Invitation for My Readers

"How long does it take your soul to realize that your life is full? The slower the living, the greater the sense of fullness and satisfaction."

". . .I have an appetite to celebrate - yes, let us eat cake! . . .to pick armfuls of poppies, to hold a heart up against me, stronger, surer, to sit long with my mama in the last of afternoon sunlight. 'Wherever you are, be all there' is only possible in the posture of eucharisteo. I want to slow down and taste life, give thanks, and see God."

~ One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp

Source: amazon.com via Jen on Pinterest

I'm reading this book again and am being so blessed by it. My dear friend, who I call "Miss Wonderful," gave me a gratitude journal for Christmas that I absolutely LOVE. So, rereading this book and writing down my own One Thousand Gifts is such a delightful and enriching way to start out my year.

Dear Readers, I invite each of you to join me in this celebration of gratitude! :)

Living the Dream!

Source: lovelylighting.tumblr.com via Laura on Pinterest

One of the inspiring books I read recently was Start Something That Matters by Blake Mycoskie (the guy who invented Tom's shoes). In it, he asked a question that really made me think. Actually, it made me put down the book and dare to dream and that's when some really amazing changes started happening in my heart.

Blake asked readers, in regards to finding their passion, what they would do with their time if they didn't have to worry about money. What causes did they care about and what gifts had they been given.


I thought long and hard about that and answered those questions. I wrote out a list. Then I realized that while the dream of marriage and family hasn't happened yet, I had stumbled upon something that had been right in front of me all along.

This question popped into my head:

What would my dream single life look like??

I looked back over the list I'd made moments earlier and knew my dream single life would include achieving those things, soaking up time with my Lord (mom friends of mine assure me that quiet time with God is never quite the same after marriage and kids), and having unlimited possibilities.

Butterflies of excitement rushed through me as I wondered how many things on my list were possible to do this year.

And just like that, living my Dream Single Life began. Then contentment and joy followed! This just kept getting better and better!


One of my coworkers asked me recently, "What are you smiling at?"

"I'm just happy," I shrugged in response, as I could tell it was not the time to explain all that I was learning.

Are you living your Dream Single Life? If not, what's holding you back? What things are possible for you to change right now?

I challenge you to prayerfully ask the Lord and see what wonderful things come of it. :)

Abiding in Him

This caught my attention in My Utmost For His Highest & the last line I especially like:

The busyness of things obscures our concentration on God. . .Let other things come and go as they will; let other people criticize us as they will; but never allow anything to obscure the life that "is hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:3).

Never let a hurried lifestyle disturb the relationship of abiding in Him.

I love that reminder. I read it right before church this morning and the guest speaker said something along those lines - about how detrimental the busyness of life can be to our souls.

So, if busyness is our soul's undoing, then abiding must be its greatest delight! The busier we are (the speaker today noted), the less we can afford to let our fellowship with Him be neglected.

Emails can wait. Text messages, FB chatter, browsing Pinterest crafts. . .they all can wait. But time with my Lord - both quality AND quantity - cannot wait even a day before my soul begins to wither and my heart to turn (even ever so slowly) towards the world. Our spiritual life is never neutral - either we are growing more like Christ or our spiritual flame is becoming dim.

Hmmmm, that's all for now. Think this is going to stay as an unedited streams of consciousness post.

A Praying Life

Source: amazon.com via Jen on Pinterest

I read this book 2 years ago, but it's one I want to read again. I hope this quote refreshes your heart and renews your desire to pray with faith. Blessings, Jen

"When we don't receive what we pray for or desire, it doesn't mean that God isn't acting on our behalf. Rather, he's weaving his story. Paul tells us to "continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving" (Colossians 4:2). Thanksgiving helps us to be grace-centered, seeing all of life as a gift. It looks at how God's blessings impact our lives. Watchfulness alerts us to the unfolding drama in the present. It looks for God's present working as it unfolds into future grace." ~ A Praying LIfe: Connecting with God in a Distracting World, Paul E. Miller

Inspiring, courageous, and only 18 years old. . .

