Is there only one? Part 2

To better express my viewpoint, I have gathered a few articles for anyone interested. They do a much better job than I!

Path to Marriage: Predestined or Freewilled?

Soul Mates or Sole Mates?

Mentor Series: The Burning Bush

SDG,
Jessica

Is there only one?

Some random thoughts of mine on "the one" :


A common train of thought in today's society is that there is one person out there, Mr./Mrs. Right, who can complete them. They just have to find them. But is there really just one person that you would be able to marry?

I think the concept of "the one" can be a destructive one. The tendency is to set the standard high - too high - and turn down perfectly acceptable suitors because of minor character flaws. Young women especially need to face reality and realize that Prince Charming will be a sinful young man who does not live to make her happy. I realize that if the Lord wills for me to marry, that my husband will not be perfect. He'll have flaws, habits that annoy me, and sins that he struggles with. If we search for that perfect young man with his own home, a well-paying job, perfect credentials, no flaws...we will never find him.

I do think there are certain people we are "compatible" with. But is there only one? Nope. Neither should we settle for the first person we find. Wait for God's best. Keep an open mind, she/he won't always be what we imagined. Stop waiting for the one, and look at the godly young people around you.
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What is at the center?

There one essential that we ought to always strive to keep at the center of everything and that is the gospel. Without it we are lost. Daily, we should be preaching it to ourselves. We ought to constantly be teaching it, no matter the subject. Never should we take for granted the fact that we already know the gospel, that we no longer need to hear it. When that happens the gospel is no longer at the center. My admonition to you is to constantly strive to keep the gospel forefront and center, not matter what may come to try and replace it.

Oh, Look!

Yes, my friends...a new post! Please restrain yourselves from fainting. Contrary to all appearances, I did not, in fact, fall off the edge of the earth. I'm sorry to disappoint. Why I haven't written here is mostly because I have simply not felt like writing, mostly due to being quite sick. Sounds like lots of fun, doesn't it? Anyway, I hope to get back to posting more regularly soon.

Something I learned from being sick is not to take anything for granted. As a young people, we tend to forget that we are not invincible. It is easy to forget to be thankful for things we don't notice until they are taken away, like simply having the energy to get out of bed in the morning. I thought about the fact that there are people that have to deal everyday with some of the issues I had to deal with for only had for a week or two. I can't imagine having to struggle everyday with not having enough strength just to do simple tasks around the house. I would encourage everyone who reads this to cultivate a thankful heart. Be thankful for those little things that we don't usually notice until they are taken away. We aren't automatically thankful creatures, we have to teach ourselves to be thankful. Look around you, think hard about what you usually take for granted, and thank Yahweh for the countless good gifts He has given to you.

You Don't Know

You don't know...
the rejection.
the hurt behind her smile.
the emotional turmoil.
the pain beneath his laughter.
the tears that soak the pillow.

Behind their masks are painful wounds...
some fresh.
some scarred over.
some painfully tender.
some almost forgotten.

No matter. . .
how hard the laugh,
how bright the smile,
how chirpy the greeting,
every heart has its aching wounds.

We should thus treat those around us. . .
with gentleness.
with kindess.
with patience.
with tenderness
with love.

One of those days...

Sometimes, you have "one of those days". What exactly do I mean? Those days are where nothing (or at least a lot) of things go wrong. Today was close to being one of those days. My big disappointment of the day involved experimenting with homemade marshmallow peeps. Now, you are supposed use an electric mixer but mine broke so I tried to do it by hand, but in the end it was a flop. Then I injured my little toe while dancing - the day before I am supposed to help my aunt shoot a wedding. I'm sure I don't have to tell you the temptation we all have on these type of days towards self-pity and despair.

It is so easy to start focusing on the bad things that happening and miss out on the good. For example, the failed peeps turned into delicious oatmeal creme pies. If we seek to turn ourselves into regular ol' Pollyannas, always looking for the good in *every* situation, we will be rewarded. Trying to find the silver lining doesn't come naturally; in fact, it can take a lot of time and practice to cultivate that "talent". But if we seek to find joy in every situation, we will be happier people. Our cups will be so filled with joy that it will "splash" onto those around us. Even so, the joy does not come of ourselves but is a gift from Yahweh. The world will wonder at the inexpressible delight we find in Him.

Sometimes the burden becomes too much for us, though. We can't seem to find joy anywhere. It seems as if everything that could possible go wrong has. The cloud of depression weighs heavily on your soul and nothing seems to be able to dispel it. What then, are we to wallow in our sadness? No, we need to seek our joy from Yahweh. Even on our absolute worse days, we are not beyond the reach of His grace. Even on our best days, we are not beyond the need of His grace. As Christians, we are constantly supposed to be joyful. What to we have to be sad and mournful about? The maker of the universe loves us. He gave His most valuable, precious possession to be torn, beaten, hung on a cross for us. What more could He have given? It was for me, for my sins that He was smitten of God and afflicted. For the lies I have told, the sins I have committed. By His stripes I am healed, my sins are forgiven. Now, is that not something to be joyful about?

A glorious Easter Sunday to you all.

SDG,
Jessica
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Why Dance?

If you know me at all, you know that I highly enjoy dancing. It may seem silly, or perhaps a waste of time, but I would argue that dancing is much more than about having a good time.

You have to be a humble person to be able to dance. Sooner or later you will mess up, direct someone in the wrong direction, mis-read a dance step, or simply not know what you are doing. You have to be willing to admit you messed up, and be humble enough to ask for help when you have no idea what you are supposed to do.

Dancing teaches you patience. It takes time to walk through a dance and learn the steps before you can even get the chance to dance it through with you music. Or perhaps you already know the dance and you must learn to wait patiently as others learn.

You learn to help others. When first starting out, you are concerned for yourself and how to do it right. As you progress you start to look out for your partner, then your set, then others in your line. You begin to look out not just for yourself but for others with which you are dancing.

You have the opportunity to enjoy some of the most exquisite pieces of music. Just dance Pat Shaw's version of Mr. Beveridge's Maggot and you'll know what I mean.

If you don't know how to listen you shouldn't dance. It's not even just listening to the caller, but listening also for the music for it will tell you when to perform the next figure. Paying attention to the caller helps, too. ;-)

So dancing isn't just for fun. It will stretch you. God has used my experiences with dance to shape me into the person I am today. Four years ago, I would never ever have thought it possible for me to have the nerve to actually stand in front of a group of people and call dances. I was extremely shy and uncomfortable actually looking at my partner when I was dancing with them. I was not outgoing at all and probably would have nearly died if I had to speak in front of a group of people. Dance, however, forced me out of my shell and taught me how to be comfortable interacting with other people. Here I am today - helping my brother lead our dance group and calling dances.

So what are you waiting for? Get out there and dance!