Stay tuned for the first chapter!
Showing posts with label Love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Love. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
God's Providence
"The afflicted and needy are seeking water, but there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst; I, the Lord, will answer them myself, As the God of Israel I will not forsake them. I will open the rivers on the bare heights and springs in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water and the dry land fountains of water."
Isaiah 41:17-18
This morning I had planned to read Isaiah 40 (an amazing chapter) but, by God's grace, I glanced over to the next page and read this passage. I've read this chapter several times, but this time, it jumped out at me. I love that.
This verse can be applied to most anything. Young women, such as myself, are thirsty for a beloved. A good and godly young man who loves the Lord as much as they do. So sometimes, we desire that, and look around to see that there is none. Just as the needy in this passage look around for water and see that there is none. But, because He can do anything, God CREATES the water where there was never water before! He opens rivers on the bare heights. Where people thought water would NEVER be, it was.
HE WILL PROVIDE!
Of course, there are many other applications to this section, but I chose this one because I've seen with my own eyes it come to pass.
My sister Erin has had a desire to be married her entire life. However, growing up in Utah where there were few Christians to be found and then moving to the middle of nowhere, where there were few people to be found, she had slim pickins'. If you want to hear her entire testimony, I'm sure she'd be glad to tell you herself. But in a nutshell, she took a ride on the wild side and came home with a souveneir, her son, Ethan. ;-)
Through much prayer, my dear sister came back to Jesus, her first love. She got her life back together and became a WONDERFUL example of Christ. I am so blessed to have her as a sister!
This didn't change the fact that she still wasn't married, and there weren't young men around who were her age and interested in starting a family. From a human's perspective, there was no beloved in sight.
God's perspective, of course, is much larger (thankfully!). Last fall my mom felt called to pray that Erin would be married by the summer of 2009. She asked me to pray also. Here's where things get complicated and SO God filled.
We have some friends, the Davis family, who had moved to Georgia in early 2008. Mrs. Davis has always keeping an eye out for any good catches for Erin, called around July or August telling Erin that she had a man for her. (I'm not sure of all the dates and details so you'd have to ask Erin for sure) She gave the guy Erin's email address and the two (Erin and Dylan) started emailing each other back and forth. This man lived in Georgia and went to the same church as the Davis'. He had a 14 year old daughter and was a very strong Christian and godly man. As the two continued their contacts they realized how much they had in common and how exact their core beliefs were. Dylan asked Erin if he could give her a call. Then they started their phone call stage. OH was it a stage! haha. My family had a running joke, "Hey, where'd Erin go?" "Oh, she's on the PHONE?! what a surprise!" (note the sarcasm).
I think it was November or December that Dylan came up for his first visit. And it just went from there!
So to make a long story short, last Saturday, March 7, 2009, Erin and Dylan joined their hearts together in marriage!!! <3
God provided for Erin in His mysterious ways. And He can most definitely provide for you. Where Erin thought there was only dry and parched land, God opened the rivers and the waters of God's goodness flowed. PTL.
The Tuggle Family :)
This morning I had planned to read Isaiah 40 (an amazing chapter) but, by God's grace, I glanced over to the next page and read this passage. I've read this chapter several times, but this time, it jumped out at me. I love that.
This verse can be applied to most anything. Young women, such as myself, are thirsty for a beloved. A good and godly young man who loves the Lord as much as they do. So sometimes, we desire that, and look around to see that there is none. Just as the needy in this passage look around for water and see that there is none. But, because He can do anything, God CREATES the water where there was never water before! He opens rivers on the bare heights. Where people thought water would NEVER be, it was.
HE WILL PROVIDE!
Of course, there are many other applications to this section, but I chose this one because I've seen with my own eyes it come to pass.
My sister Erin has had a desire to be married her entire life. However, growing up in Utah where there were few Christians to be found and then moving to the middle of nowhere, where there were few people to be found, she had slim pickins'. If you want to hear her entire testimony, I'm sure she'd be glad to tell you herself. But in a nutshell, she took a ride on the wild side and came home with a souveneir, her son, Ethan. ;-)
Through much prayer, my dear sister came back to Jesus, her first love. She got her life back together and became a WONDERFUL example of Christ. I am so blessed to have her as a sister!
This didn't change the fact that she still wasn't married, and there weren't young men around who were her age and interested in starting a family. From a human's perspective, there was no beloved in sight.
God's perspective, of course, is much larger (thankfully!). Last fall my mom felt called to pray that Erin would be married by the summer of 2009. She asked me to pray also. Here's where things get complicated and SO God filled.
We have some friends, the Davis family, who had moved to Georgia in early 2008. Mrs. Davis has always keeping an eye out for any good catches for Erin, called around July or August telling Erin that she had a man for her. (I'm not sure of all the dates and details so you'd have to ask Erin for sure) She gave the guy Erin's email address and the two (Erin and Dylan) started emailing each other back and forth. This man lived in Georgia and went to the same church as the Davis'. He had a 14 year old daughter and was a very strong Christian and godly man. As the two continued their contacts they realized how much they had in common and how exact their core beliefs were. Dylan asked Erin if he could give her a call. Then they started their phone call stage. OH was it a stage! haha. My family had a running joke, "Hey, where'd Erin go?" "Oh, she's on the PHONE?! what a surprise!" (note the sarcasm).
