November 15, 2024

Lady In Waiting: Meditation: My True Community – Mother Teresa (1910 – 1997)

December 10, 2012 by

 

“Accept whatever He gives— and give whatever He takes with a big smile. You belong to Him.”

Beloved girlfriends, it has been an honor being with you each week throughout our study of the book, Lady in Waiting.  The journey has been amazing and we have learned so many truths together.

This is our last week together and we will be going through some of the meditations that each one of us bloggers has chosen.  However, there are seventeen meditations that you can do throughout the Christmas season as we wait for the next study to begin.  I trust that you have already signed up or are prayerfully thinking of signing up!

Our meditation today is based on a special woman of God, Mother Teresa.  A woman who dedicated her life to serving the poorest of the poor in India.  Mother Teresa is one example of what a single woman who took advantage of her single status to serve the Lord diligently.  Her decision to serve the Lord in this way impacted many lives and many more women have joined her cause.

A Lady in Waiting must also be a Lady of Diligence.  Remember what we covered in the topic of diligence in Chapter 2 of our Bible Study?  We were given so many examples of how as single women we can serve our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

This statement from chapter 2 still stands out to me today “Singleness is an enviable condition. An unmarried woman has something that a married woman gives up on her wedding day: extra time for Jesus. Too many young women waste valuable years as they wait for life to begin—after marriage. They rarely realize the priceless free time they waste, until it is gone. Have you neglected some mission or ministry opportunities because you feared prolonging your unmarried state?

Being single is enviable because one is free to serve the Lord in whatever way you can.  As we meditate today, lets us allow the Holy Spirit to help us to see in what ways we can minister to others.  You don’t have to be a nun like Mother Teresa to do what she did.  Our Lord Jesus Christ was full of ministry to others; He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and had compassion on all those who were suffering to mention but a few.  As we are in the Christmas season, let us bring Christ to everyone around us by reaching out and serving others.  This is what the Gospel of Matthew verse 4:23-25 says about our beloved Lord. “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.   News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them.  Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis,  Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.”

This is a great quote from our meditation today which is worth remembering.

“Keep giving Jesus to your people not by words, but by your example, by your being in love with Jesus, by radiating his holiness and spreading His fragrance of love everywhere you go. Just keep the joy of Jesus as your strength. Be happy and at peace. Accept whatever He gives— and give whatever He takes with a big smile. You belong to Him. My true community is the poor— their security is my security, their health is my health. My home is among the poor, and not only the poor, but the poorest of them: the people no one will go near because they are filthy and suffering from contagious diseases, full of germs and vermin— infested; the people who can’t go to church because they can’t go out naked; the people who can no longer eat because they haven’t the strength; the people who lie down in the street, knowing they are going to die, while others look away and pass them by; the people who no longer cry because their tears have run dry! The Lord wants me exactly where I am— He will provide the answers.”

LET’S PRAY

Lord Jesus Christ, we thank You for being with us each and every week as we studied the Lady in Waiting.  Lord, thank You for teaching us through Your life and the life of Mother Teresa the importance of service.  I pray that the Holy Spirit will guide us and lead us to the place where we can be of service to others who are hurting and need our support.  I pray that we will not be comfortable with just receive but we will give of ourselves in Jesus Name.  Amen.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

Look around your community, there are hospitals, schools and many other places that you can go to and minister to others.  Let us discuss ways in which we are going to reach out throughout the Christmas Holiday.  Which ministry is the Lord asking you to serve Him but up until now you have not responded to?  He is waiting for you to answer the call!

Be Blessed

Jackie

Our Next Single Women’s Online Bible Study

“Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul”

by John & Stasi Eldredge

Begins January 6, 2013

To sign up for this Online Bible Study, click HERE and follow the instructions. You will also be given a link to where you can purchase this bible study. We’re looking forward to studying “Captivating” with you!!

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Lady In Waiting: Introduction to Meditations

December 7, 2012 by

Diane

Just like anything else, if you keep God out of meditation there is absolutely no point in doing it.  Meditation is defined as a written or spoken discourse expressing considered thoughts on a subject.  I find it HIGHLY important that discourse is defined as written or spoken communication or debate.  Meditation is not about feeling relaxed or a place where you can be calm.  Meditation is an opportunity for YOU to communicate with GOD about any subject you or He would like to discuss.  It is easy to think it is about us: our calmness, relaxation, peace from our craziness.  When in reality, it is all about being with and sharing with our Divine Lover, Jesus!

