Tag Archives: purpose

Archive April: The Rewards of Waiting

Posted on April 12, 2013 by | 2 Comments

Originally Posted on: August 29, 2012

“It came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from the Lord.” 1 Samuel 1:20

The story of Hannah and the birth of her son, Samuel found in 1 Samuel 1:1-28 stirs up many emotions within me. Encouragement-that the Lord does hear and answers my prayers. Conviction - am I as persistent as Hannah was in my prayer life? And also, the dreadful feeling of waiting. I am however, again encouraged (isn’t that how it goes? The Word encourages your soul more than anything) that I am not the only one who finds waiting to be difficult. Whether it is waiting for a job, a home, a husband, a child, direction from the Lord or an answer– waiting is a hard thing in our society. If you are like me, I daily have to surrender my will and my tendency to want to control situations over to the Lord. I will repeat DAILY surrender.  It’s hard, friends, but through a sweet word from Charles Stanley’s book I Lift Up My Soul, he uses an analogy that resonates in my soul to remind me of the reward of waiting. It is about cake– I have sweet teeth, not just one…they are all sweet!!

You’ve just finished gathering all the ingredients for baking, and you mix them together carefully in a large bowl. Then you pour the batter evenly in two round pans and slide them gently onto the oven rack. You set the timer and sit back for a while to enjoy the delicious smells coming from the kitchen.

Suppose that twenty minutes before the timer rings you decide you want to take the cake out of the oven anyway. It’s only partially baked, with gooey spots everywhere, and obviously isn’t fit for consumption.

Such a decision would be ridiculous, wouldn’t it? Yet in an interesting way that scenario parallels what we do as believers when we try to outrun God’s timing and take ourselves out of His preparation time too soon. We do not give Him time to reveal His purposes in the way He knows best.

Hannah is an inspiration in the area of spiritual patience. She knew that God was the One in charge of whether she would conceive a child, and she took her sorrows and fears to Him daily. We don’t know how long Hannah waited on the Lord.  All the Bible says in 1 Samuel 1:7 is “year by year.” What a wearying process, especially with the taunts of Peninnah.

God knows what you need. Don’t give up and try to satisfy that need your own way. Wait on Him, and He will take care of you according to His goodness.

Today my prayer is that we will rest in the assurance that our Heavenly Father knows exactly what we need and when we need it. May we trust in His goodness and his sovereignty as we wait. May we learn from Hannah and take our sorrows and our fears to the only One who’s perfect love can drive those fears away.(1 John 4:18)

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and do not lose heart and wait for the Lord.” Ps. 27:14

Holli Howard

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Archive April: Questions.

Posted on April 3, 2013 by | Leave a comment

questions

Originally Posted on: July 23, 2012

I have come to know a great young lady by the name of Katie Strandlund through Twitter. (I love social media by the way!) Anyways, Katie is such an awesome and lovely person. We email and Tweet each other with updates on our lives and what we could pray for each other about. Its really a cool thing. Remember having pen-pals? Well, its just like that but only way faster and cooler! :)

Well Katie recently posted on her blog, CautiousCreative, about Waiting for Answers to Un-Asked Questions. I want to share it with you because its seems to be exactly where I am right now. She has such a great way of writing, that I wouldn’t have even come close:

2 months. That’s how long it’s been since I’ve written anything new on here. I’ve created a pressure to write in my head & that’s been looming over me. But every time I sat down to do so, one of two things happened: nothing came out or what did come out just sounded depressing.

I opened up twitter tonight to find this from the one & only Gary Molander:
“Blessed are you who write words from the weariness of your own souls, for in those words, you offer readers a taste of authentic life.” 

I was convicted. I haven’t written because the only place I had to offer words from was the weariness of my own soul & I didn’t think that was enough. 

But tonight I believe that perhaps it is. And so I write…without answers, without agenda, with an authenticity evidenced by the tears falling onto the keys as I type…with questions offered from a weary soul. A soul that is wondering why friends leave. Why life has to feel so heavy. Why family can’t understand. Why I am suddenly fighting more insecurity than I have…maybe ever. Why community is so hard. Why I can’t bring myself to be vulnerable. Why God can’t work a miracle so I don’t have to fight aching hands & painful joints on a daily basis. Why I feel like I have nothing more to give. Why I can’t just make myself get over it all & be happy.

