PLANS

*Okay, I know I promised to write a follow up post about Reachers and Settlers and I will, one of these days, I'm still in the process of gathering my thoughts, don't worry when my mind is ready to throw up about that topic, it will. But, just a few seconds ago, thoughts about oblivion rushed into my head. Here it goes...

Plans. Dreams. Ambition. Goals. Wants.As a single/young professional, this is probably one of the scariest words that I have had to encounter. I dunno about the rest of you, but for me it is. When a person asks you, "What's your plan" it's easy to come up with a bunch of mumbo jumbos to impress a person of what are the things that you would want to do in life--I mean, all you have to do is just give that person the items on what's your plan in life" question births another relevant and very significant question, "Will I be able to do all these things?".
your bucket list and your good to go. It's easy to answer, but if you start digging in deeper into it, this "

Hey, I am a planner myself. I'm a dreamer and a thinker. I LOVE thinking about the endless possibilities that tomorrow can bring. It sounds like a cheesy movie or song, I know, but, it's who I am, I dream, imagine and create. Heck, if being a dreamer was a profession, I'd pick that career in a heartbeat. I would. But, planning and fulfilling these plans are two different stories. Look, I'm not saying that one should stop dreaming, NO. THAT IS NOT MY POINT AT ALL. I mean, it's nice to dream, and create and imagine and feel like you can do anything and feel this liberating feeling of being a child again, I get it. I am that person. The unfortunate truth is, not all our plans will push through.

I'll use myself as an example. When I was sixteen, I created this crazy list of how I would want my life to be. At the age of twenty four, I should have finished my Master's, been to New York, Watched all the Broadway shows I want, Lost a lot of weight, Go Sky Diving, Go to New Zealand, Canada, Germany, Hungary, Greece and so on. Bring Granny and Mommy to Paris,my list goes on and on and on. I even remember having Must have met Vanessa Hudgens, Zac Efron and Ashley Tisdale.  It's silly, but I was sixteen. These are the plans that I had for myself, which was good, but along with these plans, I've also limited myself by placing a time table or a deadline for each of the items in my faith goals. But none of them turned out as I planned. I'm twenty four years old now and I am just about to graduate from college in a month. I worked without being able to finish my degree because I had to. I've never been on Broadway, I've I've never gone sky diving, haven't reached my goal weight, haven't been to New Zealand or any of the places I've listed, I lost my Granny and have yet to go to Paris-- and I still do not have a Master's Degree in Child Psychology. None of the things that I wanted when I was sixteen came true, Tell me, what's wrong with the things that I listed? Are they all attainable? Yes. Are they impossible? No. Then why am I not living the life that I planned? The answer is, I limited myself and apart from that, I limited God.

See, I placed all these wants, dreams and plans on my own time table. I didn't even consider the things that I'd experience along the way. I didn't know that my Mom would have cancer, that I would have to stop studying for three years and work as an undergraduate or that I would lose my Granny. No one knew these things, I certainly didn't--and I relied on my own strength as I planned my "oh-so-perfect-life" I wanted to become the youngest clinical psychologist when I was sixteen, I never wanted to be a teacher, I never knew that I could sing or that I loved music. I didn't know that losing Granny would ignite my passion for music--I had all these unplanned things happen to me, and now, even if my plans for myself fell apart, I couldn't now feel more whole. God pieced me back together. He restored me, and revealed who I'm really suppose to be. HIS PLAN.

Lea Salonga as Kim
Will Chase as Chris

I love music and adore musicals. I STRONGLY believe that music is one of the greatest gifts that God has ever blessed us with. I mean it speaks to so many people in so many ways. It soothes, it heals and it connects different people from different parts of the world and unites us all as one. I am fond of musicals. Crazily and obsessively fond of musicals. If I could live in a theatre for the rest of my life and sing to my heart's content, or actually live in a musical, then I would be the happiest person on earth and die the next day. Anyway, as I was listening my Life On Stage playlist, a ton of songs already passed but when Last Night of the World began playing, I started singing, softly of course because well, it's late and I don't wanna belt out and wake my sisters who are sleeping in the next room and besides, this song is a duet. Anyway, I dunno why all of a sudden, this topic came to mind, while LAST NIGHT OF THE WORLD was playing and I was singing along softly and of course, I was imagining that I was Kim from the musical Miss Saigon

