When Marriage Becomes an Idol

Marriage is wonderful. Like most girls growing up, I dreamed about love and living happily ever after. Now that I am married, I often look back to my single years and, while I rejoice in the faithfulness of the Lord and the beauty of a pure past, I can see several pitfalls I wish I would have avoided. I pray you can benefit and learn from my season of singleness....    
     

     

Today I am honored to be a guest post for Megan in her new series, Singleness Saturdays. Continue reading over at He Will Be Faithful.

Searching For True Love

Are you searching for true love?...

Let Him Write

There was an 18 year old girl who was envied by many of her friends. She was popular, physically beautiful, pursued by many boys in school and at Church. She was funny, outgoing, and involved in various activities in the community. She was also mischievous, seductive, and beguiling. She used her outer beauty to entice the men around her. She used her charm to get exactly what she wanted. She used her sense of humor to glaze over and camouflage her recklessness and sin. Though she grew up in Church and professed to be a Christian, she was never seen telling anyone about Jesus, reaching out to others in need, or living a life of purity and set-apartness. What happened to this girl? She went from one boy to another. She gave all that was pure and innocent and sacred away. No strings attached. Not much concern or shame over all that she threw away. Years wasted and far too much gone forever...

There was another 18 year old girl. She, too, grew up in Church and professed Christ. She was physically gorgeous and inwardly beautiful. She was popular and regularly in the minds of many guys. She was funny and smart and down to earth, involved in as many things as she could be. She was gracious, kind, easy to get along with and viewed by all as a true and genuine friend. Along with all those attributes, she was known to be vocal about her love for Jesus, seen by many going down the streets telling people about what He had done in her life. She went on mission trips and reached out to the poor and homeless. Though plenty of men wanted her, she never used her beauty or her charm to entice them in. Her goal was to be set-apart, pure, noble, and honourable; keeping everything special and innocent sacred.

The above stories are true stories about real girls.

The first girl isn't just one person, but many friends in my past. As I went through my teenage years, one by one, far too many of my friends sank down into the common "21st Century Girl" who used everything God gave them to allure men into their beds.

The second girl, I am proud to say, is my sister. As the world turns more ungodly and the women of this generation become exceedingly crude and seductive, it appears that my sister (and many more just like her) rise higher and higher, pursuing a consecrated life with more zeal than before. And I am inspired more and more.

Purity has been my platform for years. Now that I am married and about to have a little one, I am all the more passionate about getting this message out to all who have ears to hear: Give Jesus the pen of your life. Then step back and let Him write.

There are too many like the first girl.

There are too few like my sister and those like her.

There are too many who refuse to let God have control of their love life and decide to take their high school and college years and have fun. Go out, date, experience heartbreak, toy with fire, fall into temptation, and probably lose their innocence and maybe even wind up with a pregnancy or STD. And why? All in the name of "normal."

There are too few who stand up and say, "The God who gave all for me, will now have MY all....my love life included." Rejecting the pattern of divorce training (hooking up, breaking up, hooking up, breaking up) and refusing to toy with hearts and minds is, surprisingly, looked down upon and deemed "unrealistic." Choosing to develop real friendships that go beyond "who-likes-who," and living in such a way that other stop and watch is noted as "weird." Well.....Jesus was quite different. He was very much set-apart. He went against society. He pursued higher things and greater purposes. So I say, "bring on the weirdness!" And on a side note, it is not only possible, but VERY realistic in the eyes of God to use your single years as a gift from God, "redeeming the time" and making it count for something eternal. 

When I stood before my groom on my wedding day, almost a year ago, it was the most sobering thrill of my life to be able to say, "I have no baggage from past relationships. I have no one to compare to. I don't have a history of hooking up, breaking up, and trashing your name with my friends. No one has had what YOU now have. What God created as sacred and innocent and pure has been preserved for you, and you alone." How I wish EVERYONE could say those words!

The first girl, sadly, will not be able to say that.

The second? Most definitely! And I can already hear the angels rejoicing and see the Lord smiling down.

So what I would like to say to each girl (and guy!) is this: Give Jesus the pen, then step back and let Him write.

Dear Sisters

Since I have been married, several single sisters have had many questions for me.

Is waiting worth it? What can I do now when I feel alone? Is there really someone out there for me?

With Valentine's Day just ending, I know many of you who are waiting for your Prince Charming may be feeling down and lonely. Some of you might have a boyfriend and are wondering if waiting is really worth it in the end. Well my sisters, I have some things to say to you....


Dear Sisters,

As I sit here in the morning light, God is reminding me of how faithful He is. He has given me a new day. He has given me His love and salvation. He has given me a wonderful family and great friends. He has given me an amazing husband who is the love of my life and, to top it off, He has even given me a baby boy on the way! I do not know all of you, nor do I know what you go through in your day-to-day life; your ups and your downs. I do not know your life's ambitions and I don't know the deepest desires of your heart. But I can guess that you desire love. You desire a knight in shining armor. You long for a "happily ever after" kind of love story. After all, that is how our God created you.

