20-Somethings Blog

You can make many plans, but the LORD's purpose will prevail

2012-04-16T09:35:00.000-07:00

I am really just so incredibly and sincerely happy for Krystal and Brad and their journey. God's hand is truly at work in their lives. Krystal writes about something that is all to familiar to most. A change of plans, a route that you never expected to take. But although that road my be tough, at the end of it you find yourself walking in a great purpose.
You can find Krystal and Brad blogging at http://www.krystalandbrad.blogspot.com/

"You can make many plans, but the LORD's purpose will prevail." -Proverbs 19:21

We think we can plan out our lives, and to some degree God lets us help, but it is God who is in control and it is Christ who purposes our lives to unfold the way that they do; blooming into a fragrant flower to give praise and glory to God. We are to be like Jesus. He did and encourages us to, "live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God." -Ephesians 5:2.

My whole life, my greatest desire, has been to be a wife and mother. No other roles would fulfill me like these and I had no other passion than to serve a husband and a family from early on. Everything I did was based on these desires that the Lord had instilled in me. Even my college degree was geared toward helping myself be a better wife and mother one day. I met my husband when I was 18 in college and we soon became best friends who fell into like...and then in love. We knew very early on in the dating process that we wanted to be married. This man loved Jesus and lived for him and he loved me so sweetly. There wasn't a doubt in my mind he was the man God had given for me to marry! So meeting my husband at such an early age, I naturally started planning my life out. I'd be married fairly young. I'd have children fairly young. I wanted most, if not all of my 3-4 children to be born before I was 30 years old. That didn't seem unrealistic seeing as how I'd been with my husband so young age. Well, the dream wedding and husband I so desired was gifted to me by God and I thank Him everyday. We didn't start trying for children until 2010 when we'd been married for almost 2 years. I thought we'd start popping out babies fairly soon and had no reason to believe otherwise. If I had my way, we'd have had several children by now, but God had another plan. "'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the LORD." -Isaiah 55:8.

At first, month after month of negative news was hard to swallow. I'd get sulk over my circumstance of not being able to get pregnant. I was confused at God for allowing this to happen. Didn't He tell me to "be fruitful and multiply" (Genesis 1:28)? Didn't He promise me in Psalm 37:4 to "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart."? I DID delight in Christ! He is my life! So why wasn't I getting this desire of my heart? After months of this, I decided to see my OB/GYN about this struggle my husband and I were facing. Nothing could be found wrong with us that would prevent a pregnancy, and yet I was not getting pregnant. But then on sweet day a little over a year of trying, I got pregnant! We were thrilled! But then April of 2011 I miscarried our precious, long-awaited baby. This wasn't as devastating for us as it "should" have been and I can only say that it was like this because of Jesus Christ and His peace which transcends all understanding (Philippians 4:7). At this point, I'd been slowly loosening my grip on this passion and desire of mine I'd held onto for so long. I'd never in my life had to trust in Jesus and draw as close to Him as I had to because of my struggle. His Holy Spirit was beginning to mold me into His likeness, as I let Him and released my control. I clung to his promises in Romans 8:28 that He causes all things to work together for my good, because I love Him, and in Jeremiah 29:11 that He has great plans for me, plans not to harm me but to prosper me, and give me a hope and a future.

When we released our perceived control, He was able to take control. My life is not where I thought it would be, especially this month of April; a year after the loss of my baby. And I haven't been able to get pregnant since, even with fertility treatments we've sought out. But you know what? THAT IS OKAY! I'm at a place because of Jesus where I am no longer focused on what "I" want or what "others" have. Or what "I" lack. I am focused on the gifts God has blessed me with and what "HE" wants. Our focus should never be so lost in ourselves that we lose sight of our Jesus and HIS WILL. Because of this trial that has taken our life down a path that was not something we'd have chosen at first for ourselves, God has presented us with an incredible blessing; we are training to become foster parents! We've wanted to take part in this ministry even before we got married, but we figured it would be after our own brood of little ones and when we were a little older. But this is where we need to be right now and I can't help but think that if I was pregnant or had a baby, we wouldn't be fostering. And perhaps the only reason for God delaying us having our own children and teaching us to let go of that is so that we can be available to receive an even greater blessing of caring for a hurting child and share Jesus' love with him and his parents. There is a specific child God wants us to have in our home and because of that and all the lessons I've learned through this trail, I would not change a thing! God does know best and His way is perfect!

I've also discovered that God instills desires in us for two reasons. One is to fulfill them so we can glorify Jesus. The other is to see if we might release that desire to God. To sacrifice our will for the Father's and align our heart with His, thereby opening ourselves to receive another blessing, which will show devotion to Him and also glorify Jesus. You might not know which of these you'll be called to, but either one is a beautiful blessing and points to Jesus.

No, I did not think my life would be where it is today. My dream was to have many children running around my feet by now! But this dream has since been transformed into what Christ dreams for my life. That is to be more like Jesus, closer to Him, closer my husband, and available to take in abused children. Because of this, God has done miraculous things! I am more in love with my husband and have such a strong bond with him. I've learned another passion of mine is godly marriage. I've been able to let the Spirit shape me into Jesus more than I ever was and can lead a group of girls and public speak (something I NEVER would have thought I'd do in a million years!). I truly seek more of Him and less of me. But most importantly, this is the best way God can use my life to glorify Him. Of all reasons, this makes my struggle worth it! If Christ can be glorified (and He WILL and HAS!) by how my life unfolds, then I will take this path over any other. And I've found out something during this journey - God HAS given me the desires of my heart! My deepest and truest desire is for my LORD! That is the whole point of my life. His promise to give us our desires is so trustworthy! I have my indescribable Jesus in my heart and the best husband in the world by my side. I have all I need, even if I don't have all that I "want". For I want nothing more than more of Jesus and His name proclaimed. Christ plus nothing equals everything. It is an honor to have this life God controls; to use it to declare His name, not mine. It is all about our King, so bloom where you are planted. Don't wait until you are where YOU want to be planted or you may never grow and fulfill your true purpose.

Not having what you want isn't so painful when start wanting what Jesus wants.

Friendships: Handeling Friendships

2012-03-19T10:55:00.000-07:00

Friends and maintaining friends sometimes has its ups and downs. But I think what's great about is that you end up learning alot about yourself through these moments. I love this post for it's honestly and that fact that she is able to find so much value and learn alot about her self through her experiences.