Alistair Brammer and Eva Noblezada
of  Miss Saigon 25
 2014 West End Revival

(yeah, yeah, yeah, the musical theatre geek in me strikes again. But isn't it so awesome on how dynamic and diverse songs can be? People get different forms of inspiration from everyone! Truly inspiration is everywhere, but I'm going off topic, anyway...) the line singing
        Kim: "Dreams are all I ever knew"
then Chris answers:
       Chris: "Dreams, you won't need when I'm through" 

Lea Salonga and Will Chase on the 2001
Broadway Production of Miss Saigon

This line really struck me. I felt like a lightning bolt went through my mind and roars of thunder passed through me. Yeah, an epiphany. As I was singing it softly, Of course, this was a duet, sang by a sweet and innocent voice for the dreams are all I ever knew part and a strong and protective voice for the dreams, you won't need when I'm through part. I felt like it was God's voice reminding me that I don't have to worry about my goals, plans and well, dreams because God has planned out everything, all I have to do is trust HIM because HE NEVER DISAPPOINTS and HE LOVES SURPRISES. And once HE's through, I will be living the life that is beyond my expectations. See? GOD is truly OMNIPRESENT! He speaks through everything :D

God has the absolute BEST sense of humor ever. I mean, why on earth would HE allow me to write down my own plan if HE had something better in mind? Why would HE allow me to have this fascination about the human mind if HE had a different career in mind for me? Why would HE place certain passions in me without me even knowing that these passions existed? Why? Was the sixteen year old me a lie or a delusion? Of course not. He has a reason for everything--and I have yet to find out.

It says in Jeremiah 1:5...
“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

--Now, isn't that just AWESOME? HE knew us before we were even formed and born. He knew our destiny before we even existed. Now that is something. It's a form of reassurance that:

1. WE ARE NOT A MISTAKE.

"I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." -Psalm 139:14
  -Sometimes, we may feel like if a certain something goes wrong and we're at fault, we are the mistake. or sometimes, we can get too dramatic and think "I wish I was never born". Or for those who are like me (born out of wedlock) You'd think that you are a mistake because you were never planned in the first place, well, this is a reminder, that GOD planned you and me. He planned our birth, He planned every moment of our life. He orchestrated the people we'd meet, interact and befriend. He wrote a beautiful life story for each of us. HE MADE US.

2. WE ARE CREATED FOR A PURPOSE. 


"However, as it is written: "What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived" -- the things God has prepared for those who love him"-- 1 Corinthians 2:9

  -I call myself an artist with a purpose because we are wonderfully crafted piece of art created, formed and molded by our Heavenly Father. The same GOD who created the Heavens and the Earth. The same Heavenly Father who molded our very being and who knows our very reason for existing. The GOD who created this wonderful and beautiful world that we live in along with the vast universe that has yet to be discovered. The GOD who specifically knows our strengths, weaknesses and abilities and our purpose. GOD is THE BEST ARTIST. And as a produce of HIS genius and creative mind, don't you think HE knows why we are here? HE knows how we can be used by HIM. He knows every single area and moment of our lives. HE KNOWS OUR PURPOSE.

3. WE ARE IN HIS HANDS.
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." -Romans 5:8
   - At times when people just cannot simply state the right thing to say whenever we feel like we are drowning in an impossible situation with no where to go. God has the answer-always. Sometimes, the reason why we find ourselves caught up in this web of pain and discomfort is because we think that we can rely on living by our own term. God is for us and always in our side. No matter how far we run or where we hide, our Heavenly Father will always be there for us to guide, support and love us. No matter how bad we may think we are, His love is something that goes beyond measures, nothing surprises HIM because He knows us more than we even know ourselves and He will love us in ways beyond anyone can ever dream of. He is that PERFECT. No matter how deep our mess is, that is NOTHING compared to the depth of HIS love for each of us. Remember that we are created for a purpose, Crafted by our Creator, therefore, we are always in HIS hands and within HIS grace, protection and love. No one can ever out love God. He loves us, more than we know and more than what we can ever imagine. He loved us in the darkest of our days, He gave HIS son for us to save us, that we may be given another chance, that we may LIVE and reflect HIS glory. HE LOVES US.

