Dating Part 1: Contentment

Hi, y'all!

I have a confession to make to you ladies: the reason I haven't posted in a while is because I've had quite a rough time figuring out what to say on the subject of contentment while not dating. It's been a struggle for me to write on this topic because, quite honestly, it's a personal struggle for me.

I'm one of those girls that has always been friends with guys (trust me, this is actually a blessing), yet they never seem to think of me as more than that. I've struggled with thoughts like, "Why doesn't he like me?"  "Am I really that unattractive?" and simply, "Why don't I have a boyfriend?" I know a lot of you can relate to these feelings and various others like them.

Most of us have seen at least one old movie in our lifetime. I love old movies; if I got a classic movie channel, I would be extremely unproductive. Anyway, we all know that at the end of an old movie, the handsome man gets the beautiful girl. Sometimes though in real life, the old movie thing doesn't quite work out. Sometimes the handsome man find a different girl; sometimes the handsome man doesn't feel the same way you do; and sometimes the handsome man ends up not having a handsome personality to match his looks.

If you're going through this right now, I want to speak directly to your heart: it's going to be ok. I know how it feels to think, "I thought he was wonderful! I thought he was the one!!! I'll never like another man!" What I've learned is that, no matter how great the guy that you're missing was, if he's not the one God has planned to be in your life, there's a better one for you out there; there's a better one out there for you!!! We may not feel like it, but God is gracious and doesn't let our current emotions change the truth.

God is not One who will give you second best. He has the best guy for you in His plans. The man who you marry won't be perfect, but he'll be the one you want to spend the rest of you life with, regardless of his flaws.

The most important One to remember, whether you're in a relationship currently or not, is God. God is the One who meets every need that you have. God is the One who loves you more than any imperfect man ever could. God is the One who will love you through everything, never destroy you, and work even the hardest parts of your life for your good. He's the One who wrote the definition of love! (See 1 Corinthians 13)

Psalm 63:3 says, "Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you." Did you notice that the Psalmist says God's love for us is better than life? It's better than any other love we could ever find because love from sinful humans will be tainted by their sin and our sin. God's love is perfect and perfectly holy because He is perfect and perfectly holy. And to think that He loves us through Christ even though we ourselves are far from being perfect (or even mildly righteous)?! God is truly amazing!!!!

God's love will always be the best love we could ever find. In His timing, God will provide the right man for each of us who are ordained to be married. Don't despair here; most of us are ordained to be married and, if we're not, we're given special grace to handle it (Matthew 19:10-12; 1 Corinthians 7:1-7).

Until that time, celebrate that you are able to minister to your friends while you're single more often than you would be able to if you had a boyfriend (not saying boyfriends are bad, just saying take the opportunities that you're currently given). At all times, celebrate the Lord and praise Him for His wonderful works to the children of men (Psalm 107)!

In His perfect love,

SheSpeaks Scholarship Opportunity at SheSeeks.org!

Hi, y'all!

I just entered to win a scholarship to the She Speaks conference! Link: http://www.sheseeks.org/2011/she-speaks-scholarship/ 

It would be such a blessing for me to be able to attend SheSpeaks. I would love to learn from these women and be aided in growing my ability to teach God's Word.

In Christ, 

SheSpeaks Scholarship Story

Hi, y'all!

With another attempt to win a SheSpeaks Scholarship, here is a six word story that I wrote:

My heart. Won by Christ. Forever.

It's my life story and I hope you enjoyed reading it (short and to the point, though it may be). ;)

Here again is a link to the SheSpeaks Conference Website: http://shespeaksconference.com/

In His love,

Story Time....

Hi, y'all!

Today, it's story time! Enjoy!

Ava stared up at the sun as it glinted through the trees. This had always been one of her favorite places to come when life overwhelmed her.

She sat down underneath the big oak tree. In the patch of tiny pine trees, the oak stood out. She felt the oak a kindred spirit. She, too, felt an awkward addition to the group she was placed in. At work, she was the only Christian. Her refusal to go along with dishonest bookkeeping had cost her her job.

Work wasn't the only place she felt she didn't belong. She was also the only one of her close friends not yet married. Suzanna, who was two years her junior, had just married "the man of her dreams" last month.

Yes, Ava felt quite convinced that she was like the oak tree. Awkward, out of place, and lost in the sea of uniqueness.

She sighed as she looked up at the tree, its leafy boughs overshadowing her. Its leaves caught in the light, sparkling almost as if they were happy.

But how could one be happy when one stood out as the two of them did?

A Bible verse that she had memorized as a child came to her mind. It was from the Psalms.

“The LORD looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His dwelling He looks On all the inhabitants of the earth; He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works.” (NKJV)

"He fashions their hearts individually...." Ava thought. "That means...He fashioned my  heart individually. He made me the person He wants me to be for His glory. He put me in the place He would have me to be. He didn't put me in these situations because He hates me; He put me in these situations for His glory and my good."

She smiled as she got up and started towards her house. She paused on the top of the hill, looking back at the oak.

Instead of seeing an out of place oak tree, she now saw a beauteously formed creation of God. A tree with a purpose and a calling: to stand apart from the others and shine forth the glory of God in His unique creation.

The point of the SheSpeaks Conference is to teach women how to help connect the hearts of other women with the heart of God, much as Ava's heart was connected to God's in this story. My heart is focused on serving God and others through whatever capacity God ordains for me to do so. As He leads, I pray that I may follow faithfully and always keep my eyes fixed on Him.

For a scholarship opportunity for the SheSpeaks Conference go here: http://www.aholyexperience.com/2011/03/how-christians-create-art-she-speaks-scholarship/

And you can find out about about the conference here: http://shespeaksconference.com/

In Christ,