The Wait

We've all been there. Daydreaming about our future. Wondering what our husband will look like; what he'll be like....and wondering when he'll show up. If ever. 

Sometimes we get so tired of waiting that we settle for boys that we know aren't the one God has for us. We mostly do this because we're lonely, and want to have a boyfriend because...well...everyone else has one. 

For myself, I can definitely relate to wondering who this wonderful person is, and if he exists. I'm 20 years old, for goodness sakes, and still single! Couldn't God have had us "run into each other" by now? Maybe I'm not spiritual enough yet. Maybe I'm not pretty enough. Maybe...I'm just not something enough. 

Usually I am very content in my singleness... but then more and more of the people I knew started dating and getting married, and I felt...left out. And a little lonely. Around that time a guy asked me out. I knew he wasn't a strong Christian, and we wouldn't end up having a future together...but I was tempted. I was tired of being alone. I ended up saying no to him and another guy later, but often second-guessed myself as my friends started pairing up. "You could have a boyfriend, too, Christina, if you had just said yes. You're being too picky." I would think to myself. However, looking back, I am glad I said no. I am still very single, but I have faith that there is someone out there somewhere. God knows exactly who he is, and will bring us together in His perfect timing. 

In those times of feeling a bit sorry for myself, I would start to think that I was the only one that has reached the "ripe old age" of 20 without ever having dated. Welp, later I would remember that "Oh, I actually know other people who haven't dated yet. I'm not in this alone after all!" Just knowing that would help me to not feel as "weird" about not ever having been in a relationship. 

Since I know how much better I felt about knowing this, I am here to tell you, my dear fellow single ladies, that you are not in this alone.

Let me encourage you to not settle for some boy you either don't like or who doesn't love Jesus, just to have a boyfriend.

What brought on this post? Well, recently I was (and still am) in a group project with several different people. All of whom have significant others. In fact, the first question that one of the girls proceeded to ask me and the other girl was: "Do you have a boyfriend?" Of course, everyone else was in a relationship except me. Needless to say, I was feeling very alone.

"What's wrong with me? Why am I so unlovable?" I complained to myself. 

Later that day I came home feeling rather sorry for myself. I complained to my Mom, and I complained to God about Him not having brought this wonderful man into my life yet. I even started to wonder If  this man existed. 

Don't get me wrong, some of us are called to single-hood. However, I believe that if you have a deep, God-given dream and desire to marry and have a family, that it is no accident. God wouldn't have put those dreams and desires ingrained in your very being if He didn't plan on acting upon them at some point. So take hope. God has someone out there perfect for you.

It can be hard in the "waiting season". I'm not going to pretend it's not. But there are also many ways that we can grow and develop that we may not have if we had been in a relationship. Singleness provides chances and opportunities for us to grow and draw closer to God. Also, singleness gives us more time to hang out with our friends and do last-minute things. :)

I am reminded of the story of Rebekah. She was minding her own business, livin' the single life. She went to go water her father's flock, what she'd done every single day for years. She didn't expect anything different. However, what set her apart from the others was her love for God and others. 

Rewind a few months to a year earlier:

Abraham asked his servant to find a wife for Isaac. A wife who loved God. Thus, the trusted servant adjourned on this quest to find the perfect wife for Isaac. 

Fastforward again to the present:

He reached the land where God-fearing people lived. Tired, he asked God to give him a sign if the girl came along.

"This is my request. I will ask one of them, 'Please give me a drink from your jug.' If she says, 'Yes, have a drink, and I will water your camels, too!'--let her be the one you have selected as Isaac's wife." Genesis 24:14

"Before he had finished praying, he saw a young woman named Rebekah coming out with her water jug on her shoulder...she was very beautiful and old enough to be married, but she was still a virgin."

Genesis 24:15-16

"Running over to her, the servant said, 'Please give me a little drink of water from your jug.' 'Yes, my lord,' she answered,'have a drink'...when she had given him a drink, she said, 'I'll draw water for your camels, too, until they have had enough to drink.' So she quickly emptied her jug into the watering trough and ran back to the well to draw water for all his camels." 

