Priscilla Shirer's Blog, page 73

I Hate Hair Dryers.

It's Theology Thursday and I've got a post about hair dryers. I know, it's weird but sometimes the Lord speaks to me in weird and creative ways. So, as I was thinking about what in-depth theological truth to share with you this week, it occurred to me that you may have just had quite enough of original languages and historical context and what you might prefer (even if for just this one week) is a sweet, simple encouragement from the Lord that will challenge and encourage you.

That's where the hair dryer comes in.

I just couldn’t think of any more subtle way to title this post because the hard truth is that I don’t care for hot hair dryers. I try to avoid them at all costs. There is nothing about sitting under a hood that blasts intense heat into my hair and scalp for an hour that sounds remotely attractive to me. Sure, there have been a couple occasions, on a particularly cold day, when the warmth felt good . . . for about 10 minutes – but then I just got hot – sweating bullets and using the palm of my hand to fan my scorched face.

You’ve seen it before – pink plastic rollers, covered with a hair net, smashed underneath that wide dome. A steaming bolt of hot hair always seems to find its way to that sensitive spot on the skin at the nape of your neck well before your hair is dried. Just flat out painful. OK. . I get it. Hair dryers work. My hair stylist keeps trying to convince me to allow her to try some styles on me that require a hair dryer to finish off. She assures me that there are some new, fabulous hair-do’s awaiting me if I’ll just take the heat. But I keep putting her off – nicely of course – but firmly indeed. She’s been honest with me; this thick hair of mine would take no less than 1 hour if not a bit more to fully dry if set in rollers or twists under the hood. Yet, I know the reality – to set some patterns firmly in place you have to apply heat. Without that drying affect the curls or coils you are trying to achieve would take a full night sleep or even a full couple days (in my case) to achieve the same thing that 1 hour under that hood can accomplish. Sometimes, the only way to get the task done efficiently and suitably is . . . to take the heat.

I’m thinking the Lord allows “the heat” for much the same reason my stylist does –to cement a pattern, re-mold a mission, reinforce a new configuration that might take longer without it. I’ll admit it, I’m not a fan of life’s “heat” much more than I am a fan of the kind in my local salon but. . . they both seem to get the job done.

Changing.

Conforming.

Firming.

Securing.

Setting.

Establishing.

Creating.

Finishing the work that has been started.

The heat. . .

. . . it makes God’s work look good on us.

So tell me. . . how are you handling “the heat” in your life right now?

 

Priscilla

Praying on Purpose

It's Wife Wednesday again!
I hope you've had as great of a week as I have (*wink).

Last week, we jumped into a challenge together. . . and, my oh my, what a challenge it was! Over 100 of you jumped on board and decided to take me up on my suggestion to bless your man like there was no tomorrow! Did you miss it? CLICK HERE to take a peek at last week's post.

Oh, how I wish that you and I were together right this very minute; sitting across from each with a couple of piping hot vanilla lattes and warm chocolate chip cookies. The fellowship would be sweeter than the snacks that's for sure! And while we'd have to be careful and respectful about how much we shared with each other (don't want our husband's ears burning too hot, now do we?), we'd no doubt be able to tell from the look on each others faces how our week's challenge went. To be clear, I know it wouldn't be all smiles. Sure, there'd be lots of those too but undoubtedly there would be many stories of disappointment and/or lost opportunity. I want you to know that I heard the heartbreak in some of your comments last week. As I read your sentiments on this very important topic, I hoped that each of you is rooted in a healthy church with mature spiritual authority who can help to walk you through any major frustrations that need to be straightened out.

It's important enough to talk to someone about.

Hear that again: Intimacy in marriage is critical! Talk to someone if your marriage is in trouble.

Another area of marriage that is important to the health of any marriage is high-lighted by a great post that my friend and co-worker Katie wrote about her own parents. Read this . . . and then accept the challenge. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My parents have been married for almost 33 years even though they were not saved when they got married. A few years into their marriage my mom accepted Christ into her life. My dad and mom both struggled a lot with addictions with drugs and alcohol. They both had tragic deaths in their family, and without God, turned to anything they could to fill the void of the pain. Once my mom accepted Christ, she was ready for my dad to be on board as well. So instead of praying for his life change, she often decided to "help God out a little".