You see, nothing is a mistake, and nothing is in our control either. The bottom line is, no matter how flawless we may think our plans are, there will always be a twist because, We are not created to plan, we are created to live. Live the life that reflects God. Live a life filled with love, grace and blessings. Live a life planned by GOD-because then, and only then we will know the true meaning of living. He will never leave us and HE will always love us. Isn't that more than what anyone can ever ask for? :)

Stay Blessed everyone!

DOGFIGHT

The relationship topic of Reachers and Settlers has been quite a debate. Normally, in a social and cultural point of view, the role of  Reachers and Settlers varies between both sexes on who plays who in a relationship. And at first, I agree, it does vary on who has the upper hand in the relationship based on personality, physical appearance, charisma and appeal--and the like. Okay, at first, I wasn't familiar with the whole concept of Reachers and Settlers. I learned about this while watching my all-time favorite TV show to this date, which sadly aired it's last episode this year, How I Met Your Mother.

*For those who haven't seen HIMYM yet,
 for goodness sake, go online and watch it
 or ask a copy from a friend
or buy a dvd or check out its
 re-runs on different channels on TV!
You are missing out on half of your life.

It was during the fifth season and thirteenth episode of HIMYM when they talked about Reachers and Settlers, so yeah, when I first learned about it, I agreed with the whole concept, that in a relationship, there is the one who reaches (who goes after someone whose wayyyy out of their league) and the one who settles (the one who decides to stoop down to something/someone he/she clearly does not deserve but decides to stay for the heck of it); sometimes, no one in the relationship knows who's who, but people around them notices. It's not that they're against the relationship or the people involved, but it is because, we as human beings tend to be super nosy. It's normal, we have our own opinions about certain things, topics, ideals, ideas, and that includes, relationships and the people involved in that relationship. It happens, it's normal -  and don't you dare deny that you never once in your life said that "why are they together?" "it's not gonna work" "s/he deserves better" "they're never gonna last". We even have such comments when we find out that our celebrity crush is dating someone who we think isn't worthy of them-so yeah, it happens. Every one does it. But that's not really the point of this blog, I'm writing this post because, recently, I've come to the conclusion that the role of Reachers and Settlers are not subjective nor does it vary on personalities. We all have our roles to play. I've come to this conclusion while watching an the musical (Woah, BIG surprise there! See? the theater has its perks!) entitled, DOGFIGHT.

Here are the details. The musical is posted on youtube for those who
would want to check it out. 

Eddie feeling guilty for taking Rose
to a Dogfight. Final Judgement is
just a dance away

It is an off-broadway musical written by Pasek and Paul which was based on the 1991 film of the same title. The story is basically about young marines who decide to celebrate their last night of freedom by having a Dogfight (a Dogfight is a bet on who could bring the ugliest girl to the party and the guy who brings the ugliest date, wins the prize money, disgusting, right? but yeah, Dogfight is a thing, and yes, it still happens in this modern day and age. It is unfortunate but it happens and it is true, it is a real thing. Sometimes men can really act stupid but of course it doesn't meant that they are all the time, just most of the time) It follows Eddie (played by Derek Klena) who is one of the marines running out of time to find a date, then finds Rose(played by Lindsay Mendez) in a diner and decides charm his way to taking her to the party, she of course, says yes (how could a plain looking girl say no to a charming good-looking guy, right?) while on their way to the party, they began talking and Eddie starts having this feeling of guilt, but they still decide to go (mainly because Rose wanted to, she's young, plain and naive and this is her first invite to a party). Long story-short. Rose finds out about the Dogfight, she didn't win, by the way, but was still upset and stormed out of the party. Eddie felt bad , so he tried to win her back. He went back to the diner, asked her out on a normal date, they talked, they laughed, got to know each other and he realized that she IS an amazing girl-and a love story begins. --This is definitely one of my favorite musicals, although it has yet to reach the broadway stage, the material itself stands out! The actors were brilliant. The songs are a amaaazzziiiing and the direction was epic! You should see the war scene! It was superb! I could feel the intensity! Every one who was part of this musical was cast perfectly! I personally could not imagine another Eddie and Rose apart from these two! ugly she's just plain, I mean, she's a waitress in a small diner in a small town who plays a guitar,