Iron sharpens iron

I think one of the main keys to friendship is to know what your definition of friendship is. Friendships, along with any relationship between two people, come with a lot (or not a lot) of expectations. If you don’t know where you stand with someone, it’s hard to know what to expect, and when you have the right to be upset about something he/she has done.
I am very blessed in the area of friends for two reasons: 1) I have a twin sister who has literally and figuratively been on my side for my entire life. I am so thankful that God gave me a twin sister who I get along with perfectly. 2) I have quite a few really close friends who I have been ‘collecting’ all my life. I have friends that I have known since I was little, and friends that I have met with in the last few months; having all these friends, however, did not come easily.
When I was about 11 years old, I struggled with one of my biggest insecurities in my life: Loneliness. This is also around the time when I first really ever felt the presence of God in my life. At the time, I was in middle school going to a small Lutheran school in the town of Wheaton, IL. There were about 30 students in my 6th grade class, and for the most part we were all friends. There was this one girl, however, that I had what I call a “friend crush” on. Basically, I wanted to do whatever I could to be not just her friend, but her best friend. She was new to our class, and of course everyone wanted to get to know her.

To make a long story short…we eventually became best friends. We hung out all of the time, and she even invited me and my twin to her youth group that we eventually went to all the way till we graduated from High School. When we were in 8th grade, she had to leave our school for personal reasons. We stayed in touch with her, and we still went to her youth group so we saw her at least twice a week. Because she was going to a different school now, she started having new friends, and we stopped hanging out as often. As a 13 year old, this was extremely difficult for me. I began to feel like I had no friends. She was really my only friend, but she was leaving me for people that she thought were better.
This is the first time in my life that I really turned to God for help. I was struggling with loneliness and cried out to Him for help. This is when I really found out what it means to trust in God with your whole life, and he will make things better. From this experience I realized that there was nothing wrong with me. Not everybody you become friends with will stay your friend for the rest of your life, but that is ok, and it doesn’t mean that you did something wrong.
Because of this time in my life, I believe God has blessed me with more friends than I feel like I can manage sometimes. I thank God everyday for the people He has put in my life, and I know that if it wasn’t for the time in middle school where I felt like I had no one, I wouldn’t appreciate the people in my life the way I do now.

Despite all that happened, we are now really good friends and will most likely stay friends forever. My challenge to you is to make sure you are not taking for granted any of your relationships. Make sure the people you care about the most know that you care about them.
23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”[a] and he was called God’s friend. James 2:23

What I've learned from being Single

2012-02-29T11:52:00.001-08:00

First I just want to thank all of those who shared their hearts for this month of February. I have been so blessed and encouraged by your stories. And I am thankful as well to have the opportunity to share a little bit of what I have been learning throughout my life. I hope it is a blessing to someone as I share what I have been learning as a single gal :)

Okay, so I admit. I meant to write this post about two weeks ago,but somehow couldn't bring myself to it. I just had no idea where to start this post or even what I wanted to say. The topic of singleness is one that I am very familiar with. Being single for 22 years, I guess I know a thing or two about what it’s like.

I guess about 2-3 years ago is when I really started getting concerned about this whole dating/marriage/singleness concept. I partly blamed it on me going to a private Christian college that had a huge emphasis on dating /marriage. I can tell you all of the quotes that we private Christian college folks say but I think I’ll spare you the mantra. Obviously it’s not the schools fault but it really opened my eyes to what I view as a very unhealthy view of singleness/dating/ marriage in the Christian Community.

In college I started to became that girl that would read all the dating/singles books, you name it ( Captivating, When God writes your love story,etc.) just trying to figure out a way to explain this stage of life for myself and hopefully for others.I think I thoroughly studied every book I could. But after a while of reading them, I realized there were still a lot of questions that I had that weren't getting answered. So I decided to look outside these books and seek biblical answers from the bible and from christian leaders. So, I decided to approach this post as me turning those questions I had into a post. So, keep in mind as I am answering these questions I am also speaking to myself . I'm not claiming to have all the answers. I am just writing about what I'm learning.

1. Is singleness a gift?

Yes, I do believe that the state of singleness is a gift. A gift that everyone has at one point in their lives. I don't think the gift is singleness in and of its self, it's the opportunity that you have because your single that should be seen as a gift. I believe that singleness is a gift because it gives many the opportunity to be completely devoted to God and his purpose for you during this season with no distractions or attachments. Please take advantage of this time! Singleness as I often hear is not about us and doing whatever we want to do. It's about God. Use this time to actively serve others and to whole heartily serve God. Use this gift wisely, God wants to do some amazing work through you right now but if your so focused on relationships or yourself, you will miss these opportunities and others will have missed the opportunity to be blessed by you.

But I think it’s also important to remember that our circumstances do not define us. Single or Married that is not your identity. Your identity is and always will be in Jesus Christ. So, single or married that should never change the way you view yourself and it especially does not change the way God views you.

2.I know I'm suppossed to trust the Lord, but a lot ot times it's really hard

Singleness is a struggle(for some). And I think a lot of churches fail to address the emotional toll it can have on an individual. Instead of empathizing, expectations and cliche's get thrown at singles. But I think whats interesting is that a lot of times we forget that struggling is a good thing. Instead of enduring them, we look for ways or excuses to get out of them. Hardtimes and difficulties come because we love the Lord and the Lord love us(James 1:2-5). A lot of people struggle with singleness because they love the Lord and they don’t want to just settle for any guy or girl at the bar. They want to be in a relationship and eventually a marriage that is God honoring. And that is amazing, that’s great but that doesn’t neccesarrily mean that is will happen right away. But you can be assured, as it says in the bible that in our hard times , God is molding us to be more like him. And after all isn’t that ultimately what we want. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. Singleness is a struggle not a curse . It's okay to feel sad some days, it's okay to tell God how you feel( he can handle it). Don't hold in your emotions and pretend that your okay on days you are feeling sad. Consult with people that you know will pray for you and take it to God and trust in him and his plans.

