music monday// more beautiful you

hi, you! yes you! i want to let you know, you are a treasure, a beautiful work of art by the Creator of the universe. you are treasured and valued. dig into the Word and know what God, the most important being ever says about you. some people may not acknowledge this truth about you, but that's ok. cos what's important is that you know. and you believe it.

via

 please, do not cheapen yourself for someone's attention. the right people meant to stay in your life will not make you beg for their affections. God made you for sooo much more than what this world lets you on. stay close to Jesus and let His Word wash over you with it's powerful, world-altering Truth. you were made for an important purpose, a special, specific purpose that you need to focus on. i hope you seek the Lord and allow Him to lead you in your purpose. let Jesus be the sun your world orbits around.

this song holds so much truth with each sentence, you just gotta soak it in.

more beautiful you~ jonny diaz

little girl fourteen flipping through a magazine, says she wants to look that way

but her hair isn't straight, her body isn't fake and she always felt overweight.

well, little girl fourteen i wish that you could see that beauty is within your heart

and you were made with such care, your skin, your body and your hair are perfect just the way they are

there could never be a more beautiful you

don't buy the lies, disguises and hoops they make you jump through

you were made to fill a purpose that only you could do

so there could never be a more beautiful you.

little girl twenty-one, the things that you've already done, anything to get ahead

and you say you've got a man, but he's got another plan, only wants what you will do instead.

well, little girl twenty-one you never thought that this would come,

you starve yourself to play the part, but i cam promise you

there's a man whose love is true and he'll treat you like the jewel you are.

so turn around, you're not too far to back away,

be who you are to change your path, go another way

it's not too late, you can be saved.

if you feel depressed with past regrets, the shameful nights hope to forget

can disappear, they can all be washed away

by the One who's strong, can right your wrongs

can rid your fears, dry all your tears

and change the way you look at this big world.

He will take your dark distorted view and with His light, He will show you truth

and again you'll see through the eyes of a little girl.

"for You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb. i praise You because i am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, i know that full well." psalm 139:13-14

"your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewellery or fine clothes. rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." 1 peter 3:3-4

"keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, 'never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' so we say with confidence, 'the Lord is my helper; i will not be afraid. what can mere mortals do to me?' " hebrews 13:5-6

"since you are precious and honored in My sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life." isaiah 43:4

"for the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-control." 2 timothy 1:7

"since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of othe Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. that means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. we have far more interesting things to do with our lives. each of us is an original." galatians 5:25 (MSG)

pretty is as pretty does. you are pretty because of the sweet, godly person you are inwardly. you are beautiful in your own unique, original way. please, do not compare. do not compete. you are beautiful. :)

xoxo. gen delali.

Through painted deserts

I posted this blog a year ago, but for some reason the link got broken and i couldn't seem to fix it. So, i decided to re-post it. enjoy.

Have you ever read a book and enjoyed it so much you became sad that it had to come to end? It’s like you’ve become a part of the story and leaving the scene is hard for you because you want it to roll on for your continued enjoyment. Through Painted Deserts by Donald Miller is one of such stories.Somewhere in early December last year, I was looking up Christian books I could put on my to-read list, and I came across Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. It had good reviews and I found out it was even turned into a movie so I got convinced it must be good. Around Christmas I was looking for some good music on Noisetrade when I stumbled on a free audio version of Don’s book, Through Painted Deserts. Was I thrilled? You bet! I mean although Blue Like Jazz was what I was bent on reading, I was like why not give this a listening ear? After all it’s by the same author and if Blue Like Jazz is good, chances are Through Painted Deserts also is. Was I wrong? No!

 

In fact I’ve fallen in love with the book, seriously! (Sorry I had to scream that.) This is more like say, a short, informal review of the book with a bunch of my favorite quotes from it.

Through Painted Deserts is a memoir that takes you on a journey into how the author found the meaning of why God made us, his beloved creation... about changing, faith, finding light, friendship and beauty on the open road. It’s very touching and warms your heart in the right places. Oh, and the soothing voice of Don reading the book adds such calm and peace to the story itself.