When you sit down for quiet time what does it look like?  Is your cell phone right next to you just in case your future husband decides to call you while you are trying to hear from God?  Are you alone or in a crowded coffee shop because even this is an opportunity to be seen by God’s man for you?  More importantly though, can I ask you what your heart looks like?  Is your heart open for what the Lord wants to share with you?  Are you willing to be patient and not leave your quiet time until you hear from God?  Does your heart desire to soak in all that God has for you in this moment?  We must empty of “ourselves” and fill up with the Spirit of the Lord!

This week we have been talking about patience.  I was looking forward to this week because this is where I most struggle.  Can I be honest with you ladies; I have not read one blog post this week so far.  Despite feeling the need to read what these women have openly prepared for us to read, I want to wait until I am ready to open my heart for the words God speaks through each and every one of their fingertips.  My heart wasn’t ready for what may be revealed in those posts.  I struggle with the waiting part of being single.  I do not so much struggle with actually being single, just with thinking I will be single forever.  I believe that as much as we are to be patient with God, He is always willing to be patient for us.  He is waiting for me to open my heart to the hearts of the ladies that have shared this week in our study.  He is waiting and His Spirit is praying for me that I will talk with Him about my struggles with patience.

I truly believe the best meditation with God is when we have the ambition to be beyond honest with ourselves and with God, trusting that no matter what the true state of our hearts are at that moment, it is safe to say God will surely transform them into more like His heart when we commune with Him.  He rejoices in the moment we turn to Him for communication.  Just like our Father in Heaven waits patiently for our hearts, so we wait patiently for the heart of the man He is preparing perfectly for us.

I plan to spend quiet time with God, when I know I am ready to get rid of all hindrances, reading the blog posts from this week.  Praying that God will bring out the important truths that I need to let sink into my heart.

Throughout this study of A Lady In Waiting, I just know each one of us struggled with something more than another.  That something more for you, please go back to this weekend or whenever your heart is ready to.  Go back to the chapter; go back to the blog posts for that week.  Most importantly go to God in meditation.  Seek His face in your time alone with Him.  Find out what is in the way of your heart being controlled completely by the perfectness of God and give it over to Him once and for all.  You will find in your moments of complete surrender God’s loving presence.

I pray that we take advantage of the opportunities in the back of the book for meditation with God.  As you work through each meditation, open your heart but also open your ears that you might hear what the Lord has been patiently waiting to whisper in your ear.  I promise it will be just what you need and it will sustain you in the struggles of singleness.

Let’s Pray:

Father God, I thank You so much that we have the privilege of talking to You every moment of every day.  I ask that You prepare the hearts of each and every one of these ladies for the words You want to speak to them.  I ask that they can clearly hear from You.  Lord, Your faithfulness and patience truly take my breath away!  Your love for us is incomprehensible.  I pray that inside of all of us is a desire to spend time with You, growing closer to You, and feeling Your presence in our lives making You more and more real to us.  Bring to light the area we struggle most with and help us to have the courage to spend time talking with You about this area.  I pray all of these things in Your precious name, Amen.

You’re Assignment: 

Look back on your journey through this study.  What are you struggling with still?  What area of your life is God not present in?  Go back to that chapter or topic, and spend a lot of quiet time with God being honest with Him about these struggles.  Ask God to make your heart ready to hear from Him.  Let His presence fill where that struggle once was.

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Our Next Single Women’s Online Bible Study

“Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul”

by John & Stasi Eldredge

Begins January 6, 2013

To sign up for this Online Bible Study, click HERE and follow the instructions. You will also be given a link to where you can purchase this bible study. We’re looking forward to studying “Captivating” with you!!

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Lady in Waiting: Developing Patience

December 6, 2012 by


Have you ever heard the phrase “Patience is a virtue”?  Well, curious-little-me decided to look up where that saying came from.  As it turns out, there is an entire list of 7 heavenly virtues (to counter the 7 deadly sins).  This list is derived from the Psychomachia (“Contest of the Soul”), an epic poem written by Aurelius Clemens Prudentius (c. AD 410). These 7 virtues include: chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, patience, kindness, and humility.

