Prince Charming called... He's not perfect

I had a stream of ideas flowing last night as I laid down to go to sleep, and of course all my great ideas were gone by the time I decided to write this post. However I have a message that I need to share. Its about boys and girls... shocker I know. 

I was thinking about how our society puts such a huge emphasis on finding that "someone special." We hear about it in songs. We hear about the perfect ones, the ones who mess up and the ones who will only "be friends. We see it in TV shows. And we have all seen the romantic comedy with the strong, independent women who "don't need no man" then she meets some cutie in a bar and they fall head over heels for each other, only to be torn apart by some incident. But every movie ends the same way. She always ends up with him in the end. 

I love romance movies as much as the next person, but in a way I believe they set women up with this false expectation that they need some handsome prince charming to come in and rescue them. Or they set us up to believe that we, as women, can't be single. We get this notion that we need a man to complete us. They give us unrealistic expectations for a man. Hollywood portrays the perfect gentle man who will solve every problem we may ever face. 

If I can be honest, the perfect man doesn't exist on this earth. I am not bashing on marriage or dating, if you have found the perfect one, GOOD FOR YOU! (I actually think it is absolutely beautiful ;)!!) That is how God designed it. But for those of us who are still searching, I want to tell you that you aren't going to find the perfect prince charming. Love isn't just about finding the one who is your better half. It's about sacrifice. It's about finding the one who God picked for you  before you were even born, and understanding that just like you, he will have flaws too. But despite his flaws, he is going to be absolutely perfect to you! I am not saying settle for someone, I am simply encouraging you to lay aside the idea that Matthew McConaughey is going to come to your rescue and make your life a fairy tale. 

And when you find him, never let him go. Cherish the love that God designed for the two of you. 

HE IS OUT THERE! Be patient and wait for God to bring you together. 

Stuff on my Mind

I do not like to write in a journal. I like to type things out and watch the word fills the blank screen. So today my blog gets to be my journal. I was struggling with being single today. I guess when you see cutesie couples around you everyday, there is a part of you that longs for that too. So as I was sitting in my bed being single, I decided to turn on my music and listen to worship music. Ironically enough the first song that came on was a song called "the fathers song." These beautiful lyrics paint a picture about how much God, our Father, loves us. Its one of those songs that I can listen to a million times and I love it even more and more each time.

As I was listening to this song, God reminded me why I am single right now. He reminded me that He has the perfect guy for me waiting. And until He is ready to send Him, I need to wait as well. Patience is one of the fruits of the spirit that I really struggle with. I hate waiting. Especially for something that I know is going to be so wonderful. I was also reminded that being in a relationship won't fix any of my problems, or take away lonely or sad feelings. God was trying to teach me that the love I will one day invest in another person needs to be invested right now. That love can't go anywhere else, because it isn't the right time.. You can't give all your love to a person. It is impossible, but I feel like we expect someone to do that for us. We can't really truly love others until we first love the One who created us. I needed to learn that lesson today.

As my thoughts flow now, I am not thinking about how single I am. My thoughts are about how much my Savior loves me and how much I love Him and they blend together to make a beautiful song.

I am at an exciting point in my life. I am still young, but I am being transformed into a woman of God. He is maturing me and preparing me for the work that He has for me. He is laying out a plan of the places that He is going to send me. I no longer fear the future, in fact I want to run towards it with all my might and embrace whatever lays ahead.

My other thoughts are on break. My goodness how I need this break! I went home tonight because sometimes even grown ups need a big hug from their mom and dad. So I went home and I was reminded, as I am every time, how much I miss being home. I love Bethel, don't get me wrong, but I walked into my room and I was overwhelmed with a sense of peace and SHALOM. I desire peace in my life. I long to sit with my Savior and rest in His peace.

