Ladies Only!

Ok ladies, let’s admit the reality.  Godly men are scare in our churches.  I am sure you know the expression: “The good ones are taken.”  Unless you attend a Christian college or are a member of a mega church, you will realize the options are slim.

            How are we supposed to stand out when we outnumber the guys?   How do we get noticed to gain the attention of a Godly man when they have so many available options?

The answers are in Proverbs.

 “Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.” ~Proverbs 19:14.   The word Prudent can be defined as: wise, practical, or sensible.   Godly men are looking for such a women.   A prudent woman will be practical and will not spend money on things they can’t afford.  A prudent woman will be wise with how they spend their time and money.   She will be sensible when making decisions for her life and will run the affairs of her home in a way that honors GOD.

            “A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown.”~ Proverbs 12:4.   A woman who has noble character is honorable and virtuous.    She is moral and will not compromise her walk with GOD.   She will make decisions for her life based off of the word of GOD and she will earnestly seek him in all that she does.   The word crown can signify a trophy or a prize.   So this scripture is stating that a righteous woman is a prize in her husband’s eyes.   What woman would not want to be treated like a prize?

            “A wife of noble character who can find?  She is worth far more than rubies.” ~Proverbs 31:1.    In other words, there are not very many women who have this noble character.   To be a women who rests in the LORD and is fully devoted to him will make you very valuable to a Godly man.  

            “HE who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD.” ~Proverbs 18:22.   Ladies, a true man after GOD’s heart is looking for YOU.  He is looking for an amazing woman of GOD who can be his “trophy”.      Woman like this are hard to find and a Godly man will wait until he finds her.

            What should we do while we wait for GOD to bring us a guy like this?  We should fall I love with the LORD.  We should spend time learning about him and reading his word.  Work on spiritual disciplines such as prayer and meditation.   If you want an AMAZING man of GOD to find you, you need to become the woman that guy would be attracted to.

~Sunny :D

Needs and Wants

As singles we need to distinguish the difference between NEEDS and WANTS.   For example:  I WANT a husband.  It is a desire of mine to get married someday.  The fact I can realize this is a WANT and not a NEED allows me to be more picky.   I WANT a man who loves Jesus as much as I do.  I WANT a man who has an education and a good job.    I WANT a man who I can trust to make decisions and whom I respect.

However I don’t NEED these things because the LORD provides for me richly.          

See the difference?

What do I need?                   

Right now I NEED to rest in GOD.  “Be still and know I am GOD.”  I NEED to make connections with other believers in the body of Christ.   I NEED to spend this season of singleness doing my best to grow in the Lord by reading my bible and praying.   I NEED to learn how to trust GOD in all things and lay my requests at his feet.

These are NEEDS every believer has. 

These are NEEDS that won’t change when I get married.

~Sunny :D    

           

             

Idols

I am reading and studying the book of Jeremiah right now.  Be prepared if my next few blog posts are about that book.     As a side note, if you are looking for a good bible study guide I recommend anything written by Warren W. Wiersbe.   I am using his Jeremiah study guide and I am finding it very helpful to understand the cultural significance of this book.

Anyway.

            I am reading the book of Jeremiah and in the first 7 chapters it is talking a lot about idols and false gods.   To worship an idol instead of GOD is the same as committing adultery.    “Put detestable idols out of my sight and no longer go astray.” ~Jeremiah 4:1.  

            Idols look very different in 2014 than they did back in OT times.  I can think of golden calves and fertility god’s  being worshiped.   However, if you look deeper the idols are the same.  An idol can simply be ANYTHING that you place above GOD’s will for your life. 

            Believers do not worship false gods and golden calves anymore but you better believe that idols are still very much alive in our church.  If you find yourself turning to video games, food, toxic relationships or exercise to find your joy instead of turning to GOD.. You are at risk of having an idol in your life.