Genesis 24:17-20

The servant then asked her what family she was from, and found that she was, indeed, from the same family as Abraham. Overjoyed, he gave her jewelry and went home to meet her family. He had found Isaac's wife. God had brought them together in His divine timing. A divine appointment. 

What would have happened if Rebekah had been in another relationship when the servant came?

What if she was not following God and loving others and obeying his promptings?

She probably would have never married Isaac, and never have been the mother of Jacob and of the lineage of David...and eventually the Savior of the world, Jesus. 

Did Rebekah mess up? Yes. Big time. In her later years she helped make their dysfunctional family more so by favoring one son over the other. She tricked her husband, and because of this trickery, her favorite son had to run away to avoid being killed by his other brother. 

Yes, it was quite a mess. 

All's that to say that no one is perfect. 

God can still use us in the midst of our messes to bring about his plans and promises in our lives. 

Our God is a God of mercy, grace, and forgiveness. There is NEVER any sin that is too big for God to forgive. There is NEVER any person who is too far gone. Jesus still passionately loves you and pursues you. No matter what. 

Since Jesus is my first love, it is important to me that any boy I date be a Christian. And any guy I marry have Jesus as his first love, as well. Otherwise, we'll be torn apart...drifting away from each other like sailboats on the sea without an anchor. 

In my earlier second-doubting, I disregarded this fact. I wanted to date, and while I did care if my boyfriend had a relationship with Jesus, I was second-doubting my convictions. While I didn't compromise, I was very tempted to, and almost did. 

But let me tell you, I am very glad I didn't compromise. 

If we make Jesus our #1 pursuit, then the perfect guy for us should also be pursuing Jesus.

Our love for Christ should be the ultimate thing bringing us together.

Of course, we all want our guy to be cute. And having a list of different things we'd like to see (character qualities and such) in a guy is important. 

As I was waffling between "yes" and "no" with the guy who asked me out, I went back over a list I had made when I was 14. 

That really helped me not to settle for a guy who met less than half of the "requirements" on the list. 

Ladies, we may not understand why God hasn't brought someone into our life yet...but someday we will. In the meantime, let's try to wait patiently until God works out His perfect plan and timing. 

If you've already been in "negative" relationships, or are in one now, that's ok. It's never too late to start over.

To my single sisters in Christ:

Don't give up hope. 

You are not alone. 

God has someone out there for you and will bring everything together in His perfect timing.

A "divine appointment". :)

*Also, The Chase by Kyle and Kelsey Kupecky is a great book. The books talks about guys, waiting for the right guy, and many more awesome topics! *

Your fellow single sister in Christ, 

~Christina 

~Movie Reviews~

The first time I watched this, it was all new to me. The songs, everything. And I loved it. However, the second time watching I had heard all the songs only like 500 times. While I still really like the songs and the movie, I will say that the second time watching it wasn't as great as the first time. But it's still a good movie. 

Can we also just pause for a moment to appreciate these two?

Guuuys! They're sooo cute together! Like for real, though. 

                               Phillip and Anne were absolutely adorable together, as well.

The Greatest Showman took on some hard topics. Such as racial prejudice, being content with who you are, bullying, and social "class", to name a few. I thought they addressed such topics well, and I was moved by the touching way in which they did it.

Overall, The Greatest Showman was a great movie, and I would highly recommend it. :)

Belle also took on the topic of racial prejudice. I thought it beautifully well done. It is a clean movie overall, except for one very small part in which it is implied that a sleazy "gentleman" has inappropriately taken "liberties" with Belle just because she is colored.

The movie is about a girl who is of mixed race. Her white father seeks her out after her mother dies, and brings her to his childhood home. Belle's father is in the military, so he is never home. This leaves her grandparents the task of raising her along with her white cousin, who is the same age as Belle. Belle and her cousin grow up together as great friends, and go through all the growing pains together. However, as Belle gets older, her family isn't able to shelter her from the harsh racial prejudices and slavery. I won't say much more, as I don't want to spoil the movie. However, I would recommend this movie. 

Forever Strong is a movie about a teenage boy who plays rugby. The boy gets into some trouble and is sent to juvenile detention. While there, he is put on a different rugby team and learns the importance of putting others first and living honorably. 

This is a great movie overall. It does deal with drug abuse, and there are some sad parts, but overall it is a motivational movie. 