3. If God gives me the desires of my heart, why am I still single?

Oh, I have heard this question many times and of course one I have asked myself. I’m sure Psalm 37:4 is a verse that we have all heard. I think it’s an amazing verse that illustrates how much God loves and cares for us, but one that I feel has definitely been twisted around a bit. Instead of making this verse about God and our relationship with him. It's turned into making it about us and what God owes us. I do believe that a lot of times people focus on the last half of this verse more so then the first part( which I feel is the most important(I myself included). “Take delight in the Lord” What does that mean? Find enjoyment in seeking the Lord, find enjoyment in his word, spend time with him, find yourself wanting to be more and more like him. I believe then our desires will slowly shift from what we what for ourselves to what God wants for us. And I believe then we will begin to live more fulfilling lives. We begin to walk in our purpose and live lives that aren't about us but that about God working through us to further his kingdom. It's amazing how many lives have and are changing because people are declaring to walk in their purpose. I challenge you to ask God what is it that he so desires for you to desire at this very moment in your life? I think when we start asking these types of questions our lives and our priorities begin to shift.
Also it's important to look at what it says before and after the verse. " Trust in the Lord...Commit your way to the Lord". When you feel that God has given you this desire in your heart, trust in him and that he will bring it to pass.

4. What do I do, now that my plans aren't what I though they would be?

Okay, so I hear stuff like this all of the time and am guilty of doing my own planning as well. "So I will get married when I’m 24, then at 26 have 2.5 children" (Huh?)Okay I believe it’s good to dream and to plan. But when our plans have no room for God until we are 24 and we realize that’s not happening. Then we start to blame God for what we thought up in our head to happen I believe we have hit a problem. I think I might have missed that part in the bible where it says we get to choose when we get married. But I do remember it saying ²¹ Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails -Proverbs 19:21. When we give God our lives, we are saying God I trust you and I have faith that the plans you have for me are the best. So, what do you do now? Now that the plans you had didn't or haven't happened yet? I think it's important to count your blessings. Timing is the one thing that we can't control. Instead of when God when? Be thankful for now. Don't focus on what you don't have instead in times of trials and in the good times, God calls us to always be thankful.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

Final Notes

1) I believe marriage is a calling not a prize for only “good” people.I have never been married but I do know it is an amazing God honoring thing. But the thing is so is singleness. People who are single should not be ashamed of that. Your just as good, just as important , just as beautiful as someone who is married. Take hold of that, own that, don’t be embarrassed, embrace it. I believe it hurts God so much when we begin to think less of ourselves. Please don't let your circumstances define you.

2) I believe as Christians that God has laid out separate journeys for everyone. We all may end up in the same place but how we get there is different. Just because Joe Smo got married at 24 doesn’t mean you have to, your supposed to our your going to. Please, stop comparing your life/journey to everyone else. I know how hard this can be especially because of things like Facebook, instant texting and even sometimes pressure from family/friends. But follow the path that God has for you, because it’s the perfect one. It may not seem like it sometimes but when you look back at your life I believe you will see just how much God truly cares for you and how he has been protecting you this whole time. Be obedient in your season and above all your number 1 priority(whether married or single) is to Pursue God in every season, in every moment.

I believe Leslie Ludy said it best when she said When God said Abide in me...

"He meant, “Find the meaning of life in Me. Find your value and confidence in Me. Find your purpose and direction in Me. Find the source for all spiritual achievement in Me. Find the strength to live each moment in Me. Find the wisdom to navigate the many turns of life in Me. Find forgiveness from all your sins in Me. Find the satisfaction of boundless joy in Me. Find the most glorious peace in Me. Find the most perfect love and acceptance in Me. Find the most satisfying life for all eternity in Me.”

-Zipporah

If you have any questions or suggestions feel free to comment

Learning to Date well- A couple post

2012-02-17T10:29:00.000-08:00

Ahhh, okay let me say it again Ahhh! I am really excited to share this post because it gives amazing advice from a beautiful couple Branden and Katie. And I must say the story of how they met is pretty cute. I've already changed my perspective on dating a little bit from this post. It shows that doing it the right way, can really present a God honoring marriage.
You can find Branden blogging at Brandencampbell.com and Katie at http://katiecampbellphoto.com/blog/

Learning to date well.
By Branden & Katie Campbell

It was spring of 2003. I (Branden) was getting baptized by my young life leaders and they invited a bunch of people to watch me get baptized. One of those girls was a girl named Katie. Let me tell you, I thought she was smokin’ hot, but I knew I had no chance. After the baptism we went to Applebees. At Applebees my leaders invited me over to their table and said, “Branden, we know a girl who doesn’t have a date for Prom and we know you are single, would you want to take her.” I was looking at the girls at the table. I began praying, “Please Jesus be Katie, she is sooo hot.” Sure enough it was. Not to seem too excited I said, “I would love to take you prom.” Inside I was screaming!

I (Katie) am not going to lie, the moment was awkward. We all stood up to leave and Branden asked me for my number. Honestly, I was not interested in being someone’s pity date so I said, “No, I don’t give guys my number.” ☺ I know, I may have been a little harsh but I was so embarrassed. Well after a month went by I finally gave in and decided to have him as my date. After prom was over I couldn’t believe how much fun we actually had together. I really enjoyed Branden’s personality and shortly after I was soon dating my first (and only) boyfriend. Yes, Branden was the only guy I ever dated and I wouldn’t have had it any other way ☺

Shortly after we made it official Katie came to me and said, “I was praying and reading my bible the other day and I really feel like God is asking us not to kiss.” Instantly my heart drops through my chest. “really?” I ask. “Yes, maybe we should take the week to pray about it and really see.” She said. So, I ‘prayed.’ We came back together and of course the question came up, “So what do you think?” In a moment of spiritual awesomeness I said, “Oh, I for sure think God wants us to kiss.” Well, she didn’t get that same sense as I did. Perplexed she said, “Well, I don’t get why he would give us different messages.” Inside, I knew I didn’t actually pray about it, I just wanted to lay one on my hot new girlfriend. However, I acquiesced and made the promise to her and God. We had no set time when we would kiss, we just knew it wasn’t yet.

Looking back on this story after 9 years we have learned a few things. We have learned how dating well sets up your marriage for success.