            Idol is a dirty word but upon careful examination I realized I had an idol.  I had turned my job into an idol.  I tried to wrap my self-worth into my job.  Don’t get me wrong, I am a fantastic teacher~ but I was desperately trying to be the best.  I was trying to put GOD into a box of where I believed my career should go.   I was frustrated when I did not get my way and angry when I felt pushed into a corner.  When I received criticism, terrible evaluations, or negative observations it would ruin my mood for days.  

I had an idol.

            I praised GOD for showing me this flaw in my thinking and asked for forgiveness.   I was not intentionally making my job into an idol.   I think it is very common for Singles to turn their jobs into idols because they don’t feel like they have anything else going for them.   We are not married, and often we do not have kids so we seek to find our purpose in our jobs.

            This is not how GOD designed us to be.   Our purpose it so love him and find our Joy from HIM.  Rest in the LORD my friends.

~Sunny :D

Retreat

I went on vacation.   I packed my pug and we drove two hours away out of Phoenix.   On Facebook it appeared as if I did exciting things like hiking and walking around the town square.  

Honestly? 

I was on a retreat with GOD.

            I fasted.  I prayed.  I worshiped.  I read the entire book of proverbs in one night.  (I was up pretty late that evening).   I wrote down all of the scriptures that I felt were worth writing down considering my mental state.  (which was not good when I arrived).

            I left my solo retreat feeling peace.   I felt refreshed.  I felt GOD’s presence and I received His strength to continue the tasks that were required of me.

Praise GOD.

~Sunny :D

Fireworks

     Yesterday was the 4th of July.   Up until Wednesday I literally had NOTHING to do to celebrate our Nation's Independence.   I prayed a quick prayer: "Father GOD, I would like to find something to do for the 4th of July."

      Within one minute I had 2 offers to do something for the holiday.  YAY  JESUS!  I decided to go to a picnic with a woman I used to work with and then watch fireworks with a friend from graduate school in the evening.   Both invitations were offered to me by strong Christian women.

     I felt GOD's presence the entire night.   The picnic was lots of fun.  I took over baked beans and we had hot dogs, potato salad and root beer floats.  We had good conversations about all the great things GOD is doing in both of our lives.   We played with sparklers by the pool.

       After that I went to meet my friend from graduate school for fireworks.  This was the best part of the day.   She invited a few other friends along and us four girls all had a BLAST!   We wore glow-in-the-dark necklaces.   We watched a revolutionary war reenactment  and listened to a cover band who specialized in 80's music.   We danced, we sang and we had an amazing time!

      The best part is, we were perfectly located next to the fireworks.   I could hear the 80's music fade in the background as we watched the sky fill up with colors.  I love watching fireworks.

I am single~

And that is ok~

GOD still blessed me on that night and I know it.

GOD is good all of time; and all of the time GOD is good.

~Sunny :D

Hope

What is Hope?  According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary Hope is defined as: “A desire accompanied by expectation or a belief in fulfillment.”   All Humans hope for something.  Some hope to find jobs, some hope to become cured of disease, some hope to find “the one”.   We are all hoping for something in our lives. 

As Christians, we should place our hope in the LORD.   However, often we place our hope in other things.  Sometimes we place our hope in our own power, in another person or even in objects.    “Some trust in chariots and some trust in horses but we trust in the name of the Lord our GOD.” ~ Psalm 20:7.

I know I do this.  I am a sinner and I often find myself placing things on the throne in my life that should not be there.   I place my hope in my own strength and it always fails.  Only GOD’s strength can make my plans succeed.   I place my hope in others, and when they fail, it leaves me frustrated.  I place my hope in material things that eventually wear out and leave me disappointed.   

And when those things fail?

“But now, LORD, what do I look for?  My hope is in you.” ~Psalm 39:7.

            Hope in the LORD is the only way we can get through our days.  He is our strength:  “In our weakness, he is strong.”   His love never fails.   “Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are GOD my Savior and my hope is in you all day long.” ~Psalm 25:5

~Sunny :D