I recently started to understand better, the importance and significance of thanksgiving and thought. I’d share with my sisters in Christ and hopefully my sisters who will read this and be drawn to Jesus. 

The Holy Spirit has been teaching me about thanksgiving, what it means to God and does for us. Giving thanks to God, Praising Him and being appreciative of His faithfulness, goodness and grace upon our lives; these are necessary for us as His children (Psalm 100). I have outlined ten important reasons why we must show gratitude and I pray that you would be spurred up to live a life of thanksgiving and reap its rewards after reading this.

·    •It is God’s will & pleases Him (1 Thessalonians 5:18; Psalm 50:23). Now, isn’t this the reason that    we live? To please our Father, who isn’t just our Father but means everything to us. And how can we not want to please Him, who gave us His all and loves us in more ways than we could ever imagine?  We love because He first loved us and is constantly looking out for us and so it is only right to please the one who has our heart by giving Him thanks. It is just like our human relationships, we always want to do that thing which pleases the one we love. God is our first love (Revelation 2:4) and He has told us in his word that giving thanks in every situation pleases Him. So, give thanks!

·   •It is an offering to Him (Hebrews13:15). The scripture teaches us that we should offer up our praises and thanksgiving. God is our King and we show honour to a king when we bring Him an offering. God is the King of all Kings. He makes kings and gives them power and He is above all (Daniel 2:21). Therefore, we must honour Him by giving Him our offering of thanks and praise.

·  •It is a sacrifice (Hebrews 13:15; Psalm 50:23; Jonah 2:8-9). The only sacrifice our heavenly Father desires from us is a sacrifice of thanksgiving. Now I can hear you ask, why is it a sacrifice? Remember that it pleases Him to give thanks in all situations. My emphasis is on “all” because it is easy to give thanks when situations are pleasing to us, but then He says to give Him thanks in all situations. This means even in seemingly bad situations, He deserves our praise (Psalm 115). Giving thanks, notwithstanding the situation makes it a sacrifice because it costs us something to praise Him even when our situation seems bad, and we know that our God rewards our every sacrifice (Isaiah 40:10). Sacrifice your anger, depression, sadness or whatever emotion that may arise from going through an unpleasant situation and give Him thanks in that situation!

·  •It is an act of Faith. We know that without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Thanksgiving is an act of faith because we may not yet see the results we desire but we give thanks still (in all situations), knowing that He has answered us and our results will surely manifest.  God rewards our faith and when we put our faith to work by giving thanks, we please Him which is His desire and we know what a king who is pleased can do (Mark 6:22). This is not just a king we’re talking about, but the King of Kings.

· •It brings Blessings (Isaiah 40:10). We reap a reward when we exercise our faith by giving thanks because we please our King and He pours out His blessings upon us. Jesus exemplified this by giving thanks for the five loaves and two fish with which He fed the five thousand. He gave thanks and what He thanked God for, multiplied (John 6:11). God multiplies what we thank Him for. Let us taste and see that our God is good (Psalm 34:8) by giving Him thanks.

·  •The enemy is routed. Do you remember King Jehoshaphat? Well, God instructed Him and the Israelites to praise Him and we know what followed. He ambushed their enemies and made them slaughter themselves (2 Chronicles 20). When we give God thanks, He honours us and He puts confusion into the devil’s camp.

·  •It reflects God and draws others to God (Psalm 138:4-5).When we live lives of thanksgiving, God does great things in our midst and His name is glorified just like the case of king Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20) and what more does the Lord desire but that others would see and know that He is God? It is His will that all should be saved (2 Peter 3:9). When others see His wonders in our lives of thanksgiving, they could be drawn to Him also.

·  •Keeps you Healthy and refreshed (Proverbs 15: 13). Giving thanks as I have experienced, keeps you happy and refreshes you. When you give thanks, there’s no room for fear, doubt or other negative emotions; because God delights in our praises (Psalm 147:1; 22:3). His Spirit dwells in our midst and we are refreshed. A happy Spirit of thanksgiving keeps us healthy. You want to stay healthy body, soul and mind? Give thanks!

