Tag Archives: friends

The Fruit of the Spirit is: Love

Posted on May 1, 2013 by | Leave a comment

love_fruits_OSP

John Lennon and Paul McCartney once wrote, “All you need is love.” Our culture has a lot to say about love. We use the word rather loosely in ad campaigns and song lyrics, in reference to desserts as well as spouses, from I ♥ NY tee shirts to  ♥☺ bumper stickers. The New Testament has a lot to say about love, too. In fact, agapē and its root word agapaō appear more than 150 times, mostly in the books by John and Paul (the apostles, not the Beatles).

So what is this love that Paul names first among the fruits of the Spirit? It is the distinguishing mark of a Christian. I’m not saying that lightly, either. Jesus uses this word when he defines the greatest commandments as loving God and loving our neighbors (Matt. 22.37-40), and he uses it again to explain that the world will know his followers by their love for one another (John 13.34-35). It is evidence of holiness. As we become increasingly characterized by love, we become more like Jesus, and only followers of Christ can know this love and act on it.

That’s a bold assertion, to say that unbelievers are incapable of experiencing and acting on love. Bold, yes, but biblical. Take a look at what Paul wrote leading up to the verses on the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5.19-22:

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love…

Love is a fruit of the Spirit, not the flesh. This is a supernatural, self-sacrificial love, more than mere affection, and without the Spirit we are incapable of knowing and expressing love as the Bible defines it.  

Love always has an object. The “works of the flesh” in Galatians 5 are all rooted in self-love, self-preservation, self-gratification, because left in our sinful nature, we are selfish, and even our “good” deeds are tainted. This is why Paul repeatedly reminded and encouraged his readers to love one another, because we are so prone to seek our own comforts and protection rather than loving God and our neighbors.

But consider a few of the numerous ways the Bible refers to love.

Love the Lord your God…

Love your neighbor as yourself.

For God so loved the world…

Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

Love…does not seek its own…

True love – biblical love – is rooted in God’s love, and its objects are God and others. Jesus asked the Father that his followers would “see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world…. that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them” (John 17.24b, 26b). This is the love the Spirit pours out in us – the love God the Father has for God the Son and the Son for the Father. We are given access to this eternal, pure, steadfast love, the love God demonstrated to us through Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection (Rom. 5.8). The ESV Study Bible notes that love comes first in the list of the fruits of the Spirit because “it most clearly reflects the character of God.” Only God the Holy Spirit can produce genuine, self-denying love because God is love and he loved us first (1 John 4.8, 19).

In God’s grace, I still battle my selfish nature, and I daily have to confess unloving attitudes, words, and actions. As the Spirit produces fruit in us, though, he strengthens us to deny these selfish tendencies and directs our wills to choose love. Love unites the church (Col. 3.14b). It supersedes all other spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 13.1-3, 13). It compels us to fulfill the Great Commission (2 Cor. 5.14). It banishes fear because we now find security in Christ (1 John 4.18). In this first fruit of the Spirit, we demonstrate a love that is categorically different from any other definition of love outside of Christ, and “they’ll know we are Christians by our love.”

Heavenly Father, we praise you as the only true, pure, and eternal source of love. Thank you for sharing your love with us. Fill us with your Spirit that the world may see your love for us and through us. May we always keep you as our first love. Amen 

Bethany Wester

→ Leave a comment

Posted in fruits of the spirit, OurSinglePurpose, Purpose

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Archive April: My Friend’s Kids

Posted on April 10, 2013 by | Leave a comment

archiveapril

Originally Posted on: July 30, 2012

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 19:14

myfriendskids

Not too long ago, I came home from work tired from a long day and probably looking pretty ragged.  The neighborhood kids were riding their bikes in the street in front of my house and they rode by me as I was checking my mail. And how was I greeted? “Miss Carrie! You’ve got grey hair!” …thank you, little missy. I tried to pretend like I didn’t hear her, but alas, she had to make sure I knew that I do, in fact, have some grey hair. So this time I playfully sneered at her that “I don’t even have kids to blame it on!” She just grinned and rode off—her mission of age awareness accomplished. The sun must have been shining just right on my silvery highlights for her to make such a fuss over my tresses.

