Last evening I had a lovely chat at Starbucks with my friend M. We both agreed on something about our singleness: that it seems to be getting easier. That’s not to say that we wouldn’t like to be married and have kids someday. I know I definitely do hope for those things. But, it’s not as difficult as it used to be, to be content with where I’m at now.
M and I are both finished school, working, serving in church, and staying busy, and we’ve found that at this phase/stage in our lives, it is good to be single. God is such a good provider, and I am confident that he will provide a spouse if it is the best thing for me. But for now, I am so grateful that it is getting easier to live the single life. (I know not everyone will have the same experience(s) that I have had, but I want to say that there is hope for all you young single ladies. :) )
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
What is love?
Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person's ultimate good as far as it can be obtained. -- C.S. Lewis
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Your Love is Deep
I'll admit it. I’ve been having a hard time being content in singleness. Some days it's just more difficult than I expect it to be.
I’ve been to 2 weddings in the last two weeks, and have heard about so many more. Don’t get me wrong; I’m so happy for the newlywed couples. It’s a blessing to be friends with so many godly people who aspire to honour God with their lives and their marriages. It’s just that, despite my efforts to remain content, I’ve felt insecure.
As I try to refocus on Jesus, I’ve found these words coming to mind.
Your love is deep
Your love is high
Your love is long
Your love is wide
Deeper than my view of grace
Higher than this worldly place
Longer than this road I travel
Wider than the gap you filled
("Your Love Is Deep" song)
This song is based on Ephesians 3:17-19: "And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."
His love is exactly what I need right now. Although part of me wants to dive into a romantic relationship, I’ve been there before and I know that kind of relationship isn’t really what my heart is craving. It won’t completely satisfy. I need to be satisfied in Christ.
I’ve been to 2 weddings in the last two weeks, and have heard about so many more. Don’t get me wrong; I’m so happy for the newlywed couples. It’s a blessing to be friends with so many godly people who aspire to honour God with their lives and their marriages. It’s just that, despite my efforts to remain content, I’ve felt insecure.
As I try to refocus on Jesus, I’ve found these words coming to mind.
Your love is deep
Your love is high
Your love is long
Your love is wide
Deeper than my view of grace
Higher than this worldly place
Longer than this road I travel
Wider than the gap you filled
("Your Love Is Deep" song)
This song is based on Ephesians 3:17-19: "And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."
His love is exactly what I need right now. Although part of me wants to dive into a romantic relationship, I’ve been there before and I know that kind of relationship isn’t really what my heart is craving. It won’t completely satisfy. I need to be satisfied in Christ.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Practice for being a mom
With Teddy’s recent health issues, I’ve become particularly aware of how similar dog ownership is to baby ownership. :) Here are some of the reasons why:
1. I bathe him, feed him, cut and comb his hair, talk to him, teach (i.e. train) him, love him, and play with him. I make sure he gets everything that he needs. He’s completely dependent on me for these things.
2. Sometimes he keeps me up at night. On numerous occasions I have gotten up in the middle of the night to care for him: whether it was to get him water, take him outside, change his pee pad, or just tell him to go back to bed (he actually listens!).
3. When there’s something wrong, I just know. I can easily read his body language and behaviour, and can sense when he’s in pain, when he’s anxious, uncomfortable or scared.
4. I had never felt more fearful of losing something than when Teddy started peeing blood.
5. I was (and am) willing to expend all of my resources to figure out what the illness was: time, money, sleep, etc.
6. I cried when the vet said he needed to stay overnight at the clinic. It’s awful to not be able to care for your baby when he’s sick!
I’m thankful for this preparation for the future, for being a mom (hopefully). I know that caring for a baby takes much more work, and is waaaay more complex, but I like to think that caring for Teddy is good practice anyway.
I’m so thankful for this trial, as it has helped me to realize that Teddy is just another thing that I have failed to trust God with. May I learn to surrender all things, even my doggie, to the Lord.
1. I bathe him, feed him, cut and comb his hair, talk to him, teach (i.e. train) him, love him, and play with him. I make sure he gets everything that he needs. He’s completely dependent on me for these things.
2. Sometimes he keeps me up at night. On numerous occasions I have gotten up in the middle of the night to care for him: whether it was to get him water, take him outside, change his pee pad, or just tell him to go back to bed (he actually listens!).
3. When there’s something wrong, I just know. I can easily read his body language and behaviour, and can sense when he’s in pain, when he’s anxious, uncomfortable or scared.
4. I had never felt more fearful of losing something than when Teddy started peeing blood.
5. I was (and am) willing to expend all of my resources to figure out what the illness was: time, money, sleep, etc.
6. I cried when the vet said he needed to stay overnight at the clinic. It’s awful to not be able to care for your baby when he’s sick!
I’m thankful for this preparation for the future, for being a mom (hopefully). I know that caring for a baby takes much more work, and is waaaay more complex, but I like to think that caring for Teddy is good practice anyway.
I’m so thankful for this trial, as it has helped me to realize that Teddy is just another thing that I have failed to trust God with. May I learn to surrender all things, even my doggie, to the Lord.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Blog vacation
Just about every blog I read seems to be on summer vacation. (All of them, simultaneously!)
