Merry Christmas

Hey guys,
I'm just going to steal this post from my Mom pretty much. Its nothing new, but its still alive and working isn't it?

The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders.
and He will be called Wonder Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and FOREVER.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this Isaiah 9: 6-7

He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we shoud desire Him.
He was despised and reject by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.
Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted.
But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53: 1-6

This is my addition: O Holy Night

O Holy Night!

The stars are brightly shining,

It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.

Long lay the world in sin and error pining.

Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!

O night divine, the night when Christ was born;

The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;

In all our trials born to be our friends.

He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,

Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!

His law is love and His gospel is peace.

Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.

And in his name all oppression shall cease.

With all our hearts we praise His holy name.

Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,

His power and glory ever more proclaim!

Obviously, I picked my favorite lines. The line "Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth" just makes me want to shout out :) Its such a great reminder that in Him, but only Him, do we find purpose and meaning and worth. Hope you have a great Christmas!

beth moore quote

"beloved, God is not tired. nor is God tired of you. He delights in your attentions even when you practice them much like you did yesterday. He awaits for you to awaken, and He anticipates His time with you. when you or i ignore Him, He is disappointed. somehow in His self-existent essence and omniscience, His foreknowledge does not cheat Him of reactive emotions. He laughs when you delight Him. He listens when you speak to Him. He honors you when you persevere with Him. in all the changes He is making within you and me. He rejoices in the few things that call for blessed sameness. let's stay faithful, you an i. 'let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up' gal 6:9. "- beth moore quote
hey ya'll---
i know it's christmas break and we will all be busy for the next few wks! but i stumbled across this just a minute ago scanning through the book by beth moore called "believing God". lately i have felt so dry and like i'm in the desert searching for fullness and surrendering everything to the Lord, but it seems unheard and i have not truly rested in God and given Him every day. anna once told me that we sometimes may not "feel" the Lord's presence, we may not feel his blessings, but communion and fellowship with the Lord is one of the BENEFITS of being His child, it is not "God". she said, "sometimes our hearts can love God's gifts to us more than we love Him. and even though God never removes HImself from us, sometimes He strips us of the blessings so that we can learn the meaning of what it is to just have HIm. and to be content in God without having an EXPERIENCE of God...this is true love". for about a year now, that email has stayed in my mind and is so encouraging when i feel like i'm in the desert and i don't feel "close" to the Lord. it is good to desire to feel His presence though and blessings and acceptance. and it is good to be discontent with this earthly condition! she also said this, though, "forget yourself! nail this self-obsession to the cross. give up your rights and needs and lay all those cluttering desires aside, and fix your eyes on Christ. see Him there? see His beauty? see HIs love? in brokeness, surrender, and a renewed gospel-truth-based trust...look at Christ. that's the only branch to grab".
anyways, powerful quotes by 2 amazing women. anna lucy would be honored to know she made our blog! haha. jk. hope ya'll enjoy your breaks, just wanted to share these thoughts with you. it is still encouraging to know i'm not by myself in some of my wanderings :)

running out of titles!

i'm running out of names for titles...so i'm going to start leaving that blank. i have loved reading ya'lls posts with song lyrics. isn't that cool how we can sortof parallel those love songs to Christ's love for us? it helps us think and see more clearly His unwavering desire and love for us. that is why i loved reading "redeeming love". it comes from such a small, yet powerful book of the Bible, but making into that romantic, deep love story made the love of God seem so much more real and moving.
well guess what- i have a song that i heard yesterday on the radio. does anyone know about the Fray---background? anything about the band? ya'll tell me what you think about this song. i really like the chorus. as far as paralleling it to our walk with the Lord and His relationship to His people and how the songs ya'll have posted shed more light than this song, i think the chorus kindof expresses how we feel sometimes. and i have a quote from my church bulletin that i wanted to send also, but it's in my car and it's raining and i don't want to get off of the couch to go and get it! so i will post it later. here are the lyrics to the song "you found me" by the fray:

I found Godon the corner of First and Amistad

Where the westwas all but won

All along

Smoking his last cigarette

I said, where've you been?

He said, ask anything.

Where were you?

When everything was falling apart.

All my days spent by the telephone.

And all I needed was a call

It never came

To the corner of Firs tand Amistad

Lost and insecure, you found me, you found me

Lying on the floor, surrounded, surrounded

Why'd you have to wait?Where were you? Where were you?

Just a little late.

You found me, you found me.

But in the end

Everyone ends up alone

Losing hope

The only one who's ever known

Who I am, Who I'm not, Who I want to be

No way to know

How long she will be next to me

Lost and insecure, you found me, you found me

Lying on the floor, surrounded, surrounded

Why'd you have to wait?Where were you? Where were you?

Just a little late.

You found me, you found me.

I've been calling for years and years

and you've never left me no messages

Never sent me no letters

Lost and insecure, you found me, you found me

Lying on the floor, surrounded, surrounded

Why'd you have to wait?Where were you? Where were you?

Just a little late.

You found me, you found me.

Lost and insecure, you found me, you found me

Lying on the floor, surrounded, surrounded

Why'd you have to wait?Where were you? Where were you?

Just a little late.

You found me, you found me.

Another Song

I once read a book, and the author suggested picking a song to listen to before your quiet time with God. I don't really remember what she said, but music is definitely a romantic thing, and while I certainly don't want to make God fit my needs, He is a romantic God, and I believe he created me to desire that from Him. So anyways, I held onto that. Her example was of a friend who used All I Ask as her "song from God." It certainly works and is incredibly beautiful.

My song, is a song by Sister Hazel. Everytime I hear it, I feel like God is speaking to me. I think maybe the fact that its not a Christian song at all makes it more powerful to me. The fact that I hear it and immediately hear it as God speaking to me when it wasn't at all written with that intention. Its so obvious that no man can fulfill what this song says it can, it can only be God, but He most certainly can. Sorry, its kind of long.

Sword and Shield:

Just when the sky runs out of rain
Just when the sun runs out of light
Just when the earth is ill with pain
Just when your body is out of fight

I will be there
I will be the smallest piece in everything
And I would give my life before I break this promise to you

Melt in to me
Don't you want to be the ones that last forever
I'll be your everlasting
And enemies they take your will but they won't last forever
I'll be your sword and shield
and I'll be your sword
I'll be your shield

Just when the ocean starts to dry
Just when the air is sick with smoke
Just when the statues start to cry
And fallen angels they lay broken

I will be there
I will be the smallest piece in everything
And I would lose my life before I break this promise to you

Melt in to me
Don't you want to be the ones that last forever
I'll be your everlasting
And enemies they take your peace but they won't last forever

I'll be your sword and shield and
I'll be your sword
I'll be your shield

I'll be your gracious angel
I'll be your favorite stranger
I'll be the mortar holding your walls
I'll be your army

i'm going to be really cheesy.

and i stole that title from Rachel Stark and my post will be her stolen words as well. we went to see the AU singers and they sang All I Ask of You from Phantom of the Opera. afterwards, we both agreed that the words are such beautiful words that could so express the love that Christ has for us. i know it might be a stretch to take a love song from a play, but wow... read them.

