30 years, I have never met a man or woman who regretted following the biblical plan, but I have met thousands who are trying to find healing for the pain they have experienced because they have treated sex lightly. The young girls who have lost their virginity and the young men who took it from them both weep when they realize that they have been deceived.

A series of broken relationships is not the foundation for a good marriage. The best marriages are built upon a foundation of integrity, discipline, self-control and love. The secular view of sex does nothing to build these character traits, yet without them, marriage will never be satisfying. Thousands of young people have jeopardized their future for a moment of pleasure that turned out to be painful, empty and self-destructive.

If the youth of this generation will take time to rediscover the love of God and understand that His commands are for our good, they will save themselves from many heartaches, and create a better world for their children and grandchildren. HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases destroy the lives of thousands each year. This problem can be solved in one generation if youth will decide to follow Gods wisdom.

You can be a part of the solution.

It all begins with the heart. Eyes Wide Open starts at the beginning. What you are about to read has the potential to save you from many heartaches. It is refreshing to hear a voice in the wilderness calling todays youth not only to sexual purity, but also to emotional and spiritual purity. Brienne Murk speaks with clarity and compassion, and her message is a call to radical love and self-control.

Love God. Love yourself. If you do, you will be happy with the person you become.

Gary D. Chapman, Ph.D.

Author, The Five Love Languages and
The Five Languages of Apology