It’s a book I will recommend for everybody especially those whose faith in God is a bit shaky and who doubt the goodness and beauty of God, people who wonder or doubt if God ever listens to their prayers and people who may need to leave their comfort zones and everything behind to go on an adventure to get a better perspective of life. It’s a book for people who get so caught up with life and forget there’s a big world out there full of the calmness and peace of God, people who don’t stop to enjoy the big, blue sky, people who don’t stop to breathe and experience the soothing nature, the works of God’s hands. Although we have to participate in life and go about our duties in order to survive, we need to take breaks every now and then to get away from the pressures and noise of it all and just enjoy God.

 

Considering I’m a ''small'' town kinda girl in this little country, Ghana, this book encourages me personally to venture out from my all too familiar surroundings to somewhere new, somewhere that’ll give me a new and beautiful perspective about life and God. I so want to leave, to venture out and experience and enjoy the magnificence of God somewhere away from where I call home, sharing His truth and forging beautiful friendships along the way... and I’m trusting God with that. I want to experience Him in canyons, on mountains, in deserts, in falling snow, in the falling of red autumn leaves, on beautiful beaches, on islands, on the open road... in different cultures. Nature has such an endearing way of reminding me not just of the greatness of God and the beautiful works of His hands but it also affirms that God really does exist.

So here are some quotes I totally love from the book. They’re like urm, spoilers of a good movie. LOL They’re quite a number but you can’t resist such lovely words that speak straight to your heart, right?!  Haha, here goes:

“Every person has to leave, has to change like the seasons. They have to or they die. The seasons remind me that I must keep changing and I want to change because it’s Gods way.”

“Everybody has to change or they expire. Everybody has to leave their homes and come back so they can love it again for all new reasons.”

“I want to keep my soul fertile for the changes so things keep getting born in me, so things keep dying when it’s time for things to die.”

“I want to repeat one word for you. Leave. Roll the word around on your tongue for a bit. It’s a beautiful word, isn’t it? So strong and forceful, the way you’ve always wanted to be. And you’ll not be alone. You have never been alone. Don’t worry, everything will still be here when you get back. It is you who would have changed.”

“No, life can’t be understood flat on a page, it has to be lived, a person has to get out of his head, has to fall in love, has to memorize poems, has to jump off bridges into rivers, has to stand in an empty desert and whisper sonnets under his breath.”

“It’s a living book, this life. It folds out in a million settings, cast with a billion beautiful characters and it’s almost over for you. It doesn’t matter how old you are. It’s coming to a close quickly and soon the credits will roll and all of your friends will fold out of your funeral and drive back to their homes in cold, in still, in silence and they’ll make a fire, pour some wine and think about how you once were and feel a kind of sickness at the idea you never again will be.”

“And so my prayer is that your story would have involved some leaving and some coming home, some summer and some winter, some roses blooming out like children in a play. My hope is that your story will be about changing, about getting something beautiful born outside of you, about learning to love a man or a woman, about learning to love a child, about moving yourself around water, around mountains, around friends, about learning to love others more than we love ourselves, about learning oneness as a way of understanding God.”

“Everything is like a symphony if you think about it; birds are perfect and crickets come out of the wet woods like a choir...nature itself worked perfectly to calm the soul.”

“Life is a dance toward God... and the dance is not so graceful as we might want. While we glide and swing our practiced sway, God crowds our feet, bumps our toes, and scuffs our shoes.”

“There is nothing I’m missing. I have everything i was supposed to have to experience the magnitude of this story, to dance with God.”

“I guess I’m looking for what any guy is looking for. I want a companion, you know. Just someone to share life with. I want her to be my biggest fan and i want to be her biggest fan too. I want us to raise kids in a home where they know their parents are in love with each other, with them, and with God. I guess that’s all I want.”