I was only three when I remember her giving me her Bible and saying, “Go to your daddy and ask him to read this to you” My dad always knew that my mom sent me and he was not happy about that. He one day told my mom, “ You know I would actually maybe go to church with you if you just left me alone ” My mom very quickly learned that as a wife, the best thing she could do was pray and let God handle the rest.

Needless to say, she began praying and. . .long story short, my father's life was drastically changed and he became a missionary and a pastor. To this day, my mom gets up at 3:30AM before she has to leave for work to say her prayers. I AM NOT JOKING!! She makes the daily sacrifice because she believes in the mighty power of prayer. As a wife, whatever it is that you are praying about for your family, don’t give up. Keep praying! And know that the One you pray to hears your prayers!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today, I want to offer you another challenge. Every day for the next 7 days let's commit to praying for our spouses. Each day choose one area of his life that you want to take to the Lord in prayer.. . instead of taking to your husband in conversation :)

Ask the Lord for his protection and favor in your man's life.

The benefit of your fervent prayers will be profound.

If you're on board for this challenge please leave your initials below! Tell us what you are praying about and we'll join in prayer with you!!

Over 100 of you signed up for the intimacy challenge last week. .. I'm hopeful that even more of you will be on board for this one as well.

 

You are loved sister!

Priscilla

 

PS. . . Don't forget about our Sizzling, Sassy, Summer Give-a-way! If you need details, CLICK HERE and join us!

Sizzling, Sassy, Summer Give-A-Way!

Sizzling, Sassy, Summer, Give-a-way

(I confess: I’m an alliteration addict.)

Hey there sis!

I’m glad you are here . . . and honestly, you’re probably going to be glad you are too!

You showed up on the right day at the right time cause I’m spreading a little joy around that I’d love for you to be a part of.

As you know, we’ve been having fun with a little summer series on our blog. It’s been great to tackle issues that matter to wives, mothers, singles and theological thinkers alike but we also thought it would be exciting to give away some great gifts each week – just some of my favorite little things that I hope will bring you some joy!

(Singles, get ready cause we’re starting with you this coming “Freedom Friday”!!)

Today, I want to tell you about our “Sizzling, Sassy, Summer, GRAND PRIZE Give-a-way” that we’ll give to one special lady at the end of our series on July 24th! I’m telling you now because, counting this week, we’ve got four weeks left in our summer blog series and we want you to have plenty of time to participate!

As I mentioned, my hope is to give some of my personal, favorite things to you. So, I couldn’t think of any better GRAND PRIZE than a gift card to one of my favorite stores on the planet.

ANTHROPOLGIE!

If you’ve never been in the store, you’re missing out on one of the most unique shopping experiences ever. It’s quaint yet odd, classy yet trendy, cool yet quirky all at the same time. Somehow they’ve done a masterful job of blending many different fashion styles into one amazing store. And I haven’t even mentioned their great offering of candles, housewares, jewelry, shoes and bedding.

How would you feel about a $200 gift card to this great store? You could spend it at one of their locations or in the on-line store if there isn’t one particularly close to you. Either way, you’ll find fantastic stuff!

We’ll be choosing a winner on July 24

Here’s how you enter to win:  

Read and comment on at least one of our series blog posts between now and July 24th. We’ll be choosing a winner from all the comments posted over the next four weeks. The more you comment between now and the 24th, the more chances you’ll have to win. You can comment on“Motherhood Monday”, “Wife Wednesday”, “Theology Thursday” or “Freedom Friday”.
Tweet or Facebook about today's post and let your friends in on the chance to win the Anthropologie gift card. (Our sneaky way of encouraging you to be selfless and giving. Lol)
Stop by our blog on JULY 23 and leave a comment telling us which post during our series was most meaningful to you and why.

Alrighty, I know those are a lot of instructions but we’ll be reminding you consistently throughout the next four weeks on the blog. Let us know if you have any questions.