What can I possibly say to you that would accurately describe how big our God is? It amazes me that when I was 15 years old, single, and wondering if I would ever find true love, God was orchestrating a beautiful story up ahead of me. And I had no idea! When I met my husband-to-be when I was 21 years old, little did I know that my Lord was smiling down, knowing that I wouldn't catch on to His master plan until over a year later! God is much bigger than our minds can possibly fathom. I know you may be sitting there wondering if He has forgotten you or if He really cares about your relationship status. I assure you that He has not forgotten you, and I can testify that He does care, even about the most minute details of your life. That's the kind of God He is. I used to wonder the same things you may have wondered about. I wanted a noble Knight to charge into my life and win my heart. I wanted a fairytale story and I wanted a love worth waiting for. I wondered if I would actually get what I dreamed and prayed for. I doubted God's faithfulness, but He proved me wrong!

How could I possibly encourage you to wait on the Lord? We live in an "instant" world. We have microwavable dinners, instant messages, and everything quicker and faster. Day by day, it gets easier and easier to become impatient and discontent. In relationships, it is no different. I remember when I made the choice not to date. I had gotten a glimpse of something big and beautiful. I pictured my wedding day and my wedding night and the more I dwelt on it, then more I wanted to be able to stand before my groom and give him everything. No leftovers. No past history. No baggage. No comparisons. Was it easy to wait? No, it wasn't. But was it worth it on my wedding day? YES, it was!


My sisters, if I could say two things to you I would say:

1. Wait on our God. If you are playing the dating game, ditch the boyfriend until the Author of Love sends you HIS choice. Do not take the writing pen into your hands, but let our Lord script your story. HE writes only the best love stories! Let Him have control. The Bible says that our hearts are deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9) and to guard it closely (Proverbs 4:23). Do not give pieces of your heart and body away. Do not throw around "I love You's" because each time you do, it becomes less meaningful to your future husband. Dear friends, I cannot stress the magnitude of the beauty that comes with waiting. It is worth every sacrifice, every tear of loneliness, every dateless night, and every moment you spend patiently waiting on the Lord. Do not doubt His faithfulness. Please, wait. And while you are waiting.....
   
2. Fall in love with Jesus. As you sit patiently and wait for your earthly prince to come and carry you away into the sunset (it still happens, believe you me!), fall more in love with your heavenly Prince, Jesus Christ. As you draw nearer to His heart, He will comfort you, strengthen you, and fill your life with joy and contentment....and the waiting won't be much of a big a deal anymore, because you will be totally taken up with Christ. The Bible says that the Lord will give each of us the desires of our hearts IF we delight in Him (Psalm 37:4-5). I encourage you to do so. Learn more about who He is and what He has done and will do. Read His love letter to you. Talk with Him. Lean on Him. Run to Him. Adore Him. The more your mind and heart is captured by Jesus, the more beautiful your earthly love story will be. And rest assured that no sneaky prince-wanna-be will be able to deceive you if you are completely focused on Him. Instead, the noble man of God that the Lord has in store for you will not only be captivated by your relationship with Jesus, he will lead you even closer to Christ! Sisters, please do away with distractions and petty come-and-go things. Fall into the arms of our ever-faithful, constant Companion and Champion, Jesus. You will never regret it.

What more can I say? The choice is yours, but I pray fervently that each of you will catch a glimpse of the glorious love story our God has for you.....and then serve your faithful King as you wait. It is worth it....and He is faithful.

Love,
    your sister

The Single-Hearted Virgins

Written by Thaysse Costa and found on the Set-Apart Girl website in their latest magazine, the following poem captures what should be the heart of every young woman.

I heard Him say, "Be single-hearted, My Bride"

The applause and shame of men despise.

Care not at all what they think and say,

Place thy eyes on Me: I will not delay.

Break at My feet alone thy spikenard jar,

I want thy heart from Me not afar.
Incline to Me thy intimate thoughts;
Embrace the narrow road that is rough -
For My love is far better than wine;
For thou art Mine, and I am thine.
Run to Me despite what thy enemies tell,
I have crushed them under My feet; they all fell.
My blood will cover thee in and out of need,
It will empower thee for multitudes to feed.
Examine My Word to find Me alone,
Each new day let me rule in thy hearts throne.
Be not afraid, I uphold thee in My right hand;
I am the One who will make thee stand.
My grace, love, and peace have already sufficed;
I AM thy Lover, thy LORD; I AM thy Christ.
Deny thy interests, give Me thy life;
I long to make thee a gracious wife.


