This is a blogging challenge I just found over at Heritage of Grace and thought I'd jump in! Ok, so I'm jumping in about 9-10 months late (the original post was made back in May of 2013) but I figure better late than never right?! Since I love these challenges and I'm currently (as of typing this post) snowed in I decided to give it a go. It's a great way to meet other bloggers and fellowship. If anyone else has a blog feel free to jump in as well. Link back to Heritage of Grace and post the photo above. Ready? Set? Go!

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Wow! Can I just say that this ten day/post post blogging challenge has been incredible? I've loved responding to the prompts posted at The Single Woman blog and doing my own mini-challenge along with Mandy and many other bloggers in the blog-o-sphere! I'm actually kind of sad to see it end so soon. But I'm happy to have finished what I set out to do.

And now without further ado here is my last post in the Single Woman's Blogging Challenge!

Today's Prompt: Write a letter to your future mate saying whatever you want to say

Dear _______,

It's hard to put into words what I want to say. They fall miserably short when it comes to expressing my feelings to you. To be completely honest I don't even know what to say or where to start. I have more questions for you than anything else. My own curiosity here is making it hard for me to start this letter.

I just can't wait to see you, talk to you and get to know you better. I want to know your love language. I want to know what makes you laugh and what makes you cry. What are your hobbies, your longings and desires in life? Where have you been and where is it you want to go? What gets your blood pumping and your creativity flowing? Are you a sports nut or a bookworm? What are your goals and wants in life?

I want to know all these and more. I want to listen to you tell me all these things and more. I know that God has plans for you and wants to work through you in such amazing ways.

More importantly than all my questions though, please know I'm praying for you. I'm praying for your relationship with the Lord. It my deepest prayer that you grow as a man of God and that your relationship with Him will take first priority in life. Even priority over our relationship together. Only when our relationship with God is central in life can we then have good, healthy relationships with others.

I'm praying that you'll become more and more like Christ each and everyday and that you surrender to His will. I'm also praying that you'll follow Him continuously and seek Him in every area of life. His ways are far more glorious than ours. I know He has amazing things in store for you. Just don't ever forget to stop, seek and surrender to Him always. 

I'm praying that God will prepare our hearts for each other. Taking two lives and making them one is not an easy task, but then again nothing worth fighting for was ever really easy, was it?

I'm praying for the both of us. That you'll be the leader and I'll be the helper we are called to be. God has specific roles for each of us and what glorious roles they are! May you learn and grow in the role He has called you for and may I learn and grow in the role He's called me to as well. Like two hands clasped together in prayer may my role and your role fit together as a heartfelt prayer of thanks to the Lord. Oh what a glorious calling He has called us to!

May you stand strong in the Lord, praying, giving thanks and reaching out a loving hand to others. This time of waiting may not be easy but I have to believe that God is using it for our good. He's fashioning us more and more into the image of Jesus Christ. Each faithful step we take in obedience to Him will bring us closer together. It's a glorious journey we're on. I look forward to walking in that journey with you side by side, hand in hand.

All blessings in Christ be yours!

With Love,

Gretchen

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Today's Prompt: Name a song that makes you cry every time you hear it and why

In Christ Alone.

That song gets me almost every time I hear it. Not in a bad way, but in a marvelous, beautiful, awe inspiring one! Have you ever listened to the lyrics? I mean really listened to them? They tell a story; and not just any story but the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Not too long ago I woke up with the tune to this song in my heart. I hadn't heard it sung in a while but I knew of it because my church's worship team would sing it every so often. I didn't know why I suddenly had this song on my brain. Of course I didn't think too much of it and went about my day nearly forgetting about it completely.

That same night though, as I lay in my bed after a somewhat difficult day, the song came back into my head. Something prompted me to look it up on Youtube. (Anyone else do that? I think I'm obsessed with Youtube a little too much.)

