4 Reasons For Waiting

Have you ever asked the question: "Why wait?" Well, here are four benefits of waiting to answer that question....

1. Waiting Builds Endurance

Patience builds endurance and endurance produces character. Diligence, loyalty and honor are all qualities produced by endurance that develop when we implement patience. Waiting actually helps shape us into great friends, spouses and members of society.

2. Waiting Reveals Our True Motives



Waiting has a way of highlighting a person's character and intent. People with poor motives won't wait long because they're not interested in the full commitment. They're more interested in short-term gains or self-indulgence. And if we're honest, we'll admit that we want someone who is willing to wait because we want someone who is in it for the long haul. 

3. Waiting Prepares Us 

In many cases the waiting period actually serves as a time of preparation for the answer. Waiting actively, enthusiastically and with a hopeful heart will teach us how to remain focused, committed and passionate when we finally gain what we have been waiting for.

4. Waiting Builds Anticipation



When we experience a long waiting period, we tend to cherish and take care of what have been waiting for more than those who didn't wait. People tend to treasure the things they have to wait for.

 Waiting for answers is a fact of life—nobody gets out of it. So the question is not if we'll wait, but rather how we’ll wait.

How NOT to Wreck Your Life

Guardrails exist  for our safety and protection - to keep us from driving into a dangerous area or from plunging off a cliff. Now let's think about where these guardrails are. They are not IN the dangerous areas. They are strategically placed BEFORE those places that can really mess us up, right? The purpose of this is to help us avoid potential dangers.

When we look back on some of our own biggest wrecks it becomes obvious that we ignored those guardrails and drove straight towards the cliff. We disregarded the boundaries that were put in place to protect us and found ourselves lying in a pit or wrecked on the side of the road. 

These guardrails are firm boundaries meant to keep us on the road and to keep us from losing control. Wisdom works the same way. When we have a clear understanding of consequences and the positive or negative impact our choices can have, then we can avoid unhealthy situations and steer clear of potential dangers. We need to establish guardrails (boundaries) in our relationships and in our lives as a whole.

Now we all know that certain roads lead to danger zones regardless of our many beliefs or backgrounds. That's why society has made an attempt to set some boundaries and will say things like; "Drink Responsibly". But that's not really a solid guardrail is it? Because when people begin drinking they typically get past the point of being able to discern between what is responsible and what is not, don't they? Without a solid guardrail in place, the difference between responsible and not responsible often gets blurry...literally. So this is a trendy aspiration but it is not really a guardrail. A guardrail is: don't get drunk!

Or what about the equally well-intentioned statement; "Don't have sex until you're ready". Because if you ask most guys I am sure they will tell you that they were born ready! So this is yet another attempt at setting some boundaries but it's not a solid, immovable guardrail. It's not something firmly planted in your conscious. It's certainly not something that is going to keep you safe, physically, emotionally or spiritually. It's important to put up guardrails that won't have you looking back in regret saying; "If only I had not ignored the warnings." 

A guardrail would be to determine for yourself that you will not have friends with benefits, you won't watch pornography, you won't hook up with your boyfriend/girlfriend but that you will hold out for the best and enjoy a loving, lasting, regret-free relationship. Don’t allow yourself to be driven by impulses and appetites. When we let pride, lust and selfishness take the wheel, then we will find not only our own lives wrecked, but the lives of those we hurt along the way. Maybe a guardrail you need to put up in your life is to distance yourselves from people who are corrupting your character. Find friends that want to help you and encourage you to stay on track instead of leading you off the cliff.

There are many different roads we can take in life and it is up to each of us as individuals to decide whether we want to take the road full of potholes that leads to destruction and will totally wreck our lives OR the smooth-paved road that leads to fullness and freedom from regret. A wise person chooses the right road; a fool takes the wrong one. 

