The Journey of 'Singleness'

Today I am going to talk about something, that is so very near and dear to my heart, and that is the topic of 'Singleness' 

"For 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." 

{Jeremiah 29:11}

What messes up most of our lives, 

is the picture we have in our heads of how our lives
are supposed to be. 

If that snapshot in your dream-scrapbook includes a handsome hubby by your side, you’re probably wondering about now where he is. 

Yeah, I thought he’d be here by now.  

Plenty of other godly, single women in every age range are thinking the same thing. Me included... 

But my heart breaks and aches, 

for the many women I have met 

who have settled for less than their

God-given best. 

Women who didn’t believe that they were worth the fight, magnificent, extravagant, and crazy amazing...

I’m saddened by how easy it is for us women to give our hearts away, sometimes to the most undeserving of men. 

Women will only be choosy when they believe that they are worth choosing. When we begin to believe we are treasures worth finding 

and precious gems worth keeping 

our mindsets instantly start to change. 

Choosing to wait for our future spouses'
goes beyond a boundary, 

it goes beyond any rules. 

It is overflowing in love, purity, 

and true desires. 

I choose to wait for whoever God has for me because, I believe that this season of waiting will help mold me into the Woman of God, 

He has called me to be. 

I think part of our problem as Christian women lies in, our fear of unconditionally trusting God. 

Deep down, we want to fully trust Him, but we wonder if we really truly can. We wonder if He will really follow through. We wonder if He knows us, as well as we think we know ourselves. 

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;" 

{Proverbs 3:5}

I believe waiting will teach us to trust God with everything...

Even in our 'love lives' ;)

The purpose of waiting is NOT because we are waiting for God to ‘hurry up and finally bring the guy’. 

Keeping this in mind, 

God isn’t keeping that wonderful man from you. 

Nor has He forgotten that you’re over there waiting. You’re not on your own. You don’t have to invest all your energy looking right, or being in the right place, at the right time to find God’s match for you. 

Instead, our energies are better spent growing every day into amazing women of God, who will recognize God’s man when he shows up in our lives. 

We are being shaped and formed each day, into the image of Christ. 

There are things God is working out of us, and into us. 

God created us with one sole purpose of knowing Him and making Him known. Your singleness is God’s perfect place for you to thrive. 

You don’t have to wait for your "knight-in-shining-armour"

 to start living. 

You can know the Lord fully and serve Him wholly right here, 

right now.

The purpose I believe, in our singleness is to take everyday and glorify Jesus in everything we do. 

From saying hello to people, 

to serving those who need help. 

It is an incredible opportunity to be able to spend hours with God in prayer, in fasting, and in worship. 

It is an opportunity to let our lives 

be true living sacrifices. 

My desire for my life is to be a reminder to the world that singleness does not mean you are “stuck”. Remember, waiting is not always a bad thing, ladies!! 

Waiting is an opportunity for God to purify and perfect His will in our lives. The longer we wait, the more time we can invest in becoming more Christ-like, as Single Ladies :) 

 

Everyday is an opportunity to be 

refined in God's fiery love. 

Everyday is an oppurtunity to say yes to love and no to fear. 

Everyday is an opportunity to open locked doors in our hearts and to discover hidden talents and desires. 

Everyday is an opportunity to go deeper in God's love. 

When we begin looking at this season of waiting as an opportunity to be purified and refined for a possible spouse, it most definitely becomes more of an adventure!! 

Instead of dreading each new day, wondering if every person we see is “the one." 

We can start living right now, 

we now can choose to see the beauty in each and everyday, knowing that it is shaping us to be who He called us to be. 

(First and foremost a Lover of God)

 "Trust in the LORD forever..."

{Isaiah 26:4} 

The journey to one day become a 

Wife starts now. Today matters.

How we respond to the things of today, will determine how our tomorrow goes. 

Though the Battle may get tough... 

Seek your strength from prayer, 

not people. Be open, and trustworthy, live in full communion, 

with our Heavenly Father. 

 

Love waits...patiently.

 

So today, if you are single will you make the choice to wait patiently and proactively?!? 

We all have a choice in how we can Live your lives. Looking forward to what God has for us today and everyday to come, or impatiently waiting for the day we will meet 

"the one" and possibly missing out on opportunities today. 

