Ain't Sixteen Anymore.

You have potentially pinned the image on Pintrest, which highlights "someday someone will walk into your life and make you realize why it never worked out with anyone else." Or maybe you liked a quote and posted it on Facebook, which stated, "I am not single. I am not taken. I am simply on reserve for the one who deserves my heart." Or maybe you have even laughed and dreamed of the "Hey Girl" lines attached to Ryan Gosling. 

At sixteen, I thought I had this thing called, "love" figured out. 

Actually, I had it all planned and thoroughly written out.  I'd be married at twenty-two. I'd find the man I'd fall in love with at college and we'd marry shortly after. The moment I held his hand, I'd know he would be my husband. I envisioned we'd get married and travel the world together for a few years before settling down and raising our family. We'd buy our first home and at the house warming party, we'd announce the arrival of our first child. Eventually, I foresaw four little blonde children running around the house and filling each and every crack which such vibrant laughter. He'd chase them around the house, as I'd make dinner. We'd grow old, yet he'd still kiss me on the forehead and I'd get butterflies! Years would pass and we'd be siting in our rocking chairs on the front deck pondering life, the richness and depth of life we'd endured, as we'd marvel at how we experienced it together and that was all that mattered. 

Then I stumbled upon a list that I'd attached to the dream, which I had written at sixteen. 

A piece of my list read like this…

Recently, a friend told me that I needed to make a list, which outlined the qualities I was seeking in a guy. At first, I burst out laughing and quickly stated, "why?" She said, "you ain't going to ever find "Mr. Right, " yet I want you to understand what you deserve. Charlene, you deserve the best…"

So, if your the best…

• You have a personal and intimate relationship with God
• You play the guitar and are willing to teach me
• You are adventurous and random
• You enjoy looking up at the stars in the sky
• You engage in even the hard areas of life and ask, "how can I help?"
• You listen
• You have dreams and ambitions for life
• You make me laugh and tease me in a flirty way
• You like "power-hours" that contain a walk or hike
• You speak words of affirmation

At sixteen, I ended my list by stating, "I can wait for the best. I will simply smile and thank God for allowing me to be patient. For enabling me to know deep within my heart that he had someone specifically designed for me. I might be a sixteen-year-old girl with a list, yet this list has allowed me to guard my heart and wait for you to capture it. One day, our lives will be joined together and I will give you a beautiful gift: my heart. I will give it to you and ask that you will protect it, nurture it, and promise you will never let it go."

 "Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)." 

I ain't sixteen anymore, yet I still wait for love in my mid-twenties. As a result,  I am reminded of the love that my Heavenly Father richly lavishes upon me on a daily basis. I just have to ask! Such as, God can you reveal your love to me today? Furthermore, He is actually the one who holds my heart and protects it, nurtures it, and promises to never let it go.  He reminds me of His very character, since He is patient. He is kind. He does not envy, He does not boast, He is not proud. He does not dishonour others, He is not self-seeking, He is not easily angered, He keeps no records of wrongs. He does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. His love never fails! 

In this valentine's season of chocolates and roses, may you ask God to reveal his very character of love. Furthermore, I think you will be pleasantly surprised who he brings into your life in a season of waiting….

With a heart willing to wait,

Charlene

Infinitely Awaken

 

There you lay sleeping; peaceful at last. Your heart is so heavy and overwhelmed, but for the next eight hours you are at rest. Head on your pillow, unaware of me watching and waiting for you to render your heart once again to me, your heavenly Father.

 

O my precious child, if you only knew the great things I had in store for you.

 

With excitement and joy I choose to bring you into this world. I formed and shaped you into the masterpiece I once saw. Now you stand broken, confused and unsure if I even exist. Who lead you astray? When did my love not become enough? Yet, I will never stop loving you.

 

 I will never give up on you.

 

I created the stars and the sea. I hung the universe with just the sound of my voice. But it is you that I created in my image. You are my prize possession. My beautiful creation surrounds you when you wake up and fall asleep, yet you continually ask, "God, where are you?”

 

I have and will always be with you.

 

Return to me, my child. Turn your eyes and heart to me. Do not be distracted from cheap imitations and false fulfillments of this broken world, I am the one and only. I am the one who desires to pour out blessing and good things from above.  Daily, I speak words of such love, hope and healing into every area of your being. I send angels throughout the day to guide and protect you. Oh how I hear your ever cry and prayer. I am aware of your every anxious thought.

 

Open your eyes and hear my voice.

When you wake up will you respond to my longing to be close to you?

 

Now I wait…..

 

Waiting for you to awake…

 

Waiting for you to see that I am here…

 

Waiting for you to respond to my relentless love for you…

 

Maybe today will be the day you finally awake!

 

Love, Your Heavenly Father

 

 

 

 

 

 

Purity Is WORTH Fighting For!

I found myself once again struggling with temptations...

• Tempted to be loved
• Temptation to give love
• Temptation to just surrender  

The temptation that so often lures so many of us in.....

This past year, I was labeled as Canada's most popular virgin post appearing on “The Bachelor Canada.” I have had several people email, or Facebook, or interview and stop me in the streets all to ask me two specific questions, "why and how?"

#1) Why?

Why have I chosen to remain a virgin until I get married?

No, it is not because I am a nun as people have commonly assumed. Furthermore, none of any of the following accusations are true: being a lesbian, fearful of commitment, or naive of the pleasures that come with physical intimacy.

Instead, it began with a choice.