Aurelius made a pretty good list, but I think he plagiarized or perhaps he drew some inspiration from Galatians 5:22-23:  “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness self-control; against such things there is no law.”

So how can we develop these virtues?  How can we develop the virtue of patience?

I believe that if we ask the Lord to help us develop the fruits of the Spirit (patience being one of them) then He will give us situations and opportunities in which we can develop our requests.  It’d be nice if He would just zap us down some “instant patience,” but that’s not how He works.  And what a blessing! He’s given each of us that opportunity RIGHT NOW! We can practice and develop our patience now in our singleness so we may glorify Him wherever He may lead us in the future.

I want to draw your attention to three points made by our authors:

  • Marriage is not a need.
  • Marriage is not a right.
  • Marriage does not complete a person.

As I write to you, I cannot tell you that I will ever get married.  To be honest, God may not have that in His plans for my life.  And I must be okay with that possibility.  Ask yourself if you are truly okay with that possibility.  Have you turned your desire for marriage and a spouse completely over to God?  This is a daily submission for me.  “Lord, go before me today, and carry me through.  I want to do Your will today; I want to live the life You’ve planned and be the person You’ve created me to be.”

God put a verse on my heart this week to share with you, dear Ladies in Waiting.  Romans 8:37-39:  “Now, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present (singleness) nor things to come (either more singleness or marriage), nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

WHAT A PROMISE!  Jesus is our Husband and absolutely nothing can separate us from His love!  Not even ourselves, our impatience, our earthly desires, or our temptations can separate us.  As we wait, let us focus on our love relationship with Him.  His love is never-failing and never-ending!


In love,

Carissa

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Let’s Pray:
Heavenly Father, we know and trust that Your ways are higher than ours.  Help us to trust in Your plans and Your timing for the desires of our hearts.  Lord, make our desires to be Your desires.  Father, grant us a spirit of patience as we wait upon You.  Father, thank you for Your perfectly constant and completely fulfilling love.  We love you, too, Father.  In your precious Name, Amen.


Your Assignment:

I have two questions for you.  Answer whichever you prefer – or both!  

  • Do you consider marriage a “goal” for your life, and do you think it should be? As a Lady in Waiting, what should be our goal?
  • How are you developing a patient heart? Share your experiences and strategies with us!

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Our Next Single Women’s Online Bible Study

“Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul”

by John & Stasi Eldredge

Begins January 6, 2013

To sign up for this Online Bible Study, click HERE and follow the instructions. You will also be given a link to where you can purchase this bible study. We’re looking forward to studying “Captivating” with you!!
_______

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Lady in Waiting: Consequences of Impatience

December 5, 2012 by

Ten years ago, I found myself single and pregnant. With fear strapped to my leg like a chain, all I could think of was a future as an unwed mother. My daughter’s father, my boyfriend at the time, proposed marriage and I accepted. Throughout the next few months I felt something nagging at my spirit. Something just didn’t feel right. I ignored it for a while longer. At one point I could no longer pretend that the feeling wasn’t there, and I had to face the truth. I was being impatient, I was grasping at the life I felt I should have rather than waiting to see what God wanted for me in this situation. I needed to check my motives, I needed to step back and pray about the situation, and I needed to trust God.

The marriage didn’t happen. We went our separate ways, and although my daughter doesn’t have a relationship with her biological father, I feel in my heart that the impatient decision I was about to make would have had much more dire consequences than living as a single mom. Thinking about what could have been scares me.

When you’re facing the possibility of making an impatient decision do you take the time to step back and look at the possible consequences. Do you seek God and inquire of what He wants for your life? I didn’t until it was almost too late. The bible is very clear in saying that our decision will affect our family generations to come.

Exodus 34:7

…that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

Is this a chance we’re willing to take?

Even if children are never involved, is the possibility of not being able to share your love of Christ with your spouse a life you desire? In order for a man to truly know our heart he must first know God, if he doesn’t know God, he will never truly know you.  An impatient decision can jeopardize the blessings God has planned for our lives.

 Deuteronomy 28:2

And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God:

Deuteronomy 28:15

“But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you.

When a decision arises that needs to be made, take the time to seek God, listen for His voice and for His direction. And always remember that He protects our heart, He only wants the best for us, including our future husband.  Don’t take the risk, and wait for his blessing.