All I Ask of You

Raoul

No more talk

of darkness,

Forget these

wide-eyed fears.

I'm here,

nothing can harm you -my words will

warm and calm you.

Let me be

your freedom,

let daylight

dry -your tears.

I'm here,with you, beside you,

to guard you

and to guide you . . .

Let me be

your shelter,

let me be your light.

You're safe:

No-one will find you

your fears are

far behind you . . .

christine

All I want

is freedom,

a world with

no more night . . .

and you

always beside me

to hold me

and to hide me . . .

raoul

Then say you'll share with

me one

love, one lifetime . . .

Iet me lead you

from your solitude . . .

Say you need me

with you

here, beside you . . .

anywhere you go,

let me go too -Christine,

that's all I ask

of you . . .

Anywhere you go

let me go too . . .

Love me -that's all I ask

of you .

umm, umm. so good. what a beautiful love He has for us.

"He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him." - John 14:21

ah!

sarah----- loved that quote/advice! that is definitely something i have been needing to hear...i compare myself alot especially lately to people and in the department of relationships. it is a serious cause of discontentment and bitterness. what a refreshing reminder to rest content in the Lord! that is something i need to hear DAILY...could you post more quotes from that book?! i've heard it's GREAT...i really want to read it. love you!

Quick Post

So I'm reading this book, Calm My Anxious Heart.  Its really good.  I highly recommend it.  I'm actually restarting it for the second time though because I left it at home when I was in the middle.  So I'm back to the beginning.  Anyway, in the very first chapter she shares what a missionary in Africa had written in her own diary about learning to be content.  She says:

-Never allow yourself to complain about anything--not even the weather.

-Never picture yourself in any other circumstances or someplace else.

-Never compare your lot with another's.

-Never allow yourself to wish this or that had been otherwise.

-Never dwell on tomorrow--remember that tomorrow is God's, not ours.

I found that very convicting.  I do all of that often.  Anyways, I just thought I'd share in case you could use that as much as I could.

I'm going to have to head back to class now :(  I mean, yay!

psalm 77

so my pastor's sermon today was on psalm 77. we're going through a series on suffering. i'm going to type out most of this psalm...
"my voice rises to God, and i will cry aloud; my voice rises to God, and He will hear me. in the day of my trouble i sought the Lord; in the night my hand was stretched out with weariness; my soul refused to be comforted. when i remember God, then i am disturbed; when i sigh, then my spirit grows faint. you have held my eyelids open; i am so troubled that i cannot speak. i have considered the days of old, the years of long ago. i will remember my song in the night; i will meditate with my heart and my spirit ponders:
will the Lord reject forever? and will He enverr be favorable again? has His promise come to an end forever? has God forgotten to be gracious, or has He in anger withdrawn His compassion? then i said, "it is my grief, that the right hand fo the Most High has changed". i shall remember the deeds of the Lord; surely i will remember your wonders of old. i will meditate on all your works and muse on your deeds. your way o God is holy, what god is great like our God? the waters saw you o God; the waters saw you, they were in anguish; the deeps also trembled...your way was THROUGH the sea and your paths in the mighty waters, and your footprints may not be known...you led our people like a flock. "
our pastor this morning talked about suffering and how the parting of the red sea parallels with this psalmist's words. asaph, the psalmist, talks about the path of God being holy...and that it was THROUGH the sea that God took His people when He parted it. i liked how our pastor talked about how God takes us through suffering not AROUND it, and going through the suffering reshapes us like an "extrusion"---the process by which metal is reshaped by going through a certain dye, that reshapes it and makes it better i think...or more valuable? but God didn't necessarily take His people AROUND the red sea, He led them through it after parting them and on the other side of the red sea, their faith grew and their trust was stronger in the Lord than it had been before. and the whole time God never left their side. He had gone before them and with them. how comforting! in this world of darkness and loneliness and struggles, we can trust that God's path, even when it is THROUGH the suffering, is PERFECT. and we may not know his "footprints", but we can rest in His hands and not our own. the process of extrusion and shaping us into His likeness and holiness starts with going through suffering and pain. and although asaph went through the darkest depths and cried out to the Lord many times and even questioned (in faith) God....the middle of the psalms declares his trust and remembering the faithfulness of the Lord and that there is hope in knowing God's way and that He leads His people even when the way may be dark. i just love this!

Continuation of Dancing

Danielle, I love that song! Its been a while since I've heard, but I remember listening to it and always contemplating the depth of God's love for me. He truly does take our hand and lead us. It made me think of a post from this summer on my other blog, so I thought I'd share. Its excerpts from Tim Keller's A Reason For God along with another song :) We just can't stop.

By the way, I looked at the pictures, and Bethany Dillon is beautiful, the pictures were beautiful, but it still looks weird to me. She looks like his little sister, not his wife. But I'm happy for them, my opinion certainly doesn't matter, haha!

"The inner life of the triune God, however, is utterly different. The life of the Trinity is characterized not by self-centeredness but by mutually self-giving love. When we delight and serve someone else, we enter into a dynamic orbit around him or her, we center on the interests and desires of the other. That creates a dance, particularly if there are three persons, each of whom moves around the other two. So it is, the Bible tells us. Each of the divine persons centers upon the others. None demands that the others revolve around him. Each voluntarily circles the other two, pouring love, delight, and adoration into them. Each person of the Trinity loves, adores, defers to, and rejoices in the others. That creates a dynamic, pulsating dance of joy and love. The early leaders of the Greek church had a word for this-perichoresis. Notice our word "choreography" within it. It means literally to "dance or flow around."

"God did not create us to get the cosmic, infinite joy of mutual love and glorification, but to share it. We were made to join in the dance. If we will center our lives on him, serving him not out of self-interest, but just for the sake of who he is, for the sake of his beauty and glory, we will enter the dance and share in the joy and beauty and glory, we will enter the dance and share in the joy and love he lives in. We were designed, then, not just for belief in God in some general way, nor for a vague kind of inspiration or spirituality. We were made to center our lives upon him, to make the purpose and passion of our lives knowing, serving, delighting, and resembling him. This growth in happiness will go on eternally, increasing unimaginably (1 Corinthians 2:7-10)."

"When Jesus died for you he was, as it were, inviting you into the dance. He invites you to begin centering everything in your life on him, even as he has given himself for you."

Copeland is one of my favorite bands, and from what I've heard they are all Christians. This is one of my favorite songs by them, and I've always liked to think of it as an allegory of God. They probably didn't write it with that intention, but after reading this chapter, I will definitely think of it that way.

May I Have This Dance

May I have this dance?
Saw you sitting lonely,
I hoped you would say "Yes"

May I have this dance?
Look into my eyes
as I offer you my hand, my hand

Dance forever...