Obviously, our goal is not only to give you something fun but also to continue getting to know you. It’s been so fun hearing your thoughts, learning about your passions and praying for your concerns when you post a comment. Even more than that, seeing you guys build relationships with each other puts a smile on my face.

Thank the Lord for blogs! This is fun!

Looking forward to serving you every day and I’m thrilled to have you enter the Sizzling, Sassy, Summer, Give-a-way! (I’ll try to keep the Anthropologie gift card tucked away and out of my sight so that I don’t “accidentally” spend it before July 24. Ha!)

You are loved,

Priscilla

Grass is Green in the Sisterhood

Hey Moms!  I'm Annetta - A single gal who works in the Going Beyond Ministry office with Priscilla.  I asked her if I could share a few thoughts about motherhood on this fabulous "Motherhood Monday"!

So how is your Monday, anyway?  Did you get enough sleep?  When I ask my sister, who has 3 kids, she always replies, "Nope.  But lack-of-sleep is just my current state-of-being."  Well, sleep or no sleep, I've got 2 thoughts that MIGHT help brighten your day.

1.  YOU'VE GOT GREEN GRASS

You've heard the adage, "The grass is always greener in someone else's yard."...well, it's time to hear from people who think YOUR grass is the greener yard.  :)  I asked a handful of single and married women who do not have children to weigh in on what they envy about your life as a mother.  Here's what they had to say:

- Mothers are taught so many spiritual lessons through their own children.  I want to be made more like Jesus by watching and learning from my own kids. 

- I can't wait to share truths about the gospel and the great grace of Jesus with new minds and hearts. 

- I know the house will be messy, kids will throw up in my bed, siblings will fight, and I will be exhausted (and probably long for these days of quiet and solitude) but nothing sounds more glorious than a little contained chaos.  I'm kind of tired of my life being all about me.

- I want to hold a chubby little hand, knowing that little life is under my protection and nurturing.  

- I cannot wait to have kids in the "tween" years!  I think that's a fun, nutty, vital time in kids lives and I want to invest in a young life.

- I'm looking forward to little bodies to snuggle up next to mine in the middle of the night.

- I want to have that feeling of filling part of my God-given calling.

- I know some Moms get so tired of being touched or somebody wanting something from them, but for my single adult self, I dream of the day I get to fulfill that part of my role.

I admit, some of these are very fanciful ideals and I can't know for sure whether or not they are meeting you on a day that is less than ideal - you've only had 3 hours of sleep, a colicky infant, a mischevious toddler or a melancholy teenager to deal with all day.  So maybe you're green isn't as vivid today if you're looking at it from that angle.  But there is a little truth in each of these statements and if you think back you'll probably remember longing for 1 or 2 of them before you had children of your own.  If you've lost sight of that, take a second to notice how precious the chub is on your 6 month old daughter's legs, how exciting the baseball tournament is with your 8 year old son or the conversation with your pre-teen adolescent.  

2.  YOU'RE NOT ALONE

From all my mom friends, I consistently hear that loneliness is a major factor in your everyday lives.  You run to and fro taking care of everyone else's emergencies.  You are known in most circles as "so-and-so's" Mom, not as the individually fabulous woman you really are.  In fact, you rarely see any other adult except in passing off kids, checking out at the grocery or waving at the mother you don't know at the local park playground.  And if your child has a normal, tired-kid moment and throws a fit, you can feel the judgement that isolates and presses you back into your shell.  

This feeling of aloneness is exactly what the enemy wants you to feel.  He doesn't want you to realize all the friendships you DO have.  He doesn't want you to recognize all the ladies who are in the same shoes and who actually need YOU to reach out for a playdate with THEM, not for the kids' sake but for the purpose of adult connection and friendship. 

More importantly, he doesn't want you to see that you are actually living out your calling TODAY doing what God has asked you to do and that you are not alone in this endeavor.  There is a sisterhood of women connected by the most powerful, purposeful thread there is - motherhood.  Women need this sisterhood more than ever, to combat the lies satan attempts to weave in our minds and hearts.  

