Can I Really Trust God With My Future?

“If I do things my way I will be happy. I can’t trust God with something like this!”

“God’s ways are too religious for me, I need to make things happen my way or else I won’t be happy.”

“Only I know what I need. My future is my problem. Jesus can just come along with me for when I need help.”

“This is too precious a thing to trust God with.”

All of these statements are made from people who have distrust in their hearts. God’s power and sovereignty is not real to them. They think they know what is best for them-they know what will make them happy, they know how to get it and they do it on their own terms without God. Sometimes, Christian girls (and men) have things in their lives that they are not willing to relinquish even though they know it goes against what God wants for them.

They think God doesn’t want what they want. They don’t know His motives, (no one does) so they don’t trust that He will make them happy.

When You Become Jealous of the World

If you are at all like me, you have a busy life, with lots to do, lots of work, lots of family, and a lot of responsibility. My family owns and operates a web design business from home; we home-school, cook and clean, care for a 20 acre Ranch, and care for each other on a daily basis.

With all of the work that is put into our farm and business it’s easy to become discontent and unhappy with the life that God has provided. One of the things that has helped me focus on what is important in life is this motto: “Love God, Love Your Family.” It reminds me that if I accomplish anything today, my biggest accomplishment would be that I loved God and loved the family that He has given me. After all that’s all that matters in the end; love.  Not a physical love, or a romantic love, but a self sacrificing, a whole hearted, self-yielding, and devoted love.

 

Loving your family is one of the hardest things to do sometimes. You’re in the same house with the same people almost 24/7 and it can wear on a girl’s nerves! But we as women and girls, who are unmarried, are called to love and devote our time to loving and building with inspiration, the families that we have been placed in. We read over and over in the Bible verses and chapters like Titus 2, Proverbs 31, 1 Peter 3, Ephesians 5, and one of my favorites: “For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.” Galatians 5:13.

What Your Dream Guy Wants in a Girl

(Guest Post) 

I recently did an interview on the topic of dating, marriage and courtship. I was giving my thoughts on romance, boundaries, guys and how I want my future relationship to work out.

One of the questions the lady interviewing me asked was “what qualities are you looking for in guy?” 

Talk about a super basic question that I should easily know the answer to. Wrong! I was totally caught off guard and had to scramble to give an answer. It had been awhile since I’d seriously thought through that question and wasn’t really prepared.

After the interview I rethought through her question and was pretty satisfied with my “on the spot” answer.

I told the lady that I was praying for a man who: 

1. Is concerned about glorifying God with his life.

2. Has an eternal mindset (not just living for the here and now.)

3. Loves children and desires a family.

4. Has a passion for ministering to the people around him.

“Love Is…”

Define “love.” What is love? The Merriam-Webster definition of the noun,”love,” is: “a feeling of strong or constant affection for a person,” or “attraction that includes sexual attraction.”

Now, those are pretty familiar definitions, but is that all love really is? Is love merely “feelings of affection” or “sexual attraction,” or is it more? If love is nothing more than feelings or attraction, you can bet it won’t last long. Feelings and attraction can come in a day and leave just as quickly.  Thankfully, love is not simply feelings or attraction. Love may RESULT in these things (feelings, attraction), but they are by no means what love IS. Love is selflessness. Feelings are fleeting, but a choice to love is solid and unwavering. 1 Corinthians 13 gives many examples of what love truly is and what it isn’t.

The first quality of love, listed in chapter 13 of 1 Corinthians, is patience.

Patience has been a struggle of mine for years.  I was born impatient (at least that’s how it felt), and grew to be impatient before I had the wisdom to realize I had done it.  I tried to work on it, but my patience never lasted for long.

My husband was quite possibly the biggest reason I ever had for being patient. Don’t take me wrong here, I don’t mean he was hard to get along with; on the contrary, he was very easy to get along with.  We were just beginning our relationship together at the time, and it was wonderful.  He was a very patient person (he still is), and didn’t like it when people got “bent out of shape” about things.  His incredible patience and desire for others to have patience was what drove me to pursue patience and contentment.  I don’t know if he even realizes it, but he was the reason I tried so hard to be patient at home.  I’m so thankful for his constant example to me.  Now, I’m significantly more patient than I used to be (though definitely not as patient as I will be someday), and I’m much more content.

Be the Influence Instead of Being Influenced

The other day I was listening to a conversation between my youngest sister and youngest brother. As I sat there (harmlessly) listening to this conversation I heard my sister mimic something I had said earlier that day. I had no idea that Cali had been in the room when I said it but apparently she was and had just repeated me. Same tone of voice and everything!

This got me thinking. It just goes to show how easily young people pick up on things so small and insignificant to an adult but mind-blowingly shocking/convicting when coming from a 10 year old. I began thinking back to what I learned when I was younger from those who were older than me. I learned a lot. And not very many of the things I learned are something I am proud of today!

Let me present a mind quiz for you real quick.