The message of Jesus' love washed over me afresh. I could feel His arms around me like I've never felt in my life. I could feel His love pour into my heart. The floodgates opened. I bawled like a baby. I hadn't cried like that in a long time. But this love that surpassed my own understanding filled me up to the brim and overflowed. I cannot describe the feeling I had.

It was powerful.

It was peaceful.

It was amazing.

The last stanza to the song blew me away. I've never felt so safe, loved, grateful and secure upon hearing these words:

"No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath.
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand."
-In Christ Alone

I listened to it once again before turning out the lights and falling asleep in Jesus' loving arms. I think that song was played over and over and over again within the next few months.

And you want to know something else? After that happened more than one person commented that I was glowing. People asked if I had done something different to my appearance. I smiled knowing it was nothing that I had done, but rather it was what He had done. He touched me with that song.

To this day whenever I listen to that song I tear up with joy. I nearly bawled my eyes out when everyone sang this song at my sister's wedding last year. Thankfully I kept it together for the most part.

If you haven't listened to this beautiful song I encourage you to click the video below and listen to the lyrics. Jesus' love is so beautiful, so powerful, so true. He loves you and me with a love so divine and perfect that it will bring us to tears.

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Today's Prompt: If you could have a conversation with yourself in high school, what would you say?

Before I begin today's prompt, can I just say that I LOVE this question? I was an insecure teenager. My hair was too crazy, my skin was always breaking out and I never could land a friendship with the so called "popular crowd." In hindsight I realize that God loved me just the way I was. Pimply, crazy haired, awkward me. He loved me with a love so amazing that nothing on earth could ever compare. Nevertheless those were some tough years.

If I could have a conversation with a 14 or 15 year old me here's a sampling of what I'd say:

Don't ever forget that God loves you. Yes, you! He's crazy about you. He thinks you're stunning. God sent His only Son to die for you so you could live an abundant life filled with love, peace and joy. He doesn't want you to be anxious either. That's not apart of His plan. Use the fears you have to draw near to Him and claim His promises towards you. Hide them in your heart. Soak up the truths of His word and know that He's speaking directly towards you. God doesn't want you to be afraid and He has the peace and the cure you're looking for.

For God did not give you a spirit of fear, but of power love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7

"For I know the plans that I have for you" declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans for hope and a future.   Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11-13

Don't ever forget that no matter what you may think or feel, God is for you. You may encounter trials and changes in life but don't lose heart, walk in faith. Always remember that this too shall pass. 

Don't try and win popularity with the "popular crowd" and don't be envious of their social status. They're only human. They need a Savior just as much as anyone else. High school doesn't last forever. In fact, try to enjoy it while it lasts. The days of your youth only last so long.

You're unique and special in the eyes of God. He made you you and not someone else. Praise Him for that. Praise Him when that new pimple forms on your forehead, praise Him on bad hair days, praise Him when you feel like giving up and praise Him when your own strength is weak. For when you are weak, then you will be strong because Christ's strength will rest on you. (2 Corinthians 12:9) Praising God sets your heart to feel joy, peace and love. Gratitude will always create the right attitude.

Guard your heart from lustful desires and stay pure in all ways. Remember that your older Brother Jesus loves you dearly and wants to give you only the best. He will keep you pure but you must rely on Him for strength and protection. Run to Him when you feel tempted. Flee to Him in prayer when you're overwhelmed. Let Him carry your anxieties and burdens. Trust me, you can't... but He can. 

Let Him drive the bus and be in control. Walk in faith with Him each day. Pray to God always. 

Learn to love the way God made you. Yes, you are beautiful and He created you. He knows every curve of your body, hair on your head and desire in your heart. You are His marvelous creation. You may not feel beautiful since you're still growing, maturing and learning to be more womanly but remember that feelings are fleeting. Embrace who you are. Don't try to be someone else. You're not the girl next door, you're not the latest it girl in Hollywood and you're not you're best friend. You're you. Wonderful, beautiful, unique, lovely you. Yes, embrace it.