Stretch out my hand
To dance with your inviting, warmth providing hand
And I'll stand out facing me, embracing me
Into my companion for a dance
Dance forever...Dance forever!

When we dance, I'll whisper nothing in your ear
Speak in words you'd never hear
This, my love, it will not stop or start
And, you know that in your heart
You know that in your heart...

You lift your hands to me!
You lift your hands to me, and hold me so close!
We will dance forever!
We will dance forever!
We will dance forever!

A side note. I went to a Sacred Harp conference today. It was incredible, such beautiful music! The story I want to share though is about an older couple. For each song a different person would get up to conduct the song. 75% of the group was elderly people. So cute and fun to watch. Anyway, this one older woman gets up to lead and a man comes with her. She's standing there, but obviously unstable. He's there prepared to grab on as soon as she needs him. And she did need him. It didn't take long for her to reach out for him, and he was completely prepared. They moved so easily together. When she wasn't able to turn to conduct a different section of the room he immediately took over. I feel like I can't describe it well enough. It wasn't like he saw her needing help and then reacted, it was like he instinctively knew and they just moved together. Another thing, she almost appeared to be blind, and had been sitting in a wheel chair before he helped her up. It was obvious that he was in much better shape than she. As they finished and went to sit down she announced that they had shared their 53rd wedding anniversary the day before. It was just beautiful! It was such an incredible picture of what marriage should be. Thinking of the other person above yourself completely, and being prepared to work together to love each other through everything and to support each other completely. I saw Christ in it. I couldn't help but see Christ's love for her through that man, through that marriage. It was such a beautiful picture of love, which comes from Christ alone.

I think I've had a distorted idea of marriage and love lately. I've desired the passion, attraction, and romance so much that I forget what marriage is for. Marriage was created to glorify God, and a marriage that isn't centered on Him will be worth nothing, will be miserable, and won't work. There's no purity or beauty in it apart from Him. It was so encouraging. I wish ya'll could have seen it! I hope I did some good describing it :)

more song lyrics...:)

sarah- i think that is a great idea--- and then we can make a cd of the songs that we have on our list!! (hint...so i won't have to download all of them, when ya'll could burn them for me!) haha. well kate, i have some song lyrics to post on here from bethany dillon....this song is so good and i love her lyrics!
"for my love"
Walk towards me
I want to hear
The heavens singing over you
When you breathe
And look at me
I want to be captured by you

Gaze into my eyes
And let me know you’d fight
Thousands, for my love
Slip your hand in mine
Ask me to dance with you tonight
Just ask me for my love

I want to hide
What’s deep in my eyes
I’m scared to be known by you
But when I turn my head
And see you there
I want to be pursued...

i really just like that she's honest...and if you take it from our perspective and our ultimate desire for Christ, it is so true that sometimes we're scared to truly be known by someone, even the Lord. we want to hide, but when we SEE Him, we long for His love and for His pursuing US. i love the chorus that just summarizes the romance and love story of God for His people and as women especially we want to know that the man will fight THOUSANDS for our love...and that GOD did fight for us to win over our hearts. ahhhh i just love it. every time i listen to this song i can't help but picture the scenario of Christ's death and that He pursues us, and the lyrics say, "slip your hand in mine, ask me to dance with you tonight, just ask me for my love"...i just picture Christ holding my hand and leading me and joyously dancing and asking for my LOVE. He wants ALL of us, He wants our hearts and every piece of them...not just little parts that we want to give Him, but EVERYTHING. it baffles me that He is gracious enough that while we run from Him and try to hide, He's right there. how blind and selfish we are to want anything more than Christ's offer.
last thing---as i was looking up the lyrics on google...i stumbled upon bethany and shane's wedding pics...AHHHHHH. haha so appropriately, why not look at their wedding pictures and wish that we were her?? jk. but really they are cute. love ya'll!
http://www.benharrisonphotography.com/news/index.php?link=34&cat=2

our humble King.

yesterday i read a really powerful article from the magazine, byFaith. the article explained how even though we often believe God is not answering our prayers, He is. and it went into detail of the Lord's prayer. i will just type some of the excerpts that really struck me...

in the opening lines alan dowd explains unanswered prayers...

"Followers of Christ know there's really no such thing. God answers all of our prayers; it's just that, like a parent who denies a two-year-old's pleading request for more of this or that, He happens to answer some of our prayers with a no. And it's these negatively answered prayers that often frustrate, confuse, and challenge us."

on "hallowed be Your name"...

"Isaiah reminds us that 'He was despised and rejected by men... we esteem him not.' The prophet contines:'He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.' He was, according to Isaiah, 'a man of sorrows... like one from whom men hide their faces.' "

"God is in the details"...

"The good news is that Jesus went through all of this for us. The prayers that seemingly went unanswered, for a time, were answered with an emphatic 'Yes!' for eternity. As Paul would later explain in his second letter to Corinth, 'No matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ.

That means those who have gone hungry or been tempted or wrestled with what seem to be unanswered prayers can find comfort in the fact that Jesus has walked the same path and yet overcome. Jesus, as the author of Hebrews writes, 'had to enter into every detail of human life.'

So He knows what it's like to feel homesick and lonely and out of place. He knows what it's like to be hated for no good reason. He knows what it's like to be tempted to the breaking point. He knows what it's like when a loved one is sick or when a child dies. He knows what it's like when people laugh at you for what you believe. He knows what it's like when it seems that God has hidden His face. He knows what it's like when a friend betrays you. He knows what it's like to be hungry and thirsty and alone. He knows what it's like to cry out for Daddy - to scream 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?' - and yet feel like an orphan. He even knows what it's like to pray desperate prayers and to hear only silence.

But just as important for us, He knows what it's like to hear the 'Well done!' that comes after the silence - and to trust that the Father will answer every prayer according to His perfect plan."

