We Survived the Storm!

We did indeed survive Hurricane Irene and I am very thankful to report that we have no damage to our house and property.  Your prayers were so greatly appreciated.  It was a really scary storm, ya’ll.  I thought it would never end.

It started coming in on Friday night; I hardly slept at all because the wind was so bad.  It whipped around the house for hours and hours and didn’t stop until late Saturday night.  It was an extremely long night and Saturday was even worse because we lost power that morning around 7:00… (We didn’t get our power back on until last night) That was one of the longest days of my life as we all sat in the living room together and rode out the storm.  We listened to the radio trying to hear the latest weather reports, read books, watched movies on the laptops, took naps, texted other friends and checked on what was going on in their neck of the woods during the storm, and went through the cabinets trying to find things to eat that we didn’t have to heat up or cook on the stove.  I do not want to have to do that again for a long while.

We are very fortunate to have our power restored so quickly because I have several friends that still do not have power.  They have been told that it will be much later in the week until it’s back too.  Also, Moriah called me during the hurricane and told me that a huge pine tree had fallen on their house and that they had a big hole in their bonus room upstairs.  Sarah-Anne also had a tree fall in her yard, but it didn’t fall on their house.  Thankfully. =)We only had a couple of big tree limbs fall, lots of leaves and little branches around the yard, and one of our neighbors trees fell just inches away from my bedroom window…

         

The mess that Irene left behind around Eastern North Carolina is absolutely incredible!  It’s going to take months to get everything back to “normal” again.  We took a drive around our town yesterday morning and I took a few pictures for all of you to see…

    

We have a lot of big trees and power lines down all around town. And we also have quite a bit of flooding in the surrounding counties…

Please be praying that we can clean up all of this damage quickly, that the power will be restored, and that everyone will work together as a team, so we can get Eastern North Carolina back in order again sooner than later.  Thank you again for all of your prayers!

Hurricane Irene is coming…

Yes, the “lovely” hurricane that the weather channel keeps talking about is heading straight towards Eastern North Carolina…We are preparing for the worst, but hoping for the best.

We’re working on washing clothes, filling bath tubs and sinks, washing dishes, cleaning out refrigerators, gathering candles and flashlights, getting our outside chairs, tables, and plants inside, and making sure we have enough food and water for the next few days.  It doesn’t hurt to be prepared, even if the storm doesn’t turn out as bad as it sounds on the weather channel, right?  We got stuck at my grandma’s house during Hurricane Floyd, so we are trying to be more prepared this time around.  It’s not fun to go through a storm like this without some major necessities and supplies.

If you think about it, please pray for our family (and the entire state of NC) because this storm is really big and they are predicting it to cause a lot of damage.  Stay safe everyone and I’ll try to update you all as soon as possible!  I really hope we don’t lose power, but if we do for a couple of days or something, please don’t be too worried.  I will update as soon as I am able to get back online.

“Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."  -Luke 8:25

Goodbye for now, my sweet friends!  =)

Preparing for a God-Glorifying Marriage {Guest post by Lauren}

I am so grateful to Emily for giving me this opportunity to share with you about preparing for marriage.  This is a subject that is very near and dear to my heart, so I'm excited to have an occasion to write about it!

Preparing for marriage is a huge undertaking that takes a good measure of diligence and hard work.  Preparing yourself for the man God has created you for is something that can only be done with the Lord's help.  Trying to prepare ourselves in our own strength will not take us very far.  We'll only end up spinning our wheels and productivity will escape us.

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."  -Proverbs 3:5-6

God has given each of us something very special.  He has given us time.   Minutes and hours very quickly turn into months and years.  If we are not making the most of our time right now, we will one day find ourselves as incapable newlyweds, unable to properly order our days and manage our homes.  The Lord might bring you and your future husband together far sooner than you expect.  When your wedding day is fast approaching, you'll want the peace that comes with knowing that you've made the most of your days as an unmarried young woman.