·  •Sets you in a position for more. When Jesus healed the ten lepers, only one came back to say “thank you Jesus” and he was made whole (Luke 17:15-19). That was more than just being healed, he was made whole! Thanksgiving sets you in a position for more blessings and makes you whole. 

  •Shows you are mature and humble. Growth is essential in every sphere of life, including our relationship with God (Hebrews 5:12-14; 1 Corinthians 3: 2). As baby Christians it’s easy to become discouraged and complain when things are not perfect but as we mature in Faith, we are less moved by our surroundings and trust in the sovereignty of God by giving thanks for everything because we know that God’s always got us. It also shows we are humble enough to ascribe glory to Him (Psalm 34:2). He desires that we grow in this way. Growth means promotion and we move to a deeper level of intimacy in our walk with Him where He can use us for exploits.

  

 “Oh! That, men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!” (Psalm 107:8). God desires we live the life of thanksgiving. Don’t you want to let go of yourself and just soak in an atmosphere of thanksgiving? You were made for this (His glory). He deserves your praise and wants to bless and make you whole!

      About the Author: Chinazo Shana Okaro is a Nigerian woman who loves Jesus. She is also a

writer and blogger at Shanasdiary.com. She hopes that her words will benefit other women for God's glory.

 

"I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that." ~1 Corinthians 7:7

The Apostle Paul, refers to his state of singleness as a gift. Many of you are probably thinking to yourself, “Well God, if singleness is a gift, then it’s one that you can take back!” For many, it’s hard to think of singleness as a gift, but during this season of my life where I am very single, God has given me such a revelation on how much of a gift this season really is! Let me start by saying this: I have never been in a relationship in all of my 19 years of living, but I have observed many relationships growing up. Unfortunately, none of them were relationships that have honored God and placed Him first, but when I gave my life to Christ, I began to be exposed to couples who were honoring God, courting His way, and keeping Him first. These couples consisted of people who honored God, even in their single life, so the idea of maintaining godly principles in their relationship was not a foreign or outlandish concept. By the grace of God, I am able to offer a unique perspective on relationships and how singleness is truly a gift after all, having not ever been in a relationship! 

Our single season is a precious time where we can develop in God, be healed from our pasts, learn the Word, and ultimately devote our time and our lives to the Lord. I find many women waiting for their “Boaz” while missing out on the precious time that they can have with God! Paul later goes on to say in verses 32 through 34, “I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs – how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world – how he can please his wife – and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affair: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world – how she can please her husband.” First and foremost, what many women (and men) don’t understand is that a relationship is work. Of course there will be fun moments and great times, but that does not negate the fact that a relationship is work. Those of us who are blessed with the gift of singleness for however many seasons of our life the Lord blesses us with this gift, we are free from concern! This is in no way, me trying to make marriage and courtships out to be a negative thing, because relationships are God’s idea and they are beautiful when God is in the midst of it, but this is me trying to get you to understand that singleness is not a curse. A married person’s interest are divided. They are focused on pleasing their spouse, and the Lord. However, those of us who are single can devote our time completely to the Lord. There is so much that we can do for the Kingdom during this time. It’s a precious time that shouldn’t be wasted in waiting. 

As stated previously, as single people we are able to devote our time completely to the Lord. Something that I’ve noticed is that some of us either don’t want to do that, or put it to the side as something we’ll do later, knowing full well that we have no intentions on doing devoting our time to the Lord. With the time that we have, we can spend so much of it with God. During this particular season in my life, after getting saved, while I didn’t fill my time with seeking out relationships I definitely spent a bunch of it on social media, scrolling my life away so this is something that I have been guilty of as well. I was the person who put it aside until later. I would say, “Okay, at 7:30, I’ll read my Bible” but when 7:30 came, I pushed it up 10 minutes and another 10 minutes until I had wasted another hour on social media, so I definitely understand how that happens. However, I had to get real with myself and ask myself, “Where is my heart? Why am I able to put so much time into filling myself up with people’s lives rather than filling myself up with the Word of God?” It’s a heart check that I needed, and I know many others need to as well. Where are our hearts? Why are we so focused on seeking relationships, spending hours on social media, etc. and not fully devoting our time to God? Many of us aren’t lonely when we’re filling up our time with these void fillers; many of us are bored! 

