Check out ‘His Love Stories’ @ Boundless!

Just finished reading a beautiful article by Elisabeth Adams on the Boundless webzine – love it! When you have time, you need to definitely check out “His Love Stories“. It’s so beautiful to see that God works and God loves and God moves His people together to understand how deep His love is for US through real flesh and blood intimate relationships. Why is this so cool? Oh, I’ll tell you why! He wrote His love story on my heart, too! Our God is amazing!

For more good reading: [Don't] Mind the Gap: Part 1 also at Boundless.

31 Days

While Project 365 may have a few too many numbers in there, this challenge from Revive Our Hearts was right down my alley. I highly suggest you run with this idea: spend 31 days reading Proverbs 31 for a Biblical view of womanhood. How much closer we would all get to understanding the God who made us if we took some more time zooming in on His word. What’s great is every day, you get an email with insights to help. Now this I can manage. 

30 Day True Woman Make-Over!

Check out the True Woman Blog here: http://www.truewoman.com/?id=15

Single Beauty

Thinking about single beauty.

Check it out! From the Boundless Podcast: episode 58 “Straight Talk for Single Women”…

Give God the pen

“Dreams Come True” is the love story of Eric and Leslie Ludy who have created Set Apart Life which is a ministry to encourage individuals to lead a sanctified life as Christ would desire. Apparantly their love story was super-amazing, wow, story-book written, but I can’t seem to find the book in any of my libraries so I’m taking their word.

The Ludy’s – who also have a pretty beautiful story regarding their adopted daughter and son - have been speakers on the beauty of marriage and the beauty of giving God the pen to write YOUR love story. What a novel concept, right?! I pray to let God take control of my finances, or to take control of my work environment, and even my family, but I don’t always keep my love story in that list. And if God hasn’t given up on me, then I really shouldn’t give up on the idea and try to make that aspect of my life a “last ditch effort” on my part and take the lead. I should continue to lift it up to God, and let Him do amazing things like He always does. To God be the glory.

Leslie mentions the purity involved in setting your life aside even before you meet your spouse. For the singles, that means setting myself up for the best that God has coming to me. It DOESN’T mean making things happen on my own, forcing a situation, or dwelling on the past. It also doesn’t mean sitting like a speed bump waiting for someone. I think that’s important too. God, as the author and finisher of our faith, desires for us to give Him the glory which naturally pours out into every aspect of our life, especially our marriage. What better picture of the love of Christ than the physical union of husband and wife?! Well, the church, yeah, but, the faithfulness of man and woman to one another is a very fleshy example of God’s faithfulness to us, even before we came to know Him as savior.

Simple? Definitely not. Worthwhile? Peaceful? Joyful, even? Definitely. Our actions involve premeditated actions that come from premeditated thoughts to live faithfully. Their story is an encouragement of the joy we experience when God is glorified above all.

You can listen to an interview here at their site for their book, “When God Writes Your Love Story” http://setapartlife.com/WGW_-_Q1.html. I highly highly recommend checking out their site and just scrolling through the pages. Time well spent.

 

Girl’s Guidebook is out!

This is not a joke!

The Girl’s Guide to Marrying Well is finally out! You can download a copy at Boundless.org, the young adult division of Focus on the Family.  It’s great.  Seriously, I’m not being sarcastic.  At the end, there’s a hotline to request a date with a single, Christian eligible bachelor. http://www.boundless.org/girls/

That was a joke. But the online collection is pretty encouraging. From the perspective of a single, Christian female, I found it a good read.  Affirmed the call to be patient, to be yourself, and to seek God’s glory rather than your ex-boyfriends whereabouts.  It also reaffirmed the Biblical perspective of the female image and God’s beautiful design for her right here on earth. Impressive.  It serves as a reminder to me to never take my single brothers and sisters in Christ for granted – especially when guidance seems to be lacking. 

Reading the Guy’s Guide to Marrying Well (why read just one side?) also affirmed my belief that guys need a ton of affirmation and assistance from the community in taking charge and “putting it all on the line” like they ought to if they want to be real men and take risks in life that are worthwhile…

Can I get an amen from anybody?

From this month’s Discipleship Journal

“THE MIND OF MAN PLANS HIS WAYS, BUT THE LORD DIRECTS HIS STEPS.” Proverbs 16:9

In this month’s Discipleship Journal, Paula Rinehart writes on releasing regret – overcoming the questions and doubts from the past and letting God’s sovereignty overtake us. She encourages us to not look at years as if they’ve been wasted (such an evil lie!). As believers in Christ, we have a different way to live: “If we make the journey of life in Christ well, we will eventually come face-to-face with the sovereignty of God.”…

Good news: “The God who spoke the worlds into existence and keeps the stars in place is the GOD who knows you like no one else ever will. He has always loved you. He will love you to the end. His purposes for you are so set that you can rest every minute in the shade of His merciful superintendence over your life.”