“I want a friend, a true friend. Someone who knows me and loves me anyway. Like, when I’m through putting my best foot forward, she’s still there.”

“Real love doesn’t ask “what’s in it for me?” It just gives unconditionally, it just tries to take the weight out of somebody else’s pack, lessen his load and if it gets reciprocated, that’s great, but that isn’t what you did it for.”

“Don’t kick yourself around, if you can’t climb up out of a canyon real quick, just do it slow.”

“God made a whole beautiful earth and decided to put you in it, to experience all of this beauty. You can’t do that watching television all the time.”

“Life is not a story about me, but it’s told to me and I can be glad of that. I think that’s the why of life...to enjoy God.”

“Months ago I would have told you life was about doing, about jumping through religious hoops, about impressing people and my actions would have told you this is done by buying possessions or keeping a good image... but I don’t believe in that stuff anymore. I think we’re supposed to stand in deserts and marvel at how the sun rises. I think we’re supposed to sleep in meadows and watch stars dart across space and time. I think we’re supposed to love our friends and introduce people to the story, to the peaceful, calming why of life. I think life is spirituality.”

“If I ever get frustrated with life again, if I ever get into river deep debt, I will sell it all and move out into the woods, find some people who aren’t like me and learn to love them and do something even harder, let them love me. I will sleep beneath the stars and whisper “thank You” to the Creator of the universe as a way of reacquainting myself to an old friend, a friend who says you don’t have to be smart or good looking or religious or anything, you just have to cling to Him, love Him, need Him, and listen to Him while He tells His story.”

“Some things have to end, you know. I will be leaving soon and i want to feel this, really understand that it’s happening because God breathed some spark into mud that became us and He did it for a reason and I want to feel that reason, not some false explanation.”

"And if these mountains had eyes, they would wake to find two strangers in their fences, standing in admiration as a breathing red pours its tinge upon earth's shore. These mountains, which have seen untold sunrises, long to thunder praise but stand reverent, silent so that man's weak praise should be given God's attention."

"It's a wonder that those exposed to such beauty forfeit the great questions in the face of this miraculous evidence."

“I think again about this small period of grace, and thank God for it, that if only for a season I could feel the why of life, see it in the metaphor of light, in the endlessness of the cosmos, in the miracle of friendship. And had these mountains the ability to reason, perhaps they would contemplate the beauty of humanity and praise God for the miracle that each of us is, pondering the majesty of God and the wonder of man in one bewildering context. Their brows are rumpled even now and their arms are stretched toward heaven.”

Whew! (That’s a good whew, LOL) I’ve come to the end of the lengthy but lovely quotes from Through Painted Deserts. It’s such a good read and I love how the acoustic guitar plays in the background at the end of the final chapter. It ends on such a beautiful note that it even gets me teary-eyed (In a very good way.) I hope you enjoyed them and that you’ll read the book or better still get the free audio version right here. It’s a good read (have I mentioned that already) and you could listen to the audio book (all twenty-seven chapters) in a day. I personally didn’t want to consume all the yummy goodness in one day so I chose to listen to it in bits, over a number of days to let it all sink in. God bless Don’s kind heart for giving it away for no cost and for allowing others to go along on the journey with him through the mind’s eye. He sure has a way with words and he writes from a place of honesty and truth.

People travel all the time. Probably you do or you currently are. What I’m beginning to realize is that you could travel the entire world and it wouldn’t really mean anything until you travel with meaning, with the knowledge that God created all these magnificent things in life. Traveling should awaken us to the wonder of God and rekindle our love for Him. It should involve loving and sharing God’s truth to the people we meet along our journeys. Let’s always remember what Jesus said “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30,31 In our everyday living, we should not lose focus on loving God and people. And if you love people, you would want to share God’s truth with them so that they get saved. So travel to enjoy God and love people along the way!
:)

 Jesus loves you. xoxo

Delali.

