In Honor of Valentine's Day: Do You Want My Hand or My Heart?

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings to search out a matter. –    Proverbs 25:2 NASB

It has not been often that my heart has been searched out by people. Surprisingly not even most of the guys I’ve dated have cared to truly know me.

Oh, I’ve been told I was known.  They didn’t need to ask me questions to know me.  They just did, they said.

“I feel like I’ve known you all my life!”

That’s my favorite line.  I’ve heard it enough times to throw up a gallon of those lines.

…It could be a sweet sentiment, but to me, if it is not paired with actually knowing my heart, it makes me wince.  It would make anyone who's been in my position wince.

My experience, much like some of yours, acquainted me with the understanding that people like me not necessarily for who I am, but more for what I do.

Waiting and Praying for Your Future Spouse - The "List"

1.       Has to love Jesus (this is a MUST!!!)

2.       HAS to be taller than me.  I mean HAS to be.

3.       Has to have big, strong muscles.  …Calf muscles.

4.       Brown eyes.  Only.  Okay… compromise.  One brown, one blue-gray.

5.       Has to play the guitar, the banjo and the drums and have a dreamy voice.

6.       So I guess he’ll have to be a worship leader.

7.       He should give me a run for my money

8.       …by having lots of his own.

9.       2 words.  Sexy. Eyes.

10.   He should be cool with moving to Africa if God called us to go, probably.

11.   It’d be nice if he had a beard.

12.   …and got my sense of humor.

13.   And wanted kids

14.   …but not 10.  I come from 10.  No.  More like a small family… with 5 kids. Wait…no 2.

15.   He can’t be allergic to cats. I love cats.

16.   He should probably like to cook.  I only bake.

17.   And last but should have been second to first… or second… He should be a gentleman!

18.   …who wants to take me all over the world.

19.   …to do archeological digs and stuff.

20.   …oh. And take my dad fishing in Alaska.

….Amen.   (Wait, do I say amen after these things?)*

Lists!
You might be a list person.  You might not be.
I am – totally – a list person.  I like to keep track of stuff I need to do and stuff I want to remember.
If you’re anything like me, you may need to keep track of great ideas too.
I keep a list of blog post ideas and even friends I want to invite to things because to be  honest, I’m not so good at coming up with things off the top of my head.

Some might wonder if you can take list-making too far.
Take making a list for things you’d like in a future spouse for instance.
Is it wrong?

I Told God I Hated Him & How it Changed My Life

Talking to God.
There's something about it that scares most people.
Nobody usually jumps at the opportunity to pray over a meal.  For some reason its not the first thought that pops into our mind when our friends are telling us about being sick, being stressed or struggling in life.

What I'm about to share is not necessarily the "right" way to pray.
In fact... after looking up the word "prayer" I wouldn't necessarily call it that.
Its much more simple.  Today I'm thinking about making constant conversation with God.
Kind of like an on-going text message conversation that never really ends - it just gets put on hold while each person carries on in daily activities.

I am going to share how I began to interact with God.  Maybe some people will read this and go,
"Hey!  That's TOTALLY how I interact with Him!"
While others may say, "Who does she think she is? Does she not know what it is to be reverent?"

These responses are legitimate.
I can't tell you whether they're wrong or right.  I can only testify: this is how I talk with God. Take it or leave it.

The day I told God I hated Him was the day that changed my life forever, really.