So, as much as we want to plan out our picture-perfect lives...we unfortunately can't, but on the brighter side of that, Life always has a way of surprising you with unexpected things that will make you even happier than you originally planned, so that's always
something to look forward to ❤️

Ladies, in closing I would like to say, 

like I have said before in many previous posts...
Never be ashamed of your Singleness!
Just because you are the only girl you know who isn't dating, doesn't mean you are not worth waiting for...
There is a man out there waiting just as patiently as you are, 

we just have to TRUST God! 

Never forget that you are worth the wait!! 

Until next time, 

~Kerrington 

Guest-Post~ A letter to the young girls.

 

Written By: Mandy 

For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do.

(1 Timothy 2:10)

Dear beautiful {young} daughter of God,

I remember the lonely nights. I remember falling asleep feeling like the only teenage girl alive that didn't have a boyfriend. I remember how the absence of a boyfriend brought the presence of the identity that I was not worthy; that I somehow did not measure up to all the other girls in my circle.

I gave my heart to Jesus just a few months after I turned thirteen. I fell completely in love my Saviour and devoted the remainder my life's journey to being sold out for Him. 

My blossoming relationship with God was a beautiful thing.....until I got caught up in the fact that while the majority of my friends were in relationships; I remained single. It's an easy web to get tangled up in; seeking your identity in that of a relationship. But it did not produce any fruit, in fact, it distracted me from my relationship with God and changed my focus to seeking out what would make me attractive to that special someone. 

You see, the world desperately beckoned me to believe that because i was not in a relationship...I was 'less than.' 

My God, however, taught me in my season of singleness, to stand firm in my position as His daughter. He gently told me that "A good woman is hard to find; and she is worth far more than diamonds." (Proverbs 31:10), and He challenged me to work on becoming that 'good woman' before I stirred up and excited love. (Song of Songs 8:4)

I read some books on dating and came up with a list of boundaries for myself. No, I would not 'date' just to say I was dating; I in fact was worth far more than that. I would however, pray for the man I one day would call my husband. I would build my character and solidify my relationship with my Saviour before I opened my heart to loving another man; after all I am first, His. 

Young women, if you give your love life over to God and trust Him to pen your love story, I guarantee you will never be disappointed. It may never look like you've dreamed it would, but from my experience; it will look better. Don't compromise who you are in Jesus for anything or anyone. I challenge you to really pray and ask God what it means to be a 'good woman' and allow God to direct your steps as you journey your way into becoming one. 

Remember who your first love is, and honor Him with every decision you make.

Bless you, young daughters,

Mandy Hill

P.S. Heavenly Father, I pray for the young girls who's eyes will fall on this letter- I pray for their hearts. I pray, Jesus, that you will become completely irresistible to them, drawing them to Your side. Please bless them and be for them everything their heart's desire. Protect them from the battle the enemy will desperately try to ensue on them, and lead them to victory. We bless you, God. We exalt You. In Jesus name, Amen!

About Mandy: 

 

Mandy is an imperfect work in progress! She loves the Lord with her whole heart and counts it her biggest privilege to serve Him in ministry however He leads. Born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia, she now resides in south-western Ontario with her family. She has been married to her handsome husband Nathan for 9 years and together they have served in ministry for the entirety of their marriage. Nathan & Mandy have three beautiful children; Benjamin, Sophia & Spencer (all ages 5 and under!). Mandy is passionate about singing, worship leading and music. She loves reading, writing, decorating cakes, painting and anything artistic. She strives to be tidier, more organized (yes, she is a little compulsive!), a little more Martha Stewart-esque, and a little less 'unglued'. Most of all she seeks to be Christ-like and to love God through serving her family and her community.

To read more check out Mandy's blog:

http://www.weareHisdaughters.com

Our Love Story!

 

In honor of February, being the month-of-love!  

I thought you would like to read

How my Mom & Dad met.

Story originally published: May 19th, 2011

On my Mom's Blog!

Enjoy!!

 

 

www.clickingusclose.blogspot.ca

 

Written by: Joceline 

 

 

Seventeen years ago today, 

I met my soul-mate.

My life was forever changed.

Let me take you down memory lane.

I was just about to graduate high school and we were off to a convention,

for private schools.

The convention was a three day competition of various events, from singing to sports to be held
in the state of New York.

The school I attended was requiring we do at least two sporting events.

Since I was already doing volleyball, I thought I'd sign up for something easy, like running long jump.

That's where my first encounter with arrogant
boy comes into play.

My turn had come up and I didn't have a chance to practice but really I thought
"How hard can this be?"