You Were Made To Bloom

Today, I want to encourage you. I want to remind you that you were made to bloom. Yes, you. God penned down your story, my story way before we were even formed in our mothers’ wombs, just as He told Jeremiah... “Before I formed you in the womb of I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:4,5 He made each of us for great things. Jeremiah’s purpose on earth was to be a prophet of God. That’s the same way you and I are here, walking this earth because of the purpose of God. He appointed you to come to this earth to do something unique.

Now, won’t it be a shame if you plant a seed of a rose flower, but instead of fully growing and blooming, it sadly has a stunted growth? How come you may ask. Well, you barely had time to water it or tweak out the weeds that were hindering its growth. Weeds only consume the nutrients in the soil that plants need to thrive and grow well. So, that’s how come. The rose plant never bloomed.

Your life can be compared to this rose plant. To be able to fully plug into your full capabilities as a child of God, you need to allow God water your life. You need to feed your life the right things to bloom. When we begin to feed our lives with the Word of God and prayer on a daily basis, we start to grow as God intended us to. We start to hear God’s voice clearly about what steps we should take. Without constantly seeking God’s face in prayer and in the Bible, we’re bound to live according to our own plans which might very well conflict with our Father’s plans for our lives. 

“He destined us in love to be His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.” Ephesians 1:5,6

The weeds that hindered the growth of the rose plant are those people and things that stand in your way from experiencing the beauty of living a purposeful life, the things that hold you back from shinning and living out loud for God. You know very well the ungodly inner circle of friends you have around you prevent you from passionately pursuing God’s will for you...those unhealthy habits of watching porn, fornicating, profanity, adultery, smoking, getting drunk, clubbing, going to worldly parties...they are all NOT God’s will for you. How can you bloom when you are so busy chasing after sin which will only kill you? “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6;23

Sin separates us from God. The more a person sins, the farther God is. The Holy Spirit can’t dwell in a body that is dabbling in an unbroken chain of sin. When we sin, we are more or less driving away the Spirit of God in us, because the Spirit is holy and can’t dwell where sin is. Sure, we are human and we’re tempted to sin often times. But isn’t it far better to strive to live the life God called you to instead of willingly going after things that cause you to stumble and die out fast?

“Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law. And those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Galatians 5:19-24

I encourage you to seek God’s face, let Him become very personal and real in your life. Surround yourself with people with Godly wisdom. Ask Him what He planned for your life. You were not made to have a stunted life, you were made to bloom. :) Stop selling yourself short. God filled each of us with wonderful talents and spiritual gifts. 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 says “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another the prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are inspired by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as He wills.”

Dear one, God made all these spiritual gifts available to help us bloom. He placed the unique abilities to write, sing, paint, teach, sew, act in us. It’s not by our own might or some coincidence. It is His will. It is our duty to humbly ask Him to make known to us which talent and spiritual gifts He planned for us to have. He needs us to use these gifts to serve Him and draw people to His saving grace. You can’t know God’s will for you if you only know Him on Sunday mornings in a church building. He needs to be a part of your everyday life. He needs to be present in the songs you listen to, the movies you watch, the company you keep, clothing you wear. You are His representative, you need to act as such. How can you really know God without constantly and intentionally spending time with Him? You need to pursue a relationship with Him cos He’s the answer to all the questions you have. 

“But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love Him.””1 Corinthians 1:9

You might be experiencing a season of drought where it’s hard to completely trust God’s plan. I’ll be the first to admit I’ve been there before. But the Word, O the Word! It constantly speaks to me and urges me on to keep believing. There are times when God seems silent. Those times are when you need Him the most, not when you throw in the towel and abandon His plan for you. Times like that are when He’s watching to see if you’ll exercise your FAITH or if you’ll let your current circumstances dictate your future. Without faith we can’t please God. 

