Want to know who you are? Want to discover the kind of woman you will be in the future? Confused on what you will be doing in the near future?

Find your identity in Christ. Search for yourself in the Word of God. Write out the type of person you love being around, then work toward being that person.

I just felt like sharing that. It's a simple idea really, stop over-thinking things.  I do it all too often.

"Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." - Colossians 3:12

Valentines

For the 20th consecutive year, I find myself once again without a significant other on Valentines day. To most eternally single people, (girls especally) Valentines day is a painful reminder of their loneliness. That's where I have always remained different from the rest. Today is one of my favorite days of the year. February 14th is filled with love from everyone, the color pink, cute cards, and of course chocolate! That's not the reason I love it though. I love Valentines day because of how happy the people around me are. My parents, siblings, and friends all getting excited to be romanced by their loved one and watching my friends eyes light up, when they see the person they love, it's so precious!

I honestly can't understand why people don't like this day. We should celebrate love everyday! Take some time today to tell the people in your life how much they mean to you. Tell them you love them. Don't dwell on what you don't have today, but instead enjoy being single and love those who need love. For those who have someone, enjoy today and everyday!

"And now these three things remain: faith, hope, and love, But the greatest of these is love."
- 1 Corinthians 13:13

Plain and simple.

Belle

"I want adventure in the great wide somewhere, I want it more than I can tell. And for once it might be grand to have someone understand, I want so much more than they've got planned" -Belle

As a child I loved the movie Beauty and the Beast, and that love has only grown with age. I love the songs, characters, and ending (cry like a baby every time). But the thing I love the most about the movie is the story line. A woman gives her life away to save the person she loves (father), and in turn lives in an enchanted castle with a beast as her host... and you know the rest. Now I'm not writing this to talk about the beautiful love story but to talk about the woman behind it, Belle. I love this character because I feel for her and have her same ache for adventure. She was different from the rest, set apart from everyone else, and everyone noticed. Gaston never stood a chance with her :)

Here's what I'm getting to... You can choose to be like everyone else, and go with the crowd. Do it the easy way, settle with a Gaston. Or you can be set apart, and live a life driven towards your destiny. Walk through life with courage to face the day, never fearing what others will think of you. Run after God and stand up for the things you believe in (just like Belle did with her dad) and you never know where it will take you. Who knows, you might just find yourself breaking the curse off of an enchanted castle, or breaking the curse off of a bound generation... God will use you, just be yourself and don't settle for what the world wants for you.

Adventure awaits.

p.s. You really can learn a lot from a Disney movie.

Daydreamer

Daydreamer puts her make-up on before heading to school. At 7 precisely she gets in her car and heads to her least favorite place in the world; high school. On the 30 minute drive through the thick morning traffic, Daydreamer begins thinking of different scenarios that could play out during the day.

Scenario 1: "As I walk in the front door, Joe could open it for me as he tells me how great I look in my new outfit!"
Scenario 2:"Maybe when I get to my locker, Jon will come up to me and tell me I look amazing today"

As she pulls into her usual parking spot in the back of the lot, she reaches for her lip-gloss, fixes her hair, and grabs her books. She begins her walk with the rest of the casually late students to the front door... Scenario 1 is out the window as the door is shut on her face by the ever so chivalrous Joe (he doesn't even notice her). Feeling discouraged and no longer confident she makes her way to her locker. Unfortunetly Jon was not there to pick her spirits back up with a complement, he in-fact gave no complements to her all day. Scenario 2 did not work either.

Daydreamer went home from school feeling sad, ugly, and without hope completely. She felt invisible.

Daydreamer searched for confirmation from boys when she should have been searching for it in God. Instead of hoping for boys to give her compliments, Daydreamer should have went to Jesus. "For the LORD will be your confidence"- Proverbs 3:26 God is always there to give you confirmation. You are his creation, and modeled after Him! How can you not be beautiful! So whenever you are lacking confidence just picture Jesus telling you "You are a beauty!" There's no need to sit around daydreaming all day about boys giving you that because it says in the Word, "It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes."- Psalm 118:8-9

And don't forget that one day your prince will come and give you all the complements in the world....but until than allow God to show you how truly beautiful you are on the outside and inside!

 "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."- 1 Samuel 16:7

Beauty

It's a cold Monday morning in late October, as I make my way from my dorm to my 8:50 class. I was feeling confident in myself and hopeful of what the week was to bring. The sun was shining through some trees and casting the most utterly beautiful shadows on the dewy grass. It was just the proof I needed to show me that it would be a good week. And then a huge gust of Oklahoman wind came and blows my long freshly curled hair in every other direction, I nearly dropped my computer and papers, and my heels slipped on the moist pavement...I caught myself. I looked around to see if anyone had seen my clumsy move, no one other than a few girls in deep conversation not paying attention. 

I was relieved but my mood changed drastically. Thoughts began to flood my mind, "Wow I cant even walk without slipping... Am I that clumsy? My hair's probably is a disaster now... My makeup is most likely smudged... I bet I look a mess... " and so on. I then caught my own reflection in a window I passed by and heard Gods voice say "beauty".  It was not the loud deep voice you would picture hearing...it was on the inside. I heard God speak to my heart and all He said was "beauty". I knew exactly what He was trying to tell me because He often speaks that same very word to me. He says so much with saying so little. 

He is saying, "I don't care what You think about yourself, I think you are a beauty. Look around my daughter, do you not see the beauty in the trees, flowers, dew, sun, moon, and stars? Well I made it all. Are my creations not beautiful? Of course they are, just as you are. I created your inmost being;
   I knit you together in your mother’s womb. My thoughts for you outnumber the grains of sand. Don't you get it? You are stunning."

Here is what I have learned, it's simple. God thought me up, and I am His masterpiece. You are His masterpiece. We are beautiful; each and everyone of us.

I may mess up and have days where I don't feel pretty but not in Gods eyes. Try seeing yourself through Gods eyes and see how Your life is changed. I know mine is.

 

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
   your works are wonderful,
   I know that full well. 

Psalm 139:14

Settling

Last night I watched my favorite movie, Pride and Prejudice. I  have seen it countless times, and have even managed to know most of the lines of the entire movie. It's just one of those films that I can watch over and over again without getting tired of it. I now sit here listening to the soundtrack as I write (it is truly some feel-good music). 

Looking back at the movie, I think about what would of happened if Elizabeth Bennett had chosen to marry Mr. Collins when he proposed. A man that was completely wrong for her on so many levels. She would have been settling. It is something that I see happen far too often now a days.  People will date and get married to the wrong person because they think they couldn't do any better. They end up in an unhappy and unfulfilled relationship. If Elizabeth would have married Mr. Collins she wouldn't have ended up with Darcy, the great love of her life. He was well worth the wait. I have seen too many girls settle for the wrong person, so I urge you to wait for who God has prepared for you. Remember to set high standards for yourself and stick to them. Learn to be patient because you will find that it will be so worth it. 

Be strong, courageous, patient, and no matter what don't settle and one day you might just hear, "you have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love, I love, I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on"- Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice

A love worth waiting for

As cliche as this verse may be, I believe that it can set standards for you if you allow it to. Meditate on this and let this minister to you as you seek after true love. 

Love is patient, love is kind. 

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 

It is not rude, 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.  

Love never fails.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8