I have had many women tell me stories of how terribly unprepared they were when they first entered marriage.  While they were waiting to meet their future husband, they chose not to take the time to prepare themselves properly and ended up having to spend many years playing "catch-up" because of it.  Don't spend your unmarried years living only for yourself, caught up in the pleasures of the world; spend these precious years seeking to honor the Lord.

"LORD, make me to know my end, And what is the measure of my days, That I may know how frail I am. 

Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths

And my age is as nothing before You;

Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor."

-Psalm 39:4-5

Marriage may involve excitement and romance, but it also requires a great deal of hard work, self-denial, and sacrifice to make a union truly beautiful.  These actions, driven by a zeal for glorifying Jesus Christ, are the manifestation of true love.   If we prepare ourselves now for this beautiful lifelong calling, we will be far better equipped for handling the difficulties that will arise in future years.  By preparing now, we are essentially loving our future families.

If it is our prayer to be as best prepared as we possibly can be, we should have a plan to help guide us.  I thought it might be helpful to give you a few practical suggestions you can implement on your journey toward marriage.  I would also like to add that I believe it is very important to speak with your parents about these things.  They are the ones best equipped to counsel, shepherd, and instruct you.  They can pray for you and encourage you like no one else can, so be sure to always listen to their guidance.  They are precious treasures that God has blessed you with.

Set goals! I love writing down my goals because it helps me to stay focused.  Since I tend to be a "list person", I break down my goals into 4 separate lists.  I have them written down on a master list as well as monthly lists, weekly lists, and daily lists.  To some people, this might seem a bit excessive, but it really helps me to accomplish things.  Having goals written down (instead of floating around in my head) reminds me to work on things I would have otherwise forgotten about.

(Note: When I say "written down", I really mean "typed up".  Keeping my lists on the computer makes it super easy to add things, remove things, and make other changes.) I also separate my goals (on all 4 lists) into categories like spiritual growth, education, projects, home keeping, food preparation, etc.  Your categories would probably look somewhat different than mine based on your interests, your family, and your season of life. The main point of having goals is to help ensure that you're using your time wisely.  In forming your goals, talk with your parents about ways you need to improve, how you can better serve your family, what you need to be working on, etc.  Goals are great to have, but they shouldn't take precedence over the important things of day to day life. I might not accomplish every single item on my list on any given day, week, or month, but the important thing is to try.  Stay productive!  It's great to be able to look back later on and see how far you've come.

Pray! "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17) to the God who "is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think" (Ephesians 3:20).  

Our mighty God hears and answers prayer.  Pray for your future spouse.  Pray for guidance, for wisdom, and for purity of heart.  Pray that you might become a humble, yet strong woman of God that is capable of much.  Pray about how the Lord would have you spend your time preparing for marriage. Grow! Protect your mind and heart from bad influences and corrupt company.  Keep good friends who will encourage you in the Lord.  Remember, spiritual preparation is crucial to being truly prepared for marriage.  I could be a gourmet cook who manages an immaculate house and keeps everything running perfectly smoothly, but if my heart is bitter and cold toward the things of God, I am nowhere close to being prepared for a God-glorifying marriage. 

I hope this has encouraged you in some way...  I would love to hear any thoughts you'd like to add!  May our gracious Lord bless your efforts to further His kingdom and grow in godliness. 

Soli Deo Gloria, 

Lauren

"For I know the thoughts

that I think toward you,

says the LORD,

thoughts of peace

and not of evil,

to give you a future

and a hope." 
-Jeremiah 29:11

It is my heart's desire is to bring glory to God. I am a 23-year-old stay at home daughter, committed to serving my family in this special season of life.  My daily prayer is to be a strong "corner pillar" (Psalm 144:12) as I strive to grow in godliness and learn to be a keeper at home.  Right now I also help with my family's homeschool book business and ministry, Geneva Homeschool Books.  You can find me over at A Corner Pillar where I share my thoughts, photography, and some of life's little adventures.