The single-hearted virgins were bought with a price;
Their affection and interest are for the Risen Christ.
With undivided heart they delight in His name,
To be His and His alone they are not ashamed.
In Adullam's cave they have joined their King;
In being hunted and despised for His sake they rejoice and sing.
There they are made ready for the fight,
Being freshly anointed with the captain's might.
In pain and purging they cleave to the Spirit's Sword;
In the Lord's strength and grace they march forward.
The Lamb's righteousness is their cloak,
And only in the cross they dare to boast.
They become Mary sitting at Jesus' feet,
And following only where the Spirit leads.
With effectual fervent prayers they intercede;
Building up broken walls, standing for the least.
They do not indulge under a chapel's bell,
But spend themselves within an yard from hell.
In the bedrocks of unchangeable truth they stand
Immovable and shielded by the Almighty Hand.
And this is the single-hearted virgins' cry:
"Give the glory due to the Triune GOD on High!"

As He Rejoices

Isaiah 62:5
For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.


As the bridegroom rejoices over his bride...so shall God rejoice over you.

That jumps out at me and gives me such girlish delight! As a girl, as a woman, as a lady, and as a bride, you LONG for your love to rejoice over you. You long for him to gaze at you in awe. When he speaks of you, you want his words to drip honey! Being rejoiced over by a prince is every girl's desire!

When I fell in love with Grant, I wanted him to love me with a love that could not be matched by any other human. I wanted him to be anxiously excited when he spoke to me or when he saw me. I wanted him to REJOICE over me. And he wanted to be rejoiced over as well.

When I married Grant, that feeling exploded and began to rise to a much higher level. I not only wanted him to rejoice over seeing me or speaking with me, but I wanted him to rejoice when he came home to me at the end of the day, when he tasted dinner made specially by me for him. I wanted him to rejoice over me as I kept house, cooked, cleaning, washed, and ironed. He is my bridegroom and I want to always be worthy of his rejoicing; of his delight. And I want to rejoice over him too!

"...as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride..."

Now, let us look at the second part of that verse, so shall thy God rejoice over thee. That brings me to a whole new dimension! So shall GOD rejoice? When I think of it, I have to ask myself if I have done anything that merits the LORD God to rejoice over me? Have I? To be honest, no.

We often wrap ourselves so deep into earthly relationships that we become completely oblivious to the need of our heavenly romance. We long for our fiance' or husband and we work hard to be worthy of him and have him fall more in love with us every day. But rarely do we work to make ourselves a holy, pure, empty vessel that Christ desires us to be. If we would spend as much time and effort and energy every day beautifying ourselves spiritually, and making the temple of God (us!) a more pleasant, clean, and holy place for our heavenly Bridegroom to dwell, then our God would definitely rejoice over us more than we could fathom! Let us "seek Him first" and make our relationship with Him our first priority. Let us desire to be desirable by Him. Let us long to be rejoiced over by HIM. Our earthly marriage is VERY important, but always remember that our Heavenly Marriage is the foundation for it all.

I Promise To Be There... Occasionally.

My sister had a great status on Facebook this morning that convicted me, challenged me, and inspired me. I'll share it with you:

Does a wife have to write down when to talk, spend time or show love towards her husband on her calender? Does she talk to him just one time a week IF she feels ok? NO! Then we as Christians should NOT do the same to God. We are the Bride of Christ therefore HE is our husband. We should delight ourselves in Him. Lets not cheat on HIM with our pillow, FB etc or even OUR time. He wants to spend time with us.

How true that is! As a newlywed, I understand it in a new light. I would never even think of arranging time on my calendar to "fit" my husband in my life when it is convenient for me. I would never cheat on Him in any way with any one! I would never ignore him throughout the week and save the sweet looks, praising words, and gentle touches for one day of the week. I would never act like I wasn't married when around friends, family, or strangers. How could I?? I have given my all to him and have promised to be faithful and true forever. I LOVE being married and I love spending time with my husband. While he is at work, I spend the day making the house and home acceptable to him; cozy, clean, comfortable. When 5 o'clock rolls around, I'm watching the window, excited about seeing him after a day's work. I work to make it quite clear that I am married; I am taken; I belong to someone.  Why would a wife act differently??

But my sister had a point. Too often we, as spiritual brides and wives, do exactly that! We ignore our Prince throughout the week. We go to work, go to school, go to parties, clubs, the bar, and then pop in Church Sunday morning and put on a grand show. We tote our Bible into Sunday School and read His love letter to us, without being moved or affected...much less changed. We sing the hymns, nod our heads during the sermon, then go home. And as we reach our house, the Bible is put back on the shelf where it will remain for the rest of the week. We do not pray (unless we need something). And we assume that our Groom is satisfied and pleased with our "time."  God, forgive us. We cheat on Him. We are unfaithful to our God, putting everything in the world above Him. We will sleep late and skip Church, we will read books and magazines more than our Bibles. We will spend more time watching TV, surfing the internet, or out with friends than in the presence of God, praying. We use our talents and gifts to glorify ourselves instead of glorifying Christ and leading others to Him. When we asked Him to save us and come into our lives, we relinquished our rights. We gave Him all. And quite often, we take it back later. When we want our way, instead of His, we break our promise to serve Him, obey Him, follow Him, and love Him. We do what is convenient for us, instead of what is commanded of us.

