It's been a long time, a lot has happened.

It has been over a year since I posted a blog entry.  Before I go crazy with writing I want to know if anyone still looks at it?  Just let me know :)

Food

Well, welcome to my Food Blog......I'm in a Bible Study called "Made To Crave" Craving God above food. The current chapter speaks of accountability. I'm making the world my accountability partner. So daily I'm going to Blog my food for the day, so all can see. This will encourage me to not eat those not so good for you foods. I realize these Blog entries won't be very exciting so if you see the Title as Food...........well you know it's just a list of my food for the day and you can skip over :)

GOD'S TIMING

Do you ever wonder about God's timing?

I have recently.........

I don't know why God chose to take me out of the job I was in at the time he did. Why not earlier when I had been miserable for so long? Was he teaching me something? Using me?

Why did my beautiful roommate just get married for the first time at 36 and others at 22?

Why do some get pregnant on their honeymoon and others take decades to get pregnant?

Why do some meet the love of their life at 12 and others 42?

Why did my mother pass away when I was 30 and my friend's when she was only 7....yet another when they are in their 70's themselves?

I guess the timing can't be comparable to another human being...as we each our unique. The element of trust must be practiced, knowing that God is much wiser than us.

A Time for Everything

¹ There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:

² a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
³ a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
⁸ a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

IS THERE A FORMULA FOR FINDING A MATE?

IS THERE A FORMULA FOR FINDING A MATE?

Everywhere you go in Christian circles it seems there is advice to Singles on finding a spouse. From books, to articles, to sermons etc. etc.

One site that speaks to Singles on several topics including this one is http://www.boundless.org/

If you are over 30 you have probably heard every piece of advice out there including:

Go where other Christian Singles are

Move to the City

Lose weight

Participate in as many Co-Ed functions as you can

Join an Online Dating service

Don’t join an online dating service…..(cause that is not trusting God)

For women, be as domesticated as you can

Get a degree

Don’t get a degree that might be higher than your future husband’s

Buy a house

Don’t buy a house

Be Independent

Don’t be Independent ( I even read one article that suggested women live with a family as to appear not to Independent)

Go out with almost anyone at least once (that was from a book)

Don’t go out with someone you already know you would never marry for differing standard reasons

The list goes on and on as all our married friends assist in our journeys.

Most of the things listed above are not bad things at all. However, there is an element that I think is passed up in all this ‘advice’. The element of God’s will for our lives today, in this moment. If you have a decision to make about how you spend your time or money, you should ask what God would have you do.

One friend of mine felt led to move to a small town on the East Coast to teach at a Christian School. Several Christian mentors advised her not to, stating she would ‘never’ find someone there. She went anyway and met her Spouse when his Youth Group was visiting the area. Had she met a spouse or not, God would have rewarded her for doing his will.

There was a time in my life a few years ago that I was in a women’s only small group at Cedar Springs Presbyterian. During that time I probably could only list to you maybe 2 Christian guys I even knew. Several people told me I needed to be in more Co-Ed groups at that time. However, that was one of the most wonderful times in my life. I felt like I was in God’s will because this group was where he led me to be that time in my life. My time was supposed to be spent there.

One of my friends, felt like God was telling her to join an online Dating Service, she did. And that is where she met her wonderful husband. Is everyone suppose to join one….probably not.

We have different seasons in our lives where God is calling us to do different things, spend our time in ways different than 5 years ago.

I would challenge you that when you hear advice of any kind that you test it with God’s Word to see if it aligns. Then ask God what his will for you at this particular time in your life is.

If he tells you to move, than move. Stay, than stay. Wait, than wait.

Don’t let others pressure you just because they can’t see what God is doing in your life.

If you decide that meeting more people of the opposite sex is God’s will than do so. I would like to suggest a website that a couple I know started for those Christians serious about looking for a mate. This site has a lot of great articles about various things Single people in the Church face, and opportunities to discuss those topics. Along with meeting other Christians around the world, and yes possibly a mate. http://marrywell.org/

So as to the ? IS THERE A FORMULA FOR FINDING A MATE? Well, from a Single Girl’s opinion…YES.

Just as there is a formula for finding the right career, house, mentor, small group etc etc etc:

It is found in Matthew 6:33
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Are you seeking his will first in how you spend your time?

Job Search

So as the job search begins I am becoming more and more disappointed. I am finding I have a useless degree, for which I am still in debt for. Also finding I am not skilled/trained for much else.
I am not in a good situation to go back to school, neither do I want to. Job searching is the most tedious, emotionally draining thing I have ever done. I have been doing this for 8 years. This process makes me feel extremely rejected....because, well frankly I have been rejected over and over.
Also, I have applied at churches I have attended and my Alma Mater and most of the time haven't even got an interview.....that is sad.
Options are not great. Doors are not opening. It's a sad and frustrating time.

Career Woes

For 6 years I went to college for 2 reasons.
1. To prepare to do what God was calling me to do.
2. So I wouldn't have to do something I did not like to do.

I heard a line in a movie recently that said "The definition of success is to have a career that you love going to every day." Of course there is some truth and some untruth in this statement. Success can be defined in many different ways. However, there is some truth in this statement and of which makes me feel very unsuccessful.

You see, up to this point in my life (8 years after college graduation) I have been unable to find a job in my degree. Not only that but I have thought outside the box and applied for many other things that I might love doing. Only to receive rejection letter after rejection letter.

What makes this worse is that I HATE my current career. I have been in it for about 7 years and have held 3 different positions. Now, each job I really did give it the old college try and went in with a good attitude, worked hard, held a good outlook etc. But, this just is not the career for me.

It's not that I just don't enjoy it. It is sucking the life out of me. My Spirit and Personality are drying up. I am never my real self there. I don't like myself there, and I fear others are not liking me either.

Since I have been unsuccessful at changing this part of my life I have tried to fill up the rest of my life with things I do love....to kind of make up for the 40 hrs that I dread each week. Well, it doesn't make up for it, and I would gladly trade it all to be happy again.

Beautiful Things

This song has been so encouraging to me lately. It talks about how God makes beautiful things of our lives. The first part of the chorus makes me think about new Christians and people that aren't Christians yet that we will hopefully see come to the Lord. But the second part of the chorus says "You are making me new" which portrays that how if we continue to grow in him by feeding on his word and prayer he is continueing to make us a more beautiful piece of art which in turn allows us to do more beautiful things for him that bless him, others and is a way to worship him. Anyways.....here is the link and lyrics.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sqy1a_Gz0zQ

All this painI wonder if I’ll even find my wayI wonder if my life could really change at allAll this earthCould all that is lost ever be foundCould a garden come up from this ground at allYou make beautiful thingsYou make beautiful things out of the dustYou make beautiful thingsYou make beautiful things out of usAll aroundHope is springing up from this old groundOut of chaos life is being found in YouYou make beautiful thingsYou make beautiful things out of the dustYou make beautiful thingsYou make beautiful things out of usYou make beautiful thingsYou make beautiful things out of the dustYou make beautiful thingsYou make beautiful things out of usYou make me new, You are making me newYou make me new, You are making me newYou make beautiful thingsYou make beautiful things out of the dustYou make beautiful thingsYou make beautiful things out of us