Inspiration Workshop: Favorite Color

This week's prompt for Gussy's Inspiration Workshop is: your favorite color.  If you know me at all, you know I'm obsessed with pink (and pretty much any "bright" color in the rainbow).  Pink is just so happy and bright!  My two current favorite combos are: {1}pink mixed with shades of blue and brown and {2} pink mixed with shades of green, yellow, and aqua.  Gorgeous!

Here's my inspiration board:

 
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{via Google}

Check out all the inspiration on her blog where many other awesome bloggers link their posts as well.

 

The Most Romantic Girl on the Block {Guest post by Raquel}

I am probably one of the most romantic people you will ever meet.  A friend of mine might fight for his place in that category, but no…honestly…me, right here!  I am the most romantic girl on the block.  I’m sure a lot of you girls think that you are the most romantic, but I’m sorry…that seat of honor is mine. :)

Because of having such a romantic inclination, I found myself having a hard time keeping my thoughts and emotions pure at one time in my life.  It’s not that I would check out every guy that I met, but…without even really wanting to, I would start to imagine a romantic relationship with them.  I didn’t want to think of it as a ‘bad’ thing (but deep down inside, I knew it wasn’t good), and sometimes I argued that ‘I couldn’t help myself’ and that ‘other girls probably did the same thing’.  Those were just lame excuses for trying to let myself get my own way…and it was wrong.  I didn’t want to admit it at first, but, I finally did. 

What I had been doing was wrong.

But how do I keep myself from having all these romantic thoughts, LORD?  I want to be loved.  I want to have a boyfriend.  All my peers have boyfriends!  I even have some friends who are married – some who are even starting families of their own!  I want to be the girl who is holding the hand of a good-looking guy.  I want to be the girl some hunk gives his sweater to when she’s cold.  I want to be the girl that that strikingly handsome guy is saying all those sweet things to, and whispering in her hair. 

And how did God reply? Wait on Me, my daughter.  No! I cried out defiantly.  It’s too hard to wait.  Wait for what?  For me to grow into some old maid?  To be the last daughter that leaves home?  To see all my friends get married to the love of their life, but for me not to have even met mine?   The most romantic girl on the block had slowly turned into a defiant brat.  And there is an explanation for that...

Every human being – male or female – is depraved.  We are full of worldly sin…and the only way to be freed from that is through Jesus.   I was too proud to repent, though.  I wanted to be loved, to get married young, and to start a family right off.  Family and friends were saying things like, ‘Oh, Raquel, you’re so young!  The right guy will come along just when God wants him to.’

         
I was getting tired of hearing that…But I knew that they were right.  Suddenly, I found myself on a journey.  A journey that God Himself had written out for my life.  At just the moment that He wanted me to travel down this road, I found myself caught up in an immense realization.   It was a path of repentance…a path of forgiveness…and a path of patience.  God showed me how wrong I had been, how selfish my desires were, and that I needed to repent of how I had been acting.  When I did, He gently forgave me.  He gave me a clean spirit and pure heart.  And from that day forward, He helped me view my guy friends as, not potential suitors, but as brothers in the LORD.

God showed me that I needed to hand the pen of my love story over to Him.  To let Him write out my romance, because…after all, friends…He is the greatest romance Author of ALL-TIME!  He showed me that yes, many of my peers were courting/dating, getting married, having babies…but at the same time, there were so many of them who weren’t.  There were so many who were waiting (along with me!) for the one God chose for them...(ready for this?)…before the foundation of the world!!  God taught me more about patience in that one little moment, than I had learned in my lifetime.

God showed me one more thing too.  He showed me that I can still be the most romantic girl on the block.  And you know how?  By thinking of my romantic thoughts of my romantic Heavenly Husband.  My ultimate Prince.  My Knight-in-Shining-Armor.  Friends, who is the most romantic Person of all?

