I was talking with a single woman the other day, who is actually a doctor.   She’s also a Christian.  We started talking about the journey that God had allowed me to take while I was single and she looked at me and asked, “How’d you do that?  How did you manage to be happy, celibate, AND still end up with a wonderful man?  Did you just wait…  patiently?”

I had to think about that for a minute.  How do you give a short answer for almost 19 years of being single?  Finally, I told her that I made sure that I laughed.  She appeared a bit puzzled by my answer.  So I explained the following:

The first 7 years after my divorce, I was not a Christian and I was making very bad choices.  At the least, the choices were bad in God’s eyes.  In the world’s eyes, I was a normal divorced woman trying to find a guy!  So my choices mostly revolved around “chemistry” and longing for that “spark” when looking for Mr. Right.  Then I became a Christian and all of that changed…  (Gradually)

After I fully accepted that sex outside of marriage was against God’s will, I had to find something else to hang onto besides finding a man!  That was tough!  I was 39 years old and giving up my search for Mr. Right was a hard pill to swallow.  So was the thought of possibly living a celibate life for the rest of my days on earth.  But I did get it resolved deep into my way of thinking.  No more man-hunting!  So now what?

I made my new life designed to not only helping others, but finding something to do to LAUGH!  I joined a singles Bible Study.  Sure, there were some things I couldn’t afford to do, like scuba lessons and trips to great diving spots, but I COULD afford a movie now and then and dinner with friends.  I could afford to go to people’s homes and play games.  I could afford a retreat every now and then.  And I DID these things!  And guess what?  I made friends!  And guess what?  We laughed!  I took men off the shelf!  And God took ME off the shelf in order to work on me.  He’s STILL working on me, but I love Him so much for loving me enough to do that.

His rewards are great, my friends!  If we’re not rewarded here, we will be rewarded in Heaven.  I’d rather have the second one, anyway!  Right?  So find some reasons to smile.  Find an activity that makes you laugh, even if it’s playing Scrabble with your kids.  But LAUGH!  It truly is good for you!  Laugh while be obedient to God’s expectations of us.  You will be blessed in some way!

Now go out into that crazy world of the flesh, hold you head up, throw you shoulders back and know that you are loved by the Creator of the Universe and L-A-U-G-H!  You are loved!  God bless you!

I remember being in so much angst and praying for God to send me a man to help… Help with lifting something, help with being lonely, help with financial problems… There were nights I went to bed so discouraged, so tired, that I just wanted to cry. Being single is a stage where we are toughened, but it is also a stage where we are strengthened.  Amen?

Out of all of my “single problems,” I think the only one He was truly concerned with was that I could get really lonely. Just as He saw Adam alone and said that it wasn’t good for him to be alone, this is true for us today.  So through some great God-incidents, He brought me to an AWESOME church family where I had fun, met friends and started serving others. Everything else just started falling into place.

So I URGE you… Don’t just sit around waiting for Mr. Right on his shining steed to swoop in and make your life better… If you’re sad or lonely or broke… give!  Give of your time, of your money.  Give your help, your shoulder, using your spiritual gifts, GIVE! If you’re having financial problems, God promises to take care of you. He WILL provide. That’s HIS promise, not mine!

My sweet, sweet sisters. Do not give up on God. Do not give up on waiting for His very best for you. Think of one small thing you can do for someone else today that will help them in some way and DO it! You may not come out wiser or wealthier, but you’ll come out a winner and you’ll be amazed that YOU may be the one smiling!

Remember, to whom much is given, much is expected (Luke 12:48).  You may not feel that you’ve been given much and maybe you haven’t, but you are here for a special purpose.  Find your spiritual gift and use it!

If you don’t know what your spiritual gift(s) is/are, this is an amazing spiritual gift website that I’ve used many times over the years.  It’ll take you about 45 minutes, but it’s so worth it!  I’d love your feedback, ladies!  Here’s the link:  http://www.kodachrome.org/spiritgift/

God bless and Happy Valentines Day.  You are loved with a love so great, that you were purchased with the price of a life.  Wow.  You must be pretty special!

How many times have you met a man and the sparks were just shooting back and forth? You felt you could hardly breath and he actually approaches you and your heart feels like it’s going to burst? It’s the fireworks! The endorphins are working overtime and you can see in his eyes that he feels the same way.  Isn’t this what you’ve been waiting for?  Or is it?  I have a hard question here…

When you think of fireworks, you think of beauty, explosions, earth-shaking vibrations.  But if you think about it, they’re over fairly quickly.  They kind of leave a dust in the wind, and then they’re just a memory.  So, here’s the question:  Would you rather have the fireworks that are over fairly quickly and leave your heart bruised and your self-esteem shattered or would you rather have a small little ember that looks kind of interesting and if you nurture it, it actually becomes a fire and if you nurture THAT, it becomes a bonfire that will last “until death do us part?”