- Alan Dowd for byFaith magazine

wow!!! we serve a faithful and loving God. and i think the reason i put this on this blog imparticular is that He understands our loneliness. if we are lonely for a husband, friends, or family, Jesus experienced all of that. and we are called to die to self and strive for a godly life which Jesus perfectly portrayed. may we look more and more like Him each day. and, too, when we pray for a husband or simply a date or for friends or for our families to understand, He's not ignoring us, He's answering in His time. so often, it's so easy to get impatient. but He's a sovreign God who sees further than we do. He comforts us in our pain and our longing and in our loneliness. ya'll, we don't even have to get married! yes, i want that, but if we fully grasp the greatness of who He is than even a husband falls to the way side. not in day to day life, when the temptations creep in, but when see God face to face all we would want is Him! i pray that His love and His glory, though, would be portrayed in our relationships and others would see the beauty that is in Him. and i think that marriage paints a beautiful picture of that love. but it doesn't fullfill those deep longings. our Savior who gave His entire life for us, He loves us like Romeo loves Juliet... and i know that sounds so cheesy, but ya'll that's what i crave! i crave a Romeo or a Jack from Titanic. someone who fights for me, who sees me and is in awe of me, and will do anything to have me. and, well, that's my God. yes, i know that's cheesy, but i'm sure you know what i'm saying. or Noah from the Notebook. it's portrayed in all our movies. that heroic love. and it's real! ok... now i'm just getting on a rant. but, basically take comfort in Him today! sorry, danielle, i am going to end with more song lyrics... rita springer. she's pretty great!and misty edwards. they kind of go hand in hand. but, for now i'm going to post rita....

worth it all

I don't understand Your ways

Oh but I will give You my song

Give You all of my praise

You hold on to all my pain

With it You are pulling me closer

And pulling me into Your ways

Now around every corner

And up every mountain

I'm not looking for crowns

Or the water from fountains

I'm desperate in seeking, frantic believing

That the sight of Your face

Is all that I need

I will say to You

You're gonna be worth it

You're gonna be worth it

You're gonna be worth it all

I believe this

here's the advice...haha

i forgot to add this to my post!!
Some specific suggestions for how a Christian man can put these principles into action in a dating relationship:
1. Commit to take the lead in the godliness of your relationship. Read the Bible’s passages about how men and women and all Christians should treat one another. Especially take the lead in establishing boundaries that will keep you from sexual sin. Assume that this woman is going to be your wife or the wife of some other Christian brother (who might be currently dating your future wife). Treat her as the precious sister in Christ that she is.
2. Decide in advance whether or not you are willing to love a woman in the self-sacrificing, nurturing way the Bible describes. Until you are ready to faithfully hold a woman’s heart in your hand, do not enter into a dating relationship.
3. Realizing that God wants you to learn to put her interest ahead of your own, ask her the kinds of things she likes to do and be eager to spend time doing them.
4. Be willing to talk about the relationship. Initiate honest dialogue about how you feel. Do not resent her desire to have the relationship defined, but protect her heart by making your level of commitment clear and thereby making clear the appropriate kind of intimacy to go along with that commitment.
5. Pay attention to her heart. Ask her about her burdens and cares. Seek ways to minister to her and to make her cares your own. Instead of being critical of her, speak words of encouragement and support.
6. Do not be shy in ministering the Word of God to her. Do not preach, but exhort her and call to mind God’s promises and God’s love for her in Jesus Christ. Make it a primary goal that she will be spiritually stronger by having been in a relationship with you.
7. If something about her bothers you, think about how you can encourage her in that area. Realize that none of us is without flaws. Pray for her weakness and try to strengthen her in that area. If your concerns are enough to deter you from wanting to marry her, let her know in a forthright manner while being as considerate as possible.

Richard D. Phillips and Sharon L. Phillips
Holding Hands and Holding Hearts, P&R, 2006, p. 77-78. Used by Permission.

What, then, does submission and respect look like for a woman in a dating relationship? Here are some guidelines:
1. A woman should allow the man to initiate the relationship. This does not mean that she does nothing. She helps! If she thinks there is a good possibility for a relationship, she makes herself accessible to him and helps him to make conversation, putting him at ease and encouraging him as opportunities arise (she does the opposite when she does not have interest in a relationship with a man). A godly woman will not try to manipulate the start of a relationship, but will respond to the interest and approaches of a man in a godly, encouraging way.
2. A godly woman should speak positively and respectfully about her boyfriend, both when with him and when apart.
3. She should give honest attention to his interests and respond to his attention and care by opening up her heart.
4. She should recognize the sexual temptations with which a single man will normally struggle. Knowing this, she will dress attractively but modestly, and will avoid potentially compromising situations. She must resist the temptation to encourage sexual liberties as a way to win his heart.
5. The Christian woman should build up the man with God’s Word and give encouragement to godly leadership. She should allow and seek biblical encouragement from the man she is dating.
6. She should make “helping” and “respecting” the watchwords of her behavior toward a man. She should ask herself, “How can I encourage him, especially in his walk with God?” “How can I provide practical helps that are appropriate to the current place in our relationship?” She should share with him in a way that will enable him to care for her heart, asking, “What can I do or say that will help him to understand who I really am, and how can I participate in the things he cares about?”
7. She must remember that this is a brother in the Lord. She should not be afraid to end an unhealthy relationship, but should seek to do so with charity and grace. Should the relationship not continue forward, the godly woman will ensure that her time with a man will have left him spiritually blessed.

Richard D. Phillips and Sharon L. Phillips
Holding Hands and Holding Hearts, P&R, 2006, p. 85-86. Used by Permission.

more song lyrics/advice :)

kate!!! AND SARAH, you both need to stop posting song lyrics, simply because i have already bought on itunes the sandra m. song and just now the caedmon's call song---not good for the budget!! haha. BUT ironically, i have song lyrics from hillsong that i LOVE, and then some "advice" or tips for Christian dating that apply to men and women that mrs. cindy, my friend, sent to me to share on the blog.
the lyrics from hillsong united have actually led me to my knees literally, arms and hands open, desiring so much to have this posture of heart DAILY... especially, as kate said, just waiting for the Lord and wanting to submit our desires to God. how i long to "give all i am to seek HIS face, to place my WHOLE life in His hands". it has been so refreshing to literally be on my knees in prayer asking for the Lord's direction, but praising Him for every part of my life, even the hard things...it's a good reminder of our position as compared to God's, us submitting our lives, our hearts, desires, EVERYTHING to Him. HE is the One who receives all glory and praise.

Falling on my knees in worship
Giving all I am to seek Your face
Lord all I am is is Yours

My whole life
I place in Your hands
God of mercy
Humbled I bow down
In your presence at Your throne

I called You answered
And You came to my rescue and I
I wanna be where You are

In my life be lifted high
In our world be lifted high
In our love be lifted high

song lyrics, continued.

yes... i love that song, sarah. it was pretty much my theme song last year. gotta love sandra mccracken. something that i have learned and know that ya'll have as well, as we continue to wait upon God for a husband or anything at all, is that we must die to all that we want or desire and allow Him to take those desires under His control. the more i must die, and the more i must wait, the more it draws me to Him and makes me love Him more. though, this isn't always my first instinct. it's more like, God please give me what i want, then i realize in Your timing alone. well, caedmon's call really nails these truths in the song, ten thousand angels. i guess you could say this is my theme song this year. haha.

"ten thousand angels" - caedmon's call

how long you have traveled in darkness weeping
no rest in language, no words to speak
but there in the wreckage beneath bricks and bindings
love has come, love has come for you

against the night sky of your waiting
your face is like starlight when he walks in
everything worth keeping comes through dying
love has come, love has come for you

so lift up your heart now, to this unfolding
all that has been broken will be restored
here runs deep waters for all who are thirsty
love has come, love has come for you

ten thousand angels will light your pathway
until the day breaks fully in the East
they will surround you and make your way straight
love has come, love has come for you
love has come, love has come for you

Oh Song Lyrics

So, I don't have a lot of time to spend writing, but I just really wanted to share these lyrics. I know Kate knows this song because I heard it for the first time on her cd. I'm sure even if you know it, you'll enjoy reading it.