The One who looked down from heaven and saw that the man He had made was lonely.  And that was the first instant that God saw something ‘wrong’ with His creation.  So out of that man, He formed a female version of him.  And Adam called her ‘woman’ and named her ‘Eve’.

The One who used a servant to find a wife for Isaac.  The servant prayed for a specific sign that a certain girl would be the right one, and God sent her to him.

The One who gave Jacob the strength to work 7 years for his bride.  And when he was deceived into marrying her sister, to work another 7 years for his true love.

The One whose sovereignty let Ruth’s first husband die…only to lead her from her homeland, into a foreign country, where she met her future husband, Boaz.

The One who showed Joseph that the child Mary bore was of the Holy Spirit and that he should still take her to wife.


That same One has a plan for your future – for your future spouse.  That same One chose that future significant other for you, before He created the world.  That One is asking you to let Him take the pen of your love story from your human hand and let Him write one with His sovereign hand.

Are you tired of trying to find the right one for yourself?  Tired of getting hurt by relationship after relationship and still not finding the right one?  Friends, give the pen of your love story to God.  I promise you that He will write one beyond your wildest imagination!  Beyond your most romantic dream!  Beyond any Cinderella story that any human being could pen!

And just in closing…I hope and pray that this article has inspired you…and now, you may suddenly realize that all I wrote above makes perfect sense…and at this moment, you may be handing over the pen of your love story to the Ultimate Romance…but, just for your info... I’m still the most romantic girl on the block. ;)

 Miss Raquel blogs at God’s Daughter where she loves to share about her journey with God, her photography, fun and random posts, and things she loves.  Such as…riding and working with horses, spending time with friends, writing (she has recently finished her first novel and has sent it to a publisher!), reading, meeting new people, hanging out with friends and listening to love stories.  She’d love it if you visited!  Be sure to let her know you stopped by signing her guestbook.  OR you can e-mail her at: miss.raquel316@gmail.com

Enjoying Your Unmarried Years {Guest post by Emily Case}

Hey there, I'm Emily!  I am recently engaged, so I will be sharing a tad about my story and what my life has been like this year.

So as not to make this post terribly long, I'm going to direct you to my blog to read my engagement story here for some background on what I'm saying here.

When God put it on my heart that I was going to marry Ben, I didn't really realize what was going on at first.  After a couple days of praying and pondering, I knew it was God's will - there was no doubt in my mind.  The only problem now was, what about him?  I had no idea how Ben felt, so the only thing I could do was pray and wait.  And that's what I did, for about 5 months.  I was fully prepared and content to wait for months and years until he felt the same way.  I actually thought that was going to be the case.

One of the things that helped me tremendously in waiting for Ben was simply being in God's Word, praying for Ben, and finding my hope, joy, strength and life in Christ.  I am nothing apart from God, I have nothing apart from God, and everything I do in life should bring glory to Him!  He knows what's best for me, He knows when I should get married and when I should be unmarried.  I found myself content and joyful in waiting, just knowing that my Saviour is in control and has a perfect plan for my life.  He had me where He wanted me, and I was happy there.  Not happy just waiting for the future, but where He had me, then and there.

Marrying Ben is so much bigger than just the two of us.  It is a picture of Christ and the church.  Our relationship has showcased the awesomeness, power, creativity, faithfulness and splendor of our King.  I am constantly reminding myself that it is not about me but about God.  When every bridal magazine and every wedding book screams "Your big day!" I have to tell myself, "It's God's day, just like every other day, it is His."

A couple verses to keep in mind:

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." {Matthew 6:33} If you seek Christ, His glory, and His will above all, you will be rewarded with the best results you could ever imagine. 

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." {Psalm 37:4} When you're delighted in the Lord, the desires of your heart will be what God desires for you as well.

I pray that I've been of some blessing or encouragement to you!  If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an email from my blog!