I’ve had my share of fun with these kids. Last summer, I was stealthily ambushed with water guns as I was outside tending to my plants. Their little squirt guns were no match for my watering hose… I loved hearing their screams of glee as they retreated! There have been other various happenings where I’ve “ooh’d” and “ahh’d” over their ability to jump over the sidewalk or show me a little flower they’ve found or accept some homemade candles they’ve made for me. One evening, I had a knock on my door and opened to a couple of the little girls holding a fish bowl. Their mom told me that they wanted me to take care of their “fishy” while they were out of town because they thought I might be lonely and he could keep me company.  I must admit it was nice to have someone to come home to.

I must be a kind of anomaly to these youngsters—a woman around their mom’s age without any kids or a husband. They find me very intriguing. And I don’t mind. I love them. I enjoy all their questions…most of the time. Questions like: Can I water your plants? Why are you not married? Do you get lonely? Are you a grown up? Why do you have shoes on? Where are you going? Can I come?

Recently, I’ve been asking some questions, too, like “What’s next for me? Will this be the year that my prayers for a family of my own start to be answered? Will there be new friends or new adventures? Will I get to travel or have more ministry opportunities?” My life is so very different than the lives of my friends who have married and now have children. My days are full of work, ministry, study, research, and fellowship with friends. I’m really too busy to be lonely most of the time. But as each year goes by, it becomes a more noticeable reality that I have more grey highlights and I’m still not married.

I’m not complaining though. I enjoy my solitary life (though solitary may not be the right word, I have many wonderful friends and family who take care of me) and on most days, I truly see my singleness as a gift from the Lord. I am able to do many things that I would not be able to do if I had the responsibilities of a husband and kids. But I do get lonely sometimes, and dislike some of the consequences of not having a prince charming around, like trying to open tightly closed jars, having to take out the trash when it’s full and killing my own spiders (while, admittedly, screaming, throwing things and jumping up and down).

But if I had all the responsibilities of a family of my own I would not be the oddity that brings the neighborhood kids around nor would I have the time, or maybe even desire, to make friends with them. I’ve even had the chance to delve into some spiritual conversations with one of the little girls while she was “helping” me weed my flowers. Sometimes the ache for a son or daughter of my own takes over my heart, but it only lasts for a little while until I can remind myself of God’s goodness and grace to me in this season of life. And then I conveniently remember that the thought of being responsible for another human being actually scares me to death.  So I’m thankful for this chapter of life where I am able to give of my time and love to my friends and their kids. And then be able to retreat into my quiet, cozy, little home.

“Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. God settles the solitary in a home…” Psalm 68:5-6

(This post was previously posted on Surprised by Love | Neighborhood kids)

                                                                                         Carrie Pickelsimer

                                        

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Archive April: Praying For Your Future Husband

Posted on April 6, 2013 by | 1 Comment

praying2

Originally Posted on: April 16, 2012

Proverbs 31:12  states that a wife of noble character is to bring her husband “good not harm all the days of her life.” This verse does not only apply to women who have already met their spouses, but to single women as well. We should be living our life in a way that ultimately glorifies the Lord, and also in a way that would be faithful to a future husband. One way to live this out is by praying for your future husband even before you meet him.

Several years ago I was reminded of the power of prayer in this area after hearing a friend’s testimony.  She shared that one night she woke up at 3am and felt the Lord telling her to pray for her future husband. She spent the remainder of the night in prayer because she knew he was in trouble.  She continued to pray for him daily after that.  A year later, when she was getting to know the man who now is her husband, he told her that he was involved in a car accident that almost took his life.  As he told her the details of how it happened, it was exactly the date and time that the Lord woke her up to pray.  When I heard this story I was reminded that God values and honors our prayers for a husband even when we cannot see what He is doing.