Scenes from DOGFIGHT

The songs are heart-breakingly written. I mean, it was just awesome! I do not have a single complaint about how this wonderful musical was put together! It is really amazing! It could be one of the greats in my opinion! I loved how this musical tapped into one of the obvious social reality, the Reachers and Settlers, but apart from that, how it revealed the true identity on who's who. One of the things that I loved about this musical, is how it showed that women are the settlers and men are the reachers in a subtle way. How? It's like this. In the beginning of the story, the obvious choice for a SETTLER is Eddie, right? I mean, he's young, fit, a marine, charming and he has a good heart. And Rose isn't exactly

Lindsay Mendez and Derek
Klena aka KLENDEZ

 who has never been to any form of party before, never had any guy talk to her, let alone ask her out on a date-to a party filled with young good-looking marines.
So, yeah, the obvious is that Eddie is the Settler and Rose is the Reacher. Sure, makes sense, but when the love story begins, their true roles began to unfold. As the story progresses, Eddie realizes that Rose is an amazing girl-filled with hope, compassion, kindness, a beautiful heart and a wonderful voice. Yeah, he fell in love with her. She had hope. It is revealed in the end, that Eddie may have this tough exterior that people usually interprets as boldness and courage turns out to be fear and vulnerability. Rose was able to get it out of him that he is worth living, his life means something and that it is okay to be scared. At the end of the musical, Eddie fellow marines died in the war--the ones whom he called brothers and family.

 Rose and  Eddie
Eddie asking Rose to come to the party

They were gone, and after his service, he decides to come to the place where he, for the first time in his life, felt at home--He came back to Rose. She made him feel at home. She made him feel safe. The same plain and naive diner girl whom he took to a Dogfight made him, a US marine who battled an unthinkable war in Vietnam made him feel safe-made him feel like his life had meaning. She made him feel whole. After that great war, after receiving medals of being a hero in serving his country, all the honor, praises and gratitude meant nothing to him--he still sought and reached out to Rose. And Rose, after being played by a bunch of marine boys, went on a date with a marine who never wrote to her during the war, settled for Eddie. At the end, Eddie became the Reacher and Rose became the Settler. Their true roles were revealed.

"neither was man created for woman, but woman for man." -1Corinthians 11:9

This only means that men need women because women was created for man. Sometimes, women do not realize the true influence that they have in men. The upper hand is not really always with men. Just because they're the ones who approaches and asks women out, it means that men are the strong ones? Of course not. Men and Women have their own strength and vulnerability. When a man meets the woman destined for him, he finds his vulnerability and when a woman opens her eyes to the man she deserves, he becomes her strength.Women do not realize the true strength that God has placed within her which only a man can find. That is why it is so diverse and complex, and that is why reachers and settlers were coined. Because MEN should REACH for WOMEN. Women are obvious to settle for men because we, women were created for men.

I have more input to this, but I just realized that my 15minute blog attempt turned out to be a 30minute full blog post. So, I'll write another post in connection to this, but right now, gotta hit the sheets!

ONE

I am the one who knows you, I am the one who cares, I am the one who's always been there. I am the one whose helped you, and if you think that I just don't give a damn, well, you just don't know who I am. -I AM THE ONE (Next To Normal)

