I am a conservative Christian wife and mother and I love sex. Every Sunday morning, I attend church. Every school morning, I take my son to school. Every weekday afternoon, I kiss my husband when he gets home from work. Every evening, I cook supper for my family, and almost every night, I close my bedroom door to partake in my favorite cardio activity: sex.

While I proclaim boldly that I love sex, many of my Christian female friends do not. In fact, when I bring up my sexual appetite and prowess, my friends react like children and giggle or stare at me in dismay. My Christian friends aren’t the only ones who act surprised when I vocalize my love of sex.

Somehow it has become an oxymoron to be a Christian woman and sexual. Often times the church encourages silence on issues regarding sex. Don Joy, professor of human development and family studies at Asbury Theological Seminary and author of several books about intimacy and marriage, says that the silence of the church insinuates shame and that often there is no accounting for the power of shame. Yet also surrounded by images of sex in pop culture, Christian women often develop conflicting views on what is appropriate.

However, God wants us to celebrate sex. The Bible includes an entire book on the expression of love. In Song of Songs, King Solomon describes acts of sexual love, often using erotic lyrics like “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth ... Take me away with you — let us hurry! Let the king bring me into his chambers.” In Songs the female, as well as the male, vocalizes her sexual desire and experiences.

Patsy Rae Dawson, author of “Marriage: A Taste of Heaven, Vol. II: God’s People Make the Best Lovers,” states that surveys conducted by both secular and Christian groups show that God’s people make the best lovers. Dawson also says, and listen closely, “A truly uninhibited person enjoys his spouse to the fullest with the blessings of a clear conscience.”

Not only should Christian women embrace their sexuality, but they should also realize almost any sexual act within the confines of marriage is acceptable and healthy. True sexual liberation for the Christian woman comes with the ability to welcome uninhibited love with her husband. Furthermore, Christian women should enjoy a hot, slammin’ sex life.

Consider these five tips for a Christian woman’s sizzling sex life:

Tip 1: Flirt

Marriage and family author Jerry B. Jenkins in his book, “Loving Your Marriage Enough to Protect It,” concurs. Remember going on a date, sitting next to each other in a restaurant booth, you smile and give him a “come hither” look. He reaches over and squeezes your knee. Perhaps a few other stolen touches occur. At that moment you want to rush home and rip each other’s clothes off. Go on a date. Sit in a booth.

Tip 2: Anticipate

Close your eyes; relax. Imagine his hands running down your body, touching you in places and ways you never imagined. Allow yourself to get lost in the feeling. The anticipation alone may be enough to achieve the Big O. A study conducted by the University of Chicago found that conservative Protestant women were the most likely to report achieving orgasm during intercourse.

Tip 3: Play

My husband and I have a picnic basket next to our bed. We call it our sex basket. Inside the basket we have a myriad of toys, books and games. The game “Consenting Adults,” made by Relationship Enrichment Systems, is an excellent game to play together. Our personal favorite sex books include Position of the Day Playbook by Nerve.com and 101 Great Quickies by Laura Corn. “... When people make a commitment to making sex more exciting, spontaneous, and satisfying for their partner they are ... making their relationship a priority in their lives,” Corn says.

Tip 4: Surprise

One day my husband and I were at the county fair. We were tired of working booths all day, and we had 30 minutes without any responsibility. I looked at him and nodded toward the baseball diamonds. I took him by the hand and quickly led him over to a nearby dugout. I think you know the rest of the story. As Corn says, “Surprise is the key.”

Tip 5: Flex

This one is simple. There is a time to make love and a time to ... well you know. Figure out which is which and work accordingly.

However, the most important thing to remember is to love. The above tips will make for some pretty darn good sex, but without love, it won’t be fulfilling. That’s why God created it. He wants a husband and a wife to celebrate their love for each other. Proverbs 5:18 and 19 says, “May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful deer — may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love.”

To quote Corn once more, anyone “can have fantastic sex if you keep in mind one simple formula: Anticipation + Variety = Great Sex.” And Christian women should have great sex. Christian women and sexual repression should not be synonymous. So, if you will excuse me, it’s 10:47 p.m., and after I say my prayers, I have a workout session to attend.

Leslie Niswonger is a Topeka graduate student in journalism.