This leads me perfectly into my next point: Go out and live! Although I’ve been single for my entire (short) life, it was only after I got saved that I really began to learn who I was and how to abundant life really is with Christ. This season of my life has been a beautiful time of self-discovery and growth. I’ve learned so much about myself! For instance, I never knew how much I loved History until I sought God wholeheartedly. It’s so incredible to me that in seeking God, we’ll learn about ourselves. During this time, if you want to serve in 10 ministries at your church? Go for it. You want to hold Bible studies at your house? Do it. Fellowship with your sisters in Christ. Go to museums, zoos, and skating rinks with your friends, while of course making sure to always honor God in everything that we do. I’m definitely not saying go out to clubs and get drink. But there are so many ways that you can have fun while honoring God and still have fun! Being single does not equate to having nothing to do. It also does not equate to sitting around and waiting for a man to begin to live your life. 

So, yes. As crazy as it may seem, singleness is a beautiful gift from the Lord that should not be taken for granted. I pray that this encourages every single one of you to enjoy whatever season God has blessed you to be in, whether that is singleness, courtship, marriage, or marriage with children. No matter what circumstance we’re in, we need not ever feel that we are “cursed.” God loves us so much, through every season of our lives! 

About the Author: Anijeh Green is currently a sophomore in college. She is majoring in Education with a concentration in English. She's completely in love with Jesus Christ and excited about the life that He has called her to lead. Anijeh hopes to bless people with her love and gift of writing. 

Relax
Enter into his rest physically, mentally, and spiritually.


Breathe
Setting your focus on where your going.
Meditating on his word.
Speaking and believing positive things,
Over your situation and over your life.
Letting the holy spirit guide you in all things.


Preserve
Not underworking or overworking yourself.
Knowing that God is on time God!
That there IS an appointed time!
Be still and know.
That HE knows what you have and what you don't have.
That HE knows your wants and your needs.
That HE is for you not against you.
That HIS thoughts and plans for you are good.
Not for calamity or disaster, but for GOOD!

Choose
To have joy.
To have peace.
To believe.
To change your mind.
To change your focus.
To change your actions.
To trust God .
Setting your expectations.
Believing God to do what he said he will do!
 
Woman of God, peace of mind is yours! You deserve it and you can have it. Anxiety, confusion, disorder, and fear is not of God. When things start to get overwhelming, stop, pause, and pray. You have permission to breathe!


About the Author: Marshe' Brignac is a 23-year-old  from New Orleans, LA (westbank). Writing is one of her creative outlets. For Marshe' it's where the holy spirit inspires, empowers, and brings clarity. She says it is only right to share what he has given her in hopes that it does the same for someone else.

Are you tired of defending the things that cause you the most pain?

Fake smiles? A mask to cover up the real pain? Are you torn up on the inside??? A complete mess??? But you’re too afraid to really look within yourself and deal with the issues at hand? Do you find yourself being hesitant to give these issues to God? Is there a huge VOID in your…Heart… Soul…That only God can fill?

We have all been there. What is the last strand that you won’t take anymore?

Be honest with yourself. Find your truth. Confess it openly to God.

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."~ John 1:9

My truth, most recent revelation that started this blog, was my discontentment with my single season. I haven’t been in a "relationship" since high school. My goal is to be transparent so that my story will touch the lives of others dealing with the same issue.

I looked at friends with constant relationships. No breaks. See, the problem was that I found myself comparing my lack of relationships to other people. I had to realize that we ALL have different journeys and experiences. I was uncomfortable because I have spent 8 years plus CONSISTENTLY not in a relationship. I felt like I was missing out on something. Is there something wrong with me? Am I worthy of a man’s attention and affection? Slight loneliness… Nights when your girls are all boo’d up, you get on Instagram and see "datenight" pictures…turn on the TV and see Bey&Jay, Yandy&Mendeceses wedding, the Bachelor,etc.