About Emily: I am first and foremost a servant of my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ... I'm recently engaged (Aug 6th, 2011)... I have two wonderful parents... I have an awesome older brother who is married to one of my best friends... I live in Florida... I'm a photographer... and my life's purpose is to glorify God in the way I live my life - my life is because of Christ!  For a tad longer "about me" and to read more about the little things in my life, head on over to my blog (http://oldcountrycottage.blogspot.com/)!

Waiting {Guest post by Eden}

Waiting. What does that word mean to you? According to the dictionary, waiting is defined as “…the action of staying where one is or delaying action until a particular time or until something else happens.”

As Christians, we patiently wait on the Lord for His guidance for every step in our lives.  From the big decisions in our lives: Lord, should I go to college? Can You please show me if I should get a job? To the more mundane things we go through each day: Lord, please help me to get the house ready in time for company, please show me where the fabric is that I purchased just the other day?

Life is so full of decisions. And with each decision comes the need to ask God for guidance and direction. Often, God decides to have us wait. He doesn’t say yes or no but “wait on Me”. Our faith is tried. God, why haven’t you answered me yet?! I prayed about that yesterday, and the day before, and last week, and last month, wow, I’ve been praying for Your direction since last YEAR!!

One of the biggest questions on every Christian girl’s heart is “Who will God bring into my life as my husband, the one I will live together for the rest of my life? When will that ‘special one’ enter my life?”

It’s so easy to feel left out, discouraged, even lonely when there are so many girls around us who are getting engaged, recently married, or even expecting children. Many of them have patiently waited and God has rewarded their faith with the desires of their hearts. Waiting on God while watching others “move on with their lives” can be such a trial.

But equally as important as waiting on God, is what we do while we’re waiting. The song “While I’m Waiting” by John Waller (and featured in Fireproof, the movie) highlights the importance of serving God even when we are waiting.

“I will move ahead, bold and confident…taking every step in obedience.”

“I will serve You…I will worship, I will not faint, I’ll be running the race even while I wait.”

What does it mean to be bold, confident, and obedient? How can we serve Him while we wait?

John Waller mentions, “Though it’s not easy, but faithfully I will wait.”

Girls, let’s be realistic here. Waiting on God will not be easy. Walking the road that Christ traveled is filled with trials and temptations at every turn. But as we patiently await His direction, guidance, and even for His choice of a spouse, we must focus on serving Him, obeying Him, always trusting that He will bless us –in His time. 

My name is Eden Richardson and I am seventeen years old. I'm the eldest child of two wonderful parents and big sister to two sisters (Sara age 15, Leah age 12) and one brother (Jude age 11). I graduated from homeschool in December 2010. Now I'm attending a local community college working towards a degree in science. I hope to go into the medical field as a nurse or doctor. My primary goal in life is to glorify my Maker and fulfill His will for my life. If you would like to learn more about my life, you can read my blog at www.edenrichardson.net.

"Did you feel the house shake or was that just me?"

Yes, indeed.  A few hours ago, I felt everything shake around me as I was doing my schoolwork.  I thought it was just me because sometimes I start shaking a little when I get really hungry and I hadn't eaten any lunch yet, but Andrew felt it as well.  He was in the back of the house and started yelling at me... " Em?!  What was that?!  Did you just feel the house shake or was that just me?"

I stood up from where I was sitting and I noticed that the shaking got even heavier and the house was indeed moving underneath me. The windows and doors started rattling and the lamps and blinds swayed as I sat back down on the couch.   I seriously thought I was going insane or something.  I looked outside and the windows shook strongly.  I could not believe what was happening.  We never get earthquakes in NC and I honestly had no idea what to think!  Andrew and I quickly turned on the news only to find out that there was a 5.8 earthquake in VA!  I couldn't believe what I was watching!  

"You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places." {Matthew 24:6-7}

Nothing like a few earthquake tremors to make you think you’re going crazy and thankful for your life all at the same time.  I’ve never felt an earthquake before until today, but I hope I never have to go through that again.  It was really weird and kind of scary.

What about you?  Did you feel it?  Stay safe, ya'll!