We didn’t do everything right, but by the grace of God we had a solid Christ-centered dating relationship and looking back we truly have no regrets. Here are a few tips we learned during the time of our dating relationship that helped.
1. Christ HAS to be the center. Not just a part of your life you experience once a week. The most intimate part of your life has be your relationship with Jesus, if you cannot or do not share that with your boyfriend/girlfriend it is never going to the type of relationship you deserve/want. We spent every afternoon going through the Purpose Drive Life together. It was a time of great spiritual growth for both of us and ultimately drove us closer and closer together.
2. Avoid a physical relationship at all cost (1 Corinthians 6:18). Now we know when the minute you read this some of you wince at the concept, but hear us out. We are not saying don’t hold hands, cuddle, hug, or whatever, we’re just saying avoid kissing and beyond. Why? It’s pretty simple, the moment that enters into your relationship the relationship becomes about that. Is it ok to kiss? Absolutely. We kissed after waiting nine months and it was awesome. We drew boundaries around our physical relationship and it was fine. We just think to start your relationship off right, avoid it for a while. When it comes to sex or ‘fooling around,’ we say run from that as far and as fast as you can. There is a level of intimacy there that you DO NOT want to dive into until you are married. Trust God and us on this one. The most rewarding and fulfilling thing is to be able to stand there on the day of your wedding and say you waited. Inevitably the question comes up, “what if I have already messed up?” Great question, because this was also my (Branden’s) reality when I met Katie. It takes healing but that’s what the cross is all about--forgiveness. Paul says, “Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation.” You are a new creation. Start fresh with this relationship and wait.
3. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate. We can’t say this enough. Before you ever get married you better know every intimate detail about that person. You better know their family life, background, past relationship stuff, and every little thing that could matter. We know that in society it is taboo to talk about past relationship stuff but come on, if we are going to have Christ-centered flourishing marriages there cannot be secrets. So, talk it out. When you get done, talk some more.
4. Listen to wisdom and watch for red flags. If everyone is telling you he or she is a bum they are probably right, not you. If everyone is telling you to break up, they are probably right. If you see massive red flags but are convinced he/she will change, they won’t—you should break up. One of the biggest mistakes we see couples make over and over is this one right here. The signs are screaming in all directions but in our love-blindness we miss the signs. Find some trustworthy mentors that can speak into that place in your life and fully welcome it.
5. Date with purpose. If you cannot see yourself marrying this person, then do not date. If there are too many things that would hinder you from marrying them then why waste your time or theirs? Break up and find someone you can marry. Take dating seriously- it is the trailer to the movie of your marriage. Also just as a side note if you have been together for 2 years and you still aren’t sure, that is a huge red flag that something is wrong. And ladies, if your man is not willing to commit to marry you after an extended period of time there is something seriously wrong. Break up with him now. Either it will help him get his act together or you will find someone better.
6. Don’t isolate yourselves from the world. Live in community as individuals and as a dating couple. It is not healthy to drop all friendships when you start dating. Hang out with your guy friends/girl friends and don’t abandon your family. They are the ones that will be with you always.
7. Guard your heart above all else it determines the course of your life (Proverb 4:23). We know it looks like this contradicts what we say in point 3 but it doesn’t at all. You DO need to know everything about the person you are dating but your life story does not need to come out like a fire hose. Guard your heart. Get to know one another naturally. Trust is earned not guaranteed. Protect your heart that don’t give it away to every person who walks into your life
8. Have fun and become best friends. This is one that is extremely important. We believe that becoming best friends is the single best thing you can do for your relationship. Best friends have fun, laugh, and enjoy one another. Spend your time dating enjoying one another!

I hope this is encouraging to you. Katie and I pride ourselves on dating well. It was certainly more her than me, but we fought hard in our relationship to remain pure, keep Christ the center, talk about everything, listen to wisdom, and date with purpose.

If this post blessed you,let us know!

Above all else, guard your heart

2012-02-13T09:14:00.000-08:00

I love this post because I can definitely relate. Coming from someone who has never been in a relationship/ hit the almost relationship, it can be hard to understand what a real relationship should look like. But this post also gives some great advice to those wondering if there in a healthy relationship. Proverbs 4:23 is an amazing verse to reference and to always look back at. Thank you so much Kelsee for sharing your heart.

Everybody wants to be loved

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:23

We all want to find that one person that will love us for the rest of our lives. We watch movies and read books with the perfect love stories that we want so desperately to be our own. We fill our heads with thoughts that that will never be us…we will never be the ones standing at the end of the story ‘living happily ever after.’

My name is Kelsee, I am 22 years old, single, and have never really been in a relationship. I put emphasis on that because there is always that sort of kind of relationship that never ends up anywhere. So, I guess I should say I’ve never had a boyfriend. You know the awkward stage when a guy and a girl are interested in each other, and they text, and hang out all the time…well that’s what I had…for 3 years. This was while I was in college. He was the first guy that really seemed interested in me, and I wanted to do what I could to keep him. However, all along I knew it was an un-healthy relationship. He only ever wanted to hang out with me when it was convenient for him, but as soon as I would ask him he was suddenly too busy. I don’t want you to think that for 3 years, I was just at his beck and call. There were months of time that I wouldn’t really talk to him, and I would try to get over him, but somehow I would always end up running back to him.

When you are in a relationship with someone, one of the most important things is communication and being able to tell your boyfriend anything. I realized I couldn’t do this with him because we weren’t actually a couple. I was fighting with myself about what he had the right to know and what I needed to keep to myself in order to guard my heart. One day I opened up and told him something that I was personally struggling with. He comforted me and gave me advice. Both very good and what I needed, but then he proceeded to tell me that I should open up to him like that more often. This is when I realized that things between us needed to change. There was no reason that he had the right to know everything I was going through. I knew by this point that being in an actual relationship was out of the question so I had to let him go. I realized that I was trying to hold on to something that was never going to be more than it was at that moment.

This was 2 years ago now, and I have forgiven him, and we even still talk every once in awhile. I am also thankful that I was able to learn a lesson from this situation. I now know that the next person I give myself to will have to prove to me that he is worth it before I put too much emotion into something that isn’t going to go anywhere.

I write this to you in hopes that if you are currently in a relationship of some kind that you take a moment and think about whether or not he is being vulnerable to you in return or if he is just expecting you to always open up to him. If you are single I hope that this is a reminder of the type of man that you are looking for. I will always remember the good times that I had with him because they are the only memories of a relationship that I have had. But I am also excited for the future when I meet someone who treats me the way I should be treated.

If you were blessed by this story, let us know

A "New Line" in Dating

2012-02-10T09:54:00.000-08:00

Wow, I am so thankful Ashley for this post. Sometimes it's hard to figure out how to date in a Christian way. What does that mean? What does that look like? I think Ashley did such an amazing job pulling those questions together in a biblical way. After you read this I am sure you will want to know more and you can! Ashley runs a blog called verse 14 blog, a blog based off of Psalm 139:14. A amazing blog where she shares her heart and the things that God has been doing in her life. I really hope you enjoy this post as much as I did!

