In the past we have encouraged you, if it interests you, to create steamy stories that involve your and your husband playing out some of your sex fantasies. We had one resource that we used to refer people to where you could put your and your husbands personal details into a database and it would create a short story of the two of you, but we discovered that pornography was being sent with some of their newsletters so we stopped referring that website.

Enter St. Cyrano, a website with much the same idea of personalizing stories to you, but with a twist that we fully support. In all of these stories, the man and woman are married and share a godly worldview. Sex is portrayed as a gift from God and something to be shared in fidelity between a husband and wife.

Please visit the website to learn more details about the great resource being offered, but the essence is that you select how graphic you want your story to be based on a “Flame Rating” of 2 to 4 and then you input your own details such as your name and physical features as well as your preferred terms for different body parts and the season of life that you are in. The survey used to collect this information is extensive so that the writers of the stories can do a good job of making the story personal to you and your husband.

The creators of this website sent us an example of a story in several different Flame Ratings so that we could provide you with a fair review and after reading the stories I can whole heartedly say that I do fully support this ministry. Due to the stories being written from a biblical perspective of sex, even a 4 Flame story (the most descriptive level) is not offensive. It portrays you and your husband having great sex without having to resort to bringing in elements of multiple partners, same sex titillation, or voyeurism as is common in most erotica on the internet. It is about the freedom of enjoying sex within marriage.

There is a $12.95 cost associated with acquiring a story which is a little steep in my opinion, but given that the stories range from 12-20 pages and are better written than a lot of other personalized stories I have read like this, the stories themselves do have value. The writers take the time to create situations that could actually end up happening so it draws you into the story. They are well written and can easily be edited by you after you receive the story if you prefer to express ideas a bit differently.

So if you are looking for a new way to spice up your sex life, St. Cyrano is a really good option. Let us know what you think if you decide to give it a try.

Disclaimer: We are not receiving any monetary reward for this review nor do we have an agreement with St. Cryano to receive anything should you decide to purchase a story through them.

February 24, 2011
Categories: Media Reviews . . Author: cinnamonsticks . Comments: 7 Comments

Kris Vallotton is on the pastoral staff of a church that has been a very great blessing to me, Bethel Church in Redding, CA. Being someone who likes to read about Biblical sexuality, I was excited to get this book and hear what Kris had to say. The following is the synopsis of the book:

Moral Revolution is a non-religious, intimate, and honest look at sex.

Moral Revolution was written for radical lovers and passionate people who dream of being catalysts to another sexual revolution-one that transforms the way the world views sexuality, defines the unborn, and embraces the family.

Moral Revolution seeks to inspire a culture of noble people to walk in purity, passion, and power and to help restore those who have fallen into immorality.

Moral Revolution is a training manual that will equip you to survive the battlefield of your own sex drive, overcome the power of peer pressure, and push back the cesspool of distorted cultural values.

Moral Revolution will help you to emerge from combat with your trophy of purity intact so that you can present it to your lover on your honeymoon night. Many who have fallen in this battle or have been wounded in this war will find hope and courage to start over again.

Please note: This review is based on the previous version of this book, Sexual Revolution. Although a little bit of the content has been changed, it still contains the same message.

Sexual Revolution is not a book only for married people, but rather it is a wonderful explanation of WHY the Lord established sex for a husband and wife and as such it is appropriate for both single and married people. I look forward to reading it with my own children when they get closer to adolescence. It is a refreshing presentation of purity as something worth fighting for. In fact, the author points out that one of the reasons we have a sex drive before God wants us to enjoy it with our spouse is so that when we give them our virginity, we give them something that we fought for.

It begins with a parable which is a short story about a young man who discovers a valuable ring in his adolescence that he works very hard to obtain and then protect until the day he can give it to “the woman of his dreams” on his wedding night. The ring is a symbol for virginity and purity. Later in the book the author explains how he and his wife made conversations about sex common in their home and that as their children came into puberty they would take their kids on dates and talk about the value of purity. Since no one just happens to still be a virgin on their wedding night, he and his wife talked with them about how to come up with a plan so that they would be able to give their virginity to their spouse on their honeymoon. And when their children felt that they were ready to covenant with the Lord to remain pure, the author and his wife lead their children in a prayer of commitment and gave them rings as an outward sign of the vow. I really like how Kris expressed that it was he and his wife leading them, but their kids were the ones who ultimately made the decision within themselves. This is an important factor in mentoring the next generation to value their purity.