Our First Day of School {2011}

I started my last year of high school and Andrew started his first year of high school (9th grade) last Monday…

I am happy to say that school has gone pretty smoothly so far.  Thank goodness.  It is definitely much more challenging without mom here, but it has gone pretty well under the circumstances. 

       

We were all dreading the first day of school this year because we knew it was going to be a hard day emotionally, but it actually turned out to be a good day.  It was a weird day for me though, because it was my “last” first day of homeschooling. 

We did "half" days for the first week (we worked on school until lunch), so it wasn't too bad.  Also, we had some friends call us on the first day back to school and ask us to go out to eat for lunch.  We had a wonderful day!  I am so thankful that it went well.  I am sure we will have some hard days, but I think it will get better with time.   

Thank you everyone for the prayers for our family as we adjust to the new schedule with school.  Here's to a new year of school and lots of learning!  =)

Preparing for Our Prince: {A Guest Post by Crista Moriah}

In today's world one of the many questions people will ask you is, "Do you have a boyfriend?" Or "Are you dating?" It's just a natural impulse for them because of the whole 'dating' philosophy in America.  For those of us who have chosen courtship, a typical response to those questions would be, "Oh, I don't date. You see our family has chosen Biblical courtship instead." Most people have never heard of courtship and they tend to give a confused look when they ask, "Courtship? What's that?" Courtship means something different to each home. There is not a 'perfect' way to court, but when it gets down to it, courtship basically means this:  a Biblical approach to the marriage alter vs. man's way, which is dating.  As young women, something we look forward to with great anticipation is the wonderful time of our lives when we meet Prince Charming!  We dream about what it will be like when God begins writing our Love Story (if marriage is His will for us).  These dreams about marriage are only natural because God's highest calling for most women is to be a wife and mother someday.  During these years before marriage, we are preparing for that calling. We get lots of practice simply by serving in our home.  But it is also crucial to use this time to strengthen our walk with Christ and work on building godly character traits.  This quote explains it well...

"A woman is not born a woman. nor does she become one when she marries a man, bears children, and does their dirty linen - not even when she joins a women's liberation movement. A woman becomes a woman when she becomes what God wants her to be."

~Anonymous

We should also concentrate on saving our hearts for our prince and remaining pure for him.  Purity is a wonderful choice that God has given to each of us. Saving that part of ourselves is the best gift we could ever give our future husband. He will cherish that in his bride!  It is not only important to keep ourselves pure physically, but emotionally as well. Our thought life is a big key to that. We need to constantly guard our hearts and minds.

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure,

and lovely, and admirable.  Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." 

~Philippians 4:8b  NLT

You see, the hardest part of the courtship process is waiting until we are of marital age.  Then, there is the waiting period before Prince Charming will finally appear on the scene.  This process requires a lot of patience.  We need to use this time at home wisely by building our walk with Christ and letting Him be our First Love.  Next, we need to prepare for our future role of wife, mother, and keeper of the home.  Last but not least, we need to ask Him to help us learn to be content in the season of life we are in.

Trusting in Him is also an essential key to waiting.  If our relationship with Him is solid, it won't be as hard.  When our trust in Christ is steadfast, it becomes a lot easier to trust that our parents are doing what they know is best for us during our courtship.  Know what?  He will bring both the Prince and Princess together at just the right time, because His timing is perfect! Waiting can be hard, but your Prince will be worth it.                  

Stay strong dear sisters as we spend this time at home preparing for our Prince!

With Much Love in Christ,

Moriah

                                                  

{About the Authoress} I'm just another rose blooming in the garden...

My heart belongs to the Gardener. My wish is that people will sense the fragrance of Christ in me as I continue to grow in Him. In my spare time, I enjoy my hobbies of reading novels, photography, creating jewelry, as well as sharing life on my blog, Uniquely Fashioned for His Glory.        