A “New Line” in Dating

I have been in the dating business for eleven years now and have gone on many dates, have had few too many “serious” boyfriends, and enough horror stories to be the designated entertainment at girls night out! It has been a long journey, and is still continuing. While I may not be married, I’m blessed that the Lord has allowed me to learn from my mistakes, rather than be married to my mistakes. Through this dating journey, I have gained wisdom and insight.

For starters, I have learned the art of foreshadowing!

If the guy you are dating looks at your shivering, goose bump filled body and says, “Id offer you my jacket, but it looks better on me.” (and he’s not kidding)….

Run!

If the dude excuses himself from your family function to go change into his muscle shirt and returns with his guitar in hand, only to proceed in awkward singing and unwanted serenading…

Run!

If your fella texts while at the dinner table with your family, enters your parents home with out acknowledging your folks, and doesn’t use his manners…

Run!

If Mr. Shady freaks out when you reach to hand him his phone…Don’t wait to find out that he has been receiving sexting messages from your friend…

Run!

If the guy you are dating tells you, you only look good with an inch of eye shadow plastered to your lids…lets doors slam in your face, rather than opening them for you, and he cleans his designer jeans by sticking them in the freezer…

Run!

Sadly, I admit these are ALL from personal experience. Totally giggle proof now, but gut wrenching to my parents and closest friends at the time. They seem like obvious reasons to “run”…but in the midst of dating, the blinders come on and justification becomes a favorite past time. My excuse for entering in each relationship with blinders and an unguarded heart was that I was under the assumption each of these fellas was whole-heartedly seeking to become more like Jesus. But after many failed attempts, let downs, and a broken heart I learned that, trying is lying and actions reign over words. I have learned not to trust the man because he is “seeking” Jesus, but rather, just trust Jesus.

All my failed attempts resemble this huge wall, “cracked and bulging, collapsing suddenly, and in an instant will break in pieces like pottery” (Isaiah 30:13-14) I’m not waiting in line for another failed attempt (or collapsing wall). I have decided to take a different approach with a new mind set. The line I’m choosing to stand in, may take longer and have fewer people in it…but what this line has and the other does not, is a life that reflects Gods Word and is fully in love with Jesus.

So what does this look like?...

For years, I have struggled with Gods guidelines for dating, as the word “dating” is not listed in the concordance of the Bible. But after seeking out His Word, God revealed that the principle and the heart behind “dating” is spelled out, all through out scripture. It is in God’s word that we learn who we are and what God commands of us. It has become clear what is expected of me, and what should be evident in a man who wants to pursue after my heart.

There are many verses, stories, and principles I could share, but for the sake of not writing a novel, I will share 4:

1). Do not trust your heart, for it “is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:9) Instead, “trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding” (Prov. 3:5) Almost every boyfriend I have dated has told me, they were going to marry me. Guess what?...I’m not married to any of them! At the time, I eagerly believed and trusted their false promises. Remember the crumbling wall scenario from Isaiah I listed above?…HAD I trusted in the Lord instead of trusting my heart and own understanding, I would not have landed face first in a pile of wreckage trying to piece back together my shattered heart from the promises of man. “Above all else guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life” (Prov. 4:23) No longer will I entrust the wellspring of my life to a human, but only to my Father in Heaven!

2). “ For I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery in his heart.” (Matt. 5:28) “ The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord…. You are not your own; you were bought with a price. Therefore, honor God with your body” (1 Cor. 6:13, 20) I could list 50+ verses on this topic alone. God is serious when it comes to purity. Did you notice the first verse acknowledges the sin within the heart? I have learned, that a man who does not respect your purity and looks at you only with lust, will also have no regard for your heart. I was bought at a very high price, and no man can afford what I was paid for. Therefore, I will not accept a cheapened counter-offer; but only one who accepts the terms and commands given by my Lord.

3). I have learned to be watchful in the means of 1) money and 2) time. These are two of the most valuable resources the Lord has given. How a person spends both money and time says a lot about their character and gives insight into their heart. 1)“For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” (1 Tim 6:10) 2)“What has a man from all the toil and striving of his heart with which he toils beneath the sun? For all his days are full of sorrow, and his work is a vexation. Even in the night, his heart does not rest. This is also vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 2:22-23).

4). “You shall love the Lord your God with all heart, with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Duet. 6:5) I believe when this last point is etched on ones soul, sought after with a whole heart, and evident in all actions; the previous points discussed above will naturally become a reality.

After reading this list, it is no wonder why the line I have chosen to stand in, has few people, and will produce patience in my life. I am not claiming to have mastered this list, but I am surrendering my will so that Christ might be sanctified in me. I believe that the man whom will one day be my groom will not have this list mastered either…but I do know he will be surrendered as well, and his life will reflect as such.

I will no longer have blinders on because the truth has set me free. “Gods love will cast out any fear” I might have, and he will continue to “perfect His love in me” (1 John 4:18) I will be so hidden in my Jesus’ arms, that any man who wants to seek me, must seek and find my Jesus first! I am faithful in knowing, that while pursuing hard after my Father in this new line, I will be given “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, He will guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:7).

If you enjoyed this post feel free to let us know and leave a comment!

The Battle:Relationships are hard work

2012-02-06T11:21:00.000-08:00

I love this post so much because it speaks true to the heart. It speaks on the topic of the journey of a relationship. It is truly a growing process and not the easiest one at best. I'll let her words speak for themselves. So thankful Brittnee for this post!

Battle.

Dating. For 20-somethings around the world, this topic can always start interesting, and sometimes emotional, discussion. We are all either married and having the time of our lives with that special someone, married but wish we waited a few more years, dating with no immediate intention of getting married, dating and wish we were married, dating for 5+ years but don’t feel ready for marriage because we’re “too young” , single and so ready to mingle, single and very happy that way, or in that unexplainable in-between stage where you and another are into each other but you’re not technically in a relationship for one reason or another. You all know exactly what I’m talking about.

In my 22 years of life, I’ve spent most of my time single and looking/waiting for that perfect person to come into my life and sweep me off my feet. I had a picture in my head of what type of person I wanted. Not too long ago I met someone. He was very interested in me and did all of the pursuing. Initially, I wasn’t very interested; he didn’t fit that picture that I had in my head. The more I got to know him however, his charming personality won me over, and I realized that even though on the surface he was a lot different than what I would have pictured myself with, inside he had many of the qualities that I would want in a future spouse.