I did not know I shouldn’t compare our journeys. More importantly, I didn’t notice I was telling God "I’m not ok with where YOU have me". Not only was I discontent in my present…I obviously was not comfortable with ‘where’ God was taking me. When you are truly making an attempt to follow God’s will, you have to come to terms with the fact that a lot of times you will be set apart. I had to get comfortable with this idea. I had to learn that it was ok for me not to be like everyone else. Something that, as a people pleaser, I struggled with for a long time. I had to remind myself daily that my season of singleness was preparing me for my next season…my not yet.

So, I had to do a quick check, because that’s "MAD DISRESPECTFUL" (one of my favorite sayings lately lol). Really, it is rude to tell God "well you’re wrong, I’m ready for more". I never said that verbally but my actions said it.

I didn’t realize that every no, or waiting season was God’s PROTECTION for something way better. The reality is that God orders our every step…he’s aware of our NEEDS…WANTS…DESIRES. He has already answer every prayer. Every uncomfortable moment in life was a way of saying Yes to God…its not about me and my "feelings"... its about what he has that is BEST for us.

REPEAT THIS DAILY… Until your heart feels content...and KNOWS how much God loves us.

"For I know the plans I have for you, "declares the Lord, "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."~ Jeremiah 29:11

This is my favorite scripture. Its on my graduation cap and on a note next to my bed as a constant reminder.

I encourage each person who reads this and I say this to myself…

We know better. Listen to your gut. If you’re struggling and know you can do better... Move into the uncomfortable. Break those soul ties. Prepare for God’s blessing by resting and consistently being in his word. He will reveal his promises to us. The uncomfortableness is preparing us to soar through life like eagles. #LivingTestimony

Were you encouraged by this article? If so, share with your sisters in Christ, with one of the author's hashtags.

#TEAMNoSettling #IChooseGodFirst #NewDirection #BreakSoulTies

About the Author: Xavier Johnson is a graduate of North Carolina A&T SU (AGGIE PRIDE!!!) She is a new resident of Colorado, working as an engineer but can't forget that she is a Georgia girl at heart. Xavier is a firm believer in Jesus Christ. She is  really working on truly being a follower. There is a difference. Daily, she looks to die to her flesh and pick up God's mindset for her life. Xavier is also starting a new blog called, "Devoted Diva," in which she is promoting being BOLD for Christ. All of the entries there and those submitted to Memoirs will be a reflection of her journey towards a stronger walk with Christ. She truly hopes that someone is touched, changed and welcomes God in their hearts to stay after reading any of her personal revelations. Love Always, God Bless!

Dear Future Husband,

I'm so eager to finally know for sure who you are. I wish I could see what you look like standing there down the aisle gleaming with pride seeing me for the first time, as the church doors open and I cling to my Dad's arm fighting back tears. Tears of joy knowing that I am finally becoming someone's wife. Tears I will fight with every bit of strength I have because I do not want that mascara running down my face.

Yes, my eyes even tear up now as I write this.

The whole fantasy is played out in my head as though I were either watching it on a TV screen or living it out in real life. One of my favorite Boyz II Men songs will be sang A Capella. Your best man will put his hand on your shoulder to give you a congratulatory pat and to help you stay strong as you view your bride for the first time. The minister will smile with pride knowing that the pre-marital counseling was fruitful. The bridesmaids will be smiling, perhaps a little misty eyed themselves as they look at me and then look to you to see that first glance. Our mothers will be crying and smiling. Relatives and friends from near and far will seem to be glowing at the sight of our holy matrimony. You are wearing a nice tux or suit and I'm graced in an elegant wedding gown, slowly walking to take on a new name and a new ministry as your helpmeet.

Sounds beautiful doesn't it? No wonder I'm obsessed with the idea.