We have made it too easy to forget and ignore our Bridegroom. We don't want Him "in the way" of our activities and plans, because...well, let's face it, He may not like them. Yet, we claim to be His servants, His children, His BRIDE.

I am guilty, too, of not giving my Heavenly Love as much time as my earthly love. I am guilty of being more excited to see my husband, than spending time in the presence of my King.

So it is time to change. It is time to re-evaluate. It is time to repent.

If you are human, like me, then you are probably in the same shoes as I am. So join me in giving Jesus, our Heavenly and Mighty Prince, our ALL...every day, every hour, every moment.

Revelation 19:7 -
"Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready."

Eternally Newlyweds

Can I just say right now that I loooooooooove being married?

Can I say that? Good. Thank you. ;)My hubby and I have been married for a grand total of 95 days! ....(which, sadly, is a record these days)

We are still newlyweds. *bats eyes*

Actually, Grant and I have both made a decision that we will work to have the "honeymoon" feeling for the rest of our lives. We want to always be so totally in love that, 20 years from now, people will think we are just newly married. Tomorrow, we want to be more in love with each other than we are today. It takes work. It takes effort. There have been days when we have grown lazy. But all in all, I have to say that we feel more blessed, more excited, more passionate, and more in love today than on our honeymoon. So far, so good!

You know, as a bride and as a wife, I want to feel like a newlywed for the rest of my life. But here is a thought: Should we not feel the same way about our Heavenly Husband? Think about it. Go back in time. When you first asked Jesus to come into your heart and life and change you, make you whole, make you new, and SAVE you, didn't you feel just wonderful?! :) Didn't you feel light and happy and completely at peace? Didn't you feel like you could walk on air? Didn't you want to shout, laugh, and cry all at the same time? You were COMPLETELY in love! You were a spiritual newlywed. :) Why is it that we lose that newlywed feeling towards our Love? Why do we get lazy in our attempt to fall more and more in love with Christ? Why are we slack? Why are we selfish and indifferent? Why do we act so deeply amazed by Him when we walk in Church, but then leave and ignore Him the rest of the week? Or call to Him when we are in trouble? Is that the reason we "married" our Heavenly Prince? Would any wife marry her husband only to give him attention one day a week? Call him only when she needs help changing a flat tire?

It is a profound thought. A convicting one.

As a wife, I adore my husband! Though he is human, I look at him as my Prince and my Knight. I want to be with him all the time. I watch the window and run and fix my hair as 5 o'clock rolls around each evening, when I know he is about to come home from work. I want his thoughts and opinions about everything. I want his approval. I want him pleased. So why are we not the same (and more!) with the King of Kings? Why do we not want to be in His presence every moment of every day? Why do we not anxiously and excitedly long for Him to come to us? Why do we not rid ourselves of the spiritual stench and sloppiness in our lives for Him? Why do we not seek Him in our every decision? Why do we ignore His commandments and standards and rules for our living? Why do we not care about pleasing Him?

I would have to say that we, as spiritual brides, are pretty rotten wives sometimes. We need to get our perspective corrected and work a bit harder. I don't know about you, but I want my relationship with my Heavenly Love to be MORE blissful and amazing every day. I want to be eternally newlyweds with my Jesus! Just as I long and work to keep the passion alive with my husband, I should work harder and long more strongly to keep the Heavenly Honeymoon spirit alive and well in my relationship with Christ.

....it's something to think about.


John 15:9 -
As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

Song of Solomon 8:6a, 7a -
Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death...Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it:...

Jeremiah 31:3 -
The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

He Rose!

"But now is Christ risen from the dead,
and become the firstfruits of them that slept."
1 Corinthians 15:20

HAPPY RESURRECTION DAY!!

He died for us to give us life, and to give us hope, HE ROSE!!

I Will Be Here

While enjoying this beautiful song about lasting marrital love, I couldn't help but put it in spiritual terms.

No matter what may come about in our lives, Jesus, our Lord and our Love, will always be there. When we cry, He holds us. When we're angry, He speaks softly to us. When we laugh, He smiles with us. When we go through difficult or painful circumstances, He walks with us. On and on it goes! What great love He has for His bride....

Hebrews 13:5b -
"...for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

Matthew 28:20b -
"...and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

The Best Dishes

Have I showed you all our china patterns yet?? No? Well now, I simply must! :)

Grant and I picked a very simple, yet elegant pattern from Noritake called "Stoneleigh."