To make a long story short, we started dating and got really serious, really quickly. The unfortunate part is that after about four months went by, we broke up. We’re still friends but there is a lot of figuring out that we both need to do as individuals in order to work as a couple. We both really want to be a couple, but two individuals can’t work together if they can’t even function alone.

What I want to tell you, what I feel like is the ‘right’ answer, is that all you have to do in order to find true happiness and love with someone is to be patient, find personal peace and happiness, and make sure that you yourself are ready for a relationship. I mean that is what my ex-boyfriend and I are trying to do now; find individual contentment. But there’s a catch, it is so much easier to say that than it is to actually do it. I feel that I have spent a good part of the last couple of years in a happy place and ready and willing to be in a relationship, but being patient gets so annoying after awhile. I get tired of waiting, then I start moping around like ‘woe is me’ why aren’t I in that perfect relationship yet? Then I’m not happy anymore, and it starts this never ending revolving door of emotions.

Here’s my honest opinion. No matter what your relationship status is, it’s all hard work. Many people have the misconception that they’ll find happiness once they find ‘the one’. That’s not true. Whether you’re single, dating, married or somewhere in between, it’s all hard work. Any relationship is hard work, even with your close friends you sometimes go through tough times. It’s life. True happiness is only found in having an intimate relationship with God; The One who loves like no human ever can. A relationship with God is hard work too. Basically what I am saying, is that yes, you do need to find personal peace and happiness but you have to do that through God, and it’s all work. A battle.

Brittnee

NOTE TO SELF: From 20-30

2012-01-31T11:54:00.000-08:00

I want to say I am incredibly grateful for all who wrote fro this series. I have really enjoyed and have been really encouraged by your testimonies of Faith. I am so excited for this final post of Note to Self, because Diana is truly an amazing and giving woman of God. I am so grateful that she did this post to encourage us 20 year olds . But Diana Elizabeth is also an amazing woman with very successful Photography business. I follow and love her blog, you can find her here and her tweeting @dianaelizabeth_

Dear 20-year-old Diana,

You freaked out over this year, just a little. You spewed out a list of things you planned on accomplishing during this new decade of life on video - graduating, moving, getting a first job, building up your career, buying a first home, getting married, but you saved kids for your 30s.

Forget the pressures of the world.

Save your money. The weekly shopping sprees from the account that "dad is paying for" will eventually be your account and you'll wish you had more in your bank account than all those Bebe tops. Stick to your guns, you'll be happy to say in a few years that you never touched a cigarette or done any drugs and you can tell that to your children one day. Continue to love people - people who are different, sad, lonely, and lost. You'll find so much joy loving others. Take every opportunity that comes your way. Be persistent, ask questions, be a little more bold in your personality and conversation, know that most of this life requires heavily networking and in order to get places, you need to not be timid or shy. Be bold, and all those pageants will help you get there.

Stop trying to be overly optimistic and make boyfriends who should've been short term into long term or "the one" just so you can be done with dating. Remember, dating is not awful or a pain when it's with the right person, and being single is the most incredible thing, especially in comparison to dating the wrong guys. There is no deadline to settling down. Instead of trying to check it off your list, take it easy and enjoy this time in your life. Just like your teenage years, when it's gone, it's gone and you want to make sure you embraced every moment and took every opportunity. There is The One and he exists, and you both will meet.

Dad will get terminally ill. You'll cry out to a God you've never known or ever spoken to before, slightly ashamed, begging for dad to be saved. To spare your heartache now, I'll tell you that God creates a miracle out of dad, changing the course of his life, and yours.

You will meet the greatest love of your life named Jesus at 25. He will change your life, perspective, and you will love following him. He will never let you down. Then because of Jesus, in five more years, you will meet your husband, the most amazing man you will have ever met, Benjamin. You'll know right away that it's him and not in that hopeful way, you will just know because it'll feel like home. It'll be easy, it'll be everything that every one who has had a successful marriage tells you it is like. And, he'll feel the same way. Then, you'll both get married in a flash.

Remember: 1) Don't chase boys or follow them anywhere. Your career comes first. YOU come first. 2) Not all "Christian" men you meet can lead. In fact, there will be several who will manipulate, abuse and try to control you. Flee, and know that's not what God has in store for you. 3) Don't spend more than you make. It is way too easy to fall into debt like most women and men do not like that one bit. 4) Don't let anyone change you or tell you that you aren't good enough. 5) Don't rush into getting married, ever. 6) Don't try to make anyone convince you they are the right one for you when deep down you know that "settling" feeling is around, don't settle. 7) If a door closes, find a window. Everything you could ever want in life is outside of your comfort zone. The worst thing you could do is doing nothing at all and letting your dreams and window of opportunity expire.

But you may not listen, I'm aware. This is the time to make mistakes, but learning as quickly as possible will avoid future mistakes.

If there's one thing I could stress the most to you at this very age, 20, since you have been a "good girl" at this age is to stay pure. I know you're thinking your future husband isn't thinking about you, but you will love him more than you know and wish that you only knew him. Start to love him so much now, and make smart decisions to honor him, starting today. And love yourself enough to be strong, to look out for your own well being without being selfish, but because you know you deserve better.

Enjoy your 20s, it'l be a roller coaster but it'll be so fun.

xx,

Diana

PS - 30 isn't that bad. You'll be signed with one of the world's biggest modeling agencies and you'll loose some of that "face chub" that you're carrying right now. Trust me, you'll love it more than 20.

Note to Self: Choose Joy, He is Faithful By Jaime Delaine

2012-01-30T12:02:00.000-08:00

I have been a fan of Jaime Delaine every since I saw her beautiful photography. Not only has she creating a successful wedding business but what is really incredible is her inspiring words on faith and living a life for Christ. I am so excited to feature her on the blog today! You can find her on her blog here

Every year for the past five years, i have left a simple little note to myself on the huge tupperware we store christmas supplies in. hey jamie in december 2006: you're sixteen now. congrats. hope you're doing good & that you learned a lot this year. you're fun. every christmas season i pull the container out of the storage room & without fail, the note catches me off guard. hey 21-year old jamie. i don't know what this year held for you: but i pray that it was full of growth and joy and life. love, 20-year old jamie. i love silly little milestones. thinking back to who the girl that wrote december 2010's note was… and who the girl reading them is now.