Recently, I read a book  titled “Praying For Your Future Husband,” by Robin Jones Gunn and Tricia Goyer.  In this, the authors share Biblical encouragement and wisdom on how to pray for your husband and prepare your heart for his.  It also gives ways to pray for your sisters in Christ. I would like to share some of these, and I encourage you to spend some time this week in prayer for your future husband as well as your fellow sisters as we are trying to be the women God has called us to be.

  • Pray for his Heart - Pray that your future husband will give his heart to Jesus Christ. Pray that he will trust the Lord each day to get him through whatever life may bring, and for his thoughts and actions to reflect the love of Christ.   Pray these things also for yourself and your friends.
  • Pray for Strength - Pray that your future husband will have inner-spiritual strength and that the Lord will give him strength to fight temptations and difficulties.  Pray that the Lord will mold him into the leader he needs to be. Also, pray the same things for yourself and your friends. Pray that God will give you strength in areas where you are weakest and allow His strength to make you strong.
  • Pray for Loyalty and Faithfulness - Pray that your future husband will be faithful to the Lord in every area of his life.  Pray also that he is loyal to the friendships that God has already given him, and pray that he is already faithful to you.  Pray these things for yourself and your friends.
  • Pray for Protection - Pray that your future husband will be protected from the evil one.  Pray that he puts on the armor of God each day and for the Lord to help him fight not only the outward sources that try to bring him down but also the sin nature inside.  Also, pray the same protection each day for yourself and your friends.
  •  Pray for Contentment - Pray that your future husband will be content, and have patience as he waits for God to lead him to you.  Pray that his heart will not be hardened during this time, but instead that he grow closer in his relationship with Christ. Pray that he spends his time focusing on serving Christ and others, and not dwelling on being single.  Pray that Christ alone will always be enough.  Pray for the same contentment for yourself and your friends.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Amelia McNeilly

→ 1 Comment

Posted in archive, Book Reviews

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Your memorial stones…

Posted on March 17, 2013 by | 3 Comments

by: Erin Gandy; Guest Writer

But Devon’s engaged.  And Lauren is having a baby.  And Lindsay is getting this awesome job/ministry opportunity.  And Becca’s pregnant too.  This seemed to be my complaint to the Lord one evening recently.  It was a continual listing of how it seemed that God was blessing everyone else except for me.  As silly as it sounds, I thought for a moment that maybe God had forgotten me.  Surely He had.  Why would these wonderful things happening for my friends and not me?  God was doing great things in their lives that seemed to be moving them forward; yet, here I was just feeling like I was stuck.  Not moving.  Remaining the same.

The Israelites were continuously in a complaining mode.  They were fearful of the new land.  They wanted water.  They wanted bread, and they wanted meat.  They were never satisfied and failed to trust in God.  However God kept moving them forward.  His leading them to the promised land of Canaan was not because of anything they had done.  They didn’t deserve anything, but it was solely because of who He is.  He is faithful, and His promises never fail.

Fast forward because this is where that intro a paragraph back comes in handy.  As the Israelites are entering Canaan, God stops the waters of the Jordan River and allows His people to cross on dry ground.  He then commands Joshua to pick a man from each tribe to gather a stone from the river.  In Joshua 4, we find that the twelve stones will be a memorial for the people of Israel.  They will see the stones and be reminded of God’s faithfulness in bringing them to the land he had promised from the beginning – before a complaint even left their mouth.

We have memorial stones in our lives.  We just fail to recognize what those stones are.  In the midst of my complaining to God that evening, I had to step back and recognize exactly how God had been working in my own life.  I had clouded out some of the things He was doing within me and focused more on what I was lacking.  The Israelites continuously focused on what they didn’t have rather than everything God had done.  Just like the Israelites set up their memorial stones to remember how God had led them to the place of Canaan, we also have to set up those memorial stones.  We have to know how God has worked and is working in our lives so that we can combat the doubt and anger when the enemy tries to deceive us.