Flatware? As a gift from my grandmother, we have "Tabora" from Reed and Barton.

Crystal glassware? "Paris" from Noritake.

Now, there you have it! :)

My faithful few readers must be thinking, "Okay, HOW is she going to liken this to something spiritual? I mean, it's dishes!" I appreciate your confidence! :) Actually, I was suprised when it hit me just yesterday afternoon while finalizing a few china issues. What is china for?? I mean, all you need is everyday dishes to get you through. When do you ever even use your wedding china??

Well, in my family, we get out the china dishes when there is a special occation. Thanksgiving, a birthday, Christmas, graduation, etc. We take them out and place them neatly on the table when there is some sort of celebration. It's the very best. Sometimes we do the same thing for company. We don't want our company to eat off of the broken and chipped dishes, we want them to have the best!

Now do you know where I'm going with this??

It may not be much, but while I was thinking about china and how beautiful it is, I had to think of how Heaven gave us its very best when Jesus, God in human flesh, came down to earth. With all my sin and all my shame, our Heavenly Father looked down and decided to send the best Heaven had to offer to redeem me from sin. He did the same for you too! And when He saved me, He didn't just forgive me of all I had ever done up to that point.... He kept on forgiving! He washes me clean every day. He loves me unconditionally. He doesn't have a limitted amount of love or pardon or grace.... He doesn't give me the "chipped and broken dishes" - He breaks out the china! He doesn't set His table with paper plates and throwaway cups. He sets His table with overwhelming mercy, unfathomable joy, unspeakable peace, indiscribable love - THE VERY BEST! He gives the best gifts. He gives a human race that scorns Him, ignores Him, and spits in His face His very life. And He gives His children, who stumble and who question Him, the best of all that He is!

....I will never be able to look at wedding china without thinking of God's "best dishes" too.

Luke 15:22
"But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:"

1 John 3:1
"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God:"

A Public Announcement!

Psalm 22:22
I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.

Last month, our wedding announcement was put in the local papers and it looked wonderful! It made its way into four different newspapers in four different counties.

Thinking on our newspaper announcement that goes into the hands of nearly every person in town, I've thought of this: Why don't we make our salvation more of a public announcement??

Think about it. When a couple gets engaged, they are so in love with the other and they begin right away telling those they know that they will soon be married! The bride shows her ring to all of her friends and all of her family members. The groom tells his buddies how fortunate he is to have the most sweet and beautiful girl in the world. The bride gushes to her friends how wonderful and handsome her husband-to-be is! Even while shopping for wedding supplies, people notice the purchases and then notice the ring and a "Congratulations!" normally will follow. People quickly hear the news when a wedding is being planned! The word spreads!

So, in our Christian life, I have to ask myself the question, "Do people see the joy and love in my face, in my eyes, and in my life when I speak about my Heavenly Bridegroom? Do they see the excitement of preparing for my Heavenly wedding? ....Do I even show it??"

I enjoy it when people ask about my groom, my wedding, and my planning. I enjoy talking about it and I believe they can see the excitement when I tell them all the latest bridal news. But my deepest prayer is to have so much excitement and joy over my Prince Jesus that everyone I meet can see it written on my face and glittering in my eyes and smile. I want to open my mouth boldly and unashamedly and "announce" what Jesus Christ has done in my life....with no reserve, no hesitance, no embarrassment. I am not ashamed or hesitant when I speak of my earthly bridegroom. So speaking of my Heavenly Groom, the One who moved Heaven and earth for me, the One who redeemed me and cleansed me from my sin, the One who welcomes me into His holy presence, I should never falter to speak joyously about One so great as my Heavenly Love.

Let me encourage you....TELL PEOPLE about Jesus Christ! Tell people what He has done for you! Tell them what He has rescued and redeemed you from! Do not be ashamed of the Creator, the King of all Kings, the Savior and Master that is GOD. Spread the joyous and amazingly wonderful news and declare His mighty, saving grace to EVERYONE you see.

1 Chronicles 16:24
Declare his glory among the heathen; his marvellous works among all nations.

Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Matthew 9:31
But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country.

Falling in Love With the Bridegroom

Alas!

Researching wedding traditions, trying to settle on wedding photography, ordering numerous wedding articles, and designing invitations and napkins, can make my head acquire a dull ache and my eyes a slight droop. It's a lot of thinking. I mean really!....

Do I want this verse on the napkins or this great quote?

Will these flowers be in season?

Do I want traditional wedding photography or more contemporary?

What about music??

Which picture should we put into the invitations?

And speaking of invitations, which ones are we going to go with??

It's enough to make you scream, "Somebody please get me a tylenol, a pillow, a warm cup of apple cider, and a relaxing afternoon away from this!"

