Date a guy who aims to be a Job 29 Man.  Do you know the characteristics of a Job 29 Man? Well.. Let me tell you.

He is the kind of guy who would rather stay at home reading his bible and spending time with God worshiping Him than to be out partying with a group of friends on a Friday night.

He is the kind of guy who constantly longs for God’s presence and who walks closely with Him. He desires for his heart to be transformed into His. Even if life gets tough, he knows that The Mighty One is holding his every moment and nothing seemed to be too difficult for him.

He is also a genuine follower of Christ. He knows that in order to be a great leader, he needs to learn how to be a genuine follower. Don’t be surprise if this guy is well respected and everyone greets him & honors him. That’s because whenever he speaks, he speaks with love and grace. And when he walks, he walks with confidence and boldness Just like King David, he knows that his identity isn’t based on his height or stature, but on Christ alone.

With that said, he is also verypassionate about Jesus and His Gospel. You’ll know that he is because he will find a way to always help other people. He will help that blind lady cross the street and become her eyes, or even help that lame old man to stand up and be his feet. He will also stand up for those who are being mocked and persecuted. Even if it means him getting hurt, he will not fight back just like how Jesus did not fight back when He was being brutally tortured and beaten to death. That’s when you’ll know he is a solid follower of Christ.

Also don’t forget, if ever you get to sit next to him during worship, watch and observe him how he worships God. I’m talking about eyes closed, hands raised or perhaps you’ll see him open His bible and even read and then next thing you know, he’s on his knees crying. It’s contagious! So you want to make sure you sit next to him during worship, because man… He knows how to worship Jesus with such reverence and awe!

One of the coolest things about a Job 29 Man is that he knows that he’s not perfect. He acknowledges his flaws andmistakes. But that doesn’t bother him because he knows that he is constantly being renewed everyday by His perfect Savior Christ. So it’s normal for him to be prideful sometimes, but whenever that happens, he immediately repents and turns his eyes to God.

Another thing about a Job 29 Man is that unlike any other guys, he has made a covenant with his eyes to not look at any woman lustfully. He knows that your beauty is far more than what you look like on the outside, it’s about letting Jesus shine from the inside. So for him, what matters is your heart, not any of your body ‘parts’

He’s not the kind of guy who jumps from one girl to the other. No, he is patient and he waits upon the LORD and His perfect timing. He’s a hard worker and he knows not only he understands hard labor, but he understand what it means to work out his salvation by keeping God’s command and living out the gospel. He embraces Matthew 6:33 ‘to seek Him first and His kingdom and let the other things be given at the right time’

So if you’re a Proverbs 31 Woman & If you endup dating a Job 29 Man, consider yourself blessed because it’s hard to find these kind of guys nowadays. Realize that if you have this kind of guy, the LORD has specifically hand picked him just for you and prepared the both of you for each other and for the gift of marriage and the ministry that He will set for both of you. That is to honor God and glorify Him by showing the world what a ‘real love’ should look like. You both are pretty much going to be the ‘power couple’

So Ladies, if you’re single and not married and you have the desire to be married one day, this is probably the right time to for you to pray for your Job 29 Man. Why? Because this man is going to be the man who will love you, lead you, help you, defend you, cherish you, adore you, provide for you and raise your future kids and teach them the way of Jesus.

So yeah, date a guy who has all these God-given characteristics. Someone who is a Job 29 Man. Or better yet, 

.. Marry a guy who loves Jesus.. period.

I can’t find words that do Him justice. Instead, I’ll keep this to a few disjointed thoughts and pray that if God knocks on your door this week, you’ll answer. Thank you, as always, for reading and being part of my journey.

You were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. 
- Galatians 5:13

God changed my world this past year.. He changed me.

Last year I struggled through the Holiday seasons, I had just finished my sophomore year of college and fresh out of a break-up, anxiety and loneliness were my winter companions.

As I get ready for the holidays again this year, I realize I’m still “alone” and still working on my future…

But I’m not lonely :)

It says in Revelations 3:20, “I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in…” And because God is the ultimate gentleman, he knocked and waited patiently outside my door for a long time.

I finally answered. I’m glad He thought I was worth the wait.

At this time last year I had hoped I would have been in another serious relationship by now. Instead, my heart is longing for a different kind of companionship…

To love people who cannot love me back.