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

Stay encouraged dear one. You have the Creator, the one who calls things that be not as though they were as your Father. Value this relationship you have with Him and honor it by following His will. You were made to bloom. Come out of your bud, your shell, your insecurities and doubts and display the beauty God Himself has clothed you with, inside and out. He has a reason for making sure you were born and raised where you were, the schools you went to, the people you met.  The wrong friends and relationships you had serve a purpose to make you realize you deserve better and eventually lead you to the right friendships. Trust God’s process. There’s purpose behind your struggles, a purpose that’ll refine you and make you grow in Christ to be the best He made you to be.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5,6

I want to share this lovely song by Moriah Peters. It speaks into my life and fill me with happy, hopeful thoughts with every word.

Stretch out your faith and bloom, darling. :) xoxo

Delali.

A Special Person Called Mom

“No language can express the power, and beauty, and heroism, and majesty of a mother's love.  It shrinks not where man cowers, and grows stronger where man faints, and over wastes of worldly fortunes sends the radiance of its quenchless fidelity like a star.”  ~Edwin Hubbell Chapin

So today’s Mother’s day! Wooot wooot! How precious mothers are! I’m so very glad for God choosing for me to have an earthly mother who cares about me a whole awful lot. I wouldn’t know where I would be without my sweet mother. Well, we have our days but I’m thankful for her life and I appreciate her a lot.

It’s a beautiful thing to have a bond with your mother or a mother figure, you know. It’s a special thing. I mean who is there whenever you are sick and bombards your phone with a thousand calls just to check up on you? Who comforts you and tells you everything will be alright when you know at that point it’s far from the truth? Who sacrifices endlessly just to make sure you are comfortable and have everything you need? Who shows you such compassion and love that draws you nearer to God? Who’s cooking tastes way better than any other?...The person who comes to mind in all these is my one and only mother! 

“Let your mother be glad, let her who bore you rejoice.” Proverbs 23:25

One thing I really admire about my mother is her ability to be strong in the most heart breaking situations. Like seriously, she’s blessed with some extra ordinary strength. I think about it sometimes and I’m like Lord, please lemme be this strong for my children one day. It was my mom who made sure all the times I got ill as a child (which was very frequent) that I got the necessary treatment to get well...she still does this in the present. It’s my mom’s love for the unlovable which softens my heart to learn how to love. It’s my mom who showers me with prayers all the time.

We’ve come on such a long roller coaster ride. It’s been hard...splashes of happy, dashes of frustrations and sorrow but still I love my mommy! She gets to deal with my moods and sees my weaknesses...she knows my secret future plans. I can be a handful sometimes but she puts up with me. It’s my mom who really understands my need for my personal space, how I’m introverted and laid back...and doesn’t impose being social on me. She knows it’s a learning process for me. And I love, love that I can act all silly with her. LOL Her sacrifices for me are too much and I thank God for that. 

“Honor your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you; that your days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with you, in the land which the Lord your God gives you.” Deuteronomy 5:16

I’m grateful that God chose my mom to be my earthly mother, that she made the choice to keep me in her womb all those nine months, nurtured me as a Christian, and still continues to take care of me. I couldn’t be more thankful. I pray that God blesses and keep her and bless me too so that I can love on her some more for the years ahead. I pray that God uses me to bring glory to her and to bring her all the happiness she deserves to experience, the happiness we’ve both missed out on so often...

So go on ahead and show your mom you appreciate her... Her sacrifices, her delicious cooking, her hugs and kisses, her words of encouragement and comfort, her much needed scolding. (Yeah, we need that too.) Let the mother figure in your life know that you appreciate her time with you. Let nothing come between you and your mother. Is it some past hurts or a present bone you have to pick with her? Please let it all slide. Fight hard to forgive and love her. She keeping you and deciding to give birth to you is reason enough to be thankful for her life. Be thankful that you are alive because God chose her to birth you to fulfil the purposes He has for you. Let’s not wait till mother’s day before we show our mothers how much we care. Appreciating our mothers should be a daily thing, a way of life. Go celebrate your mother!