Source: amazon.com via Jen on Pinterest

What would cause an eighteen-year-old old senior class president and homecoming queen from Nashville, Tennessee, to disappoint her parents by forgoing college, break her little brother’s heart, lose all but a handful of her friends (because the rest of them think she has gone off the deep end), and break up with the love of her life, all so she could move to Uganda, where she knew only one person but didn’t know any of the language? A passion to make a difference. Katie Davis left over Christmas break her senior year for a short mission trip to Uganda and her life was turned completely inside out. She found herself so moved by the people and children of Uganda that she knew her calling was to return and care for them. She has given up a relatively comfortable life—at a young age—to care for the less fortunate of this world. She was so moved by the need she witnessed, she’s centered her life around meeting that need. Katie, a charismatic and articulate young woman, is in the process of adopting thirteen children in Uganda, and she completely trusts God for daily provision for her and her family.
Despite the rough conditions in which Katie lives, she has found a life of service to God to be one of great joy. Katie’s children bring constant delight and help her help others by welcoming whoever comes to their door. As the challenges grow, so does Katie’s faith and her certainty that what she’s doing in Uganda, one person at a time, will have far-reaching rewards. It isn’t the life she planned, but it is the life she loves.

To further her reach into the needs of Ugandans, Katie established Amazima Ministries. The ministry matches orphaned children with sponors worldwide. Each sponsor’s $300/year provides schooling, school supplies, three hot meals a day, minor medical care, and spiritual encouragement. Katie expected to have forty children in the program; she had signed up 150 by January 2008; today it sponsors over 400. Another aspect of the ministry is a feeding program created for the displaced Karamojong people—Uganda’s poorest citizens. The program feeds lunch to over 1,200 children Monday-Friday and sends them home with a plate of food; it also offers basic medical care, Bible study, and general health training.

Katie Davis is more than fascinating, she’s inspiring, as she has wholeheartedly answered the call to serve.

Quotes of the Day!

"Contentment is the equilibrium between the enjoyment of life now and the anticipation of what is to come. Contentment serves as a guard against desires gone wild. It is the key to unlock you from the bondage of unrestrained longing that wells up within your heart and inevitably begins to control your life, making you a slave to what you don't have instead of a fully engaged participation with what you do. It is the faith-filled belief that what God has bestowed now is worthy of gratitude and appreciation, not merely because it is enough but because it is good." Priscilla Shirer (Thank you, Jamesy, for sharing this!)

Priscilla Shirer wrote the book, The Resolution for Women, which Jamesy recommended to me & it looks fabulous!

Source: amazon.com via Jen on Pinterest

This next quote is as inspiring as the friend (Melissa) who shared it with me today:

"My times are in Thy hand." Psalm 31:15

Let this precious truth divest your mind of all needless, anxious care for the present or the future. Exercising simple faith in God, be careful for nothing. Learn to be content with your present lot, with God's dealings with you, and HIs disposal of you. You are just where His providence has, in its inscrutable but all-wise and righteous decision, placed you. It may be a position painful, irksome, trying, but it is right. Oh yes! It is right.
Only aim to glorify Him in it. Wherever you are placed, God has a work for you to do, a purpose through you to be accomplished, in which He blends your happiness with his glory."

January 26, Octavious Winslow (Morning Thoughts)

My Hall of Shame Confession

Source: betseyr.tumblr.com via Lorina on Pinterest

Why do I share my shame and struggles on here? Truthfully, my pride would MUCH rather share my glory stories with you than the ones that reveal my failures where my sin is exposed in all it's ugliness. But this quote moves me to do otherwise:

"Sometimes God redeems your story by surrounding you with people who need to hear your past so it doesn't become their future." -- Jon Acuff


Read this (post below) through tears - so timely - like balm for my heart. I'm ashamed to admit I've always struggled with comparing to my amazing sisters and have (even recently) let the enemy steal my joy when my attempt to be more like them have been a complete flop. I can't thank you enough for this post, Colleen!

Like apples to oranges (but we're all a little fruity) by Colleen Chao

Have you ever wondered why we girls like to compare ourselves with other girls? What is it with us?! From our boyfriends to babies, talents to temptations, we measure ourselves against Lydia, Amy, and Desiree to determine our standing and worth. Without fail, the results of our survey leave us feeling either inferior and condemned... or superior and proud.

Maybe I’m the only one, but have you ever had any thoughts like these?

She always has a new outfit and looks perfect. I feel so plain and pieced together next to her. Well, at least I’m not a shopaholic!


