Just Be You

In a world that is often so much dark, be that light in the world. Just be you. Love this song and video from Anthem Lights and Sadie Robertson!

Singles Waiting For That Extra Addition In Your Life

I was overhearing a conversation over the weekend talking about how thankful those husbands were for their wives.  They were complimenting each other saying how each other's wives had brought the best of them to another level, been that support system for them, etc.  It made me think of things from a singles perspective. To all the singles out there that might be reading this, do you ever think about if you had that person in your life on the difference that it could make? I'm single too so if I had that question put to me, the answer is obviously, duh, yes.  LOL.

I often wonder, would I be stronger?  More confident? Happier? More determined? More supported? All those things.  The answer is obviously more than likely yes and that depends on if you have the right person in your life. The right person is going to make you feel all of those things cause they are going to be your teammate and be an encouragement.

I think this is something that all singles go through if you are desiring that person for your life. It's an interesting balance cause we are made complete in Jesus. He's our spirit and our purpose. We can do all things through Him. Yet, there is the scripture of how he knew people needed a helpmate so he made them one. Jesus knew that in our lives that we would need that helpmate to be that person to encourage, support, and do life with.

For me as a single, there are ups and downs with that whole thing. Same with anybody. There are the days where you feel strong. There are the days where you would love to have that person to lean on with a bad day. Somebody to pray with. Some days it feels like you are doing all you can with what you've got. Other days you are thinking, ok God, we've got this. It really is an up and down battle. So, what do you do on those overwhelming days? I paused on typing as I looked to answer that question. There really isn't just that easy answer. I stirred on that when I was listening to that conversation cause it was such a happy conversation among those two married duos that are just great. Yet, I couldn't help but think of the battle of a single of when we don't have that person to bring us up to that next level so to speak. God is close to those who are overwhelmed in spirit. He knows our struggles and gives us the strength to battle them. Sometimes it is almost like we are doing things ourselves to lift our own spirit when we don't have that person next to us to lean on. Lean on God. He knows the desires of singles out there. He has the perfect timing on things. The right thing at the time. This is all the same thing that I'm sure all of you including me has heard before so it is nothing new. That is what we have to do. Maybe it is the same old advice because it is THE advice that God gives us. We lean on Him and wait for Him. We do what we can do and let God do what we aren't able to do. We can only do so much which is obviously through Him. We can't do what we aren't able to do. That is God's power. He makes the impossible possible. That same advice that we hear over and over is likely why we hear it over and over. That is what God tells us to do. Wait, trust, be still.

Summer Lights Tour Hitting The Road This Summer

Looking for a good worship tour to go see this summer? Well, you're in luck. The Summer Lights Tour is hitting the road beginning July 6th in Nashville. The lineup is jammed with talent including Mercy Me, Jeremy Camp, Natalie Grant, Meredith Andrews, and Jimi Cravity.  Want to see if this tour is coming to a city near you?

Here are the tour dates.
July 6 - Nashville
July 7 - Kansas City
July 8 - Indianapolis
July 9 - Detroit
July 13 - Baltimore
July 14 - Charlotte
July 15 - Raleigh
July 16 - Pittsburgh (Meredith Andrews not appearing on this date)

For more info including where to get tickets, check out the official website of the tour at:
http://www.summerlightstour.com

Worship Music Monday - Dear Younger Me by MercyMe

Dear younger me.  What if you could go back and advise your younger self of the things ahead?  What if you could look back and talk to your younger self and tell yourself of the life advice you've learned?  The things that seemed big at the time but weren't that big.  In your teenage years, everything seems so much bigger than it really is.  Not just your teenage years but the years that follow after that.  What if all that you went through was what you needed to get you to where you are today?  Yep.  That is true for all of us.  Worship Music Monday features this awesome song by MercyMe.  Dear Younger Me.

Looking Back at God's Road

It's a busy world.  It seems like we are running non stop.  Just so many things going on and distractions. So many of the times, we are focused forward.  We're focused on the things that we're trying to accomplish.  The things that we're looking forward to and the things we are waiting on God to do in our lives.

One thing that is good for all of us is to just stop.  Stop and just take a breath.  Look at the present day.  Just take that moment to breathe in God and that spirit.  Don't be so focused on the future that we forget to take in the present. 

