Friday, January 25, 2013

Twenty & Single


I don’t know many college-age young women who naturally enjoy being single, and I don’t look down on them for that because when I was in college, I didn’t like it either! There are lots of wonderful things that come with a relationship, and marriage is God’s idea, so readers, please know that I am in complete support of all you couples. However, this post is for the privileged singles.


•     •     •

‘Singleness’ is so much more than the word implies. The meaning of ‘single’ does not include where a person lives or works or what year they are in school. It does not tell you who they care for or what ministry they are in. It doesn’t hint at a person’s goals or priorities, how fun and creative they are, or how talented they may be. All of these things God has lovingly intended for this particular person, and ‘singleness’ does not negate or inhibit any of them.

There is so much more to singleness than merely being single!

The word ‘single’ in relationship terms is meant to describe one facet of a person’s being – married or unmarried; but the season of singleness involves choices and plans that could not be made in any other phase of life. For all my unmarried readers, make a list of the things you can accomplish now, without needing to ask your husband and without considering how your choice will affect the kids. For readers who aren’t dating either – who are some people you want to invest in? What ministry do you want dive into? Take the time you would spend on the phone with a boyfriend, the emotional energy it takes to commit, the joy of caring for another person, and spend it on someone else!

Before I began dating my fiancé, I read Elizabeth Elliott’s Let Me Be a Woman. I was very interested in becoming a godly woman whether God wanted me to be a teacher, a stay-at-home mom, or something completely outside my vision for myself. Her section on singleness broke the stereotype for me that singleness is a curse for girls who don’t have “it” – whatever “it” was. This particular quote shaped my view of single life and calmed my anxiety when I had those forever-alone pity parties. 

She simply said,
Single life may be only a stage of a life’s journey, but even a stage is a gift.
It is one stage, not a permanent state. And most importantly, it is a gift.

Maybe you’ve already read the wise words in Ecclesiastes that there is a time for everything, a season for every activity under the sun (3:1), and maybe you try to remember that God is the giver of all good gifts (James 1:17). But do you realize that God says He will not withhold any good thing from those who walk blamelessly (Psalm 84:11)? If a relationship, or marriage, were a good thing for you right now, would you have it?

What good gift has He given you instead?
And how will you use it.

There is so much more to talk about with singleness -- perspectives to refresh those who are weary, practical ways to use this time, and spot-application of God's Word to our hearts in this area. If you would like to contribute to this topic on the blog, please email me at seegerle@mail.masters.edu, subject "Twenty & Single." Next time we will counter common lies about singleness with Biblical truth, covering some of the major issues that accompany this topic such as beauty and self-esteem. 

Saturday, January 19, 2013

7 Thoughts for a Productive Morning

Prayer + Meditation



If you wake up for a job at 4am like me, you know that rising earlier is just not going to happen. Instead of making unrealistic expectations for yourself, take the morning drive, or your make-up routine, and commit your day to the Lord. Ask Him

a. To remind you of His love and faithfulness today. (Rom. 5:2-6; Psalm 86:15)

b. To help you show others sympathy instead of taking offense. (James 3:13; 1 Peter 3:8)

c. To keep you focused on your priorities and that those priorities would line up with His. (Prov. 19:21; Eph. 1:3-6)

d. To give you wisdom in every situation. (Prov. 10:13; Col 4:5; James 3:17)

e. To help you make time for Him later today. (1 Peter 1:8-9; Luke 10:38-42)

f. To give you opportunities for reaching out to other people. (1 Thess. 5:11; Rom. 10:14-15)

g. To help you put aside any negative feelings in order to do your best. (Col. 3:23-24)


*Later on in the day you can re-read the corresponding verses. These truths help you pray for things in His revealed will – it will keep your thoughts aligned with God’s Word and will refresh your heart!

Other Helpful Hints:

Prepare a To-do List the night before.

Realize that some things on the to-do list may not happen.

Allow yourself plenty of time to get where you need to be in the morning. Being late is never appreciated. It demonstrates unprofessional behavior at work and can cause hurt feelings between friends. Early is on time!

Discipline yourself to follow a routine now because if you do not choose the regimen, your bad habits will make the choices for you.

Plan on having spontaneous fun! Get creative with your down time. Include other people in your days because the relationships you build are so important. Shopping trips, watching TV shows, having coffee or tea, exercise, long drives, cooking – there are so many ways to facilitate fellowship. Take advantage of them and enjoy the time you have. Life is daily!