"Delight Yourself in the Lord..." {Guest post by Jenna}

About Jenna:  She is a 17 year old young lady living on a small hobby farm with her family of ten.  She enjoys simple living, goats, homeschooling and learning homemaking skills. While combining femininity and the farm girl life, Jenna is passionate about pleasing the Lord and following His straight and narrow way. It is her constant prayer to learn true and joyful contentment in Christ. Jenna blogs at: Feminine Farmgirl.

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desire's of your heart." Psalm 37:4

Have you ever read that verse and thought to yourself: "oh perfect! If I tell myself that I delight in the Lord, then a husband will show up on the front porch!"?

I believe that every young girl claims that verse in her single-hood; simply thrilled to see that somewhere in the Bible it promises to make her dream come true. Finally. The key that opens the door to a future: marriage, a home of our own and motherhood...

Many people go through the motions; lay it all on the alter and prepare for blessing, saying, "take it all, Lord...it's yours. Here's the pen to my love story...I trust you!" They say all this simply because they're trying to jump through the hoops to get what they want. In their minds, saying what they think "God wants to hear" will get them what they want...but God looks on the heart.

Have you kept reading in that chapter ~ Psalm 37?

The next verse says: "Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass." Psalm 37:5

It is when you truly commit your way to the Lord and trust Him, delighting in HIS ways, that He will bring our desires to pass. When instead of day dreaming about your prince charming, you are staying content in His will. Instead of giving everything to God because you want your way, you give every area of your life to God because you desire HIS way.

Dear ladies, we need to stop trying to fulfill our desires...truly, we can never quench them! 

When we commit and trust Jesus, our Heavenly King who created us and has the most perfect plan for each of our futures, then our desires will be fulfilled. Not necessarily what we may have planned. But we will be satisfied because we know that we are on the perfect path of Christ and at the center of His will. 


The letting go is hard. We somehow think that by "sacrificing all" we are saying goodbye to life and any chance of marriage. But that is not the case.

The commitment of trusting our future in this world to God, is finding a beautiful contentment in Christ ~ we are finding true joy.


Emily: Wasn't that post so encouraging, ladies?  Thank you for sharing your personal thoughts with us, Jenna!  I thoroughly enjoyed reading what you had to say!  Stay tuned for another wonderful post tomorrow!  This is going to be a great week...  =)

Come Away With Me…. {Guest post by Melanie}

It’s early in the morning and the sun has just barely risen over the horizon.  He is calling you…

My beloved spoke, and said to me:
“Rise up, my love, my fair one,
And come away.
(Song of Solomon 2:10)

Ah, do you know the voice of your Shepherd? Have you learned to see Him as your all in all?

~
In the Christian circle today, there are many mentions of “purity.” Yet I think a very important aspect of pursuing purity is often neglected.

The pursuit of purity is all in vain, if you are not actively seeking to know Christ intimately as your First Love.   No one can fulfill the longing in your heart, as He can – only He can fulfill every need of your soul.

I think we’ve all had those moments.  You’re walking through some shopping center, and you see the couple - walking hand-in-hand and completely lost in one another and, for a moment, the longing in your heart begins to awaken again…

Sisters, this longing will never, not even in marriage, be completely satisfied unless you learn to find your all in Christ.

God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.

 John Piper

When you fail to find complete satisfaction in your Heavenly Prince, then the temptations of this world will stir discontent within your heart. You will begin longing for things that are not of Him, things He does not will for you. Your desires to be loved, taken care of, treasured and “fulfilled” will become things that are pulling you away from your Savior, rather than drawing you ever closer to His heart. If these unfulfilled longings are then carried into marriage, you will be asking more of your husband then what he can give, for he will be a sinner.  He will not always be able to give you everything you truly need. 

Marriage takes commitment, loyalty, understanding, and self-sacrifice.  When you, as young women, put the burden of all your needs upon your husband, you are asking something of him that he will be unable to give. This burden will put a strain on the relationship, and perhaps, eventually, even cause it to crumble. On the other hand, when you have God as your all –as your First Love – then when you are married, you will be able to spur your husband on as he pursues the Lord, rather than bogging him down with all your wants and needs.

