“…those of you who are single, particularly single women, have six options: sin, surrender, settle, suffer, strive, or solace. If you’re single and struggling with your singleness, know that the Jesus that you’re talking to is a Jesus who understands.”
Pastor Mark Driscoll addresses the reality of the paths before you as a single adult. As Beautiful Bricklayers, we hope you would be proactive in your preparation for marriage without idolizing the idea of marriage.
Check in tomorrow for more prayer prompts to close out the 31 Day Husband Prayer Journey (although, we hope you continue praying beyond these 31 days!). Also, get ready for Monday’s post when
Happy Spring! Coming out of the super cold winter we had this year, I couldn’t be happier to embrace springtime!
To launch this new season, we are announcing a month-long opportunity. Many of you have expressed a desire to get serious about praying for that special man that will be (or is already) your husband.
I went for years praying here and there for Mr. Cristina, but it wasn’t until about 6 months before I met my husband that I actually took the step to get fervent, persistent, and consistent in my conversations with God about this man who I did not yet know. Whether you are in the same place I was when I started (totally single) or you are dating or engaged – you can still pray daily for your husband. Hopefully, this will be a life-giving discipline that continues after marriage. I will be taking this challenge along with you! There’s always more to bring to God in prayer!
The “Husband Prayer Journey” is a 31-day challenge designed to help you pray a little (or a lot) every day for your life partner (present or future husband). This adventure will help you become disciplined, get better aligned with God’s heart, and ultimately grow as a woman who loves Jesus!
Ready to get this party started?
Guidelines:
Pray at least 5 minutes per day, every day during the next 31 days for your husband (whether you are married, single, dating, or engaged).
You can write or speak it out. The point is for you to talk with and listen to God daily regarding this topic.
If you miss a day, just start again on the next day. Don’t worry about making up for missed days.
All of this is, of course, free. It’s simply a decision you get to make and implement for
Pray every day (we’re encouraging at least 5 minutes).
Record your progress (we recommend checking in with your calendar and a prayer partner).
Join the Beautiful Bricklayers Facebook group for encouragement and inspiration.
When your 31 days are up, write to tell us how it went!
Every Friday we will post prayer prompts for the following week. Feel free to use these as launching pads for your daily prayer or comment on these posts to add your own! So are you in?!Grab your Bible, journal, maybe even a trusted girlfriend or mentor, and get started!
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”
Last night my husband and I were talking about the Winter Olympics and remembering how much we liked the movie, Cool Runnings, as kids. Earlier in the evening we were having a more serious conversation about how we needed to remember that what God thinks of us is most important… and that that is enough. It was a tearful conversation because it was a reality we needed to embrace. This morning, my friend, Loren Thornburg, sent out a devotional message that drives this message home! Loren gave me permission to share this beautiful reminder with you all. – Cristina
“A gold medal is a wonderful thing, but if you’re not enough without the medal, you’ll never be enough with it.” ~Irv Blizter from Cool Runnings
I love the stories of the Olympics and all that many overcame to achieve their dreams. I am also struck by all of the disappointments of those who felt they came up short. Whether or not we are contending for a gold medal we all face the same battle: to be enough without. There is nothing wrong with dreams and desires, unless you are waiting for your arrival at them to become enough. If we don’t have security inside we won’t find it outside. It’s an inside out thing. Some people chase after it for years, jumping from one success to the next on an endless cycle that leaves them with the same emptiness. It’s a mirage of thinking that the next thing will bring us to the place of security. Yet, the truth is you are already enough. It’s not in the next thing or even the last thing but it is now, because you are already enough. What freedom to chase after your dreams knowing you don’t need them to be enough. Whether it’s gold, or promotion, or marriage, or title, or money, or fame…you are enough without it.
“How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ.”
Ephesians 1:3 NLT
You are enough, because God says so. You belong to Him not because of anything that you have done, but simply because you are His. He has blessed you with every spiritual blessing, not because you are super great, had lots of successes or served really well, but simply because He chose to. He chose you and that makes you enough for the God of the universe. Can you hear Him speaking it to you, “You, my child, are enough for me, Your Heavenly Father.” It’s true, but it’s not something easily comprehended. We have to sit with it, away from the messages of the world telling us all the things we need to have or do to be enough. Yet, that’s the miracle of God: He loves you because you are His. He doesn’t need you to be more, He just needs you.
