Fairy Tale Love

I was reading my friend's blog (check it out: http://livingasasinglegal.blogspot.com/2012/01/one.html) along with watching a show, which put together really got me thinking.  

As 90's girl I grew up watching Disney fairy tales.  You know, the ones where princess finds one true love, they fall in love and finally they live happily ever after.  Chick flicks, romance novels and every other possible type of media outlet shows us how love truly is.  Once you get married, everything is perfect- you get your big house, your 2 children and 1 family pet and everybody is happy.  

Let's be honest.  Love is nothing like this.  So often we try to model our relationships after these relationships, which only turns out to disappoint us.  The greatest love is that that Christ showed us (so great that he laid down his own life for us... thinking about the fact that the King of the Universe died for me... unreal).  

Now, don't get me wrong.  I do love my husband and he loves me, but we cannot lean fully on this and say that because we love each other it will be wonderful forever.  Humans fail, and because of this mistakes will be made.  

Instead of trying to find (or make your spouse) into "Prince Charming", accept each other's faults and work on showing each other the type of love that is explained in 1 Corinthians 13.  Work with each other and build each other up.  Let God's love pour into you so much that it overflows to your partner.  

I'm sorry to say that if you are waiting for your prince to sweep you off your feet, he may come (if that is God's plan) but eventually every prince will get tired and may need to put you down for a bit.  There's only one Prince that has perfect love.    

"No one falls in love by choice, it's by chance.  No one stays in love by chance, it's by work.  And no one falls out of love by chance, it's by choice."

Nobody's Perfect

Often, I find myself putting myself down.  I tell myself that I cannot make a difference in this world and I wouldn't be God's first choice.   I look at the wonderful examples we have in the Bible and draw the conclusions that these people were the people who were "perfect".  But here's the thing...

Abraham was old

Jacob was insecure

Leah was unattractive

Joseph was abused

Moses stuttered

Gideon was poor

Samson was co-dependent

Rahab was immoral

David had an affair

Elijah was suicidal

Jeremiah was depressed

Jonah was reluctant

Naomi was a widow

John the Baptist was eccentric to say the least

Peter was impulsive and hot tempered

Martha worried a lot

The Samaritan woman had several failed marriages

Zacchaeus was unpoplular

Thomas had doubts

Paul had poor health

Timothy was timid

The Bible shows us that everybody has an insecurity and falls short of God sometimes.  But God still used them in amazing ways.   

Though I cannot directly relate to all of these, there are definitely those examples that I know exactly how they feel.  Growing up, I have always had my insecurities about my looks along with a lisp that caused a lot of grief in my life.  I still felt as though God had given me the gift of teaching.  Yet... how could I teach... a girl who can't even pronounce things properly.

For me, it wasn't until I gave all my insecurities to Christ and allowed him to work through my life that I saw that God really does use everybody for specific purposes, even with imperfections.   

Everyone has something that can be a hindrance to serve God.  Nobody's Perfect.  What is holding you back?

Busy Busy

So as many of you know, I am working my way towards a math and teaching degree at the University of Waterloo/Queens (with a second teachable in French).  To pay for this, I work at a pool as well as some tutoring after school.  More often than not, my nights consist of homework, cooking supper, cleaning and well more homework.  

I got around to reading the story of Martha and Mary today... if you haven't heard it basically Jesus comes for a visit and Mary sits at the Lord's feet while Martha cleans, cooks and gets ready (seeing as the Lord is at her house).  I think so often we can look at this story and think how easy it would be for Martha just to stop what she is doing and spend that beautiful quality time with the Lord.  I mean let's be honest, the house will get dirty again, but it is not every day that Jesus comes to visit.

But then... I look at my own life... we have the wonderful opportunity to spend quality time with Jesus each and every single day, yet... I know from my own experience, I too am often too busy with the daily chores and forget what is really important.

These daily chores must be done, but let's not forget the real purpose we are put on this earth.  Let's take time to worship God, adore his wonderful creation and further the Kingdom of God.

2012

Well, let me begin by saying... HAPPY NEW YEARS!!  2011 has come and gone, and for me it has definitely been a huge year for change.  I cannot wait to see what God has in store for me this upcoming year.  Though I wish it all to be good, I am ready for whatever God has in store.  

So that being said... 

2012 is here.  If you have been around at all, you may recognize this year as the year that the world ends.  Want to know how to be prepared for these end times?  

Got that??

So in all seriousness, 

1 Thessalonians 5:2

² for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.


A thief in the night... this means that instead of guessing the time and day of the Lord's return, perhaps we should just live each day that is given to us.  All too often, we take the life we have for granted.  I have seen too many lives cut short, too many lives taken away from the world as teenagers, to not live each day to the fullest.  


This being said, I often forget the fact that Jesus could return any day, any time.  Thinking about all the steps that have already been taken for "the end of the world", how many apologies will be made before that day comes, how many possessions will be sold, for that one day in December.  But the thing is... we do not know the day.  This day could be tomorrow.  The Bible makes it clear that we should prepare our hearts for the day the Lord returns.  Whether this is in 10 years, at the end of this year, or tomorrow, we need to be ready.  So make the apologies today, sell your possessions today and choose to follow God, and most importantly-- prepare your heart today for the Lord's return.  




In the famous words of Tim McGraw "someday I hope you get the chance to live like you were dying".