Why.

Why.

Why.

And in this moment I’m realizing that up to this point I haven’t even had the courage to ask those questions. I’ve been waiting for answers to questions I haven’t been willing to ask. And perhaps asking questions is the first step because it is by its very nature humbling…admitting I don’t know everything…don’t have it all under control.

And although I don’t always get it right, I’ve learned that as long as I try to control this life of mine it’s going to feel out of alignment.

But what next? What do you do when you have more questions than answers? When you’re restless to the point that you’re certain you are going crazy with a soul weary to the point of exhaustion?

I chase the sunset. I listen to music. I go for a drive. I cry. I cry out. And tonight, I write.  - Katie Strandlund, Cautious Creative

While it’s easy for me to focus simply on the things directly around me, I know that God always sees the entire story. My view is limited. Sometimes events in life may look disappointing. But I know God sees the entire picture from beginning to end, and knowing this gives me hope.

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.  -Romans 5:3-5

                                                                                                   Karina Lopez

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Teen Girl Tuesday!

Posted on January 8, 2013 by | Leave a comment

The contributors at OurSinglePurpose are all in their mid-to-late twenties and into their thirties. It may feel like it at times, but it hasn’t been too long since we were in the good ole days of Middle and High School. We remember what it is like. We remember how great it was and how hard it was at the same time. We acknowledge that being single in Middle/High School was almost, if not just as hard or harder as it is to be single now. There are unspoken, and spoken, pressures a girl feels about her singleness during her teen years that are just as demanding and suffocating, as they are when you get to be in your 20’s & 30’s.

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I believe girls are having a harder and harder time resisting the pressures of having a boyfriend, at a younger and younger age. Everyone always gets a kick asking 2 year olds the age-old question, “Do you have a boyfriend?” Girls today are bombarded with teen celebrities ‘hooking up’ with a different person each month. It’s the norm for middle school girls to have a boyfriend. And a girl is totally abnormal if she doesn’t have a boyfriend in high school. Hear me, I am not condemning any girl who has a boyfriend. I just think our society (media, parents, church) takes dating too lightly when it comes to teens. You need to know, its ok to be single.

Teen girls, we want you to know that we understand. We have been there. We survived. You will too. OurSinglePurpose wants to help you along during this journey you are on. We want to help you acknowledge that being single is ok. We want to help you avoid some minor and major mistakes that we made along the way. We want you to understand what God thinks about all of this, and how Scripture can apply to your life. And most of all, we want you to understand that there is a greater purpose in your life apart from having a boyfriend.

We look forward to hearing your thoughts and experiences. Stay tuned for more Teen Girl posts!

Marlana Kaye

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Would you like to pray?

Posted on November 5, 2012 by | Leave a comment

 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7

Praying. Its something that is a part of my whole day. Whether that’s in the morning as I am thanking God for gifting me another day to life for Him or praying that the kid running down the stairs doesn’t fall and hurt themselves. Prayer is simply conversation with God. It’s praising Him for who He is and thanking Him for what He has done. It’s about committing things to Him. It’s asking Him to meet someone else’s needs or our own. We need to pray about everything and we CAN pray about anything. I think some people don’t pray much because they don’t understand how powerful prayer can be. I know I have had this in my own life. Honestly though, prayer is one of God’s awesome gifts that He has given to Christ followers. I honestly consider prayer to be one of the easiest things ever. I think sometimes we over complicate it. It should be a part of who we are.

Would you like to pray?

I cringe a little inside every time someone asks me if I ‘would like to pray’. It’s not that I don’t enjoy talking to God and praising Him for who He is, it’s just that my whole life my prayers have been criticized. People always had something negative to say about my prayer, when I would pray aloud. It might have been, “You said “Umm” too much.” Or “Why did you say ____ in your prayer, that didn’t make sense.” Or “Your prayer was too short, (or too long)” It hurt my feelings and brought me to a place where I did not enjoy praying aloud. I believe prayer isn’t better if it’s loud or if it’s on your knees, folding your hands or bowing your head. It’s good to humble yourself, but it’s not your posture or how long you pray that makes it effective.

