"Lady of Reckless Abandonment"

One of the first paragraphs in Chapter 1 "Lady of Reckless Abandonment" is this: "Have you assumed that your ultimate fulfillment would be found in marriage?  Have you privately entertained the notion that the only satisfied women are married women?  Have you been expecting your career to satisfy you until you are married?  If you have answered 'yes' to any of these questions, then you have a prospect of disillusionment looming in the future." According to the book the key quote about fulfillment as a woman is "A woman is not born a woman.  Nor does she become one when she marries a man, bears a child and does their dirty linen, not even when she joins a women's liberation movement.  A woman becomes a woman when she becomes what God wants her to be." Gary Chapman at one time remarked "I feel very strongly that marriage is not a higher calling than the single state.  Happy indeed are those people, married or single, who have discovered that happiness is not found in marriage but in a right relationship with God."
"The Secret of the Alabaster Box"
When Jesus was on the earth, when a young woman reached the age of availability for marriage, her family would purchase an alabaster box for her and fill it with precious ointment.  The size of the box and the value of the ointment would parallel her family's wealth.  This alabaster box would be part of her dowry.  When a young man came to ask for her in marriage, she would respond by taking the alabaster box and breaking it at his feet.  This gesture of anointing his feet showed him honor.   What is in your alabaster box? Is your box full of fantasies that began as a little girl while you listened to and watched fairy tales about an enchanting couple living happily ever after?  Have you been holding on tightly to your alabaster box of dreams, frantically searching for a man worthy of breaking your box? (I know I am guilty of this) Take your alabaster box to Jesus and break it in His presence, for He is worthy of such honor.  Having responded to your heavenly Bridegroom in such a manner, you can wait with confident assurance that, if it be God's will, He will provide you with an earthly bridegroom.
"Ruth's Reckless Abandonment"
In the Book of Ruth, a young widow made a critical decision to turn her back on her people, her country, and her gods because her thirsty soul had tasted of the God of Israel.  With just a "taste," she recklessly abandoned herself to the only true God.  She willingly broker her alabaster box and followed the Lord wherever He would lead her. Ruth 1:16 says "And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from follwing after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:" Sometimes we need to get new friends, Take a moment to think about the spiritual depth of the girlfriend who influences you the most.  Is she daily becoming all that Jesus desires?  If so, her growth will challenge you to grow.  On the other hand, her apathy may ultimately be contagious.  "Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners." (I Cor. 15:33).  Have any of your friendships caused your spiritual life to go in to a deep freeze?  Sometimes we need new surroundings.  Ruth had to relocate in order to be fed spiritually.  Likewise, some single women may have to "relocate" because some of their former relationships keep them in a constant state of spiritual "hunger."  This scenario is very familiar to me.  I do not think if I had not "relocated" to a new college to finish up my schooling I wouldn't have grown in the way I've grown since I went back to school.  I would have kept dwelling on what could've been.  (Don't get me wrong I still do think about that but I am working on it!) There is much more in this chapter, but I think it would be good for every young lady who is single to read this book!
* Most of this writing is taken directly from the book not my own words!
* Psalms 37:4-5 "Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires on thine heart.  Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass"

Lady in Waiting: Becoming God's Best While Waiting for Mr. Right

"Lady in Waiting: Becoming God's Best While Waiting for Mr. Right" this is the title of a book I have just recently starting reading!  I've only read the first chapter but I like it so far.  This blog will be my thoughts on the chapters of this book I read.  This is for those of us young woman who are either still single and waiting for Mr. Right or those (like me) who thought they had found Mr. Right, but then found out that he wasn't Mr. Right.  Whether it be through a break-up or even a calling off of an engagement.  For me it was the calling off of an engagement.  I was 4 months away from being a married woman when my fiance called everything off.  I was devastated and heart-broken.  I thought why in the world did this happen to me?  It's not fair.  Well, it happened because the Lord allowed it to happen.  He has something so much better in store for me.  I just have to be patient and wait on him. (Which I will be the first to admit...I don't do well on patience!)  I have had a very hard time letting go from this whole situation believe me.  A quote that a friend sent me today helped though.  "You can spend minutes, hours, days, weeks, or even months over analyzing a situation; trying to put the pieces together, justifying what could've, would've happened...or you can just leave the pieces on the floor and move on!" I hope this blog will be an encouragement to you!