Mothers are the fiercest weapon I know of to win this world to Jesus.  You affect the lives of your kids...and the children they are friends with.  Your influence, while it might SEEM confined to PB&J sandwiches and naptime, is exponential when you realize the vast reach that you really do have.  I would LOVE to hear from you today.  What green grass are you spotting in the yard of your life as a mother today and what are the types of things you are doing to combat potential loneliness in your life?

 

You are loved and prayed for today, 

 

annetta

ONE Question For The Single Men

Welcome to week 2 of Freedom Friday! Today we thought we would pull out an interview Priscilla did with her brother, Anthony, from two years ago. 

Priscilla asks Anthony about what single girls, from his perspective, should or should not do to get a guys attention, why guys have commitment issues and why he thinks is still single. 

It's a good one. Check it out and let us know one question you want answered from the single men out there! We will take your questions and tried to get them answered for you in the coming weeks!

When God Gets Dressed

I love guacamole . . . .and warm chocolate chip cookies. . .and lazy days with a delicious novel in hand. . . and fishing with my boys on a cool afternoon. . . .and. . .

I love “Theology Thursdays”.

I stew over what I want to share with you for many hours before I write one single word on the page. I imagine us – you and I - sitting across a table (stocked with guacamole and cookies of course) looking deeply into our Bibles in between bites. Pens in hand, we’d devour a passage and then digest it slowly with our sweet and engaging conversation.

This blog is the place where I get to live out my dream. . . even if it’s only a portion of it. :)

I’ve been studying Gideon lately. You might be fully aware of that if you follow me on twitter. I can’t help but tweet so many of the fantastic things Judges 6-8 are teaching me. I’ve been loving every minute of this man’s story, his encounter with God and the transformation that took place in his life as a result. I’ve been drawn to many interesting insights that I can’t wait to share with you at some point but there is one in particular that I think might be an encouragement to you today.
Take a look at Judges 6:14:

The LORD looked at [Gideon] and said, "Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?"

In our English translation it appears that Gideon is being commanded to deliver his people based on his own strength and ability. But Gideon was known in his neck of the woods as a man who was anything but strong and confident. He was fearful and noted for his insecurity. So, it seemed incongruent for God to offer this divine commend to such a cowardly man. A quick look at another verse later in the chapter that helps us gain clarity.

Judges 6:34,

So the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon . . .

Ahhh! Now, I see. The strength and power that God was expecting from Gideon would come directly from God! In fact, the ESV version reveals a unique description of the meeting between Gideon and God’s Spirit. It says that God’s Spirit “clothed” Gideon. The Hebrew word normally “referred to the every day act of putting on a garment” [Believers Church Bible Commentary, Judges, Brensinger) and was very rarely used in the context of God’s Spirit the way it is in this passage.

Get this, God’s Spirit put on Gideon like a suit of clothes! Gideon’s flesh became the clothes that God put on to serve His own purposes. Gideon was now only a mere instrument of obedience. God was the engine and Gideon was the vessel. His actions would now be an expression of God’s leadership. When people looked at Gideon they might still see the same old guy but he most certainly wouldn’t be. Gideon’s previous weaknesses had literally become exchanged with the strength of God. He was filled with the power and the very person of God Himself and was now ready to be a tool operating according to His will.

Today, sister, would you remember that the same way God invaded Gideon flesh is the exact same way He will invade yours. As you face this day’s circumstances that may seem to demand more than you feel you are equipped to give, remember that you are merely the clothing of God. He has dressed Himself in your flesh and has given you access to His robust strength and divine power. You are His instrument and have been divinely equipped by God’s Spirit to handle whatever crosses your path today.

You are the clothing of God.

So, “Go in this your strength” my friend.

You have access to more than you can imagine.

 

You are loved,

Priscilla

Intimate Issues

 

I’m nervous about today’s post. In fact, I asked my husband if he thought it was appropriate for me to put on paper the thoughts that were swirling around in my head.
“Well, it ain’t called ‘Wife Wednesday’ for nothing”, he responded.
That was his way of approving my comments, I guess.
So. . . here goes. . .