So a running I went, mentally preparing
to hurl my body forward.

I  apparently am an over achiever,
because I lunged myself forward
so hard I couldn't stop.

I landed flat on my face in the sand.

Wow!!! Did that ever hurt!

Arrogant boy laughed at me.

Here he was standing there,
when I was devastated because
I had dirtied my new sweater  and was in great pain...
and he laughed.

I had thought he was cute, but not now.

Rude, just rude!

The teasing continued throughout
that day from arrogant boy, 

and my annoyance was mounting.
( I guess the saying is true,
 boys really do tease girls they like.)
 

After some time of harassment, a friend told arrogant boy that my feelings were possibly becoming hurt and that he should apologize.

Out with arrogant boy... 

enter Prince Charming.

After a lovely apology, things began to change.

I found myself looking to find him at each new event and have some exchange of a look or words.
 

That was by far the fastest three days of my life,
before I knew it, it was our last night and we were leaving.

I had resigned myself that this had been a wonderful,
fun time, but that was it.

Until, a slip of paper was handed
to me by Prince Charming.

I held it in my hand and
wondered if it was
what I was hoping it was.

A phone number
and an address.

Yes!

An exchange of information was made.

Thus beginning a wonderful, 

long-distance relationship.

Our phone bills were quite high, 

but we couldn't help ourselves.

We were falling in love and the sound of each others voice was all we had.

Until Mark, my soul mate moved, 

so we could be closer to each other.

We were engaged after 8 months of knowing each other.

We were quite young, but I knew this was the man I was supposed to marry.

When I was younger I had spent a lot of time thinking and praying as to what I wanted in a husband.

I had even written a list of things I had asked God for in a mate.

What is completely God, 

is that Mark was my list.

Everything I had asked God for, things only He and I knew.

He gave them to me in Mark.

Neither of us were planning to go to convention that year,
 but God had already planned we would.

Isn't He Amazing!

  Until next time,  
 

~Joceline

Guest Post~ Be Specific!

 

Written By: Joceline 

 

As I sit here staring at the cursor waiting for me to expound on the title the Lord dropped into my heart a few weeks back, when Kerrington,  my beautiful daughter, excitedly said "Mom I want you to be the first to guest post on my blog!"

I'll readily admit I wasn't as excited as she was, a small amount of fear hit me, but I truly felt the Lord wanted me to share this subject with my girls, especially, and if you are at all blessed in the process then I have followed the Lord's leading and have pleased my sweet daughter by guest posting on her blog.

 

My words to my three girls are to: Be Specific

 

The story starts back to when I was about fifteen years old. I was at, what most girls in their teenage years are, ready for love or so I thought. I was always very mature for my age so at fifteen I felt I was ready to make that important decision of love and who could be" the one".

Fortunately, my parents had told me that I was to wait until I was older to begin dating.

 Oh! what a blessing that was in my life. I will say that at the time I wasn't too pleased, but I began to take that time to fall more in love with my first prince, Jesus.

 

I so wanted to be in love, my friends were older and some had already begun to date, so I watched.

When I would return home I would sit and ask the Lord "when will it be my turn?"

He is so candid sometimes, He said to me "How can I bring someone into your life when you really don't know what you want."

"Be Specific and ask me."

Really!?!

So that is the night my list was conceived.

It took some time to write it out and would change over the course of the next few years, but the body of it remained the same, kept inside my diary as a constant reminder.

My utmost cry was that he would love the Lord with all his heart.

I had seen homes divided by "religion" and didn't want the struggle that some had to live everyday.

I needed someone who would point me to Him, someone to lead.

This one never changed it remained a constant #1.

 

Others were more superficial request as I was only a teenager, but since He wanted me to be specific, I wrote what was important to me.

Such as I'd love it if he could play an instrument, preferably the piano, I love music and worship, so that seemed something to ask for.

He needed to be taller and have broad shoulders, and blue eyes. I know really ? but the Lord did say be specific and ask.

So why not?

 

Others were very personal and only the Lord and I know these, but they made it to the list, because He knew where I was and what I needed.

What was wonderful about sitting with the Lord, was not only spending time with Him discussing my future, but I truly began to know who I was and what I wanted.

A wonderful time of revelation.

 

I was an avid reader back in the day, I love to read, and happen to read a book about someone marrying a man who was adopted.  Sure enough the Lord asked me "How would feel about marrying someone who was adopted. Not knowing his past, would you be okay with that?"