It’s important to remember that if you’ve taken a wrong turn somewhere along the way and found yourself on a bumpy, dead-end road…it’s NEVER too late to get back on the winning road. Your life is never totaled...there is nothing you can do, no amount of sin that would leave your life un-repairable. There's always hope for restoration through Jesus.

Heart to Heart: Displaced Devotion

I was listening to a webcast recently from Kyle Idleman and he talked about the subject of idols. (You know, all of those things that we make equal to or place above God?) And he shared a statement that sent shock waves through me. He said that we tend to take Christ off of the throne and put him on a loveseat with our idols. Think about that picture for a minute. We're talking about the King of Kings, the Creator of the Universe, the Almighty Savior who died for you and I. We've removed Him from His rightful throne and told him to share a couch with our sin. Or for some of us, we put that something or someone else in His place on the throne and don't even give Him a seat in our hearts at all.


What is it that you treasure most? What do you get the most joy out of? What is it that you spend the majority of your time focused on?  Is it a relationship? Money? Your career? Sex? Food? A sports team? Your appearance? Success? Pleasure? Who or what are you looking towards to satisfy you? What is it in your own life that you are putting before God? What are you making more valuable than Him? We can all fill in the blank with something that we have chosen to be first in our lives instead of God. I know I can. I unfortunately have put many things above him lately. But when I take an honest look into my own life, I can clearly see where my priorities have been grievously displaced. I have been asking these other things to do for me, what only God can do for me. I gave control over to these other passions and turned my worship from God  towards these lesser substitutes expecting to be satisfied.


Truth is that none of these things we put before God can save us. None of them can truly satisfy us. And none of them even compare to His glory. There is nothing wrong with enjoying things like relationships, success, etc. but it is when we allow these things to take center stage - to be the main focus in our lives - that is when they become idols and therefor are a distraction from God. We start to worship the gift instead of the Giver. Instead of allowing these gifts to enhance a deeper devotion to the One who blessed us with them in the first place we worship the gifts instead of God who gave them to us. God also gave us free will to choose where we place our devotion. And it is a decision we all must make for ourselves.

Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve...as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. -Joshua 24:15

Heart to Heart: A Life Intended

Self-reflection is essential for personal growth. It is important for us to take an honest, introspective look at our own lives. Why? So that we can have a better understanding of our strengths and weaknesses as well as our purpose and goals. Too often we look to others as our comparison scale to see where we measure up, but it's really not fair to compare. Each of us are uniquely designed for an individual purpose and trying to fill another person's mold that we were not designed for is like a fish trying to climb a tree...we weren't created for that. The fact that we can't be like someone else doesn't make us more or less worthy, or talented, or desirable, it simply means we haven't embraced your ability to swim. We haven't acknowledged who we are and what we are capable of.

When we stop comparing ourselves to others and recognize our own natural, God-given purpose, then we will begin to live the fulfilling life that we were designed for...the life that God intended for us.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 

-Jeremiah 29:11

Summertime Style

Being classy and modest is a choice. We as women CHOOSE what clothes we put on our body and we don't have to sacrifice style in order to dress modestly.

Here are a few examples of how to choose modesty this summer and still look stylish.

Nail Of The Day: Pink Dazzle

Today's NOTD is Avon's nailwear pro in "Nude and Infused" and Sally Hansen Gem Crush nail color in "Razzle Dazzler". This may be my new favourite combo. 

Nude and Infused reminds me a lot of Essie's "Lady Like" nail polish but has a subtle irridescent element to it that compliments the glitter nail well. It only took two coats to be opaque. Razzle Dazzler is a  gorgeous rose gold glitter with flecks of medium-sized silver glitter in it. Together I think these polishes make for a very classy manicure.

What do you think of this look? Would you wear it?

Prayer For The Weary

Heavenly Father,

Your Word says "those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31). Please renew my strength; help me to be patient and live for You without becoming weary; help me to stand for what is right, to walk boldly with fortified faith. Thank You for Your promises. Thank You for lifting me up and sustaining me.

In Jesus' holy name.

Amen.