I am also in pain. I don't like to talk about my pain because at most times it feels like it holds me back from reaching my full potential. Then I remember how God can use the broken, the wounded and the hurt. Despite physical aliments, God can us whomever He chooses to use. And not only that, but God will heal me. He says that it is by His stripes that we are healed! So if God chooses to intervene and heal my legs in a supernatural way, then YAY JESUS! but if He chooses to use the wisdom of a doctor, then so be it. But my pain can no longer be a hindrance from living my life. '

An attitude can flavor any situation in life, I chose to live with a positive and joyful attitude. I am going to close with a prayer.

God, You know the desires of my heart. I come before you tonight asking not for what I want, but rather what you want. Please open my eyes to what you desire me to see. Give me wisdom and clarity in dealing with situations that come up in my life. Please be my rock and my fortress. I am yours Lord. Use me how you so chose. In Jesus' name, Char

Identity

I realized that the world puts a lot of expectations on us. Especially women. We are supposed to look pretty, but if we put too much makeup on then we are "fake" and we are supposed to be comfortable in our own skin, but only if we look like airbrushed models. I am sick of the crazy messed up standards that we are expected to live up to. I want to encourage every woman to examine where your identity lies. Is it in the person that you are? Or the person that you desire to be? Do you find worth is things that will fade? Or does your worth come only from the only One who can sustain our happiness?

So I would like to encourage you to remember that you are a beloved daughter of an amazing King. Your identity shouldn't lie in what others think about you, it should lie in the person that God created and is creating you to be.

Heavenly Things

We are here on this earth for a short time. Our society tells us to live life to the fullest, seize the day and my favorite one, YOLO. So think for a few moments about your time on earth. What are you doing to "leave your mark or how are you going to impact the world? 

I am all for living life to the fullest, in fact I think that God wants us to life our life in the best way possible. However, I feel like many of us use a "short life" to justify our stupid or ungodly mistakes. God doesn't tell us to live life the way we want to while we are on earth, rather He tells us to set our minds on Heavenly things in   Colossians 3:2. We are called to be in the world, but not of the world. 

Our life is relatively short compared to the greater timeline of eternity. God created us for His glory, and He wants us to impact the world, but at the same time our time here on earth is relitvely short compared to the span of forever. Isn't it better to think about what we have to look forward to instead of dwelling on the present moment, or the temporary struggles of our life?

I don't know what God has been doing these last few weeks, but I know that He has been teaching me more about myself and the life that He has already called me to. For so long I changed my interests to fit in with my friends. While I didn't do anything "bad" per say, I still wasn't living my life the way that God had called me to live. I realized that this time in my life I just need to be patient and wait until He builds me up enough to be sent out. So I remain a work in progress, I will let you know how it goes. 

weakness and strength

2 Corinthians 12:9 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.

My grace is sufficient for you. Isn't that an amazing promise?! It is incredible. I love that promise. It means that no matter how much we mess up, or how many times we sin, God's love is able to wipe over all of that and give us a brand new start. 

How awesome is it that we don't have to be strong for Him to use us? When we are weak and vulnerable, God intervenes on our behalf and He gives us strength to keep going and to push through. I love that thought. 

Tonight I am weak. Things can be stressful, it can be hard to want to keep pushing through and to keep going. I get tired easily, and my emotions can be dependent the stress and tension going on around me. I am learning how to be totally dependent on Christ's strength tonight! 

Giving Thanks

Writing what I am thankful for seems like the easiest thing in the world. I could sit down and type out the “normal” things to be thankful for: family, friends, and my house. I could even sit down and type out things that are important to me: nail polish, hair products, or makeup. Even though I am thankful for all of the items I listed, being thankful has is so much more than rambling off a list of things we like. I think that being thankful is having a deep and sincere gratitude for something. When I say I am thankful for something, it means I could never imagine not having it in my life. It would feel unnatural if it wasn't there. So while I am thankful for all of the cliché blessings God has given to me, I am really thankful for words, confidence and the ability to serve my Savior.

