In August my two best girl friends from college and I took our first road trip. The three of us packed our bags - me from NC, one from NY and the other from Maryland - and drove my four-door Mazda Protege from Richmond, Virginia to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Our four-day weekend consisted of walking along the beach, sitting on our beach chairs on the beautiful sand, riding rollercoasters at Family Kingdom and visiting two of the Ripley's attractions. Our meals consisted of finger-licking barbecue from Sticky Fingers and a seafood buffet at Captian George's. Our adventure out of town was exciting and relaxing, but the most memorable part was the purchase of my ring.

We definitely wanted to do some shopping and since I was the official trip planner, I knew Broadway At The Beach was the place to go. One thing I've learned about vacations is you spend alot of money and you come back home exhausted. We didn't even hit the tip of the iceberg at Broadway - there are shops everywhere! I learned later this is THE place for nightlife in Myrtle Beach, but we were in bed way before the night crowd hit the town.

Out of all the wonderful shops the local Christian store caught my eyes. As we walked in I thought to ask if they had what I've wanted for so long - a promise ring. At my church our young high school girls participated in a purity ceremony to make a promise to the church, themselves and God they would keep themselves until marriage. What an amazing challenge in a sex-driven society.

The store had several of these promise rings on display. My eyes scanned each one trying to find the perfect one. My fingers are short and fat so I knew I needed something that fit comfortably and I found the perfect one. I brought the ring, placed it on my finger as almost a fashion statement.

That was two months ago. When I first put it on I felt like one of the girls. All of the single ladies at the church are wearing them, but I wonder if the promise was as much a burden to them as it was for me - initally. A promise to God? Wow, can we say big deal? But the problem for me was I gave the ring too much credit. I treated it like I was a superhero and everytime I put it on I had a forcefield around me. Need strength against temptation? Put on the ring and say goodbye to all your worries. Uh - yea right.

I know the ring simply isn't enough. The promise has to become a personal committment to self-empowerment. My ring says "True Love Waits." I know there are plenty of people who doubt waiting is the best way to go, but for me it has become the most wonderful decision of my life. Now I can refocus my energy on the things that truly matter to me and allow God to bless me in that area when the time is right.

So my "True Love" will meet me and see my ring finger and ask what it means. And I'll say, its a reminder of the one who truly loves me completely.

Here's a picture of me and my girls. We're bracing for drop on the log ride:

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