The Waltons is a very family-friendly movie series. This series is about a family living in the Blue Ridge Mountains during the great depression. 

Grandma and Grandpa Walton. (Zebulon and Esther Walton). Grandpa is a lovable, energetic, "stubborn old fool" (as Esther calls him). Everyone comes to him for advice, and he dearly loves his family and the mountain.
Grandma is a spirited Baptist woman who loves her family. She keeps everyone in line. 

John Walton is the son of Zebulon and Esther, and the father of 7 children. He works in the family saw mill in their barn, and does whatever he has to to make sure his family is provided for.
Olivia Walton ("Livy", as John calls her) is the mother of 7 children and a homemaker. She gives wise advice to her children, and wants what is best for her family. 

John jr. (otherwise known as John boy), is the oldest child of the Walton family. He is an aspiring writer and publishes a few of his written works, as well as starting a paper, The Blue Ridge Chronicle. As the oldest child, he sometimes feels like a "mother hen" when he has to constantly be responsible for his younger siblings, but overall John boy is a great older brother and loves his family. In his later years he attends college, moves to New York, and pursues his writing career. 

John Boy wrote for the "Stars and Stripes" magazine, which covered events in World War II.

Jason is the 2nd oldest child of the family. He is sensitive to other's feelings, and loves to play music. He plays many different instruments, and hopes to go to college for music someday. He played in a band, "Bobby Fleet and his band with the beat" and later he worked as a piano player in the "Dew Drop Inn." He joined the National Guard during World War II.

Mary Ellen is the oldest Walton girl. She is a tomboy and loves to play baseball. When she was younger she wanted to do something "exciting", like be a movie star, or travel around the world. When she grows up, however, she becomes a nurse and marries. She never loses her "tomboy" streak though, and in one episode she was playing baseball with her younger siblings while pregnant!

Ben is the middle child of the family. He has a fiery temper to match his red hair, and takes after Grandpa in stubbornness. He cares for his family, however, and his stubbornness is a good thing at times. Ben takes over the mill when he is grown, and his stubbornness and hard work is often what kept the mill going against many odds. He was the first Walton child to marry. He joined the Navy during World War II. 

Erin Walton is the 5th child of the Walton family. She is a "heart-breaker", and goes through a slew of boyfriends until she finally finds her soulmate. She has a caring heart towards those suffering, such as baby animals she may find abandoned, or people who seem to have lost themselves. 

Jim Bob is the second to youngest of the Walton clan. He loves building things and working with mechanical devices. He builds his own car out of pieces he assembled from the junk yard, and becomes a mechanic. Jim Bob also loves airplanes, and joins the air force during World War II. 

Elizabeth is the youngest of the family. As such , she is babied a little by her family. However, she grows up to be a responsible, caring, successful adult. She makes friends easily and dearly loves her family and her animals. 

*dabs away a tear* Okay, guys. This movie has all the deep feels in the world. It is a great movie, however, the movie is about sex trafficking, so I would rate it as pg-13. Don't get me wrong, there are NO explicit parts in the movie. However, the whole theme, and what is implied, and the heavy topics are why I think younger viewers should be advised against watching it until they are a little older. 

The whole movie is about a man who has lost his way and takes a questionable job driving a truck across the Mexican border to the U.S. On the journey, he runs off the road and he checks on his "shipment". He finds, much to his surprise, that the "cargo" are actually two young ladies. From there, he is in a battle against those who take the girls for their evil purposes. 

The movie was made by the Christian band "For King and Country" and based on their song "Priceless." The main character (the man) is Joel Smallbone, one of the two brothers who are the main singers for "For King and Country". 

While this movie is absolutely funny, it does have a lot of language. Also, there is one small part where Ferris and his friend are talking about something inappropriate, but we always fast-forward that part, and it is a very small part. Overall, I guarantee that this movie will make you laugh. However, it does have a lot language in it, so viewer discretion is advised. 

Black Panther is probably my favorite marvel movie. (Although, I haven't seen all the marvel movies, of the ones I have watched, this would have to be my favorite.) I like that this movie can be watched alone as a movie. The other Marvel movies follow a "series"...meaning you have to watch one movie to understand what is going on in the others, and so on.This movie has just the right balance of action, humor, and lil' bit of romance mixed in. It is a great, clean movie and I highly recommend it! :) 

(I won't say any more about it because I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't watched it yet.) 

