Resurgence: Principles for Young Women

Found this article on theresurgence.com.  It is some amazing truths for young women!  Seriously, read this every day!  The official link can be found here: http://theresurgence.com/2012/03/19/for-the-gals-8-principles-for-dating
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For the Gals: 8 Principles for Dating

Jen Smidt»

I recently came across a 20-year-old photo of Phil and me when we were dating. I started thinking about how very little I knew about relationships, men, and marriage then.

Formulating a list of what I would tell myself back then, my advice began with a stern warning to stay away from any man with a mullet . . . but then again, it was the ’90s—every man had a mullet!
On a more serious note, these are eight principles that would have taken much confusion and heartbreak out of those tumultuous dating years. I hope they help you:

1. Repeat after me: “You are loved.”

I am not kidding. Repeat. After. Me. Out loud, often, with conviction. These are such simple words to say, but they have the most deep and resounding impact on our souls if we would just believe.
God says to his daughters in Jeremiah: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you." Until you have tasted God’s eternal, steadfast, redeeming love, hold off on looking for a man. You may just end up settling for a quick love that cannot fill your core heart’s longing. Even if you are not currently being pursued by a man, you are constantly being pursued by Jesus.

2. You are less beautiful than you think and more beautiful than you believe.

Our sin makes us ugly. No amount of makeup, clothing, or confident, flirtatious façade can change that fact. It takes a humble, redeemed woman changed by God to admit the ugliness of her sin and rest in her beauty in Christ. We must repent of our pride, our shame, our obsession with our looks. We must believe and embrace who God made us to be: beautiful in his image.

True beauty emanates from a woman who boldly and unabashedly knows who she is in Christ.

3. Consider what controls you.

Is it fear, loneliness, demand for a man, seeking approval, career, money?
Let the love of Christ control you. Pay attention to what is controlling your heart as you wait for a date, are in a dating relationship, or even into marriage. We settle for lesser gods than the one who died for us and love us unconditionally.

“For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who might live no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” 2 Corinthians 5:14–15

4. Address your daddy issues.

Most of us have them—wounds on our hearts from our earthly fathers and their shortcomings. Whether yours was absent and uninvolved or abusive and abandoning, don’t let him define who you believe your heavenly Father to be. Even if you have a godly and protective father, he is not God.
You are not looking for a dad-duplicate or a dad-replacement in a man. You have a perfect heavenly Father.

Let Scripture reveal to you who God is as Dad and what kind of care he gives his daughters.

"If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" Luke 11:13

5. Charm and beauty are not a good dating plan.

"Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." Proverbs 31:30

Often, our grand scheme for how to snag a date goes only skin-deep. We put massive pressure on ourselves to pour on the charm and look cute wherever we go, not realizing that a godly man will also be concerned about inner beauty. God certainly is.

"But let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious." 1 Peter 3:4

A woman who fears the Lord is one who, despite her desire for a date, fears being far away from God more than she does missing out on a man who is easily fooled by her exterior.

6. Realize you are already submitting—or are you?

Submission is not only for wives. God asks for a submitted heart now, one that trusts in his provision and plan for your life, including dating. Ultimately, dating, and all of life, is about submission—waiting and trusting God and saying as Jesus does, “Not my will but yours be done.”
This does not, however, leave you helpless, hopeless, and hamstrung in the relationship department. A godly woman can express friendly interest in a brother in Christ.

• It is OK to mingle—but don’t manipulate.
• Peruse—but don’t pursue. Let him initiate.
• Take notice of the godly men serving Jesus around you—but never stalk. It’s creepy.
• Cross paths with a man who interests you—but don’t tackle him.

7. Dress to kill . . .

. . . your evil desires and his. We all know what it’s like to be noticed for what we wear. Your desire to draw attention to yourself is vanity. Do not falsely advertise what is not available to anyone but your future husband. Don’t open the door for men to make assumptions about you by what you wear. Help your brothers in Christ by dressing modestly and appropriately (and by all means, neatly, cleanly, and fashionably!) Check your heart for your motives when you dress.

8. Guard your heart.

Guarding one’s heart is still an issue even if no one is overtly vying for it. Watch out for the “might be” snare, as in, "He 'might be' flirting with me and so I’m going to get carried away thinking about every possible place [read: marriage] that could lead."
It is entirely possible to honor God, yourself, and a brother in Christ on a date. Don’t elevate him or the relationship to the place that God alone should hold in your heart. Enjoy, don’t idolize . . . and for goodness sake, relax! A cup of coffee does not necessarily mean a diamond ring is soon to follow.

As a single woman, give your heart fully, wholly, unabashedly, and devotedly to Christ alone.

Be active, vigilant, and careful about how much of your heart you give to a man. Be able to walk away from a dating relationship with your whole heart intact so that your future husband is not robbed of part of it down the road. Prayerfully consider what, when, how much to give away.