With Love,

Tonya Ellison

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 Lets Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, your words are clear, your warnings and your promises are plainly written. When we are facing a decision that we are going to make with an impatient heart, please Lord touch our hearts and minds so that we are not able to ignore your urging  Remind us that your promises and blessings are meant for our benefit. And that our impatient decisions will have consequences, consequences that not only affect us but those around us, consequences that will affect our futures. Instead I pray that we seek your will, and that we trust your plans. Thank you for planning our futures, thank you for protecting our hearts.  In Jesus’ name I pray amen.

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Your Assignment:

I refer to scripture a lot. I feel that the answer to every question, problem and possible impatient decision is held in that wonderful book. So, what scriptures do you go to when you are faced with a decision, when you’re unsure of what to do?

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Our Next Single Women’s Online Bible Study

“Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul”

by John & Stasi Eldgredge

Begins January 6, 2013

To sign up for this Online Bible Study, click HERE and follow the instructions. You will also be given a link to where you can purchase this bible study. We’re looking forward to studying “Captivating” with you!!

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Lady in Waiting: Lady of Patience – Why Is Waiting So Hard?

December 4, 2012 by

Ps31_14

Have you ever made decisions in life because they seem right at the time but when you look back you realize that it wasn’t the right thing to do?  Well, I have and there are many times when I ask myself why I didn’t wait before making such drastic decisions.  Why did I allow my emotions to get ahead of me?  Why did I let the temporary feelings to determine my future? Why didn’t I seek the face of God before doing this?  Why didn’t I wait?

Waiting for anything is hard, it’s even harder when you are single and you feel like you have limited options available to you.  Some of us have made life altering decisions because we were tired of waiting for what seemed like forever.  Loneliness crept in and we allowed FEAR get to the best of us.

We were afraid of being the odd ones out, the only one who is always the bridesmaid and never the bride, how many bouquets have we caught and believed the myth that the one who catches the bouquet is the next in line to get married?  But year in and year out, we continue the journey as a single lady.

We were afraid to attend family functions where everyone has a partner by their side and a quiver full of kids.  We don’t want to sit next to the nosy cousins who can’t help but taunt us at the dinner table with the following remarks: “this year we were looking forward to being introduced to the man in your life!” or “your nieces are worried that they are growing taller so they will no longer qualify as flowers girls at your wedding.”

As years passed by you asked yourself “when is it going to happen for me? Is Prince Charming going to notice me before the clock strikes 12? Sadly you didn’t have the answer to this question and the more you thought about it the fearful you became.

Fear has been defined as False Evidence Appearing Real.  Fear can cause us to take matters into our own hands and forget God’s promises and fear can make us to accept the proposal of the first guy who comes along without taking into consideration if He is the right man.

You see, the right man won’t rush you to the altar.  He will get to know you first and allow you to get to know him in the process.  He will want to become your friend first before becoming your lover.

Girlfriend, I urge you, do not allow fear to control your decisions, give God back the control of your plans and future.  He knows the desires of your heart.  He loves you with an everlasting love and He is saying “Be still and know that I am God.” “I know the plans I have for you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Isaiah 40:31 tells us:

“But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.”

Have patience, beloved.  Waiting may be hard but it is worth it in the end. This week let us be willing to learn how to boldly soar like the Eagle as we wait patiently upon the Lord regardless of our circumstances be it the ticking of the biological clock, the number of bridesmaids dresses in our closets, the statistics that are so depressing or what our beloved family thinks of us.  Let us put everything in the capable hands of our Precious Father, “Our Daddy’s got this!”

LET’S PRAY

Precious Father, we come before you this week empty and waiting for you to fill us with your Holy Spirit.  As we learn how to be Ladies of Patience, we ask you to help us because waiting is not easy; we admit that this is a struggle for most of us.  However, we don’t want to hurry and go ahead of you because that is worse than waiting up you.  Father, you know what is best for us; we are not single because you don’t love us but because you want what’s best for us.  Teach us to content and wait upon you.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

 YOUR ASSIGNMENT

Write out the things that make you lose patience. Which of these cause your Sovereign God concern? Give these concerns to Him and ask Him to help you trust while you wait. “I will trust while I wait, for my God is never late” is a good motto.

Be Blessed

Jackie

Our Next Single Women’s Online Bible Study

“Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul”

by John & Stasi Eldgredge

Begins January 6, 2013

To sign up for this Online Bible Study, click HERE and follow the instructions. You will also be given a link to where you can purchase this bible study. We’re looking forward to studying “Captivating” with you!!