By now I've spent most of my single life up until this day, this day that the two become one, worrying about you and about marriage. Every Christian book and blog there is with sound advice on the matter, I've read. Many a Christian ministries have capitalized off of me (and plenty of other women) that wanted advice on godly dating, how to be a wife, courtship, resisting lust/temptation/sex before marriage and that's been my focus. Many men came before you and a few of those were after I became serious about my walk with Christ and what did I do? I was trying my hardest to make them you because I was following along with those books/blogs/Christian women's ministers/speakers. I followed the rules, trying to force those rules and myself on them, and ran them away. But this time, I followed God and you ran to me!

I hope and pray that before you read this letter, that I decided to give God my whole heart and to pursue a relationship with him and not a man. I pray that I can allow him to use me in ministries and in spreading the GOSPEL. Because truth be told, I'm sick of everyone spreading "single/marriage/courting/dating/sex" advice and not spreading the one true act of love that is eternal, fulfilling, and lasting...the death of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary! I know that this is a scripture that we are going to use in the ceremony that will bind our earthly love and marriage. But I also think that this scripture points to an everlasting love and a heavenly marriage between Christ and his Church (us):


"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages will become useless. But love will last forever!" - 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

As much as I love you my now husband, I cannot promise that I will be patient, kind, not jealous/boastful, not irritable, and not keeping records of the things you do that really irk my nerves haha all of the time nor perfectly. I can't guarantee that I won't be petty sometimes and be happy when "karma" comes back on you. I can't guarantee that I won't want to give up sometimes, lose faith, or remain hopeful during rough patches at times. But I know that since God is love and is perfect that he can give us all that kind of love! Not only that, but that scripture above says "But love will last forever". Our vows say "Til death do us part.." As much as we will repeat our vows with excitement and passion, our "forever" will end when our spirits leave our bodies. But that's okay because Romans 8:37-38 remind me that not even death can separate us from the love of Christ.

So my husband, I pray that while we are both single (as I write this) that we seek that love with all of our hearts and spread it with all of our might to those out there that don't know it and/or need to hear it the most. And I pray that when we get married that we don't let this wedding day or our lives as husband and wife consume us so much that we forget to continue spreading that love and making disciples for Christ.

Love you,

Your Future Wife

Daphne Benford-Smith

About the Author: Daphne Benford-Smith is a recent graduate from the University of North Texas. A single woman that lives by "If you're not living for the Lord, I'm not your Ruth so take your Boaz somewhere else!" Avid writer for her blog "Confessions of a Christian Woman" or daphnemariahandjc.blogspot.com as a hobby. She's an  educator because it's her passion and purpose. And is ultimately a woman that is seeking the Lord with all her heart because He's all she's got! Although she's not perfect in that walk and has painful or funny stories she shares with the world through writing as a result." 

Life's storms toss us and for some it shakes your faith. You're doubting God and giving into the
enemy. You're only stuck in the storms of today, whether than having faith for your tomorrow. or maybe you only praise God when things are going right in your life but as soon as things turn left you abandon him, simply because you think he's abandoned you. Lets stop right there.

He hasn't abandoned you.

His unchanging hand is always near, he's only waiting for you to reach for it through all situations and remain content. Yes content. Sounds easier said than done but its something I always pray for before facing the day. As I write this I'm reminded of Mark 4:38 where the apostles were in fear as the storm tossed them around, "They awoke Jesus crying, "Master carest thou not that we perish?"

Just as then, the Lord remains the same, telling winds, "Peace be still" and asking the apostles "Where is your faith?"

Now where is your faith? You're worried about so much that's going on around you right now. Maybe there's very little money in your bank account? So you're worried about bills, worried about food.

Maybe you feel alone, abandoned by others that you thought were friends? Maybe you're in a summer semester of classes that just aren't going right for you? Maybe you're in a toxic relationship? You're worrying when you should be leaving. Remember love is...God is love in your case. All of these require faith. Stop settling for the storms of today and faith in your tomorrow.

"Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."~ Matt 6:34

Before I leave you with these words, I'll share with you briefly one situation of many from the past that strengthened me. I've always been a strong person. So small physically, but so strong mentally. When I was hired at my current job after college-at a news station I was excited and driven, driven so much that I didn't mind driving an hour to and from work each day. I didn't have a choice so I did it. The drive was soothing to my soul because there was more time spent with Jesus but it was draining to my wallet. Despite my wallet I managed to keep a smile on my face and do what I needed to do. I won't lie and say it wasn't hard doing this same thing for an entire year, because it was. There were times when I would leave my apartment thinking literally what am I going to eat the rest of the day. It was either a choice of food or gas to make it home that night- which I did so at 12:30 a.m. There's no doubt in my mind that I lost weight during that year but I gained more strength. I made the most of that storm because I knew blessings were around the corner. How could I not praise him, when the car I was driving each day to my hour away job was a blessing right before I started my internships. If he blessed me to get that far, I knew he would never leave me. To wrap this up:

"I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content n any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."~ Philippians 4:12

Trust me when I say this, your storms are preparing you for something greater than you never imagined. Your job is to remain faithful to God Almighty and remain content.

For years now I have been terrorized by what I like to now consider the "thorn in my flesh"…
 

                       Anxiety. 

 

Sure it consists of thoughts that could care less about your sleep schedule or that you get sleep at all! And sure it consists of symptoms that makes ya think that you're having a heart attack, stroke, and cancer when all you're doing is panicking over gas! Anxiety doesn't care about anything good going on in your life. It only concerns itself with everything that has gone wrong and with the uncertainty of the future. 

 

"When will I hear back from that job?"

"Why haven't I heard back from that job?"

"What job am I supposed to even have?"

"When will I meet a man that is serious about me?

 

Not just fake it til he make it (as in leading me on). Not just awakening emotions of commitment out of me and not fulfilling them. I mean that is intentional about me and pursues me Gods way? And God make sure that he's actually someone I'm attracted to and is actually in a relationship with you! Ain't nobody got time for these fake men!"

 

"When will I get the house and car that I want? I want to live in a high end neighborhood. Have a house with an open concept and a bomb kitchen! I also want to drive a Lexus that I paid for all by myself! I need a good job with good pay in order to do that!"

 

"What do people think of me? Am I pretty enough? smart enough? witty enough? too witty? awkward? weird?"

 

"When will this trial go away God? I'm so tired of LIFE!!!"

 

Trust me when I say that these are regular and recurring nightmares... I mean "thoughts."

Last year in March I went to the hospital for having chronic insomnia. What caused it? Not too much Starbucks, although I was an addict at the time and am still convinced that they put some type of drug in their caramel mocciatos (but that's neither here nor there). No, the culprit turned out to be anxiety mixed in with some mild depression. 

 

                                                       "WHYYYYYYY MEEEEEEEEEE?!!!!" 

 

Now, over a whole year  later and a whole year of battling with sleep issues and crippling faith, it finally hit me when I really read and meditated on the goodness of this scripture. (Don't allow a scripture to become so contrite that you don't appreciate the deliciousness it provides to your soul when you truly meditate on it.)

 

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV

 

I had read this scripture for years and have never realized the beauty of it until now. This scripture is telling me a few things that I wanted to share with you all (bear with me): 

 

• To be anxious for nothing or about nothing. So not to be anxious about my future, marital status, food, health, safety, job, what people think and say, about my family, about my friends, about potentially being hurt by someone, about my relationship with God.....NOTHING. 

 

• To make my requests known to God with a thankful heart. So God wants to hear from us in our quiet times and our prayers. This intimate act is inviting God in a space that he already knows. It's showing that we not only want to talk with Him and spend time with Him, but that we also want to hear from Him. This rejuvenates you, and glorifies Him. Not only that, but going to Him with "thanksgiving", makes us do the opposite of what Anxiety wants and that's thanking Him for everything that God has already blessed uswith! For me that's my life, graduating from college this year, my family, my friends, the ministries I'm connected to, and God allowing things to strengthen my relationship with Him! He wants to hear from us! Be honest with Him! 

