What Is 'Courtship'?!

For many, Courtship may seem like such an old-fashioned, out-dated word that conjures up images of a young couple sitting in a tidy living room, under the very watchful eye of the daughter's parents, until the fella gets down on one knee 

and proposes, but in reality.

Courtship is a beautiful friendship between a young man and a young woman in which they seek to determine, if it is God’s divine will for them to marry each other. 

Under the safe protection, guidance, 

and blessing of parents or mentors, 

the courting couple concentrates on developing a special deep friendship and bond that could lead to a future marriage, As they discern their readiness for marriage and God’s perfect timing for their marriage. 

Courtship is a choice to avoid temptations and experience the 

blessings of purity. 

1 Corinthians 7:1-2 says...

"Now for the matters you wrote about: "It is not good for a man to have sexual relations with a woman."

But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with only his own wife, and each woman with only her own husband." 

It is a choice to not emotionally give away your heart, piece by piece,

 to many others like through the  'casual' dating relationships and instead of having the pleasure of giving your whole heart to your ultimate life partner. 

Most teenagers and young adults these days, just date because it is the thing to do. It is an established cultural norm to be followed without further question. 

The fact that "everybody does it" 

is not a reason for continuing to do it, but a reason for questioning it.

 1 John 2:15-17 says this...

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life...is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." 

Courtship is a choice, a powerful choice. To wait for God’s best, for His glory. 

It is a decision to walk by faith, 

to trust in God with your whole heart, it's to honor others above yourself, and to truly believe that God will bless you bountifully because, 

He truly is the creator of love :) 

I look forward daily to my future courtship one day, because it's so very special and unique, it's nothing like the normal "dating" of today's culture. It's a much more deeper way of getting to know one another, without any physical attachments. 

When I think about my future courtship, 

I look forward to having the pleasure of saving our first kiss for our wedding day...I know many people think, that is cheesy, super lame, and undoable 

in today's culture, but personally 

I think it's a beautiful display of honour and respect towards one another. 

Courtship, could easily become just another type of 

"worldly casual dating" very quickly, if some simple Guidelines are not followed. Here are a few tips to make sure that won't happen in your Courtship: 

1. He **MUST** be a Believer 

of Jesus Christ! 

2 Corinthians 6:14 states...

"Do not be yoked together with ANY unbelievers..."

Make sure you both are on the same page about your faiths. He should have a very solid relationship with Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour! Is this the man you want to be the Spiritual leader of your home, one day?? 

Keep that in high priority in your mind, while you are in this long deciding process. 

2. Honour your Parents! 

It says in the Bible in Exodus 20:12...

"Honour thy Father and thy Mother."

What a better way to show honour and respect, towards our parents, 

then having them assist us in this new-exciting experience of courtship?! 

Have them highly involved in your Courtships, ask for their wisdom often! Especially, while making any decisions with your courting 'partner.' 

3. Have Accountability Partners!  

Learning to be Accountable can be a bit of a difficult task for some, but it is a must in the beginning steps of a courtship. 

We all are way more responsible when we are held accountable for our actions. 

Make a list together of your resolutions and guidelines for your courtship and give that list to some mentoring couples and accountability partners. 

These could be your parents, 

other married couples from your Church, friends, roommates, family members. Basically, you are looking for people you trust and respect to be able to talk with openly about your relationship. 

They should be able to ask you at any time how your are doing....if you are properly keeping your resolutions–and you need to be able to answer them honestly. 

4. Pray,Pray, and umm....Pray!

Pray tons together during your courtships, have God's presence with you both, all the time.

Seek His Face together, do your devotions together, do your Bible reading together, speak words of encouragement over each others Life. Keep this a fully-Christ centred friendship. 

5. Don't ever be ashamed!!

When people ask you...

"So are you two Dating?!" 

Never be ashamed to answer back, with "Actually, we are courting and loving every minute of it!"  