Filed Under: Singles Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Lady in Waiting: Lady of Patience

December 3, 2012 by

 

Ok, time for me to fess up.  I was not looking forward to doing this chapter.  Let’s just say that patience isn’t my best virtue, especially when it comes to my being single.  I feel that the fact that I am 41 years old, that I have “kids” that I saw be born, getting married,and having their own babies; that I am using wrinkle cream and hair dye more than acne cream and cute hair styles, has qualified me for having “enough” patience and I am growing tired of it.  I have to stop myself from rolling my eyes when I hear a 25-year-old complaining about being single.  I think to myself, “Try adding 16 more years of being single and see how it feels!”.  Now, with all that being said…I KNOW THIS IS WRONG…I am not proud of it.  It is a quality I do not like in myself, and it is something I am completely willing to work through while we go through this chapter.  I don’t want to stay here, it’s not fun.  So let’s start unpacking this together, are you with me?

I enjoyed the story of Janis and Linda from the book, and I literally laughed out loud with Linda’s “Great is Thy Faithfulness” line.  Now both their stories ended with happy marriages and they both enthusiastically agreed it was worth the wait.  We don’t know how old they were, how long their wait was, but it did seem like it was a painful process for them, even though they joked about things and kept the faith.  They stayed strong in their convictions and were “rewarded” for that.  It does make me curious about what would have happened if one had married and the other hadn’t, or if they were both still waiting, but that is a topic for another day!

What did speak to me, in a big megaphone type way, was the line, “Many women have waited and won.  Many women have lost faith and compromised.”  How many of us have put time constraints on God?  Or at least thought “If ‘x’ doesn’t happen by a certain date, then I am just going to ‘y’”  I used to have an age limit of 40 to have another child, and as that approached I moved the “deadline” to 42.  I will admit to thinking that if there isn’t someone in my life by 45 I will loosen my standards.  Now would I actually go through with these random deadlines, I’m honestly not sure.  I may have just moved it up, the way I did the baby one.  I don’t know.  What I do know now, as much as it is painful to think about, as scary as it is to consider, I have to trust in God’s timeline.  I can not start taking things into my own hands because of a self-imposed deadline.  I need to trust that God is taking care of things in my best interest and that I need to continue to be a Lady of Patience.  I am opening myself up to stretching and growing with all of you this week.

LET’S PRAY

Jesus I call on You today,  Thank You for always having our best interest at heart, even when it is difficult for us.  I know that our Father loves us and only wants the best for us.  Please help those of us who struggle with patience.  Help us trust in You, help us enjoy the journey.  You know our hurts, take our hearts in Your hands and care

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

Please share whether or not your struggle bring patient in your single life.  If you do, what are the fears and struggles?  If not, what strategies have you developed to cope?  Also, do you think age influences patience?

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Our Next

Single Women’s Online Bible Study

“Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul”

by John & Stasi Eldgredge

Begins January 6, 2013

To sign up for this Online Bible Study, click HERE and follow the instructions. You will also be given a link to where you can purchase this bible study. We’re looking forward to studying “Captivating” with you!!

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What’s New with the GCH Singles Online Bible Study??

December 2, 2012 by

As we near the end of this study, it’s time to let you know what our next Online Singles Bible Study will be!  But before we do that, I want to make sure you know what your reading assignment for “Lady In Waiting” is for this week!

Lady of Patience

December 3:    Lady of Patience – Michelle
December 4:    Why Is Waiting So Hard – Jackie
December 5:    Consequence of Impatience – Tonya
December 6:    Developing Patience – Carissa
December 7:    Intro to Meditations  – Diane

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And now for our BIG announcement!!

When we start thinking of new bible studies, we always look for something that will be interesting, and life-changing!  When we decided upon this next study, we felt it was the perfect study for our Singles Group!  We hope you agree!

Every woman was once a little girl. And every little girl holds in her heart her most precious dreams. She longs to be swept up into a romance, to play an irreplaceable role in a great adventure, to be the beauty of the story. Those desires are far more than child’s play. They are the secret to the feminine heart.  And yet―how many women do you know who ever find that life? As the years pass by, the heart of a woman gets pushed aside, wounded, buried. She finds no romance except in novels, no adventure except on television, and she doubts very much that she will ever be the Beauty in any tale.

