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Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, think on these things. Philippians 4:8 {From Chaos to Calm Series: Day 56} @ AVirtuousWoman.org

Sweeping Out Sin

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Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, think on these things. Philippians 4:8 {From Chaos to Calm Series: Day 56} @ AVirtuousWoman.org

From Chaos to Calm: Day 56

Recently, I was cleaning out some old boxes of books from when I was a teenager. I had not gone through them in years. I had forgotten many of the titles. You see, when I was a teenager, I was fascinated with the occult and creepy, spine chilling stories.

In fact these were just the kind of books I refuse to let my own children read. Looking back on those years, I realize how easily I could have taken the path of witchcraft because of my fascination. I am thankful that I put those things aside in favor of a relationship with Jesus.

Recently, we were headed out of town on a short vacation. My husband, who always double checks and triple checks to be sure the house is secure before we go anywhere, had commented to me, “How can we ask God to protect our home and expect Him to do so, when we have things in our house which are not pleasing to the Lord?”

Sweeping Out Sin

I sat in the passenger seat stunned, as I had never thought about that before. So, the day I was cleaning out the box of books, I immediately grabbed a large trash bag, dumped the books inside and hauled it out to the trash bin.

[Tweet “How many books and media do you own that do not glorify God?”]

How many movies, books, magazines, computer games, or video games do you have in your own home that you know would not glorify God? I made a commitment to sweep sin of every form out of my house. Whether it be that really “good” war film that has an inspiring story but a few too many bad words, or a novel that promotes promiscuous living, or your son’s video games where the “good guy” gets to shoot up the “bad guy,” it probably doesn’t have a place in a home where God is the center.

[Tweet “Get your home in order today… sweep sin out to stay!”]

Get your home in order today… sweep sin out to stay!

An Alarming Trend

I’ve noticed an alarming trend among Christian women in recent years. With the popularity of books like Harry Potter, Twilight, and 50 Shades of Gray, it seems that more and more Christian women are reading the books and embracing the idea that this is okay.

It is NOT OKAY. These books and books like them are not only harmful to your spirit and relationship with Christ, they can be harmful to your marriage as well.

The Bible says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

Ladies, guard your hearts!

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About Melissa Ringstaff

My name is Melissa Ringstaff and I've been blogging here at A Virtuous Woman since 2001. I'm a pastor's wife and homeschooling mom living in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains of Southeastern KY. I believe in finding freedom from perfection and living life with purpose and I want to help you do exactly that.

I'm so glad you've stopped by to visit with me. I hope we can be friends!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Cate

    August 22, 2014 at 7:09 am

    I so agree with this article. I too have had to do many a clean sweep of my belongings.. Definitely a mind opening experience and a testimony as to how far God has brought me.
    Reply
    • Melissa Ringstaff

      August 22, 2014 at 7:11 pm

      Hi Cate, God is so good and patient!
      Reply
  2. maria

    August 22, 2014 at 7:37 am

    Hi, I am swedish, living in one of the most unreligious countries in the world, I take great comfort in reading your blog and find community that share my values. Now, I am seriously curious, what in for example Harry Potter or Twilight is unpleasing to god? I have never even given it a thought, and I am brought up with church in a christian family. I have never thought of this, and with my older daughter being 7 and children at school talking about Harry Potter for example I fell that now that you brought it up I must think of this. So please, some guidance? I realise that my comment might be provocative, but that is not my meaning. I seriously need you to spell it out to me so I can think of this. Thank you for your inspirational blog. The sunday verses seem to always be chosen with me in mind. I suppose that is how god works. :-)
    Reply
    • Melissa Ringstaff

      August 29, 2014 at 10:20 am

      Maria, it's good to ask questions! The Bible warns us about staying away from witchcraft and spirits and mediums. When we read books that embrace the evil realm, we are offering an invitation for Satan to work his deception in our lives. Demons are real. It's a dangerous thing to open our minds to evil. My step son witnessed a demon possessed boy just a couple of years ago - and the demon jumped right from this boy who was writhing on the ground into a Christian man standing next to him. The man later admitted he had things in his life that weren't right with God. It's very frightening! Vampires are "undead" creatures, tortured souls. Witches do not worship God in heaven. None of those bring glory to God who detests evil. These are tools Satan uses to deceive. If we allow our minds to dwell on evil, we are in danger of being deceived when the anti-christ comes.
      Reply
  3. Carolyn White