I’ll never do that at my wedding. That’s so weird…


How does she have three kids, a home business, a church ministry, and make homemade crafts? I can barely keep up with one baby, cooking, and cleaning! I wish I could juggle as well as she does.


Her house is a disaster! I’ll never let mine look like that.


Everything seems to come so easily to her. She would never understand my struggles.

It’s humbling to admit that those kinds of thoughts have run through my head, but alas, they have—many times. I’m so thankful for a kind Savior whose Spirit convicts me of my sin, prompts me to reject (and hate) those thoughts, and reminds me that my value is found in Him alone. Then, when I’m filled up with His love and His truth about who I am, I’m free to accept but not be dependent upon others’ love and affirmation. I can stop comparing. I can love others with abandon. Christ’s love liberates me from both pride and condemnation. And it gives me the grace to understand that I don’t have the full story behind another woman’s choices and priorities, accomplishments and shortcomings.

I love the perspective of time (something I have in my mid-thirties that I didn’t have in my teens and twenties). I don’t compare myself nearly as much as I did ten years ago because I’ve seen that God’s story is not a short children’s book—it’s a long, beautiful, dramatic novel. Just as it seems that the final chapter of our life has been etched in stone, another chapter unfolds, with new daring adventures and fresh struggles and joys. When I was single and approaching 30 years old, it was too easy to look at my beautiful friends with godly husbands, comfy homes, precious children, and a close-knit circle of married friends—and feel like I’d gotten the short end of the stick: I was single, working full-time, migrating between different apartments and roommates, and feeling like I didn’t really fit in anywhere. But time has revealed that “what appears to be is not, and what has not yet appeared will be by faith” (Pastor Bill Yeager). Our God is about a good sanctifying work in all of His children, and He is faithful to weave joys and sorrows into each of our lives in such a way that we need Him and delight in Him alone. My long-married friends have suffered deeply in their own ways, in ways I never could endure; and it’s our differences that have deepened and beautified our friendships.

Oh, for the bigger picture! We are shortsighted, are we not? We desperately need to meditate on Scriptures like Isaiah 41:10, “Do not look anxiously look about you, for I am your God” and John 21:21-22, “[Peter] said to Jesus, ‘Lord, what about [John]?’ Jesus said to him, ‘If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!’” Peter was comparing himself with John, which blinded him to what was truly important: following Jesus. Peter wanted to be better than John, favored over John—and Jesus wouldn’t have any of it!

“Colleen, you follow me!” Stop comparing. Stop looking anxiously about. Stop trying to compete and be better than the next woman. Stop despairing and feeling inferior. Fix your eyes on the One who formed you in your mother’s womb, who will complete the good work He began in you, and who loves you with an everlasting love.

Timing is Everything!

My sis Sarah sent me this & I'd encourage you to read it & then pass it on!

Hey Jen,
I thought of you in this waiting period (or so it feels at times) for different things. This poem was sent to me by Matt's Aunt Jenny and I have been very encouraged by it and reminded of God's faithfulness. --Sarah

WHEN THE TIME WAS RIGHT,
The Sea parted,
The walls fell down,
The lions went hungry,
The sun stood still,
The star appeared,
The waves were calmed,
The stone was rolled away,
The Lord ascended...
And when the time is right,
The King of Kings will return.

God is never early and He is never late--He is always right on time and His plans for you are good.

"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

My Year to Say "I DO"??

Source: tumblr.com via Maddy on Pinterest

My friend Melissa sent me this & it is right where I'm at!

Instead of having the all too familiar gnawing on my heart (Will I meet The One this year? Have a finally waited long enough, Lord?), I have to confess something, dear friends.

Something else has taken it's place.

Do I still want and hope for marriage and family? YES!

But I feel like I'm getting closer to expanding my borders of ministry this year. Not exactly sure what that means or what the Lord has in store for me, but I'm getting little glimpses of what might be coming and I'm so excited!

What ever the ministry ends up being, my goal this year is that through it
God will get the GLORY,
others will get the BLESSING and, as a result. . .
I will get the JOY!


Conversations on biblical womanhood and other fun stuff
by Nicole Whitacre on Jan 3


Each year we make New Year's resolutions for things we want to change, but we also have New Year's hopes for things we can't change, but wish we could. We long to receive certain desires of our heart that seem elusively out of reach. And maybe, just maybe, we will see those hopes fulfilled this year.