Here are several of my favorite quotes from the book (emphasis added by me):

Having a desire for sex is normal, not something that you should feel guilty about…. Sadly, many people withdraw from God in their teen years because they feel guilty for having sexual desires. They begin to believe lies about themselves, thinking, I must not be a righteous person because of these desires. There is something wrong with me. That’s just not true! Sex was God’s idea, and it’s good. The goal isn’t to destroy your sexual passion but to manage it in a way that you rule it and not the other way around.

Because God is the One who designed and activated your sex drive, it follows that He has both wisdom and strength for directing it towards its true purpose. He doesn’t want you to withdraw from Him as you deal with your thoughts and feelings; He wants you to run to Him…. The war in your soul can get so intense at times that you will need His help to win these battles and hold on to your trophy, especially in the midst of a perverted and hostile world.

All of us must have someone in our lives whom we trust more than we trust ourselves. Every one of us is susceptible to deception, and the nature of deception is that we don’t know it when we are deceived. Therefore, when someone tells you that you have a problem in a certain area of your life, it usually doesn’t feel real. You have to trust what the other person is saying to you more than you trust your feelings if you are going to be delivered from deception.

I call cohabitating the prime expression of the “Judas spirit” because, at Jesus’ going away party, He said to His team, “…One of you will betray Me.” None of His guys knew who the backstabber was until Jesus suggested that they make a covenant. That’s when Judas decided that he was out of there. Later Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss because the Judas spirit always wants intimacy without covenant!

Perversion has an ecosystem that sustains, perpetuates and nurtures itself. As perversion grows in a society, people begin to withhold their affection so that they won’t be perceived as sexual predators. As people withhold their affection, a famine of love begins to grow in the land. In a society starving for affection, love-deprived folks begin to lower their sexual standards to obtain some affection. As they break their moral barriers to do this, perversion increses. This, of course, causes even more people to withhold their love, and the beat goes on and one.

Towards the end of the book, Kris takes a chapter and addresses the issue of abortion. It’s one of the most compelling pieces of literature on abortion that I have ever read. Filled with God-given wisdom, it is a good balance between truth and grace. One of the strongest points for me to read was how glaringly obvious it is that so many human mothers have departed from the basic instinct to protect her young. You see it everywhere when you look at wild life, but several key elements in the last 150 years have had a significant effect on dulling this instinct in a lot of women. This YouTube video is of Kris sharing a dream he had from the Lord about His heart regarding abortion, which is also explained in the book. Be warned that it is explicit and may be disturbing for some readers.

One of the ending chaptera is the story of a young couple who fell in love and had to work through the issue of a painful and promiscuous past on the part of the girl. Some time ago someone wrote into our CN blog and ask about secondary virginity. In my response to that email I said that I had never heard of a miracle of the hymen being reconnected, but it stood to reason that given the other creative miracles I have heard about, that it is certainly possible that the Lord could do it. In this closing chapter of Sexual Revolution, Kris gives a testimony of he and his wife praying for this girl to have her virginity restored and after the couple was married they found that God had, in fact, reconnected her hymen.

This is definitely a book that I will keep in my library for many years. You can access it here if you wish to purchase it.

August 27, 2009
Categories: Media Reviews . . Author: cinnamonsticks . Comments: Comments Off on Book Review: Moral Revolution

The Generous Wife and The Generous Husband have been links on our blogroll since the beginning of Christian Nymphos, and with very good reason.  Paul and Lori Byerly are the creators of The Marriage Bed, a site that ministers to married couples worldwide.  Among the tons of information and resources available on their website, they also have their other two sites.  Lori runs The Generous Wife and Paul runs The Generous Husband.  They have recently revamped their sites, and we’d like to take this opportunity to point you in their direction.

Men, we strongly encourage you to check out TGH. Paul has turned it into a blog, where he writes about the different aspects of marriage, and encourages men to reply and discuss things in the comment section.  Sometimes his blogs are short and to the point and other times they are meatier and make you think.  TGH is a Christian blog wrote by a man, (read his bio) aimed at MEN! For months now we have received email after email asking us if we knew of a blog like ours, for MEN; and now we have one that we can 100% whole-heartedly recommend!  Paul has told us himself that he would love to have more men leaving comments and discussing his blog posts.  He also has a page full of book recommendations and a page devoted to pornography, it’s destructive nature, and how recovery is possible.  You can still subscribe to TGH and sign up to receive daily email tips for utilizing generosity in your marriage.  Here is what his schedule of tips looks like:

“Monday – Friday’s tips will be one each for the five love languages.
Saturday’s tip will be of a sexual nature.
Sunday’s tip will be of a spiritual nature, praying for/with your wife.”