I'm learning something though, with this whole wedding planning, most-stressful-time-of-a-girl's-life season: It's easy to get distracted and drift away from your First Love. A beautiful friend of my mine gave me a book not long after I became engaged. It's a simple wedding planner, from a Christian point of view...reminding the bride to take time to draw closer to Christ. Sadly, that's a hard thing to do! But I'm learning more and more - and in so many different ways! - that "this" and "that" really and truly does not fulfill. "This" and "that" does not give lasting happiness or contentment. It really is only Jesus. Of course, that's something I've always known....but it's so easy to "unintentionally" forget.

Over and over in His Word, Christ tells us to seek His face, to pursue Him, to follow after Him. As a bride, I'm learning that this is more beautiful than it ever was before. It's like He's saying, "My love, come away with Me," "My precious bride, don't ever let Me go!" or "My darling, keep falling more in love with Me!"

Now, if you are flesh and blood and very much a lady, when a gentleman speaks soft, tender words like that, you melt! When he takes you by the hand and makes promise after promise to love you, take care of you, cherish you, and never leave you, you fall more and more in love with him. If that is so, then how much more should we fall in love with Christ each day? As we open up His Word and hear all of His promises, see all of His love, and feel all of His passion for us, we should feel a burning desire to pour out our lives for Him forever. I know that when my earthly bridegroom demonstrates His love for me, I desire to demonstrate my love all the more towards him. It should be the same (yet SO much more so) with my Heavenly Bridegroom. My earthly man is quite a catch, but he is human. He has his share of faults, flaws, and shortcomings. He isn't perfect. My Heavenly Bridegroom, however, IS perfect. And when I open my Bible and am reminded of His great love, His grace, His tender voice calling out to me, I should do no less than fall at His feet in complete adoration!

With all the decisions to be made concerning my wedding day, I have to remind myself every day to show my love to my man; to love, cherish, encourage, honor, and serve to the best of my ability. And in like manner, every day, I MUST draw closer to the heart of Christ; to love, obey, serve, honor, and devote my life to Him afresh and anew. It's hard work! It's not easy greeting each day with prayer and Bible reading or going through the day in frequent communication with Him. It takes effort! But we must. While we fall more in love with our groom as the wedding day approaches, let us fall more in love with our Heavenly Bridegroom each day....or it is all wasted.

The Greatest Lover of All Time

Philippians 2:5-7 -
"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:"

A Poet and a Prince

It's common knowledge that most girls want a prince. They want the suave, confident, handsome, and heroic manly-man. They want a man who isn't afraid to swing a sword and defeat the villian. Blood, sweat, dirt and all.

But there is another side of a man that is greatly desired by ladies as well. It's the poetic side.

When guys hear the word "poetic" they usually grumble and think of Shakespeare and Longfellow and their English Literature class in school. But the poetic side that girls long for isn't a man in tights fervently saying "It is the east, and Juliet is the sun!" It's not even roses and rings. It isn't even fancy restaurants and candlelit dinners. Those things are sweet, but it is so much more than that! The poetic side is the simple romance of the heart. It's the time spent thinking of and appreciating the other. It's the tender words, the thoughtful actions, the sweet little notes and beautifully written love letters. For a prince to be truly noble, he must be tender. He must be willing to fight off the dragons (and bugs and mice too!) and willing to risk his life saving you from harm, but he also must be thoughtful, kind, considerate, loving...not just risking his life for you, but willing to literally lay it down. And vice-versa for us ladies! (But more on the flip-side another day!)

Jesus, as I have written before, is the PERFECT Prince! The true Prince. He is the ultimate Warrior, the ultimate Champion. But He is also the ultimate Lover. He is the ultimate Poet. He demonstrated His love for us not only by coming to earth and defeating Satan's hold on us, offering us Salvation, but He demonstrated His love by literally laying down His life for all of mankind.

I heard it said once that the perfect picture of manhood and of Jesus can be found in reading Revelation and Song of Solomon together. In Revelation, we see the strength and mighty valour of Christ. We see His Kingly manner and His royal position and authority. Then when reading Song of Solomon, we see His tenderness, His passionate love, and His poetic expression of that love. We see two sides of the Great King and Prince, Jesus Christ.

So it should be with earthly men.

If they desire to be like Jesus, then they must follow in His footsteps. They must be mighty and strong, standing up for least, defending the weak, serving Christ, and fighting in the army of God relentlessly. And along with that, they must be gentlemen, respectful, thoughtful, kind, sincere, trustworthy, faithful, romantic, tender, and loving. They must work with all their heart to be a poet and prince... just like Christ.