When I was single, I hoped for a husband. Maybe this year, he will come. I imagined myself married by the following New Year, or at least engaged. Maybe the New Year was holding my future husband in the wings. God eventually gave me an amazing husband, but new hopes still sprang up with each New Year's Day. When we lived in a teeny apartment, I wanted to move to a bigger place. When I experienced secondary infertility, I wanted to have another child. Maybe this year.

I'm sure you have hopes for this year. They are probably whatever you are thinking about right now.

But in her book, Keep A Quiet Heart, Elisabeth Elliot encourages us to focus on the most important of New Year's hopes:

“Will the young woman find a mate? Will the couple have a child? Maybe this year will be the year of desire fulfilled. Perhaps, on the other hand, it will be the year of desire radically transformed, the year of finding, as we have perhaps not yet truly found, Christ to be the All-Sufficient One, Christ the ‘deep sweet well of Love’” (page 49, emphasis mine).

This year, let us ask God to dissolve all our hopes (however good they may be!) into a single hope: to know Christ and to be found in Him. May this be a year of desire radically transformed, a deeper, truer, knowing of Christ as our All-Sufficient One.

“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:7-8a)

My Book List!

Source: mazesofcontemplation.blogspot.com via Jen on Pinterest

Thank you, Colleen Chao, for encouraging me to post my own book list. I kept going back and trying to narrow the list down, but this is probably as brief as I can get!

Source: google.com via Jen on Pinterest

Books that whet my spiritual appetite:

- A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World by Paul E. Miller
- The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith by Timothy Keller
- The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence
- Brokenness, Surrender, Holiness: Revive Our Hearts Trilogy by DeMoss
- Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges
- Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God's Will by Kevin DeYoung
- The Cross-Centered Life by C.J. Mahaney
- Pleasing People: How Not to be an approval junkie by Lou Priolo
- Celebration of Discipline: the path to spiritual growth by Richard J. Foster
- The Dangerous Duty of Delight by John Piper
- How to Worship Jesus Christ by Joseph S. Carroll
- Gaining Favor with God & Man by Thayer
- My Utmost for His Highest
- Streams in the Desert
- Fearless: Imagine Your Life without Fear by Lucado
- Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
- 8 Choices That Will Change a Woman's Life by Jill Briscoe

Source: Uploaded by user via Jen on Pinterest

Books with Titles That Irked Me, but were good or thought-provoking once I got over myself & my presuppositions:

- Marry Him: The Case for settling for Mr. Good Enough by Lori Gottlieb (Candice Watters recommended this one to me during our 1st phone conversation & I'll admit I'm glad I got past the title now)

Source: guardian.co.uk via Michelle on Pinterest

Books on Singleness, Christ-Centered Courtship, Marriage & Family:

- Emotional Purity by Heather Arnel Paulsen
- And the Bride Wore White: 7 Secrets to Sexual Purity by Dannah Gresh
- Becoming Chao by Colleen Elisabeth Chao
- Get Married: What Women Can Do To Help It Happen by Candice Watters (one of the few books I recommend to singles - because it's actually encouraging!)
- Boy Meets Girl by Josh Harris
- Love & Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs
- Home Comforts: The Art & Science of Keeping House by Cheryl Mendelson
- The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian
- Raising Bully-Proof Kids

(pic below is a reading nook closet!)

Source: marthastewart.com via Jen on Pinterest

Tough Stuff:

- Lies Women Believe & the Truth That Sets Them Free by DeMoss
- Happiness is a Choice: The symptoms, causes, and cures of Depression by Minirth, M.D. & Meier, M.D.
- How Could a Loving God. . .? by Ken Ham
- Choosing Forgiveness by DeMoss
- Lord, I Want to be Whole by Stormie Omartian
- Lord, Heal My Hurts by Kay Arthur
- Get Out of That Pit by Beth Moore
- Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow

Books I Come Back to Again & Again:
- Anne of Green Gables (the book character my sister Sarah says I remind her of the most)
- Pride & Prejudice (my absolute fave of Jane Austen's works)
- Little Women (Welcome to my childhood - my 4 sisters & I actually used to dress up and act out scenes from the book)
- Little House on the Prairie (my fam owns the entire movie and book collection - yep, we like it that much)
- You Are Special by Max Lucado (my mom bought me my copy when I was going through a rough time & wishing I could be less me and more like my other sisters)
- The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis (I want a Narnia style wardrobe that opens to a play room like the one below!)