I've found that I go through these phases of longing. Its like my loneliness and desperation for a boyfriend has to build up to this breaking point until its like I can't take it anymore. I finally just have to give it up. Well, this has been the longest its taken me to get past it. Honestly, I don't know when I've ever struggled this bad with the guy thing. However, I think I reached that point yesterday where I just realized how distorted my thinking was. I was reminded that God is protecting me. He is saving me and preparing me for Himself ultimately, but also for the right guy, not for a guy I want to settle for. Its all things that I've known, but I'm finally starting to believe them again. So, the song. I specifically love the second verse. I've been listening to the song none stop for a while now, but this verse rang so true for me today.

Shelter

In the arms of a good Father
You can go to the deep water
Where the questions, we have left unspoken
Come out in the open
We will find shelter here

So I lay down, what I cannot hold in my hands
Every sorrow and hope spinning out of control
And here I find sweet resolution comes in letting go
And we will find shelter here

When I look back I can see,
And when I am old I'll remember these things
Like a mountain of stone
And the longing that makes me believe...

There is a tree by the blue river
Where the shade stretches wide over
In this breaking we are hand and glove
Come with me my love
We will find shelter here
We will find shelter here

i love elisabeth elliot!

this post will be mostly elisabeth's LONG quote from her book (an appropriate title, "The Path of Loneliness")---if you get a chance, you should read it! depressing title, but hope-filled MESSAGE!
first though, i wanted to share a little truth that came into my mind this morning as i was running at shelby farms. a BEAUTIFUL cold day with so many different colored leaves everywhere and every piece of God's creation i saw around me looked so clear and crisp. you know what i'm talking about? as i was running, i glanced over and saw a really pretty white bird flying by itself above the lake. the first thing that came to my mind was that the bird was by itself, lonely probably, and flying around but he was flying with confidence. i started to compare my story to the bird's and thought, that bird has a family, it has life and breath, it is lonely. these things i can relate to, but one stuck out most in my mind, and that is---the bird was created by GOD, the great Creator of the universe. I was created by God. then this verse came to mind from matthew 10:29-32
"are not two sparrows sold for a cent? and yet not one of them will fall the the ground apart from your Father, but the very hairs of your head are all numbered. so do not fear; you are more valuable than MANY sparrows. therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, i will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven".
isn't this so humbling, comforting, and moving? God created that lonely bird that was flying around. God gave it wings, life, breath, flight, family, etc. and that same God, whom i was thinking---wow He created that powerful beautiful bird, created US. and even more, He created us from His image, which makes us beautiful! and more valuable than many sparrows! and in matthew, the truth---"but the very hairs of your head are numbered..." God is loving. He has created us for PURPOSE, for His glory. and how comforting that He cares so much for us. it's funny what people can think up and imagine in their heads while running or just randomly throughout the day so many thoughts will pop into my head like that. they probably aren't "normal"...not many people tell stories about being able to relate to birds they see flying around a lake. but praise the Lord that that image came to mind this morning and i had a beautiful start to the day and an overwhelming sense of His love and presence and that all of this---the beautiful story of the Gospel, Creation, the relationship of a Father and the sacrifice of His only Son, the redemption that His blood has provided, ALL of His Word is real. it's funny because as i have gone through this semester of learning about the complexity of head and neck muscles, the complexity of teeth and if any miniscule part of our body were not where it should be or were not functioning in such a way that it has been created, our bodies, mouths, etc. would not work as they were meant to! and i'll think about one tooth and how much is associated with that one tooth out of many, and all of the characteristics about it and how it fits with the other teeth to make the mouth a certain shape, and i have thought to myself---how can someone NOT believe a supernatural God, a transcendent, personal being made this? it baffles me that people claim a force or a man-made god could have created such intricate, complex things...
now the quote from e.elliot:
"my theme is oblation---the offering up of ourselves, all we are, have, do and suffer. sacrifice means something received and something offered. but some may be wondering, How, exactly do i do this? i hesitate to prescribe a method for so solemn and vital a spiritual transaction. God knows your heart and will accept your offering in any way you can make it, i am sure, but a very simple thing has helped me. it is to kneel with open hands before the Lord. be silent for a few minutes, putting yourself consciously in His presence. think of Him. then think of what you have received in the four categories mentioned (are, have, do, suffer)- the gift of a child, for example, or, years later, the empty nest; the gift of work of the inability to work; marriage or singleness; pleasures or burdens; joy or sorrow. next, visualize as well as you can this gift, resting there in your open hands. thank the Lord for whatever aspect of the gift you can honestly thank Him for---if not for the thing in itself, then for its transformability, for His sovereignty, His will which allows you to have this gift, His unfailing love, the promise of His presence in deep waters and hot fires, the pattern for good which you know He is at work on. then, quite simply, offer it up. make God's gift to you your oblation to Him. lift up your hands. this is a physical act denoting your love, your acceptance, your thanksgiving, and your trust that the Lord will make of it something redemptive for the wholeness of the Body, even for the life of the world. do not look for dramatic effects. there may be no discernible result. as my dear friend Frank Murray, an elder brother to me in the Lord, said regarding a matter we had prayed about, "IT IS A MISTAKE TO MEASURE SUCH THINGS BY INTROSPECTION. HE HEARD AND ANSWERED. THAT IS ALL THERE IS TO IT. LET THE ANSWER BE MANIFESTED IN HIS OWN TIME AND WAY". i think you will begin to know the strange peace that is not the world's kind."- e.elliot...the path of loneliness :)

we are not alone.

girls, ya'll are just insanely encouraging. i need this blog. praise God, ya'll thought of it. yes, i agree i loved those max lucado quotes and again, i'm pretty skeptical of him as well. and yes, i believe it is an easy and very scary mentality to just waste our singleness away waiting untill we meet mr. husband and then begin our life. it's like i wouldn't ever admit to that, and then when i think about it, i feel like often i do have that mentality. wow, that was a beautiful passage on esther.