A choice that I made in grade eight post summer camp. I was sitting at the campfire, as a young woman in her early twenties shared on "True Love Waits." She talked about the significance and importance to wait until you were married to have sex. I knew in that moment that God was asking me to be obedient and to trust that He has the best in store for my love life.  So I said, "YES" to waiting.

Purity does not come easy, but it begins with saying yes. Yes to making a choice and not wavering in your decision. For the bible assures us that we will be tempted many times in the area of sexuality. Therefore, making a firm decision creates a strong foundation to stand up when temptations come.

And the temptations did come. Never did I anticipate at the age of thirteen that I would have to fight to protect my purity.  I learnt this very quickly as I entered into my first dating relationship.

#2) How?

How am I twenty-seven years old and still a virgin?

Response, by fighting!

Let me explain.....

It is a battle to remain pure, whether in the stage of singleness, dating, courting, or marriage.  We live in a very sexually promiscuous, indulgent, self-satisfying, and lustful culture. Everyone has different views on what is permitted and not permitted to do before marriage. The value and significance of purity is viewed as old fashion and unrealistic, which are both lies. Purity grants protection, restoration and a hope for the future.

For me, I had to make a choice. I decided that purity is worth fighting for and it was not something I wanted to give up or give into. I have had to say no, fight back and defend my stance for purity in relationships and in society.

Has it always been easy?

Absolutely not!

Have I been tempted?

Yes, yes and yes again.

The bible explains that we all will be tempted, but it is how you respond to the temptations that matter.

 “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (James 1:12-15).

Take a moment to think.....

What is your response when you are tempted? Such as, tempted to look at pornography, to be sexual promiscuous, to find cheap love, or to look lustfully at someone else's spouse.

The bible continues to says, “do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change” (James 1:13-17).

God created sex as good gift! It’s a gift with grand purpose, more than just a feeling, selfish satisfaction or to procreate. Sex was created to bring two people together in unity and in oneness. The bible talks about a love that is worth waiting for. It is this type of love that should only be awakened until God’s perfect timing. I have learnt that following Jesus requires faith and to believe that God knows best about sex and relationships. I have chosen to believe and stand firm on Gods promises of blessing for those who live a pure life.

Purity is worth fighting for! It is worth the wait. God’s promises are true and will come to fulfillment.

Do you believe it?

What are you fighting for?

Chantelle

Airports and Healing and Waiting.

Here I sit.

Waiting...

Waiting...

Waiting...

My flight has been rerouted multiple times and so I sit here waiting.

I'll confess I've always loved airports. From the tacky travel pillows to the traveling snacks consumed to the rainbow variety of coloured outfits and bags to the assortment of fellow travellers that I am honoured to watch for free entertainment!

I sit here with everyone else, as we wait.

Ironically, I've done a lot of waiting in my life. Maybe you have too? The old saying states, "the best is yet to come for those who wait."

So, what are you waiting for?

Maybe your waiting for...

• ·      Restoration in a relationship.
• ·      Financial security or simply freedom from debt.
• ·      Physical healing or even a hopeful diagnosis.
• ·      Dreams that only appear to be dreams.

I've been waiting for nine years.

It was one innocent blow to the sternum that changed everything. I recall my competitive nature exploded, as I sprinted back to prevent her from completing a lay up. Her forceful elbow came as a sheer surprise to my delicate teenage sternum. I was gasping for air and than that sudden and unforgettable shearing pain.

One blow. One accident. One moment.

Waiting...

The ER doctor ran his cold fingers upon my spine and eventually said, "You’re active and will heal with time. But, your back will always be out of alignment due to the nature of the accident, which is evident in the x-rays."

Waiting for healing...

He never mentioned the headaches that would follow over the years. Furthermore, he didn't outline the years of searching for that empty promise of healing.

Waiting made me doubt.

Waiting made me frustrated.

Waiting made me question if this would define my life.

Ironically, it was easier to speak into the doubt and frustration before ever simply believing in God's healing. I couldn’t fathom how to simply “be still and know [believe] that I am God [the healer]” (Psalm 46:10).

Smack, spike, set!

I was rigidly trying to hold back the tears with each movement towards the volleyball. The gym resounded with such active energy, yet my body fought the pain.

Enough!

The tears released like a ragging flood, as I drove home. I didn't want to wait any longer for what was once promised. Truthfully, I wanted HEALING! Could I demand it from God? And I aggressively yelled, "HEALING." I forgot that I had a passenger and than she softly responded, "you can....it's possible."

I doubted. Possible, after nine years of waiting?

She instructed me, "lay down and I will pray." Her warm hands ran along my spine, as she declared healing upon my body.

One bold prayer. One deep desire. One prolonged period of waiting.

I awoke the next morning and felt something for the very first time in nine years.  To my surprise, I ran my fingers upon a perfectly aliened spine!

Waiting is a period of time that I might not fully understand the length or the duration or the situation or even the interruptions. But like everything in life, waiting is a gift. It's one gift that I choose to celebrate.

You may be waiting...

Don't be discouraged or doubtful, rather I challenge you to celebrate this specific time of waiting.

Celebrate...

           Celebrate...

                     Celebrate...

For myself, it's time to celebrate healing, the waiting is done....

And the overhead announcement declares, "This is the final boarding call for Westjet flight #119."

It's time to fly, the waiting is done for today....

Charlene

P.S. And as you wait may you listen to "Be Still" by Bethel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAPpunj-dMM