Joy, Ballet Shoes and The First Cup of Morning Coffee

"You are preparing joy for me and me for joy"~ Valley of Vision
Such a lovely promise... one that I am clinging to. I am more thankful and excited than I can say for the eternal and perfect presence of my Savior where joy is full and unhindered.

There is a girly feeling that comes along with wearing ballet shoes. Which is perhaps why I wear them. I wear them to work and sometimes to Wal-Mart. I have never danced ballet, but I think it would be neat to say that I have. Alas, I cannot, so I satisfy myself with wearing the slippers and feeling at least that much like a ballerina.

 I was talking to a friend about coffee, and she put it well when she said that there is not much to compare with that first cup of coffee each morning. I would agree, in fact I would say that there is little to compare even to the smell of coffee. Even non coffee drinkers like the smell. But the taste is simply wonderful too. It's good on a rainy day, and it's good on a sunny day. It's just one more reason to be a morning person. Because let's be honest, it's better to enjoy it in a cup at your table with some literature, than in a thermos in your car on your way to work.

All the single ladies...

So tonight as I cleaned the kitchen I thought of a blog title, and suddenly I was inspired to blog. At first my topic seemed negative, then it became altogether confusing... at this moment I do not know where this is going, but I guess I'll figure that out... 

I used to be a hopeless romantic, that is up until recently... I guess I wasn't that hopeless. I'm not against romance or realationships or marriage; I'm simply at the point where I realize they don't play a part in my story now... so I am left with the question: what am I to do with them?
 The answer to this question came to me today while I was in prayer at work, and it was a surprise, but altogether freeing and delightful. Here it is: Put them away... for now.

The thought of romance thrills one's heart beginning at a young age; every little girl wants to be a princess, and I believe part of that is rooted in her desire for a prince. Every princess has a prince. But what to do when you grow up and those are just stories, delightful, but empty... ?
Another freeing answer: Surrender these desires to the One who put them within you. The One who made you to have them, and the Only One who can satisfy them. Let Him be Lord over them, and let them draw you to the God who fashoned your heart and sustains it even now. Do not fret.
The desires for relationship and marriage are not bad... in fact, God put those desires there in the first place, but sin distsorts what God made to be holy. Fight sin! And cling to the promises of a Holy God. Cling to the Cross of Jesus in the midst of the utterly mundane and in the midst of deepest doubt.

For me, I realized that my heart was in the wrong place completely concerning relationships and singleness, which led to doubt and fear and sin. But God, who is gracious brought me to the cross and it was there where I saw my brokeness, and there where God made me to surrender, and there where I found freedom.
It's amazing to me that something that seems so small and harmless can consume one so much, but what is more amazing is that Jesus died to free us from that bondage and clothe dirty sinners with his righteousness that we can stand before a Righteous God and spend eternity in his presence where there is fullness of joy.
Amazing that he died to bring us to relationship with Himself.

The world paints the banner of loneliness over the title "single". But I truly think there is beauty in singleness, and being single is potentially one of the furthest things from being lonely. (Example: Paul was never married)


To everything there is a season. This too shall pass. But I wait for the LORD, my hope is in Him. He is my delight. His love is better than life. His banner over me is love.

Putting away my obsession with marriage is not a putting away of all my dreams. And it's likely that I won't be forever unmarried. But no matter what, I know where my satisfaction lies, and that is in my Beloved Savior.

"God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in him. "


Note: the title of this post was not the original title that inpired this post... funny how that works.