Have you ever stopped to think about the power that our words have over people? A single word, or a series of words, can change a person’s entire day. Words have the ability to start wars, create terrible works of fiction, or to convince a person that he or she does not deserve life. Words also have the power to change hearts, build others up or to create a literature phenomenon for young teenage girls. Words are everything and I am so thankful that God gave me a voice and the ability to be heard. In my own life, I use words to express myself. I am thankful for encouraging words or prophetical words that have been spoken over me and that have shaped me into the person I am today. I am thankful that I have the power to use my words to motivate a middle school girl, or encourage one of my friends when they are hurting. Whether in speaking or writing, I deeply hope that my words reflect the person of Jesus Christ. I also like to think of myself as an acceptable writer, and I am thankful that God has given me the ability to put my thoughts down on paper in an understandable way. I am extremely grateful for my words.

Along with the ability to speak, I am thankful for the confidence that God has given me. There was a time in my life that I had little to no self-confidence. My opinions and my ideas didn’t matter, I was average, and I didn’t exactly have friends. I am so thankful that God was able to change my perspective. He showed me a beautiful woman whom He created and blessed with her own unique talents. I am thankful that God showed me how special and exquisite each human being is, and that comparing myself to them was useless because I am my own person. I am thankful that God has also blessed me with the ability to speak truth into young women’s lives, those who do not see that they are a beautiful creation. I no longer fear the ministry that God has called me into because of the confidence I carry.

I am also thankful that God can use my words and my confidence to bless those around me, and ultimately to serve Him.  I was called into ministry at a very young age. I was probably 5 or 6 when I understood how God wanted to use me to help others around me. I walked away from what God wanted me to do because of my lack of confidence and my dwindling trust in the Lord. Luckily God never gave up on me. He graciously extended His hands and opened my eyes to my stubbornness. I am thankful that God is currently developing the gift of public speaking in me. I know that He has huge plans for my life and I am so thankful that He has chosen me to serve Him in a ministry capacity.  I am thankful for the spiritual gifts that He has blessed me with and for sending others into my life to help me develop them. I am in awe at how willing God showers His blessings on us.

The Bible tells us to “give thanks to the Lord.” It is easy for me to include a few thank you’s in my nightly prayer, but I would definitely like to become more attuned to thanking Him each day for the special gifts He has given to me. Another way to respond to God’s blessings in my life is to use the talents that He has given me. I know that I did not use them when I was younger, but now that I understand the importance they have on my life, I will be mindful to use them. I am thankful that we serve such a powerful and magnificent God who is so generous. Being thankful shouldn’t be something reserved for a Thursday in November, thanksgiving should become an act of worship in our daily lives.

Friendship never ends...

I am overwhelmed by the love and the friendship that I have experienced at Bethel. Tonight I had an incredible evening spent with some of the greatest friends a girl could have :) Whether I need a hug, or a really good laugh I know that my friends have my back. They are the answers to my prayers.. literally. So here are to some of the greatest.

Kara Walterhouse- she has been with me my whole life. She is my other half, my twin, my partner in crime and my best friend! She has a beautiful heart and there is always a smile on her face :) and she is like my favorite person ever!

Brittany Burk- She is always smiling. Her love for Jesus is so incredible and it spills out in everything she does! She is my go to girl with questions and I know that I can always count on her for prayer and encouragement. Its crazy to think how strong our friendship is so soon.

Joe Rasbaugh- he might just be the coolest person you ever meet. Seriously.  He is a caring and compassionate person who always has something fun to say. His love for Christ is so evident. He is one of the greatest friends I have ever had.


And to all my other friends. To everyone that stuck beside me in high school and as I continue to grow. You have blessed me in more ways than you understand. I love each and everyone of you :) Especially Aly Callahan, Nina Fader and Lauren Fahey :)

I am loved by my Savior, and I am loved by people who are beautiful creations of God :) Thank you all for your friendship :)