We girls swoon over a man like this. And as a reminder to myself and all you girls out there - earthly poet/princes are carbon copies, not the real thing! We should swoon 100 times more over Jesus Christ - the ultimate example of nobility and the Creator of all that is Princely and Poetic. We should desire an intimate relationship FIRST and FOREMOST with Him. As a result... He will lead us to our earthly poet/prince. :)

The following song is a perfect picture of the contrast between the earthly noble prince/poet and our heavenly Prince/Poet. It makes me cry...fyi, so grab some tissues girls and WAIT for a man like this. And all you guys? Tighten your belt and determine to BE like your King. I can assure you, there is nothing so handsome and worthy of respect and honor than a man who is a Poet and a Prince...

http://www.imeem.com/sunshine-rachelle/music/5Ad7QIaB/eric-and-leslie-ludy-poet-and-a-prince/

She longs for me to hold her
Offer my shoulder
Cherish her as a flower
Adore her as an angel

She longs for a defender
A love-inspired prize fighter
A champion, a charmer
A prince so noble like this

When I look within
Do I see a prince smiling back at me?
Or do I see a soul that’s been swallowed
By selfishness and greed?
If I’ll ever be a great lover, I must remember this
Love that lasts forever is found only in...Jesus

She longs for me to serenade
Think of her throughout my days
Know when to buy her flowers
Talk with her for hours

She longs for a lover
A true man of tenderness
A gentleman, a poet
A prince so noble like this

When I look inside
Do I see the signs that God is changing me?
Or do I see a man still led by self
Yearning to be free?
If I’ll ever be a great lover, I must remember this
Love that lasts forever is found only in...Jesus

He can teach me how to love her
Honor and defend her
How to be a man she laughs with
And she trusts enough to cry with
Someone just like Jesus

She longs for a true lover
I can be this for her
Cause I will learn from Jesus
How to be a man that’s tender

His gentleness and strength
And love that spans eternity
He’s a champion of true love
He’s a gentleman, a poet, a prince

Marriage Takes Three

As a couple draws closer to God, they draw closer to each other...

Marriage Takes Three

I once thought marriage took
Just two to make a go,
But now I am convinced
It takes the Lord also.

And not one marriage fails
Where Christ is asked to enter,
As lovers come together
With Jesus at the center.

But marriage seldom thrives
And homes are incomplete
Until He’s welcomed there
To help avoid defeat.

In homes where Christ is first,
It’s obvious to see,
Those unions really work,
For marriage still takes three.

by Perry Tanksley

The Warrior Prince

Isaiah 9:6b -"....and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

Judges 6:12 -"And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valor."

Most every girl longs for a warrior prince, a noble knight, a valiant man of honor. Unfortunately, these days, men of such esteem are few and far between.

When I was little, I adored the "princes" in the movies. My heart would ache with excitement and longing while I watched Prince Phillip in Sleeping Beauty, as he rode in on his noble steed, defeated the dragon, braved through the forests, thundered up the palace steps and rescued his beloved princess!

What modern-day normal, average Joe would do such a dangerous and noble thing now?

The answer? Very few.

Recently, I've been reading the Old Testament battle sequences in the Bible. Over and over, I find phrases like "mighty men of valor" and "all the valiant men" and "a man of war." Words such as "honorable," "strong," and "helper" have stuck out among all the names and stories of the warriors. Men like David, Jephthah, Gideon, Benaiah have a name among the "mighty men of valour." David was a warrior and a King. He slayed Giants by day and wrote songs and psalms by night. A mighty man.... a tender man. A poet and a fighter. Many times we overlook the amazing "wow-ness" in the story of David killing the lion and the bear with his two hands, and then the giant, Goliath, with a single stone.

What modern-day guy could do that??

The answer? Next to none.

Sadly, the men who have the power of God upon them so strongly that they can defeat lions, tigers, bears (oh my!) and the giants are closer to zero. Most "men" are femininity-bashing, innocence-conquering, wolves in sheep's clothing. They are of the charm-enhancing, smooth-talking, self-centered breed, who believe themselves to be God's gift to women. Where are the noble knights? The mighty men of valor? The honorable kind?

Take heart, my sisters reading, for there are still a few warrior-princes out there. Amongst the ones who try to be men in their own strength and under their own terms, are the mighty princes on their noble steeds who still stand for and fight for their King Jesus, who still defend the poor and the weak, who still protect innocence and purity, and who still have a tender heart and a warrior spirit.

There is one man, however, who is the ultimate picture of a Warrior Prince. In fact, he makes Prince Phillip in Sleeping Beauty look rather wimpy. He is the One who is the epitome of manhood, of knighthood, of strength and power. He is the One who is the shining example of love, faithfulness, tenderness, and wonder.

He is none other than Christ Jesus.

The few warrior-princes of our day are truly a sight to behold! But they are only small shadows of the ultimate Warrior-Prince. They are His workmanship and He has molded them into His likeness. But He is the true Warrior-Prince. It is Jesus who is the ultimate "mighty man of valor" who conquers sin, death, and the grave. It is Jesus who is the epitome of nobility and honor, who is full of grace and lovingkindness.