hmm, that's a very dramatic title. it almost sounds alienish but that's not what i mean at all. haha. i don't know about ya'll, but sometimes i think i am the only one walking around with these struggles and feeling lonely... and gasp, wanting to feel sorry for myself. praise God, though, that in those moments He has taught me enough truth to know that i have no reason and no room to feel sorry for anything about my life. i was made aware of this verse and it's true meaning this summer and it has really affected me... actually in ways other than waiting on a husband and the struggle that goes along with that, but now i think it really applies following what i just typed. 1 Corinthians 15:19 says, "If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied." paul is saying, if this salvation, this belief system that we have isn't true and only a part of life here on earth and not eternal (which we know is not true) then our lives are to be pitied. people would feel so sorry for the lives that we lead. think of paul in prison traveling singly proclaiming the truth of the Gospel as he is mocked and beaten. well, i don't know about you, but i don't think there's much about my life to be pitied. and i'm not saying as a Christian we ought to suffer for the sake of suffering. but God calls us to a life that is lower than those who follow this world. our lives are going to look so different if we truly follow Him. and, that may include singleness... that includes not dating or having sex untill we're 30 years old (well i hope it's not that long, but you never know). here is john piper's take on this life with Christ and that verse...
"In other words, here is a life of radical, risk-taking, perilous, sacrificial love. Where did it come from? Where would yours come from? Well, look again at our text, verse 19: "If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied." Now we see what "this life" means to Paul - risk, peril, danger, suffering - all in the service of love. And we stand in awe - and there rises up a longing in our hearts to be like that. It is written by God, I believe, on your heart that this is beautiful. This is right. This is true. This, in the end, would be the best life."
aggghhh! that is just one of those quotes that just makes me want to shout and say, yes!! that's it. that's what i want my life to be about! and, then life kicks in. but it's so true! suffering brings beauty! it brings hope! it brings deep, deep love in Him!!

ok, and here's the original reason i started this post. i'm not even really sure where that first part came from. this song by caedmon's call encourages me so, so much. gosh, i just love it. and i know you have all heard it. but it's the song that just comforts me in knowing, these fears are understandable and they are not only my fears but they are fears of maybe, derek webb himself! so... i love it. and it includes a little verse from some of my favorite scripture.... matthew 6! but, that's why i say we are not alone. it is a common struggle. i am going to bold my favorite lines in case you do not want to read the entire thing... so without further ado, here's table for two. (ha, that rhymed :)).

table for two

Danny and I spent another late night over pancakes,
Talkin' 'bout soccer
And how every man's just the same
We made speculation
On the who's and the when's of our futures
And how everyone's lonely
But still we just couldn't complain

And how we just hate being alone
Could I have missed my only chance
And now I'm just wasting my time
By looking around
But you know I know better
I'm not gonna worry 'bout nothing
Cause if the birds and the flowers survive
Then I'll make it okay
I'm given a chance and a rock
see which one breaks a window
See which one keeps me up all night and into the day

Because I'm so scared of being alone
That I forget what house I live in
But it's not my job to wait by the phone
For her to call

Well this day's been crazy
But everything's happened on schedule
from the rain and the cold
To the drink that I spilled on my shirt
'Cause You knew how You'd save me
before I fell dead in the garden
And You knew this day
long before You made me out of dirt

And You know the plans that You have for me
And You can't plan the end and not plan the means
And so I suppose I just need some peace
Just to get me to sleep.

good reminders :)

a friend sent this to me today, i invited her to join the blog. this is such a great reminder...:
"The preparation of Esther reminds me of that
precious time between the awakening of desire in a young
woman.s heart to share her life with a mate and the
moment she walks down the aisle. For many, this time of
preparation is seen as nothing more than a time of waiting.
Single women often see themselves as sitting on the shelf
while life passes them by, or as sitting on the bench while
others play the game. They do not realize that they are
wasting the most important time of their lives, they are
robbing themselves of great joy and reward, they are
robbing their future husbands of a more virtuous woman,
and they are robbing God of a servant through whom He
desires to do great things.
Every season in life has a beauty and wonder of its
own. My prayer for all single Christian women is that they
might enjoy their time in spite of the lies of the world. That
they might be demanding and not settle for anything less
than the perfect will of God. That they might wait patiently
on God who is the giver of every good and perfect gift.
That they might be like Esther, using whatever time God
deems necessary to make them beautiful on the inside and
out."
Becoming Esther
by Charo & Paul Washer
sarah- i enjoyed reading your post today! i loved the verses and quotes by lucado. i agree with you though, he can definitely be the motivational speaker-type. which in some cases is refreshing, and in others it is kind of surfacey and not what you may want to hear at the time...but i loved the quotes you put! i especially liked the bold "we only need to know He leads". after reading the article i copied and pasted above, i totally see this as being a season where the Lord is working within us. He is present and He is working in ways we don't see but we must trust. i am in awe that He pursues even through my lack of faithfulness and trust. and i love the term "romanced". especially after reading "redeeming love" 2 times, i felt assured and definitely reminded that God is love. He constantly is pursuing us no matter how much and how often we run away from Him. and it's sad and humbling at the same time how much we DO run from Him, when He is the One who loves us unconditionally. i have to be honest and say that i struggle with seeing myself as "sitting on the shelf" watching the world pass me by, when the Lord has sovereignly put this season in my life for HIS glory. selfishly, i look at myself with pity and get into this withdrawal stage where all i want to do is feel sorry for myself. when it seems all of my friends are in relationships or are engaged/married, it's hard not to feel this way. and sometimes i question God and ask Him why i do feel this way, because i desire so much to completely trust Him, and yet so often i look inwardly and am selfish. i so desire for this time in my life to be glorifying to Him and to the Lover of my soul! i so desire to serve Him and truly KNOW and love Him more! but i know and can feel the attack of self-pity and how much it DOES rob me of joy. and something that has stuck with me for months now is something anna l. sent me in a letter that said, "aim for restoration!" with the verse- "restore to me the joy of thy salvation"- ps 51:12. and from ps 23- "HE restores my soul". i'm drawn more and more daily to know everlasting joy through HIM that will banish the self-pity and allow me to live for His Kingdom and not for earthly treasures and not for myself.

to know Him more!

Two Days in a Row

I know I'm a little overexcited, two days in a row.  What can I say, I'm more inspired by this blog than my other.  I'm especially inspired by this topic, and like Danielle said, I find writing about it therapeutic.  Even though I'm not a writer, I've always found that when I have a lot of thoughts going through my head its easier to think them through when I write them all down. Be prepared for this to be long :) 

I called Kate last night and we vented for about an hour.  I was feeling pretty sorry for myself. There might be a new guy in my life whom I could definitely form a crush on and might even receive some encouragement from in that area.  However, although he's a nice and fun guy, its not a crush that I can allow to go anywhere.  I get very discouraged by these crushes because it just feels like a tease.  It always makes me a little more sad each time because I want more than a crush for once. 

I am very much a romantic, and I believe I need to understand more thoroughly how God romances me.  I believe God has created me this way and wants to be the one to woo me, pursue me, romance me.  Ann (Fleener) recently said something to me that has stuck.  She said, quoting Rick Stark, that everything good and enjoyable in this world is only here because God hasn't removed Himself from our presence.  I'd heard that before, but then she said so think about it, the coziness and enjoyment of a hot cup of coffee, is His grace.  So, its made me think about everything I enjoy and to really see that it only comes from Him.  That is romantic.  