Source: boingboing.net via Jen on Pinterest

Health & Fitness:
- Green for Life by Victoria Boutenko
- Change Your Habits, Change Your Life by Danna Demetre
- How to Climb Mount Whitney in One Day by Sharon Baker-Salony
- You Are What You Eat by Dr. Gillian McKeith
- Younger Next Year for Women by Crowley & Lodge
- Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight by William Davis



Don't laugh at my nerdiness:
- NTS's Dictionary of Literary Terms by Morner & Rausch
- Literature for Lively Lessons by Sheila Edwards, Ed.D.
- Classroom Instruction That Works: research based strategies for increasing student achievement by Marzano, Pickering & Pollock

Source: allisterbee.blogspot.com via Jen on Pinterest

Inspiring Stories:
- Start Something That Matters by Blake Mycoskie
- Do Hard Things by Alex & Brett Harris
- Start Here: Doing Hard Things by Alex & Brett Harris
- One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

Source: pinklemonadedesign.blogspot.com via Jen on Pinterest

25 Prayers for My Husband

Thank you, Melissa, for sharing these with me. :)

Source: flickr.com via Ashley on Pinterest

I pray…

- that he continues to grow spiritually through the disciplines of Bible study, prayer, and quiet times. (Proverbs 4:23)

- that his relationship with God will bear much fruit in his life, and that he will be a man who seeks wisdom and understanding. (Proverbs 3:7, Psalm 112:1)

- that he would walk humbly with God, and would always be convicted quickly about any sin in his life. (Micah 6:8)

- that he will continue to grow as the leader of our family, and that God would be glorified in our marriage. (Ephesians 5:25-29)

- that he would have a teachable spirit and a servant’s heart, and that he will listen to God and desire to do His will. (Proverbs 15:33)

- that he would always look to the way of escape from any kind of temptation, and that he would rely on God to remain faithful to our marriage, and to God. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

- that he would safeguard his heart against inappropriate relationships with the opposite sex, and this heart would pure and undivided in his commitment to me and to our marriage. (Proverbs 6:23-25)

- that he would continue to be able to provide for our family, and that he will not become discouraged by doing work he does not enjoy.

- that money would never become a source of discord in our family, and that we would be wise in handling finances and in stewardship. (Luke 16:13)

- that the words he speaks will build our family, and reflect a heart of love. (Proverbs 18:21)
that our physical intimacy would be a positive reflection of selfless love. (Song of Solomon 7:10)

- that the men in his life would encourage his accountability before God, and that he would be a godly influence on his friends and coworkers. (Proverbs 13:20, 27:17)

- that he would choose healthy foods and activities, and honor God by taking the best possible care of his body as the tabernacle of God. (1 Corinthians 6:19)

- for his strength — physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. (Ephesians 3:16)
for him to have wisdom and discernment in training/disciplining our children, and that You would enable him to love them unconditionally. (Ephesians 6:4)

- that he would always have an eternal perspective, and make the most of however much time he has in this life. (Ephesians 5:16)

- that he would always be a man of peace, who allows the Holy Spirit to lead his responses in all situations. (Romans 14:19)

- that he would have a balanced life in regards to work and play, and that he would submit his schedule to You. (Proverbs 16:9)

- for him to find favor with the Lord, but also with people he knows and interacts with. (Luke 2:52)

- that he would enjoy peace and refreshment in his relationship with the Lord. (Psalm 16:11)

- that he would always be courageous in his stand against evil and injustice, and that he will protect our family from Satan’s attacks. (Ephesians 6:13)

- that he would be a man of prayer, seeking God in purposeful ways. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

- that he will serve God and others with pure motives, and that God would be glorified in everything he does. (Colossians 3:23-24)

- that he would offer all this dreams to the Lord, and pursue only those that bring God glory, and that count for eternity. (Jeremiah 29:11)

- that he would offer all this dreams to the Lord, and pursue only those that bring God glory, and that count for eternity. (Jeremiah 29:11)

- that he will recognize the lies of the enemy in his life, and that he will always be guided by the Truth. (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)