Faith pleases God (Hebrews 11:6). We don’t have to beg and plead with Him to help us. He loves us and wants what is best for us.

I challenge you to spend more time with God this week. Talk to Him. Candidly and truthfully. Cast all your cares on Him.

Karina Lopez

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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

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What is Good?

Posted on October 22, 2012 by | 4 Comments

It is no sign of weakness to want to be married. It is normal, and it is good. The courage comes when you sense God calling you to singleness (for this chapter of your life) and you accept the call with zeal and creative planning for His glory.  - John Piper

There are lots of tests in life.  One of the hardest, I think, is singleness.   Maybe because it is what is currently in my life now. Having to balance what Scriptures tells us to “be content whatever the circumstances” (Philippians 4:11) with the very real and good desires for  enjoying all the pleasures and security of married life. I have been going  back and forth with this book by Jani Ortlund that has helped me with my  very “roller coaster” perspective. I want to share with you a bit of thoughts  from her…mixed with mine.

Marriage is good. The Bible says so (Gen. 2:18; Proverbs 18:22), and I believe that with all my heart. But it is only good for those who God has called to be married. The question of God’s goodness is at the core of all our habitual discontent, whether it is over money or infertility or marriage or health concerns. I am sometimes tempted to think that if God were really good, He would grant me my heart’s desire because, of course, He wants me to be happy. But God is   not good because He fulfills my desires. He is good because He is fulfilling          His desires, and His desires are good for you and me. Goodness is His very nature–”You are good, and what you do is good” (Psalm 119:68).   If God were not good, He would not be God. And He is the one who sets the definition of  what is truly good.

Sometimes it is difficult to accept God’s goodness as being truly good because it doesn’t feel, look, or taste good to us. We somehow manage to equate goodness with what seems pleasant or satisfying in our immediate experience, and then we end up judging God by how He does or doesn’t meet our standards. We feel slighted if our ideals for happiness are not met. I know for me many times, I have become fearful that I will miss out on experiencing all of life. I have literally cried myself to sleep about it before; (I know…its pathetic) that, in turn, starts a churning in me to resent God and wonder if and why He is being unfair to me.

Philippians 2:13 says “it is God who works in you to will and act according to His good purpose.” So I shouldn’t shortchange God…because He can never do that to me. God will not be less good to me than any of His other children. I am single because right now this is God’s best for me. I am single because God is always and forever good to me, to us. Being single is not some sort of punishment.   I can’t tell you how many times I have thought to myself  that “maybe if I were more spiritual, somehow more satisfied with God alone, then God would bring             me a husband.” I know that is a dumb lie.

You are not single because your spirituality disqualifies you as good marriage material. Nor are you single because your spiritual maturity says “you don’t need a husband”. You are single because this is God’s call for you…today. His plan for you is good, and He will never betray you. We cannot rig God’s blessings or earn His favor as we seek answers to what we feel are legitimate needs. God is gracious without charge (Isaiah 55:1). He tenderly cares for His children (Isaiah 40:11).    He calls us to still and quiet our souls humbly before Him, for both today and   the future (Psalm 131). His ways of wisdom our way above our finite minds (Romans 11:33-36).

Your singleness  is a testing of the reality of your faith in the goodness of God, just as any unfulfilled dream on this earth is.  I believe that marriage is good.         I think that it should be sought after and cherished. But I know that it is            God-ordained and is for our benefit and pleasure. But I also know that      marriage is not suppose to be the best thing in life. God is. I pray that we all       can make whatever season we are in and consider it God’s good gift to us. Opening it expectantly.

Karina Lopez

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Called me higher.