This month, Melissa Pena, recommends Gary Thomas’ Every Body Matters to help us dive deeper into the health theme. She shares more of a summary below so you can be further inspired to worship God with your whole being… including your body.
While the world around pushes for us to lose weight and look our best in healthy and unhealthy ways, the church often opts out of conversations about physical health and well being altogether. Gary Thomas addresses this trend and dives right into the discussion in his book, Every Body Matters. Here, Thomas explores from a Biblical perspective the benefits of physical fitness and how it can profoundly impact our lives as Christ followers. He shares how becoming physically fit can lead to being more sensitive to God’s voice, having more zest for life, and having a fresh attitude of service and love for others.
In addition to discussing the spiritual and emotional benefits of physical fitness, Gary Thomas also shares the true motivation behind all of it. The goal behind getting healthy as a Christian is not that we might look and feel great but that we might be “instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work” (2 Timothy 2:21). By being disciplined in what we eat and the activities we choose, we train ourselves so that we might be ready (now both physically, mentally, and spiritually) for any good work- for Christ and His kingdom.
I am so grateful to have read this book and very highly recommend it. Every chapter is infused with convicting truth, motivating perspective, and refreshing candor. Every time I put the book down, I felt this deep urge to go for a brisk walk or do some sort of exercise. This book has given me a deeper motivation for being healthy. It’s not about me just getting thinner and more agile but it’s about walking with my God and serving Him with all my heart. For me, that’s just about the best motivation I could ever ask for. I hope you find this book as refreshing and motivating as I did. Press on, sisters!
“Soft people who frequently complain about the smallest annoyances, who give in to laziness and excess, who expect others to work so they can rest, who collapse into passive entertainment instead of active exercise- these are souls custom-made to become all but irrelevant in kingdom warfare. They are no threat to anyone- least of all to Satan.” pg. 127
A little over two years ago, my husband and I sat deeply engaged in conversation with a friend who shared some of his PhD in Nutrition knowledge with us. I remember feeling my head swim with information and resources. Part of me felt skeptical about all the organic food talk and all the changes he challenged us to make, but I decided to be open-minded and to do some of my own research.
We started by watching documentaries (see below for trailers), then we set off early on Saturday mornings to explore our local farmers markets, then we sat down with a rancher we met there and he taught us the value of organic grass-fed beef, then I began buying almost all organic produce, chicken, and eggs, then we cut out processed foods (ie any snacks you can buy prepackaged), and the levels get deeper and deeper…
Meanwhile, our sleep got better, we had more energy, our portion sizes were better controlled because each serving had more nourishment and our body didn’t ask for more food as quickly, my acne was beginning to clear up, and we experienced an overall improvement in our health.
Why am I sharing all of this with you? Not to boast about our food savvy or healthy habits, but to share a glimpse into a gradual life change with many benefits that are available to you too! Regardless of whether you are single or married, you can be a good steward of your own body and bless, not only your own life, but those around you now (roommates, family, friends) and in your future (husband and children).
Here are a few links to get you started (or to dive deeper) in your healthy (hot and holy) living:
“In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation’s food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government’s regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation’s food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, herbicide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won’t go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults… Food, Inc. reveals surprising—and often shocking truths—about what we eat, how it’s produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here.”
“IN ORGANIC WE TRUST is an eye-opening food documentary that follows Director/Producer Kip Pastor on a personal journey to answer commonly asked questions about organic food: What exactly is organic? Is it really better, or just a marketing scam?
The film digs deep with farmers, organic certifiers, scientists, and organic critics to explore the content beneath the label and the truth behind the marketing. It takes a balanced approach to clear up misconceptions about organic food while highlighting practical solutions that are transforming the way we grow and eat.”
We also buy raw milk, honey, and eggs from a local farmer and beekeeper. Getting your “real food” sources and systems take some time and deliberate effort, but it’s worth it! Take one step at a time and don’t rush yourself.
During the month of June we will be talking about many of the principles mentioned in the video below. Voddie Baucham shares a COMPELLING and EXCELLENT message.
If you or your friends haven’t signed up yet for the Bricklayers 101 Summer Series