The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness.  ~Honoré de Balzac 

So here’s to A Happy Mother’s Day!!! All mothers out there living it up according to God's Word and who are there for your children, God bless you, O so much! :D xoxo

Delali.

The Road Not Taken

                                                       
  Via

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

-Robert Frost

** This poem may mean different things for different people. For me, it speaks to me in terms of my faith. Christianity is well known. Many say they’re Christians but their lives are similar to the world. They’ve opened their doors to unbiblical doctrine. They dress the same, speak the same, and drink the same kind of drinks. I see around me only few people who actually live true godly lives, people who strive so hard to seek God’s path and walk on it, no matter how lonesome or ridiculous it might seem. I’m certainly not a perfect person in this walk with Christ but I’m willing to give it my all...I believe that should count for something.

The sigh in the first line of the final stanza is one of relief for me, a satisfied, happy sigh heaved throughout my life till when my life is coming to an end and I feel no doubt or fear about where I’ll spend my eternity because I lived a fulfilling life in Christ... and the thought of soaring into heaven with the Lamb when He returns...O, what joy! No matter how enticing and glamorous the world's way, I made a choice. And it reminds me that me deciding to choose this narrow path and saying no to the vain offers of this world is what sets me apart and makes any difference for my soul and eternity.**

To the single ladies...upon valentine

So, valentines day is just around the corner and most singles out there are probably dreading it. You see, valentine’s day is the time when we singles are reminded full blast of our singleness . We find couples who seriously display their affection for each other on this day a little (a little? LOL) irritating, as if they’re purposefully rubbing it in our faces that we’re forever lonely. However, I personally don’t view being single as a lonely period as the world would have us believe. I see it as my alone time, my special time in life where I get to enjoy God without any distractions. This is the time the only man who gets my full attention is Christ, my bridegroom, my forever Valentine “...for I betrothed you to Christ to present you as a pure bride to her one husband.” 2 Corinthians 11:2

Sure, a couple of wrong guys got my attention along the way and I came to realize after the heartaches that I don’t need to keep doing this to myself. I’m leaving my love story into the hands of my Creator. After all He made me and He knows the man who’s best suited and worthy of my attention and commitment.. I’ve resolved to stay fully committed to Christ until (and even after) that Godly man I pray to my Father for comes and pursues me as he should. “He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord.” Proverbs 18:22  (Note that it's not she who finds a husband.) Stop trying to woo that guy or trying to get him to like you! If he likes you, he’ll want to be friends and pursue you in a Godly manner like the princess that you are. (Always remember your Father is the King of kings. :D )

If you’re single, this valentine, do not let all the sappy show of affection make you feel any less loved and happy. You are a child of God, and married to Christ right now. (Not that you abandon Him once you’re blessed with a Godly relationship. I hope you get my drift.) Decide that you’re not going to get you a cheap fix, some guy to while away the time so you don’t feel ‘lonely’. News flash: you don’t need a guy to make you happy! This is a truth I’m constantly waking up to. Seriously, we don’t need a guy to tell us the ‘perfect words’, heavily sugar coated and dripping with tooth decaying sweetness before we know we are beautiful and special.  Song of Solomon 1:15 says “Behold, you are beautiful, my love; behold, you are beautiful; your eyes are doves. Our identity is not found in a guy, it never was and never is. Our identity is firmly found in Christ, our bridegroom. Only the love of Christ makes us whole. Not some guy or some stuff.

Sometimes we tend to fill the void within us with all sorts of things that only rip us off of our peace and true happiness. That guy, the booze, that temporary high, the wild, crazy party life ...all these things are not going to give you guaranteed, lasting happiness. Only Christ can fill that void, that emptiness. He’s longing for you to come to Him and have a deep relationship with Him. One that is full of wisdom and blissful joy.  John 3:29 says” He who has the bride is the bridegroom; the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears Him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice; therefore this joy of mine is now full.”