Posted on October 17, 2012 by | Leave a comment

I love music. Right now I am listening to a great duo called All Sons and Daughters. Their music is awesome and their lyrics speak truth. This is their 3rd EP. They are kind of  ’under the radar’ of mainstream radio for now, but I am sure you will hear more of about them very soon. They are actually touring with Chris Tomlin this fall so you will definitely be hearing more and more of them (if you haven’t all ready).  I encourage you to take a few minutes and listen to this song – it plays sweet but has brought me to tears.

We are called to walk towards the pain we see, to get ourselves tangled up in the messes of this world because we have a Savior who is sufficient to provide for us. He has called us higher. We are His.

Called Me Higher

I could just sit
I could just sit and wait for all your goodness
Hope to feel your presence
And I could just stay
I could just stay right where I am and hope to feel you
Hope to feel something again

And I could hold on
I could hold on to who I am and never let You change me from the inside
And I could be safe
I could be safe here in Your arms and never leave home
Never let these walls down

But You have called me higher
You have called me deeper
And I will go where you will lead me, Lord
You have called me higher
You have called me deeper
And I will go where you lead me, Lord
Where you lead me

And I will be Yours
I will be Yours for all my life
So let Your mercy light the path before me

This video is All Sons and Daughters talking about Called Me Higher.  I love when artists give us a song story. :)

Karina Lopez

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Get to Know – Amelia

Posted on October 13, 2012 by | Leave a comment

1. What was your life and attitudes before following Christ?

I grew up in a Christian home and came to know Christ at a young age. I was considered to be a good kid, and went to church regularly. However, leading up to my salvation I began to realize that no one was perfect except for Christ, and that He cared for me and how I chose to live my life. Even though I was young, I knew that I needed Him more than anything else, and wanted to live my life to please Him.

2. How did you come to know Christ as your Savior?

Christ became Lord and Savior of my life when I was eight years old. As mentioned above, I grew up in a Christian home, and when I was eight years old  began thinking on a deeper level about what I was hearing in church each week. On a Saturday afternoon in September, after talking with my parents, I accepted Jesus Christ into my heart. There has been a lot of changes in my life since then but not a day has gone by that I have not felt God’s presence and grace in my life.

3. How has Christ changed your life and how are you developing that relationship with Him?

Jesus Christ has changed my life in so many ways. Life has not always been easy but I am so thankful for the Lord’s strength and comfort through it all. I have a disability called Cerebral Palsy and because of that have dealt with many health problems throughout my life.  However, as I look back on the struggles I have had I am thankful for them because they have helped mold me into the woman I am today.

Even though life has been hard at times, it has been during those struggles that I have truly matured and most importantly grown closer to Jesus. Some of my biggest revelations in life have come in part to the struggles I have dealt with. I truly believe that God does work everything out for His good, and will use our experiences to glorify Himself (Romans 8:28). The Lord has continually reminded me of His faithfulness, and no matter what He allows in this life I can find joy because He is my Savior.  He is my comforter, my rock, and the lover of my soul. I am so thankful that through all the changes He forever remains the same.

4. Can you share with us your experience with singleness and how this has influenced your writing in OurSinglePurpose?

I can remember as a little girl thinking that by the time I was 24 I would be married because in my mind as a child that is what everyone did. Graduate high school, go to college, get a job, and then get married. However, as I got older, I realized God had other plans. At 27, I am still very much single and waiting on the man God has for me. I have a great desire to be married and I pray for my future husband  everyday. However, I am at a place where I can honestly say that I am thankful for my single years because they have given me the opportunity to serve God in ways that I would not have been able to do so otherwise.  I am so thankful to be a part of a ministry like Our Single Purpose. God has used these ladies to encourage me greatly in this season through their Biblical encouragement and prayer, and I look forward to seeing how God continues to use each one of us.