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

From the Bakery • Eggnog Cupcakes




While the holidays flew by me this year, I still found time to try these great cupcakes out at home. Needless to say, the cake is rich like Eggnog and the frosting is smooth like sugary-butter -- topped with a sprinkling of Nutmeg. They were the first to go at our Christmas parties and will continue to make an appearance in years to come! For anyone who wants the recipe, I will refer you to Annie's Eats and will file this post in the bakery section of this blog. Enjoy!

Yields About 18 Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS
For the cupcakes:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
¼ cup dark rum or bourbon (optional)
1 cup eggnog
¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup sugar

For the frosting:
20 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2½ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Pinch of salt
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
2½ tbsp. eggnog
1 tbsp. dark rum (0ptional)
For garnish:
Ground cinnamon or grated nutmeg
Cinnamon sticks


DIRECTIONS
To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg; whisk to combine. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the rum, eggnog, vegetable oil, vinegar, and sugar. Beat on medium-low speed until well blended. Add in the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until incorporated.

Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners, filling the cups 2/3 full. Bake 22-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth, 20-30 seconds. Add in the powdered sugar, salt and nutmeg, and mix on medium-high speed until incorporated and smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in the eggnog and whip on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 4 minutes. With the mixer on medium-low speed, blend in the rum.

Fill a pastry bag with the frosting and decorate the cooled cupcakes as desired. (I used a large, unlabeled star tip for these cupcakes). Sprinkle with ground cinnamon or grated nutmeg, and garnish with cinnamon sticks if desired.

Friday, January 11, 2013

Journey Through the Psalms #37


He will not forsake His Saints
Psalm 37

Read the chapter carefully and prayerfully.

“Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!
Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
For the evildoers shall be cut off,
But those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.”

Think of someone who has wronged you in the past.

Did your pain turn to anger or bitterness?
How did you respond to that person?
How did you respond to your own anger or bitterness?

Read these promises.
“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.”
“He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.”
“…but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.”
“But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.”
“..the Lord upholds the righteous.”
“..the wicked will perish … they vanish-like the smoke they vanish away.”
“those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land”
“The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast head-long, for the Lord upholds his hand.
“He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing.”
“Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace.”
•••


What are some other promises you see in Psalm 37?
Write down the ones that stand out to you.

Now look closely at the promises. What does it say you are responsible to do? Remember, you are not merely a consumer of God’s gifts! He has a bigger plan for you, and this is a call to action.

Read these imperatives (to-do’s).

“Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!”
“Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.”
“Delight yourself in the Lord”
“Commit your way to the Lord”
“Trust in Him”
“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him”
“Fret not”
“Refrain from anger”
“The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when He delights in his way”
“Turn away from evil and do good”
“Wait for the Lord and keep his way”
“The Lord helps them and delivers them .. because they take refuge in Him.”


•••


Reading through Psalm 37 while looking for imperatives sounded to me like David kept saying, “WAIT! HOLD ON!! –-Just stop what you’re doing and take directions from the Lord.”

So what are His directions? Do we sit on our hands and wait for signs of a prosperous life? Do we call every hardship “God’s will” and do nothing? By all means, this is not the time to become passive!




I had a conversation with an ex-Catholic man in a coffee shop who harbored bitter feelings for his ex-wife. She happened to attend Grace Community Church and, he claimed, was extremely religion-oriented. His opinion of the church was wrapped up in his ex-wife’s idea that in hard times we must do nothing because we are waiting on the Lord. According to his perspective, Christians were weak hypocrites, blaming God and waiting for change instead of taking care of the situation while they could.





His criticism is not far off. I’m sure there are many Christians and so-called “Christians” who take David’s words like a doctor’s note to school and claim there’s nothing they can do.

The reality is that waiting on the Lord requires obedience, and that by nature, is difficult to do. When you were wronged, when you were hurt, and when that hurt turned to anger and bitterness, did you worry that this person would get away with what they’ve done? Were you envious of the life of someone who clearly disregarded God’s Word? Did you turn from evil and commit to God’s way, or did you subtly seek revenge on that person?
Did you refrain from letting yourself dwell on how angry you were inside? Probably not! Not at all times, at least.

You see, the Lord shapes our character in times of hardship, and how we respond is directly related. It takes humility to accept that the one who has hurt you may be fine – they may never even regret it. And it takes a broken heart of obedience to gather up the choices you have and respond with forgiveness and grace.

The Lord is always faithful to His children, so will you be faithful too?