When they ask...what's the difference between courting and dating? You can then begin to explain, what makes your friendship, so very different than the worldly relationships of today.

Never be ashamed as a couple 

of your Courtship! 

6. Hands OFF! 

2 Timothy 2:22 states, 

"Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts..." 

During a courtship, it's not time to see

if he's a good kisser or not. 

It's a special time, to seek 

The Lord's guidance in hope of a future marriage. Many people in casual dating relationships, have the mindset of  "It's just holding hands and kissing...nothing will make us go past over the"cliff." 

But it just takes one little step, 

to tumble over into that dark pit...

'the loss of purity.' 

Keep yourselves as focused on 

God as possible in your courtship. 

Remember, words can be just as touching and lovey dovey, 

as holding hands or kissing.  

Speak your love for each other instead of showing it in the 'physical' ways. 

7. Don't let your complete Guard down!

Guard your hearts and do not dive emotionally into a courtship relationship head first. 

Give yourselves time to learn about each other. Do not open up all your intimate secrets, desires and longings to each other immediately, just because you are courting. 

Allow your relationship to grow stronger naturally. Keep the mystery alive by not revealing everything all at once...The problem with “dumping” on each other emotionally early on in a courtship, 

is that if you later discern that you are not called to marriage you could have many regrets over having shared those intimate thoughts and secrets with someone who will not be your husband. You need to be honest with each other, but that does not mean you have to reveal everything right away. As the friendship grows, you will discover a natural pace for sharing those emotional intimacies. 

8. Be active together in your Faith community! 

Courtship is a great time to grow in your faith together and to spend time together in your faith communities :) 

In this way your relationship is supported by like-minded people who will become for you that community that celebrates with you in times of joy, consoles you in times of grieving, and that lifts you up in times of hardship! We cannot live in isolation, we need that community 

to be there for us, which means, 

we need to be there for them as well. 

9. Be involved!!

Have fun attending church events and activities together, volunteer service time together, and join in prayer groups and Bible studies together. 

These opportunities to spend time together, in a larger group settings, 

help you to learn much about each other by seeing how each other deals with a variety of situations and other persons...and are great opportunities to dedicate your time together and talents to The Lord. 

10. Keep the Romance alive! 

Remember romance doesn't just mean kissing and holding hands, 

Romance can be simple sweet gestures.

Roses, pandora charms, chocolates, walks in the park, picnics, etc. 

Without all the Physical attachments in your courtship you have more time to focus on the little romantic things to do 

to make your partner smile :) 

To end this post, I would like to be completely clear that if you are a Christian and are in a casual dating relationship, I'm not at ALL saying that what you are doing is a bad thing... 

Your life, your decisions! 

But for all the single ladies out there (including myself)...I want you today, 

to make a choice. A choice that could very easily change the entire course of your life. Don't just date because it's the thing to do, evaluate the situation you are in and never forget to consider a Courtship. 

Until Next Time, 

~Kerrington 

Something Beautiful

Beautiful-pleasing to the senses. 

Of a very high standard; excellent. 

Beautiful....

It's a new born babe. 

It's Freshly picked strawberries,

the smell of a new car, roses blooming, days spent at the beach, a brand new book, wedding day kisses, old family photos, God encounters, toddlers faces on Christmas morning,Baptismal church services, worn out Bibles,

It's the grooms tears on wedding day. 

It's Brand-spankin' new High-heels, 

New York style cheesecakes, it's a roaring fire on a cold winters night, 

well-kept homes, baskets of folded laundry, It's sweet courtships. 

 

 

It's full-length mirrors, freshly painted toe nails, tender hugs, family picnics, romantic horse and carriage rides, patterned flip flops, big comfy couches, It's our Sunday bests. 

It's 50% off Coupons, elderly smiles, 

Easter eggs, states-side shopping trips, starbucks dates, old hymnals, p-jay dance parties, Corn on the cob at a BBQ, meeting new people, lit birthday candles,  It's the nervous flower girls. 

