The “Radical” “Dater"

I found myself sitting at a table all wide eyed. My chin is resting on my hands and a smile is across my face waiting in anticipation for the next part of the story. A young couple telling me how they met. The ins and outs and what led to them meeting. Sometimes it’s a blind date, sometimes it’s through friends. All sorts of stories cross my path.

Joy then flows out of them as they look at each other, deeply in love, telling me about their glorious wedding day. They cover every last detail, from the excitement that hit them their wedding day morning, to the scent of the flowers, the color of the wedding and the thoughts that fled their mind as they stood in front of all their friends and family, vowing themselves to each other.

“This was by far the BEST (as they each overly emphasized this word) day of my life” This was something they would all say.

All the sudden the mood starts to change as I ask them about their past, If they were in relationships before?.. or if they did anything they regret and wish they could change? So often, an awkward mellowness floods the room as they share their past with me. Never once have I met someone who, when I asked this, said that they wish had they dated and slept around with more people. This is something they (many different couples) look back at their past and regret. Words that tend to leave their mouth… “I wish I would have never dated” or “I wish I waited for my future spouse” or “Why Did I give away my heart and time on them”, “ My marriage could be so much stronger and more beautiful if I didn’t have all that baggage”

The truth that was already made real to me was confirmed...we get one chance to find that person to spend the rest of our life with… We can’t mess it up because of our desires or impatience.

I also learned that the closest thing the in bible to dating was prostitution. True fact.

So often we convince ourselves that there is no one out there that will have this view, so we don’t take hold of it ourselves. Guess what? That’s a lie, God has that person already picked out and when they have this same view, it will help raise your expectations to the next level….and pick them out of the crowd.

Want some Hope? Read about the first Love story and how God worked it out. Genesis 2

Vs. 18- “It is not good that the man should be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him”

Now, this verse is speaking of man, but I believe it applies to both man and women. The point I got out of this is …God does not expect you to live life alone- He did not make you to live life alone.

But God didn't just see that man was alone and know that he needed a helper and then not do anything about it. We serve a God far too great for that.

Vs. 21- “So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up the place in the flesh.”

There are a few KEY things you can take out of this verse.

You. You are dreaming of that special person. You have expectations and characteristics you expect to see. You may merely dream about them while you sleep. You could almost look at Adam doing this same thing. While he was in a DEEP sleep and could have very well been dreaming of that “special someone” God promised him. God was creating his future wife. He was forming her, working out Adams desires….While he was sleeping.

Another key point to get out of this is that- Eve was made from Adams Rib. Adam was not in his entirety without her. Same thing goes for you. You will not be in your entirety till you meet this ONE special person and are made one (marriage). Why try to find that other part of you when the Lord is merely creating them, and will merely work it out to his Good? Be patient and wait on the Lord.

And Girls – God designed the Man to find you, don’t go out looking.

Vs. 25 – “Man and Women were both naked and were not ashamed.”

Man and women were naked. – Open with each other, honest, up front…And they were not ashamed. Your future spouse is someone you can be open with. Honest with. You don’t need to hide anything from them.

Want to read a Love story about a Man who waited on the Lord to bring him his wife? A man who didn't go out and date all these other girls, A man who had faith and patience in his God and in the End was brought a prized jewel? Read Genesis 24. It talks about Isaac and Rebekah.  AMAZING Love story.

God is faithful.

God has made a promise to you.

God does not tend to leave you alone.

God does not act differently now than he did in the bible, he is never changing. So don’t let yourself think that he can’t still work things out now like he did then. Never lack faith that God will work it out by just being patient and waiting on him.

If you aren’t completely satisfied with being Alone (single) and just relying on your God, You are not ready for a relationship. Complete satisfaction in God comes first. That’s what makes for a healthy, biblical relationship….The foundation.

Young kids- If you take on this belief of faith in your God and live a radically different life, You WILL get criticized for it. You will be told that God doesn’t work like that. Be radical. Be different. Be…Biblical. This blog post is not an inspirational speech on dating for you. It is all biblical. Something that is merely impossible to contain or find satisfaction in without a true relationship with the Lord. I am not saying all ‘Believers’ will hold this view, I am saying that the joy and peace that come with this view can’t be understood or granted to one who does not have a personal relationship with the Lord.

A challenge that I took upon myself and I think every reader should as well….

Get a piece of paper…But not any old piece of paper. Get a really nice, special piece of paper. On one side of the paper, write a letter to the Lord. Tell him how in love with him you are. How patiently you are going to wait on him. How you have Faith that He WILL (and he really will) Lead your spouse to you. Then, on the other side of that same piece of paper, write a letter to your future spouse. Tell them how eagerly you await their arrival. How you will (if you really, honestly will) wait for them -to give them the whole package, with your heart and body entirely there, just for them.  Then, save the letter for them and whether the day you get engaged or the night of your wedding, give it to them, Showing your ‘Before meeting them commitment’ and patient, committed Love toward them. It will be a special time.

Then, Pray. - - -Pray for strength, love, and satisfaction from the Lord to fill you and flood you.