Amelia McNeilly

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“Be Still”

Posted on October 10, 2012 by | 2 Comments

Being still isn’t always easy. As a single, I am told many things that are meant to encourage me during this season of my life and while I know the advice is given out of love, at times it leads me to do the exact opposite. Some of the “advice” I get causes me to become busy striving. Striving to ”place” myself in every social event known to man in order to possibly, maybe, meet the man God has for me. Striving to serve in every ministry in the church…after all I am told “I will never have as much free time as I do now”. Striving to act a certain way and to look a certain way in order to overcome any of the negative perspectives of a single in her late twenties. I will be transparent with you, it took me many months to decide which gym to join because I was afraid I would miss out on “the man” if I chose the wrong gym. I was striving, I wasn’t trusting and believing in the Lord’s direction and sovereignty in my life.

Striving is exhausting and very discouraging at times. The Lord knows this. In Psalms 46:10 the Hebrew word for still means “to cease striving.”  It’s the concept of allowing God to intervene in your situations without your interference. To be still before the Lord means we truly do believe that “God is our refuge and strength, a very PRESENT help in trouble.” (vs. 1) and that “the Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge” (vs. 7). In other words, stop striving and wait on God to do His work! (Our Daily Bread)

Now I am not encouraging you to sit at home every night, on the couch, uninvoled in ministry and  social events …but what I am encouraging you to do is what the Lord has been working in my life—stop striving and rest in the truth that His hands are busy on my behalf and as long as I am seeking His will, bringing glory to His name, and following His direction peace and stillness will come! He will guide me and give me desires and direction on where to serve and which events to be a part of. But mostly He will give me the stillness I need to remember that He is God and He is in control and I need not interfere.

What are you striving for? Instead of striving do as the Word says, “Be still and know that He is God.” (Ps. 46:10) Remembering, He is at work for you!

Be still and know that He is God. For pathways step and rough; Not what He brings but who He is will always be enough. -Anon

Holli Howard

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The Rewards of Waiting

Posted on August 29, 2012 by | 5 Comments

“It came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him from the Lord.” 1 Samuel 1:20

The story of Hannah and the birth of her son, Samuel found in 1 Samuel 1:1-28 stirs up many emotions within me. Encouragement-that the Lord does hear and answers my prayers. Conviction - am I as persistent as Hannah was in my prayer life? And also, the dreadful feeling of waiting. I am however, again encouraged (isn’t that how it goes? The Word encourages your soul more than anything) that I am not the only one who finds waiting to be difficult. Whether it is waiting for a job, a home, a husband, a child, direction from the Lord or an answer– waiting is a hard thing in our society. If you are like me, I daily have to surrender my will and my tendency to want to control situations over to the Lord. I will repeat DAILY surrender.  It’s hard, friends, but through a sweet word from Charles Stanley’s book I Lift Up My Soul, he uses an analogy that resonates in my soul to remind me of the reward of waiting. It is about cake– I have sweet teeth, not just one…they are all sweet!!

You’ve just finished gathering all the ingredients for baking, and you mix them together carefully in a large bowl. Then you pour the batter evenly in two round pans and slide them gently onto the oven rack. You set the timer and sit back for a while to enjoy the delicious smells coming from the kitchen.

Suppose that twenty minutes before the timer rings you decide you want to take the cake out of the oven anyway. It’s only partially baked, with gooey spots everywhere, and obviously isn’t fit for consumption.

Such a decision would be ridiculous, wouldn’t it? Yet in an interesting way that scenario parallels what we do as believers when we try to outrun God’s timing and take ourselves out of His preparation time too soon. We do not give Him time to reveal His purposes in the way He knows best.

Hannah is an inspiration in the area of spiritual patience. She knew that God was the One in charge of whether she would conceive a child, and she took her sorrows and fears to Him daily. We don’t know how long Hannah waited on the Lord.  All the Bible says in 1 Samuel 1:7 is “year by year.” What a wearying process, especially with the taunts of Peninnah.

God knows what you need. Don’t give up and try to satisfy that need your own way. Wait on Him, and He will take care of you according to His goodness.

Today my prayer is that we will rest in the assurance that our Heavenly Father knows exactly what we need and when we need it. May we trust in His goodness and his sovereignty as we wait. May we learn from Hannah and take our sorrows and our fears to the only One who’s perfect love can drive those fears away.(1 John 4:18)

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and do not lose heart and wait for the Lord.” Ps. 27:14

Holli Howard

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