It is a lovely thing to have an earthly warrior-prince....a man who will serenade you, write you sweet sonnets, love you eternally, and fight with all the zeal of a knight for your heart.

But it is an even greater thing to be Christs'....to have the great King of Kings die for you, love you unconditionally, write psalms and love letters to you, intercede for you, never leave you or forsake you, conquer all for you, defeat all evil for you, and building a mansion for you where you will be with Him forever.

He's a Warrior.... and a Prince.

Taken at Five

Seventeen years ago, when I was five years of age, on a hot, humid night in northern Arkansas, I got engaged!

....Okay, I know you must be thinking "um....come again?" You're waiting for the punch-line, aren't you? Okay, well, to clear the air, I was not betrothed to a little boy at the age of five. So you can sleep well now. No, this engagement was a bit different than your everyday "down-on-one-knee-with-a-diamond" kind of thing. No, at the tender age of five, I became engaged to my heavenly Prince. Pssst! His name is Jesus. :)



If you read my last post, you'll know that this blog is all about my relationship with my Prince Jesus and how every detail of our earthly lives is a beautiful picture of our spirital life as well. Well, I'd like to share with you the night I became taken. :) The night I said a joyful "YES!" to Jesus. In other words, this is my testimony! ;)

As I mentioned before, it was a hot, humid, August night. My family and I, who travel and sing, were conducting a revival in the northern part of Arkansas. Growing up in a family who sing about Jesus, preach about Jesus, talk about Jesus, read books about Jesus, watch movies about Jesus, and dedicate their lives telling others about Jesus.....it's bound to stick. :) I grew up knowing and telling Bible verses and Bible stories as early as a year and a half old. So by the age of five, I knew the sweet story of Jesus coming to this earth at Christmastime as a little baby, who grew up and never disobeyed his Mom or Dad (that was slightly shocking to my childlike brain), who did many miracles, and finally, for no reason, was put to death by his own countrymen. I used to get angry when I thought of those mean soldiers nailing my Jesus to a cross. As the days and months went by, the gospel story burned in my heart. And as I learned more, I was amazed. Jesus died for me? He came and died because I didn't clean my room when Mom told me to? He had to die because I did something wrong? It pierced my heart. He died so I wouldn't have to? He died so I could go to Heaven? Little by little, this precious love story worked its way into my five year old heart.

So on this particular night, during the revival services, I knew the time had come to truly thank God for what He did for me; to apologize for all the times I did something wrong and hurt him; to pledge my life and heart to Him, to live for Him forever. Later that night, at the foot of a bed, with my Dad and my Mom, I asked Jesus to come into my heart and save me.

So what does that have to do with being engaged? Think about it.

When you're twenty-two and your handsome fella comes to you, kneels down, presents you with a ring, and asks you to be his forever, and when you are swept away by his love, and you say "Yes!" then you are engaged! :) Congratulations. :) ;)

And likewise, when you're five years old and the King of all creation comes down to this earth, presents you with His body and blood - a sacrifice of Himself - and asks if you will accept Him, love Him, serve Him, and live for Him forever, and you are amazed at the depth of His great love, say "YES!!" ....then YOU, my friend, are engaged as well.

Earthly engagement is lovely but spiritual engagement? That's pure bliss! I hope, if you have not yet said "YES!" to this Heavenly Prince I speak about, then you will do so soon. Believe you me, it's a love story that is quite amazing.

I'm a Bride!

Hello everyone! I entitled this blog “The King’s Bride” for two reasons, both of which I’ll happily explain to you.

Firstly, I am a Christian, redeemed and loved by my Savior, Jesus Christ. The Bible calls Him many names: Lord, Prince of Peace, Mighty God, Emmanuel….but it also calls Him King of Kings. And we, who are saved, are His bride. Spiritually. :) I am His bride. And hopefully you are too. :)

Secondly, I am a bride in the human, earthly way also. I am currently engaged to a noble prince; a warrior in the army of our God and King. He is strong, romantic, poetic, tender, loving, and practically everything a girl could ask for.….and I’m his bride. :)

And so here we are.

The purpose of this blog is to magnify my King and my heavenly lover, who loves me unconditionally; who came and died for me, who redeemed me from sin, who robed me in white, and who is coming for me one day soon! Of course, I’ll also throw in tidbits about my earthly wedding planning, my wonderful family, my sweet friends, my ministry, my goals, my passions….my blessed life.

So welcome to this blog! It’s a sneak peek into my heart and my mind. It’s the “parlor room” of my life. Hope you will be blessed and inspired but, most of all, I hope you will draw ever closer to the King yourself. And if you are not His bride, I do hope you’ll come to know Him and accept His proposal. :)