Likewise, Lori has TGW revamped into a very nice blog as well.  (To read more about Lori, click here.)  Wives can read and comment/interact on her blog posts and receive her daily email tips too!  She also has a page for vacation ideas and another page for prayer requests. 🙂

We would like to encourage all of you to register for an account on either TGW or TGH.  Both sites (along with TMB) are a wonderful resource and huge blessing for marriages young and old.

July 22, 2009
Categories: Media Reviews . . Author: cumingirl . Comments: 3 Comments

During the fall of 2008, Pastor Mark Driscoll from Mars Hill Church in Seattle did a 10 week sermon series of the Song of Solomon entitled The Peasant Princess. This series is available online here and I highly recommend listening to the series. I have watched all 10 parts and found that it was so refreshingly honest and while openly communicating about sex, Mark Driscoll also firmly adheard to biblical standards in establishing a firm stance on maintaining that sex is a gift from God that is meant to be celebrated freely within marriage.

The series moves through the book looking at the couple’s engagement, wedding, early married days, later married days and even an experience of sexual sin. I appreciated that it was so practical. Mark and his wife took time at the end of each sermon to answer questions that had been sent in from the congregation, and really he just gave so much great information on how to love our spouse better.

I loved that he took the time in Part 5 to exhort us to move out of selfishness within our marriages. It was a heavy message, but one that I found really encouraging actually. I am not afraid to look at my soul and ask God what work He still wants to do there. I have seen amazing benefits from doing so, and so if I hear a sermon that challenges my behavior and attitude, I often take time to look and see how I can apply it. This part looks at Chapter 5 when the beloved sexually refuses an encounter with her lover. The following part looks at how they reconcile.

Part 7 was also very good and talked about how wives need to be “visually generous” towards their husbands. I think it tended a bit towards a stereotype of men being a certain way, but the stereotype exists for a reason; that it probably does fit for most men, at least in our culture. Whether by chemistry or social influence, if your husband is visual, being visually generous is important. I hadn’t realized that this part of the Song is a description of her dancing a striptease for him. I thought that was a fun fact. 🙂

I also liked his description of how to get your husband to take you on vacation. Rather than complaining “You never take me anywhere. When are you going to take me on vacation. Nag nag nag….” the Shulamite woman says “Hey honey, we’ve been working hard and need sometime away. It’s spring time so it might be getting warm enough for us to make love outside….” So much more effective. 😀

Overall I found this series to be excellent and appreciated that finally the church is giving good sex information. There is so much awful teaching out there and I have felt in the last few years that the tide is turning in the church and people are finally seeing the importance of communicating about godly sexuality.

March 4, 2009
Categories: Media Reviews . . Author: cinnamonsticks . Comments: 10 Comments

ThePureBed has a set of electronic booklets available for download at their site.  Their latest (and fourth in their series) is called Christian Sex Ethics.  While the others are available at a low cost, they have released this one FREE for download.  I recently downloaded and printed it out to read.

This is a very well put together booklet.  It is not just a list of things that are allowed or not allowed in the marriage bed.  Rather, it is written to provide biblical teachings for how a Christian should approach sexual issues.  It discusses sexual attitudes, preferences, and of course, God’s word.

Christian Sex Ethics does a great job of listing the sexual prohibitions as outlined by the bible. They also list scripture references for each sin.  These are the same things that we have written about before on our blog.  Then they take it one step further and list a set of five basic principles that they believe should help us with our sexual attitude and practice.  Again, these five things are found in some way, shape, or form, in different places here on Christian Nymphos, but they tie them all up in a tidy booklet!

Also found within this 25 page booklet are two separate worksheets for the husband and wife to print out and do separately.  Then they are able to come together and discuss the results.  This is especially great for couples who have a hard time communicating about sexual topics.

The thing I really like best about this booklet is the fact that it isn’t a long read.  It packs a lot of biblically sound information into 25 pages and even has an index at the end.  I can see how this would be a wonderful tool for people who don’t like to read long in-depth books.  If you get a chance, I encourage you to visit ThePureBed and download your free copy soon.  Read it alone, or better yet, with your spouse.

