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On Dating: You Don't Need A Boyfriend To Make You Happy
[Guest Post by Julie] You don’t need a boyfriend (relationship) to make you happy. Or do you? I never thought I’d still be single at 29 years old. I remember at 17 having my life mapped out–when I’d have a boyfriend, get engaged, married, have children, and inevitably live happily ever after. Needless to say, life hasn’t gone as planned. 25 came and went and here I am four years later navigating through ‘what might have been’ with more fear and uncertainty than I’d care to admit. I’m single with no boyfriend in sight. It’s even harder being single when a majority of the people around me are married. It seems like every day Facebook statuses…
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10 Tips Surviving Singleness
10 Tips :: Surviving Singleness Through The Holiday Season. Before I met my husband, December was the most depressing month of the year for me. That’s why I’ve decided to host this series. If that weren’t enough–I decided to bravely share what surviving singleness really looks like. I’ve never shared these before. They’re pieces of me. Pieces from my journal from the month before I met my husband. Although I was “content” I was more lonely than ever. Here goes nothing! “Having a really hard time waiting. Lord, I’m really struggling. Nobody to hide behind. No crushes. [No] internet crap. Like I am done. No more chasing boys. I can…
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I Love My Body – Unique Beauty
[Guest Post by Melissa Thomas] – When I was 4, I knew I wanted to grow up to be a ballerina. They have such a unique beauty. I used to dance in my parents living room. I would play Tchikovsky’s “The Nutcracker,” and “Swan Lake,” and dream of being on stage with a giant tutu. I took dance lessons and learned how to twirl around, point my toes and stand in second position. When I was 11, I had my first seizure. I was waking up, getting ready to go with my family to breakfast. My dog jumped on my bed, excited to see me and greet me. I got…
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I Love My Body – Baby Bump
[Guest Post by Kimberly Davidson Campbell] – Weight gain and the numbers on the scale have always been a troublesome spot for my mind and heart. From the time I was in 3rd grade I remember disliking the school pictures for the year book. I always criticized them and stared at them wondering if there was anything beautiful I could find in them. I recently finished a 39+ week maternity photo shoot. I sat at our dining room table and started glancing through them, then sobbed uncontrollably and buried my head in my husband’s side. I hated all of them. Why? No, my hair was great and makeup looked good…
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One Year Anniversary
Today is my one year anniversary! I can’t believe how quickly time flies. I feel like I have learned so much about myself, Marc, and relationships in general. I can definitely say the transition from saangle (really single) to married has been fun, interesting, and tiring at times–but so worth it! As Marc and I approach our one year anniversary, I thought I would share 12 lessons I’ve learned since I said–I do. 1. Don’t Force Love Years before I got married, my friend Angela told me not to force a relationship with Ishmael for God would bless me with Isaac (Genesis 18:10-15). I always held this close to my…
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Practicing Hospitality
During the past few months I’ve been practicing hospitality on my blog and in real life. First, I started with letting people share their stories. Then, I moved on to asking others to help me define the meaning of true friendship. Next, I asked others to write and answer pre engagement questions. Then I turned 30, and wanted to know if I was the only one who survived my 20s. After I lost weight, I released my latest series on why I love my body and asked others to share their stories too. Practicing hospitality means inviting, welcoming, and allowing two or more people to share with each other. Maybe…
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I Love My Body – Thighs
[Guest Post by Angela McNeil] – Thunder Thighs, more cushion for the pushin’, child bearing hips, Saddlebags… I can go on and on about the names I was called throughout my life–it didn’t stop at high school. Even when I was on the swim team super active in sports, the comments still came about my thighs. It was even more frustrating because, being a child of the 90’s I wanted a pair of Guess Jeans but they weren’t styled for curves. I have always thought pants would fit better if I got rid of my saddlebags. Many of moments in the dressing room with tears because a dress didn’t fit…
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I Love My Body – Hands and Feet
Hands and feet are the two body parts I used to hate and wish I never had. The two body parts that–along with my head–cost me almost ten years of my life. I’ve shared my story before and I’ll share it again. It was because of severe eczema that took the skin off my feet, face, and hands. I also gained one hundred pounds in ten months from taking Prednisone to control my skin. So when I say I love my body–it’s nothing short of a miracle! There were many times I felt like giving up or wishing I had someone else’s body or body parts. I always felt like…
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I Survived My 20s – Consequences
[Guest Post by Tish] – As a young girl, I dreamed of the day that my very own Prince Charming would sweep me off my feet. I never once imagined that at age 29, I would still be single and dealing with the consequences of Herpes. I grew up in a Christian home, memorizing verses from the Bible, practicing hymns on the piano, and dressing up in my Sunday best for Church every week. I believed in God, even felt His calling once in a while, but I was soon to learn how shallow my faith and understanding of His power was. The chinks in my armor started to show…
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I Survived My 20s – Unmarried
[Guest Post by Cathering Kabinga] – I once read an article that claimed that marriages between the ages of 20-27 are the most successful(still have it, don’t know why). Page after page only went out to prove that a marriage conducted in the early years of one’s life has the most potential of working out. Reasons ranged from having children and raising them while still young to handling finances together. The most memorable of them all cited the bible as one that encourages early marriages with the verse in Proverbs that speaks of ‘loving the wife of your youth.’ So why am I unmarried? I was 25 when I attended…