Think of your own memorial stones… they can be BIG or even the tiniest.  But He is faithful and He has not forgotten you.

“He did this so that all the people of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.”  Joshua 4:24

PS- I love my friends and am so excited for how God IS working in their lives.

Erin Gandy

Erin GandyErin lives in Raleigh, NC and is originally from Darlington, SC.  She graduated from Southeastern with an MA in Women’s Studies and is currently working as a teller at State Employees Credit Union and writing curriculum for Treasuring Christ in Raleigh.  Erin gets excited about Chick-fil-a, Target, God’s Word and teachable moments, running, a beautiful dress, and Duke basketball.

 

→ 3 Comments

Posted in OurSinglePurpose, Purpose, single

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A Decade Later

Posted on February 26, 2013 by | 1 Comment

teen_girl

It has been a decade since I was a teenager (whew that was weird for me to say) and I can say my teenage years were filled with many highs and many lows. Being a high school teacher and a youth volunteer at my church I am able to observe how teens interact with each other on a daily basis. I see how boys and girls interact with each other, I see how you treat others, how you treat and talk about your parents but mostly what I see is a NEED to feel loved and accepted. I see it in you just like I saw it in myself 10 years ago.

I wanted my peers to like me. I wanted my parents to be proud of me and trust me. I wanted to make good grades and excel in sports. I wanted the cute boy to notice me. I wanted to feel pretty. I wanted to look skinny. I wanted to have a date for prom and homecoming and maybe even a Friday night football game. I wanted to have friends. I wanted to get in to a good college so I could have a good job and makes lots of money (haha and now I teach). Just reading this list now stresses me out! Being a teenager I know is NOT easy. It wasn’t easy 10 years ago and it certainly is not easy today. Many times as teens and even some as adults we tend to “want” to do and “be” a lot of different things in order to feel loved and accepted by people in our lives…or possibly by someone who isn’t even in your life (a dad that left or a mom who is at home but works so much you don’t ever see her). This feeling of striving to feel love and acceptance is not of the Lord.

To all the teens (and even the adults) reading this today may I remind you of Who loves and accepts you unconditionally…Jesus Christ. It doesn’t matter if you make all A’s, it doesn’t matter if you aren’t a size two or if your last attempt at a sports victory ended in failure. Regardless of your Friday or Saturday night plans you are Loved and accepted by Jesus. Jesus will ALWAYS be for you; HE will NEVER leave nor forsake you. He loves you so much He came to this earth to die for your sins so you could spend eternity with Him in heaven. Here are some scriptures to remind you of how much you are loved and accepted by Jesus.

John 1:12 – I am God’s Child.
John 15:15- I am Christ’s Friend.
Romans 5:1- I have been justified.
1 Cor. 6:19-20- I am bought with a price; I belong to God.
Eph. 1:1- I am a saint.
Eph. 1:5- I have been adopted as God’s child.
Eph. 2:18 – I have access to God thru the Holy Spirit.
Col 1:14- I have been redeemed and forgiven.
Col. 2:10 – I am complete in Christ.

Take a moment to reflect on how you are living your life. Are you living your life based on who you are in Christ-loved and accepted? Do your actions, attitude and words reflect a daughter of the King? Or are you living your life striving, and doing, and wanting things that aren’t of the Lord in hopes to feel love and acceptance from others? If your life is a reflection of the latter, take heart! The Lord has come to set you free from that bondage. Ask Him—He will reveal Himself to you in a way that will cause you to feel the most satisfying and unconditional love and acceptance ever. Come just as you are and leave the rest up to Him! Take it from me—a decade later—HIS love and acceptance is the Only One that is able to withstand the test of time and eternity for that matter! He. Loves. You.

