Archive of ‘Singleness & Dating’ category

Why Jesus Is More Satisfying than Dating

Why is dating not satisfying? | JoyPedrow.com As a 15 year old girl, I thought I loved him. He was the first boy I held hands with, my first kiss and my first boyfriend. As a high school girl, I dreamed of being together forever. Every night we would talk on the phone for hours, giggling about our days and never running out of things to talk about. He knew more about me than anyone else at that time, even to the point of being able to read my mind.

I was naive, but I was in love.

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Christian Dating: When My Body Doesn’t Know I’m a Christian

Christian dating, Christian dating boundaries, Christian dating blog, how far is too far, purity Bible verses

Doesn’t my body know that I started to follow Jesus my freshman year of college? Yet, why does it constantly not follow Jesus? My mind. My heart. My body. All connected, and yet all do their own thing. Christian dating is hard. Setting physical boundaries is hard. You can only read so many devotionals, Christian blogs and Bible verses on purity before you begin to wonder, what am I doing wrong? Why is none of this controlling my body?

What do you do if you’ve set physical boundaries and you’re pursuing purity in dating, yet your body is doing its own thing?

Allow me to share my story, one of the many stories where my body acts differently from my heart and mind. Through my story and through Scripture, let’s learn together what to do when our bodies don’t know we are Christians. (more…)

10 Signs You’re Dating the Wrong Person – From a Man’s Perspective

Are you dating the wrong person? Are you currently dating? Are you wondering if the red flags are BIG enough reasons to break up? Are your friends and family concerned about the relationship? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then this post is for you. If you feel in your heart that something is just not right about your relationship – don’t ignore these feelings. This could be the Holy Spirit leading you to break up. Today Sam Eaton will share 10 signs that you may be dating the wrong person. (more…)

Dating Is Not Fully Satisfying

Dating is not fully satisfying. Yes, dating is amazing and fun. Yes I love it. But it’s not fully satisfying. We can’t live life hoping to find our satisfaction in our relationship status.

You’re single – you want to be dating. You’re dating – you want to be married. You’re married – you want kids. You have kids – you want more free time. You have free time – you want more to do.

Do you get what I’m saying?

I’ve met countless women in all stages of relationships and none have told me that the status she is in has left her fully satisfied. I have a married friend who has struggled with infertility. She tells me she often cries out to God in pain. Her husband tries to be there for her and comfort her, but she said his comfort is never enough. (more…)

The Benefits of Boundaries in Dating

BOUNDARIESINDATING Have you ever experienced the back and forth change of setting physical boundaries in a dating relationship?

Maybe we should stop kissing for a while. It’s just too tempting to want to go further. Or let’s only kiss while standing. No kissing on the couch or leaning against the wall… well, anything is fine as long as we aren’t in a bed. Okay, it is settled — we can kiss anywhere, but not in your bed.

Days later… never mind, we shouldn’t kiss at all…just cuddling.

But cuddling is making it tempting to kiss you. So what if we kiss, but short kisses. Standing only. What if we just stop hanging out after a certain time? Let’s make a curfew. That will work.

Boundaries.

Welcome to the world of Christian dating — desiring to honor God and live a life of purity, but constantly fighting against the flesh.

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Singleness: When Patience Seems Impossible

Singleness: Lacking Patience “What if I lack patience and want a guy now?” asked a reader. Girl, I understand. I’m impatient. I don’t like waiting. I’m a planner and I have a beautiful plan for how I want my life to go. In my mind, this plan is perfect. We have to remember, our plans may not be God’s plans. We cannot let our marital status dominate our thinking and focus.

When our lives aren’t going according to our plans – we ask God, “Why won’t you do things our way for a change?” I thought I would find my husband in college and get married after graduation. God’s plans did not align with my plans. We expect God to love our plan even when we reject his. Have you rejected God’s plan and decided that your plan is better? (more…)

Turning to God During Heartbreak – A Man’s Perspective

TURNING TO GOD IN HEARTBREAK Heartbreak. We have all been there. Those nights when the loss is so unbearable that you fall to your knees, crying out to God, “Please, take away this pain in my heart. Why did this happen?” I know the feeling well and so does my friend Sam. As a monthly contributor to JP Ministries, Sam writes vulnerable stories from the heart and this post is no different. If you are experiencing heartbreak and loss this Christmas season, know that you’re not alone. And most importantly, know that there is a God who loves you so much that he sacrificed his son for you. Press on through the pain and you will one day experience joy. (more…)

How to Trust God to Meet Your Needs as a Single Woman

TRUSTING GOD IN SINGLENESS I sat with a friend as she cried and poured out her heart, “How can I believe that God loves me and will meet my needs? I’ve been single for years. I want to be loved, accepted and valued by a man.”

My friend is not alone in her thoughts. Many young women struggle with singleness and trusting God during this life stage. I believe the root heart issue to my friend’s questions is trust. My friend is not trusting God to meet her needs and satisfy her longings. My friend is not trusting that God’s love is enough. My friend is not trusting that God loves her, accepts her and values her, more than any human man ever will.

How often do you feel like my friend? For me, I know those thoughts seep into my heart and mind almost every day. I’ve discovered that spending time with God, in His word, is the answer to most of our problems, especially our trust issues. I realized that the days I struggle trusting God most are the days I don’t spend time with him.

Do you trust in God’s plan for your life? Do you spend time with God on a regular basis through reading the Bible or praying? (more…)

Misplacing Your Identity in Singleness

SINGLENESS Single. A word that most women hate to hear next to their name. A word that is often filled with anger, sadness, and resentment. I know those feelings well. I’ve believed the lie that being single is not a gift from God, but rather a punishment. And I know many other women who have believed the same lie. I have a friend who when asked what she likes about being single laughed and said, “Not one thing.” Her words saddened my heart. We can find joy and contentment in singleness. We can live full lives for God as single women.

I know that seems impossible right now, but have hope that you will see singleness as a gift. In the past — the days when I fully embraced the gift of singleness were the days I felt like I was truly living for God. (more…)

Why Should You Stop Looking for Your Future Spouse?

Why Should You Stop Looking for Your Future Spouse? Have you ever walked into a Christian event and scanned the room for your future spouse? With marriage on the brain, countless times I went to an event hoping to meet my husband. How distracting. I came to these events to meet God and spend time worshiping him. But what did I care most about? Looking for my future spouse.

Friends, marriage is not the answer. Marriage will not fix our problems or fill the hole in our hearts. Only Jesus has the power to heal us and fill our hearts. (more…)

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