 

The title of today’s post is also a title of a very popular book. I stole it :) The message of Intimate Issues, a Christian book geared towards married women, spread like a crazed wildfire when it hit bookstore shelves. Wives couldn’t seem to get enough of the draw dropping, raw yet comforting message of the book. Finally, a book by Christian women for Christian women that answered real questions with frank, honest, clear Biblical answers.

 

We need resources like this don’t we? Let’s be honest . . . intimacy CAN be an issue and I bet there’s not one married woman reading today’s post who couldn’t shout “AMEN” to that. Somehow, before marriage, we idealize intimacy with mental imagery involving a zillion rose pedals and feather-footed butterflies descending and ascending from the heavens every single night of our wedded lives. But reality often reveals a different, more accurate story.
Not necessarily worse. . . just real.

One of the most frequent and pressing issues that wives face in regards to intimacy . . is the lack of it. Somehow, the lure of sex seems constant before marriage. Drawing solid boundaries, setting standards and staying pure seems like a goal fewer and fewer singles are achieving as the enemy works overtime to pollute the God-given gift of sex.

 

But far too often, after that walk down the aisle and the first romantic interludes of the honeymoon phase, throngs of couples report that the fiery passion that was once a staple in their relationship becomes nothing more than a feeble, smoldering ember. Exhausted from daily demands, wives deem sexual intimacy with their spouse less and less important and cross it off of their list of priorities.

 

To be fair, there are tons of husbands whose sexual desire has fallen prey to an intense work schedule, a beaten down masculinity or the pressure of their new role as provider and protector. Many wives feel overlooked and undervalued as their husband’s roll over at night in the opposite direction of desire.

So, I want to make sure that you know. . . that I know that there is a flip side to this coin. Sure, we could go there . . . but this is “Wife Wednesday” so my challenge is going to be focused on you, not your husband, ok?
Ok.
Take a deep breath.
Now keep reading.

 

Physical intimacy is important to your husband. It’s his love language. Trust me. I don’t even know him but somehow I feel positive about my assessment. Think about how you feel when he prioritizes conversation with you. When he is really listening and empathizing with your sentiments you feel special and important, right? Loved.

 

When you take time to speak his love language he feels the same way. He has a heightened sense of significance, his confidence and self worth is boosted and he feels like he can take on the world. And honestly, (not that our goal should be self serving) the ripple effect of a man, who actually feels like one, ultimately benefits the wife and the marriage. The boomerang effect of a man who feels well loved by his wife bounces back to her in the romantic currencies that matter most in her life.

 

Your husband feels very affirmed when you are enthusiastically intimate with him. In her book For Women Only, researcher Shaunti Feldhahn reports that 97% of men say they want to feel desired and sought out by their wives, not simply tolerated when they want to have sex.*  Most likely your husband is one of these men. A wife that is proactive—initiating intimacy in the bedroom—causes her husband to feel loved, respected, admired, and treasured.

I guess you can imagine what today’s challenge is going to be, huh? Don’t worry, you’ve got 7 full days until the next “Wife Wednesday”. That’s a full week to strategize your plan, chart your course and take action. This week, plan a special night (Or morning. Or afternoon.) for your spouse. Get a sitter. Put the kids to bed early. Do whatever you can to make time for the two of you to be alone. Plan the music. Prepare your room. Put away your worries and reservations and go all out. Surprise him as you initiate an evening of affection and attention that he will never forget.

And then. . .get ready to have a happy man!

Have I lost you? Are you still reading? Good.

So, if you are committing to this challenge with me, leave your initials below. Would sure be neat to form a big ol’ sisterhood of women committed to making sure their marriages are flourishing.

Let’s go!

Priscilla

 

 

* Shaunti Feldhahn, For Women Only (Sisters, OR: Multnomah, 2004), 93.

Trendy Tuesday

I hope that you guys are enjoying our summer blog "themes". I was starting to feel a little bad for Tuesdays since it's been our only day of the week without a certain topic to go with it, so just for today I decided we need to have a "Trendy Tuesday". We can all use a little fashion inspiration anyway, right??