February 4, 2009
Categories: Media Reviews . . Author: cumingirl . Comments: 5 Comments

I recently viewed a short movie titled “Oversold: The Movie” which is about a pastor who goes out to Vegas trying to connect with a step brother but ends up falling for a stripper.  Think of these two professions and how people view a pastor vs. the lifestyle of a stripper.  They are commonly viewed as polar opposites on the lifestyle spectrum.  Does the story line sound familiar?  If it does then the reason could be because it is a modern day version of Hosea.

Joshua’s first interaction with Sophia is not in a club but at a coffee shop.  Surprisingly it was not his urging that made her want to leave that life behind.  She had already made up her mind to no longer strip and try to make it on her own before she ever laid eyes on him.  She realizes that it is easier said then done.  Temptation, disguised as her former boyfriend/pimp, figures out how to real her back to the profession she despises.

This movie touched a personal chord within me because I have a very close friend who happens to be a pastor.  He, like Joshua, has different expectations put on him by society. This movie simply shows that pastors are people too, although the congregation does not see Joshua this way.  Joshua is put on a pedestal and expected to act a certain way and no one expects him to befriend someone of a questionable profession.  I could also identify with Sophia.   I think most of us have felt judged or broken at some point in our lives.   ‘Oversold: The Movie’ is a wonderful portrayal of redemption in a modern time story.  The most important message of the movie is that we all do have other options, even when we feel we don’t.  All of us have probably had a feeling of helplessness at one time or another.  There is hope…..for all of us.  

 The actress who plays Sophia was in the porn industry but she was strong enough to break free. Unfortunately her name still is connected to some pornographic pictures on the Internet so I strongly urge you not to Google her name. You can find some information on her here at xxx.church.com if you are interested in her story. 

Oversold is now available on either DVD or you can download it onto your computer, just click on this link.  Will anyone be receiving an Academy Award for this film?  No, but the message is what makes this movie and Oversold doesn’t drag on and on trying to get the message across.  It’s worth a look!!

December 4, 2008
Categories: Media Reviews . . Author: peppermintgirl . Comments: 9 Comments

Hot off the presses is The Sexually Confident Wife by Shannon Ethridge.  You may have read some of her other books such as Every Woman’s Battle (the companion book to Every Man’s Battle), or Completely His.  I pre-ordered my copy from Amazon and it arrived late last week at about 10:30 a.m.  My husband called home from work several hours later and asked “Whatcha’ doing?”  I replied, “Still reading The Sexually Confident Wife.” Then he commented “That’s so HOT!”  With that kind of response, I could tell that my husband was hoping that I was enjoying the book as much as he wanted me to.  I’m sure that he thought if I was able to grasp some of the confidence building concepts in the book that it could only be a win/win situation for the both of us.  Now that I’m finished reading the book, I’m sure that he will not be disappointed.

I know that we are never to judge a book by it’s cover, but ladies, this book is very aesthetically pleasing with its hot pink and white script on a black background.  And the transforming words in between the binding are even more pleasing than its look.  Shannon’s transparency leaps out of the book beginning with page one and runs its course through the entirety of her work. In chapter one she challenges the reader to gauge her level of sexual confidence with a list 69 questions to bring areas of strengths and weakness to the forefront to keep in mind while reading the remaining chapters. Shannon Ethridge intertwines whit, wisdom and common sense as she delves into issues, such as the past, expectations, and wrong teaching that can eat away at a woman’s self-confidence.  The Sexually Confident Wife is full of well researched truths as well as illustrations from her life, but also experiences from women and men that she has encountered through out her ministry.  Not only does she address serious issues, but she has helpful advice about sex positions, sex toys, lingerie and communication that will enhance the freedom that is found in the marriage bed.  A couple of my favorite passages were about how to swirl chocolate and vanilla together (although, I’m much like her husband, Greg, and will go to a multi-flavor ice-cream shop and order vanilla!) and how to pass on sexual confidence to our daughters.

I believe that this brave book will touch most women on many different levels and encourage them to make some changes for the better. Not only is Shannon Ethridge helping wives, but she is also assisting in tearing down that stereotype that “good girls” or Christian women should be ashamed to enjoy sex and if they do, then they shouldn’t dare speak about it!  No matter where the reader lands on the sexual confidence scale, it will remind her that there is always room for reexamination and improvement. So, with full confidence, I can highly recommend this book to our readers to add to their sexual arsenal.