I want to love someone who will never thank me. I want to be a giver, not a taker. I want God to humble my heart until it won’t be satisfied with anything other than Him. I want God to transform my selfish heart into one that serves Him every day.

And if I do that, if I keep pursuing Him, I know that even if I spend every holiday for the rest of my life alone…

My heart will be happy. My heart will be so happy.

May you walk with joy in your spirit and peace in your heart, today and always. ♥

It’s easy to be dissatisfied with where we’re at. God has each of us in a certain place doing certain work with certain people. We so often want bigger,better,even just different. We have dreams and can’t understand why our present situation is necessary. What we have to realize is, God wants us to be faithful and consistent in the small,boring,hard, or undesirable things in life before we take on more responsibility. It’s difficult to see the benefit of a growth period when you’re in it. Every season of life has a purpose,and though we may change and even lose faith,God is eternally unchanging and infinitely faithful. I know that I personally need to constantly be reminded of verses like Colossians 3:23 and Proverbs 16:3 which speak right to this issue. The point is,if we commit all of our lives, including work big and small,to God, everything immediately becomes purposeful and important to Him. We can serve God in joy through whatever it is that we’re doing,at any time. All this to say,I know that I need to stay grounded in God and His word even more through these times. How about you?

I’m not convinced that relationships ever really end. Even when one person says “it’s over” and both people move on. We reach this point and our environment pressures us to pretend like the people of our past never existed. We’re encouraged to write our ex’s off as crazy and “just forget about them.” At the very least, we’re expected to stop loving them.

I see things differently.

For me I love the man of my past relationship even more after the break-up. Not in a way that keeps me chained to the past, but in a way that increases the capacity of my heart. Sometimes you love more by sincerely letting go– by releasing another person to go wherever they need to– than you could have loved if you stayed in a relationship. If this is true, then the separation of two people is not the end. It’s just a new chapter. You may not speak or see each other in this new chapter at all but it’s still okay.

I don’t like thinking of someone as an “ex.” What does that even mean? To many people, it means regarding someone they used to love deeply as something less. Especially when new people get involved– then we really start to get jealous, control, and justify. I’ve been there. I’ve felt threatened by “ex-girlfriends” and insecure or maybe even a little jealous. I’ve picked others apart so I felt better in comparison. In these moments of raw jealousy, I forget that these women are not my enemies… In Christ, they are my sisters. The guy I dated in my past is in no way “crazy” or a “jerk” in fact he’s a wonderful God fearing man. I like to remind my friends when they talk bad about their past relationships that, they arern’t what they claim them to be but rather in Christ they are your brothers..

It’s hard to know why someone comes into your life. All relationships require flexibility and change. How do we know when we’re supposed to fight to make it work or when we’re supposed to let it go? I wish I had a good solution to this question, but I don’t. Perhaps I need to start listening to what I tell friends– you never know. You never know what’s best for another person. Sometimes you don’t even know what’s best for you. You never know if God will bring someone from the past into your future. You never know… But God does. Just have faith.

We don’t expect the people who teach us the really beautiful things in life to be the same ones to teach us the really difficult things. I think that’s what hurts the most. If you’re hurting because you expected a happy ending and found yourself in a world of pain… Let those tears soften your heart. Keep loving and don’t worry about chapters that have closed. Your story is still being written by the Creator..His plans far exceed your own :)

I wasted too much of my life playing the “am I good enough?” game.

I constantly compared myself to other women and felt inadequate if they appeared better than me. This was not only devastating to my confidence and self-worth, but impossible to win. There will always be someone prettier, smarter, better dressed, and more talented than me.

We attempt to fill the void of insecurity in many ways–a romantic relationship, friendships, popularity, achievement–but these will never be enough. Although it’s normal to seek acceptance and relationships with others, our security must come from God. His love and promises offer more security than anything else possibly could.

Here are some verses that help us recognize God’s truth when we feel inadequate:

Matthew 10:29-31

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

1 Peter 3:3-4

“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. ^{4 Rather, it should be that of your inner self}

^{, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”}

1 John 4:4

“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

“

Colossians 2:10

“And in Him you have been made complete.”

Beth Moore provides a very comforting truth about security. “When you and I are triggered to expose the most vulnerable, broken parts of ourselves through a rush of insecurity, we can train ourselves to immediately recite this truth to our souls: ‘It’s okay. I’m completely covered [by God].’ And oddly, that very thought all by itself begins the healing. We are not nearly as likely to react with the same level of insecurity when we remember how well covered we are by God.”