I've put together a list of some "must haves" for us all for this summer:

1. Something of the color "mint" - this is supposed to be the most popular color in all clothing stores for the next few months. Like this skirt for example:

pair this with a blue colored shirt from Ann Taylor Loft and put a thick brown belt on = perfection!

2. Have you branched out on your nail polish colors yet? Because if not, you need to try one of these Essie colors below. They may seem a little different to some of you, but you'd be surprised how many people are wearing blues and greens right now. I used to only wear basic reds and browns, but I'm in love with this green color and can't stop wearing it. Try them; you won't be disappointed and will probably get a lot of compliments =)

                                              

(you can usually find Essie at grocery stores, CVS, Walgreens, and Target)

 

3. Roll on perfume sticks! Ok so my sister-in-law gave one of these to me a few weeks ago and it has been my best friend. It can't ever hurt to have some good smelling goodness on hand in case you are gone all day and it's 100 degrees outside!

(these can be found at Marshalls, Target, Sephora and most drug stores - you'd be surprised by how many designer brands have these available)

4. And last but not least, LIP GLOSS. Burts Bees to be exact. I love love love the fact that they have a gloss, color and SPF all in one little tube. These are my best friends and if I could keep one thing in my pocket, it would be these!

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(these can be found basically everywhere, but it's for sure at Target and usually your local drug stores)

 

So fun! What else would you add to this list? Thanks for joining me for "Trendy Tuesday" =)

Linnae

Memories

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Childhood is a montage of
experiences ranging from the fun and frivolous to the serious and sobering.
There are waterparks and popsicles, mud pies and sleep-overs, school projects
and parties, as well as discipline and training that mark a kids life forever –
hopefully in all the best ways.

So much learning and
living happens during the years that take place in a life that’s young and
impressionable – and living under your roof.

Think about your own
childhood. The sights, sounds and smells you most remember are largely
dependent upon the events that your parents allowed for you to experience or
deliberately crafted for you to encounter. The memories that you carry with you
now were, whether intentionally or not, created
by the folks that reared you.

“Creating memories. . .”

This was the sobering
thought that an older, wiser woman named Donna planted in my head several years
ago. All but one of her children had flown the coop by then but she was still
determined to squeeze the very last drop of love out of the short years left
with that last one. She explained to me, that among other things, she’d asked
her older siblings to come home each Christmas from college so that her
youngest would have the memory of a holiday season filled with all of the things
they’d gotten to enjoy – chatter, joyful chaos, over-flowing tree and bustling
family dinners. She wanted her last child to have the robust memories that had
marked his siblings experiences as well.

And she didn’t leave
those developing memories to chance. She strategized for them. She planned for
them.

She created them.

My mother created
memories. Whether they were all intentional or not, I’m unsure but I’ve got
sweet recollections of the “special” plate – decorated with fun, random, ornate
coloring -  that I got to use for dinner
on my birthday and other special occasions. I remember those precious (but, at the
time, eternally long and bothersome) devotional moments that my father led us
in. I can recall the scent of Sunday’s pot roast cooking slowly though the
night on Saturday and the sound of my mother’s panty-hose “swishing” down the
hallway outside my room as she walked by while getting ready for church.

Family vacations must
have been terribly exhausting for my mom and dad and yet without fail the six
of us hopped into a van at the first of August and traveled throughout the
States for the entire month. The memories of songs bellowed at the top of our
lungs with the windows rolled down, stopping at Shoney’s, in our pajamas, for the
$2.99 breakfast buffet and playing football games at the grassy rest stops on
the side of the road along the way. Our childhood wasn’t perfect by any means
but the memories my parents were purposeful at creating overshadowed the blemishes.

Now, it’s our turn –
yours and mine – to determine what kind of memories we want our children to
think back on and then get busy strategizing about how to make sure that it
happens. Quite possibly, it will mean doing some things we never intended or even
desired to. In a million years, I would have never thought I’d be the kind of
woman who kept bread “starter” in her refrigerator and baked homemade loaves a
few times a month. But after my eye-opening conversation with Donna, I made a
list of the memories I wanted my children to have and the smell of fresh bread
wafting through the house was near the top of the list. So, three years ago, I
started making bread and cinnamon rolls. Now, the scent has been seared into my
son’s minds.

