This past weekend I attended my young adult ministry’s second annual mountain getaway. The mountain getaway gave me an opportunity to meet so many new people and get to know so many more on a much deeper level. I walked away from the weekend feeling so much more connected to so many young adults and have no doubt that some lifelong friendships were solidified up on the mountain. The weekend also gave me a chance to do something super-duper amazing. I was asked to be a part of the day two panel of young women speaking on the topics like love, relationships, and friendships. I’ll have to admit, I was a nervous when I was asked to speak on the panel. A part of me, you know that control freak side of me, got very nervous because I didn’t know what to expect. I had no idea how what the outcome would be which made me a little scared. Okay truthfully it made me more than a little scared, but there was a big part of me that was so honored and humbled by the opportunity and this is why.
Time for a personal confession: I’ve had moments lately when I am alone where I picture myself speaking in front of people empowering them. I’ve even gone as far as to actually start speaking as if I were I front of a crowd. It's one thing to be confident in front of the invisible people in your room but a whole different ballgame when it come to real people. This is part of the reason why I was a little scared but at the same time it made me honored because God was giving me the chance to express myself towards people.
As much as I was nervous about the opportunity, I was also excited about the chance that I had to actually speak to women and not just the walls. So even though the control freak in me couldn’t quite see the final I would have regretted passing up an opportunity to do something so awesome. So can you guess whether or not I did it? Of course I did. I was alongside some pretty heavy hitters, but I think I held my own. I shared the panel with two married women who both shared their perspectives on what it is like to be married. I represented to single perspective on the panel, getting to share my journey with almost 30 other young women that attended the retreat.
Time for a personal confession: I’ve had moments lately when I am alone where I picture myself speaking in front of people empowering them. I’ve even gone as far as to actually start speaking as if I were I front of a crowd. It's one thing to be confident in front of the invisible people in your room but a whole different ballgame when it come to real people. This is part of the reason why I was a little scared but at the same time it made me honored because God was giving me the chance to express myself towards people.
As much as I was nervous about the opportunity, I was also excited about the chance that I had to actually speak to women and not just the walls. So even though the control freak in me couldn’t quite see the final I would have regretted passing up an opportunity to do something so awesome. So can you guess whether or not I did it? Of course I did. I was alongside some pretty heavy hitters, but I think I held my own. I shared the panel with two married women who both shared their perspectives on what it is like to be married. I represented to single perspective on the panel, getting to share my journey with almost 30 other young women that attended the retreat.
The panel answered personal questions anonymously submitted by the audience. We answered questions ranging from balancing your relationship with God while balancing friendships and relationships all the way to knowing the right time and person to date. With almost the entire audience being single I would have said that there was pressure on me to deliver sound advice but it is a whole lot easier to give great advice when you are actually walking in what you believe. I didn’t feel pressure to think about what the best answer was to each question. All I had to do was share my own experiences knowing that they were in line with what God’s word says.
My best piece of wisdom came from actor and former model Boris Kodjoe. I saw an interview on Facebook from Boris and his wife, actress Nicole Ari Parker, in which he talked about what he wanted in a woman before he met his wife of 10 years. Before he met his wife, Boris created a list of all the things he wanted in a woman. He then looked at the list and asked himself “would the woman on that paper date me?” Most women have a list of things that they desire in a man. We pray to God for a man who is God fearing, sensitive, level headed, has a great job, good head on his shoulders, and so much more. But if you met that guy today would he even date you? If you are praying for a good person like that then there’s a good chance that he is praying for woman that shares the characteristics you want in him. I also got to challenge the women to think about what they could do to become they type of woman that a good man would want to date.
As women we should focus on becoming a woman that a good man would want to date. That becomes a lot easier to do when you stop focusing on men and focus on your dreams. When your priorities shift from finding the right person to becoming the right person, you can feel confident about the type of person you will attract. The time is now for us to start focusing on building ourselves up as women and let God take care of the rest. When we operate in his will for our life, everything else falls into place. What are some of the qualities you pray for in a potential mate? Are you living out those qualities as well? I would love to hear your comments on this topic.
Sincerely,
A girl on fire
My best piece of wisdom came from actor and former model Boris Kodjoe. I saw an interview on Facebook from Boris and his wife, actress Nicole Ari Parker, in which he talked about what he wanted in a woman before he met his wife of 10 years. Before he met his wife, Boris created a list of all the things he wanted in a woman. He then looked at the list and asked himself “would the woman on that paper date me?” Most women have a list of things that they desire in a man. We pray to God for a man who is God fearing, sensitive, level headed, has a great job, good head on his shoulders, and so much more. But if you met that guy today would he even date you? If you are praying for a good person like that then there’s a good chance that he is praying for woman that shares the characteristics you want in him. I also got to challenge the women to think about what they could do to become they type of woman that a good man would want to date.
As women we should focus on becoming a woman that a good man would want to date. That becomes a lot easier to do when you stop focusing on men and focus on your dreams. When your priorities shift from finding the right person to becoming the right person, you can feel confident about the type of person you will attract. The time is now for us to start focusing on building ourselves up as women and let God take care of the rest. When we operate in his will for our life, everything else falls into place. What are some of the qualities you pray for in a potential mate? Are you living out those qualities as well? I would love to hear your comments on this topic.
Sincerely,
A girl on fire