 

• His peace will guard my heart from my own understanding or of those around me. Let's be real, we have made some wrong turns in life because either we were led by our feelings or we followed the advice of someone else that wasn't led by the Spirit. But when we tell God what we want with thankful hearts, He will guard our hearts from going down paths that are not beneficial for us or that are outside of His will! So for me that's usually a guy. God will either end it or reveal to me that I need to end it. And the times that I stepped out on my own will, I'm still healing from those wounds. We have to allow ourselves to be led by God's peace. Because, if we don't feel peace about a situation we don't need to be in it! 

 

Meditate on that when you feel anxious! I've come to find that meditating on scriptures and worshiping God despite how I "feel" not only gives you a foothold over anxiety, but the enemy as well! Find freedom from anxiety and encouragement today! 

 

About the Author: Daphne Benford-Smith is a recent graduate from the University of North Texas. A single woman that lives by "If you're not living for the Lord, I'm not your Ruth so take your Boaz somewhere else!" Avid writer for her blog "Confessions of a Christian Woman" or daphnemariahandjc.blogspot.com as a hobby. She's an  educator because it's her passion and purpose. And is ultimately a woman that is seeking the Lord with all her heart because He's all she's got! Although she's not perfect in that walk and has painful or funny stories she shares with the world  through writing as a result." 

You've heard the saying, "Nice guys finish last."

But do good girls really finish last too?

In a race with "the world" Yes, but not with Christ! Ladies isn't it time you take off your running shoes and throw in the towel in the race with the world and focus on what God has for you!

After sharing a few posts about contentment and patience via Instagram, I saw a couple of comments from other women expressing how they feel discontentment in their lives.

Whether it be at their jobs or in their personal lives, they're worried that they're getting older and they haven't accomplished or have the things they dreamed of years ago. These women look around, comparing themselves to the women that aren't living right, but seems as though they're being rewarded for sin. It allows you to think, is it worth it to live "right" or should you go back into the world with an attitude, leave celibacy alone, lie and scheme to get your way and so on and so forth.

Your answers are no! Don't you dare listen to the devil's plot to destroy what God has convicted!  I know it may be hard to see others around you being rewarded with all the materialistic things that you've prayed or praying for. But sis, they are just that-materialistic. Things you can't take from this world. Including the husband you'll marry if its the Lord's will, one day. He's only borrowing you for a moment. You belong to Christ and your hope is within him.

The thoughts you're having, I've been there. Thinking I wasn't "good" enough. How foolish of me to think so when my heavenly Father has a crown waiting on me-His Daughter, if I remain faithful to him. 

True enough, if you notice the message radio and tv is giving to this generation its full of women that are flaunting their bodies to get what they want. So, with those messages you feel as though you may have to fit that standard to get noticed. Again-no! Don't buy into the hype! Don't buy into the hype of when your boyfriend says, "I have needs," in order to get sex from you. Trust me when I say he isn't the man for you if he's leading you down a path God frowns upon.

                                                    The entire point of this post points to one word.

                                                                                      PATIENCE

Yes, its hard, but its worth it. Lift your head your head up from your desk because you didn't the promotion. Don't plot an evil scheme to move up the ladder. When no one is watching you continue to do the right things! Wipe the tears from your eyes because some random guy thinks you're not good enough for him. Stop beating yourself up, over what you could've done to prevent your boyfriend from cheating. You're thinking how could the other woman be so much "better" than you. Stop wallowing in the negative and gravitate to the fact that God has greater for you ahead of the narrow path you chose to take. Below are a few scriptures on patience. I encourage you to meditate on these. Place them on sticky notes on your desk at work or on your mirror at home. Just reflect and smile on the promise God has for your life, not the world.

"Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city."~Prov. 16:32

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."~ Galatians 6:9

"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways when they carry out their wicked schemes."~Psalm 37:7

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience."~Col. 3:12

Be encouraged!