I contemplated that question for a while and I answered the Lord with a peaceful yes.

Why He would drop that in my heart, I would not know until I met my future husband.

Isn't God amazing!

 He was preparing me for this, my heart was already settled on that matter, before I found out the man I had feelings for was adopted!

 

Everything on my list was fulfilled in my husband, and then some!

Even things I had whispered to the Lord, but never wrote down.

Thank you Lord for keeping me for him.

 

So what I say to my daughters is: Be Specific.

 

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Psalms 37:4

 

Ask, pray, wait.

He will never let you down.

 

 

Here is some icing on the cake.

This is how wonderful the Lord works.

 

Another request was that it would be nice, but not necessary if he was a fireman. I know you may not believe this one, but the Lord knows, so that is all that matters.

I did not marry a firefighter.

I did not breathe a word of this request, with my future husband, as I didn't want this expectation on him.

About five years into our marriage, my husband began to talk about joining the fire department and then it all made sense. Why would the Lord place on my heart to be married to a fireman, when I wasn't.

 Again, he was preparing me for the day my husband would bring this request before me.

"I want to join the fire department."

There was no hesitation on my part when he spoke those words.

It could have invoked much fear as this is a dangerous job,

 but

the Lord had already given me peace about this years before it came to pass.

 

So my final words to my daughters are,

Do not worry about your future and all that it holds, especially when it comes to your future husband.

God has it all under control.

 

Photo of Kerrington & I :)

 

Just Be specific.

 

Until next time,

 

Kerrington's  mom, 

 Joceline 

 

 

 

The Season of waiting...

Ladies this post is for you!

Grab a hot tea & get comfy

Let's get started...

“She was far too busy living out a passionate romance with Jesus Christ to be pining after an earthly prince.” –Leslie Ludy

 

Everyday of your life you express emotion, whether it be love, joy,happiness, anger, bitterness, etc. (Hopefully it’s not the last two, but we all have those days...thank goodness for grace!)

Emotions can be stirred by many different things...

here are a few examples:

People, Magazines, books, music, movies, colors, & as crazy as it sounds even smells! 

One emotion our society is always promoting is “Love”.

 

How can I get love?

 

Where can I find love?

 

Who can I get love from?

 

Where can I get more love?

 

Who will ever love me?

 

What is love?

 

Ladies! There is a simple answer to all of these questions & you probably already guessed…it's Jesus!!!

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 says

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

So many times I have been asked

"So Kerrington, do you have a significant other?”

& so many times I have had to sadly answer ..."NO!"

Colossians 4:6

"Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man."  

When I answered these people it was always out of anger & disappointment

(no grace or seasoning salt there...lol)

that I didn't "fit in" with this love-obsessed generation...

but wait!!

"Why would I want to fit in with that?"

To feel accepted? ...maybe, to not be so foreign in this generation & a big one for me, to not look so
"Sheltered-Christian-homeschooler"

 if you get what I mean...

Let’s just face it, if we have a Facebook relationship status that stays "single” for all of our teenage years, then we are bound to singleness for the rest of our lives right?

LIES!!!

 

Jesus makes everything perfect in His time!

Just like that verse earlier said

"Love is patient..."

We simply have to just be patient.

The definition of Wait is really neat it means-

To stay in a place of great expectation...

Ladies, don't ever be ashamed of your singleness...
Be bold & confident that you are in a season of waiting & having a more intimate, deeper relationship with Jesus Christ...

make Him the centre of your life... before thinking about that other special someone!

Remember this... just because you are single doesn't mean you have to be lonely :) 

 

Proverbs 3:5-6 says…

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart

    and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways submit to him,

    and he will make your paths straight.”

Don't worry about a thing!

Daddy has got it all under-control...

Our God is so loving & personal that He took the time to have a Prayer Warrior in my church stop me yesterday
(of all places in the ladies washroom) & gave me this word about a
"Season of waiting."

Little did she know, it was what I had written for this post earlier in the week...

What a God confirmation her words were!

 

"You should not settle for less than what God has for you, wait for the one He has, don't settle for second, third, fourth, fifth, but wait for the best He has for you. For the one He has will be very special and the best is worth waiting for!"

   As for God, His timing is perfect!

 

Kerrington

 

 

(Check out this song...it is simply amazing!)

http://youtu.be/x9fanXevDLs