It's Powerful blog-posts, iPhone case collections,
busy playgrounds, 

running clubs, bouquet tosses, 

baby dedications, 

It's Grade 12 Graduations. 

It's kiddos soccer playoffs, melted 

ice cream dripping down little faces, horse-back riding,
quiet times spent with The Lord, 
It's surprise engagements. 

It's Christmas carollers, summer vacations, the smell of hot apple pie, crispy leaves in Autumn,
Golden marshmallows toasted over a bonfire, 

It's ultrasound pictures on the fridge. 

It's water balloon fights, time capsules barried in the backyard, vintage clocks, back to school shopping,
It's the thrill of meeting Cinderella at Disney world. 

It's hay rides, A+'s, brown paper packages tied up with string, little ones finger paint art, lemonade stands, 

late girls nights out on the town, 

break-fasts in bed, 

It's long summer, sun-set walks. 

It's a whistling kettle, a sparkling clean kitchen sink, couloured kitchen aid mixers, fresh hot cookies coming out of the oven, it's the mistakes we learn from, 

It's delicious wedding cakes. 

It's a new life given to The Lord, it's the tears shed at the cross while repenting, packed-out Sunday church services, 

It's Pro-Life Campagins.

It's the Mother of the bride, mud pies,
wood-logged cabins, apple picking, 

it's an elderly lady paying with nickels and dimes at the cash, 

It's Best Friends. 

It's something so beautiful. 

Stop. Cease these moments. 

Enjoy the simply-beautiful things of life. 

Anyways,

I'm off to Live my Life, Beautifully!

How about you?! 

Until Next time, 

~Kerrington 

Forever

That time of the year where 

the 'Easter Bunny' is busily preparing his trucks of chocolates & candies for all the little, 

good children of the world ;) 

Eggs are hidden everywhere, 

Easter grass is stuffed in vases,

Chocolate bunnies are purchased,

family gatherings are being planned, mini eggs are being popped into the mouths of kiddos faster than you can pour them into the bowls, 

Spring flower bouquets are being arranged for the table settings, pastel coloured & bright floral dresses are being bought from Costco, many special songs & hymns are being practiced for the early Sunday Service, your fingers & hands maybe be temporarily stained from the Easter egg dye, (hopefully it all comes off before service on Sunday!)

& the Candy around us, 

just keeps multiplying...I think, 

I can actually hear the dentist bill going

higher & higher with each candy that is

quickly scarfed down. 

Is this what Easter actually means?! 

Pastel coloured dresses

& sky-rocketing dentists bills...

I think not!! 

 

For me personally...

Easter stands out, not just as another busy

'Holiday' weekend, 

but as an incredible day where we 

as the culture of today was forever

changed in an act of true love from our Heavenly Father. 
 

A day where every sin was paid
with such a precious price,

a day where we were made completely whole. 

Let's together head over to Luke 23, to read the Story of Jesus' death on this Good Friday Morning:  

"Two others, both criminals were taken along for execution.

When they got to the place called Skull Hill, they crucified him, along with the criminals, one on his right, and the other on his left.  Jesus prayed:

“Father, forgive them; they don’t know what they’re doing.”

Dividing up his clothes, they threw dice for them. The people stood there staring at Jesus, and the ringleaders made faces, taunting, “He saved others. Let’s see him save himself!

The Messiah of God, ha! The Chosen, ha!”

The soldiers also came up and poked fun at him, making a game of it. They toasted him with sour wine:

“So you’re King of the Jews! Save yourself!”

Printed over him was a sign:

“this is the king of the Jews.”

One of the criminals hanging alongside cursed him:

“Some Messiah you are! Save yourself! Save us!”

But the other one made him shut up: “Have you no fear of God? You’re getting the same as him. We deserve this, but not him—he did nothing to deserve this. Then he said, Jesus, remember me when you enter your kingdom. He said,

“Don’t worry, I will. Today you will join me in paradise.”