"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)

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Happy Birthday, Samantha!

My sis is 19 years old! (:

Find Your Greatness! (:

3rd Grade & the Prophet, Elisha!

It's that time of year again!  Especially this past evening, this August weekend is cool as can be.  Summer is winding down, days are getting shorter, the air is getting crisper, time for school shopping, new shoes and new pencils.  School is around the corner!

I finally received my placement for my internship for the school year.  I will be at Propel McKeesport {learning how to} teach 3rd grade!  So blessed! 

Do you remember what you learned in 3rd grade?  It is an important year!  3rd graders are 8 going on 9 years old.  They learn fractions, area & perimeter, division and multiplication.  They learn state history & geography as well as important holidays and history of the United States.  They develop a greater note-range in vocal music and are capable of playing simple instruments.  3rd graders transition from learning to read into reading to learn.  They still love school, too!  3rd grade is awesome!

My devos were crazy this morning.  Crazy in a great way.  In My Utmost for His Highest, Oz uses the account of Elijah being taken up into heaven by whirlwind.  Much of the focus that I received from this reading is much less about Elijah and more about Elisha--the eyewitness & successor of Elijah as prophet to God's people.

"And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.  And Elisha saw it and he cried, 'My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!' And he saw him no more.
Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces." --2 Kings 2:12
This is Elisha's time to shine.  He has been walking with Elijah for so long, learning from him, striving to be in the likeness of him.  Earlier in the chapter several times, Elijah pleads with Elisha, "Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me over there."  Yet Elisha consistently responds, "As the Lord lives, and as you live yourself, I will not leave you."  Elisha was fully committed to his role model, Elijah.

Oz says that it's not WRONG to depend on "your Elijah (fill-in-the-blank of who/what that is in your life)" as long as God gives him to you, but remember that the time WILL come when he will have to go.  When he stands no more as your guide & leader, be not disheartened, because God did not intend  that he should.

You say, "I cannot go on without you, {Elijah}."  God says that you must.
Sometimes we are sent to Jordan, where you are sent ALONE, taking on full responsibility that you've never yet had.
Sometimes we are sent to Jericho, where I've seen {my Elijah} do great things.  I would prefer for someone else to do the job, we tell God.  Instead, we need to take the initiative & trust in God.  In this way, God's nearness will be made known.
& Sometimes, we are sent to Bethel, where you are at your WIT'S END, running out of ideas, in desperate circumstances.  This moment at Bethel is the beginning of God's wisdom.  We would prefer to succumb to panic!  Yet if we remain standing true to God, He will bring His truth out in a way that will make life a sacrament and glory for Himself.

I just have this feeling that this year will be amazing! Propel is an inner-city charter school with some great habits toward greatness: Academics, Attitude, Behavior & Pride, No Excuses, Treating Others the Way You Want to be Treated, and Teamwork.  I have heard nothing but great things about this district and am looking forward to Monday, helping my mentor teacher, Valerie, set up the classroom and get the room ready for young students!  It's time to GO!  Pray for us (:

{Words from one of my favorite artists, Steve Moakler!}

Be determined in this; trust in the Lord.
If God is truly the God I have faith to believe Him to be, we will succeed.  Do great things alone, dependent only upon God.

She Reads Truth

Want to memorize this verse with us this week?  Do it!

www.shereadstruth.com
(Thanks, Tara!)



This is what I've been learning this morning:
Matthew 5:20 says "For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

This means we are not called to be righteous just in our living, but in our motives, in our dreams, & in the recesses of our minds.  Sound impossible?  By our own efforts, yes.  But that's what Jesus came here to do.  By the supernatural grace of God, we can achieve this purity of heart.  Wow!

Cabin 1!

Can you be praying for these little gals?  Each and every single one of them are back at camp this summer!!  They were a HANDFUL.  It was the first time at camp (let alone being away from home for two weeks straight) for the first time.  Lots of homesick tears, neglecting veggies on the plate, but lots of joy, prayers to receive Christ in their hearts, and fun.  One of them is especially in need of extra love and the Lord.  I heard that one of them threw up at dinner last night!! :( There's nothing like throw up to make you want your Mom.  Lift up their counselors, Sarah and Holly, as they care for them!

The Bible in Poem.

-Courtesy of Pinterest searching!  I had to share!

God Made.

Adam bit.

Noah arked.

Abraham split.

Joseph ruled.

Jacob fooled.

Bush talked.

Moses balked.

Pharoah plagued.

People walked.

Sea divided.

Tablets guided.

Promise Landed.

Saul freaked.

David peeked.

Prophets warned.

Jesus born.

God walked.

Love talked.

Anger crucified.

Hope died.

Love rose.

Spirit flamed.

Word spread.

God remained.