These are the lyrics to one of the best musicals to date. A Tony Award winning musical, nominated for 11 Tonys and won 3! It also won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. I know that this musical had its broadway premiere a few years ago, April 2009 to be exact, but it isn't until today that the gravity of this song was fully revealed to me. While listening to it, It just reminded me of how God acts in our lives. As human beings, we can be so selfish at times, well, to be honest, most of the time, we are generally selfish. We act like no one understands us, no one feels our pain, no one knows how we exactly feel whenever we have our down days, or when we have been ridiculed, persecuted, hurt, depressed and alone. We always isolate ourselves from our peers, especially to God. And at moments like these, this is when Satan starts plays an active part in our lives. This musical contains such a powerful message. The songs are really amazingly written and unfortunately, I haven't experienced the privilege of watching live broadway musicals, yet, but I'll get there, someday. It's part of my faith goals, so, someday. I'll watch broadways musicals live, and I'm holding on to that because nothing is impossible with God and without HIM, I'll never get to that point of my life without Him. But, before I get truly side tracked, let me go back to my point. I want to magnify the strong message of this song first. (For those who haven't watched the musical yet, this post might contain spoilers, so fair warning) Anyway, I expose myself to musicals because of online resources. Which is awesome for people like me. (I'll post another entry about faith soon)

As human beings, we have this tendency of being so self absorbed, this is why we feel neglected, depressed, insignificant, and insecure at times, hey, it happens, in at least one point in our lives, we feel these things,

why? Because satan is pathetic and devious. satan uses everything he can to steal the glory and light of God in us. And he uses this part of our character to his advantage, by making us feel that no one cares about us, that no one loves us as much as we love them, that no one cares, satan can make us feel as unimportant and insignificant if we allow him to. It's true, satan can just go as far as dangling temptations and whispering lies in our ears because he can't touch us, why? Because GOD is awesome and satan sucks. God is always with us and HIS glory and spirits lives in us, and now you're thinking that if this is so, then why are we still tempted? Well, because, we are human beings and sometimes, we ignore the promptings of the Holy Spirit because we're just too tempted. Let me just inject this topic a bit, being filled with the Holy Spirit is important, because our flesh is weak so our Spirit must be strong and fully backed up by the Holy Spirit. How do we do this? Talk to God, constantly. Hey, I'm not gonna be legalistic and tell you to do this and that to be filled with the Spirit. I strongly believe that our relationship with God is personal, so whatever and however way you communicate with God, do it as often as you can and of course, if in the time when you're deeply immersed in HIS presence, He asks you to open your bible, then do it. Your relationship with God is personal. So, however it works for you, I personally don't read my bible daily and memorize all the verses verbatimly, I don't but during what I call my "daily date" with God, when HE leads me to a verse, then, I open my bible and read it and tada, a revelation works, Sometimes, God is so awesomely spontaneous that during my chill time, like this, listening to a musical soundtrack, HE speaks and asks me to open up my bible for HIS revelation, then I do it. Your relationship with God is personal, so again, whatever works for you. Of course, make sure that whatever is revealed is backed up by the word of God. THAT IS IMPORTANT. It kinda validates the revelation in a way. I am sharing this because God speaks whenever HE wants to, so be sensitive to HIS Spirit and promptings.



