The Abundant Single Life!

Uncertainty. It’s normal to experience this in the journey of singleness. And in life really. If it is left unembraced though, we can end up striving, disoriented, weary, and troubled. We can even choose to swim against the current God has clearly marked for us making the journey much harder than it was designed to be. I’ve done this a time or two. Ok – maybe more than a time or two. When uncertainty has hovered around me, it’s my thoughts that have wandered and ultimately exposed the weakness of my trust muscles. There have been times that I have thought myself into a frenzy, rather than fix my gaze on Jesus and simply trust Him to lead my heart when the path before me seems unclear. Can you relate? I’m still learning to choose to fix my gaze on Jesus daily. I’m thankful for those moments God has chosen to expose my weakness, though. It’s given me an opportunity to invite God to transform me, to be my strength in weakness, and to expand me into the identity God gave me even when...

“The tears…streamed down, and I let them flow as freely as they would, making them a pillow for my heart. On them it rested.” ~ Augustine “Tears are healing. They help to open and cleanse the wound. Grief is a form of validation; it says the wound mattered.” ~ John Eldredge As much as my heart prefers to celebrate and sing a joyous song, I’ve come to a place of befriending grief and sadness. Sorrow cannot be satisfied without it. Giving us emotions was all a part of God’s grand design when He lovingly fashioned us. I haven’t always understood or embraced my emotions. Tears have often betrayed me by springing forth sometimes at the most inopportune times, in public places no less. But there’s beauty in that, isn’t there? Being raw and uninhibited is something that comes easily for a child. Then we grow up and try to hide things. Why? Sometimes life calls for raw emotions. Sometimes it happens in public places. And for that, I’m thankful because often times grief has been ...

How many of you know that any time is a good time to take inventory of the condition of your heart with the Holy Spirit as your guide? Often times it’s a painful situation in our lives that catapults us into cleaning out the clutter in our hearts, though. Situations like this: A romantic relationship doesn’t work out Waiting for someone to return your love Sharing your love with another and they don’t respond favorably Waiting in the desert where it seems like the blessing of God’s rain (promises) are far away Fill in the blank with your particular difficult situation  It is through these painful situations that God nudges us, perhaps sometimes even thrusts us, into the refining fire.   Surrendering to the One who places us there is key to being purified and experiencing the abundant life God has for us. There have been many times in my life that situations like the above have made me realize my own shortcomings. God gives me a choice every time I face my own ...

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as Christ God forgave you.                                                                                                                                        ~Ephesians 4:32 Forgiveness is one of the most powerful tools in living the abundant life. Forgiving activates freedom to live in such a way that you can experience the impossible. I believe this is why forgiveness is often misunderstood and even opposed in our society. We settle for the counterfeit, which is a spirit of entitlement and taking justice into our own hands. Think about it. Countless songs have been wri...

“Surrender to God is the only way to go from a promise given to a promise fulfilled.”  ~Mercy Lokulutu If you had asked me when I thought I would get married over a decade ago, I would have said, “Soon!” That was my heart’s desires (it still is), and I had no reason to believe it wouldn’t come about on my timetable. But the years passed, I dated a few guys, learned a lot, grew a lot, recovered from having a broken heart more times than anyone should have to, and to this day am still waiting to be joined with the love of my life. Keeping hope alive in my heart has been difficult at times, especially during certain seasons. There were those seasons of recovering from a break up and wondering if my heart could go through getting to know another man. The pain of love lost was so strong and yet each time, God gave me grace to heal and opened my heart to love again. Then there were those seasons when I went years, not days, not months, but y-e-a-r-s without a s...