However, I love this next point.  While we're looking to the future, the road ahead might look intimidating and hard.  There is another direction to remember too.  The road behind you.  Stop and just take a look back at the road behind you.  That road behind you can mean so many things.  Everybody's lives are different.  Different obstacles.  Different things to overcome.  There is one common ground though.  God got you to this point.  No matter the road and its difficulty, God got you down it.  Now, look ahead with the road in front of you.  He got you to this point.  He can get you the rest of the way down the road of where you are getting to.

Reflecting back on the road that you've traveled can be such a humbling experience. It is such a praise worthy experience as well.  It goes with the phrase that I see so much of that God didn't get you this far to just leave you here.  Don't forget to look back and thank God and praise Him for all He has done to get you to this point. I know I had this experience in the last couple of days where I heard a song that reminded me of years ago.  Hearing this song years later put a smile on my face of wow, look at what all blessings that God has added in this amount of time.  That road in between the present and the past of that song.  It was such an overwhelming feeling of praise and thankfulness. 

God is good.  Don't stay so focused on the future that you forget the present or the past.  Remember that God was in it, God is in it, and God will be in it. 

Worship Music Monday - We Believe by Newsboys

This is the first in a series of a new feature on the site.  Worship Music Monday. Something that will encourage you and hopefully lift your spirit on a Monday.  Let's be clear that Mondays are usually not a favorite day of the week for anyone.  LOL.  So, how about some good worship music to start your week off right?

Let's start off with "We Believe" by Newsboys.  This song is such a strong anthem in just standing in your faith, your belief, and speaking out on it.  It may be whether you are riding through the storms of life or just being bold proclaiming your faith.  We believe. This song is also featured in the movie, "Do You Believe?" which is such a rollercoaster ride of emotions in the stories of so many characters.  If you've never seen that movie, check it out!  Very powerful.  For me, this song is even more special as it was the theme song for a youth mission trip that I got to experience. We believe.  Missioning for God.  Being a witness to others.  Here is the music video for "We Believe" followed by a video where they discuss the meaning of this song.  





For more info on Newsboys including more music, tour dates, and so much more, head over to newsboys.com

Don't Hurry Cause You Might Miss A Blessing

Radar watching at work.  Watching that pop up storm on radar coming right toward me.  Can I hurry out of here right when I'm done with work and get ahead of that storm?  That was my thinking.  Just common thinking.  Who wants to get stuck driving in heavy rain?  The time came and I hurried for the door.  As I open the door, I notice immediately that it is pouring rain.  Well, so much for that idea.  It looks like I'm going to stand here in my dry spot before roaming out to the car.  So, I just patiently waited it out.  As the rain started to slack up, I headed off to my car.  Yet, I wasn't really planning on going anywhere till I watched it on radar to see which way this pop up was going.  Radar showed it going right in the direction that I was going.  So, I started to settle in but then I looked up and saw something amazing.  A rainbow forming right in front of my car over the road.  It got bigger and bigger.  Brighter and brighter.  One end of it was just so incredibly bright.  God gave me a message in my head as I was watching that rainbow.  If I had hurried to beat that rain, I would have missed this blessing.  What if we are in such a hurry that we miss the blessing that God may be about to put right in front of us?  As the rain settled and after watching it for a while, I headed toward my next destination.  The rainbow disappeared just down the road.  I come to the realization of that I would not have seen this rainbow if I had hurried off.  It wasn't showing from that direction of where I was going. Instead of allowing me to hurry, God said 'wait a minute, let me show you something that you are going to love'.  There was a message in that rainbow.  Don't hurry cause you might miss a blessing.

Working As A Team To Go For The Gold

One of my favorite things ever is currently underway this summer.  The Summer Olympic Games!!!  For two weeks, the world is glued to this sports event with countries competing in all sorts of events.  Team sports. Solo sports. A little bit of everything.  Last night, I watched the U.S. swimming team win gold which included Michael Phelps returning for another go round. This team working as one to go out there and win the gold.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12: "Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alonend if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken."

Teammates.  Team members.  Lifting one another up.  Working as a team.  A lot of comparisons to how we should be in our Christian lives just like we are seeing in the Olympics every day.  We work as a team in this tough world.  When we see gold winnings teams in the Olympics, you can clearly see that they are the definition of a TEAM. Each team member has their part.  Each member has strengths and weaknesses.  What may be a weakness for another member is a strength for another.  So, that is helped to overcome the weakness in the other team member. They lift one another.  Encourage one another. Celebrate together. When we're walking this Christian path, we're a team. Each of us have our gift with what God has blessed us to do.  We're able to do what another person isn't able to do.  Likewise, another person is able to do things that we aren't able to do. God uses each of us for our talents, skills, personalities, and such to further His kingdom. Then, we're formed on a team to help balance out one another to form one strong team.