Most women think they have to settle for a life of efficiency and duty, chores, and errands, striving to be the women they “ought” to be but often feeling they have failed. Sadly, too many messages for Christen women add to the pressure. “Do these ten things, and you will be a godly woman.” The effect has not been good on the feminine soul. But her heart is still there. Sometimes when she watches a movie, sometimes in the wee hours of the night, her heart begins to speak again. A thirst rises within her to find the life she was meant to live―the life she dreamed of as a little girl.
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The message of Captivating is this: Your heart matters more than anything else in all creation. The desires you had as a little girl and the longings you still feel as a woman are telling you of the life God created you to live. He offers to come now as the Hero of your story, to rescue your heart and release you to live as a fully alive and feminine woman. A woman who is truly captivating.
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In 2001, John Eldredge’s book “Wild at Heart” explored the inner life of Christian men–and became a bestseller. Now, he and his wife Stasi have teamed up to write “Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul.”
Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul

Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul

Our Next Single Women’s Online Bible Study

“Captivating:

Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul”

by John & Stasi Eldgredge

Begins January 6, 2013

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To sign up for this Online Bible Study, click HERE and follow the instructions.  You will also be given a link to where you can purchase this bible study.  We’re looking forward to studying “Captivating” with you!!  

Filed Under: Singles Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Lady in Waiting: The Man Worth Waiting For

November 30, 2012 by

“When you finally submit completely to God’s authority and come into complete obedience, that is when His blessings begin to pour out!!!” Beth Thompson

My lovely Aunt who I admire a great deal, had this quote posted on her facebook wall years ago.  When I read that it hit my heart!  I was just starting to come into complete submission with God and as I read this quote, my heart smiled because of the truth behind each and every one of these words!  I was seeing how faithful God is and experiencing His many blessings, and for once I was overwhelmed with joy and not fear or heartbreak!  There is no doubt that God will bless us richly when our heart is right with HIS and in HIS control.  One blessing that I am still holding out for is a man who knows my story and loves me still.

Just as you, I sometimes wonder why I am still single.  I think to myself everything in my life is going so well except for one little detail…I do not have a husband to share it with.  If we were honest with ourselves, would everything really be going so well?  We pray for the right man to cross our paths, but are we even on the right path to find that man?  When our hearts are right with the Lord, are feet will follow suite on HIS path.  We must get rid of the urge to settle down with the wrong man; the men that come wrapped in perfect packages but when unwrapped they prove to be empty.  The man we will find on the right path one day will be filled with the Holy Spirit in his heart.  The package will not even matter, just his heart being right with God will leave a lasting impression.

Please think about this for a moment.  Ask God to direct you to the right path.  Desire to see the unfailing handsomeness in the man God has for you and not be distracted by the fading looks on the outside. 

My sister is one very wise woman, she told me once that God is preparing me for my husband just as much as He is preparing my husband for me.  Maybe my husband is not ready yet to meet me.  LOVE THAT, DON’T YOU?  She has also told me once that I should be praying that God will open my heart to the man HE has for me and not the one that I think it should be.  OK, LOVE THAT EVEN MORE, DON’T YOU?  Thank you Kristen!

Please think some more about that advice.  Remember why you are waiting; God’s timing is the best; you have no idea where your husband is right now.  Just as we are becoming ladies in waiting, our husbands are being molded into OUR VERY OWN MR. RIGHT.  Wouldn’t you wait forever for that?  Pray that God would open your heart and eyes to the man He has planned for you; get rid of any personal ideals (B.B.B or T.D.H’s).

Do you even know the man you are waiting for?  Yes it is the man that will be your husband one day, but what other qualities will he possess?  Sit down and think about the characteristics given on pages 131-133 in the Lady in Waiting book.  Which of these do you desire in a husband?  Husbands are just people; their characteristics are what make them worth waiting for!

I want to leave you with this excerpt from one of my personal blog posts.  This is the man I am waiting for, I know him and most importantly HE knows GOD!  This is my heart’s desire for our relationship.

 We will make God number one, and live our lives completely surrendered to God’s plan and will for our lives. We will do great things all in the name of Jesus. We will worship, praise, love, honor, glorify, and spread Jesus to the ends of the Earth. I will have Jesus holding my right hand, and this man holding my left, and together we will be an example of true love that comes only from Jesus Christ!