Hey bloggers: Get back to it! What else am I going to do on my breaks at work? :P
Hey bloggers: Get back to it! What else am I going to do on my breaks at work? :P
Thursday, July 28, 2011
What are you more excited about: Jesus, or your future husband?
I've recently been reading, and loving, some of the anecdotes and words of wisdom posted by Kelly Needham. I don't know her personally, but stumbled on to her blog from her husband's website. Her husband, Jimmy Needham, is a Christian music artist (who you can check out here). Both Jimmy and Kelly seem to be solid Christian people who are speaking up (or singing) about their faith in Jesus, and how it has impacted their life. :)
Kelly, once single like the lot of us, writes about waiting on God for her future husband, in the post titled "My First Love":
"What are you more excited about: Jesus or your future husband? God was never designed to simply be the means for us to receive things... We were created to be in a passionate, consuming, and loving relationship; this is why our hearts long for it. So when we do not experience this fulfilling relationship in God, we naturally look for it in other things: usually in a relationship here on earth."
She makes a few really great points:
- that we tend to see God only as the vehicle that brings us what we need and want
- that we put relationships ahead of God, especially that special relationship that we all long for
We need to love Jesus first and foremost, or we're just going to put our future husband on a pedestal. We will put that man in the place where Jesus should be, and this is dangerous.
Read the post yourself for more thoughts on this!
What are your thoughts? Do you see this tendency in your own life- to view God merely as the vehicle that brings you what you need? Or are you truly excited about getting to know God, and experiencing his love for you?
Kelly, once single like the lot of us, writes about waiting on God for her future husband, in the post titled "My First Love":
"What are you more excited about: Jesus or your future husband? God was never designed to simply be the means for us to receive things... We were created to be in a passionate, consuming, and loving relationship; this is why our hearts long for it. So when we do not experience this fulfilling relationship in God, we naturally look for it in other things: usually in a relationship here on earth."
She makes a few really great points:
- that we tend to see God only as the vehicle that brings us what we need and want
- that we put relationships ahead of God, especially that special relationship that we all long for
We need to love Jesus first and foremost, or we're just going to put our future husband on a pedestal. We will put that man in the place where Jesus should be, and this is dangerous.
Read the post yourself for more thoughts on this!
What are your thoughts? Do you see this tendency in your own life- to view God merely as the vehicle that brings you what you need? Or are you truly excited about getting to know God, and experiencing his love for you?
Monday, July 25, 2011
Norway bomber thinks he's doing what's best for Europe
I can't believe my ears when I hear some of the things that are going on in the world today. By now most people have heard about the bombing and shooting events that happened on Friday, July 22. At least 93 people, including 86 children, were murdered.
Yesterday I was chatting about the tragedy with two friends, when one mentioned that the motive behind the events was one man's desire to eradicate Muslims from Europe. Another said that she heard that the people responsible were from a fundamental Christian group.
After some research, I realize that the man responsible for the killings is not a Christian. In fact, I doubt that he's even part of a terrorist group (or any group, period). He spent a full year of his life playing 'World of Warcraft'. I'm not condemning people who play World of Warcraft, I just think that this dude is probably a very lonely, very unstable individual. When people spend a lot of time in isolation, they can develop ideas that aren't based on reality.
This man, who is the sole cause of these horrifying acts, says that he is part of the group "Pauperes Commilitones Christi Templique Solomonici", the Knights Templar.
This group doesn't exist anymore.
Wikipedia states that the group was originally endorsed by the Catholic Church. But, it "existed for approximately two centuries in the Middle Ages"!
That point aside, Norway is in mourning. Not only has this rocked their sense of safety and national peace, but the crazy man is not sorry for what he did. He believes that he is fighting a revolution, and is doing what's right for Europe.
There is evil in this world; just look around. God is here, but things will remain in the state they are in until Jesus returns, and God restores things for good.
Yesterday I was chatting about the tragedy with two friends, when one mentioned that the motive behind the events was one man's desire to eradicate Muslims from Europe. Another said that she heard that the people responsible were from a fundamental Christian group.
After some research, I realize that the man responsible for the killings is not a Christian. In fact, I doubt that he's even part of a terrorist group (or any group, period). He spent a full year of his life playing 'World of Warcraft'. I'm not condemning people who play World of Warcraft, I just think that this dude is probably a very lonely, very unstable individual. When people spend a lot of time in isolation, they can develop ideas that aren't based on reality.
This man, who is the sole cause of these horrifying acts, says that he is part of the group "Pauperes Commilitones Christi Templique Solomonici", the Knights Templar.
This group doesn't exist anymore.
Wikipedia states that the group was originally endorsed by the Catholic Church. But, it "existed for approximately two centuries in the Middle Ages"!
That point aside, Norway is in mourning. Not only has this rocked their sense of safety and national peace, but the crazy man is not sorry for what he did. He believes that he is fighting a revolution, and is doing what's right for Europe.
There is evil in this world; just look around. God is here, but things will remain in the state they are in until Jesus returns, and God restores things for good.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)