    August 22, 2014 at 3:34 pm

    I recently have been looking for influences in our own home that are not of God. Stuff from B.C...Before Christ. There is freedom in flinging. We have taken books and movies and cds (cassettes even!) out to our burn pile. Stuff we had just set aside and forgotten about. I, too, had things in boxes from my childhood that my Daddy had brought to the house. Diaries and journals that I would never let my girls see! Thanks so much for your daily inspiration. Take some time to rest and heal. Love, Carolyn
    Reply
    • Melissa Ringstaff

      August 22, 2014 at 7:10 pm

      Thank you for sharing, Carolyn. I hope to see you again soon here! I will get some rest this weekend - looking forward to it. :)
      Reply
  4. maria

    August 31, 2014 at 3:17 am

    I see what you mean. Thank you for explaining. I will have to think about this. My church have never discussed demons in any form, and I have not thought of the other creatureds as anything other than fantasies.
    Reply
  5. Jessica

    November 25, 2015 at 2:18 pm

    I just was wondering what church you go to, what 'flavor' of Christian you are, if you don't mind sharing. Thanks!
    Reply
    • Melissa Ringstaff

      November 30, 2015 at 8:18 am

      Hi Jessica, I am a Seventh-day Adventist. :)
      Reply

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purposenotperfection

Freedom from perfection. 🪁
Live with purpose. ✝️
Proverbs 31 for modern women. 👱‍♀️
Wife + Mama + Homemaker + Kentucky
Life: @melissa.ringstaff