So, last night after talking to Kate I pulled out this book, Mocha with Max, by Max Lucado.  It was a favorite of mine in high school.  It just has small quotes, verses, and short stories  that are encouraging.  Now, normally, I'm not a big fan Max Lucado, he's just a little too motivational speaker like.   However, this book is very encouraging and helps me to see God as our Ultimate Pursuer.  I want to share some of my favorites from it.

"God loves you simply because he has chosen to do so.  

He loves you when you don't feel lovely.

He loves you when no one else loves you.

Others may abandon you, divorce you, and ignore you, but God will love you.  Always.  No Matter what."

"God loves you.  Personally.  Powerfully.  Passionately.  Others have promised and failed.  But God has promised and succeeded.  He loves you with an unfailing love. "

"Others love you because of you, because your dimples dip when you smile or your rhetoric charms when you flirt.  Some people love you because of you.  Not God.  He loves you because he is he.  He loves you because he decides to.  Self-generated, uncaused, and spontaneous, his constant-level love depends on his choice to give it."  

"God isn't going to let you see the distant scene.  So you might as well quit looking for it.  He promises a lamp unto our feet, not a crystal ball into the future.  We do not need to know what will happen tomorrow.  We only need to know he leads."

"But why?  Why would heaven's finest son endure earth's toughest pain?  so you would know that "he is able...to run to the cry of...those who are being tempted and tested and tried" (Hebrew 2:18)

Now some verses :)

Christ Jesus...being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross!  Philippians 2:5-8

I'll call nobodies and make them somebodies; I'll call the unloved and make them beloved.  Romans 9:25 (MSG)

You knit me together in my mother's womb. Psalm 139:13

-I think that might be the most intimate verse in the Bible, just my opinion.  The Bible says that he spoke the world into being, but that He knit us together.  

I am with you always, to the very end of the age.  Matthew 28:20.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.  John 3:16

Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.  Matthew 11:28-30

I hope ya'll will enjoy all of this as much as I did.

never saw you coming...

"I am the lover with no one to hold
I am the seeker with an empty soul
I'm everyone who's ever lost hope
And I never saw you coming
I could never dream of running
I have never known such love before
My God, you come, come and breathe your breath in me
Steal away what's left of me
Til you are mine and I am yours
Fall like stars on my shore
Still you are so much more"
who doesn't love bebo norman? this is a song off his new self-titled cd that came out in september. sarah, it is absolutely amazing! if you don't have it, i highly recommend downloading/buying it. every song holds so much meaning and is so prevalent in what the Christian life is about. kate and sarah, both of your posts were so uplifting and encouraging. selfishly, i wanted to start this blog because of my own struggles with desires for relationships and not resting content in the Lord's plan. it is so encouraging to hear that close friends (although separated by distance) are going through the same things and are seeking after the Lord. so i'm going to start this post and end it with bebo norman...i have another song that is truly incredible.
so this year has truly been a time of learning and growing in Christ...i won't go into a lot of detail, but i have been through a lot of heartache and withdrawal after my boyfriend and i broke up last fall. as ya'll know, it was so hard, and i felt so alone and didn't know what to think or feel after being distanced from this person after dating him for so long. but how the Lord works and NOT on our timing! although i have considered this "suffering" and a trial, i also see it as a blessing. after reading sarah's post about initiating and the woman should wait on the man and the Lord ultimately, i realized that that is exactly what i have been going through this past yr. i've tried so hard to mend things with the guy i dated, and i have initiated so much effort into fixing things and trying to get back together with him, that i slowly became drained and physically, emotionally, spiritually TIRED and my "well" felt absolutely dried up. just recently i have finally, by the Lord's goodness, been brought to a place of rest and peace after talking with the boy. i initiated the conversation simply because i had to tell i couldn't put so much time and effort into this anymore, if nothing was coming from the other end. should i have kindof made the "ultimatum"? i still don't know even a week and half later how i mustered the courage and willingness to say what i said to him, but i was completely honest with him. basically, this whole year i've wrongfully held on to ONLY him and put all hopes into dating him again...but the Lord had different plans that may not be what i want, but i'm learning to trust what HE works and does is SO GOOD and so much better than what i could have ever manipulated or figured out on my own. sometimes i wonder, "God, why the whole year of drawing me to you and finally bringing me peace in trusting you? why this whole situation of heartbreak, why so long?" But as kate said, God knows best. He knows far better than we do. and it IS a delight and brings so much rest to just trust Him with everything---even with our desires and what WE want. so this is how i see it as a blessing on the flip side of it being suffering- the Lord does use the suffering, trials, heartache, etc. to break us...He makes us "weak, yet in our weakness He is strong"....when i felt hopeless as if i couldn't break free from the sin of "idolizing" and being consumed in the thoughts and efforts of getting back together with this guy, the LORD was strong and He became what i wanted most to hold on to. ps 6 is a great picture of David in anguish crying out to the Lord and not saying, "Why, Lord, is this suffering coming upon me?" instead he cries out, "How long, O Lord, How long?" the morning of the sunday i had the last convo with the boy was when my pastor at church gave a sermon on suffering and this exact psalm. all i could think about that day before having the convo was this psalm. david was completely honest with God and opened up to God about his despair and his weakness, but at the end he says, "For the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping; the Lord has heard my supplication, the Lord receives my prayer..." i am so grateful to the Lord for showing me CLEARLY that His plan for my life is better than what i wanted. He hasn't exactly taken desires away, but He has provided enough grace for me to make it each day and has slowly healed my heart and brought it to the position it needs to be- humbly before the Cross, in view of my sin and my wanting to hold on to idols, yet His love is greater and His power stronger in that very weakness that i feel.
sorry this is so long girls! i love this blog and i love each of ya'll...can't wait to read new posts. (ps this is kindof therapeutic)
here's the last bebo norman lyric i wanted to post:
"I want to run, it's my nature to run
And I want to fight, it's my nature to fight
And I want to live, but you tell me to die
I have resolved that I'm much better off
In your hands than mine
I'm begging you to hold on tight
Begging you to hold on tight
Begging you to take my life from me
I want a crumb, but you are a feast
I want a song, but you are a symphony
I want a star, but your a galaxy
And I have resolved that I'm much better off
In what you have for me"

seek Him.

yay for this new blog. i needed that quote and scripture this morning! how encouraging. i was talking to a friend recently who now does have a boyfriend... but she has definitely experienced the struggle of waiting. we said that so often there is guilt involved with the frustration with waiting. that we are often made to feel guilty because of a discontentment. but, singleness does involve suffering. it is a type of suffering. it is the absence of something that we want. but, suffering is a blessing. that is how God draws us to Himself. that's how He teaches us. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." - James 1:2-4
praise God that He would want to make me complete. and paul talks about how he has learned contentment. it did not just happen as soon as he was converted. no, through trial and trial and trial, paul learned to be content. and he was of an old age when he finally understood contentment fully.
"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." - philippians 4:12
i am not saying we are to continue to embrace the loneliness factor and live in self pity, but we are called to suffering, we are called to trials and that's perfectly ok. but in those trials we are to look to Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith.