due to the unfortunate laws of time [he's always in a rush, he won't slow down for anything] the only girl i can write for is next year's jamie. but wouldn't it be a gift to draft a letter to my sixteen year old self? oh, the things i could share with her over an americano… not tea: because she recently taught herself to enjoy coffee & she's on a roll.

dear sixteen-year-old-jamie,

merry christmas. you're almost halfway through your grade eleven year -- the year you swore you'd never make it through. staring at two more full years of high school in september seemed overwhelming -- but you'll be glad you persevered. your last couple years on that private school campus, with it's impressive-looking brick buildings and the bustle of plaid kilts in the hallways will soon be a distant memory. you are starting to realize that you are different than the others… the thoughts that consume your brain aren't on the minds of other teens. the launch of your photography business, longing to travel the world, wishing for the year where you could wake up and organize your time how you felt like it. it feels like a lonely road… and it is. some days will be harder than others. i understand why you count down every day of put on my uniform, grab my books, see how much class i can appropriately skip, wait until three o' clock. desperately longing for your graduation date of june 2008.

life will start when i graduate. that was the thought you held onto -- and although many well-meaning people will tell you these are the best days of your life! responsibility and hard work comes after graduation! enjoy the teen years! they were wrong. your best days did start after high school and surprise! responsibility & hard work are not to be shied away from… but as you envisioned, they are to be enjoyed, celebrated, as you steward your God-given gifts.

the photography business you will start six months from now, in june 2007, will flourish beyond what you could imagine. you have a small dream right now -- i see you reading forums and books for hours a day, soaking up every bit of knowledge you can find. keep at it. you will enjoy the process of determining what success is to you -- not what it is to your friend circle, within the photo industry, or even your parents -- but what success means in the context of how you feel called to live your life.

for the first two years, you'll work too much. graduating at seventeen, you'll spend your first summer building your business full-force. you'll breathe your business, the photography industry, the "next step." but soon, some incredible photographers will become a part of your life -- women like sarah barlow and kristen snyder -- that inspire you, challenge you, balance you… in a way that you have never known before.

nineteen will be a year of change. you'll make the difficult decision [but such an incredible one] to move churches -- a big step, but one that will be confirmed in your spirit with every passing month. it will be a year of building true friendships… and you'll learn to stop hiding your differences. yes, you're type-A. yes, you're a female INTJ -- the rarest of all personalities… you can be a little intense, a little analytical -- but these friends will love you and sharpen you and challenge you. no, they won't be like you [praise the Lord for that, sometimes i feel like two of our personality would be too much] but they will accept you: fully.

get your bible & journal ready; be prepared to soul search. in 2010, God will start breaking your heart for the things that break His -- and you will never be the same. your years of businessbusinessbusiness thinking will quickly turn to ministryministryministry, as you grasp that He is the only thing worth living for. it will be a giant pile of paradoxes: beautiful & ugly, enjoyable & frustrating, difficult & effortless -- as God shapes your heart from the ages of nineteen to twenty-one.

growth is not achieved through comfortable situations. how could God point us to Him and Him only if everything was turning out exactly the way we always imagined? we wouldn't need Him. look upon hard situations & unideal outcomes in light of His plan: His plan that is beautiful beyond our dreams. in His incredible goodness, He will allow trials into your life: criticism of your character, unforeseen challenges in your business, relationships conflicts, big life changes.

face these trials with the wisdom spoken of in James 1: when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. for you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. so let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. you'll learn that you can have great joy regardless of your circumstances. as you cling to joy, you'll learn that God delights in ordaining peace for you [Isaiah 26:12] -- and peace is the greatest gift.

sitting at starbucks with a coffee, thinking about the boxing day wedding i am about to photograph this afternoon… i suppose it's time for me to wrap this letter up. [and yes, isn't that great that we get to drive alone and make decisions like showing up at starbucks at 8am on a holiday before the world is awake just because we feel like it? your day is coming.]

my final piece of advice: don't rush your teenage years -- i won't claim being sixteen is better than being twenty-one -- because it wasn't. but i will promise you that God is good, His timing is perfect and where He has you right now is where He desire you to be. as you walk through the walls of your high school, look outside yourself. i know it's hard -- you have your own plans -- and compassion is not your strong suit, but get your face into the Bible and ask God to transform your mind with His Word. pray for the people around you that don't "get it," even if many of them are Christians in claim -- but they don't understand the life and joy and love and peace and salvation we have in Jesus.

God has some beautiful things ahead of you, sixteen-year-old girl.

and some beautiful things ahead of me, twenty-one-year old woman.

choose joy. He is faithful!

NOTE TO SELF: Stop worrying

2012-01-25T09:22:00.000-08:00

How true are these words, I think we can all relate to this post one way or another. Worrying can sometimes feel like a full-time Job but God has better plans for us. Don't miss out on this post

Dear Fifteen-Year-Old Me,

Right now, you’re a few years away from a lot of big landmarks happening in your life. The future is bright, and you’re well on your way to discovering the person that God made you to be. I don’t regret anything you did or will choose to do as you get older, because all of the choices you made and will make have helped to shape me into who I am today. However, there’s a few things I think you should know, to help knock out some of the stumbling blocks you’ll face along your journey.
Your biggest enemy in life is fear of the unknown. It’s Satan’s way of getting under your skin and making you feel worthless and weak, and is going to become more difficult to manage as you get older and have more responsibilities thrown onto your plate. You don’t realize it now, because you don’t have much to worry about yet. But soon, the world is going to seem like a much bigger place and you’re going to seem much smaller. You’re going to constantly worry about what people think of you, or about whether or not you’re “good enough” at anything you do. You’ll worry about grades, relationships, money, religion, physical appearance, jobs. You’ll worry about death and sickness and war. You’ll make yourself miserable countless times because of it.
There’s two pieces of Scripture that are going to strengthen you. The first is Jeremiah 29:11 - “‘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.’” Hold onto this one whenever you start to feel afraid. Trust is something that you have a hard time doing, and the sooner you start to put it into practice, the stronger you’ll be when you face your fears. God has given you gifts and passions - follow them! Seriously. He knows what He’s doing in your life and has a purpose for you, and sometimes, that divine love and purpose is going to be the only thing that you have to cling to. Believe it with all of your heart.
The second Scripture is Philippians 4:6 - “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.” This one is going to be difficult for you to remember. You’re accustomed to worrying instead of praying, and it’s going to take a life transformation to help you learn to give your fears to God. Start putting it into practice now, it’s probably one of the most important things you can do. I struggle with this concept every day and will probably continue to do so for the rest of my life. Just remember that it goes hand in hand with the verse from Jeremiah, and it all comes down to letting God take the reins. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to trust His plans.
You’re on the right path. Life is awesome, and the next decade of your life is going to be one of the most amazing times of transformation and growth for you! You’re going to figure out your passions, start a life of your own, and meet the man of your dreams. (Yes, he exists!) Continue to be a blessing to others, remember what a blessing your own life is, and try not to take too much time out of it by worrying. It’s too good to waste that way.
Love,
Twenty-Year-Old Me

NOTE TO SELF: Love and Accept people as they are

2012-01-19T01:00:00.000-08:00

Today's post I really love because it's about remembering the kind of love that God has shown to us. The kind of love that loves unconditionally. Candace thanks so much for sharing your heart!

