WE GOT GAPS...

So, back in the day, when I was a lot younger, there were the ROCKY movies starring Sylvester Stallone. In the first movie Rocky meets the love of his life, Adrianne. When asked why he loved her so much Rocky's response is "She's got gaps and I got gaps, but together we got no more gaps." I used to think that was a rather profound observation, especially for Rocky and in some ways it is true - we all have gaps. It's Biblical in the fact the Bible states that the church is a body with Christ as the head. (Ephesians 5:23) And in Romans 12:4-5, "For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, though in Christ, we as many, form one body..." each of us has a special function and are gifted differently and that gift should be used for His glory. So in other words our "gaps" are part of His plan for His people.

Where it becomes complicated is when our worldly concept of being complete takes over. I cannot tell you how many times I've heard a young woman say, "He completes me." The essence of this statement is true - we all have an innate desire to be complete because God placed that desire within us. The problem is, we aren't supposed to be looking to another person to complete us but rather we should be looking to God. Believe me, it took me a while to grasp this concept but it is something worth understanding.

The beauty in being complete in Christ is it takes the pressure off our spouse (whether married or someday-to-be married.) It is not God's intention for your husband to complete you. "God saved you by His grace when you believed...we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago." Ephesians 2:8&10

Our accomplishments IN CHRIST can be multiplied by a spouse that compliments our gifts and talents. If we are determined that the man we marry should complete us we are looking for something that will never be and when we are married we will be disappointed by his shortcomings.

So, yes, "we got gaps" and that's okay! God made us that way. But if we focus on our Creator and trust in Him to complete us, we will not be hung up on finding a guy who will. This is why it's so important to deepen our relationship with Christ and KNOW HIM. For HE will make you complete and fill in those gaps!

Loving Yourself

I don't think there's a single girl in the world who does not compare themselves to other girls. As a matter of fact - there's not a single woman who doesn't compare herself to other women! It's true!! This is something we just don't grow out of!

I don't know why we are this way, but we are. For me I've had to work hard to stop comparing myself to others and simply weigh my life, my beauty, everything about me with the Truth in God's Word. Though I've made a conscious effort to look to Him for my beauty and my worth, I still struggle. It don't think this will ever go away and I have to work at it daily. I have a very dear friend who has been challenged in this area of life in a far different way than anything I have experienced.

Rather than tell you about her myself I thought I'd post a video she shared about her life and the things God has shown her about loving the skin she's in.  I would love to hear if you have struggled in this area and what you've done to maintain a healthy outlook on your self-image.

Have a fabulous day ladies!!

Rachel's Story

Begin with the End in Mind

One thing that I always wanted to remind the girls about when it comes to purity and relationships is the idea that for every action there's a reaction. The one thing most young people struggle with is the idea that there's life beyond high school and that the decisions they make today will affect their future. If you're not thinking about tomorrow you are likely living in the realm of failing to plan. Basically the saying "if you fail to plan, you plan to fail" might just be your motto/lifestyle.

I would challenge you to adopt a new mindset, "begin with the end in mind."
So fast forward through your life...when you have your daughter sitting in the family room with you and she asks you about how you did things when you were young and dating. Did you wait to have sex until you were married? What's an STD and why didn't you tell me you had one? These questions and more can be tough to answer and cause a great chasm of pain between you and your child. Is it worth it? Wouldn't it be more satisfying to be able to sit down with them and share the love story you allowed God to take part in?

I didn't do things right, I have had the tough conversations. I have had to be real and transparent. I have spent many hours in prayer trying to understand what God would have me do in my situation. And I tell you this, I wouldn't wish this on anyone. No, my desire would be to spare you the pain, shame, and guilt and see you Begin with the End in Mind.

Ask God to give you a vision for your future and see what He reveals. His plan for our lives is far greater than anything we could ever ask or imagine. Trust Him to have your best interest in mind. Who knows He may even use your love story to influence other young women to desire the "road less traveled" for their future as well.

Remember, "Begin with the End in Mind!!!"