Leslie Ludy - Set-Apart Femininity: Gods Sacred Intent for Every Young Woman

HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS

EUGENE, OREGON

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Verses marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Verses marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible , 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Verses marked NIV are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Verses marked ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Italics in quotations and Scriptures indicate authors emphasis.

Names have been changed in some of the stories featured in this work to preserve the privacy of individuals and their families.

Cover by Abris, Veneta, Oregon

Leslie Ludy: Published in association with Loyal Arts Literary Agency, LoyalArts.com.

SET-APART FEMININITY
Copyright 2008 by Winston and Brooks, Inc.
Published by Harvest House Publishers
Eugene, Oregon 97402
www.harvesthousepublishers.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Ludy, Leslie.

Set-apart femininity / Leslie Ludy.

p. cm.

ISBN-13: 978-0-7369-2286-9

ISBN-10: 0-7369-2286-5

1. Young womenReligious life. 2. FemininityReligious aspectsChristianity. I. Title.

BV4551.3.L85 2008

248.8Y43dc22

2008002135

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Printed in the United States of America

08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 / VP-NI / 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

A few years ago, when I sat down to write my book Authentic Beauty: The Shaping of a Set-Apart Young Woman, I imagined myself sitting across from my reader in a quaint coffee shop for an intimate, personal conversation. I candidly shared my story, my heart, and my passion in the pages of that book. I have been so incredibly blessed that so many young women have responded to Authentic Beautys message. (In fact, a nationwide community of Christ-seeking young women has formed as a result of that book, which you can learn more about at my website, www.setapartgirl.com.) In the years since Authentic Beautys release, I have personally witnessed countless young womens hunger for the kind of femininity that counts. And that hunger has been my inspiration for this new book.

Though Set-Apart Femininity is written in a personal style like Authentic Beauty and I am honest and vulnerable in these pages, this book is not so much an intimate coffee shop conversation as it is a rousing call to armskind of like me standing on top of the table in the coffee shop and passionately proclaiming truth to any who will listen! God has challenged me in these past few years, at a much greater level than I would have thought possible, to rise above the typical mediocrity of modern-day womanhood and walk a road that is narrow, rocky, and misunderstood by the masses. Set-Apart Femininity presents that very same challenge to you. If you want to remain comfortably where you are in your feminine journey, this book probably wont be your cup of tea (or coffee, since we are in a coffee shop). But if you are one of the thousands of young women who hunger to showcase something spectacular and triumphant through your femininity, this book was written for you.

This is the eleventh book I have written, and it is by far the most straightforward. Even though Authentic Beauty was extremely candid in describing the decline of femininity in todays culture, Set-Apart Femininity presents spiritual challenges in a blunt, pull-no-punches way that is uncommon in todays soft-spoken Christian world. It may not sit well with those who dislike strong statements about absolute truth. It may annoy those who feel that the Bible should not be taken quite so literally. But I make no apologies for speaking this message as confidently as I believe it. Because the truths I share in this book have personally transformed my life. They have set me free. They have given me the joy, hope, and abundant life that millions of women around the world desperately seek every day. And it is my deep hope and prayer that they will do the same for you.

For resources that will help you take this message even deeper and to connect with other young women on the set-apart path, I would encourage you to visit www.setapartgirl.com. Please know that even though we may never have a chance to meet this side of heaven, I am cheering you on. I believe that God has an incredible design and purpose for your life and that, as you yield your existence to Him, your femininity truly will change this world for eternity.

It happened when I was 14.

Somewhere between encountering the sultry Victorias Secret model in a push-up bra and thong and reading the Total Body Makeover article (complete with a three-page bikini shopping guide) in the new issue of my favorite magazine, I made the decision. Somewhere between watching a beautiful young pop star swivel-hip on stage as thousands of guys lustfully cheered and living vicariously through a perfectly proportioned actress as she found true love with a hot guy in the latest romantic comedy, I decided what I wanted to becomean alluring young woman.

Its not that I wanted to be seen as trashy or loose. But I wanted to be beautiful enough that guys would drool over me. I wanted to be the kind of girl who looked incredible in a swimsuitthe kind of girl who somehow achieved flawless skin, perfect hair, pouty lips, and dazzling white teeth while shrugging the whole thing off with an I know Im gorgeous but I dont really care attitude.

It was more than just having the right look. I also needed an alluring personality. I wanted to be the kind of girl who could playfully tease cute guys just enough to toy with their desires and keep them constantly interested in me. I wanted to be the kind of girl who exuded the witty humor and endearing charm of a TV sitcom characterthe kind of girl who was completely self-assured and self-confident in every situation.

I knew I had a long way to go to achieve my dream.

Back in sixth grade, I had been informedrather rudelyby Sean Wyatt, the unofficial kingpin of Crestview Elementary, that I was (and I quote) the sickest, most disgusting-looking girl Ive ever seen! Sean had then climbed up on the orange cafeteria table and danced around, scratching his underarms and screeching like a monkey as he pointed at me and announced to everyone present that: Shes so ugly, she belongs in a zoo!

Seans crowd of followers had snorted with laughter and joined in with even more creative put-downs like You were so ugly when you were born that your mom tried to switch you with another kid at the hospital!

I had cried for so long that night that my parents had resorted to the only thing that could possibly cheer me upa strawberry milkshake from McDonalds.