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Let’s Pray: 

Lord, I want to thank You for the many blessings that You pour out into our lives on a daily basis!  Your love is life changing and I pray each woman reading this blog experiences a new level of Your love today and every day forward.  I pray that she sees her future “husband” for what he truly is and waits patiently for the one You have planned.  Our hearts wait patiently for You, and they also wait patiently for our Mr. Right.  I pray that when the time comes, You show each of us the man You have planned for us.  I ask that You help each of us to submit completely to YOU and that we come to complete obedience to YOU.  Thank You Jesus for being all we need.  I love You so much!  Amen

You’re Assignment: 

You guessed it, please share with us what the man you are waiting for is like.

 

Love and Prayers,

Diane

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For the “Lady In Waiting” Bible Study, you will need the book, your Bible, pen or pencil, a highlighter and a quiet place. You can order the book right through our website by clicking the “sign-up here” button at the top of our webpage; which is also where you can sign up to participate in this awesome bible study!

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Lady in Waiting: Lady of Conviction – Wedding Day Chains

November 29, 2012 by

 

Today, I want to introduce you to Carissa Markantone.  Carissa will be blogging for you every Thursday, for our Singles Ministry.  I am extremely excited to have Carissa join us!   — Christi Wilson

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He asked. She said yes.  But in the back of her mind, something wasn’t right.  To be honest, something wasn’t right way before he asked.  But she ignored it.  After all, she’d seen his progress.  He was actually going to church now, he was leading prayer before each meal, he was reading his Bible on a … weekly basis.  That has to count for something, right?  She’d convinced herself that his “progress” was good enough.  Good enough to put a ring on it.

Three weeks later, she took the ring off.  And with tears streaming down her face, she gave it back.  Oh, and did I tell you? That woman…was me.

I’d love to tell you that since then, I’ve changed my ways.  I’d love to tell you that I haven’t been out on a date with a non-believer or lukewarm Christian ever since my broken engagement.  But I can’t because that would be a lie.  As our authors point out, I’ve definitely justified a date or two “in the guise of being a witness for Jesus.”

When you think of a missionary dater, what does she look like? My imagination runs wild with some Bible-banging woman speaking about Jesus with every other sentence.  In reality, this isn’t the case.  Missionary dating looks just like normal dating.  I think of Mary Poppins and her “spoonful of sugar.”  What does Ms. Poppins do when the children don’t want to take their yucky medicine?  Why, she simply adds a spoonful of sugar! What does the missionary dater do when her man doesn’t want to include Jesus in his life?  When he doesn’t want to pray, read his Bible, or go to church?  Why, she simply adds romance (the spoonful of sugar) to help that yucky medicine go down!

Have you ever caught yourself justifying a relationship or a date that wasn’t God-centered as I have?  Missionary dating begins as a condition of the heart.  We’ve discussed motives a lot in this study, but the missionary dating motive is a dangerous one because it intertwines both emotional and spiritual intimacy with someone of the opposite sex.  Once those intimate bonds are formed, they are hard to break. In fact, only God can break them. So avoid creating those bonds with non-believers or even those with superficial faith.  If a man isn’t encouraging you to grow and isn’t challenging you in your own walk with the Lord, then he isn’t God’s best! Proverbs 4:23. Guard your hearts, ladies!

“You must set a higher standard and resist dating a guy who is not growing in his intimacy with Christ.”

So what does “growing in his intimacy with Christ” look like? I’d like to draw on the commonly quoted distinction –it’s more than religion; it’s a relationship.  Relationships require a desire for commitment, a devotion of time, and a consistent communication.  Does the man you’re interested in display these characteristics?  Did he prior to meeting you? Ladies, it’s more than attending church every week.  It’s more than saying a prayer before each meal.  And it’s certainly more than a coerced time spent with God every week.  He must want God.  He must want God more than he wants you.  Wow, that’s powerful.  He must want a relationship with Jesus more than he wants a relationship with you.

Regardless of your relationship status right now, let’s meditate on Ephesians 6:18:  “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” (NIV) So, ladies, pray in the Spirit.  Submit your hearts and minds to the direction and leading of the Holy Spirit, and then pray in His power. Let Him lead you, and listen to Him and only Him.  Put aside your good intentions, and let God take the reins.