Note to self:
The old adage, “never judge someone until you walk a mile in their shoes” has made me stop and think many times along the way in my 21 years. growing up, i was a slight “church snob,” in which the churches i grew up in informed me that people were not “good enough” if they didn’t attend church at least once a week, and you were looked down upon if you didn’t attend sunday night services, as well as let church eat up your wednesday night’s as well. smelly people, underdressed people, and loud people were looked down upon in the church. there were SO many people i misjudged, and rubbed the wrong way that may never accept a Christian because of things i said and did, intentionally or unintentionally. once i moved to college, i met amazing people, learned amazing things, and worked in amazingly hard places to work. between a summer job of working with low-income families, and a school year filled with working in the “hood” of knoxville, my heart learned to be way more loving and way less judging. through my two years at college, i learned to love people, to accept people, and to realize that’s what i should have been doing all along. therefore, if i could go back, not only would i change some wild crazy things about myself, like needing desperately to be the center of attention and craving the attention from guys, but instead, i would focus my desires on loving more like Jesus did, accepting people, and walking a mile maybe not in their shoes, but right along side of them.
-Candace

NOTE TO SELF: When you make a Mistake, take hold of it and learn from it

2012-01-16T10:20:00.000-08:00

So, I am beyond excited for this post!!! Hence the triple exclamation points. But not only because it is the first post of 20somethings but because I believe everyone can relate to this post in one way or another. Thanks so much for Sharing your heart Rikki. I am soo happy to know Rikki and you can find her blogging at uniqueandamazing.blogspot.com

I have only lived 21 years [with some left-overs] but I will say I have learned a lot in this short amount of time, specifically these last 8 months. I want to preface this entry by saying that I honestly would not go back in my past to change what I have been through.

As cliché as it is, all my mistakes have made me who I am. I am much more confident, I possess more faith and trust in my Creator, and am now closer to a few people BECAUSE of my mistakes. I wouldn’t be who or where I am now by doing things the right way. I am NOT saying that you should throw your common sense out the window to learn some things by any means, but that when a mistake is made, take hold of it, learn from it and then, when you are ready, share your experiences.

I think one of the biggest ideas I would have told myself back in the day would be “go with your gut, hold fast to what you know is right.” And when I say “what is right,” I don’t just mean morally right, but what is fact, whether that concerns how you will react to a certain situation, your understanding of another person’s personality or basic/common sense issues. If you know you struggle with smoking, don’t go to places where you may have easy access to it. If you know a person who often times takes advantage of the generosity of others, be cautious. If you tend to spend money frivolously, only carry a small amount of cash and no credit cards.

Setting yourself up for failure [morally or not], disappointment or pain is probably one of the most detrimental things you could do to yourself. And it’s just plain stupid.

In the summer of 2011 I ended up falling in love with my best friend of three years. Some of you [and I really mean the female readers] might squeal with giddiness, as your imagination begins thinking of that one song or film…you know exactly what I am talking about. The one that talks of how boy meets girl, they become fast friends, start dating, break up, the girl starts seeing another guy reluctantly [of course, still in love with the first] but in the end her true love comes sweeping in to win her back and they get married, have a few adorable kids running around their ankles and live happily ever after.

If only life actually worked like that.

It is true, I was in love with my best friend. We knew everything about each other: our past mistakes, how to calm each other down, we challenged each other to be better, so on and so on. From the outside, it could have been seen as “your ideal relationship” I guess. But I refused to see the red flags that I knew of from the beginning, even before I fell for him. I knew from the get-go he was an opportunist when it came to girls. I even told him so! My gut told me not to get involved but that hopeful, romantic side got the better of me. Long story short, I should’ve gone with the little voice in the back of my head. I am now out a best friend, still picking up the pieces and we don’t speak anymore.

What would be different if I had listened to what I knew was right? I try not to dwell on the past but rather how I can take that past and apply it to the present and the possible futures.

So I guess that’s that. I wish I had listened to my gut. I hope that the next time your gut, the little voice in your head, is telling you turn the other way, that you will do just that. There is a reason that we have that hesitation even if we don’t’ know exactly why…listen to it!

~Rikki

Feel free to leave a comment, let us know you were here

WIN A YEAR SUBSCRIPTION TO RELEVENT MAGAZINE

2012-01-12T09:00:00.000-08:00

WIN A YEAR SUBSCRIPTION TO RELEVANT

GOD. LIFE. PROGRESSIVE CULTURE
EXTENDED TILL THE 21ST

I absolutely love this magazine and I know someone will really be blessed by it. So I decided to do a giveaway to one person.You don’t want to miss out on the chance to get a subscription to Relevant Magazine. A magazine filled with inspirational stories, motivating challenges, Spiritual issues challenged and a great reviews on current culture.

TO ENTER: Like the Facebook page and Comment Below with the answer to the questions by January 18th, 2012

“ What is your all time favorite book?”

* Winner will be randomly selected

There will be more giveaways in the future, So be on the look out!

NOTE TO SELF: START A BLOG

2012-01-06T17:19:00.000-08:00

If there is one thing I have learned over the past year it's this idea of embracing your Journey. I spent a huge portion of life trying to live the life of someone else. Striving to live a life that I felt I deserved. Believing that God must have made some mistake and it was up to me fix it. It wasn't till I really started listening to other peoples stories/lives that I realized how unique our stories are. I realized how involved God really is in our lives, how important embracing our OWN lives is and how we can not only learn from others but also they can learn from us. Allow God to use your story to encourage others and to encourage yourself. At 20 I believe we have more Questions then we do Answers. But I believe that when we start sharing our unique journey with each other we can begin to connect the dots.