By now it was noon. The whole earth became dark, the darkness lasting three hours—a total blackout.

The Temple curtain split right down the middle.

Jesus called loudly,

 

“Father, I place my life in your hands!”

 

Then he breathed his last. When the captain there saw what happened, he honored God:
“This man was innocent!

 A good man, and innocent!”

All who had come around as spectators to watch the show, when they saw what actually happened, were overcome with grief and headed home. Those who knew Jesus well, along with the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a respectful distance and kept vigil.

There was a man by the name of Joseph, a member of the Jewish High Council, a man of good heart and good character. He had not gone along with the plans and actions of the council. His hometown was the Jewish village of Arimathea. He lived in alert expectation of the kingdom of God. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Taking him down, he wrapped him in a linen shroud and placed him in a tomb chiseled into the rock, a tomb never yet used. It was the day before Sabbath,

the Sabbath just about to begin.

The women who had been companions of Jesus from Galilee followed along. They saw the tomb where Jesus’ body was placed. Then they went back to prepare burial spices and perfumes.

They rested quietly on the Sabbath, as commanded." 

 

To be continued...

 

Happy Good-Friday Readers! See you Early Sunday Morning for a post entitled:

"He is Risen!" 
 

 

Until Next Time,

 

~Kerrington

Guest Post~The Long Awaited Promise!

 Written by: Karen 

If there is one couple I can identify more with than any other it would be Abraham and Sarah.

 

Infertility is a dark, lonely place and to date, the most difficult and heart wrenching trial I’ve encountered.  To be honest, it is difficult to even put into words and no matter how well I am able to, unless you’ve walked the road of infertility, you will never know the
level of pain and heartache.

 

You battle so many things when faced with infertility.
Things like jealousy, anger, shame, loss, disappointment
and hopelessness.

 

For the first 10 years Glen and I battled infertility we never discussed with anyone. Not with my best friend or even my twin sister. It was too personal and too painful, like a raw open wound.

 

Glen and I approached this area in faith and believed that what God did for Abraham and Sarah, He could do for us.

 

We found bible verses to declare like;

Psalm 113:9 

"He makes the barren woman to be a homemaker
and a joyful mother of children."

 

 We had baby names written down in an envelope we kept beside our bed. We spent hours dreaming of what our children would be like and the kind of parents we would be.

 

For years that all it was; dreaming, believing and seeing nothing.

 

I mean you battle like nothing else with infertility. There are babies and pregnant women everywhere and every one of them is screaming “I have something that you don’t”.

 

I believe more than anything, infertility causes you to ride a rollercoaster of highs and lows like nothing else. It’s a ride I took every month as I anticipated being pregnant only to be let down again and again, month after month and year after year.

 

There came a day when our infertility became very public. 

 It was a Sunday evening service in our church.

 

There was a guest speaker who moved in the prophetic. He had a track record of giving accurate prophetic words. 

He called me out in front of my entire church and said; "In nine months you are going to have a baby.”  

I was overwhelmed by the presence of the Holy Spirit and this word went so deep into my soul, I hardly slept for two nights. 

God had heard the cry of our hearts!!

 

Two weeks after this wonderful and amazing prophetic word, Glen and I left for our first vacation alone in years. 

We spent our drive to the Muskokas talking about having kids, and dreaming and wondering about what God was up to. We were excited and full of faith. 

We even stopped and purchased a baby outfit as a way of exercising our faith.

I hung that little outfit up in our cottage and started my period....

Imagine the heartache and confusion, the shame and disappointment. 

I cried like I’d never cried before.

 

I questioned God and the accuracy of that prophetic word. 

I admit in that moment I would have liked to find that man and take his head off!! 

How dare he make he hope like that!! It's funny how the first thing we do in our pain is look for someone to blame it on.

 

Pointing our pain at a person isn’t going to fix it. Even if someone is responsible for the pain we are experiencing, blaming does nothing except make it worse. Blaming will take you deeper into discouragement, disappointment and powerlessness.