I think it was November or December that Dylan came up for his first visit. And it just went from there!
So to make a long story short, last Saturday, March 7, 2009, Erin and Dylan joined their hearts together in marriage!!! <3
God provided for Erin in His mysterious ways. And He can most definitely provide for you. Where Erin thought there was only dry and parched land, God opened the rivers and the waters of God's goodness flowed. PTL.
The Tuggle Family :)Saturday, July 26, 2008
The Pure Bride
What is a pure bride? My mom and I were talking about this today. One of my dreams is to walk down the aisle someday, a pure bride, radiant and joyful, toward my beloved. But I had to ask myself, what is a pure bride? It goes deeper than the wedding day. One person can walk down the aisle a pure bride, while another, as a wilted creature.A Pure Bride blooms for her husband.
I know a sad story about a girl who bloomed early. At 11 and 12 years old she was the belle of the ball. She had a trail of boys just crazy about her. She was fun and cute, and of course, had lots of drama-queen-ish stuff in her life. Not long ago I saw this same girl again at Wal-Mart. I didn't get a chance to talk to her, but what I saw saddened me. This young girl, (she was probably 15 or 16 by then) who had been so full of life, had wilted. When a flower blooms early, it wilts early. This is what happened to this young lady, she bloomed early. She looked worn and tired. Like a wilted lily, still beautiful, but so broken."'Papa,' said Mary one day, 'I'm as old as Bessie Wilson; I am in a higher class in school; and I am as tall as she is, yet I am not allowed to do the things she does, but have to look and act like a child. When are you going to let me grow up?'
'Mary, do you remember that lily that blossomed here in the window so early this spring?'
'Yes, but it is dead now. It seemed to give its whole strenght to make than one blossom. It looked pretty then, but really those that blossomed later at the proper time were prettier,' said Mary.
'That is just what I wanted you to remember. That lily was pretty, but it was forced along too fast, blossomed before its time, and died. That is the way with many girls. They blossom before their time. I want my daughter to come to her full, mature beauty.'
'Do you mean that Bessie is blossoming too young?' asked Mary.
'When you come to the fullness of your youth, when you are like a rose in full bloom, poor Bessie will already be fading.'"
- Beautiful Girlhood, by M. Hale
'Mary, do you remember that lily that blossomed here in the window so early this spring?'
'Yes, but it is dead now. It seemed to give its whole strenght to make than one blossom. It looked pretty then, but really those that blossomed later at the proper time were prettier,' said Mary.
'That is just what I wanted you to remember. That lily was pretty, but it was forced along too fast, blossomed before its time, and died. That is the way with many girls. They blossom before their time. I want my daughter to come to her full, mature beauty.'
'Do you mean that Bessie is blossoming too young?' asked Mary.
'When you come to the fullness of your youth, when you are like a rose in full bloom, poor Bessie will already be fading.'"
- Beautiful Girlhood, by M. Hale
The Pure bride is under her father's protection.
When a daughter moves form under her father's protection (either physically or emotionally) she becomes hard, because the weight of the world is on her shoulders. We don't realize how much our father's take, they take the hardships so that we won't become coarse and hard. A pure bride is gentle, and un-tainted by the world.
A Pure Bride saved her heart for her husband.
A Pure Bride saved her heart for her husband.
She didn't give her heart away frivolously to any young man who asked. A pure bride was careful before giving away her heart. Past relationships, if any, were gone into with prayer, wisdom, discretion and the purpose of marriage. She didn't give peices of her heart away for fun.
She kept all she could for her Beloved.
She kept all she could for her Beloved.
A Pure bride is filled with love for her groom.
The Pure Bride receives her value and security from God, so from her beloved, she only needs love. When there is no baggage in a relationship, there's room for all the overflowing joy and love that comes when two hearts are knit together.A Pure bride is at peace with God, herself and others.
When the pure bride walks down the aisle, her heart is free. She is at peace with God. She is free to love with her whole heart. Through prayer, scripture meditation and wisdom from her parents, she knows that the man at the end of the aisle is the One whom God created especially for her. She has no doubts. They were made for one another.
When the pure bride walks down the aisle, her heart is free. She is at peace with God. She is free to love with her whole heart. Through prayer, scripture meditation and wisdom from her parents, she knows that the man at the end of the aisle is the One whom God created especially for her. She has no doubts. They were made for one another. 
"I, take you, my beloved, to be my wedded husband. With deepest joy I come into my new life with you. As you have pledged to me your life and love, so I too happily give you my life, and in confidence submit myself to your headship as to the Lord. As is the church in her relationship to Christ, so I will be to you..."
I will live first unto our God and then unto you, loving you, obeying you, caring for you and ever seeking to please you. God has prepared me for you and so I will ever strengthen, help, comfort, and encourage you.
Therefore, throughout life, no matter what may be ahead of us, I pledge to you my life as an obedient and faithful wife."
- A Wedding Vow
- A Wedding Vow
A Pure Bride has God at the center of her life.
When God is at the center of your life, everything else will fall into place. Trust in Him.
"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless..."
- Ephesians 5:25-27
When God is at the center of your life, everything else will fall into place. Trust in Him."Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless..."
- Ephesians 5:25-27
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