What movies have y'all been watching recently? Have you seen any of the movies that I did reviews on?If you have, what did you think of them?

The September Tag

Ahem. Yes. I know. It is now October. But don't judge me. :-p 

A little while ago, the lovely Faith over at I Like That tagged me for the "Hello September" tag, and I am finally getting to answering it. 

*cracks knuckles* So let's get down to it, shall we.

Windy or rainy autumn?

      Windy. Although some rainy autumn days are okay, I'd much prefer wind. There's just something about the cool breeze wafting by gently, then swiftly, ushering in all the smells of fall, and causing a confetti of brilliant colored leaves to fall to the ground around your feet. 

Do you like chai tea? 

   To be honest, I'm not a big tea person. Every now and then (meaning maybe 4 times a year), I drink tea. So no, probably not. 

Tea, coffee, hot chocolate, or apple cider? 

    To be fair, I've never really had coffee. *Shocking, I know* But out of the list, I'd have to go with hot chocolate. Also, hot chocolate with peppermint is *hands down* one of THE BEST hot drinks. I mean, it's the perfect balance between a slight taste of peppermint, and that delectable, scrumptious, chocolaty taste. (I love chocolate, in case you couldn't tell. :) )

If you could go to one state in the U.S.A just for the autumn scenery, where would you go? 

   Hmmm. Where I live the leaves turn really pretty colors, and the scenery is absolutely beautiful during the fall. But if I had to choose, I'd probably go somewhere with mountains. Maybe Colorado? Or I don't know how the leaves are in the great plains states, so maybe it would be cool to go there?

Do you like soup in the autumn? If so, what kind is your favorite?

    Yaaas, fam! Soup is my jam during the fall season! Chili and Vegetable soup are my two favorite. I cannot choose between them, try as I might. 

What color of leaves do you like best? 

    Reds, Oranges, or yellows. But I really like finding the deep red leaves that have a hint of an "outline" of black around the edges. 

If your could go to another country just for autumn scenery, where would you go?

    Probably somewhere in Europe. Maybe Germany, England, or Switzerland. 

Sweater or hoodie? 

        Both. However, hoodies are usually more comfy, so I'll have to go with them. 

A hazelnut or apple cinnamon candle?

    apple cinnamon. :)

Cookies, brownies, or both?

     ACK! Family, you're tearing me up here! I can't possibly choose! If someone brought me a plate of either, I would eat them both with an equal amount of joy and savoring. :)

What's your favorite fall activity? (Like a fall photo shoot, knitting, crocheting, baking, reading, etc...)

     Probably reading, but then again I like to take long walks, so maybe that? Oooh, and bonfires. :)

Bonus questions!

Pumpkin or apple pie?

    I'm not big on Pumpkin, so apple. 

Have you ever had a pumpkin spice latte? If not, do you think you would like it/want to try one?

        Nope. Never had one. I don't like pumpkin that much (except for the smell and eating the seeds), so I probably wouldn't. 

Would you rather go on a hayride or do a corn maze?

      Hayrides are loads of fun, but then again a corn maze sounds like a blast as well. So...I'm going to be indecisive and pick both. :-p

*I tag anyone who would like to answer this tag. (Given that September is already over, lol.) :)*

Windy or rainy autumn?

Do you like chai tea? 

Tea, coffee, hot chocolate, or apple cider? 

If you could go to one state in the U.S.A just for the autumn scenery, where would you go? 

Do you like soup in the autumn? If so, what kind is your favorite?

What color of leaves do you like best? 

If your could go to another country just for autumn scenery, where would you go?

Sweater or hoodie? 

A hazelnut or apple cinnamon candle?

Cookies, brownies, or both?

What's your favorite fall activity? (Like a fall photo shoot, knitting, crocheting, baking, reading, etc...)

Bonus questions!
Pumpkin or apple pie?

Have you ever had a pumpkin spice latte? If not, do you think you would like it/want to try one?
Would you rather go on a hayride or do a corn maze?