 

We were solid enough Christians to know that ultimately, the one to blame was the devil. He was the real enemy. 

John 10:10 calls him a thief who’s come to kill, steal and destroy. The enemy had been robbing us for years…in health and finances, in our physical intimacy and barrenness. God was not the source of all this heartache and pain!

 

 

Glen soon reminded me that the message this man preached in that evening service, before he ever gave me the prophetic word, was out of 

Romans 4:17.

His entire message was about the importance of

“calling those things that be not, as though they were”.

 

So we had a choice to make. 

Be angry and blame the man or receive the prophetic word and apply the message he taught to it And so we began to say, “In 9 months we are going to have a baby.” We said that again and again for years, believing that word to come to pass in our lives.

 

One thing that happened during this time was that I began working for an infertility specialist. The medical practice covered gynaecology and obstetrics, but primarily infertility and the major of the pregnant women we cared for were infertility patients that successfully became pregnant.

You would think that working in that environment would have been extremely difficult, but it wasn’t. 

I absolutely loved my work!!  

The grace of God was on me and I had many opportunities daily sow seeds of hope and encouragement into the lives of hurting women. I cannot count how many times someone said “It’s just so hard and I want a baby so bad.”  

I was always able to share how much I could, indeed, identify with them, as I myself was barren also for many years.

 I was often asked how I could work in such a place without children myself and every time my answer was the same…
 

 I am trusting God for a miracle.

 

Now the question, you are dying to know by now is, did I do infertility treatment? The answer is no. We thought about it, sometimes a lot and I was tempted to try it on occasion, but in the end we never did.  Let me be clear, I have no problem with infertility treatments. 

The medical field has made it possible for thousands of women to have babies that otherwise would not have.  

To do or not do infertility treatment, is a personal decision each couple has to make and for us, our decision was not to undergo any treatments.

 I could have done just about anything at no cost if I wanted it, but I always wondered if I did move out in the medical realm, how would I ever know for sure it was God and not us. 

It was too easy for those lines to be blurred and in my heart I so wanted our child to be a testimony of the greatness of our miracle working God.

 

So after working full time for 4 years I became pregnant. 

To be honest, at this point, being pregnant was the farthest thing from my mind. Yes we still wanted children, but we had made a decision to love our life and enjoy our days resting in the knowledge that God knew the desire of our hearts. I actually thought I had a bladder infection and was preparing the lab slip to send with my urine sample, when my co-workers teased me about checking off a pregnancy test too. 

I went along jokingly with them, and was amazed when I called the lab later that evening and was told I did not have a bladder infection, 

but was indeed pregnant!!

On October 27, 2007 

I gave birth to a 5 lb baby boy. 

We held the long awaited promise 

in our arms!!

 

Our God is always Faithful! 

~Karen 

Proverbs 31 Woman, Who me?!?

I just love the 'Proverbs 31 Woman' passage. Each & every verse is so very special to me & these verses play very unique roles in my life!

In this blog-post I want to go through some of the verses & try to explain them a little more in-depth & in more modern terms. That way my generation of young women will be able to understand 

& appreciate 'Proverbs 31' much, 

much more. 

So many young women (including myself)

have had this mindset that Proverbs 31 

can't have anything good to do 

with a woman unless your a 'Mrs.' 

but in reality it is teaching all

generations of women!! 

Often, Women believe that 

Proverbs 31 doesn’t really apply to

our modern day lives,

but truly it does :) 

Today I am going to help you discover the 

'Proverbs 31 woman' in yourself. 

Here it goes ;) 

The Proverbs 31 woman is referred to as

“the virtuous woman.” 

She is definitely a role model for us all.

She's someone who uses all she has

& does all she can with excellence. 

She glorifies God in everything she does,

big or small.

She is honest, trustworthy 

& generous. 

She is a good steward, understands people,

plans for the future & likes to put together a nice outfit ;) 

She’s a very wise woman, using what is

“in her hands" to influence 

& enhance the lives of those in her circle.