 The chorus of the song "I AM THE ONE" from the Tony Award Winning musical Next To Normal reminded me of, of course, THE ONE, GOD. At our darkest moments and times, we always feel that we are alone, that no one understands us and no one is ever there for us. He knows us, and He is "I am the one "And provide for those who grieve in Zion- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning and the garment of praise instead of a spirit of dispair. The will be called oaks of Righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His SPLENDOR"- Isaiah61:3) God is the one who never leaves us, who loves us unconditionally that HE sent HIS sinless son to save, restore and renew us. Yes, it is possible to be build up again, He never leaves, no matter how disgraceful, hideous, dirty and unforgivable we think we may be, God still loves us. He still cares, He is still willing to forgive us, to grant us peace, to comfort us, to be with us as we grieve and rejoice. Even if we choose the dark side at times, He will always be by our side until we choose to see HIS light, isn't that sweet? He, the GOD of everything stays with us in our darkest moments and patiently waits for us to choose HIM and to see HIM- just like the song says "I am the one who holds you. I am the one who'll stay, I am the one who won't walk away". Even if we turn our backs at HIM, He would never do that to us, No matter how badly we hurt and disappoint HIM, He will never make us feel even one fourth of the pain that HE felt when we damaged HIS heart. No one knows pain as much as God, and still, despite us blaming HIM at times, HE still loves us, He still forgives and HE still choose to help and heal us. Yes, HE IS that PERFECT. Our merciful, loving, heavenly and benevolent God. That is just how HE is, Who HE IS. And whenever we doubt that, well, as the song goes "Well, you just don't know who I am."
who holds you, I am the one who stays, I am the one who won't walk away, I am the one who'll heal you, and now you tell me that I won't give a damn, well, you just don't know who I am... Cause I'm holding on and I won't let go" These words are so powerfully strong because it embodies how much God cares for us, and whenever HE tells us these things but still believe the lies of satan as he says that he is the one who cares for us just because he keeps us in our comfort zones and lures us to a place where we can find temporary peace and boosts our endorphines that makes us temporarily happy, LIES. We are human, yes, and we do give-in to these temptations, why? because we are weak, then after we give in, guilt comes in, then we become more depressed and sad than before, plus, we're suddenly filled with this gut wreching shame that we let go of the one who truly cares and love us because, satan is done having his fun with us, so, he will just bombard us with more and more shame that we would sometimes hide our faces from God. Pull away from HIM. This is a stupid gesture because we all know that we can never hide from God, He created everything so HE knows exactly where to find us, and unlike satan, God cleanses our sin, He can build us up again and restore the true being that we are in HIM. ("The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; HE delivers them from all their troubles." -Psalm 34:17)

Our GOD has and will forever be this way, so whenever we feel like we've done something so unforgivable, so filthy, so damaging, remember that HE is the one who knows you, HE is the one who cares, HE is the one who's always been there, HE is the one whose helped you...HE is the one is the one who holds you, He is the one who'll stay, He is the one who won't walk away. and whenever we think that God doesn't hear our cry, or know how we feel, well, the MORE we have to seek HIM that we may be reminded that HE knows and hears every cry of our hearts ("Before they will call, I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear" - Isaiah 65:24)

We are never alone, because God is ALWAYS with us, through our highlights and plot twists, HE is with us, HE IS THE ONLY ONE who will always be constant in our lives, never failing, never fading, but ALWAYS REIGNING.

Crossroads

Before my mind starts to throw-up; let me share this poem that I wrote that pretty much sums it up:

http://sassyintrepid.blogspot.com/2014/02/crossroads.html

Feel free to visit this page, I also handle and manage it. All the works there are mine. It's just more on the artistic side of me, anyway, I know that it is indeed Valentine's Day or the day of Love as some people may call it, but this post is NOT about love at all. No, it is not about relationships, or love or romance-- nothing like that in this post, rather, this is something that most Singles, INCLUDING myself longs to have, and NO it is NOT a lifetime partner or a love life; but DIRECTION.

For the longest time, this is what I have been praying constantly for. DIRECTION. Yeah, it seems like a normal word that we all hear, but do we all realize the gravity of its meaning? Think about it, I don't mean to break the chain of what Singles normally obsess about which is being with someone, being in a relationship and getting married, that's fine, if that is for you, but before that season of your life comes, what have you been doing so far? Don't get me wrong, I am not against relationships, whatever. But, shout out to Singles out there, do you spend the same amount of time praying for God's direction in your life? In terms of your career? Have you really achieved EVERYTHING you wanted in life before praying for your lifetime partner? and more importantly, are you really ready for a relationship? For a commitment? or better yet, to settle down and have a family? The fact that you still have this want to be with someone just so you could feel contented, happy and fulfilled only indicates how unready and unstable you are. Sometimes we might think that we need to be with people in order to make the right decision or even to know how to pray properly for the things that we "want" --this is true, to a fault. There are times when we need to just distance ourselves from people that we may hear the real calling of God, that we may know how and what to pray for without the influence of others. I admit that I was one of the people who was influenced by others on what to pray for. It's sad but it's true, I used to pray for my partner because everyone was doing it, because there were influential people in my life who were doing it and advised me to do it. I thought that I was ready for a commitment, to be in a relationship because I was praying for my life partner, but while I was doing this, something just felt...OFF. I wasn't ready and I really didn't want to. It took me several years to realize that. To genuinely know that I am not ready to commit or submit to a man, not because I don't want to (that's partly the reason) but because there are still many things that I want to do with and in my life. I came to this epiphany when I got the healthy amount of DISTANCE from people and focused my everything on to God. He spoke with my soul. I realized that I don't really like to be with someone, I prefer to be alone, to have my thoughts to myself and be sold out to God. I am not saying that I have the gift of blessed singleness, but at this point of my life, being in a relationship is not my priority. There are still things that God wants me to do and fulfill and as of now, that is my priority--to fulfill HIS purpose for me. Remember that just because you are single, it does not mean that you cannot be happy, the truth is you do not need anyone to make you happy, you have a soul so beautifully crafted by our Creator, a soul that has been made whole and well, trust your soul, trust God and dwell in HIS presence; that is the only way to find true happiness and contentment.