i really did not mean to start to spill... i tend to do that. but, here are two really, really big things that have encouraged me in the past year.

last year i struggled more in this area than i ever had... i don't know what my future holds... but, it did seem as if God really brought all of my longings and all of my fears to a head so He could really break me and draw me near to Him. it changed me and it did draw me so close to Him. during that time, my wonderful, wonderful mentor, Mrs. Barbara, gave me this verse...
"Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." - Matthew 6:33
i probably say this verse to myself more than any other verse ever... i constantly go back to that and find great rest and encouragement. it brings peace to know that that's all that He calls me to do. seek Him. He will provide the rest. seeking Him involves dying to self... dying to our wants and what we may call needs... it means hard work sometimes, perseverance and stepping out of our comfort zones. but if all the while it is His kingdom that we are seeking, and not our own wants or needs, then He will provide the rest. He will provide a husband if that be His will and it will be in due time. He knows when we are ready. we don't know His plan.

ok... this one's a little silly... but this song brings great encouragement to me. it didn't mean to be given to me as encouragement, but i really do believe God set it up. a friend played it for me when i was really struggling having liked a certain guy, without really thinking about it, and she found it inappropriate and apologized where as i found it very encouraging.

"more" - sam and ruby

oh what a sad mistake that both of us have made
believing that i could be happy at putting my own peace of mind at stake
don't be mad about just be sad about it
i need more than you have to give

oh i could stay in this thing knowing there'd be no ring
knowing that there'd be no babies that i could adore and teach how to sing
don't be mad about it just be sad about it
i need more than you have to give

i need more than a casual dating life
i need more than a kiss or two a week
i need more than a long good bye at night
i need someone who can show me i am one of his needs

it's not about the crowds who say that we're a fit
how can you look at my face and then say that you really are fine with this
just admit to it this ain't no way to live
i need more than you have to give

i need more than a casual dating life
i need more than a kiss or two a week
i need more than a long good bye at night
i need someone who can show me i am one of his needs

every relationship is such a blessed gift
i could never holding a grudge when i know i could learn from it
you are beautiful but i need a miracle
i need more than you have to give

please don't be mad about just be sad about it
i need more than you have to give


ok... so the song. isn't it true though. i know that i have wanted to settle in this past... and put stock in one certain guy, when i knew that it was not right. but know exactly what we need. it was if He was saying to me, Kate you are so devestated right now, but I see past this and I have so much more for you. and two, we don't have to be mad about our past, we don't have to hang on to it. we are to let it go... God has redeemed us, past, present, and future. give it to Him. and trust that He knows what's best for you.

wow... this has gotten long. i am going to end with one quote... from a book i read last year called the allure of hope. it was written by a woman shortly after her fiance broke off their engagement. so, you must know that she was in pain and seeking Christ with all she could for comfort and answers. this is what she had to say...

"In the days following my broken engagement, I predictably couldn't shake my fiance's eyes from my memory. They are deep and clear eyes, eyes that had held such light for me. The eyes are the window to the sould; his eyes mirrored a noble and passionate soul, touched by God. I wished for the image of his eyes to go away - not out of contempt, just out of needing relief. If I could just banish those eyes from my memory, then the loss would be lessened and I could function.
God visited me there. He didn't ask me to remove my love's eyes from my heart, nor did He chide me for trying to banish his memory. He knew it was just too much for me. So He gave me a vision. The vision was of jesus waiting for me at the end of an aisle more beautiful than that of any European cathedral. When I arrived and looked in His eyes, I saw the same light I had seen in my love's eyes, only perfected and ture. I realized at that moement that the light I had loved in my fiance's eyes had been Jesus all along. Did I love this man? Oh, yes, no question. But Jesus was showing me that what I most needed, what I thought I had lost, was still with me. The vision continued with feasting and festivities celebrating our love. It surpassed anything I could imaging. I had a glimpse of finally knowing Him. I knew then that it was true:
No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no mind had imagined
what God has prepared
for those who love Him... 1 Corinthians 2:9"

ok, sorry for the massive post... i am glad all of these thoughts are recorded now though, because they are probably 3 of the biggest things that i am encouraged by and i try to encourage others with... seek His kingdom, He knows what we need.... don't settle, and He is the great love of our life.

First Post!

As I was trying to figure out what to call this thing, I went to a blog called Girl Talk. A woman was talking about how she and her husband ended up together. They were best friends in highschool, and she was in love with him but had to wait forever until he felt the same way and made his move. Sometimes I'm hesitant to read those kind of stories because I feel like they give this false hope of every crush you have will end up liking you. However, these passeges were a good reminder that the man is supposed to be the initiator when sometimes it doesn't feel true anymore. Also, it was a good reminder to be patient and wait on the Lord.

So here it is:

"Plus, when all was said and done, I didn't want to be the initiator--I knew
that wasn't the role God had designed for me! To echo Carolyn's words,
"Don't you ultimately want a guy who is attracted enough to pursue you,
without needing hints from you?" Not only that, but I would also add:
"Don't you want a man who will take the lead in your relationship and
marriage and be strong as the spiritual head of the household?" It's hard
enough for men to do that without you starting things off by taking the
lead. If you initiate in the beginning, you'll be establishing a pattern that
more than likely will be incredibly hard to break..."

"...And so, although it seemed crazy, I ended things with the other guy and
kept my mouth shut. Rather than take matters into my own hands, I
stepped back and realized that I didn't "need" answers, as some had said. I
needed to trust in the Lord..."

...Looking back, I'm so thankful that God didn't give me the confirmation I
sought in advance! Though He surely could have told me, "You and Steve
will be married someday, so be patient and wait for my timing," I'm so glad
He didn't. I know I would have been tempted to take matters into my own
hands--to manipulate situations and try to bring about in my own way
what was supposed to happen! I'm unspeakably grateful that instead, He
gave me the grace to wait upon Him...

...And of course I can tell you that the wait was worth it. All those tears and
all that uncertainty seem a distant memory now that I'm married to the
man of my dreams. God used that time to draw me to Himself and to teach
me to hope in Him. He used it to prepare both Steve and me. And our
relationship unfolded in His perfect way and in His perfect time--resulting
in a love story that has His fingerprints of grace and goodness all over it...

The Lord says, I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name."Psalm 91:14 NLT

So here's the idea, we can all post on the blog when get a chance, either responding to what someone else has already written or coming up with something new. I don't know about any of you, but senior year has become a little more difficult to trust that God is in control of this area of my life. It sometimes seems like everyone around me has begun to date someone, or has gotten engaged, or even already married. I need help, and I'm guessing some of you might as well. Ultimately we just need to point each other to Christ right? Remind each other that He is our ultimate pursuer. I hope you all like this idea!