The man who has God as his treasure has all things in one, and he has it purely, legitimately, and forever.

A. W. Tozer

You will not find absolute fulfillment anywhere but at the feet of the Savior.  And at His feet, you can find fulfillment and steadfast love that lasts “purely, legitimately, and forever.” In this time of singleness, you have an opportunity to draw near to the heart of God and learn to know Him more. When you are single, your heart does not have the “distraction” of a husband:

There is a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world—how she may please her husband.

(1 Corinthians 7:34)

You, therefore, in this season of singleness, have a unique opportunity to be wholly, absolutely, and continually focused on Christ – and to seek how you may be a holy vessel for His use. And if you cultivate this kind of heart now, it should carry on into your marriage also as you seek to serve the Lord beside your husband.

Through experience, I have learned that, when you are actively seeking to know Christ more, He will captivate your heart beyond anything you ever could have imagined.  This verse is so true:

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

(John 4:7-8)

Run to the feet of your Savior and sit there.  Allow Him to teach you:

“…yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher.  And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.”

(Isaiah 30:20-21)

Allow Him to mold you:

But now, O LORD, you are our Father;
    we are the clay, and you are our potter;
    we are all the work of your hand.

(Isaiah 64:8)

Surrender everything to Him:

And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

(Luke 9:23)

And stop long enough to hear His words of love:

But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob,
   he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
    I have called you by name, you are mine… because you are precious in my eyes,
   and honored, and I love you…”

(Isaiah 43:1, 4)

Bask in the truths of His word –the truths of the Gospel – and allow them to become part of you. Read the words until you know them by heart.

Take time to study who He is. Just as you will desire to know everything about your future husband, spend time getting to know your Savior intimately and deeply.  Do you realize the jealous love and zeal He has for you, His daughter?

“…as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
   so shall your God rejoice over you.”

(Isaiah 62:5b)

The LORD your God is in your midst,
    a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
   he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.

(Zephaniah 3:17)

He brought me to the banqueting house,
And his banner over me was love.

Song of Solomon 2:4

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!

(1 John 3:1)

Listen to the One who is beckoning you to Himself.  He is calling you to come away with Him, to get to know Him.  The world will seek to draw you down another path, but He is waiting for you with arms wide open and everything you ever need can be found in the everlasting arms (Deuteronomy 33:27).

Can you hear Him calling…don’t wait any longer. Run to Him. He is waiting.

My beloved spoke, and said to me:
“ Rise up, my love, my fair one,
And come away.
 For lo, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of singing has come,
And the voice of the turtledove
Is heard in our land.
The fig tree puts forth her green figs,
And the vines with the tender grapes
Give a good smell.
Rise up, my love, my fair one,
And come away!”

(Song of Solomon 2:10-13)

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                                                      Melanie loves….

Jesus –more than anything in this world. Sipping warm, Cinnamon Apple Spice tea on rainy days. The smell of musty books. Summer breezes that make one’s hair dance. Books and quotes by Elisabeth Elliot. Her little sister’s smiles and hugs. Composing music. Fluffy clouds. Worshipping her Savior. Journals. Gazing at starry skies. Reading love letters (aka her Bible). Sweet sister’s in Christ. Fellowship with believers. Iced Chai Tea Lattes. Anything vintage. Civil War Ball Dresses. Colorado. Mountains. Books by Eric and Leslie Ludy. House decorating. Clicking away with her camera. The smell after a fresh rain. Little, precious children. Cooking. Long chats sitting at her Abba’s feet. Texas’ blue skies. Blogging. The smell of warm vanilla sugar. Her future husband. Meadow flowers. Shopping. Sweet chats with her mother. Scribbling away. Running in the rain. Writing old-fashioned letters to far away friends. Rainbows and butterflies. Lace. Old chests full of memories.... You can visit Melanie at:http://www.foreverhisservant.blogspot.com