Worry

" Worry is like a rocking chair; it will give you something to do but it won't get you anywhere." - Calm My Anxious Hearth: A Woman's Guide to Finding Contentment

Once upon a time there were two monks...

"I need oil," said an ancient monk, so he planted an olive sapling. 

"Lord," he prayed, "it needs rain that its tender roots may drink and well. 

Send gentle showers." And the Lord sent gentle showers.

"Lord," prayed the monk, "my tree needs sun. Send sun, I pray thee."

And the sun shone, gilding the dripping clouds. 

"Now frost, my Lord, to brace its tissues," cried the monk. And behold, 

the little tree sparkling with frost, but at evening it died. 

Then the monk sought the cell of a brother monk, 

and told his strange experience. "I too,

planted a little tree," he said, "and see! It thrives well. 

But I entrust my tree to its God. He who made it knows 

better what it needs than a man like me. I laid no condition. 

I fixed not ways or means. 'Lord, send what it needs,'

I prayed, 'storm or sunshine, wind, rain, or frost. Thou

hast made it an Thou dost know.'"  

Mrs. Charles E. Cowman, Streams in the Desert (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1925), p. 108

Which monk describes you? I am for sure the first one. 

Are you playing out your given role in life with faithfulness?

Nine years ago I auditioned for the supporting role in my high school's fall play.  I didn't get the part. Instead I was given the small comic relief role. I cried for about a day and then moved on.  I ended up loving my given role and quickly forgot about my past heartache. 

What is my given role right now in life and am I am content with it?  Am I enjoying my given role? Presently, I have been given the role of being a teacher and single.  For many years I longed to become a teacher and now I am finally one.  Do I always enjoy it? No.  I am always faithful to my role? No, I find myself constantly complaining about it. But I wanted to be a teacher.  Do I like being single?  I feel like I have been crying for over ten years about getting the role of being single.  In her book, A Woman's Guide to Finding Contentment: Calm My Anxious Heart,  Linda Dillow talks about how each role in our life is a gift from God. Any role will have its ups and downs.  I guarantee you that my friends who are married or have kids too have rough days.  On the opposite side, each role is its own adventure! My new goal is to learn how to be faithful to the role God has given me. Not sure how this will work and I know hard days will still come.  You never know what you will encounter on an adventure ;)

To be content with who we are

"I would rather be what God chose to make me than the most glorious creature that I could think of; for to have been thought about, born in God's thought, and then made by God, is the dearest, grandest, and most precious thing in all thinking." - George MacDonald

This quote hit the core of my heart this morning. How many times have I thought in my life "If only I looked like this then maybe someone would want me." I could probably list off over a hundred lies that I have believed to why I am still single.  Most of these lies would say that I am not good enough.  But in the light of truth these thoughts are LIES. Just lies. We all have been purposefully created.  It is humbling and comforting at the same time to know that the God of the universe created me.

Don't miss the present, it might have once been a dream.

Do you ever have those days or maybe months where you just feel like nothing is going the way you want it to?  Funny how we think our plan is the right way :)  Well the past week was one of those times.  Plain and simple, I have been unhappy that I am not dating anyone or married. It all started when I received an wedding invitation this week. It was addressed to Miss Single and guest.  I really want to take a date to this wedding in particular.  There will be lots of dancing and I love to dance!  I began to cry as I thought about who I could ask (I receive lots of wedding invitations and this is the first one that made me cry).  There was no one.  The feeling of loneliness quickly took over.  Frustrated with myself, I finally took my thoughts to my journal this morning.   I sat outside on my cozy porch sipping hot tea while soaking in the crisp fall morning.  I started to write down all of the dreams that had come true in my life.  I was amazed to see how many dreams had actually come true.  Then it hit me that I was living out one of my dreams.  Since I was a little girl I had dreamed of living in this one particular neighborhood in my city.  The houses are old and full of character.  The streets are lined with old trees and wide sidewalks. Guess what? I now live in that neighborhood. How many times in our life do we miss our dreams coming true because we are waiting for the next best thing?  Do we miss out on living because we are always focused on the waiting?  I don't know what will happen in my life, but I have a peace that I know someone has created me to hope and dream and that my life is in His hands :)

Signing Off,
Still single but content 

The dreaded phrase " I'm just not that into you"

No matter if it's been one date, three months, or one year breaking things off with someone is never easy.   I feel like I do a miserable job of telling someone I am not interested.  I'm either way too blunt or drag it on by keeping saying no to dates and just not tell them how I really feel.  Part of it could be that I am "feeler" and overly care how the poor guy is going to feel. No matter what he is going to feel disappointment.  There is just no easy way.  I guess that is just part of the risk of dating. This whole arranged marriage concept is starting to sound better each day.

Yours Truly,
Still Simply Single

An Arranged Marriage

Would you ever agree to an arranged marriage? I'm not going to lie, I have definitely thought about it. This thought usually occurs when I am frustrated with my current dating life :)  Last night I had four of my favorite single gals over to watch the movie Arranged . This is an absolutely delightful movie! The movie follows the lives of two 20 something women in New York City.  Your probably thinking, "Hmmm this sounds a lot like Sex and the City."  Here is the hitch, one woman is an Orthodox Jew and the other woman is a Muslim. In both religions it is the custom for marriages to be arranged. Now the fun part is that these women, like many of us, don't meet prince charming right at first.  It was so refreshing to see a love story develop that was clean and innocent.  But friends, I ask my question again - Would you ever agree to an arranged marriage?  What if you had people who knew and loved you the best pick out your future spouse? Something to ponder :)