Lastly don't forget to read God's Word. Even if it's a verse a day. Meditate on that one verse and hide it in your heart. Start out your day in His word. Listen, learn and find quiet time to hear God. The Bible is His love letter to you and He continues to speak through the pages of His word. By reading His word, you'll be transformed in heart and mind, grow closer to God and attain real peace. Persevere in it. Live in it by hiding His words in Your heart. God is in You through His Holy Spirit. 

Trust in Him to work all things for your good. And never, ever, ever forget to rejoice in God always. Praising, rejoicing, gratefulness is a choice. Choose it each and every day. God shows up best in a cheerful, grateful heart.

You are loved. Never forget that. You are beautiful. Never ever forget that. You are a child of the Most High King. Never, ever, EVER forget that!

Be blessed always and walk in peace.

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Today's Prompt: What are your spiritual beliefs and how do they impact your relationships/relationship status?

I am a Christian. I believe in the Triune God; God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. I believe that the Holy Bible is God's Word to us and is authoritative on ALL subjects of life. God has spoken to us through His Word and continues to speak to us today primarily through His written Word. Of course He can and does speak in other ways but it will never contradict His written Word to us.

My spiritual beliefs are who I am because I wouldn't be if it weren't for the Triune God. This in turn affects my relationships and relationship status.

People who know me well also know that I hold the Lord closely in my heart. They know that I'm trying my best to live wholly for the Lord and seek Him in all things. Over the past couple of years I've tried to seek out other Christians to develop friendships with. Friends have a huge impact on our lives and it's my desire to choose loving, kind, genuine believers for my closest friends.

That's not to say I will not accept unbelievers as friends or shun those who may not know what to believe; however, I believe it wisest to choose your closest friends very carefully. My beliefs in the Lord impact the friends I choose and the multitude of other relationships I may or may not seek out.

Likewise, my beliefs also very much impact my relationship status. Knowing what I seek in a future mate and holding fast to what God's Word says most definitely impacts whom I may or may not choose to get to know better. Obviously I'm not looking for perfection, no one except God is perfect. But waiting for the man that God has chosen for me means that playing the dating game just doesn't work.

Sometimes it's hard to simultaneously hold close to God's truth and wait for the man that God has for me. I see so many people around me meeting someone!

Why God? I wonder. Why not me?

Then I remember His promises in His Word. Yeah, it's much better to wait on God and hold fast to His truth than to step out of His will. His plans are perfect for me.

Seeing and living all of life from God's truth means that the people I hang out with and the things that I do will look and be different from the world. It may not be easy sometimes to go against the grain, but all in all, it's totally worth it.

True lasting relationships begin with God anyways!

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Today's Prompt: Describe how you met the last person you texted and talk about your friendship/relationship

The very last person I texted (at the time of my writing this post) was my sweet college friend Chrissy! Talk about a sweet, kind, amazing young woman! She and I met through my old high school youth group leader (who is also my pastor's wife) a few years back.

I was a senior in college and she was a junior. Neither of us even knew the other attended the same college until my pastor's wife emailed me and said she had a girl she wanted me to meet who was just starting to attend our church. Immediately I sent her an email. I heard back from her almost instantly. We set up a time to meet at the school's cafe and have lunch together. I remember being nervous but excited to meet her! She sounded so sweet through our few emails with each other. I even remember what I wore to our first lunch!

That day we clicked. Our conversation could've gone on forever. I could instantly tell that she was a genuine, honest Christian woman who would become my good friend.

After our first meeting a beautiful friendship began to bloom. We continued to get together. We'd meet for lunch, attend church together, go shopping, make dinner together, and even did a Bible study for a few weeks! Chrissy became more like a sister to me. Since she lived farther away from home and couldn't drive back to her parents house whenever she wanted, she spent one Easter with my family as well. It was SO much fun!