Melissa Ringstaff
Not gonna lie. 2020 was a hard year. And not just Not gonna lie. 2020 was a hard year. And not just because there was a pandemic. Our family has faced many trying times in the past but 2020 gave us some doozies.  I’m looking forward to a new year. The beginning of the new year always feels like a fresh start to me. It feels like HOPE.  But the truth is, whatever heartaches and hardships you and I were facing on Dec. 31 will most likely still be there on Jan. 1.  That’s why it’s hard to keep New Years resolutions. It’s easy to feel motivated for a few days or a couple weeks until we realize life hasn’t really changed and things are still hard.  But if we want to see real change it takes hard work and real effort. It takes showing up every day - even when it’s hard.  Whether that means working on your fractured relationships or setting healthy boundaries or cultivating self disciple... whatever that hard thing is that you need to work on ... it will only get better if you work on it.  We aren’t promised an easy life. But we are promised an “Ever Present Help in times of trouble.” Psalm 46:1  *
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#faithblogger #faithfulness #faithandfamily #bibleverseaday #christianbloggers #dailyverses #christianlife #jesuscalling #shereadstruth#proverbs31women #proverbs31life #10virtues #daughteroftheking #jesuslovesme #womenoffaith #faithquotes #proverbs31
We’re coming into the new year with all the same We’re coming into the new year with all the same problems we had in the last year. And that’s okay! Life doesn’t have to be perfect to still be amazing. Perfectionism is a joy stealer. Let’s determine to enjoy life right now in all its messiness.  I believe you can find freedom from perfection and the confidence to live your life with purpose. #purposenotperfection  #christian #Jesus #love #quotes #quoteslife #quotestoliveby #godisgood #votd #lifequotes #inspirationalquotes #life #motivationalquotes #inspiration #bible #bb #bestoftheday #happiness #wordofgod
🏠 Being a homemaker is such an important role. 🏠 Being a homemaker is such an important role. It’s a ministry to your family and all who enter your home.  But I want you to know: You don’t have to be perfect. ❤️  There’s a fine line between teaching your children to be neat and insisting on perfection. No one can meet that kind of standard and it can be detrimental to the emotional health of your family.  What we want for our homes is to provide a space that is neat and clean enough that your family and friends feel comfortable and well loved.  There is freedom in accepting the fact that you’re not perfect. Not to make excuses for slovenliness - but to give yourself grace.  It’s when we recognize our weakness that we find ourselves reaching out to Jesus to receive the power that comes only from him. As homemakers, when we can find grace for the moment when we accept His Gift.  “But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the LORD our God, to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage. Ezra 9:8  Let His Grace wash over you, cleanse your weary heart. Homemaking isn’t about creating a perfect space. It’s about creating a home where loved ones feel cared for and nurtured. 
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#proverbs31 #proverbs31woman #purpose31 #10virtues #homemaking #homemakingministries #happyhomemaking #homemaking101 #cleanhome #cleanheart #fromchaostocalm #housekeeping #cleaningroutine #inspiredhome #makingahome #lovewhereyoudwell #homemaker #homebody #biblicalHomemaking #wearethehomemakers
❤️Your attitude about homemaking matters.⠀
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A homemaker by definition is someone who manages and makes a home. 🏠⠀
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But, anyone can clean and organize a home. ⠀
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☑️ Homemaking is about more than checking off the items on your to do list.⠀
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Learning how to be a homemaker means you learn how to make your home feel like haven of peace and love. You seek out ways to make your home feel inviting. You work at it.⠀
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There is no easy button for homemaking. There are easier, more efficient ways to do chores, but the chores still have to be done. If you live in a house, you will create the need for the house to be tidied every day and cleaned on a regular basis.⠀
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Having the right attitude about homemaking is the first step in learning how to be a homemaker.⠀
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The good news is, even if you’ve been struggling with your homemaking, you can always go to God and ask Him for help. ⠀
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He sees the unseen work of your hands. And He loves you very, very much. He wants to help you succeed. ⠀
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#proverbs31 #proverbs31woman #purpose31 #10virtues #homemaking #homemakingministries #happyhomemaking #homemaking101 #cleanhome #cleanheart #fromchaostocalm #housekeeping #cleaningroutine #inspiredhome #makingahome #lovewhereyoudwell #homemaker #homebody #biblicalHomemaking  #youngwife #housewife
🙏 If you’ve found it difficult to have a regu 🙏 If you’ve found it difficult to have a regular time with Jesus every day, you’re not alone. Lots of busy Christian women struggle to find time for a daily prayer and devotion time. ⠀
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But I still want to encourage you to start your day with God! ⠀
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⏰ If it’s hard to spend 30 minutes in the morning for a quiet time, I want you to remember you can still begin your day with God – even if that means saying a short prayer before your feet hit the floor in the morning.⠀
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✝️ I also want to encourage you to memorize this verse:⠀
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“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.⠀
Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.” Psalm 143:8 📖⠀
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In the morning you can recite this verse and say a prayer. It doesn’t have to take a long time. Although – if you do have time – you will be greatly blessed by spending more time in prayer and devotion.⠀
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📌 Free Printable Morning Prayer Prompts on the blog today: https://avirtuouswoman.org/morning-prayer-prompts/  #linkinbio ⠀
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#faithblogger #faithfulness #faithandfamily #bibleverseaday #christianbloggers #dailyverses #christianlife #jesuscalling #shereadstruth #Christ #Church #Christian #Jesus #Jesuslover #JesusChrist #JesusisLord #CreatorGod #Devotional #verseoftheday #Love #Faith #biblestudy #God #dailydevotional
🏠 As a homemaker, one of my goals is to be inte 🏠 As a homemaker, one of my goals is to be intentional with how I plan our days. I love any opportunity to create a good memories at home for my family and guests. ⠀⠀
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📌 If you're looking to make this holiday season really special, you need to be intentional. Goodness knows 2020 has had a lot of ups and downs. And maybe you feel like it's been mostly downs. ⠀⠀
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🎄 But the holiday season is a chance to focus on celebrating the life we have right now. Things don't need to be perfect for us to celebrate life right now!!⠀⠀
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☑️ Inside the pages of my Purpose 31 holiday planner, you'll find 8 weeks of planning and cleaning all laid out for you. Recipe pages, journaling pages, and more - 120 pages total. ⠀⠀
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✏️ The Purpose 31 Holiday Planner is by far one of the most popular resource I produce each year. ⠀⠀
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Thousands of women have downloaded it over the last four years I've offered it.⠀⠀
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So, even though it's early still, you can go ahead and downlaod it. Print it out and then set it up so you're ready to go.⠀⠀
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I usually take my holiday planner down to Office Depot and have them spiral bind it with a plastic cover for about $5.00. This year, though, I just bought a new 3 ring binder at Walmart, printed off extra cover pages to slip in the clear sleeve, and created a binder with it. ⠀⠀
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📌📌📌 If you use the planner this year, be sure to share and tag me in your photos! ❤️⠀  Download: https://avirtuouswoman.org/holiday-planner/ #linkinbio
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#proverbs31 #proverbs31woman #purpose31 #10virtues #homemaking #homemakingministries #happyhomemaking #homemaking101 #cleanhome #cleanheart #fromchaostocalm #housekeeping #cleaningroutine #inspiredhome #makingahome #lovewhereyoudwell #homemaker #homebody #biblicalHomemaking #christmas #holidayplanning #planningaddict #plannercommunity #freeprintables #thanksgiving #christmastree  #plannerobsessed
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