There is nothing wrong with being alone. In fact, it is even healthier, you get to think for yourself, have your own thoughts and you have this wonderful opportunity of knowing yourself and reinventing yourself. Singleness is the wonderful season of possibilities, of turning dreams into realities, of doing what makes you happy, of enjoying life to the fullest, enjoying and exploring the wonderful world that God has created. Enjoy it. You get to make your own DECISION. Deciding and Standing firmly for what you believe in takes courage and bravery and these abilities only comes from GOD. I tell you, decisions won't be easy, in fact it is just one of the hardest thing to do in life, but once you make a decision, stick with it and of course, allow the Holy Spirit to guide you through it.

I suggest that you'd lessen the effort you're currently giving praying for your partner and redirect your attention in earnestly seeking God in leading you towards HIS will and direction for your life. I mean, ENJOY life being single. Travel, make lots of song covers, go to the beach, heck, go to Paris for crying out loud! Explore and Experience. Let GOD fulfill HIS promises for you, focus on your career, buy the cars you want, the outfits that you want, go star gazing, go for a picnic. ENJOY your life, Stop holding yourself captive to finding "The One". Life is not meant to be lived like that, what, you think that when "The One" comes, you'll be living Happily Ever After? of course not! that doesnt even exist. SINGLEHOOD is the BEST time to know yourself, know the things you want and DO the things you want, Allow GOD to lead you in fulfilling HIS purpose for your life, be a BLESSING to other people, go on Mission Trips, Go mountain climbing, hiking, sky diving--Do all the things that you want to do because this is YOUR time, the season where you are free to discover who you really are and who you want to be. The season when GOD's voice would constantly remind you to trust HIM as you go through different crossroads in life. Pray for HIS direction and seek HIS attention.

DIRECTION. This is something that every person needs, direction. Well, who can best direct us to our purpose and plan but God. Allow HIM to direct us on where to go and what to do. He knows what HE is doing. The funny thing about society and media's picture of Singleness is desperation, and the worst part, we succumb to that picture that society painted and tampered for us. We become so obsessed with being with someone that it more often than not leads to brokeness and destruction rather than the opposite which is peace and contentment. Think about it, when we're single, we can do whatever we want, we have no commitments, and that is one of the BEST feelings ever in my opinion because there is NOTHING holding us back. So for those serial daters, get your crap together first, you do not need anyone to fill the void in your heart, you have to find your inner peace and learn to love yourself. Feel and BE whole. You should stop looking for your better half because you do not need someone who's half anyway, you should work on making yourself whole to attract another whole person to grow together. Now is the time to figure out what you want to do with your life. Stop rushing into relationships and dating. It isnt healthy and it is VERY MUCH OKAY TO BE SINGLE. ENJOY IT while it lasts.

Now, for those who are still struggling from being a serial dater, dont panic. It isnt too late to change that, nothing is written in stone, there is always room for new beginnings, clean slates, and start overs. 

This Valentines Day, make it different. Instead of moping and feeling sorry for yourself because you don't have anyone with you, who cares? Stop conforming into society and enjoy this season. Love the people around you. 

"You make known to me the path of life;you will fill me with joy in your presence,with eternal pleasures at your right hand." -Psalm 16:11