Chrissy and I continued to get together even after I graduated. She was a rock for me that year after too. Everything around me was changing so drastically. I began a new job, moved to another town, lost two family members and two pets and went through a multitude of other changes. Chrissy was there for me to lean on her. She'd send me encouraging texts when I was feeling down and give me amazing advice at just the right time. I'll never forget what she said to me after I was feeling so sad about moving out of my childhood home.

"Gretchen," she said, "remember you'll always have these memories of your old house in your heart. But now you can make new memories in your new home too!"

Our lunches together after church were monumental. She and I could chat for hours about the past, present and future. We'd pour our hearts out to each other and confess our sins to one another. She is such a blessing to me and I will never forget those times we had with one another.

Chrissy graduated this past May and has since moved back home. We keep in touch through Facebook, text and phone calls. I miss our weekly gatherings but know that we're each in the place we need to be right now. I'm just so blessed to have met her those few years ago and look forward to visiting with her again soon. She continues to be a good friend of mine even though we live much farther away from each other.

Chrissy is proof that God sends us sisters and brothers to strengthen, encourage and uplift us not only in our everyday lives but also in our walks with Him. I miss seeing sweet Chrissy each week but am happy for her now that she also is in her new chapter of life after college.

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Today's Prompt: Your proudest accomplishment

My proudest accomplishment to date would most likely have to be graduating college. It took a lot of hard work, a giant dose of vision, and a continuous dose of perseverance. Those tedious English lit. papers, long hours of studying for mid-terms and finals, and long days of back to back classes were not easy. Thankfully though, I got through.

Quitting was not an option for me.  Sure I entertained the idea many a time, especially when I transferred to the private college where I got my B.A. Nevertheless I knew it would benefit me in the end and I would've kicked myself in the pants if I quit. All that time, effort and hard work would pay off; I just needed to keep pushing myself in order to get the diploma.

In middle school and high school I don't think I really wanted to attend college. I'd had enough of school in those days. I didn't enjoy going to school even though I loved learning. There were days when I knew I would attend college but there were also other days when I was dead set against it. But as I got older and I realized that I wasn't ready to be out in the world working, college eventually became the next step for me. However I was going to do it on my terms by working part time in a nursery and attending community college. It worked great for a while too! I began enjoying school again, gained some amazing life experiences and further discerned God's call on my life.

After four years though I felt stagnant. The degree I was pursuing was not something I wanted anymore and getting my associates degree in a part time program was taking too long. So I transferred to a private college down the street from me and enrolled in a full time program to get my bachelors degree.

It was through a series of twists, turns, revelations and heart transformations that I finally ended up with B.A. in June of 2012! 6 years in school! Yeah, it took a whole lot longer than I expected it to but it ended up working all for good.

I remember getting my diploma and walking across that stage hearing my named called. It was amazing. Not only was I walking on cloud nine that day but I felt so proud of my accomplishment. It was a long time in the making, and not without a lot of tears and regrets, but finally I'd finished what I had started. The prize was in my hands and the feeling of a job well done coursed through my veins. I'd graduated college!

There have been other accomplishments that have been just as good as this one. There have been spiritual accomplishments, relational accomplishments and some other more personal accomplishments as well. But graduating college has got to be in my top 5, so far at least.

I figure God still has a lot of accomplishments He wants to work through me. When the going gets tough though I can look back on my college experiences and know, without a doubt, that God will help me fulfill whatever it is He's called me to do. After all it's through Him that we reach the prize set before us.

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Today's Prompt: Google the meaning of your name and talk about how it fits or doesn’t fit you

It's interesting to me to see just how much the Bible references the meaning of names. Back in biblical times the Jewish people took great pride in naming their children. Naming your child was of utmost importance. It's not hard to find a man or woman in the Bible where even God had a hand in naming or renaming His people! I even remember reading somewhere that the Jewish people believed that the naming of their children would determine the outcome of their lives. How incredible!

Today's prompt has to do with my name, Gretchen. It's not a common name. Growing up I didn't like it either. Some people completely butchered it too. I wanted a normal name like Stacey, Kelly, or Lauren. But Gretchen? Yeah not so much. For the longest time I didn't like my name. It wasn't until I got older that I came to not only appreciate but love the name my mother and father chose for me.