Love the Right Way

I think it’s possible to love the wrong way. My intentions can show that I might put a limit on how far or how much love I might give. They can tell me if I’ve mistaken love for something else, or if I’ve ignored it for shameful reasons. That’s loving all wrong. But ”the lips of the righteous know what is acceptable” (Psalm 10:32).

Loving the right way doesn’t come with butterflies. It doesn’t come with an A+ or a round of applause. You don’t always get a feeling or a voice in the night. Loving the right way is patient, it’s righteous, godly, and it takes your whole being. Loving the right way takes practice. And it’s not easy. It speaks through everything you do. It brings you closer to God, to His glory, to His people. And it will always return.

1 Corinthians 13

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

Charity sufferth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth (boasts) not itself, is not puffed up,

Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known.

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. ~~~

The single raunch culture

I’m out of the academic research loop on many things including social cultural thoughts, but I found this post and linked article interesting. You can read it here by author Carolyn McCulley. The referring article is found originally at The Wall Street Journal Online. She refers to the current world of singleness as a raunch culture giving examples of media spots like Girls Gone Wild and Sex in the City. Women seem to portray a provocative stance and are very much on the offense (as opposed to defensively) advertising their sexuality. 

Singleness becomes a lottery ticket: we sell the phrase for attractive ideas – that aren’t lasting – in hopes of cashing in on happiness and peace. We confuse sex with sexuality and presuppose that sexiness is the only way to connect the two.  

The article’s focus on college reflects how easy it is to miss the conservative’s views of dating on campus, and all the actions (and non-action) involved with “keeping your body a temple.” I would’ve loved to have had a college discussion on sexuality and spirituality in my own class. We mock relationships, beat down the concept of marriage, criticize the government for getting involved in family life, and step back from positive conversation on the amazing creation of God – the human being, male and female. I’d like more positive discussion on the cultural influence of the single female made in the image of God.

The idea of trading in a date for sex, or 1 outfit for lowered expectations is objectifying and doesn’t move us away from consumerist attitudes of women. Collectively looking at her impact and necessity in society is empowering and instructive for us as we move forward in any realm – work, school, home, church, wherever.   

Recommended reading: Sex God by Rob Bell. You can read a sample here. 

 

What Have We Become

It’s important to not let these things slide. Cheerleader Attack 

On Tuesday, eight teens decided to attack a girl and videotape the accomplices taking turns in the beating. They first kidnapped her, and then threatened her life if she talked to law enforcement. Six females were involved in the beating and 2 males who reportedly stood by – all between 15-18 years. The father says her face was disfigured so badly, he wasn’t able to recognize her. Those are all facts.

When I was in elementary school, we had help groups during the day where we’d sit with a highschooler who would help us with our reading. I only remember the highschoolers now because I took them for granted then, but what I remember most was the fact that we grew up to expect them to be there, in their chair, with all of us in a circle. The one mentor I remember was male, quiet, and very encouraging to us. He also wore a lot of black and, if memory serves me correctly, had spikes in his clothing. He was between the age of 15-18 years. I don’t know where he is now. But those are all facts.

Someone forgot to expect moral responsibility despite whatever physical facts we see, whatever ‘role’ we play in 4 years of schooling. Looks like at least 8 kids forgot, and every single person checking out that video. What happened this week was very much a sexuality issue. A twisted concept of female strength, of solidarity (not even friendship), and male guidance. Somewhere these girls misunderstood their sexuality and self-worth by disrespecting the female body and desecrating the image of another human being. It’s that serious. What’s more, they made a decision to publicly advertise their actions as acceptable.

Unfortunately, I can’t just look on when violent behavior happens in youth who have the full potential of leading the next generation. The fact is, every child needs to be able to trust and appreciate her sexuality if she’s ever going to make decisions that have true lasting value.  It can’t happen when youth senselessly violate each other and the media advertises it.

“What Have We Become“: DC Talk

No Love Note Needed

When you don’t call a girl, for whatever reason, it’s not on your priority list. She doesn’t need a love note or a bouquet of roses, or sympathy. When you don’t ask to see how she’s doing, or take time to hang out – she gets it. Females see through the attempts and can call it for what it is – disinterest. Sure it may take some time and heartbreak, but eventually reality will set in and she’ll move on as other things creep into the schedule. I’m not sure what guys do on the other hand, but they would do a greater service to be honest and at least call it for what it is.   

“At the age of eleven or thereabouts
women acquire a poise and an ability to handle difficult situations
which a man, if he is lucky, manages to achieve somewhere in the later
seventies.” – P.G. Wodehouse

To their credit, I believe women adapt much earlier than that.

Recommended reading: “I’m just not attracted to her – Part 2“