Have faith, Brother.

Have faith, Sister.

We serve a BIG God.

Embracing your role of Sisterhood

Ha! I don't even know how I am writing this post. In a way, it seems kind of silly to me. but in other ways, it is something that is sort of a tender spot to my heart.

I feel like my mind wanders at night time. Many things enter and leave, but many things sit and stay and are pondered. The other night, something sat in my mind for hours. It all started around 11 o'clock Friday night. I was trying to get to bed at an early time, but instead, found myself sitting on my floor of my room watching my little sister (ava) sleep.
Memories from childhood flooded my mind. Sure, I am not that old yet, but I still like to think of childhood. ;) 
Memories of my brothers and I going on bike rides, or playing leap frog in swamps. Having rock fights and playing cow boys and Indians, Long nights being naughty and staying up and talking in our cool little room with our race car bed. Oh boy, I can remember it all as if it were yesterday. My brothers and I were the coolest little trio. We had so much fun.

Looking back on all that got me thinking about my life now. How growing up between boys and not having an older sister (or really any sister my age) has molded me into the person I am today. I am not ashamed of the kind of girl I turned into at all. BUT, I remember always wishing I had an older sister. Especially now. I feel as if there are no girls out there that truly understand me for me- its Kind of a lonely feeling.
A question I always would ask God was "Why did you take my big sister from us?"

Thinking about all this hit a really, really tender spot of my heart that I didn't know existed.
I, Sarah, was THAT older sister for 6 other girls, and I was failing. That sister that I always wanted, my little sisters had, and I wasn't even close to the expectations I would have had of my older sister. How ashamed I was.


It's not about me anymore. It's not about what kind of life I WANT to live. It's not about what I like. Its about what I am supposed to do.
Sure, I may not like painting my nails or going to girly concerts, BUT, that is my job as a sister. Deny myself and BE THERE FOR THEM. Show them love. Let them know I care.
Pray for them.
Sing with them.
AND one that hit hard - Do devotions with them.
I can live out my faith and they can watch, but that personal level is what will change it and make it real to them.
 Stop trying to be their friend and start being their sister.

They need you. and quite frankly, They want you. Even if they don't say it or show it.

I don't want to be a 'Good sister' I want to be a great one!

Meet my sisters

The Valley of Desperation

The clock read 12:53....
The night air was cold, the moon was shining ,and the stars were twinkling. I was all alone. My family all lie asleep in their beds as I sat there....on the roof.
My roof is my place of peace. I go there when I am happy. When I am sad. When I am seeking. And, I often I find myself there when I am finding.
Quite frankly, this time, I found myself...depressed. Kinda worthless.
I found myself..... in the valley of Desperation. 


 Each of us come from many walks of life. We have many different things taking place and happening in our lives. Sometimes, things no one else can understand, no matter how hard they try. But, tho we all have such different circumstances, for each one of us, God's Children, He wants to get us to the top of the highest mountain. You see, We will have to climb many mountains to get there. There will be a lot of seeking and a lot of things will happen that we aren't expecting. We climb these mountains by faith. 

But then, Sometimes we go through valleys. Valleys that prepare us to climb the mountain ahead. Valleys that seem dry and weary. Valleys filled with fog. A thick cloud we cant see through. You don't know how long the valley is or when you will reach the mountain. You can't see your next step. You can't see through the fog. Yet, You have faith that your father is right there next to you, leading you.
He is.

  
  "I will never leave you or forsake you" (Heb 13:5)

As I sit there, on my roof, I begin to feel tears trickling down my face. I look up into the heavens just calling out to my God. So many things left my mouth...

"Lord, Why have you left me here alone?"

" I have such a willing and eager heart to serve you, why do you keep closing all my doors?"

"You say that the Joy you give us is your strength, Where is my strength Lord?"

"Lord, I know you have a plan for my life. This cannot be it"

I begin to listen to these words leaving my mouth. Tears flow from my eyes even faster. Why am I not content and faithful with where I am? What are you trying to teach me"prepare me for" for climbing that next mountain ahead? 

Words began flowing from my mouth again. Words much different from the first. Words with a beautiful melody. Words that I learned as a small child and often looked past the meaning of them... Words like these....

"My God is so good. God is so good. God is so good, He's so good to me.

He Loves me so. He loves me so. He loves me so, cuz He's so good to me.

He cares for me. He cares for me. He cares for me, cuz He's so good to me."

During these times, I sometimes struggle to remember God’s promise to me and you.  And yet that is exactly what faith calls for and requires.  It is easy to hold on and celebrate God’s plans when the picture to the natural man looks rosy and wonderful.  It is faith to look for the light even through those valleys of Desperation.  It is faith to say and hold to saying and choosing to the Father when he says to me and to you: “

I know the plans I have for you,

declares the Lord,

plans to prosper you and not to harm you,

plans to give you hope and a future.

Lord, I believe – Help my unbelief

""Lead me in your way everlasting."(Pslam 139:24) Lead me through this valley and prepare me for the mountain ahead"