Show Me Your Ways

"Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long." ~Psalm 25:4-5


God,
I want to know Your will for my life. Or more so, I want to follow Your will for my life. I want to trust You so completely and hope in You all day long. I want to be able to give all my worries and fears to You and let You guide my steps and actions. I know that I control nothing in my life, and that You have a plan for me. It's so hard for me to be thankful and have a good attitude. I over-analyze things and try to bring myself glory- I try to make everything work for my benefit when really, everything I do is pointless. I want to rely on You for everything I need. I want to long for You and Your Word, and I want to be able to get lost in the Bible and studying it. I want to feel Your presence with me everyday, and enjoy your company. You are my Lord and my friend. I want You to be my best friend. Please help me to resist temptation, and to reject the lies of Satan. Please make me have to rely on You with all my heart, and to come to You for my comfort.

Amen.


"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God..." ~Psalm 42:1-2

Little Things That Mean A Lot

The first thing I have to say is this: I have never been in an official relationship. But, I have seen many come and go, through friends, family, and yes, I'm going to say, tv. You can really learn a lot from other people's mistakes, and some mistakes you don't want to have to make yourself. I wanted to share some things that I've learned, about guys and girls, so that you won't have to make unneeded mistakes either:)

I'll start with guys first. Girls really aren't as complicated as you think, but here's some things that may help you out:

• Make sure your girl always feels like she is your favorite person. You mean the world to her, so make sure she knows she means the world to you, too.
• Honestly, you don't always have to "do something" to make her happy. Throwing the football back and forth in the backyard is great- because she just wants to be with you. 
• The little things mean the most. The good morning text can make her whole day. Smiling at her just because makes her feel special. The long hugs make her feel safe. That thing you guys do, pretending she has something on her shirt and then getting her nose, really is one of the cutest things. Calling her beautiful. Putting your hand on the small of her back to move around her, makes her feel protected and respected. 
• Noticing and remembering the little things about her makes her feel so special. 
• Be the gentleman you really are. Manners matter and can make or break you. 
• Smelling good gets you major brownie points. But don't put too much of anything on- that just stinks.
• Do little things for her. If she's thirsty, get her some water. Leave a quick note in her purse or notebook. Hold the door open.
• Don't act full of yourself. There's nothing wrong with being proud of yourself, but a little goes a long way. Your girl will brag on you when you do something great:)
• Show your girl off. You're proud of her? Let her know that! 

Now ladies, we need reminders sometimes too, so here's some very important things I've seen that can make a difference:

• Always make sure that your guy feels needed. Even if you can do something yourself, especially if it's something small, let him do it for you sometimes. He'll feel special because he's helping to take care of you. 
• Do not ever talk bad about your boyfriend (or husband) to anyone. It makes things seem like a big deal, even though you may just be upset, and it can make a problem out of nothing. It's also not respectful.
• Wear clothes. Seriously, modesty is important. Not only because you don't want your significant other to stumble (lust), but because other guys will check you out, too. And if young guys are looking at you, so are the old guys. Gross.
• Make sure your (girl) friends are friends with your boyfriend. Not besties or anything, but comfortable enough to hold a conversation with each other. It really doesn't feel good when you're best friend gets a boyfriend, and then decides to hang out with him all the time- especially when you two have never actually been introduced, so you can't all hang out together. 
• Don't be clingy.

These may seem like obvious things, but they really can make a difference. Lust and purity (mentioned above) is a huge aspect of relationships that a lot of people don't consider. It's an important issue that I strongly believe in, and will write more on later:)

Perfect Plans

My favorite Bible verse is Jeremiah 29:11.  When life gets hard, when you feel alone, anytime you need a hug or encouragement; when it seems like nobody cares or listens, or like you're going to make one mistake and ruin everything, it's comforting to remember that God knows exactly what He's doing. He has a plan for your life, and He is going to use it for His glory. We may not understand why things happen to us, or why certain people come and go from our lives. Bad things happen. We may have regrets. 

While it may not be very pleasant, and you just want it to end, God is using this to make you stronger. He allows things to happen to us to bring us back to Himself. Going through hard times allows you to understand other people better, and gives you an opportunity to be a testimony to everyone around you. 

You may not understand why things happen when or how they do, but if you know that God will bring you through it and that He only wants you to prosper, it makes it easier to let go of your worries. 

In Romans 8:18 and 28, Paul writes," I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us...and we know that in all things God works for the good of those who have been called according to His purpose." 

I hope that when things get hard, that you will remember that you have an awesome God, who loves you more than anything else in the world. When people you love leave you, God never will. He always hears our prayers, and gives us exactly what we need. He knows the plans He has for us. And I know for a fact, that those plans are great. <3