 This valentine, as the television is full of lovey-dovey movies/shows, as couples affectionately show their love for each other, remember that you are dearly loved by someone special who suffered and died for your sake... Jesus. Remember that valentine’s day is not necessarily for couples only. You have family and friends who love you. You should as well let them know you love them too. (Showing affection to loved ones shouldn’t be limited to just valentine’s day. It should be a daily thing.)

 

 Show affection and kindness to a friend, a homeless person and even to yourself. Instead of expecting to receive a bouquet, a box full of heart shaped chocolates, cards or receiving special treatment, do something different. Give instead. Pamper yourself. Treat yourself to some ice cream, some chocolates. Fix yourself some mouth watering dish, polish your nails, dance to some praise tunes. You don’t have to wait on some person to make you feel loved or happy. When your happiness is based on a human, it’s never really guaranteed. You need to create your own happiness and sunshine. Take your sunshine with you this valentine and the many days beyond, knowing that God, who’s Light, is the source of your shine.

 Most importantly, as a single, spend some time on this love day with God. Have a date with Him! This may sound ridiculous but hear me out. A date with God is setting time aside for only you and Him. Get familiar with your bridegroom, Jesus, by reading about Him and understanding and believing the wonderful truths He speaks about your life. Don’t see God as some distant Father, no. Establish a true relationship with Him and draw closer to Him. Journal about Him, pour out your heart to Him in prayer, meditate on the Word. Have some beautiful worship songs playing softly and when you feel a praise break coming, let it. Our Father loves for us to sing to Him. :-)

My dear single friends, this valentine, refuse to wallow in sadness and self-pity. Say no to sad, sappy chick flicks that leave you crying. Say no to stupid love songs that break your heart all over again with every single note... songs which bring memories of old that steal your joy. Say no to that fling! Hit ‘ignore’ for that booty call! You’re certainly not some piece of meat and you shouldn’t allow yourself to be reduced to such insignificance. You are a beautiful soul that deserves to be loved in an honorable way. Refuse to let in the carnal passions that keep knocking at your hearts door. Learn how to say NO! Don’t be a wandering soul who keeps looking for validation in men. What you don’t realize is you’re losing pieces of yourself in all those relationships... Dear one, keep in mind that sexual relations outside of marriage does not in any way equate to the true purity and beauty of love. A person that knows God knows how to genuinely love, because God is love... and love is patient in all things.

“Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful, it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

“That you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.” Philippians 2:15

 Dear friend, decide not to be part of the people that give themselves away around this period. Know your worth in Christ. Pray for a Godly man, believing that God is preparing him specially for you, just as He’s willing to guide you to also prepare yourself for your man while single. Don’t give up on love, no. Don’t push/force it to happen either. Practice some patience (I need a good doze of it, don’t we all? LOL), have some more faith. Love will find you where you are. And oh, what joy will that day bring, when you finally meet the right man who’ll come boldly and yet gently to pursue your beautiful heart. You’ll both fall sweetly and deeply in love with each other. You’ll love each other, flaws and all. You’ll be imperfectly perfect.

“I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that you stir not up nor awaken love until it please.” Song of Solomon 8:4

 Embrace your singlehood dearie. You are worthy of a true gentleman, a man after God’s heart, who’s modelled after Jesus, the best gentleman ever to walk the surface of this earth. So save yourself all the drama and heartache and purposefully establish a deep relationship with Jesus while you’re single. I have come to believe He’s my rock, my ride or die... He’s the only One who truly has our backs. His love is an unadulterated, unconditional love that makes us whole. 
 

“And you have come to fullness of life in Him, who is the head of all rule and authority.” Colossians 2:10 

 “Jesus turned, and seeing her He said “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.”” Matthew 9:22

 Don’t you want Jesus to heal your brokenness and make you whole? I bet you do. So this valentine, share affection with your mom, pray for that homeless person... put on some red lipstick, pour yourself some good drink, and have a date with your ultimate bridegroom, Jesus.

“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8

You’re dearly loved darling! xoxo

Delali.