Gretchen, a German name, is a form of Margaret and means a pearl. It's only been within the last few years or so that I began to realize just how fitting my name is!

Pearls begin as a grain of sand inside a oyster shell. Because it irritates the oyster after being lodged within it's inner body the oyster secretes a smooth, crystalline substance called nacre to protect itself. What started out as a grain of sand is then formed into a lovely pearl!

After suffering from horrible anxiety for many, many years the trials, tribulations and pain began to take a toll. The anxious thoughts and what seemed like endless suffering was not easy. It hurt. I felt different and I didn't understand why I felt that way. I too felt like that oyster with an irritant in my heart.

Unbeknownst to me though, God was working in my heart as well. Though the anxiety was definitely not something from Him, nor did He ever want me to live with it, He used it for my good. That grain of sand in my heart was forming a pearl through God's very own whispers. I began to see my need for Him in a subtle but powerful way. The suffering made me not only aware of my need for Him but eventually led me to run to Him with my whole heart. It was through my suffering that I became a born again Christian and a new creation in Christ.

God took that grain of sand and made it a pearl. 

I love my name now. It's unique and it's meaning has great significance. It's amazing to me how God works in our lives, even when we're completely unaware.

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Today's Prompt: Five things that are most important to you in a future mate.

1. He must be a believer! I would not consider even dating a man if he did not have a personal relationship with God and knew Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. This is an absolute non-negotiable for me. Along with this he must be a man of God's Word and sound in the faith. I'm definitely not asking for perfection as I know he will fall far from it, but my number one priority in a husband is that he will be a believer.

2. It's important to me that my future husband also be a humble man with a servant's heart. Someone who is not afraid to give grace to others when they wrong him or do something wrong in general.

3. It's also important that he be a man of stability and self control. A strong, moral guide who is able to help out those in need and be a shoulder to lean on. Life happens. Things don't go the way we want them to and storms sometimes pass through. It's in these moments and seasons that having a strong, stable leader, who exercises self control, will benefit the entire family. On the flip side though I too want to a woman of stability and self control for him so he can count on me through thick and thin.

4. Another thing that is important to me is that he be respectful to women. He must be kind, loving and honorable to the women closest to himself as well as to strangers. It says a lot about a man if he treats his mother and sisters with kindness and thankfulness. After all if he treats his mother poorly then 9 times out of 10 he'll eventually treat his wife poorly.

5. Lastly, it's important to me that my husband know how to laugh! Who wants to be married to someone who can't laugh? I enjoy having a good laugh. Growing up my friends used to ask me why I laughed so much. My answer would always be "laughing is good for the soul!" How true that is! My own father knows how to laugh too. He has a fabulous sense of humor and is always making me laugh. I would really hope that my future husband knows how to laugh well.

Overall it's important to me to find a mature, Christian man with a great sense of character. Will he be perfect? Of course not! I don't expect him to be either. But I do know that choosing a husband is not a light matter and I don't want to be unwise in the choice of who it is I will be marrying. Thankfully I know God will someday help us both grow and mature to be more like Christ each and everyday.

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Today's Prompt: Where you are in Your Life vs. Where you thought you would be at this point.

At 25 years old I honestly didn't expect to be where I'm at today. That's not to say I'm not happy with where I'm at right now, but things look a bit different than what I had hoped for or planned myself.

Right now I'm a recent college grad starting out in the workplace. I get to go to work at an elementary school each day and help kids in the classroom. Being a teacher's assistant was not I was had originally thought of doing, in fact that is the very last thing I had planned on, but nevertheless that's where I am today. And I'm loving every minute of it! There's no doubt in my mind that it's a God thing.