God loves you. It’s not a boyfriend/girlfriend, best friends forever, close siblings kind of love… It’s a far greater love than you can imagine. So, when you start feeling jealous, inadequate or unworthy, close your eyes and know that you are completely covered in God’s love.

May your whole life become a response to the truth that you’ve always been loved, you are loved, and you always will be loved. And may you know — may you know deep in the depths of your soul — that there is nothing you could ever do to make Him love you less. There is nothing you could ever do to make God love you less. Nothing you could ever do to make Him love you less. Nothing. Nothing.

- Rob Bell

I mentioned in a conversation that I won’t be dating again until my heart’s aligned with God’s heart. Shortly after the conversation was cut off due to poor connection. I received an e-mail from that someone asking for an explanation. I could not answer the inquiry concisely, so I’ll respond with this post.

Relationships should be about giving. People often say that relationships are “give and take” but I disagree. We live in a society that promotes independence, self-preservation, and selfishness. People often look at romantic relationships in the context of “what can this person do for me?” and not “what can I do for this person?” But, if both parties enter a relationship with the mindset of giving, they will both receive. If one or both people are not giving, the relationship cannot work.

If you want to have something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do things you’ve never done before. If I  were to jump from relationship to relationship, I would never become the woman I know I’m capable of becoming. God is the center of my focus now because He can make my heart more selfless. Being single is not about my independence– it’s about finding unity with God. It’s asking Him to extinguish the selfishness in my heart so I can be the best possible partner for somebody in God’s perfect timing. For now, I want Him to be my completer– not another person.

Our desire for independence can be fueled by many sources– pride, unresolved issues, pain from the past, bitterness, etc. People say that time heals all wounds, but sometimes time just prolongs our pain. Jesus heals all wounds. He fixes broken hearts, relieves our minds of bitterness, and humbles us enough to get out of our own way so He can use us.

I think God’s purpose for romantic relationships, beyond supporting one another, is that we would reflect His image to a lost, dying, and self-focused world. If we love one another in a way that is truly selfless, then others will want what we have. If we pursue peace, offer forgiveness, and live in love… We might just change the world. It’s been said that people who are hurt, hurt other people. But the same works in reverse– people who are healed, heal other people.

I will never pretend to know what’s best for anyone else. I cannot judge your journey because I have not walked your path. I just know that this is the direction my heart is being pulled and I want to share my heart with you.

To the person who e-mailed me: I hope that answers your question.

If I had to choose one struggle that has held me captive for too much of my life, it would be worrying about what others think of me.

I used to think this struggle came from not fitting in, or not being good/smart/pretty enough, but that is simply not true. My problem was not a lack of talent or intelligence… It was a failure to recognize who I am.

We live in a society that tells us joy comes in the form of a large bank account and a number on a scale. We are inundated with information that suggests that we need to be better in order for people to like us. Advertisers profit from us feeling insecure and unsatisfied, and they work to keep us this way.

You can escape this destructive trap by knowing who you are. Knowing who you are helps you find your purpose. Finding your purpose produces joy and peace in your life.

I finally know who I am.

I am chosen.

(1 Peter 2:9)

I am bought and paid for at a high price.

(1 Corinthians 7:23)

I belong to light, not darkness.

(1 Thessalonians 5:5)

I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

(Psalm 139:14)

Can you imagine how we would live if we saw ourselves the way God sees us? We have been set free! We don’t have to live in captivity of whatever has been holding us back anymore. We can escape this bondage by knowing who we are, aligning our thinking with what the Bible says about us, and regaining the promise that we are the children of a God who always triumphs.

If you’re still not convinced, look at the Biblical story of Esther. Her parents died when she was very young. She lived during the time when the Hebrews were exiled to Persia and suffered many hardships. I’m sure Esther often felt out-of-place after being separated from her family, customs, and country. Esther went on to not only find her place, but realize God’s great purpose for her life– a purpose that blessed the lives of many people.

You may go through periods where you don’t understand God’s purpose for your life. Take heart; God sees the ending while we only see the pain now. Not only does He have a place for us in this life, but He has one prepared for us in heaven too.

If you find yourself in a place of feeling like you don’t fit in, remember that no place is out-of-place when you’re in God’s place. Remember that the king of kings calls you His child.