October 1, 2008
Categories: Media Reviews . . Author: Sugar and Spice . Comments: 7 Comments

It’s always an adventure to look for something new to bring a couple even closer together. So, I was thinking… why not get another book about intimacy, so we can learn even more about one another?  After searching through Amazon to find something that I thought that we might enjoy, we took a quick trip to our local Border’s book store to get a hands on look.  I quickly looked at the chapter titles, read the forward, skimmed a few chapters, shared some tidbits with my husband and then decided this would be a great investment for our relationship.  Soon after, I ordered it from Amazon and we dove right into our latest journey together. The second couple’s book we obtained and the one that has had the most impact on our marriage has been Red-Hot Monogamy by Bill and Pam Farrell.

Red-Hot Monogamy is a book that covers all the bases so that it will be helpful to young newly-weds, those middle-aged with children and those who are enjoying their twilight years. One of the things that I love about this read is that it’s meant to do jointly.  These Christian authors even ask for the readers to make an eight week commitment to stay the course of the book.  But, it’s also great because they do acknowledge that not all couples may be willing or able to go through something like this and the one who can participate is encouraged to do so.

Each chapter is geared toward a specific topic on how to make your marriage and sex life sizzle.  At the end of each chapter is “home work”.  Now, don’t get all anxiety ridden thinking back to your days of school!  Most of the homework is very fun and all of it is thought provoking, promoting the art of conversation and discussion between you and your spouse.  Red-Hot Monogamy is full of practical ideas for romance as well as sensible advice for dealing with very serious issues that occasionally happen in your marriage.  And it’s an added bonus to get both the male and female perspectives on different subjects.  Not only do the Farrell’s give their viewpoints, but the book is sprinkled with stories from other contributors and is enveloped with ideas that are scripturally grounded.

Not only is Red-Hot Monogamy good for an eight week period, the lessons learned by reading this book will last a lifetime.  I also foresee us revisiting this book in the future… reminiscing about old discussions as well as initiating new dialogue.  With all the worldly information out on the shelves about how to keep those home fires burning, it’s so awesome that there are people willing to write helpful, God-centered books that encourage Christians to enjoy sex as the Lord anticipated.

May 7, 2008
Categories: Media Reviews . . Author: Sugar and Spice . Comments: 5 Comments

Do you know what your primary love language is? We each have one or two, and it helps when you know what your spouse’s love language is. If you haven’t read Dr. Gary Chapman’s book: The Five Love Languages, then I encourage you to do so.

My husband and I took a class on The Five Love Languages, a few years back, and it really opened our eyes. We had been arguing a lot at the time, and after we read the book, things improved a lot. It was an eye opening experience. This book helped us to realize that we were both different in how we expressed our love to each other, and in how we individually felt loved by the other.

Right now, my primary love language is physical touch. That means that I feel the most loved when my husband is touching me. It is soothing and comforting to me. Whether he’s stroking my arm as we watch a movie together or has his arm around me during the sermon at church. And can you imagine how loved I must feel during sex?

My husband’s primary love language is words of affirmation. When I tell him how handsome he looks before he goes off to work, it boosts his self-image and makes him feel loved by me. When I tell him that he is a wonderful father to our children, he feels confident and loved. Words can have such a powerful influence on him.

A decade ago, my primary love language was acts of service. When my husband would step up and do something for me, without me having to ask (such as the dishes or laundry) I would feel all warm inside. It really meant so much when I would see him giving of himself in that way for me.

Quality time is another love language. This involves just being together and spending time with one another. Cutting the TV off and playing a card game together, or taking a walk outside together would be examples of quality time. Planning and cooking a meal together or tackling a small home project together are more ideas.

The last of the love languages is gifts. I have a friend who has gifts as her primary love language. When her husband stopped and picked her wildflowers beside the highway on the way home from work one day, she cried. When he bought her a hallmark card, for no reason at all except that he had been thinking of her that day, she cried. Those things may be strange to others, but to her, his small gifts speak volumes.

When you find out what your spouse’s primary love language is, then you can learn how to best show him/her that you love them. You can begin to express your love in a way that makes him/her really feel it. I highly recommend buying the book I linked to above, but if you are curious as to what your love language is, then you can take this simple online quiz to get started.

January 23, 2008
Categories: Media Reviews . . Author: cumingirl . Comments: 2 Comments