So, let’s inspire each
other today. What are some things you are doing to create a childhood worth
remembering?

Use the blog as a place
to get inspired and start your own list for your children.

You are loved! Have a
great day!

Priscilla

Loving the Single Life

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“I’m just loving the single life!”
When an “approaching-forty-year-old” friend of mine said that the other day, I was a bit stunned. Something about her enthusiasm seemed rare and foreign to me. It struck a cord down in my heart that thrust me into a trance of sorts. She continued our conversation completely unaware that I was lost in my own thought.
Had I loved the single life when I’d had a chance to?
I was pretty sure I couldn’t answer an enthusiastic “YES!” to that question. Sure, I had fun times, but I spent a large portion of that season in life, overly-anticipating the next one. In a sense, I think I missed out on a lot of the beauty that singleness has to offer.
I think a lot of single women do.
 
For the record, my single friend wants to be married. She hopes that God does have a spouse for her and she prays to that end, but in the meanwhile she’s been living a full life that has been rich with deep friendships, travel opportunities and the passionate pursuit of the calling God has on her life. She hasn’t let the fact that she isn’t married stop her. . . from anything.
. . .not from moving to another city a couple years ago just for the fun of it
. . .not from quitting her corporate job to pursue her passions last fall
. . .not from going after her graduate degree in a brand new field
. . .not from jumping on a plane to Italy with a girlfriend last month
. . .not from going to Bible study faithfully and serving as a peer leader at her church
. . .not from hanging out on Friday night in a gorgeous new dress she bought for herself
. . . not from making wise financial plans for her future
 
Nope, this woman hasn’t missed out on much and in the process of living life fully, she’s run smack dab into a contentment that seems to evade so many.
 
The single life can be a beautiful season for anyone if they’ll only take the time to realize what it’s worth. But, as with any thing of value, it can become common-place and lose its novelty.
 
So, welcome to “Freedom Friday” – a day on our blog devoted to reminding you, my single sister, of the beauty of singleness. To kick off “Wife Wednesday” many single women reminded wives of all the things they easily take for granted (click here if you missed it). So, today, I thought it only suited that married women have an opportunity to flip the script . . . turn the tables . . . change directions. . .
Well. . . you get the idea.
 
Single women: here are some of the reasons why married women think you should appreciate the season of life that you are in!
 
(Married women, I’m depending on you to comment today and add to this list!)
Single women. . .
 

…get to anticipate that sweet, nervous energy of a first date and then a first kiss.
…can be the sole decision maker for small and big matters in their lives
…can have undivided attention when pursuing God’s call on their lives
… can determine how to spend their own money
…don’t have to share their bed and can even sleep right in the center if they want
…don’t have to shave their legs when they don’t want to
…don’t have to shave their armpits when they don’t want to
…can wear anything they want to for bed without worrying what a man will think
…can eat dainty “girl” food for dinner without having to cook something suited to a man
…can set the thermostat in their home to the temperature they desire
…don’t have to wait for someone to leave the house in order to have alone time
…can explore style and fashion options suited to their own tastes
…can cut their hair drastically on a moment’s notice
…can spend as much time as they want with their friends
…can make spontaneous plans without consulting someone else
…can use their time however they’d like – to study, read, serve, take care of themselves physically, etc
…can accept opportunities for long term travel that might not be conducive when in a relationship
…are better poised to learn complete reliance on God as their supporter, protector and provider

 
While some of these thoughts are fairly comical, the truth is, there is a reason why the apostle Paul said that it is good to remain single (1 Cor. 7:8). I’m sure that the last of the comments listed above is a big reason why.
So, single sisters, what have you been taking for granted about the life that God has given you? In what ways are you not taking full advantage of your singleness?
 
Take a moment to leave a comment telling me what you are grateful for about this season of your life. Even if it takes you a little while to wade through all the things you aren’t enjoying, drill down your focus to one or two things that you are and use this blog to begin your own personal list of gratitude.
You are in a good place sister!
Be deliberate and intentional about enjoying it!
 
Can wait to hear from you!
Priscilla