Journey of a Thousand Miles

Asking men to remain pure when we're walking around with immodest dress is tempting them to sin. Be modest in your dress. It is not worth it to feel "sexy" or "beautiful" to bring a man down. Women have been bringing men down since the beginning of time. Take authority over your home to protect the men in your home. Don't have cable TV while your son is still in your home. Modest is hottest. Purity must begin with us as the influencer of the man. Stop walking around with an empty bucket asking for love. YOU ARE ALREADY LOVED BY GOD. How we feel about ourselves will never change how God feels about us. You can't give away what you won't receive. A man who feels he is unworthy of love will always be looking to you to meet their love need, instead of God. How do you judge your worth? Approval? Relationship status? It will never be enough. See yourself through God's eyes. Don't exchange your identity for a lie. Satan strate

Put your blinders on and fight your own race. Stop comparing yourself to others. You don't have to have it all figured out. You don't have to have all the answers. Don't allow someone's actions to control your reactions. Continue to fight the good fight and keep your faith even if you're mad at God. Even when it appears that all is dead, that's when the roots are going the deepest. God is helping us depend on Him alone through this. Use the pain and life lessons. Speak truth to yourself. God will not waste this pain. Somehow he will use it. Show me how to respond to this pain. Keep doing what is right despite what other people do. Refuse to give up your trust in God when the going gets tough. Don't lose the grand finale of your life. When you're broken, be still and know that He is God. No one's actions can cancel out God's call on your life. Faith, hope, and love last forever. The greatest is love. Satan's tactic is t

Following the Lord doesn't eliminate pain, but it gives you the resources to persevere. "I will prepare you for something bigger than what you're walking through right now." Our foundation has been shaken. What is your foundation? Fractured faith Satan creates illusions of hopelessness and makes you believe that God is not visible in our circumstances. God is glorified when we are dependent on Him in the fire. Surrender your will for His. He asks us to surrender our idols (family, marriage, kids) Even if you never get a family, you have to follow Him and fight the good fight. Don't allow other people's actions to determine your legacy. Will you choose God even if you never get your heart's desire? Your legacy is worth more than the life you wanted. Don't underestimate the power of pain to bring you closer to God. If you're desperate to get married, you will not enjoy singleness. Don't fall into the "I'll be happy

Never marry for mercy. Don't marry for fear of hurting someone. It is NOT SELFISH to want to make a wise marital choice. Why should your children suffer from you not choosing the right father? It's not your life to give away. You need to think of the best stewardship of what God has given you. Why would you give it up for a pity marriage? Being tired of being single is NOT a good reason to get married. It's better to wait and make a wise choice. Sometimes the best way to find a good marital match is to end a bad dating match. Marrying well is a good witness to the world.

Going outside of God's will is a disaster. It is God's will to be sanctified, to avoid sexual immorality. Sexual ability is not what brings a marriage down. Your first priority is to marry a godly spouse. The same God who tells a girlfriend to say no to having sex with her boyfriend is the same God who tells a wife to say yes to having sex with her spouse. Guys, you want a girlfriend who will displease you to please God. If they don't obey God BEFORE marriage, they won't obey God AFTER marriage. If they can't sacrifice for a couple years of dating, they're not worth a lifetime of marriage. You're not obligated to carry someone else's sexual baggage. But once you marry them, you have to forgive their past and let it go. When you marry a godly person, there's forgiveness and grace. A person who's a giver and not a taker will figure out how to please you. You don't need to "try it out" before you buy it.

What draws us to someone won't always make a good marriage. Just because someone wants to marry doesn't mean they have what it takes. Character Traits that Build a Spiritually Enriching Marriage Spectacular Parent- You are choosing the mother/father of your future children. Can Handle Conflict- Marriage will make you angry. Handle it wisely with grace. Conflict handled unbiblically will tear you apart.  Stonewalling- shuts down, silent treatment Violence- disastrous; one strike, he's out Someone who prays- God is actively involved in their life. You need to marry a prayer warrior. If they never talk about God, they never talk to God. (But even they do talk about God, that doesn't mean that they talk to God). There's not a day within marriage where you won't need prayer. You will need prayer more than sex, so focus more on their spiritual life than their sexiness or physical looks.  Someone who forgives- We will stumble in many ways. Grace makes th

You attract people when you're living your best life.  Men are attracted to women who are driven, who are up to big things, who are committed to their vision. Not someone who is waiting for a man to save them.  Men want a woman they can convince to have a relationship with them, not when they have to "save" them.  Spend time on learning a skill set. Do what you love. Reconnect with your vision personally and professionally.  Spontaneous socializing. Experiment with the types you like hanging out with.  More time to date and love yourself. More 'me' time. Appreciate yourself for who you are, not for who you're with.  Get out of your comfort zone. Explore.  Time to focus on your health.  Take risks to tell people that you find them attractive. Make rejection your friend. Approach people you're attracted to and say 'hi.'  Surround yourself with family and friends you love.  

Marriage is a difficult pursuit. You might have to put in some effort or change something. Let it be a passionate pursuit. We can actively pursue a spouse; we don't have to sit back and wait passively for a spouse to come along. Search intentionally for a spouse. Seeking a spouse is not idolization. You may have to show interest in a guy for him to step up and ask you out. He needs to show SOME ability to pursue. Don't marry a passive man. Make yourself more marriageable. Where do I need to grow as a person? Spend what it takes, whether that's counseling or other resources.

Nowhere in the Bible does it say we have a "soulmate" or have to find "the One." Marriage isn't to be an idol to complete ourselves. Marriage shouldn't compete with God. Beauty is fleeting. Find someone who is set on pleasing the Lord. We are free to marry anyone we wish, only in the Lord. The choice to get married and who we marry is up to us. Rather than seeking a soulmate, seek a sole mate. A man who doesn't love God is limited in his ability to love you. You need a man who is controlled by the Holy Spirit. We need to marry someone who knows how to forgive. Don't try to 2nd guess God's design.

You can't possibly know the circumstances you're going to face in your future marriage. You can choose who you face those trials with. A good marital choice is a gift that keeps on giving. A foolish and ill-considered marital choice is a bad investment. You will always face the consequences. Marriage should lift 2 people up to be better than they could be as singles. Listen to the words of Jesus when choosing a mate. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. God has our best interests at heart. 3 Wrong Reasons to Get Married Sexual chemistry Romantic infatuation Relational compatibility These don't keep a marriage going. Being in love with someone isn't a good enough reason to get married. Infatuation doesn't last. It leads to idealization. You are infatuated with a person that doesn't exist. "He's not who I thought he was." Infatuation has never sustained a single marriage. It's more about WHY you marry than