Proverbs 27:17 "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." 

Be an encourager.  It is often a negative world out there sadly. When your team member is down, lift them up.  Your words might be the only encouraging words that they have heard all day.  On the flip side, be careful with negative words.  There is the saying that goes around of "be kind.  For everyone is fighting a battle".  What if your negative words catch them on a day where they're just clinging trying not to break?  Your words can either be an uplifting and help them cling tighter or the negative words can make them not want to cling tight and just want to let loose.

Just like in the Olympics, things are just not going to go as planned at times.  A teammate is going to be sitting on the side having a tough time after a bad performance or routine.  How many times have we seen those Olympic athletes that struggled on a day?  Their teammate goes and sits with them. Be the teammate that goes over and sits with them.  Even if you don't have the words to help, just be there. That carries into our everyday Christian lives. We might have a family member or friend that has that look of shock on their face of "well, that didn't go well" or "that was horrible". Everyone needs that sharpening of iron to keep on going at it.  

We're destined for the greatest gold, God's gold!

Single In Your 30's

Single in your 30's.  What do you do?  How do you deal with it?  What are the challenges?  Yeah, those are all the type of questions that are likely in your head.  I was recently doing a Google search lately on this topic just seeing what was out there.  Sadly, there wasn't a lot that I could find.  I read several great articles but it wasn't a topic that I found a lot of information on. So, I thought I would write something on this very topic cause, hey, I'm single in my 30's.  LOL.  I should also point out that I am speaking this from a single never married perspective. So, maybe you'll find some encouraging and relatable things in this article.

Single in your 30's is an odd and awkward time.  No way around it.  It can be the best of awkward and then it can be just completely awkward, awkward.  More than likely you're around groups of people that are married and married with kids.  The numbers just aren't in your favor at times as far as common ground.  Statistics show and, better yet, life shows that the number of singles in their 30's is going to put you in the minority numbers compared to the majority that are married.  However, I see so many studies lately that say that there are more single people than married people now in this country.  More power to that study but it isn't that way in my life.  LOL.

So, God has you in this season of waiting.  What do you do with it?  First thing to say, serve Him.  That has been something that has helped bear fruit in my season.  The apostle, Paul, talks about it in the Bible about how he prefers singleness. He says that when you are single that you have your thoughts more focused on God instead of on the world.  1 Corinthians 7:32-33 "He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife." I see a lot of truth in that cause I'm excited and thankful that there are things that I can get done for the church or serve others because I might have the time that someone else may not have.  That is a blessing.  Yet, on the flip side, I'll think how much more awesome it would be to have that partner beside me to serve as a team.  Wouldn't it be awesome to be able to team up and serve together?  That is often my thought but yet it hasn't come together yet. That thinking brings us to 1 Corinthians 7:9 "But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn." So, Paul acknowledges that he prefers serving as a single but if your heart desires for marriage, you should marry.

So, what do you do when your heart is set on finding that other person to bring into your life?  This is where this is going to read like every other article you've already read.  Patience. Waiting. Trusting. Praying constantly. That is really the answer.  God knows your heart.  He knows your desires.  What is the delay?  What is the hold up?  None of us that desire this know this.  Only God knows this.  And remember that God sees the whole path.  We can only see so far down the path. Our judgment is blurred cause of only what we can see.  He knows what is going on down the line.