God bless,

Carissa

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Let’s Pray:
Father God, we thank you for Your awesome power.  Father, that You and only You have the power to change the hearts of men.  Help us surrender our own will and our good intentions to You.  Father, give us patience for Your timing, trust in Your plans, and hope for the future You have in store for us.  While we wait, Father, let us live for You and You alone.  Let us be a light to a lost world by living for You each day.    Thank you, Jesus, for your unfailing love and grace.  In your Holy Name we pray, Amen.

Your Assignment:
These questions are loaded, so be prepared!

What is the problem with dating guys who are good, but who are not Christians? What is the difference between a good man who goes to church and a growing Christian man?  What difference would it make in marriage?
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For the “Lady in Waiting” Bible Study, you will need the book, your Bible, pen or pencil, a highlighter and a quiet place. You can order the book right through our website by clicking the “sign-up here” button at the top of our webpage, which is also where you can sign up to participate in this awesome bible study!

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Carissa Markantone joins us from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where she’s lived nearly all of her 25 years.

Carissa was saved at the age of 5, but recently rededicated her life to Christ a little more than a year ago.  She has a huge heart for serving others, especially children with terminal illnesses.

Carissa desires to live every day for her King, striving for more of Him and less of her with each waking day.  Outside of her analyst duties at a major sporting goods retailer, Carissa enjoys spending her time with friends and family, reading, writing, working out, and singing praises to her Savior at the top of her lungs (the neighbors haven’t complained…yet)!

Carissa desires for every woman to know her worth through the eyes of God.  Her motto for 2012 (which will definitely carry to 2013) is “get comfortable with the uncomfortable.”  God doesn’t call us to an easy life.  Living for Him is hard, but it will be so worth it once we get Home!

Girlfriends Coffee Hour is very excited to add Carissa to our Singles blogging team!.  She has been an active participant in our Singles Ministry, and has been such a joy!  God is doing great things in her life!

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Lady in Waiting: Avoiding Bozos

November 28, 2012 by

But, he seemed like such a “nice guy”.  How many times have we heard that?  How many times have I said that myself? I thought I had a Boaz, but after awhile the disguise fell off and the Bozo came out. I think we’ve all been there before.

Like so many things in life the difference between spotting a Bozo from a Boaz boils down to the condition of our hearts. Three aspects actually, our standards, our convictions, and our motives (yes, back to the motives!)

Oh, those motives, they seem to determine so many things in life. But they have such a large impact on our thoughts and actions that we have to constantly evaluate why we are doing things, why we are saying things and even why we  are thinking things. When it comes to dating we have to ask ourselves why we are dating who we are dating. Questioning our motives will impact our standards and our convictions in this situation or in others down the road; I believe that if our motives do not line up with God, then our standards and convictions won’t either.

God already knows why we are doing what we’re doing. He already knows why we’re dating someone. He wants us to see that we deserve more than accepting a date with a bozo because it’s been a long time since we were last taken out.  He knows we deserve more than dating a man who isn’t a Christian because the loneliness is growing in our hearts. He knows that we deserve a Boaz, and that a Bozo is not fit for a daughter of the King.

As a daughter of the most high, we can have standards that line up with His word, and yes those standards are high. But those are the standards our Father set for us, remember He has our best interest in mind, and wants us to have the Boaz that we deserve.

With Love,

Tonya Ellison

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Let’s pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, again we are found examining our motives, why do we do the things we do, and why do we accept the things from people that are less than we deserve? Please help us to examine our motives before we act.  Please help us to line our motives up with Your will and Your word. We are daughters of the Most High, and as such You have set Your standards in place for our Boaz. Please help us embrace these standards, and thank You for only wanting the best for our lives.  In Jesus. Name, amen.

Your assignment:

I love how the Auburn University student wrote down her standards and carried them with her. We are going to refer back to this list for today’s assignment. Are there any characteristics that you want to add to your list? Next, make a list similar to this if you don’t already have one, what qualities and standards do you want on your list for your Boaz. Remember, these are standards that our Father has already placed here for us may seem high, but they are what you deserve.

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For the “Lady in Waiting” Bible Study, you will need the book, your Bible, pen or pencil, a highlighter and a quiet place. You can order the book right through our website by clicking the “sign-up here” button at the top of our webpage; which is also where you can sign up to participate in this awesome bible study!

Filed Under: Singles Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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