Holli Howard

→ 1 Comment

Posted in OurSinglePurpose, Purpose, Teen Girls

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Community.

Posted on February 25, 2013 by | Leave a comment

by: Liz Fowler, Guest Writer

I have two different definitions of community: One is pre-August 2011 and one is post-August 2011. August of 2011 is when I met my family, my North Carolina Family. You see, I packed up in July of 2011 and moved my “I’ve only lived in Oklahoma my WHOLE life” life 1000 miles away to this city called Wake Forest, located in North Carolina. Standing in the parking lot of a local breakfast diner watching my parents drive away, the reality set in: I knew not one person in Wake Forest. There are many reasons why I moved here, but 1.5 years later, I can quickly (and probably loudly) tell you that God brought me here to experience community first hand.

com·mu·ni·ty

 noun, plural com·mu·ni·ties.

1. a social group of any size whose members reside in a specific locality,
share government, and often have a common cultural and historical heritage.

2. a locality inhabited by such a group.

3. a social, religious, occupational, or other group sharing common characteristics or interests and perceived or perceiving itself as distinct in some respect from the larger society within it exists (usually preceded by the):
the business community; the community of scholars.

4. a group of associated nations sharing common interests or a common heritage:
the community of Western Europe.


5. Ecclesiastical. a group of men or women leading a common life according to a rule.

Community, for me, is found in the local church .We meet each week on Sunday mornings to worship, but then throughout the week we meet for a more personal and intentional time of accountability and encouragement. I will preach until the day I die (and hopefully my life will show that) the value of being in community.I think this is something as singles that is necessary for the health of our lives, spiritually, physically, socially, and psychologically.

Spiritually - I meet each week in a home with 20ish of my brothers and sisters, my best friends, and we open the scriptures, discuss, and challenge each other. We beg Jesus to work in each others’ lives, we celebrate, we cry, and we cling to the hope we have – Jesus. One specific couple pops into mind:  in November 2011 we sat in the living room and cried with them as they experienced the loss of a child through miscarriage. Yet in January of 2012, we stood in the kitchen of the same house and prayed prayers of celebration for the new life of their son, born days earlier. And I thought to myself, “This is community, Liz”.

Physically - I always knew I needed to be healthy. However, surrounding myself with people who live it out for me is one of those hard but good things for me. I love to eat delicious sweets, snacks and diet cokes. But, that’s not what I’m talking about. Yes diet and exercise are important  but I believe that surrounding myself with people who love me and deepen my walk with Christ is one of the healthiest things I can do. When I am pursuing Christ, my health is improved. (and let’s face it, when a people pleaser like me gets around healthy eating people, that’s a benefit too!)

Socially - Since I work with people who have not had the best experience with believers, my goal has been  to point them to Christ, even if they didn’t realize that. My community plays a vital role in this, not because they know my co-workers, but because of the relationships I have, I am able to live out Christ for them (some days are better than others). I get comments from co-workers like “your small group mom and dad really love you”, when I tell them about my weekend. Just last week, my sweet friend called to apologize and make things right while I was at work. My co-worker said “I don’t think I’ve had a friend do that, that’s really cool”. That is community. We genuinely love each other, and choose to hang out on a Friday night together. I know that Thursday nights are the highlight of my week because I know I will be with my people.

Psychologically - my overall mental health has improved so much since joining my community. I know the value of surrounding myself with people who love me and will speak truth, encouragement, and correction (all in love) to me. I only took Intro to Psychology in undergrad, but I have to believe that community is vital for my health.

No matter what season of life you are in, we must be in community. Singles need this. When you get married, you’ll need this. We are created for doing life together. I am thankful for those that have helped me see this need, and I am prayerful that while I may not always be in this community, that I will know the value and always have community in my life.