It seems like most of the wedding happenings of your friends occur in your 20's.  That has been my experience anyway.  Most of my friends all married in our 20's and their lives changed.  Probably a lot of you have been bridesmaids, groomsmen, best men, maid of honors, etc.  Some of you might have been in more than you can even count.  You've probably felt the feeling of watching your group number dropping meaning your single status in the group is getting to be smaller and smaller. Everyone else is pairing up.  They're moving to the next stage while you're still back at the same stage.  Then, they move to the next stage beyond that.  You're still at the same stage.  Suddenly, you don't have as much in common as you used to.  You might not hang out as much and then might not hang out at all.  That's true just with anything in life cause life changes and people grow apart.  Normal.  What do you do when you're still stuck back in that other stage?  Continue to grow. Make more friends. Search out more social groups. One thing I would really like to encourage on is going out and doing things for yourself.  Find things you enjoy.  Concerts, walk in the park, running, and any activities or hobbies that you enjoy.  Many just don't find much fun in doing things by themselves.  I totally get that but I also learned in my 20's that if I don't start doing things on my own, there is going to be a lot of sitting around.  You might have something that you are so excited to do......but.....everyone around you is busy with no time.  That can happen with anything or anyone. So, I learned to just go and do things and there are so many things I would have missed out on if I had said, ok, I don't want to go by myself.  Yet, as I get further along, I'm also getting into the stage more of ok, I'm ready to have someone to do life with.  In your single in your 30's, you are going to run into MANY times where you just don't feel like you fit in cause you're around a lot of young marrieds and parents. It's that feeling where you don't feel like you have a lot in common or can relate. Topics drift to where they are in life and you feel like you have zero to add.  LOL. All you have seen of it is from the outside of it.

Social media can be such a burden on you in this season if you allow it to be that.  You log on everyday and your news feed is filled with things you want in your life.  Engagement announcements.  Wedding announcements.  Baby announcements.  Families on vacation together.  And, wait for it, kids of your friends making announcements as well.  That one will slap you right across the forehead really quick.  LOL.  Wait, how did this happen?????  You're seeing all these things......as you are still waiting.  You may have things in your life that you want to do but feel like your life is on hold.  I wish I had the answer for all of you reading this but I'm very much like you.  Trying to figure it out one day at a time.  You just keep going.  You keep trusting.  You keep praying.  Believing that God has a plan for you.  In his perfect timing, you'll look back and see how it all lined up.  Yet, you still have to get through the now and the wait time in the waiting room.  That waiting room of life where it is like you are waiting for your name to get called.  You're watched the TV in the waiting room.  You've read every magazine in there....twice.....nope, five times.  And the room is getting smaller and smaller with people getting their names called.  It can be really deflating. You just trust that God has this.  Period.  And God is honored by our trust in Him.  He loves that.  Yet, he understands the struggles in all of our lives. How much do you think God loves you with the fact that you are trusting him so much with something that could be such a struggle for you?  He's going to come through for you.

My pleas to the marrieds that have singles among them on how maybe you can encourage them. Every single is different with what they need for encouragement so that is tricky.  And I say that as a single cause what encourages me might make another single do an eye roll.  LOL. All I can say is just be there for them. They are in an awkward stage of life.  Support them.  Love them.  Be positive to them.  Just like with anything, don't discourage people with comments. With discouragement, you may be saying something jokingly or unknowingly that is already in their head negatively floating around.  Your joking about it or something similar could put that thought on full blast in their head and make them stir on.

It seems like every decade of age offers different sorts of challenges for singles.  The things I thought were difficult with being single in my 20's really don't seem that bad looking back from my singleness in my 30's.  Likewise, I'm sure there are 40's and 50's that look at the 30's and say, yeah, what's your problem?  LOL.  I guess that is the point of it all.  Everyone has their different troubles with singleness no matter what age you are.  Don't forget too that it isn't just the ages but what kind of singles there are.  Single never marrieds.  Divorced.  Single parents. Everyone is at a different stage not only with age but in their singleness. The point of this article was to just put out thoughts that maybe someone will say I soooooo relate to that or I've felt that.  Some of it is things I have experienced or things I have watched others experience.  Keep walking.  Keep trusting. God has a plan. Our job all around in life regardless of any status is to just keep walking and trusting God with that plan.

Lauren Daigle Announces Her First Headlining Tour - A Night With Lauren Daigle

Great news to all the Lauren Daigle fans!  She has announced her first headlining tour entitled A Night With Lauren Daigle!  It is presented by CURE International and also features special guest, Chris McClarney.  Where can you see Lauren's tour?  Well, here are the dates and more will be announced in July!


10/12/16 – Memphis - Highpoint Church
10/13/16 - Jackson, MS - Pinelake Baptist Church
10/15/16 – Dallas - The Bomb Factory
10/20/16 – Baltimore - Trinity Life Church
10/21/16 - Washington D.C - Centreville Baptist Church
10/22/16 – Lexington - Quest Community Church
10/26/16 – Lafayette - Heymann Performing Arts Center
10/27/16 – Birmingham - Gardendale First Baptist
10/29/16 – Clearwater - Countryside Christian Center

Here is a video of Lauren talking about the tour!