If you asked me 4 or 5 years ago where I thought I would be at 25 years old I would have probably said married with children, or at least engaged to be married. My plan was to meet Mr. Right in college, graduate college, get married and then start a family. Preferably all within a span of 4-5 years. Sounds great right? Everything all tidy, planned out ahead of time, maybe even tied with a blue or pink ribbon on top? Yeah, I thought so too. I even remember driving home from a ministry dinner my senior year in college imagining myself engaged to someone within about a year and half's time. By my own calculations I knew I would be about 25 years old. Let's just say that when that well laid plan of mine didn't come to pass, my heart was broken and God had some serious heart cleansing He needed to do in me.

So here I am at 25 still waiting on the Lord. In all my planning, I never took into consideration what God had planned. While my perfectly laid plans came tumbling down this past year God's plan has started to take root. 

I'm not saying that His plans don't include marriage and motherhood but right now I'm still learning to let God be God and let me be, well not. Where I am right now vs. where I thought I would be may not look exactly the same. It's been hard letting go of my "perfect plans" that I thought would happen all by age 25. Some days it's been painful and lonely too. But then there are those other days, when God whispers to my heart those two little words that mean so much to me. Two words that seems to still my questions and concerns.

Just Trust.

Trusting His plans over my plans will always be way better than any of my own "perfectly laid plans" any day of the week! It's not always easy, but I know it's what is best.

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Blogging challenge time! Boy was I excited when a friend posted a link to a blogging challenge for single women. Lately I feel like my own creativity and writing has hit sort of a snag. With things being pretty busy at work all day I usually come home, workout, relax a bit and then cook dinner. I've been thinking of ways to try and spice up the blog a bit. The single woman's blog challenge seems like the perfect way to jump start my creativity!

Mandy Hale over at The Single Woman has come up with some really though provoking and interesting prompts. Feel free to check them out here. Mandy is doing a 30 day challenge but I will be choosing 10 of the prompts she posted. I tend to like to do things in smaller, bite sized chunks, it helps me to keep the goals I set for myself.

So without further ado here goes my first day of the Single Woman's Blogging Challenge.

Today's Prompt: Describe a moment or a day when being single was really awesome.

Truthfully, there isn't just one specific moment or day when being single was awesome. No one day stands out above another is this regard. However there have been several moments over time when I've realized that being single was actually not too bad!

When my walk with the Lord went from mediocre to serious I had these moments more often than not. It was wonderful for me to just sit and bask in God's Word for hours without having to be responsible for anyone else. I didn't have a husband to serve nor were there children running around my feet demanding all my time and attention. It was just me and the Lord. I'd curl up on my bed, open up my Bible and soak in the goodness of God. These were times of great growth and revelation. In fact I even remember loving it so much that I didn't want to even think about meeting someone and dating them.

Moments alone with God were foundational for me. When I say I'd spend hours alone with Him, I'm not exaggerating. It was in these hours that real transformation occurred (Romans 12:2) I still love these moments alone with God and rejoice in them. Being single certainly does have it's advantages when it comes to taking time away with the Him.

For more than a year I also was able to take the time to serve each week at a Pregnancy Care Center near my hometown. I really don't know if I would have been able to do this if I had been occupied with others things that family and a relationship usually brings. While I served there I likewise continued to grow and was able to meet and fellowship with godly older women. They became such mentors to me and actually taught me a lot about womanhood and motherhood in general. 

Now that I've grown some more and no longer have the time to spend hours in the Word or serve at the Pregnancy Center there have been other "aha" moments where I'm grateful for this season of singleness. Coming home after work, thoroughly exhausted from the day I'm always glad to have the time to unwind without children being under my feet or needing to whip up dinner for a husband. Don't get me wrong, I would love to serve both a husband and children, and want to be able to do it joyfully, but knowing that when I come home after a particularly stressful day, I can relax and kick up my feet is always a plus!

Of course with every season there are advantages and disadvantages. I guess I never really thought about the awesome advantages that the season of singleness brings until now. So even though I never had one specific day that sticks out in my mind there have been numerous moments and opportunities where the single life is a real blessing!

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