 I found this quote on Pinterest and made me a little reminder of the value of community, knowing people and relationships will come and go in life.

corrie ten boom

Liz Fowler

LizLiz is a transplanted Oklahoma girl who calls North Carolina home! She loves coffee, sports, shopping, and pinterest-ing (yes that’s a verb!). She is also a fan of jewelry and nail polish. Most of all she loves spending time with her friends and family and just living life. Her relationship with Jesus is number one. Oh, and one more thing, laughter is the key to making the most of every day!

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Guest Post, OurSinglePurpose, Purpose

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Stress Point Book Review and Giveaway

Posted on October 25, 2012 by | 1 Comment

“Stress Point – Thriving Through Your 20s in a Decade of Drama” by my friend Sarah Francis Martin is an encouraging Bible study that I would recommend to all 20 something women. In each chapter Sarah discusses issues that many 20 somethings view as stress points such as money, career, dating, friends, family, body image, etc. Through this interactive Bible study, Sarah helps young adult women address each stress point by encouraging them to wait on the Lord, worship Him, and make Him the focus of their lives.

I love the format of this book because it continually brings the reader back to Christ. Sarah provides journal space for each day to worship the Lord, study scripture, and allow the reader to surrender each issue completely to Him. She also provides stories from other women that are struggling with the same issues which is encouraging because it reminds us that we are not alone in these battles.

Throughout the book the reader also learns the different names of God which draws one closer to Him and helps to understand His character on a deeper level.  This book is a must read not just for 20 somethings girls but for all women. Be sure to get your copy here and check out more stress point resources including a video series on the book here.  Also, Sarah has kindly donated a book for us to giveaway to our readers. To win a copy comment on this post telling us how you deal with stress and be sure to check back on Monday when we announce the winner. :)

Sarah would also like to invite you to join her in Stress Points to Life Points: 10 Days to Godly Success, Purpose and Well-Being. http://liveitoutblog.com/category/stress-points-to-life-points/

 About the Author:

Sarah Francis Martin has a passion to encourage and relate to women in their twenties. Her relevant and conversational style will lead young adult readers to live out the Kingship of Christ in everyday life in order to find godly success, purpose, and well-being. Obsessed with pink lip gloss and all things artsy-crafty, Sarah lives with her husband and son in North Carolina. Her ministry, LIVE IT OUT!, is a space for 20-somethings to connect with one another and grow closer to Jesus (www.liveitoutblog.com).

Amelia McNeilly

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Book Reviews, Giveaways!

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Kerri Pomarolli – “The Ring”

Posted on October 24, 2012 by | 2 Comments

Happy Wednesday my friends! Today I thought I would share a clip from  Christian comedian Kerri Pomarolli who I am blessed to work for. This is one of my favorites from her. For more information visit her website here, and check out some clips from a recent show here. Hope you enjoy! :)

Amelia McNeilly

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Purpose

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

My friend’s kids

Posted on July 30, 2012 by | 1 Comment

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 19:14

Not too long ago, I came home from work tired from a long day and probably looking pretty ragged.  The neighborhood kids were riding their bikes in the street in front of my house and they rode by me as I was checking my mail. And how was I greeted? “Miss Carrie! You’ve got grey hair!” …thank you, little missy. I tried to pretend like I didn’t hear her, but alas, she had to make sure I knew that I do, in fact, have some grey hair. So this time I playfully sneered at her that “I don’t even have kids to blame it on!” She just grinned and rode off—her mission of age awareness accomplished. The sun must have been shining just right on my silvery highlights for her to make such a fuss over my tresses.

I’ve had my share of fun with these kids. Last summer, I was stealthily ambushed with water guns as I was outside tending to my plants. Their little squirt guns were no match for my watering hose… I loved hearing their screams of glee as they retreated! There have been other various happenings where I’ve “ooh’d” and “ahh’d” over their ability to jump over the sidewalk or show me a little flower they’ve found or accept some homemade candles they’ve made for me. One evening, I had a knock on my door and opened to a couple of the little girls holding a fish bowl. Their mom told me that they wanted me to take care of their “fishy” while they were out of town because they thought I might be lonely and he could keep me company.  I must admit it was nice to have someone to come home to.