She realizes that she doesn’t have to “do it all” to be effective. 

She knows how to evaluate, invest, encourage

& ultimately bring out the best in people around her! 

A Proverbs 31 woman is a model 

of character traits & of wisdom. 

She may well have skill & beauty, 

but these are of secondary importance to her godliness! 

{Proverbs 31:10} 

"...she is far more precious than jewels." 

Ladies!! You may not feel it sometimes, but you are so very precious in God's eyes, you are worth more than any jewels ❤️

{Proverbs 31:15} 

"She provides for her house-hold before the day even begins & this multiplies the effectiveness of her work." 

I love that part 

'before the day begins' 

for us younger ladies, I truly believe that means getting up early & reading our Bibles & doing our devotions faithfully, not just once a week, but faithfully. 

Everyday, digging deep into his word because one day we will see the 'effectiveness of our hard work' 

by reading his word daily. 

 A Virtuous Woman is a homemaker. 

She creates an inviting atmosphere of

warmth & love for her family 

& their many guests. 

She uses hospitality to minister 

to those around her. 

She is very charitable :) 

{Proverbs 31:18} 

"She is confident that her profits are sufficient..." 

She is not confined to her home, 

but she is engaged in her own business. 

This part of Proverbs 31 demonstrates remarkable financial independence for a woman, especially in the Bible times. 

This verse to me means,

that we should be wise stewards of our money even at a young age. 

Training ourselves to be good financial managers of our money before we have the pleasure of taking care, of the finances of our own households. She is productive! 

She works willingly with her hands. She sings praises to God & does not grumble while completing her daily tasks & challenges. 

{Proverbs 31:20} 

"She opens her hands to the poor & reaches out her arms to the needy."  

She is not prideful, she does not walk around with a turned-up nose. 

She has a genuine concern for the less fortunate.

She is a Builder of Community! 

{Proverbs 31:23} 

"...she sits with the elders of the land." 

She enjoys the company of her elders & excels with the wisdom they bestow upon her.

She respects every word of wisdom. 

{Proverbs 31:25} 

"She is clothed in strength & dignity.

She laughs without fear of the future." 

Strength & dignity are so much a part of her character, that they seem like they are her clothing. 

She laughs at the future, in contrast of being anxious & worried or even fearful about what is to come.

She prayerfully considers the decisions that have to be made, (even at our young age.)

God gives her guidance & direction of which path to choose. 

{Proverbs 31:26} 

"She opens her mouth with wisdom, & the teaching of kindness is on her tongue."

The Wisdom that is taught by this woman is incredibly-remarkable.

She is wise beyond her years. 

Hence why, 

"she sits with the elders of the land." 

She speaks with kindness. 

Every word that leaves her mouth is glorifying to God. She speaks with a gentle, loving spirit. 

{Proverbs 31:29} 

"Many daughters have done excellently,

but you surpass them all."  

She is a set-apart young woman from the culture of today. 

She's not afraid to be unique 

& go against the crowd.  

She is victorious!! 

{Proverbs 31:30} 

"Charm is deceitful, & beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." 

A Woman who fears the Lord will excel in anything she does. 

Bringing me back to the point of digging deep into his word ;) 

God's word is food for the soul! 

She is a woman of worth & of beauty. She has the inner beauty,  that only comes from Jesus Christ.

She uses her creativity & sense of style to create beauty in her life 

& the lives of her loved ones. 

{Proverbs 31:31}

"Let us honour her, for all that her hands have done, & let her works bring her praise at the city gates." 

Ladies, our goals should never be to seek honour & praises for the work we have done, but if God blesses you for the things you have accomplished don't ever feel unworthy of accepting these "praises" you deserve them, 

my dear! 

Last, but not least. 

Being a Proverbs 31 woman is not about being that "perfect" Christian. 

It's about living a full-life for 

His purpose! 

Until next time, 

~Kerrington