I must be a kind of anomaly to these youngsters—a woman around their mom’s age without any kids or a husband. They find me very intriguing. And I don’t mind. I love them. I enjoy all their questions…most of the time. Questions like: Can I water your plants? Why are you not married? Do you get lonely? Are you a grown up? Why do you have shoes on? Where are you going? Can I come?

Recently, I’ve been asking some questions, too, like “What’s next for me? Will this be the year that my prayers for a family of my own start to be answered? Will there be new friends or new adventures? Will I get to travel or have more ministry opportunities?” My life is so very different than the lives of my friends who have married and now have children. My days are full of work, ministry, study, research, and fellowship with friends. I’m really too busy to be lonely most of the time. But as each year goes by, it becomes a more noticeable reality that I have more grey highlights and I’m still not married.

I’m not complaining though. I enjoy my solitary life (though solitary may not be the right word, I have many wonderful friends and family who take care of me) and on most days, I truly see my singleness as a gift from the Lord. I am able to do many things that I would not be able to do if I had the responsibilities of a husband and kids. But I do get lonely sometimes, and dislike some of the consequences of not having a prince charming around, like trying to open tightly closed jars, having to take out the trash when it’s full and killing my own spiders (while, admittedly, screaming, throwing things and jumping up and down).

But if I had all the responsibilities of a family of my own I would not be the oddity that brings the neighborhood kids around nor would I have the time, or maybe even desire, to make friends with them. I’ve even had the chance to delve into some spiritual conversations with one of the little girls while she was “helping” me weed my flowers. Sometimes the ache for a son or daughter of my own takes over my heart, but it only lasts for a little while until I can remind myself of God’s goodness and grace to me in this season of life. And then I conveniently remember that the thought of being responsible for another human being actually scares me to death.  So I’m thankful for this chapter of life where I am able to give of my time and love to my friends and their kids. And then be able to retreat into my quiet, cozy, little home.

“Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. God settles the solitary in a home…” Psalm 68:5-6

(This post was previously posted on Surprised by Love | Neighborhood kids)

Carrie Pickelsimer

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Purpose

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Freedom!

Posted on July 4, 2012 by | Leave a comment

Baked beans, paper plates, sweet tea, and napkins. These were some of the items that were on my grocery list as I shopped for a 4th of July celebration.  I’m sure many of you are doing the same. Making plans to hang out with friends and family, grill out your favorite meat, eat your favorite homemade ice cream (Snickers here I come!), and watch fireworks, all to celebrate the freedom of our great nation-America. My heart is truly grateful for the men and women who have served and are serving to keep our nation free. My arms are filled with goose bumps and my eyes watering with tears just thinking about the sacrifice the soldiers and their families have paid in order for me to live in a free country!  I will always be forever grateful for the privilege to live in the United States; to call this my earthly home is a blessing. But on this particular 4th of July, my mind and heart are reminded of a greater freedom we have, a freedom that also came with a sacrifice; one in which will carry me into eternity.

“So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.” Galatians 5:1 (NLT)

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8:31-32

Mike Pohlman, pastor of a church in Washington wrote an article in 2009 regarding this freedom. I enjoyed reading his words on freedom in Christ and wanted to share with you.

Another Declaration of Independence: Freedom in Christ


So today as I celebrate with family, friends, hamburgers, and fireworks, my prayer for myself and all of us is to think about the questions that Mike asks, “What or who are we trusting in today?” Is there someone around you today that doesn’t know of the freedom in Christ that you can share the ultimate Independence Day story with? Let’s all remember that our national freedom is precious, but our freedom in Christ is of infinite worth.

Holli Howard

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Purpose

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,